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Major champion Wyndham Clark BANNED from course just hours before Open after destroying locker room

Major champion Wyndham Clark BANNED from course just hours before Open after destroying locker room

The Irish Suna day ago
WYNDHAM CLARK has been BANNED from the Oakmont Country Club for destroying a locker room.
The major champion received his ban just hours before the Open commences at the Royal Portrush Golf Club.
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Wyndham Clark has been banned from the Oakmont Country Club
Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
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The decision came after he destroyed a locker room
The golf star left empty-handed as he carded two four-over rounds of 76 during the tournament.
This meant that he did not make the cut for the weekend with his +8 score.
The poor effort also saw him fail to win any prize money as he finished just one shot outside of the cut line.
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He appeared frustrated as he had bogeyed his final hole and did not react well when back in the locker room.
It was initially reported that he
Pictures of the room emerged with panels on two doors smashed out of place.
Oakmont have now banned the American for his behaviour as reported by
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The report claims that the decision came after discussions with the US Golf Association (USGA) and the club's board.
Oakmont Country Club (OCC) president John Lynch issued a letter revealing that Clark can lift his ban if he performs several actions.
The Open Faces Tee Time Chaos Amid Parade Clash in Portrush
This includes paying for the damage that he caused and making a "meaningful contribution" to a charity.
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It has also urged the golfer to go to anger management therapy.
Lynch wrote: "Several of you have inquired about the situation involving
"Following multiple discussions with the USGA and the OCC Board, a decision has been made that Mr. Clark will no longer be permitted on OCC property.
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He can get his ban lifted if he goes to anger management therapy
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He won the US Open at Oakmont in 2023
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"This decision will remain in effect unless formally reconsidered and approved by the Board."
Ahead of the Open in Northern Ireland, Clark has dropped to 28th in the PGA Tour world rankings.
He has only managed one top 10 finish in his 19 appearances on tour this season.
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‘It was very special and holing the putt was a serious buzz' — Padraig Harrington emotional over first tee honour
‘It was very special and holing the putt was a serious buzz' — Padraig Harrington emotional over first tee honour

Irish Independent

time18 minutes ago

  • Irish Independent

‘It was very special and holing the putt was a serious buzz' — Padraig Harrington emotional over first tee honour

