Wyndham Clark’s tied 17th-place finish at the Travelers Championship is unlikely to overshadow the headlines still following his actions at the US Open.
After the tournament at Oakmont, social media reports suggested a player had taken out his frustration on a couple of lockers. Clark quickly became the centre of the storm, especially after similar frustration had reportedly shown up at the PGA Championship a month earlier.
For several days, Clark kept quiet. Many took that decision as silent confirmation, feeling the 2023 US Open champion would have spoken up clearly if he wasn’t involved.
Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee didn’t hold back, calling for a lengthy suspension and describing Clark’s reported actions as “reprehensible.”
Clark finally addressed the situation following his opening round at TPC River Highlands, admitting his mistake but also signalling a desire to move on.
“Yeah, I mean, I’ve had a lot of highs and lows in my career, especially this year some lows. I made a mistake that I deeply regret. I’m very sorry for what happened,” Clark said. “But I’d also like to move on, not only for myself but for Oakmont, for the USGA, and kind of focus on the rest of this year and things that come up.”
While he did offer an apology, some felt it came up short, especially when paired with his push to move past the incident so quickly.
Wyndham Clark’s apology questioned by the press
Speaking on the Golf Channel Podcast, Rex Hoggard and Ryan Lavner questioned not only Clark’s actions, but also the way he tried to move on from them.
“I understand that golf course aggravated a lot of players. I understand that you get frustrated in the heat of the moment,” said Hoggard. “It is a shame because you and I were both in that locker room and it’s awesome. It’s like a museum inside Oakmont, it’s a really cool place.”
He also questioned the tone of Clark’s remarks. “To your point a very non-apology. I understand you want to move on. I understand I would rather not address this right now, of course you wouldn’t because this is not comfortable for you. You really do not get the call.”
Lavner added: “I don’t necessarily blame Wyndham Clark. I understand the want and the desire to move on in this instance. But what about the Oakmont members? I would assume they are still furious about what happened. To me, I just don’t understand where the contrition is. It is a baffling PR strategy to not fully own this and just stop at the apology as opposed to spinning this into a FedEx Cup and Ryder Cup situations.”
He also warned about a concerning pattern: “With Wyndham Clark in particular this sort of follows a pattern of poor behaviour. Remember the PGA Championship? He also chucked his driver and ended up destroying a sign behind the tee.”
Even with an apology, his remarks about wanting to move on didn’t land well, leaving some to question whether he’s addressing the underlying anger that’s now surfaced twice in major events.
Do Wyndham Clark’s actions now warrant a suspension?
There’s no simple answer to whether Clark deserves a ban, since his personal circumstances aren’t fully known. But the repeated nature of his outbursts, especially in consecutive majors, suggests this might be more than momentary frustration.
While the US Open incident involved property damage rather than injury, the unchecked anger is still a red flag. This wasn’t an isolated slip. Clark’s outbursts at both Oakmont and Quail Hollow raise larger questions about how he’s managing the pressure.
If the PGA Tour decides to act, Clark’s reaction to any decision will become just as important as the initial incident. He’s now under scrutiny not just for what he’s done, but how he responds to it moving forward.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
