In U.S. Open that almost nobody wanted him to win, Wyndham Clark conquered all with heroic performance
SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. Randall Clark remembers the exact day when his son Wyndham became his hero; it was Aug. 12, 2013, a Monday. Ten days earlier, the Clark familys matriarch, Lise, had lost her battle with breast cancer at age 55, and after his moms funeral, Wyndham flew straight from Colorado to the U.S. Amateur in Massachusetts to play big, just like she always told him to.Randall Clark witnessed that same courage on Sunday at Shinnecock Hills, where Randall, fresh off an impromptu redeye to surprise his son on Fathers Day, watched the final round of the 126th U.S. Open play out from inside the clubhouse. Down in the arena below, Wyndham wasnt just trying to fend off Scottie Scheffler and company for his second national championship in four years.No, this was Wyndham against the world.He was fighting everything, everybody, Randall said. He was out there alone. He was a warrior today.Moments after Wyndham Clark captured the U.S. Open that almost nobody wanted him to win, he finally caught a glimpse of his dad greenside. Randall rushed in with both fists outstretched and wrapped Wyndham in his arms, telling him repeatedly, through tears hidden by dark sunglasses, how proud he was. Randall then declared emphatically into his sons ear, Toughest round youve ever played!Wyndham expected nothing less, though his need for body armor was admittedly self-inflicted. Already known as a highly emotional, sometimes even volatile competitor dating to his amateur days, Clark suffered two mighty blows to his character last year first after he destroyed his driver by flinging it into a sign during the PGA Championship, and secondly at last years U.S. Open at Oakmont, where he kicked in the panels of two of the clubs antique lockers in another fit of rage. Randall, whose brother-in-law is an Oakmont member, called the latter blowup a moment of insanity, though not a true reflection of his son.Clark apologized for both incidents and paid for the repairs Oakmonts longtime pro Bob Ford confirmed that Clark has done everything that was asked of him though the damage had already been done, both externally and internally. For days, Clark found himself in a negative, dark place, but he was too ashamed to escape it. Not making the U.S. Ryder Cup team last fall, a byproduct of poor play and likely also his poor behavior, was another jab to the stomach. The criticism, meanwhile, followed him everywhere he went.I just felt a lot of my career, world ranking, reputation, everything just dwindling, Clark said. That's a terrible feeling.Clark eventually plummeted outside the top 75 in the same world rankings where hed once sat third. His golf swing had gotten too long, his lead wrist too cupped, his clubface too open. He compiled only three top-10s in 36 starts from the start of last season to last months CJ Cup Byron Nelson.But then it all clicked the work since last September with new instructor Pat Coyner, the head pro at Clarks childhood club, Cherry Hills outside of Denver; the greater ability to self-reflect and forgive himself, thanks to mental guru Julie Elion, whos been with Clark for over three years; the budding relationship with girlfriend, Emily Tanner, which has improved his overall happiness.Weve all made mistakes, weve all hurt people, weve hurt ourselves, Elion said, and progress isnt always in a straight line.Clark won in Dallas, then kept trending with a third at the Memorial and T-11 in Canada. If he brought his A-game to Long Island, Clark thought, I can definitely win this thing. He opened this U.S. Open with the lowest first round ever at Shinnecock, a 6-under 64 that spanned two days because of a two-hour fog delay on Thursday morning. Clark grinded out rounds of 69-70 to follow and took a commanding six-shot lead over Scheffler and three others through three rounds, though he later texted Elion a few angry emojis, frustrated by his closing bogey that wouldve padded his cushion by an extra shot. Even up a touchdown, Clark was still anticipating a battle and not just from the world No. 1.We knew it was going to be brutal today, Elion said.Clark was a multi-sport athlete at Valor Christian in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, and used to relish away basketball games in hostile environments. Nothing, though, couldve prepared him for what hed face over these final 18 holes.As Clark went through his warmup, Elion was close by. She stood a few feet from his divot line on the range, conversing with Clark and his caddie, David Pelekoudas, their random conversation taking them from sweet potatoes to sushi to the crazy dream that Clark had experienced the previous night it was too crazy, however, for any details to be divulged publicly.But once Clark headed to the first tee, he could no longer be distracted. The crowd, much livelier than the previous evening, showered Scheffler with encouragement