Wyndham Clark Calls For More International Events On PGA Tour

Wyndham Clark holding the US Open trophy — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Most top players on the PGA Tour use the fall season for holidays or a rest period, but Wyndham Clark has been a lot more active and enjoying a more globe trotting playing schedule.

With the upcoming changes to the PGA Tour it looks like being a shorter regular season with more playing opportunities in the traditional offseason to tee it up outside the USA.

Following the Presidents Cup, Clark played in the Baycurrent Classic in Japan, is teeing it up this week at the Mexico Open and is in the field for December's Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa.

It's a little bit of business and pleasure for Clark, who enjoys going to new destinations and experiencing the trip as well as the competition - while also using it to keep sharp in what otherwise would be a long offseason.

"Yeah, everyone's asking me why I'm playing so much," said Clark. "I kind of like it keeps you sharp, doing some club testing.

"You know, the destinations that I'm playing at are pretty amazing. Playing in Japan, playing here in Mexico and then going to South Africa. They're all beautiful, amazing destinations. You use it as a work week, but also a little bit of a vacation."

Clark is enjoying Mexico in particular this week, as it's a regular destination for his vacations, while he's also got his brother on his bag for the tournament just ahead of his wedding.

Playing a more international schedule looks like being the way forward according to Clark, who can see the PGA Tour spreading its wings outside of America in a similar way to the NFL and NBA.

Brian Rolapp of course was a big figure in the NFL during the period it started expanding internationally and playing games in the UK, Europe and South America.

And Clark would love the PGA Tour to follow suit and hold more international events, or co-sanction some, in the future.

"Yeah, I think the PGA Tour is, what 90-some percent in the US and I think it's great that we play internationally," Clark added. "A lot of sports are international and they're even - you see sports like the NFL branching out, NBA branches out. I think it's great.

"I would love if we had more events international. I like playing over in Europe, I love playing in Latin America. There's so many good golf courses here. I know the fans enjoy golf.

"I've been coming to Mexico for, gosh, 15 years as a family so I really enjoy this culture, the food and have played tons of good golf courses. Hopefully we continue to come here and even expand the amount of times we come down here."

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website. Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.