Wyndham Clark's story: From a rising talent to a US Open Champion

Wyndham Clark's triumphant story inspires people all across the world. Clark suffered from depression after his mother died of cancer in 2013. His worsening form made him doubt his ability to win an event and made him consider abandoning golf. However, with an unwavering spirit and unyielding determination, Clark became a major champion.

He hired a sports psychologist to learn how to cope with self-deprecation. Describing his early struggle, Clark quoted in one of his interviews:

“I think the combination of my mom passing away and then having to grieve that, and then the pressure of having to play good golf to keep a spot in the lineup and maintain grades and expectations on the course — it got to where golf meant too much to me, and it was starting to affect my thinking on and off the golf course. That’s one of the times I wanted to quit.”

During his collegiate days, Wyndham Clark was a "self-critical" golfer. When asked about Clark, Oklahoma State coach Alan Bratton told The Denver Post:

“He would do anything for his teammates and would spend hours helping them with their games, and he was super positive with what they were trying to do. But then with himself, he was super critical of whatever he saw as his flaws. He’s the type of guy that you would love for him to be able to jump outside his body and see himself, and if he could see that view, then he would have a different opinion about his game and where he was headed.”

Wyndham Clark turned pro in 2017, but his first PGA Tour victory came in 2023 with the Wells Fargo Championship, and he quickly won his first major with the 2023 US Open.

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Wyndham Clark's early life and professional career

Wyndham Clark at the 2023 Travelers Championship - Round Two (Image via Getty)

Wyndham Clark was born in Denver, Colorado, on December 9, 1993. He went to Valor Christian High School in Highlands Ranch, where he was a classmate of NFL player Christian McCaffrey. He won the Colorado State Golf Championship twice as a student and was voted Player of the Year in 2011.

Clark attended Oklahoma State University and finished ninth in the US Open Amateur Championship in 2013. He went pro after finishing his degree in 2017 and began his professional career at Web.com Tour.

He finished fourth in four of his 24 starts that season and 16th on the Tour money list, earning him a spot on the PGA Tour.

Wyndham Clark finished second in the 2020 Bermuda Championship after losing in a playoff to Brain Gay. Despite years of effort, it took him six years to win his first professional event.

Clark won the 2023 Wells Fargo Championship by four strokes over Xander Schauffele. A few weeks later, he won his first major title at the 2023 US Open, defeating Rory McIlroy by one shot and earning $3.6 million in prize money.