Emily Tanner is always in Wyndham Clark’s corner, but even she isn’t immune to challenging parts of dating a major champion. Speaking with Brad Galli ahead of Clark’s Rocket Classic week in her hometown, Michigan, Tanner explained why.

“For me, I might get a little annoyed because they are gonna ask me a ton of questions, and sometimes I just like to go out there and focus on him. But it’ll be so much fun. I have many, many friends and family coming every single day,” she said

While Emily Tanner’s mother has seen Wyndham Clark playing once, most of her friends and family will now be tuning in as the champion is in their hometown.

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The context behind the conversation starts two days before the Rocket Classic even began. Wyndham Clark threw the ceremonial first pitch at Comerica Park on Tuesday, a pre-tournament appearance ahead of his Thursday tee time. The Tigers backed up the moment with a 14-0 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. And Clark got a full baseball experience out of the visit.

He met the team’s general manager and coaching staff, throwing in a bullpen and watching batting practice up close. He even joked afterward that he’d take a roster spot if Tiger kept winning behind his pitches. The stop also carries an extra weight this year since Rocket has confirmed it won’t sponsor the tournament past 2026, making this trip to Detroit Golf Club the final one in the current deal.

That said, Emily Tanner’s complaint came with laughter rather than a complaint. Tanner’s friends and family have never watched Clark play in person, and with so many of them descending on Detroit Golf Club this week, she expects to spend as much time explaining the game as watching it.

It will be challenging for her to navigate where to stand on the course, read the leaderboard, and answer basic questions about how Clark is playing. It’s almost as if Tanner has become the resident expert among her own circle simply because she’s been on tour with him all season.

While Emily Tanner loves to maintain her privacy and stay away from unwanted conversation, she has already shown she can handle the pressure of her own. She stood behind Clark at Shinnecock Hills last month as he battled through a tense field and jeers throughout the round.

As for Wyndham Clark, he has never hidden how much Tanner’s support means to him. He says ahead of the pitch that he hopes to make her proud in her hometown regardless of how the throw goes. He has tried spending time with her friends and family away from golf, too. It included a Fourth of July trip around Cass Lake and Lake Angelus and a stretch at homes in West Bloomfield and Birmingham.

That said, as Wyndham Clark is now at the Detroit Golf Club, it adds another crucial layer to the week. He missed the cut there in 2025 and has never finished better than a tie for eighth, a mark he set back in 2022. He now returns to the course that underwent a $16 million renovation led by architect Tyler Rae. Whether he is able to stand atop the leaderboard for the tournament remains to be seen.