“It’s a tough question.” – said a torn Wyndham Clark. What was he alluding to, you ask? Well, the golfer was replying to a query posed to him about LIV Golf Pros, including Dustin Johnson, being allowed back on the PGA Tour without any repercussions. Even so, the 30-year-old did have a response to the controversial question. And, interestingly enough, it depended on who it is that wants to come back to the Jay Monahan-led circuit.
“I don’t know; I think it depends on who it is,” said the golfer in an episode of the No Laying Up Podcast. He made a clear distinction between professionals who made it big on the Tour as opposed to those who didn’t while responding to the query he posed. “I think guys that have had the career where they should be lifelong PGA Tour players, I think they deserve the right to come play the PGA Tour.”
He then took the case of LIV players and major winners, including the likes of Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, and Phil Mickelson, before reiterating the same. “If Dustin Johnson wants to come back and Phil Mickelson and guys that have won, Brooks, who have won majors and are most likely hall of famers, they deserve to play wherever the hell they want, because they’re so good.”
What about the others? Well, Wyndham Clark had an answer to that part of the question too. “I think guys that maybe left and didn’t have that pedigree and career,” added the pro. “I think those are the guys I struggle with because they made their decision. So they chose to go play there, take the money. I think that’s what a lot of us wrestle with.” Quite an interesting distinction that he was able to make, especially since there are athletes in the Saudi-backed league who have failed to make a mark on the PGA Tour.
He then highlighted how the situation would have been different if the athletes could actually come back and tee off in the PGA Tour events while hinting at the LIV golfers. “A lot of us had the chance to take the money,” said the athlete as he added how many would have taken it under a certain condition. “If we 100 percent knew we could take the money and come back, then we all would have done that, because we all would’ve been way richer and then you come back and actually play at the highest level.”
Interestingly enough, the American was one of the professionals who was allowed to join the breakaway league as well.
Wyndham Clark chooses ‘legacy over LIV’Back in January, there was a lot of speculation surrounding Clark and his rumored move to LIV Golf after Jon Rahm’s defection. But none of that came to fruition, as he went ahead to divulge how he refused their offers soon after. “I still have a lot of things left in the tank on the PGA Tour,” said Clark in an interview with NBC Sports. “And I wanted to chase records; I wanted to chase world ranking.”
The professional then went ahead to reveal his ambition as a golfer. “My dream is to try to be one of the top players in the world, if not the top player,” said the 2023 PGA Championship winner. “I just grew up always imagining winning PGA Tour events. So ultimately, I chose my legacy over LIV…that’s really what it came down to.” Currently, the golfer boasts 3 PGA Tour wins, of which one is a major victory. He sure does have an impressive record.