The Dubliner (53) was third to arrive on the tee at 6:31 am and after doffing his cap tying his laces and teeing up his ball three minutes early, he gave his three iron three rapid swishes and blasted it down the middle before hitting another bullet three iron from 216 yards to 15 feet. The first tee grandstand was packed and the fairway lined on both sides as the Dubliner set the ball rolling alongside Nicolai Hojgaard and local hero Tom McKibbin, and he made the perfect start to proceedings by brushing in his birdie putt to take the lead. 'I hyped up the tee shot as much as I could, so that when I got there today, it didn't feel so bad,' Harrington said of his 6:35am tee time. 'So I was decently comfortable when I got on the tee. 'Obviously, I didn't try for too much. Hit a nice three iron down there, held the finish, posed a bit. I got a little emotional when I was clapped on. Then I calmed down and was kind of fine when I was hitting.' Harrington three-putted the third, fourth and eighth to be slip to two over, then took six at the 10th after losing a ball from the tee. He birdied the par-five 12th but holed nothing on the greens and signed for a four-over 75 as Hojgaard carded a 69 to sit just two shots behind early leader Jacob Skov Olesen while McKibbin signed for a 72. 'Yeah, it was a tough day on the greens, and it just ate into my game,' he said. 'Might have been a little bit of the fact that I was hyped up for the first tee box. Who knows?' Whatever about the score, Harrington found the whole first tee experience a memorable one. ADVERTISEMENT 'I came off the range about 20 minutes before my tee time, and I could see the grandstand, and it was empty,' he said. 'I was like, I thought this was going to be full. 'Obviously we have to walk up and over, and as I came up and over, I could see people queueing for a long line to get into it. They hadn't let anybody in. 'By the time we got there, the grandstand was full, the first fairway was full, the first green was full. 'Hitting that second three-iron into 15 or 18 feet, holing the putt was a serious buzz. "It was very exciting, and those crowds were spectacular at that hour of the morning. It was really great.' Harrington teared up when giving his acceptance speech after winning the first of his two Open titles at Carnoustie in 2007 but while he confessed to occasionally fighting back tears watching movies on airplanes, he couldn't recall welling up on the course. 'I wouldn't say I get too emotional, not like that, no,' he confessed. 'It felt like they were there for me, giving me a clap. "I expected the nerves; I didn't expect that. So I did have to adjust myself for that.' Was it special? 'Yeah, it was very special, I've got to say,' he said. 'It's a great honour to do it, as I said. I really hate the idea of being ceremonial, but I was prepared to do it because it was here. I'm glad I did.' He rated the experience as one of his great Open memories. 'Absolutely,' he said. 'You certainly wouldn't start your career off expecting anything like that. It's not something you think, 'oh, this is something I'd like to do in my career'. 'It was out of the blue when I was asked this year, but it's not out of the blue if you were thinking about it. I'm glad I did it now, put it like this. Maybe I might get to do it again.' As for McKibbin, the Holywood star (22) bogeyed the first and third and made an eight-footer for par at the fourth to avoid going three-over before finding his feet. He hit a bunker shot close to birdie the fifth, drained an 18-footer for eagle at the seventh and birdied the ninth to share the early lead with Hojgaard. He even had a putt for the outright lead at the 10th but he missed it and then ran up a double-bogey six at the 11th after moving his ball just a few feet in the right rough. 'A little bit of everything in there, a little bit of a good, a little bit of bad,' said McKibbin, who got a shot back with a two-putt birdie at the 12th en route to his 72. 'Overall one-over. Not great, but not bad. Not too annoyed but not happy. It was overall a very sort of up-and-down day. 'Obviously I was two-over after three. I don't really feel like I hit too bad of a shot to be in that position. 'I just missed the fairway on one and didn't have a good lie at all. I hit a good shot into three and came up a little bit short. Then I hit it down the middle of the fairway on four and it was in a divot. It was just not going my way. 'Hit a good bunker shot on five and made a birdie there so one-over after five wasn't too bad. "Then I started to play quite nicely after that. I only sort of struggled on the holes with the wind off the left. Besides that, it was okay.' Meanwhile, Darren Clarke wanted better than an opening 75 but he has no plans to walk off into the sunset just yet and plans to play on in The Open until his exemption runs out in 2029. The 2011 champion (56) hinted at Royal Troon last year that he might make his 33rd appearance at Royal Portrush this week his Open swan song having missed the cut six times in a row. But after making the weekend last year to finish tied 75 and winning on the PGA Tour Champions this season, he's decided he's likely to keep going until his exemption runs out when he's 60. 'It was me that said it last year that Troon may have been the last one,' he said. 'I made the cut and played nicely. All this week I've been playing nicely. I played nicely in the Champions Tour all year. 'It's one of those things where if I got to the stage I didn't have a chance of making the cut or have a half decent week, I wouldn't play. I wouldn't want to feel I was taking a spot away from a young, maybe more deserving kid. That's maybe me 35 years ago or whatever. 'If I think I can still compete, fortunately I've earned the right to still play for another four of them if I want to. If I don't think I could put on and play half decent, I wouldn't do it. We shall see.' Like Harrington, Clarke made nothing on the greens to match the Dubliner on four-over. But he was pleased to hear that the 2007 and 2008 champion felt emotional when hitting the first tee shot and matched his 2019 birdie. 'It's a huge honour to hit the opening tee shot, especially for somebody like Padraig in Ireland,' he said. 'As much as I told him he was going to feel nervous and feel a bit of pressure when he walked down the steps, he probably didn't believe me, knowing Padraig like I do. 'But I guess whenever he got there and got on the tee, oh, this is pretty big. So I'm glad to hear he was emotional about it.' As for his game, he said: 'I played really nicely and practised and everything was good. Then today just didn't quite have it. That was it. .. It was a tricky day, could have been worse. Just got to play better tomorrow.'

