Wyndham Clark Breaks Silence on Oakmont Ban: 'I Did Something Awful'
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
With the final major of the season wrapped at Royal Portrush, most players are shifting focus to the FedEx Cup and Ryder Cup prep. But for Wyndham Clark, the close of major season also brought a more personal challenge of clearing the air with Oakmont Country Club.
CROMWELL, CONNECTICUT - JUNE 18: Wyndham Clark of the United States in action during the Pro-Am prior to the Travelers Championship 2025 at TPC River Highlands on June 18, 2025 in Cromwell, Connecticut. (Photo by...
CROMWELL, CONNECTICUT - JUNE 18: Wyndham Clark of the United States in action during the Pro-Am prior to the Travelers Championship 2025 at TPC River Highlands on June 18, 2025 in Cromwell, Connecticut. (Photo by) More
Getty Images
After missing the cut at the U.S. Open in June with back-to-back rounds of 74, Clark reportedly damaged multiple lockers in a moment of frustration. The incident, initially kept private, exploded when leaked photos surfaced online.
Oakmont responded by banning the 2023 U.S. Open champion from its property, citing discussions with the USGA and its board.
The notice surfaced just as the three-time PGA Tour winner was preparing to tee off at Royal Portrush, and he declined to speak to media early in the week. But after rebounding from a poor opening with a final-round 65, Clark addressed the situation publicly for the first time.
"Obviously I feel terrible with what happened. I'm doing anything I can to try to remedy the situation," the 31-year-old told reporters Sunday evening. "We're trying to keep it private between Oakmont, myself and the USGA. "I'm just happy we have a pathway moving forward. ... I'm hoping we can get past this and move on and hope there's no ill will towards me and Oakmont."
He also expressed disappointment that the club's letter detailing the ban was made public, saying, "Yeah, we were hoping it was going to be private. I'll just leave it at that."
This wasn't Clark's only emotional lapse this season. At the PGA Championship in May, he threw his driver into a sponsor sign at Quail Hollow, damaging the display and narrowly missing a volunteer. When asked about the pattern, he didn't deflect.
"I've been pretty open about my mental shift and change to get better," he was quoted as saying. "I did that in '23 and '24, and then having a tough year and all the expectations and just frustration all coming together, and I did two stupid things."
Per the transcripts, he added, "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."
Despite the fallout, the former U.S. Open champion still has a route back to Oakmont.
Clark confirmed about paying for Oakmont damages
According to club president John Lynch's letter, reinstatement requires full repayment for damages, a meaningful contribution to a charity selected by the board, and completion of anger management or counseling sessions.
Clark confirmed his commitment to those terms.
"Obviously it's a no-brainer to pay for the damages. That was a given," he shared during the post tournament conference.
"Then obviously all the apologies, and I want to give back to the community because I hurt a great place in Pittsburgh. ... I want to show them who I really am with the apology and the things I'm going to do."
His T4 finish at The Open was his best since a fifth-place showing at the Houston Open in March. After starting the year ranked sixth in the world, Clark had dropped to No. 28 entering Open week.
He now sits 22nd in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings, with only the top six after next month's BMW Championship earning automatic spots. That said, Clark's Ryder Cup destination for the year is in the captain's hand for now.
