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Just months after New York golf fans faced controversy over their behavior at the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, they did little to slow down when the PGA Tour returned there.
The U.S. Open was held at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club near the Hamptons last weekend, and on Championship Sunday, Wyndham Clark was public enemy No. 1.
Clark had to endure boos and jeers en route to his second U.S. Open title, which are extremely unusual sounds at golf tournaments. Perhaps one of the special reasons he faced a crowd of players on the road was the fact that he was partnered with Scottie Scheffler, who is one US Open victory away from winning the career Grand Slam.
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PGA golfers Xander Schauffele and Wyndham Clark tee off on the third hole during the third round of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, March 16, 2024. (Brian Spurlock/Sportswire Icon)
On the other hand, it could be argued that Clark himself was to blame: he was banned from Oakmont Country Club after destroying a locker and had other on-course outbursts and cheating controversies.
“I kind of heard some things, I’m trying to turn on golf a little bit. I saw, I think I saw his 18th hole, I came home and watched him play to the 18th. But yeah, I heard, you know, he’s getting some criticism. It’s a tricky thing,” Xander Schauffele told PK Press Club Digital in a recent interview.
But Clark was classy after the win in his post-round media availability and a heartfelt social media post, and Schauffele took notice.
“I thought he handled the situation incredibly well and, as he even mentioned in his interview, he kind of used that as fuel to play even better and prove it to himself more than anyone else,” Schauffele said.
Xander Schauffele of Team USA reacts on the fourth green during the Saturday afternoon fourball match of the 2025 Ryder Cup at the Black Course at Bethpage State Park Golf Course in Farmingdale, New York, September 27, 2025. (Maddie Meyer/PGA of America)
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Schauffele even mentioned that the boos Clark heard in Canada for wearing a Jack Hughes jersey were “milder than what was happening to him in New York,” which raises the question of whether players still want to and should go to the New York area.
The ruckus led Golf Channel’s Eamon Lynch to call Long Island golf fans a “stain” on the game who “don’t deserve” to have major championships in the region. There is no need to repeat what Rory McIlroy and Team Europe experienced last September at Bethpage Black.
But Schauffele, whose father even admitted he wouldn’t go to last year’s Ryder Cup because of his accurate predictions, won’t go that far.
“I’ve always liked playing near New York or in the Northeast. My experiences have been good. I mean, I know the Ryder Cup has gotten a little spicy and obviously there’s an expectation that, you know, the fans will be pretty, I like to call passionate. So, that’s what it is.
“I’m sure if you ask 100 different people, you’ll get different answers. But for the most part, you know, I try to get them on my side as soon as possible.”
Wyndham Clark of the United States poses with the US Open Championship Trophy after winning the 126th US OPEN at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 21, 2026 in Southampton, New York. (Kate McShane/Getty Images)
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The PGA Championship will be held at Bethpage Black in 2033 and Shinnecock Hills will host the US Open again in 2036.
Other upcoming PGA events in the New York metropolitan area include next year’s BMW Championship at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, the 2028 U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck and the 2029 PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey.
