Harry Higgs has claimed that Wyndham Clark is in the same class as Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy when it comes to curving and spinning the ball, as he revealed what most players on the PGA Tour think about the two-time US Open champion.
Clark is in the spotlight after landing his second major in surreal circumstances at the US Open this past week.
How did you feel about the New York crowd's treatment of Wyndham Clark?
The 32-year-old took the lead late on Thursday and did not look back until his final round on Sunday.
Clark was certainly unconvincing as he crossed the line. However, he deserves enormous credit for battling back when it seemed that the title was slipping through his grasp.
Wyndham Clark praised for a skill that Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler have
He also had to play amongst a crowd that really did not want to see Clark win. In fact, Sam Burns was told the fans wanted anyone but Clark to emerge victorious.
And speaking to Skratch, Harry Higgs suggested that he is full of admiration for how good Clark is.
“I mean, his ability to curve it and put an insane amount of spin on it, he’s up there with Scottie and Rory,” he said.
“So when the greens get super crusty, he can find ways to fit it into flags. Whereas maybe myself and others have to land it short and get it to chase back there and it’s much tougher to hit it close than if you just come in through the air.”
What many PGA Tour players really think of Wyndham Clark
Clark was not a popular winner in the eyes of many golf fans, both at Shinnecock Hills and at home. He has done several things in recent years that have annoyed the golfing world.
With that, it felt notable that there were not a handful of his fellow professionals waiting by the 18th green to congratulate him on winning the US Open.
The only player who made sure to be there was Aaron Rai.
There were also not too many messages directed at Clark on social media as the players summarised their weeks in Southampton.
But perhaps that should not be read into. Higgs insisted that most players have no issue with Clark.
“We’re not robots, we’re definitely not perfect, that’s for sure. Sometimes frustration just boils over and I’m no saint either, certainly. I like Wyndham, I think almost everyone out here does,” he said.
“Yeah, he’s been vilified, but he’s a good dude, he’s a good person. You can see he’s trying hard to overcome whatever mistakes he’s made. The bottom line is we’re all psychos for doing this for a living and you can’t judge someone on their worst moment or two. You have to give people a little grace and see how they respond to adversity.”
It will be interesting to see if Clark is able to redeem himself in the eyes of the fans over the coming years. Many will have gained respect for him for the way he handled Sunday.
What could have been, and nearly was, one of the worst days of his career turned into his greatest triumph.
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