Wyndham Clark sees funny side as iPad intervenes to hamper Open progress

Clark’s wayward tee shot on the 14th hole at Royal Liverpool left him in a spot of bother.

US Open champion Wyndham Clark had a mishap on the 14th hole at Royal Liverpool (Peter Byrne/PA) (PA Wire)

US Open winner Wyndham Clark saw the funny side after claiming an unfortunate deflection off someone’s tablet device led to an embarrassing fluffed shot on day one at the Open.

The 29-year-old American, playing his first major since last month’s memorable triumph at the Los Angeles Country Club, got his feet tangled and hardly moved the ball from thick rough on the 14th hole at Royal Liverpool on Thursday.

The ball had landed there after a wayward tee shot took a ricochet.

From there a bogey five was an acceptable outcome, avoiding serious damage on his way to a three-under-par 68.

Clark said: “(I was) a little unfortunate off the tee. Obviously hitting the guy is never good, but it really went into a bad spot.

“If I didn’t hit the guy, it probably would have been in fine grass and I would have been able to hit it up near the green.

“I had an awful lie and hit it about two feet, then got very fortunate I didn’t go in the bunker.

“Getting up and down and making about a 20-footer really is a round-saver. Making that putt made me feel like I regained the momentum.”

Asked if the person he hit was all right, he told reporters: “Yes, it hit his iPad, didn’t hit him.”

That question was then followed up with another about the state of the electronic item.

Laughing, Clark added: “I don’t care now. It screwed me up!”