Wyndham Clark under fire over tour remarks

US Open champion Wyndham Clark has faced somewhat of a social media backlash after suggesting that the PGA Tour should be restricted to only 100 players.

Clark, who cracked the top-100 on the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time just under a year ago, made the remarks following the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

The 30-year-old was asked for his take on comments made by Rory McIlroy earlier in the week. The Irishman suggested that he would like to see the tour become “leaner” and more “cut-throat”.

Pressed for his thoughts, Clark said: “I think it would be amazing if our tour was a hundred guys, and I kind of said this a few times, a hundred guys and we have 20 guys that get relegated every time, every year, doesn’t matter who you are. It would be exciting.

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“Because you come down to the end of the year, people are looking who is going to win the FedEx Cup, and then you’re looking at who is not going to be here next year. So, yeah, I’m probably with Rory on that.

“I don’t know what that number is, but I think it’s just nice to elevate the product and make it to where the best players are playing on TV more often and against each other.”

Asked to elaborate on the 100-man fields he was proposing, Clark said that was “a little outside of my pay grade” but added: “I think that would be nice. I think a hundred-man field and then we would still have maybe a little bit bigger of a cut.

“It would be simple, because you know these hundred guys have a card and, no matter what, they’re playing in the events and there’s no, you know, this guy gets in or whatever sponsor invites. I think it would just be really easy.

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“Then, if you lose your card, you go down to the next one, and vice versa. So, I don’t know. I think that seems like an easy simple plan, but like I said, above my pay grade.”

Clark’s comments were shared quickly and widely on social media and drew a largely negative response.

DP World Tour pro Richard Mansell was amongst the dissenting voices. “Good job they didn’t do this when you were finishing outside 100 on the PGA Tour not very long ago,” he tweeted. “Closed shop idea is a terrible one. Remember where you came from. There’s a lot of good players waiting to break through.”

The Englishman expanded on his thoughts in this follow-up tweet:

Thoughts…#golf pic.twitter.com/HsOgHEwxSO

— RICHARD MANSELL (@richardmansel14) March 10, 2024

Pro-turned-commentator Andrew Coltart tweeted: “Where’s the jeopardy, where’s the cut throat, where’s the Cinderella story when you give money to a small group of players even when they play poorly? There should always be a cut if you want to get paid. I want to see the guys like Jake Knapp, Nick Dunlap storm to victory.”

Former Amateur champion Bradley Neil wrote: “Amazing how quickly players forget where they came from. Knapp could play Presidents Cup or RC next year which might not have been possible if it weren’t for playing opportunities.”

The consensus from golf fans was also overwhelmingly against Clark’s comments.

“Remember where you came from, pal!” wrote one Twitter used.

Another replied: “Irony is he never would’ve made it on the tour if this was the case.”

“What would he have said a couple years ago?” added another.

What did you make of Wyndham Clark’s comments?

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Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor