Wyndham Clark is considered one of the top 10 golfers in the nation his age, and this week he demonstrated why he’s so highly regarded.
The 15-year-old from Cherry Hills Country Club not only won the CGA Junior Stroke Play Championship, but he lapped the field at Eaton Country Club.
Clark, a sophomore-to-be at Valor Christian High School, cruised to an 11-stroke victory and was the only player under par for 54 holes.
“We were playing for second,” co-runner-up Benjamin Krueger of Pine Creek Golf Club said. “I played with (Clark) the first two rounds and that 65 he shot (Tuesday) was insane, crazy. I wouldn’t be surprised if he turned pro before he got out of high school.”
That may be going a little far, but no one was in Clark’s class this week at Eaton. The Greenwood Village resident, in winning his first Colorado Golf Association championship, finished at 8-under-par 205. Next best were Krueger and David Holtgrewe of Cherry Hills, at 216.
Clark used an eagle on the fourth hole Wednesday — he hit a 4-iron from 220 yards to 1 foot from the cup — to propel him to a final round of 2-under-par 69.
“One kid I was playing with said after (the eagle) that I was nine shots up,” Clark said. “So I just tried for another good round and enjoyed myself.”
Clark’s second-round 65 was the best of the tournament by three strokes and gave him a six-shot cushion going into the final day. And with a birdie and an eagle in the first four holes Wednesday, it was obvious he had no intention of being caught from behind. By the time the day was over, Clark had racked up an eagle, four birdies and four bogeys.
Clark called Wednesday’s win one of his biggest in Colorado — “It’s one I’ll remember,” he said — but he’s certainly no stranger to success. By his count, he’s won three tournaments on the prestigious Future Collegians World Tour, and earlier this month he placed second in the American Junior Golf Association’s Colorado Junior at Flying Horse. All told he’s posted wins in three events this year on the Colorado Junior Golf Association schedule.
In the bigger picture, Clark currently ranks 171st among the country’s junior players, according to the Junior Golf Scoreboard web site. But among the high school class of 2012, Clark is No. 8.
“I hope to be the best; that’s my goal,” he said. Being ranked highly on a national level “is pretty motivating.”
Clark, who won’t turn 16 years old until December, has a busy summer of tournaments on tap. Included are the Callaway Junior World Championships, the Optimist International Junior Championship and a couple of AJGA national tournaments. And, if Clark qualifies later this month, a trip to the U.S. Junior Amateur will be added to the schedule.
Locally, Clark is tentatively planning to play against some of the best amateurs in the state — regardless of age — at the CGA Match Play and Stroke Play Championships.
FINAL RESULTS
Wyndham Clark, Cherry Hills CC 71-65-69–205
David Holtgrewe, Cherry Hills CC 72-72-72–216
Benjamin Krueger, Pine Creek GC 71-74-71–216
Brendan Connolly, CC at Castle Pines 72-75-70–217
Clay LaBrec, Ranch CC 69-75-73–217
Michael Lee, Greeley CC 73-71-73–217
Tyler Lovato, Ranch CC 72-74-71–217
