In the last round of stroke play at the Men’s NCAA Finals, the Coloradan shot a season-worst 9-over-par 81, leading to his lowest individual finish at the University of Oregon.

Clark (pictured) placed 51st with an 8-over-par 296 total at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Ill., after playing his final nine holes in 7-over 43. His previous worst showing as a senior was 13th place, and going into the NCAA Finals, he had placed outside the top 10 just once and had won three times individually, including at the Pac-12 Championship in Boulder.

The good news was Clark’s Oregon squad, the defending national champions, rallied to squeak into the eight-team match play field, with the quarterfinals set for Tuesday. The Ducks tied for fifth place out of the 30-team field with an 1,158 total, but were just three strokes better than the ninth-place team, LSU, which failed to advance.

Clark — ranked No. 1 individually among the nation’s college golfers, according to Golfweek — has said he plans to turn pro immediately following the end of his college career.

Braden Thornberry of Ole Miss won the individual NCAA title with a 277 total.

Men’s NCAA Division I Finals
May 26-29, 2017 (final for stroke play) in Sugar Grove, Ill.
51. Coloradan Wyndham Clark, Oregon 74-69-72-81–296
Missed 54-Hole Cut
138. Coloradan Josh Seiple, Mississippi 74-76-82–232

For complete results, CLICK HERE.
 

With 15 teams advancing to Monday’s final round of stroke play, the defending national champs from Oregon stand 13th. The top eight teams after Monday’s round will make match play. The Ducks are 10 strokes out of eighth place after 54 holes.

Individually, Clark, the Pac-12 champion and the No. 1-ranked player nationally in college golf according to Golfweek, shares 36th place. The senior (pictured) made four birdies and four bogeys on Sunday to post an even-par 72. That leaves him at 1-under-par 215, 11 strokes behind leader Scottie Scheffler of Texas.

Meanwhile, the season ended Sunday for Josh Seiple of Castle Rock. The sophomore’s University of Mississippi team finished 22nd and missed the cut.

Seiple, who will play in U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying in about a week, struggled to an 82 on Sunday, giving him a 16-over-par 232 total, good for 138th place individually.

Monday’s action from Rich Harvest Farms will be televised from 2-6 p.m. (MT) by the Golf Channel.
 

Men’s NCAA Division I Finals
May 26-29, 2017 in Sugar Grove, Ill.
36. Coloradan Wyndham Clark, Oregon 74-69-72–215
138. Coloradan Josh Seiple, Mississippi 74-76-82–232

For complete results, CLICK HERE.
 

Joining Clark — a fifth-year senior at the University of Oregon — as a finalist were Stanford senior Maverick McNealy and Illinois junior Dylan Meyer. McNealy, a three-time Hogan finalist, is the No 1.-ranked amateur in the world. But on Sunday at Boulder Country Club, Clark finished first and McNealy fourth in the Pac-12 tournament. Meyer is No. 5 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings and Clark is No. 36.

The three finalists will attend a black-tie dinner at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas on May 22, when the winner of the award will be announced. That winner will be exempt into the 2018 Dean & DeLuca Invitational on the PGA Tour.

Clark, winner of the 2010 CGA Amateur as a 16-year-old and a two-time Colorado state high school champion, has recorded three individual wins this college season. Overall, he’s posted 10 top-10 finishes in 11 tournaments this season, with his worst showing being 13th place. He’s been runner-up three times and owns a 69.45 stroke average, with 18 of his 31 round scores being in the 60s.

On Friday, the former Big 12 Player of the Year at Oklahoma State earned the Pac-12 Player of the Year honors at his new school.

Clark (pictured with Oregon coach Casey Martin) is currently the No. 1-ranked men’s college player in the nation, according to both Golfstat and Golfweek. He’s also qualified for five U.S. Amateurs, making it to the round of 32 last year.

Clark plans to turn pro within a month and he’s already earned status on PGA Tour Canada.

Among the Hogan Award winners are Jon Rahm (2015 and ’16), Rickie Fowler (2008), Ryan Moore (2005), Bill Haas (2004) and Hunter Mahan (2003).
 

Back when the Colorado resident was in high school at Valor Christian and considering where to play his college golf, he entertained thoughts of one day being one of the top college players and/or top amateurs in the game.

