The Unstoppable Wyndham Clark: A Masterclass in Patience and Nerve at Shinnecock Hills
As the final round of the US Open got underway on Sunday afternoon, Wyndham Clark arrived at the 1st tee with six shots in hand and two wildly divergent outcomes before him. He could complete a wire-to-wire victory and capture America's national title for a second time, or he could equal the largest final-round collapse in major championship history. The 32-year-old American ultimately responded with a masterclass in patience, restraint, and nerve, overcoming a furious challenge from Sam Burns and increasingly hostile galleries at Shinnecock to capture his second US Open title in four years with a score of four under par, finishing one shot clear.
The drama unfolded as Clark's cushion began to shrink. The crowd cheered when his tee shot at the 2nd found the heavy rough and again when his approach came up short and rolled off the green. By then, his lead was down to four. Clark was standing over his fairway shot at the 3rd when Burns cut the deficit to three. But for all the noise surrounding him, Clark refused to unravel.
A nerveless up-and-down at the 9th allowed him to reach the turn one shot clear. The most important shots of his championship were still to come. Clark fired his approach at the 10th to four feet and converted the birdie putt to restore a two-shot cushion. He came back strong with a birdie putt from 24ft off the back of the 16th green that got it back to two after Burns had closed once more.
Scheffler, despite the broad support, could never quite generate the charge the crowd desperately wanted. The putting woes that had frustrated him throughout the week resurfaced again and again, costing him repeated opportunities to apply scoreboard pressure. Clark did make a bogey at 17 and his drive at the 18th missed the fairway. But his shot into the green left him two putts from about 50ft, and he left the first one dead.
The title was his. Clark's second US Open title on his sixth appearance placed him in rare company. Only Brooks Koepka, Lee Trevino, Walter Hagen, Ernie Els, and John McDermott have won America's national championship twice in so few starts. "The first one was amazing, and this one seems even better," Clark said. "Especially after the sour taste from last year's championship, to come back and win this again is almost surreal."
For the first time all week, Shinnecock appeared willing to loosen its grip. Winds that had battered the Long Island track through the opening three rounds eased significantly on Sunday, lifting hopes that someone from the distant chasing pack might mount a charge at Clark's six-shot advantage. The rugged, treeless 7,440-yard course less than a mile from the Atlantic Ocean, hosting the US Open for a sixth time, had played firm but fair throughout the championship, much to the United States Golf Association's credit.
The more forgiving conditions felt like an invitation for Clark's pursuers to make one final run. The 29-year-old Burns, who held the 54-hole lead at Oakmont a year ago before closing with a 78, seized the opportunity. Three groups ahead of Clark, the American pieced together a three-under outward nine of 32 and steadily ratcheted up the pressure, while Scottie Scheffler struggled to generate momentum alongside Clark in the final pairing.
As Clark and Scheffler emerged beneath a molten afternoon sun, the gallery made its allegiances clear. Thousands of spectators packed shoulder-to-shoulder around the 1st tee serenaded Scheffler with an a cappella rendition of Happy Birthday as the world No 1 sought to complete the career grand slam on his 30th birthday. The reception for Clark ranged from coolly indifferent to openly hostile, with scattered boos greeting his introduction and cries of "Get in the bunker!" after his opening tee shot despite it finding the fairway.
"It was tough, but I'm proud of the way I handled it," said Clark, who earned a record $4.5m (£3.4m) winner's share from the tournament's $22.5m (£17m) purse. "Things really could have gotten away from me. I stood tough." For Burns, despite a valiant effort, his challenge ultimately fell short. "I really thought I made that putt," Burns said. "I hit it exactly how I wanted with the speed I wanted and just didn't go in, but really proud of the way we played today."
Scheffler, despite the broad support, could never quite generate the charge the crowd desperately wanted. The putting woes that had frustrated him throughout the week resurfaced again and again, costing him repeated opportunities to apply scoreboard pressure. "The crowd was tough today," Scheffler said. "I think sometimes it can get a little too much when balls are kind of going off greens and you start hearing cheers. That felt a bit much to me."
He added: "It shows a lot about Wyndham, how he handled not only this golf course but I think the crowd today as well and is a well-deserving champion.
Written by: Tricky Bobbins | The Citizen Edition
“Shhhooo' nuff!”