PINEHURST, N.C. — As Wyndham Clark started the stroll down the No. 1 fairway within the ultimate spherical of the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Nation Membership, many followers cheered for Rickie Fowler, who was enjoying within the ultimate pairing with him.
“Keep in mind they’re cheering for him,” Clark’s caddie, John Ellis, advised him. “Keep in mind who they will cheer for on the finish.”
Ellis’ recommendation proved prophetic, as Clark held off Fowler, world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler and four-time main championship winner Rory McIlroy for a 1-shot victory to win his first main.
It was a far cry from the dialog Ellis had with Clark eight months earlier within the ultimate spherical of the CJ Cup at Congaree Golf Membership in Ridgeland, South Carolina. Clark was on his solution to tying for twenty ninth at 5 underneath, 12 photographs behind winner McIlroy.
Strolling up the golf green of the 18th gap, Clark had solely 11 golf equipment in his bag — as a substitute of the allowable 14. He had damaged his putter in anger for the second day in a row and given it to a fan, snapped a sand wedge after a poor chip shot and broken his 3-wood when he slammed it in opposition to his driver.
“It made my bag fairly gentle,” Ellis stated.
After the spherical, Ellis delivered what was all however an ultimatum to Clark: “You are on the verge of being among the finest gamers on the earth, and also you’re additionally actually, actually near being on the verge of being off the tour. You’ll be able to’t go about it like this.”
THIS WEEK, CLARK arrives at Pinehurst No. 2 because the defending U.S. Open champion and among the finest golfers on the earth. It’s the fruits of a comeback from private tragedy and years of battling anger and self-doubt in his expertise.
Clark is considered one of a number of golfers on the PGA Tour who has been open about struggles with psychological well being, together with North Carolina native Grayson Murray, who died by suicide in Might — a day after withdrawing from the Charles Schwab Problem at Colonial.
“On the finish of the day, you recognize, golf is golf and, yeah, we play it for a residing, but it surely pales compared to the issues that really matter in life,” McIlroy advised reporters on the RBC Canadian Open within the wake of Murray’s dying. “I’ve needed to understand that at occasions and I am nonetheless type of working my means by means of that by way of not making golf the be-all end-all for me.”
It took a village to assist Clark understand that how he performs has no bearing on his self-worth.
“He is not even the identical human — on and off the course,” Ellis stated. “I believe he judged himself for who he was based mostly on how he performed these 18 holes of golf in a day. That is a troublesome solution to reside life, proper? For those who go searching, he is on the PGA Tour, he is making a major amount of cash, he is enjoying a sport he loves. It is fairly good what you are doing, no matter how issues are going.”
Ellis was an assistant coach on the College of Oregon in Clark’s lone season with the Geese in 2016-17. The 2 hit it off, so Ellis adopted him to hold his bag on the Korn Ferry Tour after which the PGA Tour. Ellis did not need to depart Clark with no caddie, however he knew the participant’s habits wasn’t good for his or her relationship — or his golf.
“There was some extent the place there’s nothing I am doing or saying that is getting by means of to him,” Ellis stated. “It wasn’t working based mostly on how he was dealing with himself.”
Ellis inspired Clark to contact efficiency coach Julie Elion, the founding father of the Heart for Athletic Efficiency Enhancement, who had helped PGA Tour golfers Phil Mickelson, Max Homa, Justin Thomas and others.
AT FIRST, CLARK wasn’t eager on the thought of working with Elion. He had labored with sports activities psychologists all through his profession and sought therapists’ assist following his mom Lise’s dying from breast most cancers in 2013. He did not consider any of them had helped.
“I attempted all of them,” Clark advised Ellis.
“Nicely, this particular person could possibly be completely different,” Ellis stated.
When Clark’s supervisor Rob Mougey additionally inspired him to contact Elion, he lastly relented.
“I in the end agreed as a result of I used to be at some extent within the fall of 2022 the place I used to be enjoying good golf, however I wasn’t scoring good, after which I wasn’t completely satisfied,” Clark stated. “I used to be actually annoyed. I used to be type of on the level the place I used to be like, ‘I do not need to do that anymore.'”
The primary time Elion, who spoke to ESPN with Clark’s consent, talked to Clark on the telephone in late 2022, she was bowled over by his reluctance to work together with her.
“He would not need me to say this, however he was even somewhat, like, impolite,” Elion stated. “And, you recognize, I’ve seen that earlier than. I am at some extent in my profession that it actually did not matter to me both as a result of anyone has to need to do it. I by no means make the telephone name, proper? They must say, ‘I need to get higher.’ After I first talked to him, I wasn’t positive if he was there.”
Elion’s evaluation of Clark’s willingness to peel again the psychological obstacles that have been stopping him from changing into among the finest golfers on the earth did not change a lot after their preliminary face-to-face assembly at an Arizona Starbucks in January 2023.
“The primary assembly was me telling her how I am very skeptical of the work she does,” Clark stated. “Just about me telling her that I’ve seen lots of sports activities psychologists, have labored with lots of psychological coaches, if you’ll. I stated, ‘I do not know if you are going to be that a lot completely different.'”
