There are public relations executives you can pay hefty sums to in the interest of image rehabilitation. Photo shoots, confessional interviews, self-deprecating commercial spots—these are among the levers one can pull when seeking to change the narrative around them.
In sports at least, it doesn’t always need to be so complicated. Sometimes it helps to put on a new shirt.
Which brings us to Wyndham Clark, a two-time U.S. Open champion, the fifth-ranked player in the world, and yet a golfer who is still trying to endear himself to golf fans. Whether that’s Clark’s fault, the media’s, or very likely some combination of the two, is not something likely to be clarified this week at the Presidents Cup. But even Clark recognizes the opportunity that comes with wearing an American uniform at Medinah.
“Yeah, if I don’t get love at the Presidents Cup, as a USA guy, then I don’t know, I might move to Mexico or something,” he said.
You can’t say winning solves all since Clark has already won six times on the PGA Tour and still finds himself in this spot. But winning as a member of the home team in front of some of the country’s most passionate sports fans is a different matter, and Clark was already off to a promising start after winning his opening four-ball match alongside partner Collin Morikawa.
“I would love to be one of the guys that gets the fans going, gets the team going, and hopefully get us a Cup,” he said.
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Clark, 32, has become a polarizing figure in the game for reasons he doesn’t understand, but he recognizes the opportunity before him at Medinah. |
No, you technically can't show your partner the line in match play. On the eighth hole of Cameron Young and Xander Schauffele's four-ball match against Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Hisatsune on Thursday, Young found himself in a situation we all find ourselves in during weekend team match play games with buddies. Young was pretty much out of the hole after hitting his approach in the water, but he took his drop anyway and chipped his fourth shot to four feet, setting up a bogey putt. His partner, Schauffele, meanwhile, missed the green with his second then chipped it up to eight feet, right on the same line as Young's bogey putt. After some deliberation and calling in a rules official, Hisatsune told Young to pick up his mark. Normally, in weekend games, your partner would ask you "show me the line." That's actually not allowed, as NBC rules analyst Mark Dusbabek pointed out right after. You are technically allowed to putt out even if the putt has been conceded, except if that putt is going to aid your partner. It's one of those rules we all break in our own money games, but it would actually get you in trouble in a legitimate Four-ball competition. According to Rule 23.6, if you putt out and show your partner the line, your score would count without penalty, put your partner's score would not count for your side. Schauffele, naturally, missed his eight-footer, and the Internationals took the hole with a par.
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You rarely see a player change putters during the Presidents Cup. The biennial matches aren't typically the place for experimenting on the greens. But that didn't stop Justin Thomas. Thomas opted for a Scotty Cameron Xperimental 10.5 at Medinah, a notable switch given the stakes and the format. Match play leaves little margin for a flat stroke, and a new flatstick is either a spark or a gamble. The more interesting detail is in the hosel. From the looks of it, Thomas' version sports a flow neck rather than the jet neck, a change that alters how the face rotates through the stroke and suits a slightly different putting motion. Whether it's a one-week experiment or something longer-term remains to be seen. For now, JT is rolling it with something new.
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Anthony Kim is getting a documentary. The details are scarce, but Propagate Content has announced an upcoming documentary on the golfer. And, according to the press release, Kim is involved. "Now, after an improbable return and a victory few believed possible, Kim tells his story for the first time, on his own terms," the press release reads. "A deeply personal journey of recovery, redemption, and the search for what comes next." Once a PGA Tour star and a U.S. Ryder Cup hero, Kim had his career put on hold due to a series of injuries, addiction and mental health issues. After nearly 12 years removed from pro golf, Kim returned in 2024 by joining LIV. In February, Kim won the LIV Australia event for his first victory in 16 years.
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