Jonathan Park, Meadow Hills GC 76-69-72–217
Cameron Brown, Sonnenalp GC 73-69-75–217
Cody Kent, Plum Creek G & CC 72-73-73–218
Michael Schoolcraft, Cherry Hills CC 75-73-70–218
Zachary Fowlds, Colorado GC 75-72-71–218
Taylor Bolton-Harvey, Glenmoor CC 73-72-74–219
Nicholas Davis, Cherry Hills CC 74-73-72–219
Parker Edens, Greeley CC 73-76-70–219
Ryan Hooks, Foothills GC 70-72-77–219
Blake Mitchell, Olde Course at Loveland 74-73-72–219
Tyler Engel, Castle Pines GC 71-78-71–220
Kenneth Forward, Omni Interlocken 73-71-76–220
Ben Lyons, South Suburban GC 73-79-68–220
A.J. Morris, Maroon Creek Club 76-68-76–220
Bryan Fickle, Perry Park CC 77-70-73–220
Joshua Mathis, Colorado Springs CC 72-76-72–220
Dario Ortega, Collindale GC 74-72-75–221
Zachary Cuseo, Raccoon Creek GC 75-74-73–222
Kyle Fanning, CommonGround GC 75-73-74–222
Jackson Giro, Ptarmigan G & CC 74-75-73–222
Sam Schweitzer, Meridian GC 75-74-74–223
Palmer Giro, Ptarmigan G & CC 75-75-74–224
Kevin Koelbel, Pinehurst CC 76-73-75–224
Tyler Steigerwald, The Flying Horse Club 71-76-77–224
Michael Vogelsong, The Flying Horse Club 74-71-79–224
Ryan Burke, Fox Hill CC 75-74-75–224
Eric Parish, Aurora Hills GC 77-72-76–225
Michael Reitz, Kennedy GC 71-76-78–225
Cory Thelen, The Club at Pradera 77-75-73–225
Justin Russell, Black Canyon GC 76-71-79–226
William Roth, Lake Valley GC 73-75-79–227
Chris Shaw, Collindale GC 77-74-77–228
Caleb Barker, Perry Park CC 77-74-77–228
Spencer Sheets, Glenmoor CC 75-77-77–229
MISSED CUT
Luke Condon, Cattails GC 77-76–153
Cameron Harrell, Pine Creek GC 80-73–153
Connor Klein, Lone Tree GC 79-74–153
Colin Hendrickson, Mariana Butte GC 77-77–154
Ian Heath, Collindale GC 81-73–154
Nicklaus Davis, The Pinery CC 76-78–154
Loren Glen, Thorncreek GC 81-74–155
Joshua Kim, Meadow Hills GC 80-75–155
Brandon Martin, Highland Meadows GC 79-77–156
Justin Mortensen, Cattails GC 82-74–156
Austin Raap, Highlands Ranch GC 82-74–156
Blake Basham, Links GC 79-78–157
Christopher Dillon, Colorado Springs CC 75-82–157
Steven Kupcho, Legacy Ridge GC 82-75–157
Tyler Maydew, Fox Hill CC 82-75–157
Micah Ramirez, Broken Tee Englewood 80-77–157
Cody Vance, Raccoon Creek GC 80-78–158
Gregg Davis, The Pinery CC 73-85–158
Blaine Bassett, Fox Hill CC 79-80–159
Dallas Perrault, Courses at Hyland Hills 80-79–159
Taylor Wild, Plum Creek G & CC 79-81–160
Sam Phillips, Homestead GC The 81-79–160
Ryan Bent, Hiwan Golf Club 75-86–161
Brian Danielson, Broadlands GC 84-78–162
Gavin Virtue, Meadows GC 82-80–162
Joshua Borgmann, Deer Creek at Meadow Ranch 81-81–162
Mikal Timm, Collindale GC 84-78–162
Michael Cole, Ridge at Castle Pines North 78-85–163
Cole Allen, Flying Horse Club 81-82–163
Nicholas Allen, Raccoon Creek GC 86-78–164
Zach Richardson, Meadow Hills GC 83-82–165
Zach Wilson, Boulder CC 83-82–165
John Ahern, Bear Creek GC 77-89–166
Matt Porter, Ridge at Castle Pines North 83-83–166
Alex Hiser, Woodmoor Pines CC 78-90–168
Tyler Hogg, Colorado Springs CC 85-83–168
Tyler Hackenberg, Riverdale GCs 88-81–169
Joe Tripp, Valley CC 84-87–171
Nick Comer, Eaton CC 90-84–174
Jackson Stimple, The Flying Horse Club 87-89–176
Gunnar Haynes, Eaton CC 93-93–186
Mitchel Solomon, Saddleback GC 82-DQ–DQ
