Wyndham Clark
American professional golfer (born 1993)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wyndham Robert Clark[4] (born December 9, 1993) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He has won two major championships, the 2023 and 2026 U.S. Opens.
| Wyndham Clark | |
|---|---|
Clark in 2023 | |
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Wyndham Robert Clark |
| Nickname | Dub[1] |
| Born | December 9, 1993 Denver, Colorado, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)[2] |
| Weight | 172 lb (78 kg)[2] |
| Sporting nationality |  United States |
| Residence | Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S. |
| Career | |
| College | Oklahoma State University University of Oregon |
| Turned professional | 2017 |
| Current tour | PGA Tour |
| Former tour | Web.com Tour |
| Professional wins | 5 |
| Highest ranking | 3 (April 21, 2024)[3] (as of June 14, 2026) |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 5 |
| European Tour | 2 |
| Best results in major championships (wins: 2) | |
| Masters Tournament | T21: 2026 |
| PGA Championship | T50: 2025 |
| U.S. Open | Won: 2023, 2026 |
| The Open Championship | T4: 2025 |
| Signature | |
 | |
After playing collegiately for the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Oregon Ducks, Clark turned professional in 2017 and earned PGA Tour membership in 2018 through the Web.com Tour. He had a breakout year in 2023; he won his first PGA Tour title at the Wells Fargo Championship in May and his first major championship at the U.S. Open the following month. Clark added his second major at the 2026 U.S Open.
Early life and amateur career
Clark was born in Denver, Colorado, on December 9, 1993,[2] to Lise (née Thevenet) and Randall Clark.[5][6] He was the middle child of three siblings.[7] His parents married in 1989, at Riviera Country Club.[8][9] After competing in Miss USA 1981, Lise moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career and later became a national sales director for Mary Kay Cosmetics.[5] Randall was a talented tennis player whose professional career was derailed by injuries, and he later worked on Wall Street.[9]
At age three, Clark was introduced to golf by his mother, who sought to use the game as an outlet for his energy. He practiced at Cherry Hills Country Club while growing up.[5] Clark's father discouraged him from playing video games and told him that he would not receive a PlayStation until he made an eagle, at a time when he had not yet made better than par. Clark accomplished the feat at age six, making a hole in one with driver on a 125-yard (114 m) par-3 at Keystone Ranch in Colorado.[10]
Clark attended Valor Christian High School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, where he was two years ahead of future NFL player Christian McCaffrey.[11][12] In 2010, Clark won the Colorado Stroke Play Championship. Aged 16, he was the youngest to win the title since Bob Byman in 1971.[13] In high school, Clark twice won the Colorado Class 4A State Championship, including an eight-shot victory in 2011 at Pelican Lakes, where he shot rounds of 64-64.[14] He also played on Valor Christian's basketball team for two years.[15] Clark finished tied-second at the Junior Invitational in April 2012.[16] He was ranked No. 25 in the nation by the American Junior Golf Association in May 2012.[14] Clark received a scholarship to play collegiate golf for the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Oklahoma State University (OSU), beginning in the fall of 2012.[17]
During his freshman season at OSU, Clark was informed that his mother had been diagnosed with cancer. He subsequently dealt with grief, which affected him on and off the course. OSU coach Mike McGraw persuaded Clark to redshirt the season and seek counseling. McGraw recalled that Clark had told him: "I'm a burden to the team. I can't handle any of this."[18]
As a redshirt freshman, Clark recorded eight top-6 finishes in eleven starts and was named the 2014 Big 12 Player of the Year.[19] He struggled in his redshirt sophomore and junior seasons, and by the time of the 2016 NCAA regional he had been dropped from OSU's five-man lineup.[18] OSU coach Alan Bratton said Clark was a "confident but extremely self-critical player".[20] Clark decided to transfer as a redshirt senior to the University of Oregon, where he was coached by Casey Martin.[18] He replaced Aaron Wise, who had left Oregon to turn professional in June 2016.[21] Martin described Clark as a "freakishly long" driver and praised his short game.[22]
In his debut for the Oregon Ducks, Clark finished runner-up at the Nike Collegiate Golf Invitational.[15] He won his first individual collegiate title in January 2017, at the Arizona Intercollegiate.[23] Clark claimed co-medalist honors at the Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate in February, alongside Oregon teammate Norman Xiong.[24] Clark won his third individual title of the year at the Pac-12 Conference Championship in April.[25] He helped the Oregon Ducks reach the final of the 2017 NCAA Division I men's golf championship, where they were defeated by the Oklahoma Sooners.[26] He was a finalist for the 2017 Ben Hogan Award alongside Maverick McNealy and Dylan Meyer,[27] and was named as the 2017 Pac-12 Player of the Year.[26] Clark graduated with a business degree in 2017.[28]