“Especially walking through Oklahoma State’s Hall of Fame, you see all the guys who have received the Haskins Award and the Ben Hogan Award, and you imagine yourself doing that,” Clark said in a phone interview with coloradogolf.org last week. “But at the same time I’ve had a tough college career and I hadn’t been in the mix for that in the previous years. So it’s really humbling and exciting (to be in the running this year). I’d love to finish the year out well and at least give it a shot to potentially win, but even if I don’t it’s pretty awesome and rewarding for me just to be in the mix and considered one of the top players. It’s a pretty cool thing for me.”

When the Pac-12 Conference Championship is held Friday through Sunday (April 28-30) at Boulder Country Club, Clark could take the next step in a dream season with a strong performance in his home state. The two-time Colorado state high school champion is currently the top-ranked college player in the country, according to both Golfstat and Golfweek. And, he’s very much “in the mix” for the Haskins Award, which goes to the best college player in the nation, and the Ben Hogan Award, given to a men’s college golfer, taking into account all college and amateur competitions during the past 12-month period.

It’s quite a heady position for a player who transferred to the University of Oregon for his final season of college golf after not being included on Oklahoma State’s NCAA Championship roster last year. In his one year as a Duck, Clark has notched two individual victories (the first of his college career), three second-place finishes, one third, a fifth, a sixth, a 10th and a 13th. That’s it: Nine top-10s in 10 tournaments and nothing worse than a 13th-place showing.

“I have a really good atmosphere and great coaches. My transition to Oregon has been really great,” Clark (pictured) said in the midst of a visit to Las Vegas to work with Jeff Smith, his swing coach since July. “With the coaching I’ve gotten from (Oregon head coach Casey Martin) and having really good teammates that have helped me, it’s been a really positive atmosphere and I think that’s something that’s been really helpful to me since I’ve transitioned (from Oklahoma State). I’ve had a really good year and finally feel like I’ve started to play to my ability and talent level. It’s been a fun run.”

Oregon won the national championship last year before Clark arrived, and the Ducks currently are ranked among the top 10 teams in the nation.

“We were very fortunate to get the call from Wyndham (last) summer and he’s turned out to be our best player,” Martin, who’s played 43 events on the PGA Tour, said during the mid-season break late last fall. “He’s been an incredible blessing to the program because he’s an experienced guy and a great player.”

The Pac-12 Championship will be just the second college tournament Clark has played in his home state. He didn’t compete at all in Colorado while at Oklahoma State, but finished third in October in the inaugural Paintbrush Invitational at Colorado Golf Club in Parker.

“Pac-12s is a big deal even if it wasn’t in Colorado,” he said. “But having it in Colorado makes it that much more exciting and fun. It’s going to be great to see friends and family and be able to play a course I played before. So I’m really looking forward to it.”

By his own estimate, Clark has played Boulder Country Club about eight times, but some of those made for a memorable CGA Amateur (then known as the CGA Stroke Play) in 2010. It was at that tournament that Clark won as a 16-year-old, becoming the youngest champion of the event since 1971, when Bob Byman — who would win the U.S. Junior Amateur in 1972 and later a PGA Tour event — was also 16 but slightly younger.

Clark clinched the victory with a 30-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole — No. 18 at BCC — defeating Jim Knous, who set the BCC course record with a 10-under-par 60 in the final round.

“Having some experience there definitely helps,” said Clark, now 23. “It’s a little bit of advantage, but you still have to hit the shots. It’s not like I’ve played it that much, but I have seen it in tournament conditions, so that counts for something.”

Outside of college, Clark has an impressive record both inside and outside Colorado. Besides the 2010 CGA Amateur, he won the 2009 CGA Junior Amateur and the two state high school titles. Five times, he’s qualified for the U.S. Amateur, advancing to the round of 32 last year. In 2014 at Oklahoma State, Clark was named the Big 12 Player of the Year and earned a spot on the U.S. Arnold Palmer Cup team. Currently, he sits No. 48 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

But now, after two or three more college tournaments, it will be on to the professional ranks for Clark. Having finished ninth in a PGA Tour Canada Q-school event last month, he’s exempt for the first four events on that circuit, which begins action on June 1, immediately after the men’s NCAA Division I finals conclude. He’s also hoping for potential exemptions on the PGA Tour or Web.com Tour.

