On Wednesday, ahead of this week’s Presidents Cup, US Open champion Wyndham Clark expressed hope that fans would not root against him at Medinah, as they did at the US Open in June.
Then on Thursday afternoon, Clark made the team Collin Morikawa to defeat the formidable international team of Adam Scott and Ryan Fox.
But while Clark did not experience any mockery on day 1he had a problem with the American fans who showed up: they didn’t cheer loud enough.
Clark made his criticism of the fans during his press conference Thursday night at Medina.
Wyndham Clark on Presidents Cup fans: “We didn’t really feel the fans”
At this year’s US Open at Shinnecock Hills, Clark captured the second US Open title of his career. But he did so with large groups of fans, not only openly rooting for his competitors, but actively rooting against him.
Clark’s angry destruction of lockers in the historic Oakmont locker room at the 2025 US Open may have had something to do with it.
Whatever the cause, the two-time major champion had not forgotten the incident when he arrived at the Presidents Cup this week.
In his Wednesday presser, Clark claimed that the “media” had made him out to be a “villain”, and admitted that he hoped the US fans would have their backs to Medinah, saying: “Eventually, it would be nice if people were rooting for me and someone else was the loser, if you will.”
In their opening four-ball match on Thursday, Clark and Morikawa he comfortably defeated Scott and Fox by a score of 3 and 2. Clark did much of the work for the American side, recording five birdies in 16 holes. While Clark and Morikawa reached 3 in the beginning of the match at the 6th hole, Clark revealed that they collected a “calm” in the middle of the match and struggled to increase their advantage.
“Sometimes it’s tough in the game going up three. We had a couple of chances to go up four. You can calm down a little bit,” Clark said. “We didn’t. Maybe I made it for a couple of holes. We just didn’t make putts in the middle part of the round.”
But Clark didn’t stop there. He later revealed the cause of his and Morikawa’s zapped momentum: a lack of vocal support from fans.
“Yeah, the momentum was on our side early. I want — and these guys are going to laugh, but it was kind of dead there,” Clark said Thursday. “I feel that the moment could be better, to be honest, because we didn’t really feel the fans, I think, how normal.”
He went on to argue that even when he and Morikawa hit big shots, they didn’t get much of a reaction from the American supporters outside the ropes.
“There were a few shots – I mean, Collin hit a 5-wood on, what was it, 11 to like 10 feet, and we didn’t even know if it was on the green, because nobody clapped. It was a little surprising. We made some big putts,” said Clark.
It was an odd choice for a player who is desperate to improve his relationship with American golf fans. Perhaps aware of that conundrum, Clark explained that the reason he went public with his dissatisfaction was to “challenge” US fans to support their team more as the week goes on.
“I say this more as a challenge that hopefully tomorrow and the weekend the fans are out, really root for us, and regardless of what happens, we have momentum,” Clark explained.
Clark for the left Ryder Cup in Bethpage: “I was obviously upset that I did not make the team”
Clark’s complaints about quiet and meek fans at this week’s Presidents Cup were also strange in light of what happened at the Ryder Cup a year ago.
Last fall, hordes of unruly fans harassed European players and their families at Bethpage Black. The horrific spectator behavior has drawn condemnation from the golf world, with some arguing that New York shouldn’t get any more major pro tournaments, and others questioning whether team golf events even deserve to continue in the modern era.
No such complaint was brought by the International team on Thursday, since the fans on the ground in Medina behaved respectfully.
But Clark wasn’t at the Ryder Cup, which might explain his lack of sensitivity to what happened outside the ropes. In fact, on Wednesday Clark admitted that he did not even watch the first two days of the Bethpage Ryder Cup, when the behavior of the fans was at its worst, because he was “pissed” he had not qualified for the team.
“Yes, I was obviously pissed that I didn’t make the team. I didn’t watch the first two days because I was a little rough about it, not because I didn’t have the choice, it was just more that I had such a bad year,” explained Clark on Thursday.
However, he tuned in during Team USA’s frantic comeback attempt in Sunday’s singles in Bethpage and used it as motivation to make this year’s Presidents Cup team.
“So, as the guys make a comeback on Sunday, I’m watching. Of course, I’m friends with all these guys, and I’m rooting hard for them,” Clark said. “Yes, it is always a motivation to make the teams. I was really happy that I made this team, and I hope that this is one of many.”
We’ll begin to see what effect, if any, Clark’s comments have on American fans as the Presidents Cup continues on Friday afternoon.