Wyndham Clark has called the Olympic golf tournament “probably even bigger” than the Ryder Cup following confirmation that he had qualified for Team USA’s squad.
The Olympic qualifying period for the men ended at the culmination of the US Open, and a T56 result at Pinehurst No.2 in the defence of his maiden Major was enough to help Clark join Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, and Collin Morikawa stamp their ticket to Paris, France.
A debut Olympic appearance arrives almost a year after the Denver, Colorado-born golfer pulled on a Team USA polo for the first time at senior level. Clark secured 1.5 points from three matches as Luke Donald’s men won 16.5 -11.5 at Marco Simone – a decade on from his opening stint as an American representative.
As an amateur, Clark competed against Jon Rahm and Thomas Detry at the Palmer Cup in 2014 – Europe triumphing 18.5 – 11.5 at Walton Heath Golf Club in England after a rampant Saturday singles session emphatically sealed victory for the men in blue. Going into Saturday with the score level at 10, Clark and teammate Bryson DeChambeau both lost in an 8.5 – 1.5 session thumping, with the LIV player falling 2&1 to Jack McDonald and Clark losing 4&3 to Rahm.
Yet, 10 years later, Clark produced plenty of the fighting spirit he is now known for to not only make the Ryder Cup dozen but also add another international team to his resume.
Patrick Cantlay and Wyndham Clark (right) during the Ryder Cup at Marco Simone
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Strong form and unshakeable determination littered his performances throughout 2023 and into the first part of 2024, consequently allowing the 30-year-old to start preparing for a crack at earning an Olympic medal.
Discussing two seismic events in the world of men’s professional golf, Clark suggested the Olympics was more prestigious due to the global nature of the competition.
Asked what it means to be able to represent the United States at the Olympics after doing so in Italy, Clark said: “The Ryder Cup in golf is kind of the biggest thing, but now that golf’s in the Olympics, it’s probably even bigger than that, because you’re representing your country at such a bigger level.
“Hopefully, all four of us can go and try to snag some podium spots and give medals to the US to try to win that total medal…
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