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On a Sunday filled with big names and storylines near the top of the leaderboard, underdog Wyndham Clark held steady all 18 holes and claimed his first career major championship victory at the U.S. Open. Vaguely known by casual fans going into the weekend, the 29-year-old now has a big platform to inspire so many others.
And that is exactly what his late mother Lise Clark wanted for him. She told her son just that before she died of breast cancer in 2013.
“She's like, ‘Hey, play big,'” Clark shared with ESPN's Mark Schlabach at the Los Angeles Country Club. “‘Play for something bigger than yourself. You have a platform to either witness or help or be a role model for so many people.' And I've taken that to heart.”
The Colorado native embodied those profound words in the final round of the 2023 U.S. Open after missing the cut the previous two years. With a determined Rory McIlroy breathing down his neck almost the entire day, Clark displayed composure and nerve well beyond his No. 32 ranking. Before the career-defining moment, his best major result was a tie for 75th place at the 2021 PGA Championship.
Wyndham Clark was not a complete surprise going into the prestigious tournament, having won Wells Fargo in May and earning four top 10 finishes this year. The significant strides the Oregon alum has taken from 2022 indicate that he could be a consistent force on the PGA going forward. In a time when the sport's headlines are being dominated by a controversial merger with LIV Golf, the emergence of a new star would be welcomed by the Tour.
Clark's mother helped instill the belief within him to transcend the moment. On a jubilant Father's Day, her words of encouragement and wisdom will forever be linked to the site of her son's greatest triumph.
