Wyndham Clark put himself in contention after the opening round of the RBC Heritage and has shared why he finds the Harbour Town Links course that bit easier than normal.
Clark is a major champion after winning the US Open in 2023 but he’s failed to really build on that success, winning just once since, the 2024 AT&T at Pebble Beach.
Still, the American is a major player when he wants to be and with a Ryder Cup year now here, Clark will be keen to make a run at making the team.
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Of course, to do that he’ll need wins or at least top 10 finishes. Clark finished in T46 at The Masters last week but speaking after making an opening round 65 at Harbour Town, Clark has hinted he is actually suited to playing Augusta National.
Why Wyndham Clark finds Augusta and Harbour Town easier to play
Clark was speaking to the media after his opening day round of 65 put him within four shots of the leader, Justin Thomas.
However, he was quickly asked about Augusta National and what he learnt there, after he ended up slipping away and finishing in a tie for 46th.
“Yeah, I mean, I think I officially learned that every putt you have, I think you have to be defensive on. You have to almost lag it, and if you make it, it’s kind of a bonus,” Clark admitted.
“I think nine three-putts I think last week at Augusta. Some of them were lag putts and that’s bound to happen, but I putted twice inside 15 feet just because I missed a 12-footer or whatever the putt was and then I had a six-footer coming back and missed that. It’s little things like that that really keep you from being in contention. That’s one of the biggest things that I learned.
“Then you have to just be so precise and patient there. You might see a guy that shoots 6-, 7-under and you’re starting your round and you don’t birdie 2 or 3 and you think you’re far behind, but you never know, you can get runs there and you just have to be patient.”
Asked further on if he enjoys playing Harbour Town like he does Augusta, Clark admitted that the similar sort of tree-lines mean he very much enjoys it the same as when at The Masters.
“Yeah, I like definition to golf courses, so Augusta has that, this place has that where there’s kind of a defined shot you have to hit off the tee so it’s easier to commit to a shot and say, okay, I have to draw it or I have to fade this.
“So I’ve always loved that. I kind of grew up on a course that was tree-lined, so it just makes it easier for me.”
Wyndham Clark’s record at Augusta National and Harbour Town Golf Links
It’s all well and good having confidence as a golfer and Wyndham Clark is obviously explaining here why he prefers certain types of golf course.
However, with him saying he finds them a bit ‘easier’ you’d expect better results.
In two Masters appearances, Clark has missed the cut and finished T46.
In fact, when it comes to the RBC Heritage and Harbour Town, things aren’t too much better over the six tournaments he’s played.
He did manage a T3 in 2024, but prior to that it was T54, T64, 64, T35 and T29.
Clearly, Clark is improving around Harbour Town but if he does indeed find things a bit easier or nicer with the tree lines, then he really needs to start showing it a bit more with his game.
Round one is a good start. But Clark will need even more if he to be the winner.
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