The U.S. Open is widely considered to be the most frustrating tournament in professional golf, and it appears to have gotten the best of one past champion this week.
Wyndham Clark, who won the 2023 U.S. Open, missed the cut at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa. Clark shot 8-over par through the first two rounds and ended up one shot off of the cut line.
He did not take it well, at least according to some reports. Clark is said to have caused damage to the locker room inside the clubhouse at Oakmont. Tron Carter of No Laying Up said on Saturday that multiple sources told him Clark “really got after it in the Oakmont locker room,” and not in a good way.
Carter shared a photo that showed the doors of at least two lockers smashed in.
Those who watched the PGA Championship last month did not find it difficult to believe that Clark would have a locker room outburst. After Clark hit a poor tee shot on the 16th hole during the final round at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C., he turned around and launched his driver into a nearby advertising sign.
Clark threw the club so hard that the head snapped off. He also threw it in the direction of a volunteer. You can see the video here.
Clark later issued an apology and called his actions “uncalled for and completely inappropriate.”
— Wyndham Clark (@Wyndham_Clark) May 19, 2025
For what it’s worth, some fellow professional golfers came to Clark’s defense after the alleged photo from Oakmont made the rounds. Graeme McDowell wrote on X that the damage in the photo is “minimal regards what I’ve seen other players do.”
Ian Poulter, who is known for having a temper, admitted to causing damage in locker rooms during the U.S. Open.
“I have inflicted severe Locker (sic) destruction through the years at US Opens and paid my fines. Generally they have been our temporary build lockers. Not members lockers. Not that that’s an excuse. Generally it’s been when I’ve felt the USGA have pushed the limits over the edge,” Poulter wrote.
The U.S. Open typically has very thick rough and lightning-fast greens, and Oakmont was no exception. Rory McIlroy also lost control of his emotions on more than one occasion during the tournament.
Even if what Clark allegedly did inside the locker room at Oakmont is more common than fans realize, it was not the best look for him on the heels of his behavior at the PGA Championship.
