Wyndham Clark is already laying the groundwork for psychological warfare a year ahead of the Ryder Cup. Fresh off his pivotal contribution to Team USA’s President’s Cup victory over the international team with a score of 18.5-11.5, the 30-year-old golfer didn’t hold back.
He famously taunted South Korean players Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim with a boisterous “Nighty-night, boys” after their defeat by Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele. As the dust settled in Montreal following their triumph, the 2023 U.S. Open winner wasted no time in targeting Team Europe, who will be defending their Ryder Cup title at Bethpage Black next September.
When quizzed about the unity within Jim Furyk’s squad, Clark confidently stated: “We are a very close team. Contrary to what people thought last year at the Ryder Cup, we were in my opinion closer than the Europeans.”
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He continued: “The media tries to divide us apart, and this year we were just as close if not closer. We had so much camaraderie and positive energy between us. When things weren’t going well, we still were all picking each other up. It was an amazing team room. So many laughs, so many fond memories.”.
Despite Clark’s insinuations, the final score in Rome told a different story with the home team triumphing 16.5-11.5. Luke Donald’s squad is now focused on becoming the first team to retain the Ryder Cup on foreign turf since the legendary ‘Miracle of Medinah’ in 2012. However, Clark also cautioned that his team had superior talent.
“I feel like we’re the best players in the world for a reason,” he said. “And I think you get us all together, and I just think we have a little extra something that maybe other people don’t have. I think it’s the little dog in us.”
Clark claimed he is better than Rory McIlroy before last year’s Ryder Cup (
(Image: Getty))
Clark has been known to fan the flames before the Ryder Cup. Prior to his first appearance in Rome last year, he sparked a stir by claiming he was better than Team Europe’s leading player Rory McIlroy.
“I like to think I am better than him and I want to prove that,” he declared. Although Clark expressed “utmost respect” for the Northern Irishman, he later suggested his remarks were misinterpreted. In Italy, he scored 1.5 points from his initial two matches, then faced Robert MacIntyre in the singles.
In a nail-biting match, Clark recovered from a four-hole deficit to draw even with only two holes remaining. But as word spread that the Europeans had clinched the match on another part of the course, it was MacIntyre who ultimately clinched a 2-up victory.
The honor of leading the home side next year won’t be going to Furyk, but instead to Keegan Bradley. Currently, World No. 3 Clark is on track to secure an automatic spot in Bradley’s team, thanks to his single tournament victory in 2024 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California.
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