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Wyndham Clark stated that he is currently dealing with a back injury heading into the Houston Open. He revealed that he was unable to do anything but chip and putt after he sustained the injury.
Clark doesn't tee off until tomorrow, but his status remains up in the air. If he can't continue, he may have to withdraw from the tournament entirely.
However, Clark admitted that he feels like he's made good progress already. He stated that he was able to hit more golf balls than he could the previous day after some rehab work. In his own words, he should be ready to go for the Texas Children's Houston Open this weekend.
He said via NUCLR GOLF on X (formerly Twitter):
“I threw it out. I was in pretty bad shape yesterday, but fortunately I have a great team that has gotten me to be able to swing and hit. So he flew in early yesterday morning. I was only really able to chip and putt, then I did a bunch of rehab and I was able to hit balls today. So just in a short time I've improved a ton and I think I'll be ready for tomorrow.”
Clark also said via the PGA Tour that he injured himself while he was in the gym:
“I was working out. Body's been really healthy and I just got caught in an awkward spot doing a lift and (my) back went. It's not something that happens regularly, but it happened and you live and you learn. Just kind of like a muscle."
It's a less-than-ideal time to sustain an injury, as the Masters are approaching. The Houston Open will commence this weekend. It will be followed up by the Valero Texas Open and then the Masters the week after.
Given that Clark feels like he might be able to play this weekend, the injury is probably not of concern to his long-term status, but it is something to monitor.
Wyndham Clark refuses to withdraw from the Houston Open
Wyndham Clark may have to change his mind by tomorrow, but as of now, he has no plans to withdraw due to injury.
He said via the PGA Tour:
“I'm going to give it my best effort tomorrow and hopefully I can play and compete. If not, I've got to get ready for tournaments to come after this. I've been playing some good golf coming off of two second places. If you take Scottie Scheffler out of the field, I might have two wins. So, I've played really good and I feel good about my game.”
Clark's back might not agree, but his mind has been made up that he's playing almost no matter what. It's an admirable plan from a golfer who has been inspired by the fans he's going to be in front of this weekend.
