Wyndham Clark-Christian McCaffrey high school: The connection between 49ers star and U.S. Open champion

By | June 19, 2023

Wyndham Clark’s improbable U.S. Open win Sunday has captured the hearts and minds of golf fans, including some old classmates.

Clark, who was born in Denver, Colorado, attended Valor Christian High School in Highland Ranch, Colorado. He shares some elite company in that respect, as 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey was a classmate of his.

Indeed, Clark showed some elite prowess at that time. He won two state golf championships and was the 2011 player of the year. McCaffrey, meanwhile, was carving out his own path. He was Colorado’s Football Player of the Year in 2012 and 2013. McCaffrey, a multisport athlete, played for Valor in his sophomore, junior, and senior years after spending his freshman year at Regis Jesuit High in Aurora, Colorado.

In other words, Clark and McCaffrey had a lot of hardware between them at Valor, which had 13 state championships between football and boys golf (eight in football, five in golf) from 2009 to 2018.

MORE: Why U.S. Open golfers weren’t happy with Los Angeles Country Club

McCaffrey saw the Valor trophy case get a U.S. Open title Sunday, and he took to Instagram to give Clark proper credit, captioning a photo of his TV with Clark celebrating “The Boy!”

McCaffrey also gave credit on Twitter.

After Clark won the Wells Fargo Championship, McCaffrey was similarly enthusiastic.

Wyndham Clark high school

Clark and McCaffrey both went to Valor Christian High School in Highland Ranch, Colorado, south of Denver heading toward Colorado Springs.

Valor Christian has emerged as a powerhouse in sports in Colorado since 2009, with a whopping 37 state championships in that span across various sports.

MORE: Wyndham Clark’s family tree

Notable athletes from Valor Christian High School

Valor Christian has built an impressive team resume, but it doesn’t have the lengthy list of alumni one might expect from that kind of success.

McCaffrey and Clark are obvious highlights. Luke Del Rio, the son of Jack Del Rio and current Commanders assistant, is also a graduate. Christian and Noah Elliss, who both play for the Eagles, are alums, too. Sprinting record holder Marybeth Sant-Price went to Valor as well.

Clearly, at least in the case of McCaffrey and Clark, those who go there stick together.

Clark and McCaffrey did not graduate in the same class, but they clearly hold a lot of respect for each other. 

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