Wyndham Clark says only certain LIV professionals should be allowed on the Tour
Wyndham Clark is mired in controversy over the 2024 President’s Cup.
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When it comes to Wyndham Clark, casual golf fans can be forgiven for thinking of him as a quiet, well-spoken professional with a vanilla personality. But that’s not the case.
The last two seasons have shown Clark to be a visionary, articulate and highly competitive player. In 2023, Clark captured his first win at Wells Fargo in May, then went on to win a major at the US Open at Los Angeles Country Club.
After making his US team’s first appearance at the 2023 Ryder Cup, Clark was in the thick of things last month at the Presidents Cup, and was involved in one of the event’s most controversial moments.
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During a recent Saturday match between Americans Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay and international players Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim, Tom Kim accused American players watching the game on the sidelines of “cursing us.”
Then international team member Ben An called out Clark directly on Twitter, and Clark responded with his own quip.
This week, Clark showed his opinionated side when he joined the No Limits podcast and delved into the most controversial topic in pro golf over the past few years: LIV Golf.
One of the current hot button topics is if and how LIV players should be allowed to return to the PGA Tour once an agreement is finalized between the Tour and the PIF.
In the interview, Clark told No Laying Up that he supports some LIV pros returning to their roots on Tour, but not all. The main difference between the two groups? Their trip is their “lineage”.
“It depends on who you are,” Clark told No Laying Up. “Guys that have had a career where they’re supposed to be PGA Tour players for the rest of their lives, they deserve the right to come and play on the PGA Tour.”
He continued: “If Dustin Johnson wants to come back with Phil Mickelson and the guys who have won, Brooks, who have won majors and are probably Hall of Famers, they deserve to play wherever they want, because they are so good.” .”
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But as for players who aren’t household names and don’t have many glittering trophies at home, Clark expressed reluctance to allow them back on Tour.
“Guys that might be gone and don’t have that pedigree and career,” Clark said, “these are the guys I’m fighting because they made their decision.”
Clark also pointed out that if players knew they could “take money” from LIV and play PGA Tour events, “we all would have done that.”
This is not the first time Clark has commented on LIV Golf since the league’s inception in 2022.
After his win in the shortened AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where the tournament was called after 54 holes due to inclement weather, Clark admitted he had considered an offer from LIV but declined to pursue his lifelong goal of winning PGA events Tour.
“I ended up refusing to go to LIV because I feel like there are a lot of things left in the tank on the PGA Tour and I want to chase records, I want to chase world class,” said Clark following his win. “My dream is to try to be one of the best players if not the best player. I just grew up always thinking about winning PGA Tour events. So in the end, I chose my legacy over LIV and that’s what it came down to. “
Then at the Masters, Clark took a sneaky shot at LIV Golf and its players. After struggling to a one-over 73 in the opening round, Clark laughed, “You know we have 54 holes. [left]. At LIV Golf they only play 54, so I like my chances.”
You can listen to Clark’s full interview with the No Laying Up podcast here.
