Paige Spiranac has labelled critics of Wyndham Clark as “tiresome” and insisted the two-time US Open champion is misunderstood, as the golfer continues to be booed and heckled by crowds despite taking accountability for his past behaviour.
Spiranac’s defence
Spiranac, who has known Clark since they played junior golf together in Colorado, took to social media platform X to defend her longtime friend following his victory at Shinnecock Hills. The golf influencer, who has 1.1 million followers, wrote: “The hate for Wyndham Clark doesn’t make sense to me. People complain constantly that golfers are boring and show no emotion. But then you have someone who has a fiery, competitive spirit and that’s also a problem.”
She added: “I understand the need for a villain in sports but beating people down for every little mistake especially after they took accountability is just tiresome. I just feel that it’s been taken too far at this point.”
When one user replied that there was a difference between a “fiery, competitive spirit” and “simply being a douchebag”, Spiranac shot back: “I’ve known him since he was 12. I’ve never seen that side of him in person. It’s just crazy people can make such a snap judgement about someone without ever meeting them.”
The 32-year-old model, whose friendship with Clark was featured in the third season of the Netflix docuseries Full Swing, has previously spoken of Clark’s early promise, recalling that “everyone would always say he had something special and we all knew he’d make it”. She also shared a light-hearted anecdote about Clark arriving at junior tournaments in his father’s Bentley.
The making of a villain
Clark’s second US Open title, secured on June 22, 2026, at Shinnecock Hills by a single stroke over Sam Burns, was a wire-to-wire victory — a feat last achieved in the championship by Martin Kaymer in 2014. He finished at 4-under-par 276, matching the lowest score posted at the venue for the US Open, and described the win as a form of redemption after a difficult year.
But the final round was played in a strikingly hostile atmosphere. Spectators cheered his missed putts and jeered his successes, with police removing several fans from the course for shouting abuse. Clark acknowledged the mood, saying: “They definitely didn’t want me to win.” He also conceded that some of the hostility was “self-deserved” because of past incidents.
Those incidents have crystallised Clark’s reputation as golf’s antagonist. The most damaging occurred at the 2025 US Open at Oakmont Country Club. After missing the cut by a single stroke, Clark smashed up two lockers in the historic clubhouse in a fit of anger. The club subsequently banned him from the property, making his reinstatement conditional on paying for the damage, making a charitable contribution and completing anger-management counselling. Clark has since apologised repeatedly, describing the episode as “a lowest point” and a “negative, dark place” for him. Months earlier, at the 2025 PGA Championship, he had thrown his driver after a bad shot.
I’ve known him since he was 12. I’ve never seen that side of him in person. It’s just crazy people can make such a snap judgement about someone without ever meeting them
— Paige Spiranac (@PaigeSpiranac) June 23, 2026
Clark’s volatile temperament has deep roots. He has spoken openly about the death of his mother in 2013, which led to a period of profound loss and disillusionment with golf. His father, Randall Clark, a former professional tennis player, has been a significant influence, and Clark has credited his Christian faith with helping him through difficult times. He has also sought professional help for anger management.
Beyond the locker room, another episode fuelled the negative perception. In 2016, Clark posted a tweet that read simply: “I hate baker mayfield.” During an appearance on the Pardon My Take podcast after his US Open win, he revealed the backstory. “I’m trying to decide if I should tell the story… alright screw it I don’t care. People already hate me,” he said. Clark then alleged that his girlfriend at the time had cheated on him with Baker Mayfield, then a college quarterback at the University of Oklahoma, while Clark was at Oklahoma State University before transferring to the University of Oregon. “My girlfriend at the time cheated on me with Baker Mayfield,” he claimed. “But here’s what I would say: I’m actually a Baker fan now, I think he’s a homie. That’s your initial response, ‘Screw that guy.’ But really it’s screw the [girlfriend].”
Clark’s own words
At the trophy ceremony in New York, Clark addressed the crowd directly. “New York didn’t really like me,” he said. “I love you guys. But I get it. Some of it’s self deserved. I did some unfortunate things last year that I really regret, and I’ve said sorry multiple times, and I’m still sorry. So, hopefully, I can win you guys over eventually.”
Clark’s personal life has also stabilised recently. He is in a relationship with model Emily Tanner, who accompanied him to the 2026 Masters, and has described her as a source of support. Professionally, he turned professional in 2017, earned his PGA Tour card in 2018, and broke out in 2023 with wins at the Wells Fargo Championship and his first US Open. He has since represented the United States in the Ryder Cup (2023) and the Presidents Cup (2024), and reached a career-high world ranking of third in April 2024. He plans to establish a breast cancer foundation in memory of his mother.
Despite his apologies, the crowd hostility at Shinnecock Hills was widely condemned by commentators and analysts, who described the behaviour as “disgraceful” and “poisonous” and pointed to a pattern of poor fan conduct at recent New York-area golf events, including the 2025 Ryder Cup. Spiranac has suggested that the online negativity has fuelled the in-person abuse.
“That’s your initial response, ‘Screw that guy.’ But really it’s screw the [girlfriend],” Clark said on the podcast, putting the Mayfield episode to rest. He added that he hopes to play golf with the NFL quarterback one day.
