BMW Championship: Wyndham Clark feels confident, believes again

Wyndham Clark has had a rollercoaster of a season—a triumphant one at times while “frustrating” during others. He set the course record and won at Pebble Beach but also missed the cut at three of the four majors.

Yet, over the past few weeks, Clark believes he has turned a corner. He says it all started at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut in June, where he tied for ninth thanks to a final-round 63. But he has three other top-14 finishes since then, including a T-7 at last week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis.

“I’ve gone back to a little bit more of a process. I think I was getting a little too outcome-focused. As I had some early success in the year and was playing amazing golf, I guess just falling short of Scottie a couple of times—I just got too much into winning and trying to break through and win in some of those big events,” Clark explained.

“Then I got away from everything that made me successful, and I feel like recently, I’ve gotten back to the process of focusing on the things that got me here, playing good golf, and I’ve started to play good golf. I’ve had some poor rounds to start, but I feel I’m overcoming that and doing much better. So, I think my game is trending in the right direction.”

One of those poor starts came in Paris, where Clark opened with a 4-over 75 and received a dose of diatribes because of his abysmal opening round. But he bounced back to shoot 15-under-par over the final 54 holes, matching Scottie Scheffler’s score over that same span.

“I went into the Olympics, and yeah, I was really bummed with that first day. But I played amazing golf. Even that back nine on that first day, I just hit it in the water and missed a couple of short putts, otherwise it probably would have been an even par or a 1-under round, and we might be talking about a bronze medal if that back nine was a little bit different,” Clark said.

Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images

“Then, obviously, I played great the last three days. That definitely was a huge confidence boost for me because I know there was a lot of media talk about me being there and how bad I played and whatnot, and I wanted to prove to myself and my country that I’m a top American player.”

Clark added that he does not read or listen to anything written or said about him. Heck, he did not even watch himself on Netflix’s Full Swing, which produced an episode detailing Clark’s trials and tribulations as well as his U.S. Open triumph. He already lived through it, so why would he have to watch it, so he says.

But many golf fans claimed that Bryson DeChambeau should have been on Team USA, not Clark. Yet, the 2023 U.S. Open champion silenced those nay-sayers with a spectacular final three days. He backed up his strong play in Memphis, too.

This week, he will have plenty of support in his native Colorado, where the BMW Championship at Castle Pines Golf Club awaits. Clark used to watch the world’s best play this golf course when he attended The International, a Stableford event from 1986 through 2006. But now, he can live out his childhood dream of playing in his home state.

“It’s amazing. I wish we played here every year, to be honest… When they stopped playing here, it was kind of a stab to the heart for me because it was so fun coming out and watching it. To be back here playing in front of my home crowd is pretty special,” Clark said.

“I definitely feel a little more pressure. But at the same time, I think people want to come to watch me and all of us play, and I think if I give my best effort and feel like I did everything I could and whatever the outcome is, I’m hoping people just enjoy that we’re all here getting to play. I’m trying not to put as much pressure as I can on myself, and I’m just really trying to enjoy the moment.”

Clark will undoubtedly enjoy playing on home turf this week, where Denver fans will greet him with open arms. But returning to the winner’s circle would elevate his level of joy beyond belief. It would also confirm that he is one of the best players on the planet. The fact of the matter, though, is that he already is.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.