Wyndham Clark doesn't hold back with Rory McIlroy thoughts - 'He hasn't done that yet'

Wyndham Clark expressed his respect for , indicating true sportsmanship by praising the Northern Irish golfer's last April. Previously, Clark caused a stir with his comment that suggested he was "better than" McIlroy, which sparked controversy ahead of the 2023 . The American had shocked pundits by asserting his "utmost respect" for McIlroy, but made waves when he claimed: "I like to think I am better than him."

But as the week went on, Clark clarified that his bold assertion was rooted in self-confidence rather than disregard for McIlroy. In 2023, he said: "I want everyone to know, I think it was taken out of context. If you listen to the whole interview, I praised Rory and said how much I respect him and how good I think he is and how he's one of the best players in the last 20 years.

"And what I said was I think I'm better than him when I'm playing good - if I don't think I'm better than every player out here, then what am I doing? If I'm trying to be the best player in the world, which is what I'm trying to be, I've got to believe that."

Despite the drama off the greens, Clark achieved victory over McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick during the Ryder Cup alongside teammate Patrick Cantlay. However, his streak didn't last; he fell to Robert MacIntyre in the singles, and Team Europe celebrated the win with a five-point gap.

Following a historic victory at the Masters in 2025, Rory McIlroy joined the elite ranks by clinching a career Grand Slam, an achievement that saw him beat out Justin Rose in a nail-biting play-off. Despite a previous rivalry in which Clark slightly edged out McIlroy at the US Open, Clark's praise is nothing but warm and admiring.

On the Sky Sports Golf podcast, he said: "It's funny, I played with Fitzy [Matt Fitzpatrick] on Saturday and we were talking about that [McIlroy's Masters win]. He has a category, so when someone gets to their fifth major, they're in the upper echelon [of golf], they're the highest of high.

"So when we saw Rory doing it, it honestly was amazing. I mean, we had Tiger Woods, and what Rory's done in the absence of Tiger has been amazing, and obviously now Scottie [Scheffler]. It's amazing to be a part of that, and I am hoping I can put my name in some of those lists and maybe get a few more majors.

"But to witness what he's done, I mean, look at Jordan Speith - he's an amazing player and he hasn't done that yet. Justin Thomas, there are a lot of guys who haven't won the Grand Slam, and Phil Mickelson too.

"It's amazing what he's done and the way he did it, going back to the mental side, battling adversity - I thought when he missed that putt, I thought 'Oh, no'. But to come back and hit a great drive and scuff it and win, it's amazing."