Shane Lowry hangs tough to set up another Open challenge at Royal Portrush
Shane Lowry hangs tough to set up another Open challenge at Royal Portrush

Irish Examiner

timean hour ago

  • Irish Examiner

Shane Lowry hangs tough to set up another Open challenge at Royal Portrush

You can't win an Open on a Thursday but you sure can lose one. Shane Lowry knows as much so the man who took home the Claret Jug from this Causeway Coast links in 2019 was happy with his day's work on Thursday. A one-under par 70, carded through the worst of the conditions, amounted to a serious effort from the Offaly man. It left him just inside the top 20 and three behind the leaders coming off the 18th hole after a round that threw up three birdies and two bogeys. 'Yeah, it was hard. I watched a bit of golf early this morning and I could see how even firm the golf course had gotten in the last day. Yeah, I've played a lot of golf around the country the last few weeks and the weather's been perfect, then you go today. 'I think I adapted pretty well. I think I played very well today. I was really happy with my day. Probably one or two shots, but any time you shoot one-under par around Portrush in those conditions, I think is decent.' Lowry was happy with his game. This was a round of golf that he had run through his head for weeks. He knew it wouldn't be easy and he knew that first tee shot – with out-of-bounds on both sides and so many eyes on him as a returning champion – wouldn't be easy. 'I would put that up there with first tee at the Ryder Cup. I was fighting with that all morning this morning. It's going to be all right for the rest of the week. I just wanted to get my tournament under way. 'I obviously want so much to do well in this tournament. I want so much to give myself a chance on Sunday. You can't do that without hitting a good first tee shot. I knew I needed to do that. We all know the dangers that first hole can throw at you, so I was happy to get under way.' If the opener brought pressure then so did the close. The cheer for Lowry as he walked down 18 in a competitive round for the first time since winning the Open six years ago was huge, but it added to the pressure as stood over a tricky par putt. 'Yeah, I wasn't expecting 18 to be full with Rory out on the course. The grandstand was full. Nice reception walking down 18. It was pretty cool. Actually, like you said, there's an extra little bit of pressure on that five-footer. 'It would have been disappointing to miss that. Yeah, look, like I said, the crowd have been amazing all week. I won the last time here, and I'm trying to use it to my advantage.' Leading the way in the clubhouse as late afternoon crept up was Denmark's Jacob Skov Olesen, Haotong Li of China and Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick on four-under par after their respective rounds of 67. All told, there were only 33 of 153 players – with three still to tee off – under par approaching 4.30pm on the back of a day that started blustery, called and then delivered a good spell of rain to really challenge the world's best. Ominously, world number one Scottie Scheffler ended just one off the pace after a three-under 68 that ended with real momentum after a birdie at the dangerous par-3 17th hole named 'Calamity' and another at the following par-four 17th. Rory McIlroy teed off surrounded by an enormous crowd at 3.10pm, found the rough on the left – but stayed in-bounds – and missed a short putt for par before claiming that shot back immediately a hole later. He is level par through four.

Meet the Wags of The Open 2025… from ‘Hottest Female Athlete' to bodybuilder-turned-doctor & Adam Sandler's co-star
Meet the Wags of The Open 2025… from ‘Hottest Female Athlete' to bodybuilder-turned-doctor & Adam Sandler's co-star

The Irish Sun

timean hour ago

  • The Irish Sun

Meet the Wags of The Open 2025… from ‘Hottest Female Athlete' to bodybuilder-turned-doctor & Adam Sandler's co-star

