Three years after its discovery Winning the US Open at Los Angeles Country ClubWyndham Clark is once again the US Open champion. With a final round of 73, Clark finished the week in Shinnecock Hills Golf Club at four under, good enough for a one-stroke victory over Sam Burns and a second career major championship win.
“The first one was just a breakthrough to know I could do it,” Clark said. “This was it much redemption.
It wasn’t always pretty for Clark on Sunday. After entering the day with a six-shot lead over his nearest competitors, he struggled with his swing for much of the front nine, hitting just three greens in the opening stanza. He wrestled with a crowd that cheered his mistakes and cheered for his competitors. And he did only enough mistakes to let those in pursuit believe they had a chance.
In the end, though, no one came up as often as Clark in the clutch moments.
Perhaps no moment epitomized the 32-year-old’s weekend heroics better than his improbable birdie on the par-5 16th. After driving his ball into the fescue, Clark pulled back into the fairway and then hit his approach to 25 feet. His fifth putt rolled directly into the center of the cup, his fifth hole shot over 20 feet for the week.
“To make birdie was honestly a bonus,” Clark said. “It was not an easy day to be out on the golf course.”
Clarke followed up her birdie with an untimely three-shot bogey on the 17th, looking for a par on the final hole to clinch the title. Just as he did at LACC, Clark hit his patented pull off the tee and then hit a so-so approach to the front of the green. And, just as he did on the West Coast, Clark nailed his 32-yarder to within inches of the hole, securing his par and the championship.
“It was very close to winning by two shots,” Clark said. “It was surreal, to be honest.”
But while the clutch moments on the back nine are what will be remembered, it was his crash on the front nine on Sunday that allowed them to happen.
Despite missing six greens on the front nine, Clark saved time and time again. Mirroring his third-round heroics, he attempted to guard the Nos. 4, 6 and 9 with creativity that would make Seve Ballesteros blush. Then, once back on the back nine, he found his ball-striking rhythm once and for all, playing the inside draw to score the winning number in four under.
“I’ve played some lousy golf the last two days,” he said. “But my shooting and my short game kept me in it. To make all the shots I made my Ping shooter that I love so much, it’s been amazing.”
After the final shot went down, Clark was greeted by a crowd of friends and family on the 18th green. Among them was his father, Randall, who took the red eye from Colorado to surprise his son on Father’s Day.