Professional career
2017–2022: Early years
Clark made his debut on the PGA Tour in June 2017, as a sponsor exemption at the Travelers Championship. He shot rounds of 78-74 to miss the cut. His best finish of 2017 came at the Sanderson Farms Championship, where he finished 17th. He subsequently placed tied-23rd at qualifying school for the Web.com Tour, which earned him status for the 2018 Web.com Tour season.[29] In April 2018, Clark finished runner-up at the United Leasing & Finance Championship, one stroke behind José de Jesús Rodríguez.[30] In total, Clark made 24 starts during the season, including four top-10 finishes.[28] By finishing 16th on the Web.com Tour money list, he earned promotion to the PGA Tour.[31]
Clark held the lead at the Honda Classic in March 2019 after 54 holes.[32] He shot a final-round 72 to finish tied-seventh.[33][34] Clark finished second at the Bermuda Championship in November 2020, losing in a playoff to PGA Tour veteran Brian Gay.[35][36] Clark struggled during his early years to maintain his PGA Tour status and was ranked at 268th in the Official World Golf Ranking in March 2022.[37]
2023: Breakthrough season, U.S. Open victory
In May 2023, Clark recorded his first PGA Tour victory at the Wells Fargo Championship. He totaled 19-under 265 to beat Xander Schauffele by four shots.[38] The win came in his 134th start on the tour. Clark said: "It's been a long five years to get to this point on tour. I thought I would have had one earlier, but it's well worth the wait."[39] Prior to the tournament, Clark had recorded top-6 finishes in three of his previous five starts.[38] The victory vaulted him from 80th to 31st in the Official World Golf Ranking.[40] He also received $3.6 million in prize money for the win; his previous career-high payout was $485,000 at the WM Phoenix Open in February 2023.[39]
At the 2023 U.S. Open held at Los Angeles Country Club in June, Clark opened with rounds of 64-67 to move into contention.[41] He carded a third-round 69 to position himself atop the leaderboard alongside Rickie Fowler.[42] Clark shot an even-par 70 in the final round to win by one stroke ahead of Rory McIlroy and claim his first major championship title.[43][44] The win came in Clark's seventh career major start; his previous best finish was a tie for 75th.[45] With the victory, he received $3.6 million and moved to 13th in the Official World Golf Ranking.[46]
Clark shot a final-round 65 at the Tour Championship in August to finish third and earn $5 million in FedEx Cup prize money.[47] Clark was an automatic qualifier for the United States team in the 2023 Ryder Cup, held at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club northeast of Rome, Italy.[48] He went 1–1–1, including a loss in his singles match to Robert MacIntyre, as the U.S. was defeated by Europe 161⁄2 to 111⁄2.[49][50]
2024: Continued success
In February 2024, Clark shot a course-record and career-low round of 60 at Pebble Beach on his way to winning the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am by one stroke over Ludvig Åberg. The tournament was called after 54 holes due to inclement weather.[51]
Clark finished runner-up at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March 2024, five strokes behind world number one Scottie Scheffler.[52] The following week, Clark finished tied-second at the 2024 Players Championship. He missed a birdie putt on the final hole to enter a playoff for the title against Scheffler. Clark said: "I don't know how that putt doesn't go in. Even when it kind of lipped, I thought it would lip in."[53] In April 2024, Clark rose to a career-high of third in the Official World Golf Ranking.[54]
Clark qualified for the United States team at the 2024 Presidents Cup, held in Canada in September.[55] He had a 1–2–1 record, including a tie in his singles match against Min Woo Lee, as the United States defeated the International team by a score of 181⁄2–111⁄2.[56] Clark was inducted to the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in December 2024.[57]
2025: Downturn in form, Oakmont ban
After missing the cut at the 2025 U.S. Open held at Oakmont Country Club, Clark damaged a locker in the Oakmont locker room.[58][59] The following month, Oakmont announced that Clark had been banned from the property. The decision came after discussion between the USGA and Oakmont board. The ban would be lifted if Clark compensated Oakmont for damages, made a sizable contribution to a charity of the board's choice, and enrolled in counseling and/or anger management therapy.[60] Clark said in response: "I'm doing anything I can to try to remedy the situation. Obviously it's a no-brainer to pay for the damages. That was a given. ... But I want to show them who I really am with the apology and the things I'm going to do."[61]
