Local Boy Done Good: Wyndham Clark has become a force on the PGA Tour

Editor’s Note: The last 12 months have been nothing short of remarkable for professional golfer Wyndham Clark. The Denver native won three PGA Tour events, including his first major – none other than the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club last June — plus a Ryder Cup appearance and several top-5 finishes. Even more impressive, perhaps, is that Clark went from No. 150 in the world to No. 3 during that stretch. It’s truly been an incredible run for the 30-year-old, and he doesn’t plan on slowing down any time soon. With the U.S. Open teeing off again this month at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina, Clark was kind enough to take some time out of his extremely busy schedule to chat with MHS’ own Vanessa Hughes.

Vanessa Hughes: When I talked to you a year ago in May of 2023, you had just won your first PGA Tour event at the Wells Fargo Championship. A lot has changed over the last 12 months and you’re now one of the top golfers in the world. Talk about what this last year has been like for you.

Wyndham Clark: It’s been a whirlwind. It’s been pretty awesome, though. It’s been a dream come true to break through and win my first PGA Tour event, and then go on to win my first major — and continue to win and have success — so it’s been an amazing 12 months, and I’m hoping the next 12 are even better.

VH: If I would’ve told you that you were going to accomplish all that in a year’s time, what would you have said?

WC: Well, it’s something that I’ve always thought I could do, but if it was maybe 16 months ago, I probably wouldn’t have believed you, because I was in a pretty negative place mentally. To see how far I’ve come in that category of growing my mental game — and seeing that I’ve matched my mental game with my physical game — has been amazing. It’s honestly so humbling to be where I’m at, and I’m hoping it’s just the start of something great.

VH: Do you ever pinch yourself and ask, “Is this really happening?”

WC: Yeah, I do quite often. I definitely try to do it every few weeks, because it gets me back to reality and helps me appreciate what I’ve done, and not get too caught up in what’s going on. I have to look up and take a breath and go, “Wow, this has been pretty amazing.”

VH: I know your faith is really important to you. How much does your faith play into your golf game and your life?

WC: It is everything. It’s the most important thing to me. I think it really helps bring a great perspective in my life, and gives me a real reason [for] what I do. I have such a great platform and foundation in golf that I can go and share the good news that I’ve experienced in my life. It really just keeps you grounded, and ultimately, it’s why I do everything that I do.

VH: There are a lot more demands on your time now, including more sponsorships, promotional appearances, TV commercials, the Full Swing documentary on Netflix, and more. How has your life changed, on and off the course, over the last 12 months?

WC: It’s part of what happens when you have success. People pull at you from all different directions. For me, it’s been fun, and I’m learning about all of it and getting more comfortable. I’ve always known this is part of it, and now that it’s part of my life, I’m accepting it. I feel like the more I can be in the public eye, the more awareness I can bring to my story and my foundation — “Play Big Foundation” — and hopefully influence and inspire young kids and adults everywhere.

VH: As you think back on your first win at The Wells Fargo Championship— and how you’d been grinding it out on Tour for five years leading up to that — now that you have those wins under your belt, what specific things have you learned over the past year about what it really takes to win on the PGA Tour?

WC: It’s a combination of things. I used to think it just had to be “your week” to win, and I think in some cases, it does, but I also think the better and better I’ve gotten in the mental side of the game — every week is so mentally challenging, and it’s not always just on the course, it’s off the course as well — and I think when you’re in a great spot mentally, and you have a clutter-free mind, you’re able to play at the best of your abilities, and it makes it easier to win. As I’ve continued to progress in that area — that’s what I’m trying to do — I’m trying to make things as simple and clutter-free as possible and hope the best golf comes out, so I break through and win.

VH: What are your thoughts on the BMW Championship coming to Castle Pines Golf Club in August? Are you excited to have a PGA Tour event coming to your home state?

WC: I’m super excited! I have not been able to play in front of my home crowd very often and especially in a professional event, so I’m really excited to be able to do that and represent the state of Colorado the best I can. It will be fun for me to see a bunch of people that are out there supporting me, because I know that sometimes they can’t make it to tour events around the country and the world. I’m hoping it’s a great week, and maybe I get one of those wins. Really looking forward to it!

VH: How well do you know the course?

WC: I know the course decently well. I’ve probably played it 20 times in my life. It’s an aesthetically beautiful golf course; a lot of elevation changes. Typically, the course plays pretty firm and fast, so I expect it to be quite challenging for us. It’s fun, because we don’t get to play at altitude, and we don’t get to play in Colorado very often, so I know the guys are going to enjoy it. That place is such an amazing experience [when] playing it outside of a Tour event, so I can only imagine how good it’s going to be playing for a PGA tournament.

VH: You started working with Julie Elion, a performance coach and sports psychologist, a while back. Can you tell me specifically how she’s helped you get your mental game on track and have the career you want? How often do you work with her?

WC: It’s more of just being a total athlete. I’ve always worked on the physical, but now I’m working on the mental/spiritual side, which I, think is the most important side, and it was the missing piece for me. Really, she’s helping me get more and more comfortable on the golf course, but also with dealing with all the stresses and life stuff off the golf course. She’s just really helped me in all those areas, and I think it’s helped bring out the best golf I can play, day in and day out. It’s a weekly thing, and during tournaments, it’s a daily thing.

VH: You said, “Up until this year, I’ve always felt and feared the bad things that are going to happen more than believing that good things are going to happen.” Now, you truly have a belief that good things are going to happen. To what do you attribute the shift in mindset?

WC: Julie brought that awareness to me; that I was focused so much on the negative, and I think through her coaching and advice, it’s really helped me. And then, through a lot of books and meditation, and constantly trying to be really positive and believing good things are going to happen. Really believing that has changed a lot of my career, and my outlook on life. I owe it to her — and then, obviously, a lot of the hard work I put in (also) changed my mindset.

VH: It will be hard to top what you’ve accomplished over the last 12 months, but what goals do you have for yourself over this next year?

WC: I’ve set a few. They’re all process goals. I want to continue to be one of the best in the bounce-back stat, which is a real testament of how you handle adversity. And then I want to grow a lot in the mental game. There are certain specific things, but mainly I want to grow in my process, and I want to get tougher mentally and be able to focus more and more in those pressure situations and get more comfortable every day on the golf course. It’s a lot of process stuff, and I’m hoping if I focus on those things, the results will take care of themselves.

VH: Is this the most fun you’ve ever had playing golf?

WC: Yeah, it is. Definitely.

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State success

Like Wyndham Clark, Colorado Academy alum Mark Hubbard is also excelling on Tour

A win at the U.S. Open will put any golfer on the map, and that’s exactly what happened to Wyndham Clark in the summer of 2023. What began with his first PGA Tour victory at the Wells Fargo Championship was followed by claiming his first major, and Wyndham’s wild ride hasn’t slowed down since.

But not too far from Clark’s alma mater, Valor Christian High School, is Colorado Academy – the home of fellow PGA golfer Mark Hubbard. Hubbard was an all-state athlete in both golf and basketball for the Mustangs before taking his sweet swing to San Jose State. Hubbard turned pro in 2012 and made his Tour debut in 2015; recently, he eclipsed the $10 million mark in earnings.

Hubbard is still looking for that elusive first PGA Tour win, but his body of work is still impressive. Here’s a quick look at another local boy playing well on Tour*

Appearances: 214
Cuts made: 140
Top-10 finishes: 13
Top-5 finishes: 6
Runner-Ups: 1
FedExCup Rank: 51st
2024 Winnings: $1,744,874

* – at time of press