Throughout my career with the CGA, I have seen many talented players. Wyndham Clark was certainly one of them. I watched him dominate our 10-and-under tournaments, excel as a junior player, beat players much older than him to win state championships, and rise to the top of collegiate golf at both Oklahoma State and Oregon.
One of my favorite moments watching Wyndham was in the Pac-12 Championships held at Boulder Country Club in April of 2017. Having transferred to Oregon, Wyndham resurrected his college career after a major slump that coincided with the tragic loss of his mother during his freshman year in college.
What made the tournament memorable was watching Wyndham return to the site of his 2010 CGA State Amateur title, which he won in a playoff over Jim Knous at the ripe old age of 16. He didn’t disappoint. Wyndham posted a 54-hole score of 4-under par to win the individual title and lead his Oregon Duck squad to the team crown.
During his final round, I walked with his group and caught the most pivotal hole of that round on video. I could describe it, but better yet, watch it for yourself here:
Even then, Wyndham had that special gear that only a few possess. The ability to summon the needed shot at a critical juncture. The willingness to take a chance and the talent to execute.
Did I expect to see Wyndham Clark go on to become one of just 24 players to win multiple U.S. Opens? Did I have an inkling that he would join an even more elite group of wire-to-wire winners of our national championship? Absolutely not! While Colorado has produced some amazing golf talent, let’s face it—Wyndham was a big fish in a small pond.
But like the other Colorado-reared player who won multiple U.S. Opens (Hale Irwin), Wyndham proved himself on the national stage. Hale Irwin once told me that it wasn’t until he won the 1967 NCAA national championship. That win showed Hale he could compete and win at the national level. Irwin went on to win three U.S. Open Championships in 1974, 1979, and 1990. That puts Irwin in an extremely small group of just six players to win 3 or more.
Who knows, maybe another Colorado player with the initials “WC” will join that group. It is highly unlikely, but don’t count him out!