Pressure and Meltdowns

At this year’s US Open, several players showed the pressure which comes along with major championship golf in different ways. Rory McIlroy tossed some clubs. Tyrrell Hatton obliged with his normal club slams into the ground, and his angry commentary. Scottie Scheffler, the best golfer on the planet, stayed late on the range one evening visibly frustrated with his game and his coach. Most shook their heads in disbelief or allowed themselves to just fold up and go home with barely a whimper. But one golfer stood out among all of them, Wyndham Clark.

Most players feel the pressure of a US Open and simply collapse under the weight of it. It chews them up and spits them out. They allow themselves to be swallowed up and beaten by the course, the pressure and the moment. This is not a condemnation of them. They obviously deserve to be there. Many qualified through qualifiers, pressure cookers in their own right. Some of them are the best players in the world. They know pressure and have dealt with it effectively in other venues. Sometimes everything weighs too much, and they simply collapse under the weight.

But those who hang on the edge of contention, struggling with the pressure and a less than perfect game, often act differently. They feel how close they are but realize how far away they are all at the same time. In those moments, under the intense pressure of a US Open, every poor shot becomes magnified.

Rory McIlroy showed his frustration by tossing a few clubs. One particular instance provided social media with some fun. McIlroy started to throw his club but stopped himself opting instead for a gentle fling of the club. The club ricocheted off his bag, and Rory caught it with his opposite hand.

Rory Club Toss

Scottie Scheffler stayed on the range following round #2 hitting balls. With his hat askew, he started yelling at his long-time coach, Randy Smith. Smith stood there as his player ranted. The usually fairly stoic Scheffler lost his cool demeanor that evening as he struggled with his swing.

The next day Scheffler was on the range warming up. Following a swing his caddie, Ted Scott, started yelling at Scheffler even going so far as to slam is hat to the ground in frustration. Randy Smith jumped in and started arguing with Scott. Scheffler stood in the background looking embarrassed. Of course, this was all an act orchestrated by Scott and Smith to show Scheffler how ridiculous his temper tantrum the night before had been.

But then there was Wyndham Clark. He recently threw a club into a sponsor’s sign at a PGA Tour event nearly striking a volunteer. Clark is a former US Open champion, so he understands the pressure of a US Open as well as anyone, yet he let at least one club fly in his two rounds at Oakmont. While I’m not a fan of throwing clubs, I understand it happens. I have let a club or two fly myself in a tournament when my performance fell well short of my expectations. It’s not something I’m proud of, but I own it. As a result, I’m not too critical when a player let’s one fly in the middle of a tournament.

If this was all Clark had done to vent his frustrations, I might not even be mentioning him. But it wasn’t all he did.

The above is a picture of lockers in the Oakmont locker room. Clark has been identified as the responsible party. This is not acceptable. Ultimately, the players are guests of Oakmont. As guests, they are expected to comport themselves as such. Aside from being guests, if an Oakmont member caused any damage remotely close to what Clark committed, the member would be thrown out of the club and banned for life. Clark needs to be dealt with appropriately. The USGA and Oakmont are discussing how they want to proceed in dealing with Clark.

Having been in the pressure cooker of professional golf, I understand all too well how even the mildest mannered people can lose control temporarily. The pressure combined with falling short of expectations can cause some momentary loss of reason. But sometimes, even the best players, can cross a line into unacceptable behavior.

As always, be grateful when you play. Be thankful for the privilege and opportunity to play this amazing game. Now, go golf!