At the 2025 Open Championship, Clark opened with a 76, but rallied with rounds of 66-66-65 to finish tied-fourth. This was his first top-20 finish at a major since the 2023 U.S. Open; he had missed the cut in four of his previous eight major starts.[62]
Having ended 2024 at 7th in the Official World Golf Ranking, Clark dropped to 33rd by November 2025. In an interview with Golfweek that month, Clark said he was disappointed that he had failed to qualify for the 2025 Ryder Cup and commented that, during the season, "I started spiraling a little bit mentally and my swing got off". He also reflected on the Oakmont incident, stating: "I did something I regret. I brought it upon myself. Any negative press was self-induced and probably deserved. ... I feel like I matured a lot this year. You learn so much more in bad years than you do in good years."[63]
2026: Second major title
In March 2026, Clark split with John Ellis, who had been his caddie for the previous eight years. Clark stated: "It’s been kind of a tough last year of golf and we both mutually were like, alright, let’s just take a little break and reassess maybe later."[64]
Clark claimed his fourth PGA Tour title in May 2026 at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. He shot an 11-under 60 in the final round to win by three strokes over Si Woo Kim. Clark's total of 30-under 254 was one behind the PGA Tour 72-hole scoring record of 253.[65] With the win, he moved from 75th to 44th in the Official World Golf Ranking.[66]
At the 2026 U.S. Open held at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in June, Clark took the first-round lead with a 6-under 64.[67] After a third-round 70, he stretched his lead to six strokes at 7-under 203.[68] This was the largest 54-hole lead at a U.S. Open since Rory McIlroy's eight-stroke advantage in 2011.[69] Clark shot a 73 in the final round to win by one stroke over Sam Burns. This made him the first wire-to-wire winner of the U.S. Open since Martin Kaymer in 2014.[70][71][72]
Personal life
Clark is a Christian.[73] As of 2023, he resides in Scottsdale, Arizona, which is home to numerous professional golfers.[74]
Clark's mother Lise Thevenet Clark, who won the 1981 Miss New Mexico USA pageant,[75] died from breast cancer in 2013, while Wyndham was attending Oklahoma State.[22][76][77] Clark said that he struggled with anger after his mother's death.[9] In November 2022, Clark began working with mental coach Julie Elion, who had previously worked with golfers such as Jimmy Walker and Phil Mickelson. Clark said in 2024 that Elion had helped to improve his mental approach towards golf.[78]
Amateur wins
- 2009 Colorado Class 4A State Championship
- 2010 Colorado Stroke Play
- 2011 Colorado Class 4A State Championship
- 2017 Arizona Intercollegiate, Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate, Pac-12 Championship
Source:[79]
Professional wins (5)
PGA Tour wins (5)
| Legend |
|---|
| Major championships (2) |
| Signature events (2) |
| Other PGA Tour (1) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 7, 2023 | Wells Fargo Championship | 67-67-63-68=265 | −19 | 4 strokes |  Xander Schauffele |
| 2 | Jun 18, 2023 | U.S. Open | 64-67-69-70=270 | −10 | 1 stroke |  Rory McIlroy |
| 3 | Feb 4, 2024 | AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am | 72-67-60=199[a] | −17 | 1 stroke |  Ludvig Åberg |
| 4 | May 24, 2026 | CJ Cup Byron Nelson | 66-63-65-60=254 | −30 | 3 strokes |  Kim Si-woo |
| 5 | Jun 21, 2026 | U.S. Open (2) | 64-69-70-73=276 | –4 | 1 stroke | Sam Burns |
PGA Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2020 | Bermuda Championship | Brian Gay |
Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
Major championships
Wins (2)
Results timeline
Results not in chronological order in 2020.
| Tournament | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | T46 | T21 | ||||
| PGA Championship | CUT | T75 | CUT | CUT | T50 | CUT | |
| U.S. Open | CUT | CUT | 1 | T56 | CUT | 1 | |
| The Open Championship | NT | T76 | T33 | CUT | T4 |
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
NT = no tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic
Summary
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| U.S. Open | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 3 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| Totals | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 19 | 10 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 2 (three times)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (three times, current)
Results in The Players Championship
| Tournament | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Players Championship | DQ | C | CUT | CUT | T27 | T2 | WD | T42 |
CUT = missed the halfway cut
DQ = disqualified
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place
C = canceled after the first round due to the COVID-19 pandemic
U.S. national team appearances
See also
Notes
- Shortened to 54 holes due to weather.