Wyndham Clark has finally broken his silence after destroying his locker at Oakmont Country Club and receiving a ban from the course.
Clark lost his temper on June 16 at this year’s US Open and destroyed two locker doors – resulting in Oakmont CC president John Lynch banning the American from the property.
More than a month later, Clark has apologized for his actions – and revealed his future at Oakmont is unclear.
‘That’s up to them,’ Clark told reporters on Sunday from The Open, via ESPN. ‘I really don’t know. I would hope so. It’s a fantastic course and place, but that’s up to them.
‘I did something awful, and I’m really sorry for it. Hopefully, they have it in their heart to forgive me, and maybe in the future I’ll be able to play there.’
In a letter sent out to the members of the club, Lynch said that the ban could be lifted if Clark pays for the damages, makes a ‘meaningful contribution’ to a charity of Oakmont’s choosing, and undergoes counseling and/or anger management therapy.
Wyndham Clark has apologized for his actions at the US Open after destroying his locker
This image was shared alleging to show the damage that Clark did to his locker
While Clark called it a ‘no-brainer’ to pay for the damages, he seemed taken aback that his transgressions were made public.
‘We were hoping it was going to be private,’ he said. ‘I’ll just leave it at that.’
Oakmont won’t host the US Open again until 2033, when Clark will be 40 years old.
He won the event in 2023, giving him a 10-year exemption in the competition.
This year, he missed the cut after bogeying the final hole of round two.
Clark, who also had an anger incident at the PGA Championship in May, touched on the mental struggles he’s been working to improve in the last two years.
‘I’ve been pretty open about my mental shift and change to get better, and 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,’ he said. ‘But one thing that it did do is wake me up and get me back into the person I know I am and the person I want to be.
Clark finished strong at Portrush on Sunday with a six-under final round at The Open
‘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.’
During the PGA Championship at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, Clark let out his frustration at the course’s 16th hole during the second round by violently whipping his driver backwards – destroying an advertising board.
After that incident, he said his actions were ‘uncalled for’, and that it was’ clear that I have things I need to work on.
‘I hold myself to a high standard, trying to always play for something bigger than myself, and yesterday I fell short of those standards.
Clark’s mea culpa on Sunday came after a strong finish at Portrush, as he tied for fourth at the tournament with a six-under final round.
