When it comes to matters at the golf course, this year has been one to forget for Wyndham Clark with just one top 10 on the PGA Tour to speak of.
Wyndham Clark is facing a fight to make the FedEx Cup playoffs on the PGA Tour. The 31-year-old sits 78th in the standings. Meanwhile, his best result in the majors has been a tied for 46th at The Masters.
Clark came in for criticism after launching his driver at the PGA Championship. And his frustration got the better of him once again the following month, at the US Open.
In the hours after the final round, photos circulated on social media claiming that a player had smashed up some of the lockers at Oakmont. There was a strong hint that the player involved was Clark.
Wyndham Clark criticised for what he did after damaging Oakmont lockers at the US Open
Oddly, it was several days before there was any confirmation. Clark did not confirm or deny the rumours for some time until he was specifically asked about the incident after his first round at Travelers Championship.
While the 2023 US Open champion did apologise, he tried to urge everyone to move on as he focuses on trying to qualify for the Ryder Cup team.
“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,” he 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. I still want to try to make the Ryder Cup team. I still am on the outside looking in for the FedExCup. So I’m starting to move on and focus on those things.”
It was a strange response. And it seems that those at Oakmont may not have taken too kindly to Clark trying to decide how upset everyone should be.
As reported by Golf Digest, Oakmont have suspended Clark from returning until he pays for the damages, makes a significant contribution to charity and attends anger management courses.
And speaking on Dan on Golf, Dan Rapaport suggested that Clark’s response to the incident did absolutely nothing to help his cause.
“I did not want to weigh in on this until I knew it was true. It’s true. It is absolutely true,” he said.
“Both Ben and I have gotten multiple people who have confirmed that it’s true and everything that was reported is true.
“They are holding out for him to reimburse the club, to apologise to the club and the craziest part for me is to enter anger management counselling.
“The Open is going back to Oakmont in 2023 and that is the last year of Wyndham’s 10 year extension for winning it.
“He obviously acted like an a——, knocking in the locker at one of these places and then not apologising until he shot like 65 the next week at the Travelers.
“The major before he flung his club into a T-Mobile sign and because they are one of his sponsors he immediately apologised.
“So I said to Ben once this happens and there was this report about the lockers being damaged I was like we are either getting a denial or an apology really soon.
“Once we did not get the denial I could not believe that we did not get the apology because if it’s not true you would be like it’s not true, and you don’t apologise.
“To wait until the next week and then the apology felt kind of stilted and then he said I want to move on for Oakmont’s sake. I don’t think that went over well with Oakmont.”
PGA Tour was urged to suspend Wyndham Clark after what happened at the US Open
The PGA Tour were urged to act in the wake of Clark’s actions. Obviously, he is far from the only player who has struggled to contain his anger and made a big mistake.
But Clark has now been involved in ugly incidents in two majors in a row. And given that golf is a sport where you lose a lot more than you win, he is going to have to deal with disappointment a lot more during his career.
Brandel Chamblee called for Clark to receive a lengthy suspension.
Perhaps it would have been different had Clark immediately apologised, publicly and privately, and outlined how he was going to make amends.
However, Clark does not appear to have helped himself one bit.
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