The United States Open Golf Championship returned to Southern California and the Los Angeles Country Club after a seventy-five-year hiatus to robust criticism from players and fans alike.
Small galleries, lack of grandstands, forced carries, blind tee shots, and severely sloped fairways that ran off into gnarly fescue-protected island greens and rough marred the USGA’s return to the storied Hollywood Hills venue, which many said lacked the historical US Open demanding, rigorous and arduous standards.
A long-held USGA mantra that level-par is the target score for Open Contestants fell by the wayside as record rounds of 62 were posted twice on the first day by Ricky Fowler and Xander Schauffele, followed by a 63 on Sunday by Tommy Fleetwood, tying Johnny Miller’s final round 63 when he won at Oakmont in 1973.
Two record-tying nine-hole rounds of 29 were posted by Tom Kim on Saturday and Austin Eckroat on Sunday.
At the same time, Ricky Fowler needed just 62 holes to record 22 birdies, tying another US Open scoring record as even par, a worthy goal and noble objective for the best players in the world, metaphorically plunged and nose-dived into the surf off the nearby Santa Monica pier.
In the end, it was Wyndham Clark, age 29, playing in only his seventh Major Championship and just his third US Open, after missing the cut in the first two, with rounds of 64, 67, 69, and 70, finishing at ten-under par 270, claiming his second win on tour and first major while holding off the first and third-ranked players in the world in Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy.
McIlroy, trying desperately to end his nine-year slump without a Major after winning four early in his career, finished second by one shot more than Scheffler, who claimed third.
Ricky Fowler, searching for his first Major Championship, began the day tied for the lead but struggled home with a 75, finishing in a three-way tie for fifth at five under par, joining Fleetwood and Min Woo Lee.
With this win, Wyndham Clark pockets $3.6 million, the largest purse in Open history.
Along with possession of The US Open Trophy for one year, exemptions into the next 10 US Open Championships, invitations in the following 5 Masters, exemptions into the following 5 PGA Championships, exemptions into the following 5 Open Championships conducted by The R&A, exemptions into the following 5 Players Championships, exempt status on the PGA Tour for the next five years, and his name enshrined in the USGA Museums’ Hall of Champions, along with possession of the newly minted Jack Nicklaus Medal symbolizing the reigning United States Open Champion.
Clark also moved to No. 13 in the Official World Golf Ranking, No. 6 in the Sports Illustrated World Golf Rankings, and No. 2 in the United States Ryder Cup standings.
Clark, highly recruited in high school, began his collegiate experience at powerhouse Oklahoma State, but personal tragedy curtailed his playing career when his mother died of breast cancer at 55.
Beset with grief, he dropped out of school and contemplated quitting competitive golf.
Seeking new beginnings, he transferred to Oregon State, where under coach Casey Martin, he excelled, winning the Pac-Twelve Conference Championship in his home state of Colorado and being named Golf Week’s 2016 Player of the Year.
The son of a former collegiate and professional tennis player Randal, and a supportive mother, Lise, who always encouraged him to “Play Big.” in every golf tournament, Wyndham Clark did just that on Father’s Day 2023.
“I feel like I belong on this stage and can play and compete against the best players in the world Wyndham replied at the trophy
presentation, and my mother was watching over me.”
Heeding his mother’s admonishment that he was always “a winner.” Wyndham Clark is now the biggest winner on golf’s grandest stage.
I had the chance to attend the Wyndham Clark Championship Press conference Sunday evening.
You may listen to that interview here.
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