More Golf: Bryson DeChambeau Hides 'Personal' Message Amid Ryder Cup Confirmation
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Venus Williams' bid for her first winning streak since 2019 ends in a loss to Magdalena Frech in DC
Venus Williams' bid for her first winning streak since 2019 ended with a 6-2, 6-2 loss to 24th-ranked Magdalena Frech at the D.C. Open on Thursday night. Williams is 45, and her victory in the first round Tuesday night against 35th-ranked Peyton Stearns made the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion the oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match since Martina Navratilova was 47 in 2004. That was Williams' first win in singles since 2023, and she joked afterward that she was motivated to succeed because she wanted to be able to get back on the WTA's health insurance plan after being off the tour for more than a year. She won a doubles match in Washington, too. This hard-court tournament was the first event for Williams since March 2024; she missed time because of surgery for uterine fibroids. The last time Williams won at least two matches in a row was in August 2019, at the Cincinnati Open, where she put together three consecutive victories before losing to Madison Keys in the quarterfinals. Williams began well against Frech, going up 2-1. But from there, Frech claimed seven straight games to own the first set and lead 2-0 in the second. Frech is a 27-year-old from Poland whose best Grand Slam showing was a run to the fourth round at the 2024 Australian Open before losing to Coco Gauff. The show under the lights on this evening was all about Williams, whose greeting was much louder when she walked out on court toting a green exercise band. Every time Williams unfurled one of her booming groundstrokes — and make no mistake, she still can hit the ball hard — the crowd in the main stadium let out a roar. The problem for Williams: She frequently was unable to properly calibrate those shots, including when she sailed a forehand way out after rushing forward to get to a short ball off Frech's racket. That gave Frech a 3-2 lead. Williams would drop her head or slump her shoulders after some misses, and she had 14 unforced errors in the opening set, more than twice as many as Frech. Fans often responded with an 'Awwww' right away, before trying to give Williams a boost by yelling support. After Williams fell behind 1-0 in the second set, a chorus rose of 'Here we go, Venus! Here we go!' She generated loud applause after getting a game a few minutes later, and there were clap-accompanied chants of 'Venus!' when she broke to get within 4-2 in that set. But Williams didn't get another game. When it ended after 1 hour, 12 minutes with one last Williams forehand that landed long, spectators gave her a standing ovation, and she responded with a smile and the sort of pirouette and wave she usually reserves for celebrating wins. 'We're never going to say goodbye to Venus Williams, are we?' the stadium announcer said. In other action Thursday, top-seeded Jessica Pegula lost to 2021 U.S. Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, and Emma Raducanu dominated her first career matchup against Naomi Osaka, winning the showdown between past U.S. Open champions 6-4, 6-2. 'I did feel it had a bit of extra,' Raducanu said. 'It's a match that I feel a lot of people were talking about beforehand.' Raducanu, the first qualifier to claim a Grand Slam title when she did that in New York in 2021 by defeating Fernandez in the final, saved the only two break points she faced Thursday and broke the big-serving Osaka three times. Seeded men advancing included No. 4 Ben Shelton, No. 6 Frances Tiafoe, No. 7 Alex de Minaur, No. 8 Daniil Medvedev, No. 12 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and No. 14 Brandon Nakashima.
CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
Venus Williams' bid for her first winning streak since 2019 ends in a loss to Magdalena Frech in DC
Venus Williams' bid for her first winning streak since 2019 ended with a 6-2, 6-2 loss to 24th-ranked Magdalena Frech at the D.C. Open on Thursday night. Williams is 45, and her victory in the first round Tuesday night against 35th-ranked Peyton Stearns made the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion the oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match since Martina Navratilova was 47 in 2004. That was Williams' first win in singles since 2023, and she joked afterward that she was motivated to succeed because she wanted to be able to get back on the WTA's health insurance plan after being off the tour for more than a year. She won a doubles match in Washington, too. This hard-court tournament was the first event for Williams since March 2024; she missed time because of surgery for uterine fibroids. The last time Williams won at least two matches in a row was in August 2019, at the Cincinnati Open, where she put together three consecutive victories before losing to Madison Keys in the quarterfinals. Williams began well against Frech, going up 2-1. But from there, Frech claimed seven straight games to own the first set and lead 2-0 in the second. Frech is a 27-year-old from Poland whose best