THE 151ST OPEN

July 20, 2023

Wyndham Clark

Mixed Zone

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Q. How was the journey from winning the Wells Fargo, qualifying, talking about playing your first Open, winning the U.S. Open and then coming here. Can you talk a little bit about it.

WYNDHAM CLARK: Yeah, it's a crazy last kind of three or four months. I've played really good golf kind of all year, really consistent and had a bunch of chances to win prior to the Wells Fargo Championship.

Then winning there was honestly the biggest win in my career, getting that monkey off my back, and then that just gave me a ton of confidence going into the U.S. Open.

Then winning that obviously changes my life and my world.

But what's great with golf is you have to go play the next week so you can't focus too much on it. Maybe this fall I'll reminisce a little bit more and soak it in, but as of right now, I'm focused on this.

Q. This is your first round as a major champion and a pretty good one under the circumstances.

WYNDHAM CLARK: Yeah, fortunately for me I played the week right after the U.S. Open and then the Scottish, but honestly, because I got those out of the way, I think it kind of dumbed down a little bit the circumstances of the first round.

I just felt like it was another tournament and didn't really think too much about it.

Q. Great back nine, as well.

WYNDHAM CLARK: Yeah, the back nine is probably the tougher of the nines. I played good on the front, I didn't really make any putts but was very consistent. A lot of tap-ins for par, which is huge.

Then when I started making some putts I got some good momentum and kept going.

Q. The 14th hole, you were in trouble there. You made an astonishing bogey that kept things going.

WYNDHAM CLARK: Yeah, that was huge. A little unfortunate off the tee, obviously hitting the guy is never good, but it really went into a bad spot. If I didn't hit the guy, probably would have been in fine grass and I would have been able to hit it up near the green.

Then I had an awful lie and hit it about two feet. Then got very fortunate I didn't go in the bunker.

Yeah, getting up-and-down and making about a 20-footer really is a round saver because you make double there, you probably still birdie the next one, maybe, maybe not.

But it seems like it takes away the momentum, and making that putt made me feel like I regained the momentum.

Q. Was the guy okay?

WYNDHAM CLARK: Yeah, it hit his iPad; didn't hit him.

Q. Was the iPad okay?

WYNDHAM CLARK: Well, I don't care now. It screwed me up.

Q. You're not in any way intimidated by the possibility you could go all the way this week?

WYNDHAM CLARK: No. I don't have any fear in that. I welcome that.

But this is just day one. Got three more days.

I think the minute I start thinking ahead. That stuff might happen. I'm just going to focus on each day and focus on my goals and process and let the scores take care of themselves.

Q. Did you learn something in LA about thinking ahead and how to avoid it, the proper pacing of expectations?

WYNDHAM CLARK: Yeah, for sure. Any tournament really, I always ran pretty hot. I was right at boiling point as far as my anger and frustration. I'd birdie the first two holes and go, wow, I'm going to win the tournament on day one.

Conversely, if I bogeyed the first two I was like, oh, we're missing the cut, and it's amazing how far I've come where I make some mistakes or birdie holes or whatever, and I just want to make more and get back on track and not focus so much on the outcome.

Q. The first time you played links golf, did you like it?

WYNDHAM CLARK: Oh, I always loved it. The only thing I would say that's unfortunate about links golf is sometimes the draw in this tournament, because you can come here with a great game and be hitting it great, but you just get screwed on the draw.

But outside of that, I think links golf is the most fun and is the purest form of golf, and I really enjoy it.

Q. Jordan Spieth mentioned the crosswinds were the biggest challenge today. Did you find that?

WYNDHAM CLARK: Yeah, this golf course is all crosswinds, and I think that's what's tough is it's always in out of the right or in out of the left. If you don't hit it solid, the little really eats it up.

Then being a right-handed golfer and one that hits a fade, those back nine holes starting on 11, so many of them are in off the left. It's tough, really challenging for me because my start lines have to be further left, and it's sometimes a little uncomfortable.