Sunday of the 123rd U.S. Open in America was Father’s Day.
However for 29-year-old Wyndham Clark when his victory putt dropped at the 72nd hole, he looked to the heavens remembering his mother.
In only his six prior major championships, Clark had finished no better than a share of 75th.
However, Clark overcame the best in the world producing a four-round Oscar-winning showing in Hollywood to capture a maiden major, and in doing so he overcame two late bogeys on Nos. 15 and 16, a brilliant par save on the 71st hole, then followed by two-putting from 60 feet on the 72nd hole to hold off world No. 3 Rory McIlroy for a final round 70 for a 10-under tally to be handed the gleaming U.S. Open trophy.
“You know, this is now my second win on the PGA Tour, and the first one (Last month’s Wells Fargo Championship) was surreal and this one is surreal,” said Clark.
“It hasn’t quite hit me yet. Walking up 18 was pretty emotional, and then finishing. It’s been a whirlwind the last five, six weeks. Just so blessed and humbled to be here.”
Rickie Fowler, a five-time PGA Tour winner who had led the championship the first three days and shared the 54-hole lead with Clark, struggled from the outset in his bid for a first major and posted a disappointing 5-over 75 to share fifth with Tommy Fleetwood and Min Woo Lee at 5-under 275.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler also was stuck in neutral most of the day and finished with a 70 to finish in solo third, three behind the winner.
When Clark made it official with his tap-in par on 18, he was immediately hugged by older sister, Kristin, and younger brother, Brendan. One person missing from the celebration was his late mother, Lise Thevenet, whom the family lost to breast cancer in 2013 at age 55.
“All I really wish is that my mom could be here, and I could just hug her, and we could celebrate together – but I know she’s proud of me,” said Clark, who will share his victory later with his father, Randall, a former collegiate and professional tennis player.
When his mother lost her battle with cancer, Clark considered walking away from the game. The loss also factored in his decision to transfer from Oklahoma State to the University of Oregon for the 2016-17 year. He went on to win the Pacific-12 Conference title in Boulder, Colo., near his hometown, and was named Golfweek’s player of the year. Clark told reporters this week that his mother’s advice to him before every tournament was to “play big.”
He heeded that mantra this week, especially on the weekend when he found himself in the final pairing with Fowler each of the last two days. While Sunday’s round wasn’t perfect, his up-and-downs on Nos. 8, 9, 11 and 17 eventually won him the championship. The bogey on the par-5 eighth when he barely moved the ball on his third shot in thick greenside rough was reminiscent of his bogey save late Saturday on the 17th hole.
Most observers were expecting McIlroy, Fowler or Scheffler – three of the biggest names in golf – to hoist the trophy at day’s end. They received the most boisterous roars on Sunday, but all three failed to match the adulation on the 7,359-yard George C. Thomas Jr. design that underwent a restoration by Gil Hanse in preparation for the first U.S. Open in Los Angeles since 1948.
