Ex-U.S. Open Champ Banned From Major Course
You miss the cut. You break a locker. You get banned. That's the brutal trilogy Wyndham Clark just lived through.
Earlier this summer at the U.S. Open, Clark bogeyed the 18th at Oakmont Country Club, missing the cut by a single shot. What followed, according to multiple reports, wasn't just frustration, it was a full-on meltdown. Photos emerged showing smashed lockers and damaged property inside the historic Oakmont locker room. And now? He's no longer welcome on the grounds.
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Golf writer Pat Mayo confirmed this week that Oakmont has officially banned Clark from its premises. 'There is a path for (Clark) to be reinstated,' Mayo wrote, 'if he pays for the damages, makes charitable donations, and completes counseling.'
It's a dramatic turn for the 2023 U.S. Open champion. Clark, who opened up about his mental health struggles in the Netflix docuseries Full Swing, has spoken at length about using therapy to cope with personal grief and on-course pressure. His mother passed away in 2013 from breast cancer, a loss that continues to shape his journey.
Clark joined the PGA Tour in 2019, but truly broke out in 2023. He won not only the U.S. Open but also the Wells Fargo Championship. In 2024, he added the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am to his resume. But this season hasn't been kind. In 19 starts, he has just one top-10 finish and four missed cuts.
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Wyndham Clark can be seen on the 17th hole during the second round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament.© Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
At this week's Open Championship at Royal Portrush, Clark enters with long odds (+12000 on FanDuel) and is barely favored to make the cut at all.
As for Oakmont? The iconic course hosts the U.S. Open again in 2033. Whether Clark returns by then depends on what he does next, off the course, not on it.
Related: Golf Fans React to Wyndham Clark's Public Apology After U.S. Open Meltdown
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
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