Wyndham Clark admitted regret over the locker room incident at the 2025 U.S. Open.
'Deeply Regretted': Wyndham Clark Admits Learning From Last Year's U.S. Open Locker Room Controversy
June 16 2026, Published 11:25 a.m. ET
Wyndham Clark opened up about last year's U.S. Open locker room controversy. "Yeah, that was a really challenging time and something I've deeply regretted and feel awful that I did that," he admitted on Monday, June 15.
"But there were so many good lessons in that that really taught me a bunch," he further added. He sees this year's tournament as a chance for redemption and an opportunity to create a better memory at the championship.
A Look at the Incident That Led to Wyndham Clark's Oakmont Ban
Wyndham Clark focused on redemption after his emotional moment at Oakmont Country Club.
Clark had a tough moment at the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa. He had two hard rounds at the major and shot back-to-back scores of 74. He finished at 8-over par after 36 holes. A bogey on his final hole left him one shot outside the cut line and ended his chance to play the weekend.
The 2023 U.S. Open champion was upset after his early exit from the event and lost his cool inside the locker room. He damaged a locker at the famous Oakmont venue before he left the course. A photo of the damage later reached social media, and the matter soon became a major topic across the golf world.
The act led to a strong response from Oakmont officials. The club banned Clark from the property after talks with the USGA.
Wyndham Clark entered the U.S. Open with confidence after improvements in his game.
Oakmont Country Club president John Lynch later sent a letter to club members about the decision. He said Clark's ban could end only if the golfer met three conditions from the club: Clark had to pay the full cost for the locker repair, make a major charity donation to a group picked by the club board and accept expert help for his anger control.
Clark later accepted his mistake and showed regret for his actions at the 2025 U.S. Open. He said he was in a bad mental state at that moment and called it a case of pure anger. Clark accepted all of Oakmont's terms, paid for the damage and started his personal help process after the incident.
Wyndham Clark Looks Forward to Fresh Start at U.S. Open
Wyndham Clark shared how he learned from his actions after the U.S. Open incident.
The 32-year-old stated that he feels more confident about his game compared to last year. "I've been starting to really putt good and the swing has been kind of trending all year. I'm excited to be here playing some good golf," he said.
Wyndham Clark looked ahead to a fresh start after a difficult chapter at Oakmont.
Clark reflected on the importance of returning to the U.S. Open as a past champion. "Coming back to this great championship is something that always kind of reminds me of that amazing year in '23."