U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2023

June 18, 2023

Mike Whan

Fred Perpall

Wyndham Clark

The Los Angeles Country Club

Press Conference

MIKE WHAN: Okay, LA. I see you. It's been 75 years since we've been here, but man, were you ready for us. Thank you, LA.

Great championships are the result of great partnerships, and we found a great partner this week in Los Angeles Country Club. On behalf of all of us at the USGA, the ones you see and the ones you don't, I want to thank LACC leadership, LACC staff, LACC committee members, and most importantly, the over 3,200 volunteers that made this week possible. Couldn't have done it without you.

Last year at the Country Club in Boston we started a brand new tradition at the USGA. We introduced the EJ Marshall Platter to recognize greatness in partnership when it comes to getting these golf courses ready for the best players in the world.

This year in 2023, we are proud to award the EJ Marshall Platter to Chris Wilson and the entire grounds crew of LACC.

This year at the 123rd playing of the U.S. Open, we're going to introduce a whole new tradition, one that recognizes that it takes a team to reach that level. So this year we're going to introduce the U.S. Open Caddie Award, and the first name ever to go on the U.S. Open caddie award is Wyndham's caddie, John Ellis.

By the way, you might think of John as a caddie, but he played in the U.S. Open two times, in 2008 and 2011. He's got plenty of game, too.

Now let's hand out some serious USGA hardware, and to do that, please help me in welcoming our president of the USGA, Fred Perpall.

FRED PERPALL: Thank you, Mike. This year's U.S. Open field included 19 amateurs, four who made the cut. With a score of 284, the silver medal for the low amateur goes to Gordon Sargent of Birmingham, Alabama. Congratulations.

Now it is my honor to welcome the champion of the 123rd United States Open. With a score of 270, the Jack Nicklaus Gold Medal for the winner of the 123rd U.S. Open goes to Wyndham Clark of Denver, Colorado.

We are thrilled to present the historic U.S. Open trophy given to every champion since 1895 to Wyndham.

Q. Wyndham, your first time in contention in a major, and you played like you'd been there many times before. Why was it your time?

WYNDHAM CLARK: You know, I just felt like my mom was watching over me today. She can't be here, and I miss you, mom.

But I just feel like I've worked so hard and I've dreamed about this moment for so long. There's been so many times I've visualized being here in front of you guys and winning this championship, and I just feel like it was my time, and yeah, thank you.

Q. Some stressful moments in the middle of that round, the bogey save at 8, the par saves at 9 and 11, what was the key to holding it together during that stressful time at the turn?

WYNDHAM CLARK: You know, U.S. Opens are tough, and unfortunately I had a bad lie on 8, and honestly that up-and-down for bogey was probably the key to the tournament that kept me in it, and that up-and-down on 9 was huge.

It's tough on the back nine trying to win a tournament, and I felt at ease, and I just kept saying, all right, I can do this, I can do this.

And that shot on 14 was kind of the shot of the week I feel like for me to make a birdie there and then grind it on the way in.