Wyndham Clark’s U.S. Open win was greater than a golf victory

PINEHURST, N.C. — As Wyndham Clark started the stroll down the No. 1 fairway within the last spherical of the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Nation Membership, many followers cheered for Rickie Fowler, who was enjoying within the last pairing with him.

“Bear in mind they’re cheering for him,” Clark’s caddie, John Ellis, instructed him. “Bear in mind who they’re going to cheer for on the finish.”

Ellis’ recommendation proved prophetic, as Clark held off Fowler, world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler and four-time main championship winner Rory McIlroy for a 1-shot victory to win his first main.

It was a far cry from the dialog Ellis had with Clark eight months earlier within the last spherical of the CJ Cup at Congaree Golf Membership in Ridgeland, South Carolina. Clark was on his technique to tying for twenty ninth at 5 below, 12 photographs behind winner McIlroy.

Strolling up the green of the 18th gap, Clark had solely 11 golf equipment in his bag — as a substitute of the allowable 14. He had damaged his putter in anger for the second day in a row and given it to a fan, snapped a sand wedge after a poor chip shot and broken his 3-wood when he slammed it towards his driver.

“It made my bag fairly gentle,” Ellis stated.

After the spherical, Ellis delivered what was all however an ultimatum to Clark: “You are on the verge of being probably the greatest gamers on the earth, and also you’re additionally actually, actually near being on the verge of being off the tour. You possibly can’t go about it like this.”

THIS WEEK, CLARK arrives at Pinehurst No. 2 because the defending U.S. Open champion and probably the greatest golfers on the earth. It’s the end result of a comeback from private tragedy and years of battling anger and self-doubt in his expertise.

Clark is considered one of a number of golfers on the PGA Tour who has been open about struggles with psychological well being, together with North Carolina native Grayson Murray, who died by suicide in Might — a day after withdrawing from the Charles Schwab Problem at Colonial.

“On the finish of the day, you understand, golf is golf and, yeah, we play it for a dwelling, nevertheless it pales compared to the issues that truly matter in life,” McIlroy instructed reporters on the RBC Canadian Open within the wake of Murray’s dying. “I’ve needed to notice that at occasions and I am nonetheless form of working my approach by that when it comes to not making golf the be-all end-all for me.”

It took a village to assist Clark notice that how he performs has no bearing on his self-worth.

“He isn’t even the identical human — on and off the course,” Ellis stated. “I believe he judged himself for who he was primarily based on how he performed these 18 holes of golf in a day. That is a tricky technique to stay life, proper? If you happen to go searching, he is on the PGA Tour, he is making a major sum of money, he is enjoying a sport he loves. It is fairly good what you are doing, no matter how issues are going.”

Ellis was an assistant coach on the College of Oregon in Clark’s lone season with the Geese in 2016-17. The 2 hit it off, so Ellis adopted him to hold his bag on the Korn Ferry Tour after which the PGA Tour. Ellis did not need to go away Clark and not using a caddie, however he knew the participant’s conduct wasn’t good for his or her relationship — or his golf.

“There was some extent the place there’s nothing I am doing or saying that is getting by to him,” Ellis stated. “It wasn’t working primarily based on how he was dealing with himself.”

Ellis inspired Clark to contact efficiency coach Julie Elion, the founding father of the Middle for Athletic Efficiency Enhancement, who had helped PGA Tour golfers Phil Mickelson, Max Homa, Justin Thomas and others.

AT FIRST, CLARK wasn’t eager on the thought of working with Elion. He had labored with sports activities psychologists all through his profession and sought therapists’ assist following his mom Lise’s dying from breast most cancers in 2013. He did not consider any of them had helped.

“I attempted all of them,” Clark instructed Ellis.

“Effectively, this individual may very well be completely different,” Ellis stated.

When Clark’s supervisor Rob Mougey additionally inspired him to contact Elion, he lastly relented.

“I in the end agreed as a result of I used to be at some extent within the fall of 2022 the place I used to be enjoying good golf, however I wasn’t scoring good, after which I wasn’t comfortable,” Clark stated. “I used to be actually annoyed. I used to be form of on the level the place I used to be like, ‘I do not need to do that anymore.'”

The primary time Elion, who spoke to ESPN with Clark’s consent, talked to Clark on the telephone in late 2022, she was shocked by his reluctance to work along with her.

“He would not need me to say this, however he was even a bit of, like, impolite,” Elion stated. “And, you understand, I’ve seen that earlier than. I am at some extent in my profession that it actually did not matter to me both as a result of any individual has to need to do it. I by no means make the telephone name, proper? They need to say, ‘I need to get higher.’ Once I first talked to him, I wasn’t positive if he was there.”

Elion’s evaluation of Clark’s willingness to peel again the psychological obstacles that had been stopping him from changing into probably the greatest golfers on the earth did not change a lot after their preliminary face-to-face assembly at an Arizona Starbucks in January 2023.