ahead of Sundays final tee time, even singing the now-30-year-old happy birthday, while only a few brave souls countered in support of Clark, who was probably grateful that the USGA opted to sell 25% fewer tickets than last year.Canada hates you, yelled one spectator, right before Clark hit his opening tee ball. Once the iron shot got airborne, several people screamed for it to get in the bunker.As Clark carded three bogeys in his first seven holes and saw his lead trimmed to just one shot over a charging Burns, he faced almost unanimous jeering from the crowd. When he tugged his tee ball left at the par-3 second, they cheered. Same for his approach into the par-4 sixth, where Clarks ball stayed momentarily on the green before the slope, wind and will from the crowd collectively sent it rolling off the putting surface; Scheffler followed with a similar shot, though those same people begged for his ball to stay up.I think sometimes it can get a little too much when, you know, balls are kind of going off greens and you start hearing cheers, Scheffler said. That felt a bit much to me.The verbal abuse of Clark got so relentless that after tossing several hecklers early, a security veteran at one point on the back nine turned to a media member and said, Cant throw a whole grandstand out. Elion became so offended by the nastiness that she ducked inside after eight holes to cool off for a few minutes.Unable to retreat himself, Clark leaned on the same tactic that helped him win his first major at Los Angeles Country Club, where fans threw their support behind Rickie Fowler en masse.Anytime someone said something negative to me, I replaced it with something positive, Clark said. I was kind of making jokes about it with Dave, where if we heard someone cheer for me, I'd go, Oh, there's one person that likes me.You just have to have tough skin, Clark added. If you let that stuff affect you, then theyve beaten you.Clark never lost his advantage on Sunday. Burns finished solo second behind a 3-under 67, though a short par miss at No. 15 ultimately left him a shot back. Tom Kim got to within two after a birdie at No. 16, though he bogeyed the next hole and settled for third as the only other player under par. Scheffler tied J.T. Poston and Keith Mitchell for fourth at even par.I would say last year at Oakmont, I felt more like I lost the golf tournament, said Burns, who held the 54-hole lead last year before slipping to T-7. I certainly don't feel that way today. I started the day seven shots back; that's very difficult to overcome, especially someone who is playing as well as Wyndham has been playing.Clark quieted the crowd with a beautiful wedge that set up a tap-in birdie at the par-4 10th, then again with pars at Nos. 14 and 15 while Scheffler missed key putts on both holes to end his threat. Finally, after hacking his way out of a difficult lie at the par-5 16th and then hitting his third shot to the back of the green, 25 feet away from the hole, the people had no choice but to cheer; Clark sank the birdie putt and celebrated with a big, uppercut fist pump.There was so much emotion that came out, Randall said. God, weve just gone through it all together. There were some tough moments, and you heard it today. He didnt play his best, but he figured it out.Clark coughed up his fifth and final bogey of the day with a three-putt on No. 17, prompting Pelekoudas to remind his boss on the walk to No. 18, Hey, were right where we want to be. Clark found the right rough with his final drive but then landed a 9-iron onto the front section of the green, leaving himself two putts from 52 feet for the championship.Before he struck the first putt, Clark injected one last positive thought: Im the best lag putter in the world.When Clark nestled his ball tap-in range and then polished off the closing par for 73 and a 4-under week, his handful of supporters were louder than ever. Heck, hed probably gained some new fans with that performance. During the trophy ceremony, Clark spoke to the crowd still gathered in the 18th grandstand and exclaimed, "New York didn't love me, but I love you guys."Being in the arena is not for everybody, Scheffler said, and I think it shows a lot about Wyndham, how he handled not only this golf course, but I think the crowd today as well. He is a well-deserving champion.But had Clark been redeemed?Clark was asked in his winners presser if Sundays triumph officially closed the door on last years locker episode and other past transgressions, and if it didnt, would he accept a recurring role as pro-golf antagonist.I sure hope it closes the door on it, Clark said. I figured in my mind that this would maybe be the last time [I'd face comments about it] just because it's one year removed. I'll probably always get them, but I hope I don't become the heel of the PGA Tour.I guess if I am, any press is good press, right?On this day, at least, there was no debate: Clark proved himself heroic.
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