Clark met with LIV but ‘chose legacy … at least for this season’

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Wyndham Clark, whose third victory on the PGA Tour on Sunday at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am solidified his status as one of the circuit’s bonafide stars, confirmed that his stardom attracted the interest of LIV Golf.

There had been rumors that the breakaway circuit had approached last year’s U.S. Open champion, and following Clark’s victory at the weather-shortened event at Pebble Beach, Clark said he had talks with LIV Golf.

“I definitely met with LIV and went through those discussions. I wanted to see what they could bring to the table,” Clark said. “I ultimately declined going to LIV because I felt like I still have a lot of things left in the tank on the PGA Tour and I wanted to chase records, I wanted to chase world ranking. My dream is to try to be one of the top players in the world if not the top player. I just grew up always imagining winning PGA Tour events.

“So, I ultimately, I chose my legacy over LIV, and that’s really what it came down to.”

Clark, who moved to sixth in the world ranking with his victory at Pebble Beach, said there were still things he wanted to accomplish on the Tour and that Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, Patrick Cantlay and Jordan Spieth – who are player directors on the Tour’s policy board – ultimately convinced him to remain on the PGA Tour.

“They really gave me some great advice and some counsel. I didn’t want them to sway me in a certain way, but I definitely wanted their counsel and I just wanted to honor them and the amount of time and work and effort they have put into this agreement now with SSG and where the Tour is going,” Clark said.

The Tour announced last week it had reached an agreement with Strategic Sports Group (SSG), a private equity group led by Fenway Sports, to invest $1.5 billion into PGA Tour Enterprises, a for-profit entity that has created a pathway for players to become equity owners. The deal with SSG also allows for the Tour to reach an agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which owns LIV Golf, to become an investor in PGA Tour Enterprises.

“I don’t know what the future holds with my career and what the PGA Tour and LIV are going to do,” Clark said, “but at least for this season I am 100 percent set on the PGA Tour, and I want to try to get to as high in the world as I possibly can.”