Clark and Elion got here to an settlement: He would do what she requested of him for six months, and if there have been no enhancements in his life — on and off the course — they’d go their separate methods.
She was prepared to place within the work as a result of a few of her different purchasers had stated Clark was as proficient as anybody — if he may deal with the psychological a part of the sport.
Elion advised Clark that since he was at all-time low mentally, there was just one solution to go — up.
“The phrase on the road was that this man is unbelievable,” Elion stated. “But it surely was a mountain to climb, so I stored making an attempt to remind myself of that. I used to be like, ‘Do I actually need to take this on?’ But it surely appeared like he had a really candy, type, considerate a part of him beneath all of it.”
An All-American at Oklahoma State and Oregon, Clark’s skilled profession had gotten off to a promising begin. In 2019, he was considered one of eight PGA Tour rookies to make the FedEx Cup playoffs after piling up three top-10s and eight top-25s. Then issues went south. The subsequent season, he missed 12 cuts in 23 begins. In the course of the first spherical of the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Basic in Detroit, he walked off the course after carding three bogeys in 4 holes and withdrew. On the finish of 2021, he did not make the weekend in every of his previous seven begins.
“I believe perhaps his expectations and what he perceived of himself and what was actuality have been completely different,” Ellis stated. “He got here out considering he was one of the best participant on the earth, which is nice. I do not need to say his expectations have been too excessive as a result of to be nice, they must be excessive. However he had somewhat success, after which he anticipated to win each golf event, and it simply does not work like that.”
AT THE BEGINNING of 2022, Clark was ranked 252nd on the earth.
“I had skilled my thoughts over years of belittling myself and considering negatively, locking myself in rooms and never popping out for a very long time, or consuming to extra, or being imply to individuals,” Clark stated throughout an episode of the second season of “Full Swing” on Netflix. “I did not need to play golf.”
Clark’s underlying anger is what Elion centered on throughout their first few classes. She talks to her purchasers a number of occasions every week and attends a number of tournaments, together with all 4 majors. She’ll discuss to purchasers about non-golf points early within the week, then assist them set targets for every spherical and dissect them throughout tournaments.
Elion stated Clark was coping with “loss and grief and anger as a result of he wasn’t the place he thought he must be in his profession.”
Clark stated a lot of his anger and ache got here from his mom’s dying. Lise Clark launched her son to golf when he was 3 years previous. She later handed the baton to Clark’s father, Randall, who picked up the sport when his son confirmed curiosity.
Randall Clark was a star tennis participant rising up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He’s considered one of solely two four-time particular person state champions in New Mexico highschool historical past. He was a No. 1 singles participant on the College of Arizona, however his promising skilled profession was derailed by accidents.
Lise was topped Miss New Mexico and competed within the Miss USA pageant in 1981. They have been married at Riviera Nation Membership exterior Los Angeles in 1989. Six months after their youthful son, Brendan, was born in June 1997, Lise was recognized with breast most cancers. She endured chemotherapy and radiation and was declared cancer-free in 2001.
In 2012, Clark enrolled at Oklahoma State and was thought-about one of many high amateurs within the nation. Then, 4 days earlier than Christmas in 2012, Clark’s mom was recognized with stage 4 metastatic breast most cancers. The illness had unfold all through her physique. Docs advised her that radiation, chemotherapy and surgical procedure weren’t an choice.
Lise died Aug. 2, 2013. She was 55. She beloved to inform her son, “I like you, winner.” Shortly earlier than her dying, Lise had one final message for him: “Hey, play huge. Play for one thing larger than your self.”
Though Clark was named an All-American by Golfweek and voted Large 12 Participant of the 12 months the subsequent season, the load of his mom’s absence quickly started to take a toll on his life and sport. After struggling a lot of the subsequent two years, he transferred to Oregon for his ultimate faculty season.
AFTER WINNING THE U.S. Open, Clark described his mom as his “rock” and “always-there supporter.”
“So when issues have been powerful or when issues have been going nice, she was all the time there to maintain me grounded and both carry me up or preserve the excessive going,” Clark stated.
By his time with Elion, Clark discovered that his mom was greater than that. Typically, she was additionally a filter between him and his father.
“My dad was an expert tennis participant,” Clark stated. “Dads unknowingly put lots of stress on their youngsters generally, particularly after they excelled at one thing. And so I felt lots of stress from my dad as properly. And so I believe the mix of these two, it simply made it powerful to the place, you recognize, I felt lots of stress from my dad. After which I did not have my mother to go to after she handed, and so it was powerful to take care of issues.”
Randall described himself as a “extremely aggressive skilled athlete” and later a “hyper aggressive scorching shot on Wall Avenue” on his LinkedIn account. He declined to be interviewed.
Randall wasn’t at Los Angeles Nation Membership when his son captured the most important victory of his profession on the 2023 U.S. Open. Clark stated his dad “could not make it” and “did not need to jinx something.”
