WM Phoenix Open brought a lot of interesting moments right during the first day.
Wyndham Clark was in the center of attention, with a great game, showing that he belongs at the very top of the golf scene. The 31-year-old American saved par after his tee shot ended up in the water on the par-4 17th hole, and shot an incredible seven-under-par 64 to take the one-shot lead.
ADVERTISEMENT
The players could be satisfied with the conditions, unlike last year.
The 31-year-old opened the tournament in a phenomenal way, with a birdie, which was followed by four consecutive birdies.
In the interview with the media, Clark emphasized the mindset, aware that controlling his thoughts can be a guarantee of success for him, both now and in future tournaments.
"You can't necessarily control the score and what happens to your golf ball, but you can control your thoughts," Clark said, as quoted by The West.
"So it was a good reminder for me to get back to, hey, when I'm playing my best, I look at the glass more half full than I do half empty."
Scottie Scheffler
Although Clark took the lead in this tournament, most of the attention was focused on Scottie Scheffler, the world number 1, and the man for whom this is the second tournament of the season. The 28-year-old made a bunker shot on the 10th hole for eagle and finished with a 69. However, it is known that the American golfer knows how to pick up the pace and turn things in his favor.
ADVERTISEMENT
We will see if he can do the same this time.
Clark reflected on his performance, admitting he was a bit angry after pulling his tee shot left into the water on the easy-to-reach par-4 17th hole, but he did a great job with an outstanding pitch to save par, before finishing with an easy par on the 18th hole.
"Needless to say that's a birdie hole, and to hit it in the water and not really have a birdie look is kind of unfortunate," Clark said. "But to come away with a par was awesome - that was huge."
