Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images
Clark, the reigning U.S. Open champion, detailed his experience at his first Masters, which did not go very well.
Wyndham Clark is in the field this week for the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head. On the eve of the PGA Tour’s fifth Signature Event, Clark detailed his overarching thoughts on his first Masters appearance last week.
Clark missed the cut, mostly in part due to his second round 78 Friday.
“I felt like I was playing good golf, but going off late on Friday was very challenging, and the wind honestly spooked me on the greens,” Clark said. “I hit a couple putts that were uphill, downwind, and I hit them four, five feet by, and then ever since that happened on the 3rd hole, I wasn’t getting putts there.
“I was just a little spooked. My game was there. That’s what was frustrating is I hit a lot of great shots, I just didn’t score.”
Indeed, the reigning U.S. Open champion was striking the ball quite well.
He did not show much nerves during his first ever round at Augusta National. Clark finished in the positive in strokes gained tee-to-green, on approach, around the green and strokes gained total.
Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images
Wyndham Clark on 7th hole at Augusta National, The Masters
He shot a 1-over 73 Thursday, which had him in contention with the crazy wind conditions.
But as Clark detailed, his putting fell completely fell apart. He dropped nearly three strokes to the field on the greens, all but dooming his chances of playing the weekend.
Meanwhile, Scottie Scheffler once again put on a clinic, taking home his second Green Jacket.
Scheffler won the 2024 Masters by four shots, becoming the first player ever to win it twice in a three year span, with the margin each time being at least three strokes.
Clark acknowledged the Scheffler is the best player on the planet right now. But that did not stop him from showing supreme self-confidence.
“I think when my game is on and his game is on, I think we both can battle it out, and I believe I can win tournaments against Scottie when he’s playing well.”
That type of mentality is required if an athlete wants to be truly great. Now, it is a matter of putting in the work to hit the insane level of consistency that Scheffler brings.
“The thing that I really am impressed by him is just the consistency that he’s always in contention, and either he wins or he finishes kind of top 5.”
Scheffler has won three of his last four tournaments he has played in. He won the Arnold Palmer Invitational going away, beat Clark by a single shot at The Players, nearly won the Texas Children’s Houston Open with a second place finish, and then just won the Masters.
That certainly is a model of consistency for anyone to shoot for.
Kendall Capps is the Senior Editor of SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social media platforms.
