Wyndham Clark – seen here with his US Open trophy, is one of the game’s hottest players right now 

The Players Championship has reached the halfway stage and the current US Open Champion Wyndham Clark has established a substantial four-shot lead after consecutive rounds of 65 to leave him ahead of Xander Schauffele and Nick Taylor.

Clark, who has already won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and finished runner-up at last week’s Arnold Palmer Championship in season 2024, shared the lead after day one but it was not until his closing nine of 30 today that he established his significant margin to lead the PGA Tour’s flagship event into the weekend.

“I mean, that’s pretty cool,” said Clark. “I guess I’ve been breaking some records recently, which is pretty neat. More than anything I’m just super excited that I kind of had a ho-hum front nine and then turned and really just got into a nice zone and felt really good on the greens and shot an awesome number.”

When asked what has turned him from a good PGA Tour player into one of the more dominant players on the PGA Tour, Wyndham had this to say;

“There’s a few things. Obviously, as you guys know, I worked a lot on my mental game, but the one thing that had been missing – my mental game, was getting a lot better leading into Quail Hollow and I had a lot of good finishes.

“I made 19 cuts in a row and had a chance to win a few times, but I wasn’t putting good. When I switched to the putter I’ve been using, that Jailbird, I started really seeing a lot of putts go in, and then all the work that I did off the course in my mental game I started seeing it on the course because I started making putts. So that’s probably the biggest thing,  combining the mental game with making putts and now I’ve been shooting some good scores.”

Jason Day appeared to be building on his opening round of 67 with an opening nine of 33 today and after series of pars he was maintaining his place inside the top five or so until finding the water at the dangerous 17^th and taking a double bogey for a round of 71 and a 6 under par total.

Day is now eight shots from the lead although just four out of second place and in a share of 14^th place.

Day leads the Australasians in the field, with both Adam Scott in 45^th place at 2 under and Min Woo Lee producing a back nine of 3 to finish right on the cut mark.

Ryan Fox who produced a remarkable eagle, eagle, at the 16^th and 17^th during his opening round of 69 struggled to a round of 76 today and missed the cut by two shots.

Aaron Baddeley and Cam Davis were a long way further back and will not make the weekend.

Leaderboard 

Steve Williams at the Caddy Clinic – image Photosport.NZ

Since the decision to move the New Zealand Open to the Queenstown region in 2014, the event has resurrected itself from a tournament struggling for survival to one that is now considered amongst the top three on the PGA Tour of Australasia.

Much of that growth and success has been as a result of the innovative measures taken by tournament organisers, identifying the need to revolutionize the event if it was to survive as a tournament consistent with its standing and history.

The move to the Queenstown region and the adoption of the pro-am format, which assisted in generating the sort of funds needed to allow an international standing, are two measures that have seen the tournament grow from an event worth $850,00 in 2014 to the $2 million it now boasts but other initiatives have played their part in the standing the New Zealand Open now enjoys.

The promotion via an international telecast of the ever-increasing range of high-end golfing facilities now available in the Queenstown region and New Zealand generally will provide the New Zealand tourism sector considerable benefit but it is not only the big initiatives that have played such a part in the growth and popularity of one of the oldest national titles in the world.

The tournament’s success is made up, in part, by a myriad of successful functions and events during tournament week and one that I have been pleased to be part of in recent years is the Steve Williams Caddy BBQ and Clinic.

Held on Tuesday of tournament week, caddies either experienced or first timers, are invited to a BBQ to hear the game’s most successful caddy discuss the art and some of the subtleties of caddying and tell a few other stories about his time in the game which has seen the players he has worked for win a massive 151 tournament titles worldwide.

The tournament, with the help of several of the many volunteers the tournament attracts, puts on a sausage sizzle and drinks for those attending and, typically, a crowd of around 100 or so attend.

My own role is that of MC and as a former caddy myself I am able to offer a few of my thoughts along with those of Williams and a special guest player each year to provide a balance of views. This year that player was Australian Nick Flanagan.

Nick Flanagan, Bruce Young and Steve Williams await the arrival of over 100 caddies – image Photosport NZ

Many caddies are required for the event given the professional field of 150 is added to by a similar number of amateurs and although many bring their own caddies there is the need for others who may well be caddying for the first occasion and the clinic is a great means of introducing them to their week.

Williams is an articulate and forceful speaker and gets his points across well. While, for many of those attending, it may be a case of them already being fully aware of their roles, there are those who value the opportunity to gain knowledge from Williams’ vast experience and to hear stories of his amazing 45 year career.

For those caddying for the first time, it can be a nervous occasion whether it be for one of the professionals, one of the invited celebrities, or one of the amateurs, most of whom have successful business careers, so the opportunity to learn from the best in a social environment ahead of the event is an attractive one and has proven popular since the concept’s inception several years ago.

Having asked former US Amateur champion and PGA Tour player, Flanagan, to assist Steve and I with the hosting of the event, there was a certain level of concern when ten minutes before the designated starting time of 5.30pm only 30 or so had appeared but within minutes we had a crowd of 110 caddies enjoy an hour or so of discussion and hospitality.

It was yet another reason the New Zealand Open in its current format has proven so popular and how, by introducing several unique initiatives, the event stands out for its desire to cater for all.