Wyndham Clark stepped into the Oakmont locker room after missing the U.S. Open ’25 cut by one stroke and tore the place apart. This wasn’t new. He’d been battling his temper long before Oakmont and hit rock bottom in the fall of 2022, but it was his team that helped him get better.

“I kind of had a little bit of a mental meltdown; I kind of lost my temper,” Clark admitted on Stories Untold on December 23. His agent and caddie had seen enough.

They told him he had to see a sports psychologist, or they would stop watching him ruin his life over a game he loved. Clark recounted the words from his team, “Hey, we love you, and seeing you hate golf this much, we just hate it.”

Wyndham Clark was skeptical. He’d tried therapy before, and none had helped. But this one was different. He started seeing Julie Elion in early 2023, and her holistic approach that focused not just on golf but on his entire life taught Clark that if he is really great off the course, then he’s going to be better on the course.

Julie’s method was simple. Set small process goals, and this is what led to Clark’s success. He habitually visualized positive outcomes before shots, filling his mind with good thoughts and avoiding negativity. She gave him six months to see results, and almost 6 months later, he won the 2024 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club.

After his win, Clark revealed that Julie had already prepared him for hostile chants at LACC on the final day of the U.S. Open. She kept telling Clark to stay focused on his goals and show spectators who he was. The golfer had to remind himself of his goals almost 100 times in the last 18 holes. Julie has worked with Phil Mickelson, Greg Norman, and Jimmy Walker as well.

Clark also spoke about seeing Julie on Netflix’s Full Swing S2, Ep 3. His rationale was similar.

“A lot of people on my team were like, ‘We’re pretty much telling you to see a sports psychologist. Otherwise, we’re done…’ I started working with Julie in December. Now I have something and someone who is able to get me in the direction I want to be.”

Over time, Wyndham Clark’s mental approach became a vital part of his career. From coping with his mother’s death in college and battling pessimism to appearing on Netflix’s Full Swing, he’s learned to manage both shots and emotions. But he still has his moments of weakness, like the one he had at Quail Hollow during the PGA Championship.

On Sunday at the PGA Championship ’25, Clark furiously launched his driver into the advertising boards behind the tee box after a poor drive on the 16th hole. The outburst came after the golfer sent his tee shot straight into a bunker. He then picked up the shaft before tossing it to one side. Ironically, his meltdown took place in front of a T-Mobile billboard, a brand the golfer has been an ambassador for since April 2024.

Sadly, Clark isn’t the only one who has lost his cool while playing on the Tour.

In March 2025, Rory McIlroy had a moment at the Players Championship when a University of Texas student mocked him for his 2011 Masters meltdown. McIlroy confronted the heckler, took his phone, and left. The school expelled and disciplined the student. McIlroy faced no sanctions and won the Masters a month later. This goes to show that even top golfers face challenges and sometimes let their emotions get the best of them.

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Some instances of heated moments from the 2025 golf season

Shane Lowry was caught on a hot mic at the U.S. Open at Oakmont repeatedly saying “F— this place” after a rough start to his round. This moment quickly went viral on social media, showing his growing frustration. Earlier in the same event, he hit a microphone in anger when he had trouble getting his ball out of a tricky spot.

Another example is Brooks Koepka at a LIV Golf event in Dallas. He started poorly with several triple bogeys and had a visible meltdown. Koepka struck a tee marker with his club and smashed it into the ground, sending it flying toward spectators. Many fans called for him to be punished, arguing that this behavior was dangerous. He later dropped out of the tournament, claiming he was sick after becoming very angry during the round.

These intense moments, though rare, remind us that the mental challenges of the sport are always present. Many top players still find it hard to stay calm under pressure.