Clark holds on for wire-to-wire US Open win
SOUTHAMPTON, New York, June 21 : Wyndham Clark held on through challenging conditions and an unfriendly crowd for a rare wire-to-wire win at the U.S. Open on Sunday, fending off a late charge by American Sam Burns in a nerve-searing finale at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.
Clark became only the ninth ever true wire-to-wire U.S. Open winner, as he kept the outright lead following all four rounds, after Martin Kaymer in 2014, picking up the title for a second time.
The 2023 champion seemed nearly untouchable as he started the day at seven under par and six shots clear of the field but struggled to find the fairway on the front nine on the challenging Southampton course and some fans booed his efforts.
He cleaned up early mistakes to card a three-over-par 73 that left him at four-under for the tournament, and he hugged his dad after making an easy putt to clinch it on Father's Day.
"I played some ugly golf the last two days but my putter and short game kind of kept me in it," he said. "It comes down to just believing that good things are going to happen and you're going to make the putt."
Burns, who started the day seven shots back, thrilled the gallery as he mounted an audacious comeback campaign but eventually came up short, carding a three-under-par 67.
TOUGH CROWD IN NEW YORK
The U.S. Open is known as the toughest test in golf and Shinnecock Hills dished out plenty of pain, from its wind-whipped fairways to its tricky greens and a layer of stubborn fog that delayed play for two hours on the opening day.
Clark handled the challenges exquisitely until the final round, when he needed every bit of his six-stroke head start to hoist the trophy.
Burns birdied the first, third and fifth holes before draining a nearly 50-foot putt for another on the par-four eighth. He missed a relatively simple putt on the next hole and made a bogey and could have pushed it to a playoff, if not for a final putt that went inches off-course.
As Burns’ form came together, Clark’s fell apart.
He drove into the rough en route to a bogey on the par-three second hole before struggling with the sloped green for another bogey on the par-five fifth. He missed an easy putt to make another bogey on the seventh, making the turn at four under.
Clark has been on a mission to win back fans after an incident at last year's tournament, where he inflicted damage upon the locker room. But he found little support at Shinnecock Hills, just down the road from Bethpage Black, where the New York crowd hurled abuse at the European Ryder Cup team.
With most of the fans cheering for his playing partner, Scottie Scheffler (71), Clark tried to find some momentum, picking up a shot on the 10th but giving it back on the 13th.
"Man, they definitely didn't want me to win. It's pretty rare in an Open Championship or a major to have fans kind of boo against your shots or cheer for bad shots," said Clark.
"It was tough, but I'm proud of myself that I battled through. I mean, things really could have gotten away from me. I stood tough. Yeah, I would have liked to have won by more, but as long as you win, it doesn't matter."
He sank a more than 24-foot birdie putt on the par-five 16th hole, as the once-subdued crowd finally rallied around him, and he held his poise after a final bogey on the 17th.
"The first one was amazing, and this one seems even better," said Clark. "I think especially after such a sour taste last year in this championship, to have some redemption and win this again is - I mean, gosh, it's almost surreal."
SCHEFFLER BACK IN THE 'ARENA'
The world number one Scheffler, one of the week's main storylines as he made his first attempt at a career Grand Slam after winning last year's PGA Championship and British Open, finished the tournament at even par.
With eight finishes in the top 10 in 2026, he has had a year that virtually any other golfer would envy but came up short of his usual stellar standard.
"I was in a good spot mentally, which was nice," said Scheffler, who finished tied for fourth. "It was good to be kind of back in the arena. I felt like at times this year I was, you know, on the outside looking in."
