U.S. Open Ends With Boos

Morning Edition

June 22, 2026

Fans rooted for Scottie Scheffler—and eventually Sam Burns—to win, but Wyndham Clark embraced the villain role and left with the U.S. Open trophy and a $4.5 million payday. His win capped a championship that drew significantly smaller crowds than recent years, creating an unusually subdued atmosphere.

—David Rumsey

First Up

Serena Williams has received a wild-card entry for the Wimbledon women’s singles draw. Read the story.
A 15-save World Cup performance by Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room is putting a spotlight on the USL. Read the story.
The USMNT’s latest World Cup win drew a preliminary 14.8 million viewers for Fox. Read the story.
Houston’s World Cup visitors embraced Texas culture—but struggled with the summer heat. Read the story.

Wyndham Clark Captures Second U.S. Open As Fans Turn Against Him

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Wyndham Clark won his second U.S. Open title Sunday at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, where fans were openly and quite vocally rooting against the 32-year-old American—a sight not often seen from spectators at golf’s major championships.

Clark fended off his final-round playing partner, No. 1-ranked Scottie Scheffler, who was the overwhelming fan favorite Sunday in his first attempt to win the career grand slam, but finished tied for fourth.

Multiple fans were ejected from the grounds for jeers directed at Clark that tournament officials deemed to be crossing the line. “Get in the bunker” was a common phrase heard yelled by fans after Clark hit his shots.

Clark has become a bit of a villain character in professional golf after two major outbursts last year that didn’t sit well with the general public. He was banned from Oakmont Country Club after damaging the locker room following missing the cut at the 2025 U.S. Open. At the 2025 PGA Championship, Clark threw his driver after a tee shot and damaged a sign for T-Mobile, which happens to be one of his sponsors.

Sunday’s victory comes with a $4.5 million winner’s check from the U.S. Open’s record $22.5 million purse—tied with the Masters for the richest among the four men’s majors—boosting Clark’s career earnings to $38.42 million. Clark previously won the 2023 U.S. Open, which came with a $3.6 million payday.

Crowd Control

Beyond the atypical fan behavior during the final round, small crowd sizes and low fan energy outside the ropes led to a subdued atmosphere during the majority of the U.S. Open.

Complete attendance numbers are not yet available, but the tournament will end up with less than 150,000 fans total for the week, compared to 200,000-plus the previous two years at Oakmont and Pinehurst.

The USGA provided attendance numbers for the first three competition rounds to Front Office Sports.

Thursday: 21,000
Friday: 27,000
Saturday: 25,000

Sights of half-full and at times nearly-empty grandstands throughout pivotal moments of the U.S. Open over the weekend—particularly early in the mornings and late in the evenings—were jarring for many observers on TV and social media.

Crowds were also sparse during the practice rounds Monday through Wednesday, although official figures for those days were not released.

Despite Shinnecock Hills’ close proximity to New York City—roughly 90 miles away in the Hamptons of Long Island—heavy traffic and other logistical issues made it difficult for fans to get out to the iconic course. A temporary stop on the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) was built just across the street from Shinnecock to alleviate some congestion.

Beyond the logistical challenges, the U.S. Open faced some stiff competition from other sports events in the New York market.

On Tuesday, MetLife Stadium hosted the France-Senegal World Cup match, the first game of the tournament for those countries. On Thursday, hundreds of thousands of fans attended the highly-anticipated Knicks NBA championship parade in the Big Apple.

Meanwhile, the U.S. men’s national team played its second match of the World Cup Friday at 3 p.m. ET in Seattle, with a domestic TV audience of more than 20 million viewers tuning in.

Looking Ahead

The U.S. Open will return to Shinnecock in 10 years, when the course will host the 2036 editions of the men’s and women’s championships in back-to-back weeks, part of the USGA’s 25-year plan for future host sites.

