Wyndham Clark's U.S. Open Lead Is the Latest Chapter in His Comeback

Wyndham Clark has spent the last two years experiencing just about everything golf has to offer.

The highs of winning the U.S. Open.

The lows of missing the cut a year later.

The criticism that followed after damaging a locker at Oakmont and being banned from returning to the famed course.

And now, another opportunity to continue his comeback.

The former Oklahoma State golfer found himself atop the leaderboard after the opening round of the U.S. Open, continuing what has quietly been one of the best stretches of golf on the PGA Tour.

Clark won the Byron Nelson earlier this season and entered the year's third major with a top-15 finish in every start since.

So while seeing him near the top of another U.S. Open leaderboard may surprise some fans, it really shouldn't.

He's been building toward this.

Clark's story is also unique among Oklahoma State golfers.

After spending three years in Stillwater, Clark transferred to Oregon following the tragic death of his mother, seeking a change of scenery. While he eventually finished his college career with the Ducks, his roots remain tied to one of the premier golf programs in the country.

And that connection was on full display once again this week.

While Clark grabbed the headlines, another former Cowboy quietly put himself in contention as well. Sam Stevens finished the opening round four shots off the lead and firmly in the mix heading into Friday, continuing one of the best seasons of his young PGA Tour career.

As for Clark, this latest run feels like another reminder of just how resilient he has become.

It would have been easy to let last season's disappointment and controversy define him.

Instead, he's responded the only way golfers know how.

By letting his clubs do the talking.

And lately, they've been saying one thing.

Wyndham Clark is back.

Oklahoma State fans may not always think of Clark in the same way they do Rickie Fowler or Viktor Hovland because of his transfer to Oregon, but there should be no questioning his place in the program's history.

Clark spent three seasons in Stillwater and was named the Big 12 Player of the Year in 2014, establishing himself as one of the nation's top collegiate golfers before tragedy led him to seek a fresh start.

His journey may have ended elsewhere, but some of his biggest accomplishments began at Oklahoma State.

And with his name once again near the top of a U.S. Open leaderboard, another chapter is being added to a legacy that still traces back to Stillwater.

Whether Clark captures another major championship or not, one thing is becoming increasingly clear.

The comeback is real.

And it may just be getting started.