Lost Major Champs can erase disappointing years on Scottish Open Sunday

Wyndham Clark sat on the Podium of TPC Sawgrass in March and triggered part of his soul when he discussed the course of his career since his Putt on a tingling tournament on the 72nd hole in the 2024 players’ championship was refused. How his defining victory at the United States Open in 2023 moved the ground under his feet, led the expectations to grow and left him to try to find the joy that has evaporated since his room slipped.

“My most important thing is sort of playing with my potential, and that it changes every day and each tournament, but I am frustrated when I have a lack of concentration, or I get angry there, or I give photos or I do not play with my potential,” Clark said at Sawgrass. “These are things that frustrate me. When I have fun on the golf course, I feel like I maximize these things. I have fun with my caddy. I really kiss the moment. These are things I try to come back because I think I play my best golf course when I go there in the coming weeks. ”

He did not come to the players, where he withdrew with a neck injury. Since a T5 finish at the Houston Open, the Clark season has been a complete failure filled with major disappointing performance and emotional presentations, including broken lockers at Oakmont Country Club after a missed cup at the US Open.

Clark’s apology the following week left a little to be desired as he tried to concentrate immediately to “continue”. He finished T17 with travelers, then missed the Cup at the Rocket Classic. Clark has not finished in the Top 15 since March, but he embarked on the open of Genes Scottish at the Renaissance Club and gathered towers of 66, 69 and 66 to publish 9 under three laps and put himself two strokes of Rory McILroy and Chris Gotterup towards Sunday.

“To be back in the running, to be honest,” said Clark on Saturday after his round. “I did not have a great year, and I was not very often in the running. It’s just nice to be back in this position, and see if I can go for a good tour together and have four solid golf days. ”

Clark entered the week 79th in the Fedex Cup classification. He has work to do to do the playoffs and secure his place in signature events next season. According to the real strokes of Datagolf have won in metrics, Clark ranks 60th of the tee, 149th in approach and 76th in place this season.

The game simply was not there.

This week, however, he ranks 14th of the TEE and the second in the implementation, although the iron game is always lower than the approach).

Anyway, he will leave on Sunday during the final trio with McILroy and Gotterup with a chance to erase what was disappointing of 15 months since fate rejected him at TPC Sawgrass.

Clark is not the only major champion to have found himself on the other side of the Atlantic.

A month after Clark’s opening to players, Matt Fitzpatrick gave a brutally honest assessment of his game after the first round of the RBC inheritance.

“These are garbage, so simple too,” he said. “It was horrible. Yes, it was the worst I have ever played, in fact.”

What was wrong with the game of the US Open 2022 champion? The problem was that there was no simple answer.

“A little of everything,” he said. “Each week seems to start something, put badly or break out badly. Most of the time, the irons have not been good enough, and obviously, it also puts pressure on everything else. I actually led it this year, and it is probably the only positive, but apart from that, everything else was not good enough.”

Fitzpatrick’s last victory, 30, occurred at the Heritage RBC 2023. In 2024, his game landed. He did not record a victory in 2024, carding only three top-10 and landing in 40th in the Fedex Cup classification. Fitzpatrick had a hard time starting the season, but flashed with a T8 finish at the PGA 2025 championship at the Hollow Club. Certain pedestrian finishes followed, but he, like Clark, dug something from the old lawn in Scotland.

Fitzpatrick went 69, 63 and 69 to display 9 under three laps and give himself a chance to find the favorite of the McILroy crowd on Sunday.

Although the recent results might not have suggested that it happened, Fitzpatrick could feel his game bubbling on the surface.

“Certainly,” said Fitzpatrick when asked if his confidence came back. “There is no doubt about this. I feel more confident in my game and the photos that I hit. I really have the impression that there have been good underlying performances that did not necessarily match the results, but I have the impression that it is one of those that you have to stay patient and continue to do what you do if you have the impression that it is on the right track and that’s where I have the impression of going.”

In the season, Fitzpatrick ranks 40th in the tee, 72nd in approach and 70th in put. This week, Fitzpatrick wins more than two shots per turn on the approach and 5.8 on the Greens; However, the driver (-0.073) remains squirrely.

McILroy will be the center of attention Sunday at the Renaissance Club. After taking two weeks off, McILroy finally feels refreshed following a post-gate victory.

“This is my first realistic chance to win after the Masters, and I had an excellent season,” said McILroy on Saturday. “I won in Pebble. I won the players. I said this, when you do something that you dreamed of your whole life to do, it was a huge moment in my life, my career. I think I just need this little time. And to be back here for the past two weeks, and I have the impression that I could really solve everything, I feel like I have come to this tournament.

But while McILroy will be the headliner of a Scottish Open on Sunday, two large lost champions will bite his heels, hoping that 18 good holes on the Scottish seaside will be able to erase months of disappointment and frustration.