A previous champion hailing from the United States trying to win a second U.S. Open would usually have the support of local fans, or at minimum not draw the ire of those in attendance.
Unless your name is Wyndham Clark.
The 2023 champion didn't just have to battle a loaded pack of chasers coming for him at Shinnecock Hills on Sunday, but the 54-hole leader had to fend off a raucous crowd cheering any slight misstep while rooting loudly for his partner, Scottie Scheffler.
However, just as he did all week, Clark made it through all challenges to stand alone at the end, becoming the 24th man to win two U.S. Open trophies in the process.
"Man, they definitely didn't want me to win," Clark said with a laugh afterwards. "It's pretty rare in an Open Championship or a major to have fans kind of boo against your shots or cheer for bad shots."
Multiple times throughout the round fans could be heard yelling for Clark's ball to "get in the bunker" or for "anyone but Wyndham" to win the title. Those voices only grew in volume as the gap between him and Sam Burns narrowed to just a shot with three holes to play.
Clark rebounded with a birdie on 16 to push his lead back to two, leaving him the cushion for a bogey coming in to avoid a playoff. He would end up needing that after three-putting 17, but his comfortable par on 18 was enough to do the job.
"It was tough, but I'm proud of myself that I battled through," Clark admitted. "I mean, things really could have gotten away from me. I stood tough. Yeah, I would have liked to have won by more, but as long as you win, it doesn't matter."
Most of the cheers throughout the day were reserved for Scottie Scheffler, as the World No. 1 tried to complete the career grand slam playing alongside Clark. Even the four-time major winner noticed things getting elevated in the galleries.
"The crowd was tough today. I mean, New Yorkers, they are tough people," Scheffler said. "There was a good turnout from the fans. You like seeing the fans cheer for you. I think sometimes it can get a little too much when, you know, balls are kind of going off greens and you start hearing cheers. That felt a bit much to me."
The main reason Clark was the target of scorn stems from an incident at last year's U.S. Open. Following a missed cut at Oakmont, Clark destroyed a number of lockers at the historic club in frustration. That came on the heels of him violently throwing his driver off a sign and nearly striking a volunteer a month prior at the PGA Championship.
"What happened at Oakmont was obviously the lowest point," Clark said. "People probably didn't see what happened after, but you know, it was a really tough two, three days for me. I was in a dark place, didn't really go outside much. It was a really negative, dark place."
Clark added: "Yeah, I mean, at that moment I just felt a lot of my career, world ranking, reputation, everything just dwindling. That's a terrible feeling."
Clark spent the offseason working on his game and his demeanor, both with a new swing coach, Pat Coyner, and sports psychologist, Julie Elion. Elion was front and center this week, standing alongside Clark on the range and doing television interviews. Those changes are clearly paying off in a big way for the 32-year-old.
He's been the best player in the world over the past month, winning the Byron Nelson, and following that up with a third-place finish at Memorial, and an 11th-place showing in Canada.
Now he adds another major to his resume and is no longer a one-hit wonder that naysayers claim took advantage of a friendly setup at Los Angeles Country Club in 2023. There's no faking it at Shinnecock Hills, and Clark's wire-to-wire win displayed both the maturity in his game and the way he conducts himself off the course.
