Two words help explain why Wyndham Clark could someday be the No. 1 golfer in the world.
The summer after his sophomore year in college in 2013, Clark withdrew from the Western Amateur to return to Colorado. His mother, Lise, weakened by multiple battles with breast cancer, felt life emptying from her body. She supported her three children in so many ways, always seeing a future of them reaching their full potential. She offered advice for Wyndham.
“Her whole slogan was ‘Play Big.’ And it has always stuck with me,” Clark told The Denver Post. “And it was literally what she told me on her deathbed.”
Losing his mom sent Clark into a spiral. Always known for being a great teammate but too critical of his own game, Clark was ready to quit when he was unable to talk with his mom after events. He was burned out. But Lise, a former Miss New Mexico in 1981, was still speaking to him, speaking his success into existence even if at times it went unheard.
Clark left Oklahoma State and revived his career at Oregon, given a reboot by coach Casey Martin and his assistant John Ellis. Ellis saw himself in Clark, a talented golfer who struggled with his temper and confidence. He became a rudder as Clark won Pac 12 Player of the Year honors and realized his mother’s dream for him of reaching the PGA Tour.
“Early on, (her passing) really affected me. Now, as I get farther removed from it, I think of all the great things that she did for me. I try to honor her in everything I do,” Clark, 30, said. “She knew I would be on this platform and that I could really inspire people and play golf for something greater than myself.”
It is what made Tuesday so special.
Clark returned to Colorado for the BMW Championship news conference at the Castle Pines Golf Club. He has never played in his home state on tour in front of family and friends. As such, Clark will be part ambassador, part tour guide, and part dream crusher when the tournament featuring the Tour’s top 50 players unfolds Aug. 20-25.
“There is a little bit of pressure,” Clark said. “I feel like I am learning how to handle it. Regardless, I am going to enjoy the week.”
It was on this course Clark fell in love with golf, watching stars David Duval, Retief Goosen and Ernie Els compete on the ninth hole of The International, the unique tour event that used the Stableford scoring system.
“That’s when I knew I wanted to do this,” said Clark, whose father, Randall, stressed the family budget by becoming a member at Cherry Hills Golf Club to help his son nurture his game. “I hope to inspire young people. I have an ear for younger kids when they are out there, cheering my name because I was that kid. You just feel so special when you walk inside these gates. You enjoy Colorado’s finest. The course is in perfect shape. The food is amazing. The milkshakes are amazing. And the views are spectacular.”
After years of grinding, after nearly losing his tour card a few times, Clark now looks down on the competition with a No. 5 world ranking. He won the U.S. Open in 2023, played in the Ryder Cup and will represent Team USA in the upcoming Paris Olympics. It has been a remarkable journey. Clark no longer runs mental lapses, his mind matching his elite, physical talent.
“We are all very skilled out here,” Clark said. “The difference between the top players and guys that are not top players is that ability to be able to focus on every shot and to be able to overcome adversity and the pressure.”
Ellis, 44, deserves credit. He left Oregon with Clark to become his caddie. On the bag, he is part coach, part couch. He pushes Clark to avoid paralysis by analysis.
“He always tells me, ‘Be an athlete.’ That is a constant reminder to me to not get too technical thinking about all the angles and dangles of golf,” Clark said. “There are so many thoughts that people put into your brain in golf. Your mind gets cluttered. And he just says, ‘Hey we have to put the ball in this spot and that hole. It just doesn’t matter how you do it, just do it faster than anyone else.’”
Clark has no problem thinking of himself as an athlete. There was a time he believed he was destined for stardom on the Valor Christian High School hoops team. The way he remembers it he was a better point guard than classmate Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey disputes this notion. Even though the two are huge fans of each other’s careers, they cannot resist jabs. Told that McCaffrey might have passed his exploits by winning the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2023, Clark blurted, “But he’s not an Olympian.”
While too many golfers are only interesting when they have a club in their hands, Clark is authentic, vulnerable and funny. He felt snubbed that he never had the opportunity to play a tour event in Colorado as a top junior or college star. That changes in two months. It offers a chance for the country to see our state beyond mountains, skiing and the big four professional sports.
Given the calendar and the urgency of the FedEx Cup race, it will feel like a major. It will be huge.
Don’t be surprised if Clark “Plays Big.”
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Originally Published: June 25, 2024 at 6:30 p.m.
