Wyndham Clark chose his legacy over a big-money move to LIV Golf.
The US Open champion was asked why he stayed with the PGA Tour after being named the winner of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am which was halted after 54 holes by bad weather.
Rumours started in the New Year linking Clark to the Saudi-funded circuit following a breakthrough season where he won a major, the Wells Fargo Championship and made his Ryder Cup debut.
Speculation was warranted as Clark revealed discussions were held with Greg Norman’s breakaway league, but his priority is the PGA Tour and all the records and rankings that come with it.
“There’s definitely some truth,” he said. “I definitely met with LIV and went through those discussions. I wanted to see what they could bring to the table.
“I ultimately declined going to LIV because I felt like I still have a lot of things left in the tank on the PGA Tour and I wanted to chase records, I wanted to chase world ranking.
“My dream is to try to be one of the top players in the world if not the top player. I just grew up always imagining winning PGA Tour events. So ultimately, I chose my legacy over LIV and that’s really what it came down to.
“I don’t know what the future holds with my career and what the PGA Tour and LIV is going to do, but at least for this season I am 100 per cent set on the PGA Tour and I want to try to get to as high in the world as I possibly can.”
The 30-year-old’s inability to see into the future is one of many frustrations linked to the ongoing talks between the PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund that bankrolls LIV Golf.
A framework agreement between the tour and the PIF was announced last June, but an official agreement, or a picture of what this could mean for the sport, is yet to be solidified.
The aim of the shock alliance was to unify golf after PGA Tour players were suspended for joining LIV, DP World Tour players were suspended and fined and many months of a legal war that cast a dark cloud over the game.
Wyndham Clark: Pebble Beach Pro-Am win confirmed after PGA Tour statement
The PGA Tour released in a statement in the early hours of Monday morning that the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am would be concluded after 54 holes due to the storm affecting the Monterey Peninsula.
“Although conditions are forecast to improve through the morning Monday, after consultation with Monterey County Emergency Authorities, who have implemented a shelter in place order until early tomorrow morning for the greater Pebble Beach community, and out of an abundance of caution for the safety of all constituents, there will be no play on Monday,” the statement read.
Clark propelled himself to the top of the leaderboard at Pebble Beach by shooting a 12-under-par 60 on Saturday, finishing one shot ahead of Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg on 17-under-par.
Clark left an eagle putt short on the 18th hole in agonising fashion, inches from carding the first-ever 59 at one of the most iconic venues in the sport.
“It was really weird because everyone was celebrating and congratulating me for obviously having an amazing round,” he said. “I even said to myself and the people, man, I feel like I won the tournament with how much media I was doing, yet I had another round to play.
“That was a little unique and weird. And then obviously waking up and they cancelled the day, your mind is just sitting there and you’re trying not to go too far into the future and you’re trying to get your mind right to play for the fourth round.
“And then I get a call and they say hey, we’re going to cancel it and you’re the winner. It’s just been a whirlwind of emotions and feelings. It’s pretty surreal right now.”
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The post Pebble Beach hero Wyndham Clark reveals why he rejected LIV Golf appeared first on National Club Golfer.
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