Let me preface all of this by stating the obvious: I am not a fan of Wyndham Clark.
The reasons vary from obvious to obscure. There were teasing incidents like when he damaged a locker at Oakmont last year or when he nearly hit a volunteer with a broken driver or when he joked about the Masters Par 3 competition being a great form of birth control. He didn’t take proper responsibility — especially for the damaged locker — until very late in the game. Even a few weeks ago, Clark was defending his actions in the Pardon my opinion podcast, comparing his outburst to how other professional athletes lose their temper (tone-deaf at best). He was either getting terrible PR advice or he wasn’t listening to his team.
And then there are other reasons I don’t like that are harder to articulate and harder to justify. That’s what you call it sports hate. It was mostly fabricated in my mind for entertainment purposes.
He feels like a potential villain based on his anger, but he doesn’t lean towards the heel role. He still wants to win over fans instead of sticking with them, which is even more disappointing than him just being a complete villain. Pick a lane and go down, man. I don’t like that every shot he hits is a fade. I don’t like his shooter, although I’m sure a lot of them will sell this week. I don’t like his caddy saying “good process” before every shot. I don’t like that he refers to himself in the third person after a bad hit (“come on, Dub”). I don’t like that he had a horseshoe on his rear end this week with some of the breaks he took. I don’t like that he wanted to “open some grapes” (yuck) after winning Byron Nelson.
As a fan, I just don’t like him, OK? This is a sport and I don’t need a big reason to dislike an athlete. You can decide for yourself whether you love it or hate it.
Having said that, the hate that Clark received last weekend is pretty scary and out of bounds.
US Open fans at Shinnecock should be ashamed of themselves
Between last year’s Ryder Cup and this year’s US Open, Long Island golf fans aren’t painting themselves in a good light.
Clark took substantial Fan protest during Sunday’s final round. The idiots yell “get in the bunker” after every shot. Dumbasses cheer for his ball to get farther from the hole. People were leaving the event for this (good).
I honestly can’t remember this kind of fan reaction to an American during a stroke tournament. It is difficult to remember this intense reaction to ANYONE out of a Ryder Cup.
I mentioned this earlier in the year when England’s Matt Fitzpatrick was hated at the Players Championship and the RBC Heritage, but golf crowds are getting more combative as time goes on – and I don’t like it one bit.
I have two things to say here.
This behavior simply does not belong on a golf course. I will die on this hill and I feel it strongly. Yes, these are professional athletes playing for huge sums of money. Yes, fans make fun of other athletes in other sports.
But there must be a fine line in golf. Fans are only feet away from these guys for five hours at a time, and apparently they have carte blanche to shout whatever crazy line they want. This kind of power does not exist in any other sport. People are abusing the hell out of this and should be kicked out by the boatload until the message gets through. We’re not too far from gallery members purposely yelling at a player’s turn to mess with him. Gambling adds another layer on top of that.
There is a massive difference between rooting hard for a golfer you want to win (Scottie Scheffler) and actively cheering against someone you don’t want to win (Clark).
The US Open has a long and storied history, from Francis Ouimet to Jack Nicklaus to Tiger Woods. Integrity, respect and sportsmanship are the main principles of the game. This is not football.
The second thing I have to say is that the Clark hate is over the top. Of course, he’s not a very likable guy. Maybe he is a god. Like I said, I don’t like it at all.
But did I miss something? It’s not like he cheated on the course or spit on Bobby Jones’ grave. He did not attack anyone.
We are crying this boy like it’s Patrick Reed, Colin Montgomerie and Sergio Garcia together?
It just seems way over the top. Mob mentality at its worst.
You may be disappointed, but you have to respect the performance
If you haven’t bet on Clark or are a member of his family, I think you’re disappointed with how the US Open played out over the weekend.
This wasn’t my favorite major despite Shinnecock being a great course (but not necessarily a great host based on the weird vibes we got, especially during Saturday’s ghost town finish).
It’s a bit of a shame that a thrilling Rory McIlroy Masters win was followed by Aaron Rai and Clark claiming major titles.
I will join you in the disappointment.
However, Clark won this major title. He was lights out with the shooter. It was a fiery and gritty show facing a hostile crowd. He was pulled by Scheffler and kept things together despite some less-than-stellar ball hitting over the weekend.
And a true golf fan respects what he did. You don’t have to like him, but you’re kidding yourself if you don’t think he deserved to win.
Oh, he was on the good side of the draw the first two days? Yes, that was half the pitch. Clark took advantage. It is an outdoor sport.
Clap or don’t clap, but you absolutely must tip your hat.
And if you’re one of those people who goes to a golf tournament just to verbally abuse a player like that?
Do us all a favor and watch from home next time.