“I’ve done that (amateur golf) for so long, and I’m kind of ready for the next stage,” Clark said. “This is what I’ve always dreamed of — to play professional golf. I’m really itching to turn pro and start that process. But at the same time, I enjoyed the last year and that in itself has been a transition, switching schools and everything. So I’m trying to enjoy it a lot before I turn pro. But I’m definitely looking forward to the next stage.”

With those plans, Clark eventually intends to reside in Scottsdale, Ariz., though he may be based in Las Vegas in his initial months as a professional. In the meantime, Clark said he’ll graduate from Oregon in June with a degree in General Social Science, geared toward business.

Clark is one of five Colorado residents expected to compete in the Pac-12 meet this weekend. For the host University of Colorado, there will be senior Ethan Freeman from Denver, junior Spencer Painton from Aurora and probably either senior Ryan Schmitz from Greenwood Village or sophomore Wilson Belk from Colorado Springs. In addition, Utah’s lineup will include sophomore Kyler Dunkle, the 2016 CGA Les Fowler Player of the Year.

As big an event as the Pac-12 Championship is regardless, it’ll be even moreso for the players who have grown up in Colorado.

“It’s a real fortunate thing for them, especially guys (from out-of-state schools) that are going to come back and play,” CU coach Roy Edwards said. “Our guys have been fired up since we announced it 2 1/2 years ago. There are only a few guys that will ever get this experience of playing (a conference championship) in their home state or on their home course. I think that’s a really cool experience.”

Clark, Freeman, Painton and Dunkle have each won at least one state high school title in Colorado.

“It means a lot being a Colorado kid and to come up and represent your state, represent your school and compete against some of the best teams and best players in the country,” said Painton, who transferred to CU in 2016 after two seasons at Kansas.

Besides Coloradans playing in the tournament, one head coach from a Pac-12 school has Colorado roots. Dustin White from Pueblo West, the 2006 winner of the Colorado Open and a U.S. Open qualifier that same year, is in his first season at the Washington State helm after previously being a WSU assistant. White played his college golf for the Cougars from 1999-2003.

————————————————————————————

Men’s Pac-12 Conference Championship: Just the Essentials

When: April 28-30 (April 27 practice rounds). Tee times begin at 7:30 a.m. on April 28, 10 a.m. on April 29, and 8 a.m. on April 30.

Where: Boulder Country Club (7350 Clubhouse Rd., Boulder).
Admission: Free.

Format: 72 holes of stroke play: 36 on April 28 and 18 each on April 29 and 30. For the team competition, each school counts the best five of its six individual scores each day.

Boulder Country Club Course: 7,129 yards, Par-70.

Coloradans Expected to Compete: Ethan Freeman and Spencer Painton from the University of Colorado, along with probably either Ryan Schmitz or Wilson Belk; Wyndham Clark from Oregon; Kyler Dunkle from Utah.

TV: Taped coverage airing May 7 at noon on Pac-12 Network.

Defending Champion: Stanford, which has won the last three years. The Cardinal claimed the title by 29 strokes in 2016. Jon Rahm of Arizona State won the 2016 individual title as a senior and has since turned professional and won on the PGA Tour.

Where Did CU Finish Last Year?: Tied for sixth.

How Did Top Returning CU Player Fare in 2016?: Ethan Freeman (35th place).

CU’s Top Team Finish Since Joining Pac-12: Fourth in 2014.

CU’s Pac-12 Lineup: Senior Ethan Freeman; juniors Yannik Paul, Spencer Painton and John Souza; freshman Victor Bjorlow; and probably either senior Ryan Schmitz or sophomore Wilson Belk.

Honorary Starters: Prior to the first round on April 28, two former Big Eight champions from CU — Terry Kahl (1981) and Bob Kalinowski (1993 and ’94) — will serve as honorary starters and hit the first tee shots, a la the Masters.

Top 25 Nationally Ranked Teams in Field: Southern California (No. 1 by Golfstat and Golfweek), Stanford (No. 5 by Golfstat and No. 8 by Golfweek), Oregon (No. 8 by Golfstat and No. 10 by Golfweek), Arizona State (No. 22 by Golfweek), CU (No. 25 by Golfweek).

Top 10 Nationally Ranked Individuals in Field: Senior Wyndham Clark, Oregon (No. 1 by Golfstat and Golfweek); junior Sean Crocker, USC (No. 2 Golfstat, No. 4 Golfweek); senior Maverick McNealy, Stanford (No. 3 Golfweek, No. 4 Golfstat); freshman Norman Xiong, Oregon (No. 7 Golfstat, No. 8 Golfweek); sophomore Collin Morikawa, Cal (No 8 Golfstat, No. 9 Golfweek).

