Wyndham Clark won his second US Open title on Sunday at Shinnecock Hills. The guy shot a 64 in the first round on a course that was eating the best players in the world alive. He followed that up with a shaky 73 on Sunday and still won by a stroke over Sam Burns. That kind of resilience will make people rethink the narrative around him.
But what really took off was not the trophy. It was what he said afterward.
The soundbite that won’t die
After Clark won The CJ Cup Byron Nelson in May, he said something in a post-round interview that turned into a meme among golf fans. He talked about celebrating by opening a bottle of wine but the way he phrased it came out as “opening some grape.” The internet, being the internet, latched onto it hard. People mocked him. People still bring it up.
Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take posted about it after the US Open win, referencing the quote. Clark saw it. And instead of getting defensive, he leaned in.
“Can confirm, grape was opened last night,” he posted on X.
That’s the kind of self-awareness that changes how people see you. Clark has a reputation for being a little full of himself. The way he carries himself on the course, the way he reacted after tough rounds, it rubs some people wrong. He smashed lockers at Oakmont after a bad showing last year. The guy wears his emotions on his sleeve and not everyone loves that.
More than just a one-hit wonder
His first major win came in 2023 at Los Angeles Country Club. There were questions about whether that was a fluke or a sign of things to come. Winning at Shinnecock Hills, one of the hardest tracks in the country, answers those questions pretty definitively. He’s a two-time major champion at 32 years old. That’s not luck.
What’s interesting is how he handled the noise. Fans heckled him during the tournament. People online called him pretentious. The whole “grape” thing could have been a distraction for a guy who was already under pressure. Instead he made it a punchline.
The golf world will keep watching him closely. Every quote, every celebration, every reaction to a bad round will get dissected. That’s what happens when you win multiple majors. But Clark seems to understand that now. He’s not fighting the narrative anymore. He’s just opening grape and moving on.
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