An Open of ups and downs — and a suriprise champion

LOS ANGELES — It was exactly the type of U.S. Open that could have been predicted in Southern California, full of wonderful play, grumbling golfers and an emotional champion who proved his skill but perhaps still has to prove himself to the public.

No question Wyndham Clark has game  — you don’t win any major, much less the nation’s championship, without one. But does he have a name?

Is he about to get the recognition of, well not Tiger Woods, because neither he nor anyone else in the sport could do that. But of Rory McIlroy, whom he beat down the stretch, or Brooks Koepka?

Clark came in with an even-par 70 Sunday to close the first Open ever at the long-exclusive Los Angeles Country Club and finished at 10-under par 270, one shot better than McIlroy. Scottie Scheffler was third at 273.

Rickie Fowler, who led all or part of the previous rounds after starting with an open single round low of 62, ended up at 275 after a faltering 75.

We’re only a few miles from Hollywood, not that century-old LACC wanted anything to do with the entertainment business, and Clark’s story is right off a tear-jerker script.

When Clark was growing up, and learning golf in Denver, his mother, Lisa, stuffed his pockets with notes reminding him never to take the easy way out

“When my mom was sick,” Clark, 29, told the New York Times about Lisa Clark, who died awhile ago. “I was in college and she told me: ‘Hey, play big. Play for something bigger than yourself. You have a platform to either witness, or help, or be a role model for so many people.’ And I’ve taken that to heart. When I’m out there playing, I want to do that for her.”

At the trophy presentation Sunday Rickie Fowler told Clark in the scoring area, “I think your mom would be proud.”

Clark happily agreed.     

“Yeah,” said Clark, “she’s always been proud of me, regardless of how I’m doing.”

As part of a week that was both successful and irritating — for him briefly, for others extensively — Clark complained about Saturday’s third round lasting until darkness because of late starting times — forced play until dark.

Koepka, who last month’s win the PGA Championship, didn’t like the set up at LACC, narrow greens, deep bunkers. Last year’s U.S. Open champion, Matt Fitzgerald, was concerned by a lack of cheering fans and because of the way tickets were sold, it didn’t feel it was an Open atmosphere.

Yet the Open made it through its ups and downs and provided Wyndham Clark, a fine champion if yet to have to prove himself to the public.