Why did Wyndham Clark get a sports psychologist? Golfer’s admission on Netflix’s Full Swing amid mental health issues explored

Wyndham Clark's career journey has been truly inspiring. He began playing professionally in 2017 but did not win a single event until 2023. Clark also faced personal challenges after he lost his mother in 2013. Over the years, he struggled with both personal and professional issues.

During this difficult time, Wyndham Clark sought help from a sports psychologist to navigate his challenges and ultimately secure his maiden PGA Tour win. Fans got a glimpse into his tough journey and how he coped with his struggles in the second season of the golf docuseries Full Swing, which premiered earlier this year.

In the third episode, Clark openly discusses his hardships and reveals that he has worked with sports psychologist Julie Eilon. He shared that there were times when he locked himself in rooms, drank heavily, and even lost interest in playing golf.

Eilon's support was instrumental in helping Wyndham Clark overcome his depression and achieve his first PGA Tour victory in 2023. Shortly after his first win, he also claimed his first Major title at the 2023 US Open.

"I had trained my mind over years of belittling myself and thinking negatively, locking myself in rooms and not coming out for a long time or drinking to excess or being mean to people. I didn’t want to play golf," Clark said (via Golf Monthly).

In one of his interviews in 2023, Clark mentioned his mother’s impact and how her death affected him, leading him to seek help from a therapist. Clark stated (via PGA Tour on X):

“My mom was always the nurturing one that was always there to pick me up in more of a positive way and always made me feel better. And she cared so much about what we were going to do in our life. When she did pass, I kind of lost that. A lot of things fell out beneath me, and my college life changed a lot.

"I was numb. Anger that she wasn't there. And that's when some people that were close to my mom and close to me reached out, and then they said, 'hey I also think you need to see a therapist'.”

Since his first win in 2023, Clark's career has flourished. He won his second PGA Tour event at the 2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and secured a spot to represent the USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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A look at Wyndham Clark's career

Wyndham Clark began his professional golf career in 2017 on the Web.com Tour. He played in the circuit throughout 2018, achieving four top-10 finishes, which earned him the 16th spot on the money list and secured his PGA Tour card for the following season.

Although he had some decent finishes early in his PGA Tour career, he struggled to secure a victory. In 2020, he narrowly missed winning his maiden PGA Tour event at the Bermuda Championship.

After competing for nearly five years, Clark finally claimed his first professional win in 2023. He won the Wells Fargo Championship by four strokes over Xander Schauffele.

Just a month later, he captured his first Major title at the 2023 US Open with a one-stroke victory over Rory McIlroy. Earlier this year, Clark also won the 2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am event.