A six-shot lead, a hostile gallery, and a major championship hanging in the balance created one of the most tense final rounds of the 2026 U.S. Open. And in the center of those tense rounds were leader Wyndham Clark and birthday boy Scottie Scheffler, the latter chasing a career Grand Slam. But because the now-30-year-old was the fan favorite to win the event, his partner, Clark, had to face all the heckles.

“Get in the bunker,” “Don’t choke, Wyndham!,” “Anyone but Wyndham,” and “Nobody likes you” are some remarks the 2026 U.S. Open winner had to face throughout the final round. NBC’s Dan Hicks confirmed officials kicked out multiple spectators for crossing the line. During the post-round media conference, Scheffler even admitted that the NY crowd was tough on Wyndham and praised the “well-deserving champion” for handling them. But when the reporters tried to question him further about fans, trying to build a narrative that he had control over them, he shut them down.

“Guys, I’m not going to sit here and talk about fans the whole time. Sorry. I’m a big proponent of controlling what I can control on the golf course. Like I said, you know, you like it when fans are cheering for you. I think when fans start to cheer against other players, albeit in a respectful manner, I think when it gets too far is when you have people screaming in guys’ swings. That didn’t happen today,” Scheffler said.

“But that’s as much as I want to elaborate. You can keep asking the questions if you want. I don’t think I’m going to have much better for you than that. If you want to talk about golf, I’m happy to talk about golf.”

Golf is one sport where fans are very close to athletes. This makes a perfect recipe for heckles, which we have seen across golf tournaments. But there could be a reason fans were against Clark winning the 2026 U.S. Open.

He was involved in an infamous incident at last year’s edition at Oakmont. After missing the cut, Clark smashed a century-old locker and got banned for that. He had to pay for the repairs, make donations to charity, and attend anger management counseling to lift the ban. In fact, one of Clark’s goals entering the U.S. Open was to win back fans.

Yet heckling persists across golf. At the 2025 Ryder Cup and WM Phoenix Open, even top players faced it. For instance, at the Phoenix Open, fans heckled Scheffler’s playing partner, Max Homa. After the round, the 20-time PGA Tour winner said, “You can’t not hear it,” hinting that while he does not encourage such behavior, all he can do is ignore it.

Even when Scheffler was at the receiving end of the heckles during the 2025 Open Championship, all he had to say was, “If you’re a fan, it’s only going to fire the guy up more, and I think just do your best to behave out there.”

Scheffler ignores heckles and fan comments, focusing on his game instead—something in his control and that he can work on. And when the media asks him questions about something like that, he dismisses them. For instance, when a media reporter asked him about his third round at the Masters 2026, he laughed it off, saying, “That’s just a terrible question. Next question. Awful.”

While the 30-year-old had no desire to dwell on the crowd’s treatment of Clark at the U.S. Open, he was far more willing to discuss what actually unfolded inside the ropes. When the conversation shifted from fans to golf, he offered a candid assessment of Clark’s performance.

Scottie Scheffler praised Wyndham Clark’s performance

The four-time major winner was also asked whether seeing Clark, whom he was chasing, play right in front of him affected his own approach. Scheffler admitted he enjoyed being in the same group.

“I’ve always been a guy that likes to know where I’m at in the tournament,” Scheffler said. “Being in the final group with the guy that you’re trying to chase is always a good spot to be. It’s better than being a few groups ahead, I think.”

Clark entered Sunday at Shinnecock Hills with a six-stroke lead, while Scheffler rose to T2 after four birdies and a bogey on the back nine in Round 3. The two were, therefore, paired together in the last group for the final round.

After watching Clark play, the World No. 1 praised his game. He said that closing a U.S. Open despite a lead is challenging. Those challenges increase significantly on a demanding course like Shinnecock Hills. However, Clark kept his cool to win it. Giving a specific example, Scheffler said that the US Open 2026 champion showed what he’s made of with a birdie on the 16th.