Wyndham Clark contending thanks to ‘stealth’ weapon

LOS ANGELES — Wyndham Clark’s secret weapon waited for him by scoring in a sweater that spelled out “Golf” across the front.

Julie Elion is Clark’s mental coach and she’s working her magic yet again, helping a gifted player that couldn’t get out of his own way to find the winner’s circle.

Clark’s breakthrough season on the PGA Tour continued on Friday at Los Angeles Country Club as he backed up an opening-round 64 with a 3-under 67 in the second round of the 123^rd U.S. Open.

In January, the 29-year-old Clark began working with Elion, who is best known in the golf world for working with the likes of Phil Mickelson and helping Jimmy Walker win a major. Earlier this year, Max Homa was singing her praises after he won the Farmers Insurance Open in January. Elion likes to keep a low profile — her nickname on Tour is Stealth — but she agreed to say on the record that Clark “is the hardest worker she’s ever worked with.”

As part of that work, Clark has benefited from meditating, praying and setting daily goals. Clark’s caddie, John Ellis, who encouraged his boss to speak to Elion as did Clark’s agent Rob Mougey, said that she has helped “simplify things” for Clark, who was winless on Tour entering this year despite having no shortage of talent.

“In this game, you’re always losing and you’re always looking ahead, so she’s told us let’s just make three little goals,” Ellis said. “Simplify things, right?”

Asked about how Clark did on his three goals on Friday during a major championship, Ellis said, “He did great, but you’ll have to ask him what those goals were.”

Now leading the #USOpen…@Wyndham_Clark! pic.twitter.com/kjWNFn1z2f

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 16, 2023

“Pretty simple,” Clark said during his post-round press conference. “For me, it was enjoy myself at a beautiful golf course. It was be cocky out there.”

And the third? “It was remind myself of the first two,” he said. “Those were honestly my three goals, and I thought if I could do that and keep myself in the best mindset, that the golf would take care of itself.”

Clark was feeling cocky after taking a full whack at his ball in the greenside rough at 14 and lofting it high in the air over a bunker to 12 feet. It may go down as one of the most remarkable rescue shots of the championship and he cashed in the putt for a birdie that Ellis said was “stealing.” How many times out of 100 would Clark have been able…