World number one Scottie Scheffler didn’t just witness Wyndham Clark conquer Shinnecock Hills on Sunday, he watched him battle a baying New York crowd that crossed the line from passionate support into something uglier.

Clark claimed his second US Open title by a single stroke over Sam Burns, but Scheffler, who shared fourth after carding a one over 71 to finish on 280, revealed the champion had to overcome more than just one of golf’s most brutal venues.

New Yorkers get too loud

“The crowd was tough,” Scheffler said bluntly. “New Yorkers, they’re tough people. Sometimes it can get a little too much when balls are kind of going off greens and you start hearing cheers. That felt a bit much to me.”

Whilst it didn’t reach the levels of toxicity Rory McIlroy endured at nearby Bethpage Black during last year’s Ryder Cup, the atmosphere was sharp enough that the USGA removed spectators for irresponsible conduct during Sunday’s final round.

For Scheffler, watching from the inside gave him fresh appreciation for what Clark withstood.

“Being in the arena is not for everybody,” he said. “It shows a lot about Wyndham, how he handled not only this golf course but I think the crowd today as well, and is a well-deserving champion.”

Clutch when it mattered

Clark delivered when the pressure reached its peak, draining a crucial 24-foot birdie bomb at the par-five 16th before two-putting from 52 feet at the last to hold off Burns and claim the title.

“He showed kind of what he’s made of there with a great birdie there on 16. He was in some trouble off the tee,” Scheffler observed. “He’s a very underrated scrambler. You saw a lot of that in some of the spots where he was and able to make pars from.”

Scheffler’s birthday miss

For Scheffler, who would have completed the career Grand Slam on his 30th birthday with victory, the chance was there despite starting the final round six shots adrift.

“If Wyndham shot even-par today, I believed that I could catch him,” he admitted. “It’s just a matter of executing the shots. I was close, but not where it needed to be.”

It marked his fourth runner-up finish of the season and second in a major after the Masters, continuing a pattern of near-misses that must be gnawing at the Texan.

Despite winning his season opener in the California desert, Scheffler conceded his game isn’t firing on all cylinders yet.

“I feel like I’m continuing to improve. I’m starting to get the feels that I like in my swing. It’s just a matter of just getting a little bit closer, being a little bit sharper to start tournaments,” said Scheffler, whose opening two-over 72 on Thursday left him playing catch-up all week.

“It was a battle all week. I felt like I did enough to have a really good round. Hit a lot of good putts that were really close to going in. Just wasn’t able to hole those.”

The world number one is knocking loudly on the door. Now he just needs to kick it down.