Oakmont bans 2023 US Open champion Wyndham Clark for damaging lockers
Oakmont has insisted Clark undergoes anger management help if he wants to be allowed back in to the Pittsburgh venue. The move is as sensational as it is unprecedented towards a player of Clark's standing. The 31-year-old represented the US in the last Ryder Cup.
Photographs emerged of damage inflicted to lockers by Clark during the US Open last month. Clark had attracted attention at the US PGA Championship in May for throwing his driver at a sign during another temper tantrum.
When asked about the US Open incident, Clark said: '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. But I'd also like to move on, not only for myself but for Oakmont, for the USGA [United States Golf Association] and kind of focus on the rest of this year and things that come up.'
Oakmont is clearly unwilling to draw a line under the incident. In a letter to members this week, first obtained by Golf Digest, club president John Lynch outlined Clark's punishment. 'Following multiple discussions with the USGA and the OCC board, a decision has been made that Mr. Clark will no longer be permitted on OCC property,' Lynch said.
'Reinstatement would be contingent upon Mr Clark fulfilling a number of specific conditions, including full repayment for damages, a meaningful contribution to a charity of the board's choosing, and the successful completion of counselling and/or anger management sessions.'
Clark held off Rory McIlroy to win the US Open at Los Angeles Country Club in 2023. His best major finish so far this year is a tie for 46th at the Masters. The US Open will return to Oakmont in 2033. Clark will begin his latest quest for the Open at 10.20am on Thursday in the company of Corey Conners and Tom Hoge.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
7 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Controversial NBA wag Draya Michele, 40, hits out at critics of romance with boy toy Jalen Green, 23
Draya Michele has emotionally revealed how criticism of her relationship with NBA star Jalen Green has impacted her. The couple have a 17-year age-gap and Michele, 40, has a son who is only a year younger than the 23-year-old Green. They are believed to have started dating in the summer of 2023 and even have a kid together. But the stir their romance caused still leads to Michele getting targeted by social media trolls. 'I mean, you try to get to that point (where you don't give a f***), but I mean you're still human and you still have feelings,' she told the New York Post. 'Sometimes, you know you can read things that are hurtful and you want to just let it roll off, but it doesn't always work like that. 'It also depends on what type of day you're already having when you read the message… I take it because it comes with it, with the limelight, like I said. But I'm human and I have feelings.' Life is changing for Green and Michele after he was traded to the Phoenix Suns by the Houston Rockets as part of the deal that moved Kevin Durant to Texas. 'This was my first time experiencing a trade,' Michele said. 'I just think, you know, as his girlfriend, my main responsibility is to support him wherever we were going.' She said they haven't found a home in Phoenix yet, but added: 'Phoenix is an amazing city. We were not disappointed with Phoenix at all. 'But I just need to be supportive of him and of the change and then just try to make things as smooth of a transition [as possible] for him, and not stressing him out with the worries of moving and all that. 'He's not gonna have to lift the finger. I'll handle all of that so that he can just relax and play basketball. Once he gets there, he won't have anything else to worry about. And that's just really what I try to focus on: keeping things convenient and easy for him.' Ahead of the playoffs with the Rockets last season, Green sent a message to the critics taunting him about his personal life. 'Leave my girl out I'm deactivating my shi for the playoffs,' he wrote, referencing his social media backout for the postseason. The Rockets went out of the playoffs in round one at the hands of Golden State Warriors.
The Independent
8 minutes ago
- The Independent
British Open brings rain, sun, wind and Scottie Scheffler in range of the lead
The British Open had a little bit of everything Thursday, from sunshine to rain, a breeze to strong gusts. And no surprise, it had Scottie Scheffler never too far from the lead. Former U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick handled the notorious 'Calamity Corner' par-3 16th by chipping in for birdie and was among three players from the morning wave who posted a hard-earned 4-under 67 at Royal Portrush. Rory McIlroy played in the afternoon — he made bogey on the opening hole before a massive gallery, but that was still three shots better than his start in 2019 — and was among several players making a move on a day that felt like a slog with how long it was taking to play. In the midst of all this was Scheffler, the world's No. 1 player who has not finished out of the top 10 in the last four months, a stretch that includes another major among three wins. He was satisfied with the day's work of 68, even while hitting only three of 14 fairways. That statistic stood out to seemingly everyone but Scheffler. 'You're the second guy that's mentioned that to me,' Scheffler said. "I actually thought I drove it pretty good. I don't know what you guys are seeing. When it's raining sideways, believe it or not (it's) not that easy to get the ball in the fairway. 'Really only had one swing I wasn't too happy with on the second hole,' he said. 'But outside that, I felt like I hit a lot of good tee shots, hit the ball really solid, so definitely a good bit of confidence for the next couple of rounds.' There also was a 4-iron to 3 feet on the 16th for birdie, the start of birdie-birdie-par finish. But no one could go extremely low. Jacob Skov Olesen, the British Amateur champion last year from Denmark, was the first player to get to 5 under until a bogey at the last. He was joined at 67 by Li Haotong of China, and then Fitzpatrick joined the group with his marvelous chip-in. Fitzpatrick reached a low point in his game at The Players Championship and appears to be back on track, particularly with what he called a well-rounded game in tough conditions on these links. He is coming off a tie for fourth last week in the Scottish Open. The chip-in was his highlight, from well below the green to the right, into the cup on the fly. 'A bit of luck, obviously,' Fitzpatrick said. 