“I like my dad, and he clearly loves me,” Clark stated. “But it surely was powerful for me at tournaments generally having him there. Now, he is coming to tournaments, and I really feel like our relationship is rising a ton, which is what I would like. I would like my dad to be there and embrace him after a win. I would like to have the ability to get pleasure from our time collectively, which we do now and it is very nice.”
Elion stated Clark’s relationship together with his father has improved dramatically.
“I believe the mother was supportive and the glue and possibly was very encouraging to Wyndham,” Elion stated. “I believe the connection was somewhat completely different together with his dad. Now, it is really come full circle the place he is beginning to really feel that together with his dad, which is nice.”
At Oregon, Clark discovered a second household in Jeff and Jamie Gaskill and their three younger daughters. The Gaskills had first met Clark when he was 15 years previous. They hosted him whereas he competed in an beginner event in Eugene. Clark stayed with them once more when he made a recruiting go to to Oregon earlier than signing with Oklahoma State.
When Clark determined to switch to Oregon for his ultimate faculty season, the plan was for him to stick with the Gaskills for a couple of week till he met his new teammates and located a roommate. He ended up residing with them for his complete college yr.
“When he bought right here, I believe he realized he wanted extra household stuff,” Jeff stated. “I believe that was one of many lacking items. His mother was the homemaker and he or she offered that type of consolation for him. When she went away, his sister was older, and his brother was the one one residing in Denver together with his dad. He was type of on his personal for some time. He felt stranded.”
Gaskill’s two older daughters, Kaitlyn and Kaleah, who have been 6 and 9 on the time, relished Clark’s presence. They painted his fingernails and did his hair. When he returned residence from a event, there was a banner congratulating him on his efficiency, whether or not he completed first or twenty third.
When the Gaskills went to Hawaii for Christmas in 2016, Clark returned to Denver to be together with his household. After the vacations, Kaleah advised a instructor that she missed her brother in the course of the break. The instructor requested Jamie if her husband had a son from a earlier relationship — not realizing that Kaleah was speaking concerning the Oregon golfer who was residing with them.
Clark nonetheless visits the Gaskills throughout holidays, they usually attend a handful of his tournaments every year.
“I actually suppose that was instrumental if you actually take a look at it as a result of he had a ton of help,” Oregon golf coach Casey Martin stated. “He had this neat household that simply embraced him. That actually allowed him to decelerate and type of get out of the rat race. Whether or not it was a social rat race or whether or not it was a {golfing} rat race, I believe life slowed down that means.”
CLARK’S FORM RETURNED at Oregon as properly. When he arrived in Eugene, Martin stated his sport was in a “dangerous place.”
“He was simply type of scrambling in a semi-angry mode of, ‘Why cannot I determine this out?'” Martin stated. “It wasn’t a lot a golf difficulty because it was simply placing the geese in a row. Simply getting his life type of balanced and simply getting a transparent head. That occurred right here at Oregon as a result of I type of knew that wanted to occur as a result of it was apparent that it wasn’t a expertise difficulty or a ability difficulty.”
With Ellis shadowing Clark on the course, and the Gaskills supporting him off it, he turned among the finest gamers within the sport once more. He received the Pac-12 particular person championship and was named the league’s participant of the yr in 2017. He was a finalist for the Ben Hogan Award as the highest participant in faculty golf.
“It was nonetheless a battle to get him to not be a perfectionist and simply not type of be overly crucial of his golf and mechanics,” Martin stated. “I believe now he is in a spot the place he is simply type of doing it with him and John. I believe that is fairly highly effective when a participant takes possession, learns it and simply focuses on simplicity, if that is smart.”
4 months after Clark began working with Elion, he captured his first PGA Tour victory with a 4-shot win on the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hole in Charlotte in Might 2023. The subsequent month, he received the U.S. Open. He completed third on the season-ending Tour Championship and competed on the U.S. group on the Ryder Cup in Rome.
This season, Clark picked up his third victory on the AT&T Pebble Seashore Professional-Am on Feb. 4 and was runner-up to Scheffler in back-to-back begins on the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Gamers Championship in March. He missed the reduce at his first Masters and the PGA Championship, however is seeking to regain momentum at Pinehurst No. 2.
The golfer who could not determine learn how to win is now ranked No. 4 on the earth.
“I used to be imagining I could possibly be type of within the spot I’m at now,” Clark stated. ” At the very least if I appeared internally and checked out my expertise and work ethic and the issues that I knew I may do with a golf ball and what I did in observe. But when I checked out what I did in competitors underneath the lights, two, three, 4 years in the past, I perhaps would not have believed it.
“As a result of I all the time struggled to carry out probably the most in my sport when it mattered. And after assembly with Julie, you recognize, over a couple of yr and a half in the past, and, you recognize, she was so assured that I may do all the pieces that I’ve performed to date. And to now look — and he or she was proper — is fairly superb.”
For those who or somebody you recognize is having ideas of suicide or is in emotional misery, contact the Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK(8255) or at suicidepreventionlifeline.org.