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

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

“Keep in mind they’re cheering for him,” Clark’s caddie, John Ellis, instructed him. “Keep 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 ultimate spherical of the CJ Cup at Congaree Golf Membership in Ridgeland, South Carolina. Clark was on his strategy to tying for twenty ninth at 5 beneath, 12 pictures 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 in opposition to his driver.

“It made my bag fairly mild,” Ellis mentioned.

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 planet, 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 planet. It’s the fruits of a comeback from private tragedy and years of battling anger and self-doubt in his expertise.

Clark is one in all 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 already know, golf is golf and, yeah, we play it for a dwelling, however it pales compared to the issues that really matter in life,” McIlroy instructed reporters on the RBC Canadian Open within the wake of Murray’s demise. “I’ve needed to notice that at instances and I am nonetheless kind of working my means via that by way of 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 is not even the identical human — on and off the course,” Ellis mentioned. “I believe he judged himself for who he was based mostly on how he performed these 18 holes of golf in a day. That is a troublesome strategy to reside life, proper? When you go searching, he is on the PGA Tour, he is making a big 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 with out a caddie, however he knew the participant’s conduct wasn’t good for his or her relationship — or his golf.

“There was a degree the place there’s nothing I am doing or saying that is getting via to him,” Ellis mentioned. “It wasn’t working based mostly on how he was dealing with himself.”

Ellis inspired Clark to contact efficiency coach Julie Elion, the founding father of the Heart 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 concept of working with Elion. He had labored with sports activities psychologists all through his profession and sought therapists’ assist following his mom Lise’s demise from breast most cancers in 2013. He did not imagine any of them had helped.

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

“Nicely, this particular person might be totally different,” Ellis mentioned.

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

“I finally agreed as a result of I used to be at a degree 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 joyful,” Clark mentioned. “I used to be actually annoyed. I used to be type 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 stunned by his reluctance to work along with her.

“He would not need me to say this, however he was even slightly, like, impolite,” Elion mentioned. “And, you already know, I’ve seen that earlier than. I am at a degree 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 should say, ‘I need to get higher.’ Once I first talked to him, I wasn’t certain 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 planet 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 mentioned. “Just about me telling her that I’ve seen numerous sports activities psychologists, have labored with numerous psychological coaches, if you’ll. I mentioned, ‘I do not know if you are going to be that a lot totally 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 prepared to place within the work as a result of a few of her different purchasers had mentioned Clark was as proficient 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 strategy to go — up.

“The phrase on the road was that this man is unbelievable,” Elion mentioned. “But it surely was a mountain to climb, so I stored attempting to remind myself of that. I used to be like, ‘Do I actually need to take this on?’ But it surely appeared like he had a really candy, form, 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 one in all 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. Throughout 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 perhaps his expectations and what he perceived of himself and what was actuality had been totally different,” Ellis mentioned. “He got here out considering he was the very best participant on the planet, which is nice. I do not need to say his expectations had been too excessive as a result of to be nice, they should be excessive. However he had slightly success, after which he anticipated to win each golf event, and it simply would not work like that.”

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

“I had skilled my thoughts over years of belittling myself and considering negatively, locking myself in rooms and never popping out for a very long time, or ingesting to extra, or being imply to folks,” Clark mentioned 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 periods. She talks to her purchasers a number of instances every week and attends a number of tournaments, together with all 4 majors. She’ll speak to purchasers about non-golf points early within the week, then assist them set targets for every spherical and dissect them throughout tournaments.

Elion mentioned 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 mentioned a lot of his anger and ache got here from his mom’s demise. Lise Clark launched her son to golf when he was 3 years outdated. 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 one in all 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 recognized 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 of one of many prime amateurs within the nation. Then, 4 days earlier than Christmas in 2012, Clark’s mom was recognized 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 possibility.

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

Though Clark was named an All-American by Golfweek and voted Large 12 Participant of the Yr the subsequent season, the load of his mom’s absence quickly started to take a toll on his life and recreation. After struggling a lot of the subsequent two years, he transferred to Oregon for his ultimate faculty 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 at all times there to maintain me grounded and both convey me up or hold the excessive going,” Clark mentioned.

Via his time with Elion, Clark realized that his mom was greater than that. Generally, she was additionally a filter between him and his father.

“My dad was knowledgeable tennis participant,” Clark mentioned. “Dads unknowingly put numerous strain on their youngsters typically, particularly once they excelled at one thing. And so I felt numerous strain from my dad as properly. And so I believe the mix of these two, it simply made it robust to the place, you already know, I felt numerous strain from my dad. After which I did not have my mother to go to after she handed, and so it was robust to cope with issues.”

Randall described himself as a “extremely aggressive skilled athlete” and later a “hyper aggressive scorching shot on Wall Avenue” 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 mentioned his dad “could not make it” and “did not need to jinx something.”

“I like my dad, and he clearly loves me,” Clark mentioned. “But it surely was robust for me at tournaments typically having him there. Now, he is coming to tournaments, and I really feel like our relationship is rising a ton, which is what I would like. I would like my dad to be there and embrace him after a win. I would like to have the ability to get pleasure from our time collectively, which we do now and it is very nice.”

Elion mentioned 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 mentioned. “I believe the connection was slightly totally different together with his dad. Now, it is really 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 outdated. They hosted him whereas he competed in an novice event 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 ultimate faculty 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 college yr.

“When he obtained right here, I believe he realized he wanted extra household stuff,” Jeff mentioned. “I believe that was one of many lacking items. His mother was the homemaker and he or she offered that type 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 type 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 residence from a event, 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 trainer that she missed her brother throughout the break. The trainer requested Jamie if her husband had a son from a earlier relationship — not realizing that Kaleah was speaking concerning 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 while you actually have a look at it as a result of he had a ton of assist,” Oregon golf coach Casey Martin mentioned. “He had this neat household that simply embraced him. That actually allowed him to decelerate and type 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 means.”

CLARK’S FORM RETURNED at Oregon as properly. When he arrived in Eugene, Martin mentioned his recreation was in a “dangerous place.”

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

With Ellis shadowing Clark on the course, and the Gaskills supporting him off it, he grew to become 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 yr in 2017. He was a finalist for the Ben Hogan Award as the highest participant in faculty golf.

“It was nonetheless a battle to get him to not be a perfectionist and simply not type of be overly essential of his golf and mechanics,” Martin mentioned. “I believe now he is in a spot the place he is simply type 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. group 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 lower at his first Masters and the PGA Championship, however is trying to regain momentum at Pinehurst No. 2.

The golfer who could not work out how you can win is now ranked No. 4 on the planet.

“I used to be imagining I might be type of within the spot I’m at now,” Clark mentioned. ” No less than if I regarded 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 observe. But when I checked out what I did in competitors beneath the lights, two, three, 4 years in the past, I perhaps would not have believed it.

“As a result of I at all times struggled to convey out essentially the most in my recreation when it mattered. And after assembly with Julie, you already know, over a couple of yr and a half in the past, and, you already know, she was so assured that I may do all the pieces that I’ve achieved up to now. And to now look — and he or she was proper — is fairly superb.”

When you or somebody you already know 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.