Despite not being the favorite, Wyndham Clark reveals what kept him so confident en route to winning the US Open major

The 2023 US Open was the dream weekend for Wyndham Clark, who picked up his first-ever major victory. He held off World No. 3 Rory McIlroy to shoot an even-par 70 and claim the 123rd US Open title.

The incredible major win comes just months after the golfer won his first-ever tournament on the PGA Tour, the 2023 Wells Fargo Championship. The event gave him a huge boost of confidence coming into the major. He harnessed the experience from the win at Wells to keep his focus at the US Open.

For him, the US Open and Wells Fargo Championship were not different. Both consisted of similar fields of talented golfers and the pressure to perform while holding the lead was the same.

"The field is the exact same. The only thing that is different is what the media and everyone makes a major out to be. So I just kept telling myself, 'Hey, I already beat these guys at a major championship golf course and there is no difference between that and this week'. I felt very confident and comfortable out there," Clark said.

While there were no major differences in how Wyndham Clark felt at both events, the pressure of being at a major was slightly higher. He especially felt it during the last few holes of the US Open.

"You know I would say maybe I was a touch more nervous in the opening round. But because I had had a recent victory, it was easy to fall back on some great moments and shots and mental thoughts that I had at that event," Wyndham Clark said.

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Wyndham Clark grateful for his caddie, family, and friends for being his support system

Wyndham Clark also credited much of his success to his support system, especially his caddie John Ellis. Ellis himself competed at the US Open twice and was able to understand Clark and offer him all the support he needed. Ellis has been on the bag for Clark for over eight years.

"I owe a lot of that to my support system, and that starts out with John, my caddie. Then having my friends and family and also my girlfriend. She has been out here for a lot of events and she has been a rock for me," he said.

Lastly, Wyndham Clark gave himself some well-deserved credit, seeing how much he had grown over the last eight months. He was able to keep his cool on the course to bag his first major victory.

"Seven, eight months ago I was still breaking clubs and losing my head on a golf course. Its amazing to see how much I've changed mentally out on the golf course as a person over six, seven months," Wyndham Clark said.