THERE'S a whopping £2.3million prize at stake for the victor of this year's British Open - but you could argue most of the golfers have already won big off the green. Because cheering the talented sportsmen on are a bevvy of bikini-loving beauty queens, superstar sportswomen and brainbox business titans. 25 Lilia Schneider says she overcame 'hating my body' with bikini snaps online Credit: Instagram/lilia_schneider 25 Reigning British Open champ Xander Schauffele with wife Maya Credit: Getty 25 Nikki Guidish used to model clothes for a US shopping channel Among them is defending champion She may well be his lucky charm because the healthcare administrator's support saw him win the PGA Championship and British Open last year. Maya, who married Xander in 2021, admitted she had never watched golf before meeting the US sportsman and has only recently 'gotten the lingo down'. Other big swingers including Brit favourite Rory McIlory, READ MORE FEATURES From a Maxim Hot 100 stunner to an ex-bodybuilder who became a doctor and a one-hit-wonder singer, we reveal this year's British Open WAGs. Allison Stokke American At one point she was ranked second in the state and nation, but narrowly missed a spot at the London 2012 Olympics. Allison, 36, put her career on hold after meeting Rickie, who she married in 2019 after two years of dating, to have their daughters, Maya and Nellie. Most read in Golf Now a sports influencer who has modelled for Nike, GoPro and Athleta, she's still turning heads on the green. Back in 2007 she was described as 'a sex symbol against her will' when a photo of her competing in New York went viral. Masters star's mystery Wag revealed to be huge golf star as she steals show with incredible shot at Par-3 competition 25 A photo of Allison Stokke went viral during her early career Credit: Instagram 25 She's the better half of Rickie Fowler Credit: Instagram / Allison Stokke Fowler It followed the snap being posted to a creepy but popular US sports blog under the headline: 'Pole Vaulting is Sexy, Barely Legal.' The furore sparked think pieces in the Washington Post, The New York and Los Angeles Times, and was reported on by the BBC and Australia's Sydney Morning Herald. Allison, later a Maxim Hot 100 star and named Hottest Female Athlete by Men's Health in 2011, said the fetishisation was 'creepy and a little scary', 'really demeaning' and overshadowed her sports career. Lilia Schneider 25 Bryson Dechambeau's stunning girlfriend Lilia Schneider Credit: Instagram/lilia_schneider 25 She was named has been dubbed 'the next great Instagram golf influencer' Credit: Getty Described as 'the next great Instagram golf influencer', Lilia Schneider will certainly be turning a few heads if she shows up at The Open. She's the rumoured girlfriend of Bryson DeChambeau, 31, who she's been linked to since the 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Series when they were snapped snuggling up in a golf cart. Michigan-born Lilia, 22, who's just finished her second year at Marian University in Indianapolis, has an impressive social media following. She has nearly 60,000 followers on Instagram and 150,000 on TikTok, lured by her golf coaching videos and streams of stunning bikini shots. 'I used to be very insecure and hate my body so I decided to do something about it,' she captioned one scantily-clad snap. I used to be very insecure and hate my body so I decided to do something about it Lilia Schneider It's believed she could be following in the footsteps of Paige Spiranac - a professional golfer who leveraged her large fanbase to get into modelling and launch businesses. Paige, 32, has featured in Sports Illustrated, was named Maxim's 'Sexiest Woman Alive' in 2022, is an ambassador and major shareholder for a betting firm. She even launched a site titled OnlyPaige - which features saucy snaps, golf coaching videos, livestreams and vlogs - something not too dissimilar from what Lilia's doing now. Jillian Wisniewski 25 Jillian Wisniewski's husband regularly shares gushing posts about his wife Credit: @justinthomas34 25 She tied the knot with Justin Thomas in his native Bilbao Credit: AFP Justin Thomas's better half Jillian Wisniewski may be his lucky charm on the course - because he claimed she was behind his 2017 PGA Championship victory. It was his first win but he was so 'very confident' he would claim his first majors win that he got her to change her flight so she didn't miss his game. Justin, 32, recalled telling his then girlfriend of a year: 'I don't want you to miss this and I feel like I'm going to get it done.' Jillian is a journalism graduate who works for a major advertising firm but is likely on maternity leave, after giving birth to daughter Molly late last year. She's part of a 'great support network' that nursed Justin back to health from a 'pretty bad space