Wyndham Clark’s second U.S. Open trophy was barely twenty-four hours old when a controversial clip started making the rounds online. It had golf fans picking sides over a single practice swing, debating whether something as routine as testing the rough crossed into territory or not.

PGA Tour caddie Brent Henley posted the video to his personal account on X on June 22, saying, “I think Wyndham Clark cheats here.” The post included a stretch of footage showing Clark rehearsing a practice swing in thick fescue rough during the championship, accompanied by Henley’s own commentary questioning what he was seeing.

The footage shows Clark standing in thick U.S. Open-style fescue, rehearsing his swing in grass next to his ball before stepping across to the other side and taking a second practice swing there. Henley narrates the moment Clark steps directly behind his ball and pats down the grass before addressing his actual shot, questioning aloud why the move was necessary.

When Clark finally strikes the ball, Henley points out that he is standing in the same spot where he had just patted the grass down moments earlier. Observers studying the clip have noted the swings still appear to occur near his lie rather than directly on it.

Under Rule 8 of the official Rules of Golf, players cannot improve the lie of the ball, their stance, or their line of play, though taking a practice swing to gauge conditions is permitted. Nothing in the circulating footage shows Clark’s ball moving or his lie being altered, the two factors officials weigh when applying the rule.

“Did Wyndham Clark bend the rules here?!? He never touches the grass on this mysterious practice swing. I have never seen another player make this type of practice swing in my golfing days. You be the judge,” he wrote.

Clark’s own history has kept this kind of scrutiny close at hand. Fans questioned a relief drop near a television tower on the 17th hole this week, even though the ruling was permitted. He had also been accused of cheating before.

At the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational, Wyndham Clark faced fan scrutiny when footage showed him pressing his club directly into thick rough behind his ball on the 18th hole. The optics of this action looked like he was tamping down grass and potentially improving his lie.

Then, at the Arnold Palmer Invitational 2025 on Friday, Wyndham Clark was cleared of a rules violation when he took a free drop on the par-four third hole. Television and ShotLink video reviews confirmed his ball bounced forward and spun back into its own pitch mark, entitling him to free relief.

Last year’s Oakmont locker room incident, which got him barred from the property, still lingers in the background. Hecklers were even removed by police during his final round this week for saying things like “Don’t choke Wyndham.” So, understandably, the reaction to Henley’s post split along similarly predictable lines.

Wyndham Clark fans take sides over the viral clip

Many fans defended Clark, arguing the practice swing was nothing more than routine course management in punishing rough.

“He is taking a practice swing as every single golfer does. Would you want to know how much the fescue will impact your swing? People really are trying hard to discredit Wyndham!”

Others echoed that the move was common among professionals testing a difficult lie.

“I’ve seen players make that move hundreds, if not thousands of times.”

A third viewer pointed out that Clark appeared to be checking both sides of his ball for consistency in the lie, a routine pre-shot habit rather than anything resembling rule-bending. Another fan went further, arguing that repeated viewing actually clears Clark rather than condemns him.

“Watch it a few times more, and you’ll see that it is NOT exactly where he steps. However, he can step behind his ball to test the ground, that’s allowed.”

Skeptics were not convinced. Several pointed to the earlier television tower incident as evidence of a pattern.

“I agree with you completely. It looked extremely dodgy to say the least, but unfortunately, the camera was not in a great position, so you shouldn’t comment one way or the other. However, if he is habitually breaking the rules, someone will get him eventually.”

“Yes. He also patted down the grass in front of his putt on 18 or 17, I don’t recall. Cheated,” wrote another fan.

“it’s okay if he cheats just don’t throw the club,” wrote one fan, pointing a two-stroke penalty Joaquin Niemann got for throwing his club on Thursday.

That same television tower moment drew sharper language from other fans, who saw less ambiguity in what they had watched.

“What I saw him do yesterday when he had the free drop from the next to the TV Tower, he cleared out everything on the ground where he was going to drop the ball at before he dropped it. That has got to be illegal.”

What do you think of this clip?