Wyndham Clark feels 'terrible' about Oakmont locker damage and says he will make good
Club president John Lynch sent Oakmont members a letter last week saying Clark would not be allowed back on the property until he paid for repairs and got counseling for his anger.
Media were not allowed in the locker room, but a photo was leaked.
'I feel terrible with what happened. I'm doing anything I can to try to remedy the situation,' Clark said after he shot 65 in the final round and tied for fourth in the British Open. 'We're trying to keep it private between Oakmont, myself and the USGA. ... I'm hoping we can get past this and move on and hope there's no ill will towards me and Oakmont.'
It's been a rough year for Clark, who was on the verge of missing a second straight cut in a major when he opened with a 76 at Royal Portrush. He rallied with rounds of 66-66-65 for his best finish in a major since he won the 2023 U.S. Open.
He also threw a club at the PGA Championship after a poor tee shot that damaged a sign and nearly hit a volunteer.
'I've been pretty open about my mental shift and change to get better, and I did that in '23 and '24,' Clark said. 'And then having a tough year and all the expectations and just frustration all coming together, and I did two stupid things.
'But one thing that it did do is wake me up and get me back into the person I know I am and the person I want to be,' he said. 'I hope those things don't reflect because I don't think they reflect on who I am, and going forward that stuff is not going to happen again.'
The U.S. Open returns to Oakmont in 2033, the final year of Clark's exemption for winning. Asked if he expected to be there, Clark said: 'I don't know. That's up to them. I would hope so. It's a fantastic course and place. I did something awful, and I'm really sorry for it.
'Hopefully they have it in their heart to forgive me, and maybe in the future I'll be able to play there."
Lynch said in the letter, which was obtained by Golf Digest, that reinstatement would depend on Clark paying for damage, making a meaningful contribution to a charity of the Oakmont board's choice and completing an anger management course.
'Obviously it's a no-brainer to pay for the damages. That was a given,' Clark said. 'Then obviously all the apologies, and I want to give back to the community because I hurt a great place in Pittsburgh, so I wanted to do anything I can to show them that what happened there was not a reflection of who I am and won't happen again.'
___
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
24 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Australia's injury woes continue as Pollard steps in for Porecki in third test against Lions
SYDNEY (AP) — Another injury has forced late changes to Australia's lineup for the third rugby test against the British and Irish Lions, with Billy Pollard promoted to start at hooker after David Porecki and Matt Faessler were ruled out of Saturday's match. Porecki was ruled out Friday with a leg injury, making way for Pollard to move into the starting XV off the bench for his 10th test. Faessler's calf muscle injury meant Brandon Paenga-Amosa had to be drafted in from outside the Wallabies squad assembled in Sydney. Head coach Joe Schmidt had already unveiled four changes to Australia's starting XV and another two on the bench on Thursday after the contentious , last-gasp 29-26 loss in the second test at Melbourne last weekend. Another injury to Porecki compounds the absence of flanker Rob Valetini — who missed the series opener and had a big impact on the second test before leaving at halftime — and veteran prop Allan Ala'alatoa. 'Gutted to lose, I guess, a few, great players ... but we have a lot of confidence,' in Paenga-Amosa,' Wallabies captain Harry Wilson said at the captain's run on the eve of the test. 'Brendan joined us yesterday afternoon, obviously after a bit of a tough Thursday training session.' Wilson said the 29-year-old Paenga-Amosa, had already played tour games against the Lions and was an experienced Wallaby. 