U.S. Open co-leader Wyndham Clark rips late tee times: 'It's a little ridiculous'

The 2023 U.S. Open has hardly been the most well-received event from both fans and the players looking to win at Los Angeles Country Club (LACC).

Just take the words from co-leader Wyndham Clark heading into Sunday’s final round, for example. Clark, sitting atop the leaderboard alongside Rickie Fowler at 10-under par, said following the third round Saturday that the late tee time affected he and Fowler’s play down the stretch, calling it “ridiculous.”

Clark and Fowler teed off at 3:40 p.m. PT — the latest non-weather-delayed tee time ever for at Saturday in a major other than the Open Championship in the British Isles, per Golf Digest. Clark believes the late start, which resulted in the leaders playing “twilight golf,” contributed to him bogeying 17 and Fowler bogeying 18.

“It’s a little ridiculous that we teed off that late,” Clark said. “I would say right around hole 15 or 16 it started getting to where you couldn’t see that well. I mean, I don’t personally understand why we teed off — we played twilight golf. At the end, it was — the last two holes I 100 percent think my bogey on 17 was because I couldn’t see, and I think Rickie’s bogey on 18 was because he couldn’t see…

“I’m not trying to make an excuse, but it definitely was a challenge. [Holes] 17 and 18, my putt on 17, I literally couldn’t see it, and we just played off of feel and how Rickie’s putt came in. And then my putt on 18, same thing… So it’s kind of tough and it’s crazy to think that we’re doing that on the last two holes of a major when we could have teed off two hours earlier. Hopefully tomorrow we don’t have that issue.”

Wyndham Clark going for 1st major championship

The United States Golf Association (USGA) evidently heard Clark’s complaints, and made an adjustment to Sunday’s tee times. Clark and Fowler will tee off at 2:30 p.m. PT — 70 minutes earlier than they hit their first tee shots Saturday.

Clark, 29, is going for just his second professional victory and first major. Prior to this year’s U.S. Open, Clark’s best finish in a major came in the 2021 PGA Championship, a 75th place finish. He now finds himself 18 holes away from a career-defining moment and a record $3.6 million payout. Clark knows, however, he is the underdog standing next to one of the most popular players on the PGA Tour in Fowler, who is also looking for major championship No. 1.

“Everyone’s pulling for Rickie,” Clark said. “I’m the underdog.”