Wyndham Clark of the United States reacts to his winning shot on the green of the 18th hole during the final round of the 123rd US Open at Los Angeles Country Club on June 18, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. The putter responded.
Richard Heathcote | Getty Images Sports | Getty Images
Wyndham Clark always got the “have fun” message from his late mother. Nothing was more important than Sunday, when he knocked off Rory McIlroy with clutch shot after clutch shot to become the U.S. Open champion.
The final scene was a pair of putts from 60 feet on the 18th hole at Los Angeles Country Club, with the 29-year-old Clark pumping his fist as the ball fell a foot away. He used this shot to shoot 70, even par, and beat McIlroy and many other stars by one stroke.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler couldn’t catch him. Neither could British Open champion Cameron Smith and Rickie Fowler, who was in the final group for his third major and watched Clarke’s spectacular performance in his third major over the weekend.
Clarke let out his emotions at the end, tearfully looking up at the blue sky and covering his face with his hat as he sobbed on the green.
He considered quitting golf 10 years ago when his mother, Lise, died of breast cancer. He wasn’t eligible for a major until two years ago. Now he has two victories in six weeks, with more big moments to come.
For McIlroy, it was an even bigger disappointment. He opened with a birdie and didn’t make another birdie the rest of the day. When Clark began to falter, he hovered around, though McIlroy missed the fairway and couldn’t make putts, similar to last summer’s British Open at St. Andrews. He finished with a 70.
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