“The primary assembly was me telling her how I am very skeptical of the work she does,” Clark stated. “Just about me telling her that I’ve seen lots of sports activities psychologists, have labored with lots of psychological coaches, if you’ll. I stated, ‘I do not know if you are going to be that a lot completely different.'”

Clark and Elion got here to an settlement: He would do what she requested of him for six months, and if there have been no enhancements in his life — on and off the course — they’d go their separate methods.

She was keen to place within the work as a result of a few of her different shoppers had stated Clark was as gifted as anybody — if he may deal with the psychological a part of the sport.

Elion instructed Clark that since he was at all-time low mentally, there was just one technique to go — up.

“The phrase on the road was that this man is unbelievable,” Elion stated. “However it was a mountain to climb, so I saved making an attempt to remind myself of that. I used to be like, ‘Do I actually need to take this on?’ However it appeared like he had a really candy, sort, considerate a part of him beneath all of it.”

An All-American at Oklahoma State and Oregon, Clark’s skilled profession had gotten off to a promising begin. In 2019, he was considered one of eight PGA Tour rookies to make the FedEx Cup playoffs after piling up three top-10s and eight top-25s. Then issues went south. The following season, he missed 12 cuts in 23 begins. Through the first spherical of the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Basic in Detroit, he walked off the course after carding three bogeys in 4 holes and withdrew. On the finish of 2021, he did not make the weekend in every of his previous seven begins.

“I believe possibly his expectations and what he perceived of himself and what was actuality had been completely different,” Ellis stated. “He got here out pondering he was the most effective participant on the earth, which is nice. I do not need to say his expectations had been too excessive as a result of to be nice, they need to be excessive. However he had a bit of success, after which he anticipated to win each golf match, and it simply does not work like that.”

AT THE BEGINNING of 2022, Clark was ranked 252nd on the earth.

“I had educated my thoughts over years of belittling myself and pondering negatively, locking myself in rooms and never popping out for a very long time, or consuming to extra, or being imply to individuals,” Clark stated throughout an episode of the second season of “Full Swing” on Netflix. “I did not need to play golf.”

Clark’s underlying anger is what Elion targeted on throughout their first few classes. She talks to her shoppers a number of occasions every week and attends a number of tournaments, together with all 4 majors. She’ll speak to shoppers about non-golf points early within the week, then assist them set targets for every spherical and dissect them throughout tournaments.

Elion stated Clark was coping with “loss and grief and anger as a result of he wasn’t the place he thought he must be in his profession.”

Clark stated a lot of his anger and ache got here from his mom’s dying. Lise Clark launched her son to golf when he was 3 years previous. She later handed the baton to Clark’s father, Randall, who picked up the sport when his son confirmed curiosity.

Randall Clark was a star tennis participant rising up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He’s considered one of solely two four-time particular person state champions in New Mexico highschool historical past. He was a No. 1 singles participant on the College of Arizona, however his promising skilled profession was derailed by accidents.

Lise was topped Miss New Mexico and competed within the Miss USA pageant in 1981. They had been married at Riviera Nation Membership outdoors Los Angeles in 1989. Six months after their youthful son, Brendan, was born in June 1997, Lise was identified with breast most cancers. She endured chemotherapy and radiation and was declared cancer-free in 2001.

In 2012, Clark enrolled at Oklahoma State and was thought-about one of many high amateurs within the nation. Then, 4 days earlier than Christmas in 2012, Clark’s mom was identified with stage 4 metastatic breast most cancers. The illness had unfold all through her physique. Medical doctors instructed her that radiation, chemotherapy and surgical procedure weren’t an choice.

Lise died Aug. 2, 2013. She was 55. She liked to inform her son, “I really like you, winner.” Shortly earlier than her dying, Lise had one final message for him: “Hey, play huge. Play for one thing greater than your self.”

Though Clark was named an All-American by Golfweek and voted Huge 12 Participant of the 12 months the following season, the burden of his mom’s absence quickly started to take a toll on his life and sport. After struggling a lot of the following two years, he transferred to Oregon for his last school season.

AFTER WINNING THE U.S. Open, Clark described his mom as his “rock” and “always-there supporter.”

“So when issues had been robust or when issues had been going nice, she was all the time there to maintain me grounded and both convey me up or preserve the excessive going,” Clark stated.

By means of his time with Elion, Clark realized that his mom was greater than that. Typically, she was additionally a filter between him and his father.

“My dad was knowledgeable tennis participant,” Clark stated. “Dads unknowingly put lots of strain on their children generally, particularly after they excelled at one thing. And so I felt lots of strain from my dad as nicely. And so I believe the mixture of these two, it simply made it robust to the place, you understand, I felt lots of strain from my dad. After which I did not have my mother to go to after she handed, and so it was robust to take care of issues.”

Randall described himself as a “extremely aggressive skilled athlete” and later a “hyper aggressive sizzling shot on Wall Road” on his LinkedIn account. He declined to be interviewed.

Randall wasn’t at Los Angeles Nation Membership when his son captured the most important victory of his profession on the 2023 U.S. Open. Clark stated his dad “could not make it” and “did not need to jinx something.”

