Wyndham Clark out of action with neck injury

Wyndham Clark is not scheduled to play this weekend after withdrawing from last week’s Players Championship

By Jim Bebbington

Wyndham Clark’s withdrawal from last weekend’s Players Championship is his second known injury in the last year that has affected his play.

Clark withdrew from the Players mid-way through his Friday round. He was 4-over for the front-nine when he withdrew, stating he was dealing with a neck injury. This came after a Thursday round that saw him seesaw with five birdies and five bogeys and finish at even par.

On Monday it was announced that he was withdrawing too from the Tuesday night TGL match on ESPN. Clark’s team, The Bay Golf Club, is in the league’s first semifinals against the Atlanta Drive GC. He was replaced by teammate Min Woo Lee.

He’s played in seven PGA Tour stops so far this year, missing the cut once and finishing in the top 20 twice.

Just a week ago he took the first-round lead at the Arnold Palmer Invitational with an opening 5-under 67. He said after the Thursday round he felt comfortable all day. But then on the back nine of the Friday round, he piled up a string of bogeys and shot in the 70s the rest of the weekend, finishing tied for 22nd.

After the Friday round at the Arnold Palmer in which he struggled so much that he fist-pumped after sinking a putt for double-bogey, he did not mention anything physically wrong.

“I don’t know that I’ve ever fist-pumped a double bogey before,” he said.

Just about a year ago, on March 27, Clark had a muscle spasm in his back while working out in the gym that required him to begin rehab exercises. He did not play as if he had any lingering issues, finishing at 4-under par for the tournament, tied for 31st.

Before the Players Championship began Clark said he was working to return to his early 2024 form, when he won at Pebble Beach and finished second at the 2024 Players.

“Yeah, I’m hoping to try to get back into that quality golf. I felt like the consistency was so great and always just kind of knocking on the door,” he said.

He is not currently listed in the field for the PGA Tour’s event this weekend, the Valspar Championship.