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Wyndham Clark walks to the 18th green during the first round of the 126th U.S. OPEN at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 18, 2026.

Heading into the third round of the 126th U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, Wyndham Clark holds a four-shot lead and shows no signs of slowing down.

The solo lead acts as a far cry from Clark’s difficult showing at the 2025 U.S. Open. During which, a missed cut and an emotional outburst cost him, not just money, but his reputation and his standing with one of golf’s most prestigious clubs.

Since then, Clark has apologized and worked to move forward. Following his impressive play in New York, he addressed the incident and reflected on the lessons that followed.

Wyndham Clark Addresses Controversy

At the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, Clark endured a frustrating week, shooting 8-over and missing the cut by a single stroke after closing with a bogey.

In a moment of frustration following the round, Clark damaged the locker room. He was then banned from returning to the club.

Following the incident, Clark publicly acknowledged his actions and spoke about the experience.

“Yeah, I mean, I made a mistake in a moment of rage with, you know, a bad year and everything coming together and it just was more than anything a good wake-up call for me to say, ‘Hey, you know what, let’s get back on track and things aren’t that bad,'” Clark said.

“I live a great life and I’m not that far off from playing good golf, so I feel like I’ve turned a page and we’re now maybe on the right track of playing some good golf.”

To be reinstated, Clark was required to repay the club for damages. He also had to make a meaningful contribution to a charity selected by the board, and complete counseling or anger-management measures.

Reflecting on how quickly fortunes can change, Clark commented further.

“I was on top of the world in my game at least when I won the U.S. Open and then had some good years. Then next thing you know, I’m apologizing for breaking a locker the year later,” Wyndham Clark said.

“If you think of it as climbing Everest. Sometimes you go up, sometimes you have to go down to go back up. I think that’s kind of what happens both on the golf course and off the golf course. Right now I’m trending back up, which is nice.”

2026 U.S. Open

Now, Clark enters the weekend with the opportunity to reshape perceptions surrounding him and his career.

“I’ve gotten a lot of grief since last year, rightfully so. The thing that’s unfortunate is that’s not who I am, what happened last year,” Clark said following his round.

“I’m hoping I can win back the fans that I had or some new fans, because it was a terrible incident.”

The 2023 U.S. Open winner said he hopes fans see both his fun and outgoing side, as well as his fierce and competitive side, while also understanding his respect for the game of golf.

“I really felt like I could be in double digits, but you know, the great thing about that is I didn’t feel like I had my best, and I still am leading as of right now,” Clark said. “Hopefully I can bring my A-game on the weekend.”