The 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club was supposed to be a celebration of Wyndham Clark’s second major title. Instead, the gallery turned hostile, raining down heckles on the American star as he marched to a wire-to-wire victory. The crowd’s behavior didn’t sit well with sports talk legend Dan Patrick, who called it “embarrassing” on his show Monday.
“It was a weird vibe at the U.S. Open,” Patrick said. “This is an American. I know he’s had some ugly behavior before, but still. You’re watching him perform at an unbelievably high level. He was playing, it felt like, at a different level, on a different course, than everybody else. And he went wire-to-wire.”
Patrick noted that the crowd seemed to be rooting for Scottie Scheffler to complete the Grand Slam, not for Clark to repeat as champion. “You could tell early that crowd came out there rooting for Scottie to complete the Grand Slam and probably didn’t, you know, view Wyndham Clark as user-friendly or somebody they wanted to root for, which is fine,” he said. “You don’t have to root for him, but rooting against [him] in a U.S. Open? I thought it was kind of embarrassing.”
The incident adds to growing concerns about fan behavior in golf. Recently, Paige Spiranac sounded the alarm on a 'downright nasty' shift in golf fan behavior, and this U.S. Open crowd seemed to prove her point. While heckling is part of sports, the intensity directed at Clark, who had just delivered a dominant performance, struck many as over the line.
Clark, to his credit, handled the adversity with class. After the win, he posted a heartfelt message on X, thanking fans “whether you were pulling for me or not.” He wrote: “New York crowds are passionate, honest, and demanding. Whether you were pulling for me or not, you created an atmosphere I’ll never forget and pushed all of us to compete at our best.”
The champion also reflected on the challenges he’s faced. “This game can be incredibly humbling. It doesn’t owe you anything, and sometimes the only thing you can do is keep showing up and trust that the work will eventually pay off. That’s why this week means so much,” he said. The U.S. Open crowd has come under fire for its harsh treatment of Wyndham Clark, but the two-time major winner refused to let the negativity tarnish his moment.
Patrick’s critique echoes a broader sentiment among golf fans and analysts. Some have even slammed the backlash against the U.S. Open crowd, arguing that passion is part of the game. But for Patrick, there’s a line between rooting against someone and outright disrespect. “You don’t have to root for him, but rooting against, in a U.S. Open? I thought it was kind of embarrassing,” he repeated.
Clark’s performance, despite the hostile environment, will be remembered as one of the best in recent U.S. Open history. He led from start to finish, playing at a level that left the rest of the field in the dust. As he put it, “I’ll never forget this week, this place, and what it feels like to stand here as a two-time U.S. Open Champion.”