'He's got a lot of confidence, and he's coming into the group and he's fitting very quickly,' Wilson said. Australia hasn't lost three tests in a Lions tour since 1904 and is facing a confident British and Irish squad that is 8-0 in Australia, including victory in the first test in Brisbane, the second test in Melbourne, wins over Super Rugby franchises Western Force, Queensland Reds , Waratahs and Brumbies and two invitational teams. Taniela Tupou was recalled at tighthead and the scrumhalf Nic White is returning for his final international appearance in a reworked Wallabies lineup trying to prevent the British and Irish Lions completing a 3-0 sweep. ___ Squads: Australia: Tom Wright, Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i, Len Ikitau, Dylan Pietsch, Tom Lynagh, Nick White; Harry Wilson (captain), Fraser McReight, Tom Hooper, Nick Frost, Taniela Tupou, Billy Pollard, James Slipper. Reserves: Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Angus Bell, Zane Nonggorr, Jeremy Wiliams, Langi Gleeson, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Andrew Kellaway. British and Irish Lions: Hugo Keenan (Ireland), Tommy Freeman (England), Huw Jones (Scotland), Bundee Aki (Ireland), Blair Kinghorn (Scotland), Finn Russell (Scotland), Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland); Jack Conan (Ireland), Tom Curry (England), Tadhg Beirne (Ireland), James Ryan (Ireland), Maro Itoje (England, captain), Tadhg Furlong (Ireland), Dan Sheehan (Ireland), Andrew Porter (Ireland). Reserves: Ronan Kelleher (Ireland), Ellis Genge (England). Will Stuart (England), Ollie Chessum (England), Jac Morgan (Wales), Ben Earl (England), Alex Mitchell (England), Owen Farrell (England). ___ AP rugby:
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Mariners reliever Trent Thornton carted off field after injury coming off mound in 9th inning
SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle reliever Trent Thornton was injured while coming off the mound on a ground ball in the ninth inning Thursday night and was carted off the field during the Mariners' 6-0 win over the Texas Rangers. Thornton was using crutches to get around the Mariners' locker room after the game and the team did not have an official diagnosis of the lower left leg injury he sustained on the grounder hit by Adolis Garcia with two outs. Thornton said he feared it was a significant Achilles injury and that he would have an MRI on Friday. 'It's probably the Achilles, but that's just speculation, so I'll find out tomorrow,' Thornton said. 'Very frustrating.' Thornton entered the game to start the eighth inning and retired the first five batters he faced. The right-hander then had a full count on Garcia before the righty hitter hit a grounder on his 95 mph fastball on the lower outside corner. 'I threw the pitch, and as soon as I turned, I thought I broke the guy's bat and it hit me in the back of the leg, and I fell,' Thornton said. Thornton said his first reaction at that point was to try to look at his leg to see what had happened. 'I tried to get up and just couldn't even put pressure on it at all,' Thornton said. 'It didn't hurt. It's just achy and numb. But I guess I don't know. I'm still trying to process this a little bit, and I'll find out more tomorrow.' Mariners manager Dan Wilson said he thought Thornton pitched 'fabulous' before the injury. 'We'll find out more tonight,' Wilson said. 'Hoping for the best.' ___ AP MLB:
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Chinese 12-year-old Yu Zidi has won a bronze relay medal at the swim world championships
SINGAPORE (AP) — Chinese 12-year-old Yu Zidi has won a bronze medal at the swim world championships, an astounding feat for a girl who would be a sixth- or seventh-grade student depending on the school system. Yu earned the medal by swimming in the prelims of China's 4x200-meter freestyle relay team. She did not swim in the final on Thursday — China placed third behind winning Australia and the United States — but gets a bronze medal as a team member. She's been close to winning an individual medal, placing fourth in both the 200 butterfly and the 200 individual medley. She still has the 400 IM to swim. Brent Nowicki, the executive director of World Aquatics, said the governing body would look at its age-limit rules. The limit is now 14, but athletes can reach the worlds if they surpass a tough time standard. 'I didn't think I'd have this conversation, but now I think we have to go back and say is this appropriate?' he said this week in Singapore. 'Is this really the right way to go forward and do we need to do other things? Put other guardrails up? Do we allow it under certain conditions? I don't know the answer.' He called Yu 'great.' He also said officials had to be 'careful' about the age issue. Friday's session will be missing the two big stars of the meet so far — France's Leon Marchand and Summer McIntosh of Canada. Both have no final swims. Five finals were set for Friday. Some of the attention will go to Evgenila Chikunova, swimming as a Neutral Athlete. She holds the world record in the 200 breaststroke where has the top time entering the final. The top challenger is American Kate Douglass. South African Pieter Coetze is the favorite in the men's 200 backstroke. Yohann Ndoye-Brouard of France and Hurbert Kos of Hungary were the next quickest qualifiers. The other finals are in the women's 100 free, the men's 200 breaststroke, and the men's 4x200 relay. __
