I made a mistake that I deeply regret. I’m very sorry for what happened,” Wyndham Clark apologised after his temper tantrum at the Oakmont Country Club. Clark, who failed to make the 7-over-par cut line at the 2025 U.S. Open by one stroke, in a fit of rage, damaged two lockers in the golf course’s locker room. The lockers had some historic value, and the Oakmont Country Club did not take the incident lightly.
After a discussion with the USGA, the Oakmont Country Club decided to ban the 2023 U.S. Open champion from attending any events taking place at the venue until certain criteria are met from the golfer’s side. These conditions include payment for the damages, making a donation to a charity of the club’s choice, and attending anger management lessons.
However, Clark has not commented publicly after the conditions for reinstatement were announced, foregoing the media questions on the third day of the 2025 The Open Championship, so we do not know what he thinks of it. However, he has found an unlikely ally: former PGA Tour pro and current analyst for NBC, Kevin Kisner. Kisner, during a live broadcast, publicly stated that he felt the USGA had done a disservice to the three-time PGA Tour winner by publicizing photos of the damaged locker room.
“I’m not sure anybody in the situation handled it properly. Wyndham probably could have nipped that in the bud with an earlier, or justifiable, statement, but locker rooms are supposed to be sacred. Not sure how that picture got out, USGA can help with that. I think if everyone just sat at a table face to face, that situation could go away pretty quickly.” Kisner explained without any reservations.
Here’s Kevin Kisner suggesting that the USGA bears some responsibility for … letting the Wyndham Oakmont locker photos get out? pic.twitter.com/bgQCnOLR5n
— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterNS) July 20, 2025
Kisner’s words do not absolve any fault from Clark, but rather are a call out on the way it was dealt with by all the stakeholders involved. Kisner felt that the USGA exacerbated the situation more than it already was. However, Wyndham Clark’s previous anger-related issue might have played a factor in the quick decision.
Wyndham Clark’s anger problems are a major issue
At this year’s PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, Clark was involved in another rage-filled incident. At the second major of the season, during a particularly difficult outing, Clark threw his driver back in frustration, leading to a damaged advertising sign and a broken driver head. It also nearly hit a volunteer and narrowly avoided sponsor equipment.
Clark did apologise later. My actions were uncalled for and completely inappropriate, making it clear that I have things I need to work on.” Ironically, the outburst came during a tournament where his driver had been one of the more reliable parts of his game. His real struggle was with the putter, where he ranked 70th out of 74 players in strokes gained.
The fallout from Wyndham Clark’s outburst has taken on a life of its own — not just because of what he did, but because of how it was handled. While his behavior was undoubtedly unacceptable, the USGA’s decision to publicly circulate photos of the damage has raised eyebrows, especially among former players like Kevin Kisner, who believe locker rooms should remain private sanctuaries. Given that no similar incident has resulted in this level of public exposure, this response feels unusually punitive. Whether the USGA intended to make an example of Clark or simply responded emotionally themselves, one thing is clear: this saga isn’t just about a broken locker, but something that could have been easily avoided in their own ways.
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