Wyndham Clark remained confident that he could still chase down leader Bryson DeChambeau despite falling eight shots behind after a disappointing start in his first round of his Masters debut.
And he couldn’t help but take a cheeky dig - it seems like it at least - at LIV Golf's format, with DeChambeau carding a sensational seven-under 65 to claim the solo lead after day one at Augusta National.
“We've got 54 holes. In LIV Golf they only play 54, so I like my chances,” Clark said after shooting a one-over 73 for his first round.
“We've got a lot of golf left. As you can see, someone shot seven-under. I could do that tomorrow.”
Clark started well in the first nine holes, sinking three birdies before struggling on the back with two bogeys and a double after finding the water on 15.
The 30-year-old American said the wind was a factor, but he was still happy with how he played.
“The wind is pretty challenging. It's unfortunate, I played really good on the front nine, and I honestly played really good on the back nine.
“Just not birdieing 13 was kind of tough and then spinning it in the water on 15 really put a damper on the round. You take that away, it's a two, three [under] round, maybe even better, and we're in a good spot.”
Despite being a Masters rookie, it’s easy to see why Clark arrived at Augusta brimming with confidence.
The US Open champion has been one of the in-form players on the PGA Tour coming into the year’s first Major, having won at Pebble Beach in February and racking up back-to-back runners-up finishes at Bay Hill and the Players.
He said nerves weren’t an issue on Thursday and he’s still feeling good about his game ahead of the second round.
“I was pretty calm. I felt great out there. Like I said, if I played the par-5s a little better and maybe made one or two putts here and there, we'd be having a different interview right now.
“I felt like I played great. My game feels good. Just got to make some putts and tighten it up on the par-5s.”
Clark was rumored to be in talks with LIV Golf towards the end of last year, and he confirmed that he decided to go with the PGA Tour instead due to "legacy."
“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," he said.
"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. … that’s really what it came down to.”
