Days after Scottie Scheffler became the first player to qualify for the US Ryder Cup team, it has been confirmed Wyndham Clark will be joining him at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome.
The 29-year-old is currently 11th in the world helped largely by his maiden Major title, which came in June’s US Open at Los Angeles Country Club.
However, Clark has impressed in far more than that tournament in 2023. He also claimed his maiden PGA Tour win in May’s Wells Fargo Championship, while he had top-10 finishes in the Valspar Championship and Corales Puntacana Championship, all of which have helped make his inclusion in Zach Johnson’s team all but a formality in recent weeks.
The top six in the US Ryder Cup points list qualify automatically for the tournament, but while players can accumulate points until immediately after the second event in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, the BMW Championship, Clark has done enough to ensure qualification with three tournaments to spare, and is currently second on the list.
For Clark, the tournament will mark his first Ryder Cup appearance, and he explained how much it meant to him to represent Team USA. He said: “Since I started my journey in golf, I've had a goal of making a US Ryder Cup team.
“One of my mottos is to play big, play for something bigger than yourself. This represents an opportunity to do just that by playing for my country and hopefully inspiring young golfers. I know Zach is going to put us in the best position to win, and I can't wait to take on this challenge alongside a great group of individuals and bring the Ryder Cup back home to America.”
In the US Open in particular, Clark proved he had the mettle for the big occasion. With home favourite Rickie Fowler in pursuit, and Rory McIlroy even closer in his search for a fifth Major title, Clark held his nerve impressively close out a one-shot victory.
Clark's game in 2023 has also been typified by improved approach play and his ability on the greens, and there's every sign those assets will help him become a key member of Johnson's team.
Behind Clark in the points list are Open champion Brian Harman, PGA Champion Brooks Koepka, and Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay, who rank sixth and fourth in the world, respectively.
With the final automatic qualifiers being confirmed in the coming weeks followed by six captain's pick, the make-up of Johnson’s team will soon become clearer still.
