Wyndham Clark has suggested that many do not realise just how much pressure those on the PGA Tour are under, with players battling for their livelihoods.
Clark has had one or two issues when it comes to keeping a lid on his frustrations in recent years.
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He was extremely lucky to avoid hitting a volunteer when he launched his driver after one tee shot he was unhappy with during last year’s PGA Championship.
And of course, he is under the microscope as he prepares to make his first US Open appearance since being banned by Oakmont.
Wyndham Clark speaks about the challenges of being on the PGA Tour
It was revealed in the days after last year’s event that Clark had done damage to the locker room after missing the cut. It was his fourth missed cut in his previous seven major appearances.
Clark has had plenty of reason to smile this year. The 32-year-old has turned his form right around, going on to win The CJ CUP Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch.
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And speaking on The Smylie Show ahead of Thursday’s opening round, Clark explained how much of an emotional rollercoaster it can be to play golf at the highest level.
Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images
“I think anyone that plays golf knows what it does to the brain. You hit two good shots as an amateur and make a birdie, you’re like, I’m the greatest player ever, or you shoot your best score and the next day, you might play your worst and you’re just so frustrated,” he said.
“It’s the same thing at our level, but we’re playing for our livelihood. So now you just add that and then you have everyone looking at you and that’s probably one of the biggest challenges people don’t talk about is the expectations, you’re playing for your livelihood, your card, everyone’s watching, et cetera. And then you just add that golf is difficult.
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You play poorly and next thing you know, you unfortunately break a locker and you go, holy c—, how did I let this happen? It’s awful and then you kind of regroup and you recover from it. You say, all right, let’s get back to enjoying the game. Let’s get back to what I love about this game and get back to square one and go on from there and that’s what I’ve done.
“Now I’m having fun on the golf course. I didn’t have fun last year.”
Many will reserve judgment until Wyndham Clark’s form dips again
Every golfer knows the feeling of having their improving form completely desert them. There is certainly no guarantee that your hours and hours of practice are going to be rewarded with results.
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However, Clark may lose support with his comment about playing for his livelihood. It is probably not a hot take to say that the large majority of those who play golf are not going to experience the feeling of earning more than $33 million from the game.
Obviously, the PGA Tour has seen some dramatic declines over the years. And you can have plenty of sympathy for a player of Clark’s quality when you consider how tight the margins are at the very highest level. As he says, his form is there for everyone to see and discuss.
However, that does not mean that some of his actions are justifiable. And many will be interested to see how he behaves the next time his form dips. It is very easy to reflect on previous mistakes when everything seems to be going your way.
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