What happens when a champion snaps on golf’s toughest stage? Oakmont Country Club has a reputation for breaking even the strongest minds in golf, and this year, we saw the difficult conditions get the best of golfers. Oakmont’s revered reputation became the backdrop of a growing controversy centered around the 2023 U.S. Open Champion, Wyndham Clark. Now, his post-round outburst at the U.S. Open in May has spiraled into a much larger debate about conduct, punishment, and the boundaries of authority in professional golf.
Wyndham Clark’s punishment feels overblown
It all started when Clark shot consistent rounds of 74 on both days at Oakmont, but not in the way he’d like. Carding 8-over par over two days, Clark missed the cut narrowly by just one shot, and in a moment of frustration, he damaged several locker doors. It was almost unknown to everyone for almost a week who could be responsible until Clark spoke out at the Travelers Championship next week with an apology — “I made a mistake that I deeply regret. I’m very sorry for what happened. 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,” Clark said in response to destroying several lockers at Oakmont.
It was just yesterday that Oakmont Golf Club and the USGA decided that Clark would be banned from Oakmont until he pays for the damages and undergoes anger management counselling. While several critics felt it was the right decision, Alan Shipnuck, the renowned journalist, felt differently. “First of all, it’s a locker door; he didn’t kill a puppy. The self-importance of Oakmont Country Club to demand anger management? Like, maybe the commissioner of the PGA Tour could enforce that,” Shipnuck said, taking a direct jab at what he sees as Oakmont’s overreach in disciplining Wyndham Clark. In Shipnuck’s view, that kind of disciplinary action would typically fall under the purview of an actual governing body — such as the PGA Tour or the USGA — entities with formal relationships to the players and the competitive framework.
What Shipnuck is really pointing to is the idea that a private golf club, no matter how prestigious, doesn’t have the authority or jurisdiction to mandate behavioral corrections like anger management for a touring professional. “I actually hope that Wyndham holds them to this. Doesn’t do any of it. No check to them, no charity donation, no anger management. Rocks up in 2033, the U.S. Open, like, ‘Boys, I’m here! What you going to do now?’” Shipnuck remarked, calling out what he sees as an overreach by Oakmont. His remarks from a journalist standpoint were quite the contrary to Brandel Chamblee‘s suggestion of demanding Clark’s suspension from the tour.
Alan Shipnuck’s pointed remark isn’t just colorful commentary. It underscores a deeper irony embedded in the standoff between Wyndham Clark and Oakmont Country Club. Regardless of the club’s current ban, Clark holds a ten-year exemption to the U.S. Open thanks to his 2023 victory at Los Angeles Country Club. And in 2033, the U.S. Open returns to Oakmont, and so will Clark. That exemption, granted by the USGA to all U.S. Open champions, guarantees Clark the right to compete in the major for the next decade, regardless of the host venue or any private club policies.
While Shipnuck’s criticism paints Oakmont’s demands as an overreach, it’s not the first time Wyndham Clark’s intensity has boiled over. The locker room incident is just the latest in a series of emotional flare-ups, some of which have unfolded right on the course.
Clark’s outbursts in the past
At the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, Wyndham Clark’s temper was on full display during a turbulent final round. After a series of bad holes, a wayward approach shot on the 16th hole got the best of Clark. He was seen slamming his driver into the turf, and whipping his club, launching it out of his hands. The driver broke through a wall with the head separating from the shaft, and in the process, Clark also damaged the T-Mobile sign, which is one of Clark’s sponsors.
Clark then tossed the broken driver off to the side in anger and also narrowly missed one of the volunteers, but issued an apology immediately after the round — “I would like to sincerely apologize for my behavior on Hole 16. As professionals, we are expected to remain professional even when frustrated and I unfortunately let my emotions get the best of me.” While Clark issued an apology, his outburst quickly made the broadcast and spread across social media. Fans and critics did not approve of Clark’s temper on display, and many even demanded that Clark ‘keep his emotions in check.’
While fiery reactions aren’t uncommon in golf, Clark’s visible agitation stood out in a major championship setting, where composure is often seen as a mark of elite play. For fans and commentators alike, these incidents were both a reminder of Clark’s emotional investment in his game and a warning sign that those emotions don’t always stay contained between the ropes.
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