For professional athletes, true financial success goes beyond signing big contracts or landing endorsements. It’s about making smart decisions that transform short-term earnings into lasting wealth.
In this series, I interview athletes and entertainers to explore how they’ve navigated the financial highs and lows of their careers—learning from big paydays, unexpected challenges and the strategies that set them up for lasting success.
I recently sat down with 2023 U.S. Open Champion and PGA Tour golfer Wyndham Clark, currently ranked 8th in the world, with career earnings nearing $43 million, according to Spotrac.
Evan Vladem: You and your coach/caddie, John, do putting work ahead of tournaments. To make it interesting, you put money on the line—if you drain a putt in practice outside of 40 feet, you win a couple hundred dollars for that friendly wager. You guys have been doing this for years now. Be honest—do you save and invest that money, or does it go straight to celebratory dinners?
Wyndham Clark: [Laughter] It’s a great question [more laughter]. This is kind of like “fun” cash. … So to answer your question, we don’t invest it. It’d be more on dinners or other friendly bets [laughter] or buying things. … Yeah. … It’s definitely more “fun” cash.
EV: Ah, that makes sense. You and your caddie must have a strong relationship. Do you ever discuss investment strategies while walking the course?
WC: Yeah, a little bit. John and I have both come into some good wealth. John hasn’t necessarily known what to do, and I’ve been blessed to have a bunch of great advisors and people help me with that, so yes, [John] asked. He’s asked for some advice, and I’ve given him my two cents. I also handed him over to some professionals that I had suggested to him. I remember saying, ‘I think you should put your money with these people and they’ll help invest your money and help you grow your money while you’re caddying for me.’
EV: That’s great, and it’s a good segue because golf is a sport, unlike many others. Unlike team sports, where you have built-in support, there is no hiding. You are the CEO and you need to build a strong team around you. Most people know there are agents and marketing guys, but what about the other business professionals around you? How did you build that team?
WC: I have an accountant who’s great—that’s really big and important for golf because we play in so many different states and countries. With all the different tax laws, it’s huge to have someone to take care of that for you. I have a great and trusted CPA.
I have two guys who help me manage my money. One guy is my private banker—he deals with all the inflows and outflows of money, whether it’s paying off my caddie, investing in certain things or covering bills. He also monitors my investments.
Then I have a guy I knew coming out of college who’s a very successful wealth advisor. He manages a big bulk of my money, and through him, I’ve been involved with a handful of funds. Now, I’m in three or four different funds across various industries. My money isn’t just in the stock market or real estate; I’m really diversified, and I have investments in tech, oil, gold, bonds and even small startup companies.
We’ve built a really solid team, and it’s been working well so far.
EV: In 2023, you took home $3.6 million in a single day when you won the U.S. Open—your biggest single payday at the time. You went on to have an incredible year. Did winning the U.S. Open shift your approach to financial planning? Did it lead to any changes in your investment strategy or the way you allocate your earnings?
WC: Yeah, I would say it has. I was pretty conservative with my money for the first few years on tour. I remember talking with my initial wealth advisor, and I was like, ‘We’re hoping to do this for 30 years, let’s just compound our money, aim for 10%-15% returns, and look up one day and be super happy.’
That was our initial approach, and it still accounts for most of my strategy. But as I’ve come into more substantial wealth, we’ve adjusted. We began allocating 10%-15% of my earnings into higher-growth opportunities, aiming for greater upside. Instead of just targeting 10%-15% returns, we’re looking at opportunities for 20%-25% returns.
Additionally, a lot of companies approach me and my team with investment opportunities—new golf equipment companies, golf startups. We evaluate them carefully, asking: ‘Is this worth our time? Is it too risky? Do we see potential gains?’ It’s been a great process, and I really enjoy getting involved in different businesses.
My dad was a savvy businessman, and he taught me a lot growing up. I’ve really enjoyed this part of being a professional golfer.
EV: PGA Tour golfers are considered independent contractors—you don’t have a pro sports team covering your expenses like in other sports. What are some things people don’t realize about the financial side of being a pro golfer?
WC: We get taxed in the state we play in and then again in the state where we live. Because we’re our own CEO, people might see a $1 million tournament win and think, ‘Wow, that’s a ton of money.’ And it is—but after taxes, paying my caddie, coaches, flights, hotels and all the other expenses, a lot is getting trimmed off the top.
You have to be very fiscally responsible. We learn to charge as many expenses as possible to our business credit cards while traveling. You gain a ton of travel points, so you try to maximize the system in every way possible. Every pro golfer is very aware of how we spend, where we invest and how we structure expenses to be tax-efficient.
EV: How do you feel about the recent market volatility? Do you see it as an opportunity or a concern?
WC: Yeah, I mean, it is a little concerning. But if you look back over the years, the people who make the most money are the ones who capitalize on volatility. When things are going way up and down, they succeed when the market is down and know it will return. They also have the means to do that. I’m hoping we’re on that side.
We’ve been cautious with some investments and are waiting for the right opportunities in the market and real estate. We’re trying to position ourselves to maximize our “gains.”
EV: Looking back, what is the best money you’ve ever spent or the smartest investment you ever made—whether financial or personal?
WC: Well, the simple answer is investing in myself. I’ve made a few decisions where I took risks on myself —choosing long-term opportunities over short-term money. That strategy has paid off as I’ve played better and achieved success.
