SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. – Wyndham Clark likens battling golf’s mental game to climbing Mount Everest; sometimes you go up, other times you must go down to go back up.
“I was on top of the world, in my game at least, when I won the U.S. Open and then had some good years,” said Clark, referencing his 2023 breakout, which saw him capture his first major at Los Angeles Country Club, and ensuing season, where he rose to No. 3 in the world rankings.
“Then next thing you know, I’m apologizing for breaking a locker the year later.”
Several times in the past 12 months, the 32-year-old Clark has been asked to address his damaging of two lockers inside Oakmont’s historic clubhouse after he missed the cut at last summer’s U.S. Open, then his fourth MC in eight starts since becoming a major champion. Clark dropped outside the world’s top 75 earlier this year before winning the Byron Nelson a few weeks ago and clawing back to No. 34.
Now, as he sits atop this U.S. Open leaderboard having played his first 36 holes at Shinnecock Hills in 6 under, Clark views this latest ascent as his personal redemption tour.
“I’ve gotten a lot of grief since last year, rightfully so,” Clark said. “The thing that’s unfortunate is that’s not who I am, what happened last year. I’m hoping I can win back the fans that I had, or some new fans, because it was a terrible incident. You know, I really feel like I can show people that I’m fun and outgoing, I’m fierce, competitive, love the game, respect the game, and I just had a bad moment. … I definitely feel like I’m in a better place. Hopefully, a great weekend and great rest of the year, maybe I’ll gain all those fans back.”
It remains to be seen how many are willing to forgive, and when. Clark’s career, even dating to college, has been marked by emotional outbursts. During his first semester at Oklahoma State, where he spent four seasons before transferring to Oregon, Clark was benched for behavioral issues. That next spring, after his mother Lise’s cancer returned (she died Aug. 2, 2013), Clark quit the team on multiple occasions, each time cleaning out his locker only for Cowboys head coach Mike McGraw to gather Clark’s things and put them back.
“The outward shell was so out of control,” McGraw said. “But it was coming from inside because he was so emotionally upset all the time about golf, and about life, and about his mom’s sickness, and everything was just coming down on him. … The golf course would be a safe haven normally, but it’s where he blew up.”
Clark’s instability followed him to the pros, where he earned his PGA Tour card after just one year, though took several seasons to finally crack the winner’s circle, doing so at Quail Hollow, only six weeks before claiming the U.S. Open. Often during that winless pursuit, Clark would find himself screaming in his car, punching the steering wheel.
Clark began working with sports psych Julie Elion in early 2023. But even one of the best mental coaches in the world couldn’t negate the effect of Clark’s poor play on his attitude. Before the locker incident at Oakmont, Clark damaged some signage at the PGA Championship after throwing his driver into it. Clark’s initial post-Oakmont apology stated, “I made a mistake that I deeply regret. I’m very sorry for what happened.”
While Clark has avoided such catastrophic behavior since, his results – aside from a T-4 at last July’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush – continued to frustrate him into the first few months of this year. Late in 2025, Clark linked up with Pat Coyner, the head pro at Cherry Hills, Clark’s boyhood club outside of Denver, in hopes of rediscovering his game. Finally, with a T-21 at the Masters, Clark started to trend, particularly with his irons.
“There was definitely a lot of uncertainty last year, even if I played good going into the weekend,” Clark said. “I didn’t really believe I could keep playing good just because I hadn’t seen it, versus now regardless of where my game is at, I feel like good things are going to happen, and I can continue to play good.”
Clark used a birdie-birdie-eagle run midway through the front side, his second nine, on Thursday before play was halted for darkness. After a 4 a.m. wakeup call, Clark returned to Shinnecock early Friday morning, parred his final few holes to shoot 6-under 64, then headed right back out to fire another score in red numbers – a 1-under 69 that was capped by a 33-foot birdie make at the par-4 18th.
At 7 under, Clark had lapped the field at the conclusion of Friday’s morning wave.
“I really felt like I could be in double digits,” Clark said, “but you know, the great thing about that is I didn’t feel like I had my best, and I still am leading as of right now. Hopefully, I can bring my A-game on the weekend.”
Four shots back were several players tied for second, including fellow U.S. Open champions Xander Schauffele and Matt Fitzpatrick. Schauffele took advantage of a windy-yet-still-soft Shinnecock to shoot 66, while two-time major winner Collin Morikawa rose to 2 under after a 65.
Rory McIlroy and Ludvig Aberg were among those in the afternoon trying to stay within striking distance of Clark.
“I don’t know what he’s got – a three-, four-shot lead?” Fitzpatrick said of Clark. “That sounds much nicer than being four behind, I will say that. … I feel like it’s a golf course that can beat you up pretty quickly. You have to stay patient, but you know, if you are chasing, you can’t really afford too many mistakes if you’re that many behind.”
Clark, at least for now, is back on the right end of that mental climb.
