When tantrums become your trademark and apologies lose their meaning

The Pattern is Getting Embarrassing

Here we go again with Wyndham Clark. The guy who won the 2023 U.S. Open is back in the headlines for destroying property – this time busting up lockers at Oakmont after missing the cut at last week’s U.S. Open. And honestly, at this point, it’s getting hard to watch a grown man have these kinds of meltdowns on golf’s biggest stages.

Clark confirmed Thursday that he “busted a few lockers” at Oakmont Country Club after his disappointing finish last week. His excuse? The usual corporate speak about “highs and lows” and how he “deeply regrets” his actions. Sound familiar? It should, because this is becoming a broken record.

From Drivers to Lockers – A Month of Mayhem

The Oakmont incident came just one month after Clark launched his driver into a sponsor wall at the PGA Championship. After a bad drive at Quail Hollow, he turned and fired his club with both hands, slamming it so hard into the wall that the head came clean off the shaft. Thankfully, nobody was standing behind him when he decided to have his little tantrum.

The visual was embarrassing then, and the pattern is even more embarrassing now. This isn’t passion or competitive fire – this is a 30-year-old man who can’t control his emotions when things don’t go his way.

The Apology Tour Gets Old Fast

What’s almost worse than the incidents themselves is the predictable apology routine that follows. Clark trotted out the same tired lines after both incidents – expressing regret, wanting to “move on,” and promising to do better. But here’s the thing about apologies: they lose their meaning when you keep doing the same thing over and over again.

You can’t keep breaking stuff and then expect people to take your remorse seriously. At some point, your actions speak louder than your carefully crafted statements to the media.

When Success Goes to Your Head

Maybe winning the U.S. Open in 2023 went to Clark’s head more than anyone realized. Since that breakthrough victory, he’s been struggling mightily – missing cuts in three of four majors last season and managing just one top-10 finish this year before this week’s hot start at the Travelers Championship.

But here’s a reality check: struggling with your game doesn’t give you a free pass to destroy property and act like a child. Every professional athlete deals with slumps and disappointments. The difference is, most of them don’t take it out on innocent lockers and sponsor walls.

The Real Cost of These Tantrums

Clark’s behavior isn’t just embarrassing for him – it’s embarrassing for the entire sport. Golf prides itself on tradition, respect, and sportsmanship. When one of the sport’s recent major champions is running around breaking things like he’s in a WWE storyline, it damages the image that golf has worked decades to build.

And let’s be real about something else: Clark is incredibly lucky that nobody has been hurt during these outbursts. That driver at the PGA Championship could have seriously injured someone if they’d been standing in the wrong spot. Property damage is bad enough, but the potential for actual harm makes these incidents even more inexcusable.

Time to Grow Up

The golf world has been patient with Clark, probably more patient than he deserves. But patience has limits, and those limits are being tested. At some point, the PGA Tour needs to step in with more than just a slap on the wrist. These aren’t isolated incidents anymore – they’re part of a pattern.

Clark can fire all the 64s he wants at the Travelers Championship, but until he learns to handle adversity like a professional, he’s going to be remembered more for his tantrums than his talent. And honestly? That’s exactly what he deserves right now.

And here’s his lame attempt at damage control – is this even supposed to be an apology?