“They already are borderline” - Wyndham Clark gives out a warning about the greens at Pinehurst ahead of US Open
Defending champion Wyndham Clark has issued a warning about the greens at Pinehurst No. 2 ahead of the US Open 2024. He feels the greens are quite fast here and can be more challenging if they get a little firmer.
The US Open is set to take place at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina from Thursday, June 13, to Sunday, June 16. Clark will enter the playing field as a reigning champion and look to become only the fourth player in history to defend his title here.
On Monday, June 10, Clark interacted with journalists in the pre-event press conference of the US Open 2024. During the press conference, he reflected on the greens at Pinehurst.
"I mean, they are extremely fast." he said. "If they get any firmer and faster, the greens, I mean, they'd be borderline. They already are borderline. "But yeah, as far as practicing, the biggest thing is where you leave yourself on the greens."
Wyndham Clark shared that he practiced with his caddie on Monday and discussed certain holes. He added that one had to play a lot of breaks in these greens.
"When we're hitting lag putts and short putts, you have a 10-footer downhill, down-grain," he added. Normally you're not more than four or five inches outside the cup on most greens. Here you're maybe playing 10 to 12 inches just so that you're not getting below the hole and having it run away.
He added that it required a lot of practice, which was their focus for the rest of the practice days.
How has Wyndham Clark performed at the US Open in the past?
Wyndham Clark has made three starts at the US Open and missed the cut in his first two starts before registering a win last year.
Last year, Clark entered the field after his debut win on the PGA Tour a month earlier. With newfound confidence, he played his clutch game on all four days. He started with a low 64, followed by a 67 and a 69 in the next two rounds. After 54 holes, he topped the leaderboard for the first time and was tied at 10-under with Rickie Fowler.
On the final day, while Fowler lost his momentum and shot 75 to slip several places down, Wyndham Clark succeeded in shooting an even-par 70 to claim a one-shot win over Rory McIlroy.