Wyndham Clark Says Presidents Cup Crowd at Medinah Was Missing Its Usual Energy

Golfer Wyndham Clark said fans at Medinah Country Club’s No. 3 course fell flat on the opening day of the 2026 Presidents Cup, even as the United States built a 3-2 lead over the Internationals on Thursday.

“It was kind of dead out there,” Clark told reporters. “I felt like the momentum could have been better, to be honest, because we weren’t really feeling the fans, I think, as much as normal.”

Clark pointed to a specific moment that surprised him and his playing partner, Collin Morikawa. “There was a few shots, I mean, Collin hit a 5-wood on, what was it, 11 to like 10 feet, and we didn’t even know if it was on the green because no one clapped. It was a little surprising,” he said. “We’d make some big putts, I’m saying this more as a challenge that hopefully tomorrow and the weekend the fans are out there really rooting us on, and regardless of what happens, we have the momentum.”

Footage from the first tee at the Cook County golf course showed a loud crowd for the national anthem, which included a military flyover. But by the time the final matches went out, the stands had thinned considerably.

U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker acknowledged the shift in energy but said he expects Chicago-area fans to turn out in bigger numbers as the event continues.

“It was a weird day. I really felt like the fans were out there and they were there, but the 1st tee was loud, and then it just kind of dissipated as the day went on. I don’t know why,” Snedeker said.

Snedeker suggested the difficulty of the course setup may have played a role. “I think part of it was because the golf course was set up pretty difficult. There was some really tough pins out there, so it was really hard to get a lot of birdies going. You’ve got guys going crazy, I guess. And there’s some tough viewing out there on some of the holes where people really couldn’t see what was going on,” he said.

He added that he remains confident in the region’s golf fans. “I know what Chicago is built of. I know what kind of fans we’ve got here. They’ll come out tomorrow. We’ve just got to go out and play good golf.”

Clark’s comments follow a pattern of American players publicly urging home crowds to bring more noise to team competitions. Last year, Morikawa made a similar appeal to fans on Long Island during the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.