Punch me if anything changes! Wyndham Clark’s feet are firmly grounded at The Open
By Matt Chivers
Wyndham Clark shot to stardom by winning the US Open in Los Angeles, but he invites anyone to bring their boxing gloves if they find him acting above his station…
You can all queue up to deliver a knockout blow if Wyndham Clark ever gets too big for his boots.
The US Open champion declared he’d like to be “punched in the face” if his feet ever leave the ground following his ascension into major company.
He might be the new star of world golf but, ahead of his challenge at Royal Liverpool, he said he’d be the last person to believe his own hype.
“I would hope not. If it does, I hope someone punches me in the face and says, get back to who you were,” he said. “I really hope nothing changes.
“It fuels my confidence and belief in myself. Obviously, certain things change, my status and how much people know who I am. But as a person – I hope I don’t change.
“I think I’ve instilled a lot of great values and have a really good team around me to help keep me in check. But yeah, I hope I haven’t changed.”
The 29-year-old tenaciously fought off Rory McIlroy at Los Angeles Country Club to win his first major, a month before winning his first PGA Tour title at the Wells Fargo Championship.
The pre-Open talk shifted to McIlroy after winning the Genesis Scottish Open, but after honing his game UK-style last week too, Clark is relishing the links terrain of Royal Liverpool and could have another major tilt on Merseyside.
“I love links golf. I think it’s the purest test of golf. It’s more fun than I think any other golf that we have around the world just because every day is so different.
“The wind might come out of the same direction, but every hole seems to have so much variety. You get into different spots where one hole – the same hole you might be hitting a chip 8-iron; the next day it might be a 4-iron or you could be near the green. I love the variety.”
The man from Denver has skyrocketed to 10th in the world since his most memorable week in California, and will likely be embedded in the thoughts of US Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson too.
He is ranked second in the US standings with just the World No.1 Scottie Scheffler ahead of him. With the top six players earning an automatic pick, Clark is in position A to make his bow against Europe in September.
He told the press he hadn’t held talks with Johnson about the event as such, but anticipates discussions to ramp up after The Open concludes on Sunday.
“All that stuff is a little new to me, so I don’t know what the other guys on our team are feeling. But it is fun,” he said.
“The Ryder Cup is so big in both countries. It probably feels a little bigger here, or at least talked more about. So being over here, it’s fun. It’s enemy territory, so it’s fun being here.”
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Matt Chivers
Now on the wrong side of 25, Matt has been playing golf since the age of 13 and was largely inspired to take up the game by countless family members who played golf during his childhood.
Matt is a member at Royal Cinque Ports in Deal playing off a 5 handicap, just a pitching wedge away from his hometown of Dover where he went to school and grew up. He has previously been a member at Etchinghill and Walmer and Kingsdown in Kent.
Having studied history at the University of Liverpool, Matt went on to pass his NCTJ Exams in Manchester a year later to fulfil his lifelong ambition of becoming a journalist. He picked up work experience along the way at places such as the Racing Post, the Independent, Sportsbeat and the Lancashire Evening Post.
Matt joined NCG in February 2023 and is the website’s main source of tour news, features and opinion. He has reported live from events such as The Open, the Ryder Cup and The Players Championship, having also interviewed and spent time with some of the biggest names in the sport.
Consuming tour golf on what is a 24/7 basis, you can come to Matt for informed views on the game and the latest updates on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour, Ladies European Tour and LIV Golf.
What’s in Matt’s bag: Cobra LTDx LS driver, Cobra LTDx 3-wood, TaylorMade P7MC irons, Ping Glide 4.0 wedges, Odyssey putter.
