1 of 5 | Wyndham Clark holds the U.S. Open Championship Trophy on Sunday at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
June 22 (UPI) -- Wyndham Clark said he attempted to convert negativity energy from fans into positive fuel en route to his victory at the 2026 U.S. Open.
Crowds heckled Clark and sometimes cheered during his miscues throughout the weekend at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., but the No. 8 player in the Official World Golf Ranking managed to fend off the elite field to win his second career major by one stroke.
"Anytime someone said something negative to me, I replaced it with something positive," Clark told reporters.
Clark drew rampant criticism in 2025 when he missed the cut at the same tournament and then damaged the historic locker room at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania. He drew additional ire for on-court temper tantrums at other tournaments, but remained mostly composed Thursday through Sunday in the third major tournament this season.