admin Shinnecock Hills is one of golf’s most unforgiving venues. But nothing at Shinnecock Hills on Sunday was as unforgiving as the New York crowd — and Wyndham Clark handled it with a composure that won him not just the trophy, but the admiration of fans who were initially rooting against him.
Clark has now won two US Opens. His second title at Shinnecock Hills on June 22, 2026, will be remembered not just for the score but for the manner in which he earned it — under the most hostile gallery conditions in recent major championship history.
The Crowd Was There for Scottie Scheffler — Not to Cheer Clark
The dynamic of Sunday’s final round was extraordinary. Scottie Scheffler, the world number one and the most popular golfer on the planet, was playing alongside Clark in the final pairing. And Scheffler was not just trying to win a golf tournament — he was attempting to complete the career Grand Slam on his 30th birthday. The storyline practically wrote itself.
The New York crowd made their allegiance clear from the very first hole. The roars for Scheffler were deafening. The silences when Clark hit a great shot were pointed. At some point, as commentators noted, rooting for Scheffler became rooting against Clark — and that distinction matters. Clark felt every bit of it. And he kept making birdies anyway.
Sam Burns Made It a Contest
It was not just Scheffler applying pressure. Sam Burns mounted a significant charge in the final round, briefly threatening to turn a two-horse race into a three-man battle. But Clark’s nerve held. His iron play down the stretch was clinical, and his putting — often the question mark in his major championship game — was exceptional when it mattered most.
The victory confirms what Clark’s supporters have argued since his first US Open win: that he has the mental fortitude to win on the biggest stages, in the toughest conditions, against the best players in the world.
Meanwhile at the FIFA World Cup: Cape Verde and the Beautiful Underdogs
While golf captured major headlines, the FIFA World Cup 2026 continued to produce extraordinary storylines. Cape Verde, the tiny island nation of just 150,000 people, earned their first-ever World Cup point by drawing 2-2 with Uruguay in Miami Gardens on June 22. Kevin Pina’s goal for Cape Verde sent fans around the world to look up where Cape Verde is on a map — and fall in love with the story.
The tournament continues to be thrilling with unexpected performances from first-timers and surprising results from favorites. The US team remains undefeated in group play after dominating while Christian Pulisic nursed a calf injury. With Turkey’s loss to Paraguay, the Americans have already secured their knockout round berth, topping Group D.
Sports Quote of the Week
Wyndham Clark on handling the crowd: ‘You cannot control who the crowd roots for. You can only control your own game. I knew what I had to do on every shot, and I just did it.’ — Post-round interview, Shinnecock Hills, June 22, 2026
What to Watch This Week in Sports
- FIFA World Cup — Portugal vs Uzbekistan in Houston, England vs Ghana in Massachusetts (June 23)
- Argentina vs Austria in Dallas — Messi can seal the group for Argentina (June 23)
- US Group D is already secure — watch who else qualifies from the other groups today
- Golf — attention now turns to The Open Championship preparations after Shinnecock
- NBA free agency opens July 1 — blockbuster moves expected across the league