'Sometimes you need that. It just came out a little bit harder than I anticipated and on the perfect line.' Li might have had the most impressive round, keeping bogeys off his card, by holing a 10-foot par putt on the final hole. For everyone, the hardest part was staying dressed for the occasion. There were sweaters and then rain suits, and some finished their round in short-sleeved shirts. This is what is meant by 'mixed' conditions in the forecast. Defending champion Xander Schauffele had a mixture of birdies and bogeys that added to an even-par 71. Shane Lowry, the last Open champion at Royal Portrush in 2019, had the nerves of someone hitting the opening tee shot. He handled that beautifully, along with most other shots in the worst of the weather in his round of 70. And this might just be the start. 'We're going to get challenging conditions over the next few days,' Lowry said. 'Today, for example, the 11th hole was like the worst hole to get the weather we got in. ... I think there's going to be certain times in the tournament where that's going to happen, and you just need to kind of put your head down and battle through it and see where it leaves you.' Padraig Harrington, a two-time Open champion, had the honor of the opening tee shot for the 153rd edition of this championship. He made birdie. And then he shot 74. There was decent scoring. With about three hours left in the opening round, nearly a dozen players were around 3-under par as they headed to the back nine. But there was trouble brought mainly by the fickle weather. Nico Echavarria found that out on the eighth hole, which during practice he felt was a breeze. Then came the wind that blew the rain sideways, and no choice but to hit driver to clear thick native grass and reach the fairway. 'It was a super simple hole the practice round," he said, "and today it felt like it was one of the hardest holes in the world.' ___
BreakingNews.ie
9 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Home favourite Rory McIlroy rewards fans with strong start at Royal Portrush
Rory McIlroy put on a show for the thousands of fans who cheered his every move at his home Open at Royal Portrush as the Masters champion moved himself into contention on the first day. Golf's newest member of the elite career Grand Slam club was far from his best off the tee but made up for it on the greens, three birdies on his front nine leaving him just two shots off the lead. Advertisement While there was no repeat of his out-of-bounds quadruple-bogey eight at the first when the major made its long-awaited return to the Dunluce Links in 2019, McIlroy still missed the fairway and bogeyed. Making it look easy. Rory almost holes out for an eagle. — The Open (@TheOpen) July 17, 2025 But with galleries 10-deep in places craning their necks to see their hero from an hour down the road in Holywood, McIlroy kicked into gear, holing from 15 feet at the par-five second and a 27-footer up the slope for birdie at the driveable par-four fifth. After leaving another birdie attempt inches short at the next, he made life easier for himself at the 607-yard seventh. Having found rough on both sides of the fairway, he hit a brilliant approach to three feet to pick up another shot. A seven-foot birdie opportunity glided by the hole at the eighth, where he managed to find his first fairway, and he two-putted from 33 feet to turn in 34. Advertisement That put him within touching distance of Ryder Cup team-mate Matt Fitzpatrick, who carded the lowest opening round of his major career with a four-under 67. He was in the clubhouse alongside world number 354 Jacob Skov Olesen and China's Li Haotong, with South Africa's Chris Bezuidenhout and American Lucas Glover still out on the course. Fitzpatrick, a former US Open champion, continued his upward trend following back-to-back top-10 finishes in his last two events after an otherwise disappointing season, despite a joint-eighth place at May's US PGA. The Sheffield golfer got off to a flying start with a 22-foot eagle putt at the second hole, but the highlight was a slam-dunk chip for birdie from the steep bank on the treacherous Calamity Corner par-three 16th. Calamity Corner class. Matt Fitzpatrick makes birdie to tie the lead. Listen in on The Open Radio. — The Open (@TheOpen) July 17, 2025 'I felt like The Players was the lowest I've felt in my career,' Fitzpatrick, bidding to become the first English winner of The Open since Nick Faldo in 1992, said of missing the cut at Sawgrass in March. Advertisement 'Statistically it could be the worst run that I've played as well. I just didn't feel good or know where it was going. 'Today I just felt like I did drove it well, approach play was good and chipped and putted well. It was just an all-around good day.' Olesen, a Danish left-hander who won the Amateur Championship at Ballyliffin in Ireland last summer, only turned professional in November after earning his DP World Tour card. That meant the 26-year-old had to sacrifice his amateur exemptions for this year's Masters and US Open, so this was only his second appearance at one of golf's premier events after his debut at Troon 12 months ago. Advertisement But he had no regrets about his decision, having come through qualifying a fortnight ago. Denmark's Jacob Skov Olesen only turned professional in November (Peter Byrne/PA). 'I think it would have been a different decision if I was 19 at the time, but getting out on tour has always been a dream of mine,' he said. 'I had already made the decision before even going to second stage of Q-school that, if I got through, it would be a no-brainer to turn pro.' World number one Scottie Scheffler missed a birdie putt at the last which would have given him a share of the lead, but his 68 was the lowest score by a player who hit three or fewer fairways in The Open for last 25 years. Advertisement 'When it's raining sideways it's actually, believe it or not, not that easy to get the ball in the fairway. Thank you guys all for pointing that out,' said the reigning US PGA champion. Asked whether there was a shot he was really pleased with, he replied: 'No.' Scottie Scheffler shot a 68 (Mike Egerton/PA). Scheffler's playing partner and popular 2019 champion Shane Lowry shot one under and the Irishman said: 'I'm happy. I've fought with this round of golf in my head for a few weeks now. I knew it wasn't going to be easy. 'I felt like I managed to handle myself very well. The crowds were amazing and I tried to use that as motivation.' Defending champion Xander Schauffele said his level-par 71 'wasn't a very exciting round', while 55-year-old Phil Mickelson carded his best Open round since 2018 to sit one under, holing a bunker shot for par at the third, having left his first attempt in the sand.
