Once the exploit is validated, Wyndham Clark dedicated his victory at the US Open to his mother, Lise, who died 10 years ago of breast cancer at the age of 55. “I think my mum was looking at me today. I miss you… I have worked so hard and visualized so often this moment when I would find myself in this position. It was my time, ”said the 29-year-old American, after drying his tears on the No. 18 green where he secured par to record his unexpected triumph.
After standing up to Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, Clark lived up to the demands of his mother, Lise, who put his first club in his hands as a child and urged him to “play for something bigger. than him”, just before dying.
“When I play, I want to do it for her. I want to show everyone the person I am and the joy I have in playing, hoping to be able to inspire people, ”he explained in recent days when attention began to focus on him.
Starting from pole position at the start of the afternoon, tied with his compatriot Ricky Fowler who finished 5th, Clark led the way throughout the fourth lap, ahead of McIlroy. The Northern Irishman, winner of the event in 2011, who dreamed of a fifth Major, failed one shot. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler finished 3rd by three points.
Solid through and through
Clark birdied on his first hole and then never had the weakness to look in the rearview mirror. However, after having counted up to three strokes in advance, thanks to his fourth birdie of the day on the n ° 14, where the world n ° 3 committed a bogey there, his mattress was suddenly reduced to one unit, due to two consecutive bogeys just behind.
“The US Open is tough, especially when it comes to trying to win on the last nine holes. But I felt comfortable and I kept saying to myself ‘I can do it, I can do it,'” said Clark, who indeed held on in the final stretch, securing the starts. on n°17 and 18, like its prestigious rival, without shaking too much and even letting a smile appear along the way.
A tortuous journey
There was enough, however, in view of his own history with the little white ball and repeated failures, which have marked his career since his professional debut in 2017, which did not give a glimpse of the prospect of success, until This year.
A year and a half ago, Clark wasn’t even in the top 200 in the world. He then missed the cut 24 times between 2021 and 2022, before appearing almost out of nowhere in recent months, winning the Wells Fargo Championship, at the expense of Xander Schauffele, reigning Olympic champion.
A first in Los Angeles for the US Open
He previously finished 10th at the Phoenix Open and 5th at the Valspar Championship, before showing up at Memorial with a 12th-place finish two weeks ago. Enough to climb to 32nd place, just before this Major who reached out to him, after having sent him back to his studies after only two rounds, during the two previous editions.
The US Open, which took up residence at the LA Country Club for the first time, narrowly escapes McIlroy, who has not won a Major since 2014 and his victories at the PGA Championship and the British Open.
“I will regret some missed opportunities in putting,” whispered the Northern Irishman. “I struggled with my approaches throughout the day. I hung on and fought until the end, but couldn’t get the job done. »