Players in Field in Top 50 in World Amateur Golf Rankings: 1. senior Maverick McNealy, Stanford; 8. junior Sean Crocker, USC; 9. sophomore Collin Morikawa, Cal; 13. Jared du Toit, Arizona State; 17. senior Rico Hoey, USC; 34. freshman Norman Xiong, Oregon; 48. senior Wyndham Clark, Oregon.

Stanford Coach Conrad Ray on Senior Maverick McNealy, the World’s Top-Ranked Amateur: “He’s almost at that stage where he’s in rare air. He’s tied with Tiger Woods and Patrick Rodgers for career wins at Stanford with 11. It would be neat for him to (do that) at the Pac-12s. It’s hard to put into words (what he’s meant to the program). It’s pretty neat to see him operate. He’s been a great leader for our team. He really flourishes within this environment; college golf at a really high level and high-level academics at the same time can coexist. They’re not mutually exclusive. He’s a great example of that. He’s a mechanical science and engineering major and he has a GPA north of 3.5. He’s doing great things and he’s a really good kid on top of it all. He’s very thoughtful and very humble to a fault sometimes when you talk to him. He’s had an immeasurable impact on our program, no question.”
 

But Wyndham Clark is certainly making it look easy.

The Colorado resident, the top-ranked college player in the nation, hasn’t missed a beat this season as a fifth-year senior at the University of Oregon after transferring from Oklahoma State.

On Tuesday, the former Big 12 Player of the Year competed in his eighth college tournament of the season. And, remarkably, he posted his eighth top-10 finish.

After placing second in the Oregon Duck Invitational his team hosted at Eugene Country Club, Clark has notched two individual wins, three second-place finishes and a third this season. The spring portion of the schedule has been even more impressive, with two individual victories and two runner-ups in five tournaments.

This time around, despite starting the final day eight strokes back of Oregon teammate Sulman Raza, Clark ended up just three behind the champion.

Clark, the 2010 CGA Amateur champion and a five-time U.S. Amateur qualifier, closed with a 2-under-par 69, giving him a 5-under 208 total. Fresh off earning a spot on PGA Tour Canada at Q-school last week in California, Clark (pictured) was part of a 1-2-3 finish by Duck players as Oregon ran away with the team title. In fact, five of the six players that ended up under par for the tournament were from Oregon.

Meanwhile, the University of Denver placed seventh in the 15-team field. The Pioneers’ 880 total was 36 strokes behind the champions. DU was led by senior Petter Mikalsen, who tied for 14th place individually at 215.

Oregon Duck Invitational
March 27-28, 2017 (final) in Eugene, Ore.
7. (out of 15 teams) Denver 291-292-297–880
14. Petter Mikalsen 69 69-77–215
29. Isaac Petersilie 72-75-74–221
29. Chris Korte 76-73-72–221
62. Jake Kelley 74-75-78–227
76. Troy Dangler 82-75-74–231
48. Eric Hagen (competing only as individual) 77-75-73–225
66. Roy Kang (competing only as individual) 76-79-74–229

Also
2. Coloradan Wyndham Clark, Oregon 70-69-69–208
18. Coloradan Kyler Dunkle, Utah 73-73-71–217
23. Coloradan Glenn Workman, Wyoming 72-76-71–219
42. Coloradan Tristan Rohrbaugh, Boise State 73-75-75–223
 

And all season, he’s lived up to his billing.

On Tuesday at the Bandon Dunes Championship in Bandon, Ore., the 2010 CGA Amateur champion almost pulled off his third individual victory of the spring portion of the University of Oregon’s schedule. But after being tied for the lead in the wake of making birdies at the 14th, 16th and 17th holes, one of his few missteps — a final-hole bogey — left him settling for a share of second place individually. He ended up two strokes behind champion Hannes Ronneblad of Texas Tech, who closed with a birdie and went 4 under par in his last seven holes.

The showing kept Clark (pictured), who sits atop Golfstat’s national rankings, perfect on the season as far as top-10 finishes go. As a fifth-year senior for the defending national champion Ducks after transferring from Oklahoma State last summer, Clark owns two wins, two seconds, a third, a sixth and a 10th in seven tournaments.

