MEDINAH, Ill., — Wyndham Clark was preparing for his practice round shot in the arena-style first tee box at the 2026 Presidents Cup, and paused briefly when he heard a variation of his new catchphrase.
"Let's open some grape this weekend, Wyndham," a fan shouted from above.
A grin quickly appeared and then disappeared from Clark's face as he stood over the ball. This was a variation on the remark he made famous this season after winning the U.S. Open in June while being heckled by fans at Shinnecock Hills unhappy he was atop the leaderboard. "We're definitely opening up some grape. A lot of grape," Clark said at the time in regards to how he would celebrate.
"All my buddies call it
grape – vino or grape – and that one came out," he explained on Wednesday when he met with reporters before being paired with Collin Morikawa for the first set of four-ball matches on Day 1 of the Presidents Cup. "Now, any time I see somebody, they're like, 'Let's open up some grape.' This week, during practice rounds, I've probably heard it 15 times. 'Let's open up some grape.'"
The format of the Presidents Cup offers Clark a chance at atonement no other American golfer here in Chicago this week can conjure. The USA vs. International format has naturally led to a warmer reception for Clark and the Denver native hopes the environment can help aid the process of altering how he's viewed.
"Since New York, it's been all love," Clark insisted.
But there's more than love, Clark acknowledged, in changing perceptions.
"I think if it didn't happen throughout my career, that would be a bummer," Clark said. "Even though maybe the media has made me out to be kind of the villain, if you will, I don't feel like I'm that person, and eventually it would be nice if people were rooting for me and someone else was the underdog. We'll see. Hopefully things are trending and changing the right way."
Clark's strong play this year has only complicated the matter.
He has three wins in 2026, including the second major of his career. But his past missteps are still fresh for golf fans.
Clark damaged two lockers in the men's locker room at the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont when he missed the 36-hole cut. Pictures of the damage went viral on social media following Clark's exit from the tournament. The club subsequently banned Clark and he had to complete anger management counseling and donate to charity to smooth the situation over.
A month before that, at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, he threw his driver after a bad tee shot on the 16th. The club hit a sponsor sign and knocked it over a few feet from the man holding the flag.
Playing some of the best golf of his career hasn't quieted the concerns and reputational damage done by his past outbursts. He's the rare golfer who's on a roll and also seeking redemption.
So this week at the Presidents Cup, wearing red, white and blue may do more for his image than a whole bottle of grape.
"I really want to have a couple of those moments that are just iconic and really bring the crowd together and get the team going," Clark said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wyndham Clark hopes to shed villain label at 2026 Presidents Cup