In 2027, the U.S. Open will be played at Pebble Beach Golf Links, one of the USGA’s three “anchor sites” that will be expected to draw much higher attendance as it hosts the U.S. Open for the first time since 2019.

The New Business of Ballpark Screens

For decades, the main video board was the centerpiece of the ballpark experience. Today, every display, from the outfield wall to the concourse and team store, plays a role in driving fan engagement, sponsorship value, and revenue.

Daktronics is helping MLB teams rethink how digital displays fit into the modern venue. From upgraded boards at Yankee Stadium and Wrigley Field to immersive retail and premium club experiences, teams are using connected LED and audio systems to create more dynamic environments for fans while creating new opportunities for partners.

Read more about how ballparks are evolving beyond the scoreboard.

LOUD AND CLEAR

Tough Task Ahead

“I asked if we could play three goalkeepers, but they said no.”

—Iraq soccer coach Graham Arnold, on the team’s plan to try and slow down French star Kylian Mbappé. The countries play each other Monday in Philadelphia in their second match of the World Cup. France beat Senegal in its first match last week, while Iraq lost to Norway. France is the current betting favorite to win the World Cup, with +370 odds at major sportsbooks. Iraq’s betting odds to win the World Cup are +250,000.

DAILY SPORTS TRIVIA

Can you rank the top five MLB players by most total bases in the 2025 season?

ONE BIG FIG

No Payday Just Yet

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

$181,101

That’s the amount of prize money at the U.S. Open that the seven professional golfers who finished tied for 23rd will each receive—excluding the tournament’s low amateurs, Jackson Koivun and Ryder Cowan, who also finished tied for 23rd at +5 but cannot accept prize money.

In total, five amateurs were among the 72 players that made the 36-hole cut (the top 60 players including ties), so there were only 67 payouts from the record $22.5 million purse. Professionals who missed the cut received $10,000 each, but not the 15 amateurs who didn’t make the weekend.

Koivun, who played at Auburn the past three years, is turning pro after the U.S. Open and will make his first PGA Tour start at the John Deere Classic next week. Cowan is a rising senior at Oklahoma.

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Building Endurance Beyond the Court

As the best of women’s basketball convene in Chicago for the 2026 WNBA All-Star weekend, Front Office Sports will gather executives, athletes, and changemakers for an afternoon of conversation and connection exploring the future of the game and the business behind it.

Join us July 24 for Future of Sports: Investing in Athletes, presented by State Street Investment Management SPY.

This intimate event will feature thought-leadership discussions with league leaders, athletes, and financial decision-makers exploring the strategic moves fueling the growth of both major leagues and individual athletes—and how athletes are building long-term wealth, influence, and opportunity beyond the court through the support of financial advisers, investment partners, and others.

Space is limited. Request to attend for a chance to be in the room.

STATUS REPORT

Three Up, One Down

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Titans defense ⬆ Tennessee signed four-time Pro Bowler Jeffery Simmons to a three-year, $105.8 million extension. The AFC South squad finished 21st in average yards allowed last season, but is rebuilding its defense around Simmons. The Titans also added lineman John Franklin-Myers and corners Alontae Taylor and Cor’Dale Flott to three-year deals this offseason.

The Netherlands ⬆ The Dutch men’s national team extended its World Cup unbeaten streak to 14 matches, the longest in tournament history, with its 5–1 win over Sweden on Saturday. (Penalty-kick losses count for a draw.) An estimated 15,000 people showed up in Houston to follow the fan bus to the stadium.

Angel Reese ⬆ The Atlanta Dream forward became the fastest player in WNBA history to pull down 1,000 rebounds, needing just 79 games to hit the milestone. The two-time All-Star was traded from the Chicago Sky in the offseason after questioning the team’s talent.

Seattle Storm ⬇ A year after losing in the playoffs to Las Vegas, the four-time WNBA champions have tied a franchise record with 10 consecutive losses. The team also ranks in the bottom five in the WNBA for total salary.