This time around, the two-time Colorado high school champion fired a 4-under-par 68 in Tuesday’s final round and posted an 8-under-par 208 total to tie teammate Edwin Yi. Over three rounds, Clark made an eagle and 16 birdies.

Team-wise, Clark’s Oregon squad ran away with the title as the Ducks’ 28-under-par 836 total was 21 shots better than runner-up Texas Tech and 22 better than Oregon State.

The University of Colorado, like Oregon and Oregon State a Pac-12 squad, took fourth place at 860. CU, ranked No. 21 in the nation, has finished in the top five in all of its stroke-play tournaments this season.

Buffs senior Jeremy Paul notched his fifth top-10 showing of the season by tying for sixth place on Tuesday. He went 71-68-72 for a 211 total.

The University of Denver, which finished eighth in the 16-team field at 878, was led by Isaac Petersilie, a freshman from Colorado Springs who tied for 13th individually at 213.

Meanwhile, Clark and Petersilie weren’t the only Coloradans to post top-20 individual finishes in a Division I tournament on Tuesday.

Jake Staiano, a Colorado State University golfer from Cherry Hills Village, tied for 11th individually on Tuesday at the Lamkin Grips SD Classic in Chula Vista, Calif. Staiano carded rounds of 68-73-72 for a 3-under-par 213 total. As a team, CSU placed 10th in the 15-school event at 8-over-par 872.

And Coloradan Josh Seiple, who plays for Mississippi, finished 18th in Chula Vista at 215 after closing with a 69.

Bandon Dunes Championship
March 12-14, 2017 (final) in Bandon, Ore.
4. (out of 16 teams) Colorado 283-292-285–860
6. Jeremy Paul 71-68-72–211
14. Yannik Paul 70-76-69–215
26. Ethan Freeman 73-75-71–219
42. John Souza 76-73-73–222
50. Spencer Painton 69-80-75–224

8. Denver 289-291-298–878
13. Isaac Petersilie 74-69-70–213
20. Petter Mikalsen 67-75-76–218
36. Troy Dangler 75-72-74–221
56. Jake Kelley 73-75-78–226
77. Chris Korte 76-77-80–233

Also
2. Coloradan Wyndham Clark, Oregon 66-74-68–208
69. Coloradan Tristan Rohrbaugh, Boise State 74-76-78–230

Lamkin Grips SD Classic
March 13-14, 2017 (final) in Chula Vista, Calif.
10. (out of 15 teams) Colorado State 292-283-297–872
11. Jake Staiano 68-73-72–213
39. Blake Cannon 75-70-75–220
43. Colton Yates 74-69-78–221
43. AJ Ott 75-71-75–221
69. Max Oelfke 75-78-75–228

Also
18. Coloradan Josh Seiple, Mississippi 72-74-69–215
 

After five runner-up performances, Clark (pictured) claimed his first college title Tuesday at the Arizona Intercollegiate in Tucson, the first tournament of the spring portion of the schedule.

Clark, the 2010 CGA Amateur champion who is currently ranked No. 1 in men’s college golf by Golfstat, prevailed by one shot at Sewailo Golf Club as his University of Oregon squad easily earned the team title.

The fifth-year senior, who calls Highlands Ranch home, shot rounds of 70-71-68 for a 4-under-par 209 total. Clark, a former Big 12 Player of the Year who transferred from Oklahoma State for his final season of college golf, started out his final round with three straight birdies before reeling off 15 consecutive pars to close out his day.

In four tournaments this season for Oregon, Clark has finished second, third, sixth and first.

Clark was a two-time 4A Colorado high school individual champion while at Valor Christian.

Meanwhile, the University of Denver finished 11th in the 18-team competition, posting an 898 total and ending up 41 strokes behind Oregon.

Chris Korte led DU individually by placing 12th at 218.

Arizona Intercollegiate

Jan. 23-24, 2017 (final) in Tucson, Ariz.

11. Denver 304-299-295–898
12. Chris Korte 72-76-70–218
20. Petter Mikalsen 75-75-71–221
37. Isaac Petersilie 79-71-76–226
72. Jake Kelley 78-79-80–237
72. Roy Kang 82-77-78–237
Also
1. Coloradan Wyndham Clark, Oregon 70-71-68–209