Grand Slam showing was a run to the fourth round at the 2024 Australian Open before losing to Coco Gauff. The show under the lights on this evening was all about Williams, whose greeting was much louder when she walked out on court toting a green exercise band. Every time Williams unfurled one of her booming groundstrokes — and make no mistake, she still can hit the ball hard — the crowd in the main stadium let out a roar. The problem for Williams: She frequently was unable to properly calibrate those shots, including when she sailed a forehand way out after rushing forward to get to a short ball off Frech's racket. That gave Frech a 3-2 lead. Williams would drop her head or slump her shoulders after some misses, and she had 14 unforced errors in the opening set, more than twice as many as Frech. Fans often responded with an 'Awwww' right away, before trying to give Williams a boost by yelling support. After Williams fell behind 1-0 in the second set, a chorus rose of 'Here we go, Venus! Here we go!' She generated loud applause after getting a game a few minutes later, and there were clap-accompanied chants of 'Venus!' when she broke to get within 4-2 in that set. But Williams didn't get another game. When it ended after 1 hour, 12 minutes with one last Williams forehand that landed long, spectators gave her a standing ovation, and she responded with a smile and the sort of pirouette and wave she usually reserves for celebrating wins. 'We're never going to say goodbye to Venus Williams, are we?' the stadium announcer said. In other action Thursday, top-seeded Jessica Pegula lost to 2021 U.S. Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, and Emma Raducanu dominated her first career matchup against Naomi Osaka, winning the showdown between past U.S. Open champions 6-4, 6-2. 'I did feel it had a bit of extra,' Raducanu said. 'It's a match that I feel a lot of people were talking about beforehand.' Raducanu, the first qualifier to claim a Grand Slam title when she did that in New York in 2021 by defeating Fernandez in the final, saved the only two break points she faced Thursday and broke the big-serving Osaka three times. Seeded men advancing included No. 4 Ben Shelton, No. 6 Frances Tiafoe, No. 7 Alex de Minaur, No. 8 Daniil Medvedev, No. 12 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and No. 14 Brandon Nakashima.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Svensson's sizzling 60 sets PGA Tour tournament record
Adam Svensson has made a 48-foot eagle putt on the closing hole to complete an 11-under-par 60 to claim a two-shot lead after one round of the PGA Tour's 3M Open. Svensson also made nine birdies and did not drop a shot in the lowest round in the tournament's seven-year history to lead over American Sam Stevens and Dane Thorbjorn Olesen. As Australia's challenge failed to materialise, the Canadian tied the TPC Twin Cities course record set by Paul Goydos at the 2017 3M Championship on the PGA Tour Champions. Chris Gotterup, who finished third at last week's British Open and won the Scottish Open two weeks ago, is three shots back along with Chad Ramey and Matti Schmid. Zac Blair, Chris Kirk, Jake Knapp and Brendan Valdes are another shot back, with Rickie Fowler and Emiliano Grillo among those at six under and four strokes off the pace. An eagle at the last to break the course record‼️Adam Svensson shoots 60 to take the clubhouse lead @3MOpen.📺 @PGATOURLIVE on ESPN+ — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 24, 2025 Svensson's lone tour win is the 2022 RSM Classic. The 31-year-old has one top-25 finish in 21 starts this season and has missed 11 cuts. "I had a great range session today. Just really putted amazing, I made a bunch of breakers. It was probably my best putting round I ever had," he said after needing just 25 putts, including a nearly 40-foot birdie on the 11th hole and a 34-footer on the fourth. His career-best 60 is the second-lowest score on the PGA Tour this season. Jake Knapp shot 59 at the Cognizant Classic in February. Stevens could have shot 59 with an eagle on the par-5 18th, but instead he put his second shot from 246 yards into the water in front of the green, leading to his lone bogey and a 62 that was still his lowest round on tour. "I have a pretty big gap between my three iron and my three wood, and I hit a terrible shot," he said. "I thought if I hit a three wood, it was just going to fly to the back of the green, and I kind of had to hit a three iron perfect to even cover the water. But I figured that was my best chance to shoot 59, so I gave it a go." Fowler and Grillo are among a group of 18 players who rank between 60th and 80th in the FedEx Cup standings, needing a strong performance to help secure spots in the 70-man field for the first playoff event in two weeks. Fowler entered the week at No. 63 and Grillo is No. 71. "At the end of the day, good golf solves a lot of things," Fowler said. Adam Scott, once again, is the leading Australian, some nine shots off the pace in a tie for 77th after opening with a two-under 69. Karl Vilips (70), Cam Davis (71), Aaron Baddeley (73) and Harrison Endycott (73) all need strong second rounds to make the halfway cut. With AAP