“I really like my dad, and he clearly loves me,” Clark stated. “However it was robust for me at tournaments generally having him there. Now, he is coming to tournaments, and I really feel like our relationship is rising a ton, which is what I need. I need my dad to be there and embrace him after a win. I need to have the ability to take pleasure in our time collectively, which we do now and it is very nice.”

Elion stated Clark’s relationship together with his father has improved dramatically.

“I believe the mother was supportive and the glue and doubtless was very encouraging to Wyndham,” Elion stated. “I believe the connection was a bit of completely different together with his dad. Now, it is truly come full circle the place he is beginning to really feel that together with his dad, which is nice.”

At Oregon, Clark discovered a second household in Jeff and Jamie Gaskill and their three younger daughters. The Gaskills had first met Clark when he was 15 years previous. They hosted him whereas he competed in an newbie match in Eugene. Clark stayed with them once more when he made a recruiting go to to Oregon earlier than signing with Oklahoma State.

When Clark determined to switch to Oregon for his last school season, the plan was for him to stick with the Gaskills for a couple of week till he met his new teammates and located a roommate. He ended up dwelling with them for his whole faculty 12 months.

“When he bought right here, I believe he realized he wanted extra household stuff,” Jeff stated. “I believe that was one of many lacking items. His mother was the homemaker and she or he supplied that form of consolation for him. When she went away, his sister was older, and his brother was the one one dwelling in Denver together with his dad. He was form of on his personal for some time. He felt stranded.”

Gaskill’s two older daughters, Kaitlyn and Kaleah, who had been 6 and 9 on the time, relished Clark’s presence. They painted his fingernails and did his hair. When he returned dwelling from a match, there was a banner congratulating him on his efficiency, whether or not he completed first or twenty third.

When the Gaskills went to Hawaii for Christmas in 2016, Clark returned to Denver to be together with his household. After the vacations, Kaleah instructed a instructor that she missed her brother in the course of the break. The instructor requested Jamie if her husband had a son from a earlier relationship — not realizing that Kaleah was speaking in regards to the Oregon golfer who was dwelling with them.

Clark nonetheless visits the Gaskills throughout holidays, and so they attend a handful of his tournaments annually.

“I actually assume that was instrumental if you actually have a look at it as a result of he had a ton of assist,” Oregon golf coach Casey Martin stated. “He had this neat household that simply embraced him. That actually allowed him to decelerate and form of get out of the rat race. Whether or not it was a social rat race or whether or not it was a {golfing} rat race, I believe life slowed down that approach.”

CLARK’S FORM RETURNED at Oregon as nicely. When he arrived in Eugene, Martin stated his sport was in a “unhealthy place.”

“He was simply form of scrambling in a semi-angry mode of, ‘Why cannot I determine this out?'” Martin stated. “It wasn’t a lot a golf problem because it was simply placing the geese in a row. Simply getting his life form of balanced and simply getting a transparent head. That occurred right here at Oregon as a result of I form of knew that wanted to occur as a result of it was apparent that it wasn’t a expertise problem or a ability problem.”

With Ellis shadowing Clark on the course, and the Gaskills supporting him off it, he turned probably the greatest gamers within the sport once more. He gained the Pac-12 particular person championship and was named the league’s participant of the 12 months in 2017. He was a finalist for the Ben Hogan Award as the highest participant in school golf.

“It was nonetheless a battle to get him to not be a perfectionist and simply not form of be overly vital of his golf and mechanics,” Martin stated. “I believe now he is in a spot the place he is simply form of doing it with him and John. I believe that is fairly highly effective when a participant takes possession, learns it and simply focuses on simplicity, if that is smart.”

4 months after Clark began working with Elion, he captured his first PGA Tour victory with a 4-shot win on the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hole in Charlotte in Might 2023. The following month, he gained the U.S. Open. He completed third on the season-ending Tour Championship and competed on the U.S. crew on the Ryder Cup in Rome.

This season, Clark picked up his third victory on the AT&T Pebble Seashore Professional-Am on Feb. 4 and was runner-up to Scheffler in back-to-back begins on the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Gamers Championship in March. He missed the minimize at his first Masters and the PGA Championship, however is seeking to regain momentum at Pinehurst No. 2.

The golfer who could not work out easy methods to win is now ranked No. 4 on the earth.

“I used to be imagining I may very well be form of within the spot I’m at now,” Clark stated. ” No less than if I seemed internally and checked out my expertise and work ethic and the issues that I knew I may do with a golf ball and what I did in apply. But when I checked out what I did in competitors below the lights, two, three, 4 years in the past, I possibly would not have believed it.

“As a result of I all the time struggled to convey out essentially the most in my sport when it mattered. And after assembly with Julie, you understand, over a couple of 12 months and a half in the past, and, you understand, she was so assured that I may do all the things that I’ve finished up to now. And to now look — and she or he was proper — is fairly superb.”

If you happen to or somebody you understand is having ideas of suicide or is in emotional misery, contact the Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK(8255) or at suicidepreventionlifeline.org.