Wyndham Clark lost his mother to cancer when he was in college but uses her death as inspiration and motivation when he’s on the golf course, highlighted by his U.S. Open victory in 2023. #GolfChannel #USOpen #Pinehurst
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Wyndham Clark looks to his late mother for inspiration | Live From the U.S. Open | Golf Channel
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I was 3 years old my mom just wanted to get me out of the house and do something for a couple hours there’s a local golf course we went there and it’s just a little mun driving range she got me a bucket of balls a pro came up and was like oh how long is he playing he looks really good and she’s like this is his first day and the guy was like wow he’s got a natural swing that’s how my mom would tell the story that’s how I got into it initially was my mom Windam Clark grew up in a competitive family and by the end of high school was one of the top recruits in the nation my dad kind of sat me down and like what are you thinking and that’s kind of when I was really focused on Oklahoma State of course you produces a bunch of professional golfers my mind was set my freshman year I found out my mom is sick came home for the Christmas break and they told us after Christmas like your mom has cancer again and it came back it’s pretty aggressive it’s not good was pretty devastating windham’s mother Lisa was diagnosed with breast cancer and sadly just 8 months later in August of 2013 passed away she was 55 years old when The Grieving of my mom set in golf didn’t seem to be fun anymore that’s where my anger and frustration came out so that was tough because you know I was hurt and didn’t want to play golf anymore in 2016 Clark transferred to Oregon I heard about this hot shot kid from Oklahoma State wanted a new beginning a key part of that Rejuvenation was Oregon’s assistant coach John Ellis I was a pretty good player at one point and I didn’t have the attitude that you need to have to be a PGA Tour player felt like I kind of took him under my wing and say try to learn from the things that I did poorly John was a huge part of My Success at Oregon I started winning tournaments I started to believe in myself again and started having fun with golf again I ended up being Player of the Year and win the pack Championship teaming up with Ellis helped provide consistency but Clark felt he was still not reaching his full potential I turned Pro I went through a slump I remember calling johnon anyway you could just come help me you know I thought he was maybe at his worst right attitude wise you know I we had a talk after it’s like you have you’re on the verge of being a tour star and also on the verge of being out of [Music] golf I always have this feeling like I’m getting behind it’s kind of that fire that is burning within me that always wants to get better and try to be the best I never really fully attacked the mental side of it I thought I did but this time I said okay I’m going to go all in I met Windam at a Starbucks in Scottdale and I walked away from that meeting I was like I don’t know like I just didn’t know if we would mesh she’s like clearly you’re good you keep your card every year but everyone tells me you blow up on the golf course and I kind of self-sabotaged you i’ be coming down the stretch and I would fumble at the end of a round because I was so concerned about where I was going to finish the points I was going to get and and it would get to me I started starting my day with reading and then meditating then I just started this Snowball Effect of positive thinking he realized the work he was putting in was paying off wow pure butt he didn’t Buckle under the pressure he actually embraced the pressure he just he blossomed finally after 5 years Clark broke through for his first win and he’s made his family proud to finally put it all together I learned how to win there I learned how to continue to put the pedal down coming to Los Angeles with a win under his belt Clark confidence was at an all-time high please welcome Windam Clark oh my goodness went to the hero sh pulled it off Windam Clark in total control he was coming in that 18th hole on [Music] Saturday be right and I saw him say be right but his face was so confident I could tell it was different wow twirl of the year there was no fear with rounds of 64 67 and 69 Clark earned a spot in the final group on Sunday of the US Open with a familiar face he was playing with Ricky and everyone was going to be screaming Ricky’s name he basically came up with a plan that every time you hear Ricky you think of your own goals kind of dangerous here he went under it yesterday that is so good right there that is really good Clark weathered the storm with a one under 34 on the front Nine co things that he and mental coach Julie have worked on it is the negative selft talk and found himself standing in the 14th Fairway with a One-Shot lead when my mom was passing away and and on her final days she kind of brought me into a room which was obviously very intimate one of the things that she said to me was was to play big and she kind of always had said that she goes you’re going to have a platform to witness and Inspire young kids adults and she goes make sure that it’s not for your own selfish reasons make sure it’s for something greater than yourself it’s become my Mantra so much runs through your mind between shots it’s amazing to look at you know a negative thing of my mom passing away and what she ex told me with playing big how it’s turned into such a POS positive it’s definitely words that I think about all the time Clark could ice it right here always praying that I’m playing big for for her and and that she’s looking down and smiling on [Music] me what a shot Lyon Clark look at that opening it’s only about 20 ft to pit it in that 10t Gap from 275 yard I think it’s one of the Great golf shots in US Open [Music] history need to make a part to win the US Open as I’m walking up I tried really hard not to look around and anything I was like okay right now let’s do more of the Becky part and let’s get it in I got over that saying I’m the best lag Putter and then said okay just make sure we give this a little extra hit because I typically leave it short it’s over he did it those next two minutes were probably the hardest two minutes because I wanted to break down and cry then and now I have all this emotion coming up I just felt my mom’s presence which was neat the stage is clear for Winden Clark who takes down all the stars in Los Angeles to win the United States open [Music] [Applause] he works his tail off to be the US Open champ I me one of the coolest things ever the negativity had lifted and it’s not that it’s not in there he knows how to work with it now the champion wendam Clark of Denver [Applause] Colorado adventure let it a my name’s on that trophy forever I think more great things are going to happen and I’m I’m just hoping this is the beginning in