mentally' back in 2021. The couple married a year later. Justin's clearly proud of his 'great wife' as his Instagram page, which boasts more than two million followers, is littered with snaps of the two of them together. Paulina Gretzky 25 Paulina Gretzky appeared in Grown Ups 2, which starred Adam Sandler Credit: Instagram/paulinagretzky 25 Her dad tagged along to her first 'date' with future hubby Dustin Johnson Credit: Getty Daughter of Canadian ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, Paulina doesn't shy away from the cameras. The 36-year-old, who is married to six-time World Golf Championships winner One year after making her modelling debut in Flare magazine in 2005, she released the song Collecting Dust, which was used for MTV's Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County. She's also famed for her bikini-clad bit-parts in films including the Adam Sandler comedy Grown Ups 2, the 2009 remake of Fame, and Gary Oldman hit Guns, Girls and Gambling. Paulina has forged a successful career and doesn't regret choosing fame over college, despite her father spending a fortune to send her to one of America's best all-female prep schools. She admits her first night out with future hubby Dustin in 2013 wasn't overly romantic, adding: 'I don't know if you can call it a date since my dad tagged along.' Within a year they were engaged and eventually tied the knot in 2022. They share two sons Tatum, 10, and River, seven. When asked why their nuptials took nearly a decade, she said: 'This guy has no downtime. The stresses from getting everything ready for a wedding would take over mine and his life and what I needed to be was his teammate.' Gushing about their love story, she added: 'I fell in love with someone so fast and we just had the best thing that's ever happened to us happen so quickly.' Erica Stoll 25 Rory McIlroy U-turned on his decision to divorce wife Erica Stoll Credit: Getty Erica Stoll has stood by her man The Northern Irishman, 36, retracted his decision within a month and recalled the moment as a 'a wake-up call' where he decided: 'Let's just focus on the golf for a little bit.' He's been in a relationship with Erica since 2014 - two years after first locking eyes at the famous 2012 Ryder Cup while she was working as a PGA employee. She came to his rescue during that tournament by arranging a police escort for him when he overslept, due to a timezone mix-up, and risked missing tee time. That Ryder Cup became renowned for the 'Miracle at Midinah' and saw McIlroy's team Europe make the comeback of a lifetime, clawing back a victory after being 10-6 down on the final day of play. The couple, who married in 2017, share daughter Poppy, four. During his time away from Erica, 37, last year, Rory said he realised 'our best future was as a family together'. Prior to parenthood, Erica rose up the ranks in the PGA from transport official to office manager and manager of championship volunteer operations. Olivia Peet 25 Olivia Peet was born in Manchester and was a high-flying tennis player Credit: Instagram 25 She's been dating Ludvig Aberg since 2023 Credit: Rex Sweden's The brainbox earned a bachelor degree in science from Texas Tech University before getting a masters in Sport and Fitness Administration and Management. Olivia, 25, taught tennis at a racquet club near to her university and was recognised as a talented player on her university's varsity sports team. She now works as an associate director of the athletics annual fund at the university and became official with Ludvig, also 25, back in 2023. Meredith Scudder 25 Scottie Scheffler with his wife of five years Meredith Credit: instagram @ 25 She says her husband is 'super humble' and modest Credit: Getty The wife of Scottie Scheffler is a talented business woman who co-founded Purpose College Station - a company that supports those affected by childhood cancer. Meredith, 28, is also an ambassador for nutrition organisation Juice Plus and the leading events planner for Eatology, which helps people with eating disorders. The couple met at high school but didn't date until their final year and tied the knot in a Winder Wonderland-themed wedding in Dallas six years later. In 2024 they welcomed their son Bennett. Meredith says she was drawn to Scottie because he had a 'super humble ambience about him' and has remained modest. She said: 'He was just a really down-to-earth guy that doesn't take himself too seriously. Even when he had amazing accomplishments, that wasn't the most important thing about him." Katherine Zhu 25 Katherine Zhu massively helped her husband's game Credit: Instagram 25 They married in 2022 alongside dog Koa Credit: Instagram It was the 'gentleman's game' that brought Katherine Zhu and future husband Colin Marikawa, 28, together in 2017 and it remains a massive part of their life. She's