Windham Clark was in great shape Thursday on the 11th tee box of the 88th Masters Tournament. He was 3 under, just a few strokes behind leader Bryson DeChambeau.
Then the adversity hit, and Clark hit some ill-timed shots, dropping him to eight strokes by the end of the day.
After the round, he showed off why he’s one of the most confident players on tour.
“Yes, there are 54 holes. At LIV Golf, you only play the 54th hole, so I like my chances,” Clark said. A little bitter smile. “There’s still a lot of golf left. As you can see, someone shot 7 under. You can do that tomorrow.”
“Yeah, there’s 54 holes. At LIV Golf, you only play 54 holes, so I like the opportunity.”
Windham Clark is confident he can still catch up with the leaders after the first round at the Masters. pic.twitter.com/xcvLGq0mrz
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) April 11, 2024
It is unclear whether it was drilling at a rival Saudi circuit. But his assessment is spot on. If this were his LIV golf event, it would have just started on Friday. A lot more could happen.
But if Clark wants to get back into contention, he can’t hit shots like the one he hit on Thursday the 15th.
His approach failed and he tumbled into the water. He ended up making double bogey on that hole.
Clark played a par-5 2-over in the first round. Things will need to change if he wants a chance at a green jacket this year.
“I missed a 6-footer on the 13th, I three-putted on the 8th, I didn’t hit the wedge well on the 2nd, and obviously spun out on the 15th. I played well. I just didn’t score well.” That’s it. Probably the biggest gain. If you play 2 under, it’s a completely different round. ”
Nevertheless, the irons weren’t the only reason for Clark’s back nine struggles. The wind was blowing really hard, especially while he was on the track. That had a pretty big impact on many players, including Tiger Woods, who called Thursday one of the trickiest days he’s ever seen at Augusta National.
“Today we had winds of 20 degrees and gusts up to 30 degrees. It’s just a tough day,” Clark said.
Winds are expected to become more intense on Friday, with gusts up to 75 mph. Time will tell how Clark will handle it.
The reigning U.S. Open champion is scheduled to tee off at 2 p.m. ET.
Kendall Capps is the senior editor of SB Nation’s Playing Through.For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough On all major social media platforms.
