Who is Wyndham Clark? US Open winner lost his mother to cancer at 19 and nearly QUIT the sport

Wyndham Clark’s name was etched on Sunday’s US Open trophy, and as the sun set on Los Angeles, Clark became intertwined with sports folklore; completing a fairytale underdog story.

Prior to his successful four-day stint on the LA Country Club course, Clark was rarely known to sports fans who watch balls settle on the fairways a few times a year.

Some might say that Clark only “arrived” on the PGA Tour last month; he captured his first title six weeks ago at the Wells Fargo Championship in North Carolina.

After a strong opening to proceedings at LACC Thursday, he kept his spirits up to contest Championship Sunday alongside then-leader Rickie Fowler before taking the lead on the final day when Rory McIlroy failed to put up a significant battle for to force the cup.

Here, Mail Sport offers a deeper look at Clark’s meteoric rise to mainstream sports stardom. A destination reached through tragedy and turbulence.

Clark celebrated his win with his family, including girlfriend Alicia, and caddy John Ellis (L)

Clark grew up in Colorado and attended an athletically wealthy high school, Valor Christian High School in Highlands Ranch – 15 miles south of downtown Denver – alongside 49ers star Christian McCaffrey.

The genetically blessed pair were, according to Jim Nantz, classmates at the CO school. Both are still friends to this day.

San Francisco’s running back shouted Clark on Twitter after the performance, posting an Instagram story of Clark’s win with a caption “the boy!” while also sharing messages of victory.

He wasn’t the only famous face to do this. Golf influencer Paige Spiranac, as well as sports broadcasters Skip Bayless and Pat McAfee were among many to toast the Scottsdale native.

Spiranac revealed in a tweet following Clark’s triumph that the pair played junior golf together when the 29-year-old was 13.

“Everyone always said he had something special and we all knew he was going to make it. Now he’s a big winner! Very cool moment,” she tweeted.

During his time at Highlands Ranch, Clark was – as you can imagine – a successful junior golfer; won the state golf title twice and was named Colorado’s player of the year in 2011.

After high school, Clark attended Oklahoma State University. It was at this time that the American lost his mother to breast cancer – he was only 19.

Clark looked up to the sky in tribute to his mother, Lise, who passed away from cancer in 2013

Golf influencer Paige Spiranac toasted Clark and revealed the pair played junior golf together

Clark spoke often this week about how he’d thought of his mom and how he felt its presence as he walked the course at LACC amidst the backdrop of Tinseltown — and the Playboy Mansion.

Lise Clark told her son before every tournament to “play big,” and he certainly carried those words through 72 history-making holes. She died in 2013, aged 55. Clark responded with what he called “inspired golf” during that time, leading to a Big 12 Player of the Year title, per Golf week.

Although Clark ultimately struggled with his mother’s passing, part of the solution was to “really dig into it” [his Christian] to trust.’

A change of scenery beckoned, and so he transferred to Oregon, where he excelled and won the 2017 Pac 12 Championship. But there was a time before Eugene, when Clark considered giving away his clubs figuratively.

“The pressure of playing golf and then not having my mom there and someone to call was really hard on me,” he said in June.

“Then professionally I’ve had several moments like that where you just miss multiple times in a row or feel like your game is good and you’re not getting much out of it and you’re just thinking about [quitting].

Max Homa has a great quote: “Every golfer is one chance away from thinking he can win the Masters or one chance away from quitting golf.” It’s a really great quote because that’s the truth. I’m glad I stuck it out and am here now.’

Clark, pictured with his girlfriend Alicia – contrary to popular belief, it’s not Julia Kemmling

Clark produced with an even last round to finish -10 and triumph over the Los Angeles Country Club

Clark had not yet won a pro tournament before his victory at the Wells Fargo Championship on May 7

After some time on the PGA’s development tour, Clark earned a PGA Tour card for the 2018 season. Showing Promise was in the embryonic stage of his professional career, finishing in the top-10 at four tournaments.

Clark finished runner-up to Brian Gay at the 2020 Bermuda Championship – the closest he has come to a title since college.

The trophy-laden junior days were well behind him until mid-2023, where he now resides as one of the main faces of his sport as it creeps into a new world order.

Clark enjoyed partying with his former professional tennis player, father Randall, girlfriend Alicia, sister Kaitlin and brother Brendan on hole 18 at LACC.

Asked by reporters what his mother would feel if she were physically present on a Sunday in the town where she once lived, Clark replied; She would cry tears of joy. She called me “winner” when I was little, so she just said, “I love you, winner.”