a former college golf champion and he actually credits her with his success, which began in 2020 when he became the third-youngest PGA Champion since World War 2. US golfer Colin admits: 'I didn't start winning in college until she showed up in my life, so thanks Kat." And it's not just on the green where she excels. Katherine's also a talented tennis player, winning her first amateur tournament aged 13. The social media influencer and entrepreneur tied the knot with Colin in 2022 in a lavish ceremony with their dog Koa. When she's not being her husband's caddy, Katherine is busy running half-marathons. Nikki Guidish 25 Nikki Guidish used to compete in bodybuilder competitions 25 She's married to Patrick Cantlay Credit: Instagram/nikki_guidish Stunning Nikki Guidish marries brains with beauty as she once was a model, who notably appeared on America's Home Shopping Network showing off footwear, before studying medicine. The 33-year-old, who is married to She competed in bodybuilding competitions for two years until 2016 and one display on stage led her to land a front cover for South Tampa Magazine, in Florida. Nikki went official with her beau in 2021 when she shared a reel of photos of him at the Memorial Tournament in Ohio, captioning it: 'Nothing short of a memorable weekend.' They tied the knot two years later and share a golden retriever named Marv. Nikki's regularly seen supporting him on the green and kissing him shortly after his victories. Jena Sims 25 Jena Sims loves flaunting her toned body in bikinis online Credit: LainSnow/CMG 25 Jena Sims debuts a daring bra-less look in a video with husband Brooks Koepka Credit: Instagram Online Jena Sims describes herself as a 'Krispy Kreme connoisseur' - but you wouldn't know judging by her svelte figure. The wife of Brooks Koepka, whom she wed in 2022, she's competed in the Miss Teen USA beauty pageant back in 2007 and has since become an actress. The 36-year-old starred in comedy horror film Attack Of The 50 Foot Cheerleader and Three-Headed Shark Attack, which co-starred former WWE champion Rob Van Dam. Jena also bagged parts in Sharknado 5: Global Swarming and the TV shows Dexter, Entourage and One Tree Hill. On Instagram she boasts 335,000 followers and regularly shares bikini snaps to showcase her collab with Lain Snow. Jena, who appeared in a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit magazine, founded Pageant Of Hope, which helps disabled children, and has invested in skincare and make-up ranges. Kelley Cahill 25 Jon Rahm met future wife Kelley Cahill at college Credit: Getty Spanish 2023 Masters winner Jon Rahm is married to his college sweetheart Kelley Cahill, whom he met while studying golf on a scholarship in the US. She's a full-time mum to their two sons and daughter and is regularly seen cheering her husband, whom she wed in 2019 in his hometown Bilbao. Kelley, 31, is a former javelin thrower, who represented Arizona State University and she remains sporty, often joining her husband for workouts. However, tennis is one sport they will no longer play together. She recalled: 'He's killing forehands... cross court zingers, and I'm thinking, 'This can't be right.' "He was so good. I was so upset. I was actually mad for a day or two. We have not stepped foot on a tennis court since." Katherine Gaal 25 Matt Fitzpatrick's wife Katherine Gaal is a marketing expert Credit: Instagram Former Miss Jersey runner up Katherine Gaal stole the heart of Sheffield-born Matt Fitzpatrick and married him in 2023. When she's not his caddy, she's a marketing professional who is currently the regional marketing manager at a data protection and software development firm. They first appeared as a couple at the February 2023 premiere for the Netflix golf docuseries Full Swing. By September they were engaged and tied the knot a year later. New Jersey-born Katherine, 33, met Matt shortly after he won the US Open in 2022. Wendy Lowry 25 Nurse Wendy is Shane's 'no.1 fan' Credit: Instagram/@wendyirislowry Like many couples, Wendy Honner met her future hubby, the PGA Tour winner Shane Lowry, boozing on a "random night out". Four years after they set eyes on each other in 2012 they were married and Wendy has been a beacon of strength for her partner throughout. Shane described the Irish nurse, who works at Dublin's Temple Street Children's Hospital, as his "No1 fan" and says he owes her "a lot" for her support. 'There were plenty of times I have been crying myself to sleep or wondering am I able to keep going," he gushed in 2019. "But when you have a good strong woman behind you it makes it easier." Wendy says their two children have massively changed Shane for the better, explaining that if he has a bad day on the course, "the girls don't care" and "they just want Dad home".

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