Clark Vandiver has already experienced some incredible moments in his athletic life that most never will. Once, in an Alabama Junior Golf Organization (AJGO) event at Chesley Oaks Golf Course in Cullman, Ala., Clark eagled the last hole to place him tied for first in the event. This past February, Clark won the state championship in the high jump in the 4A-5A classification with a jump of 6’4”. His junior year, he was part of a relay team with Fayette County that won the 4×200 at the 2024 AHSAA Indoor Track Championships.
Though he’s collected plenty of hardware and set multiple school records over the years, don’t expect too much boasting out of Clark. When asked about the golf scholarship he received to play at Wallace-Hanceville Community College next season, Clark describes it as an “honor.”
Clark first picked up a golf club when he was young, but it wasn’t until his ninth-grade season that things began to click. During his time as a high school golf player, Clark has won sectionals, placed 7th at sub-state, and made a state championship appearance in 2024.
Now he has plans to pursue golf as a profession. He plans on enrolling in the prestigious Professional Golf Management (PGM) program at Mississippi State University in Starkville, Miss., after his time at Wallace-Hanceville.
“Mississippi State has an awesome PGM program that I would love to be a part of,” Clark says.
Track-wise, Clark’s jump of 6’4” set an indoor school record, and he also set or helped to set school records in the 60m run and 4×200 indoor.
None of this would be possible, of course, without Clark’s commitment in the classroom. He says his favorite subject at FCHS is math and carries an overall 3.59 GPA. Last year as a junior, Clark served as one of the school’s ambassadors.
Outside of school and sports, Clark says his hobbies are working out, spending time with family and friends, and going to church. One athlete he admires is PGA golfer Scottie Scheffler—” He’s just all around just a great guy,” Clark says.
Like his attitude toward Wallace-Hanceville, Clark says he enjoys representing his school and considers it a privilege to compete for the black-and-orange.
“It’s an honor to play for Fayette,” he says humbly.
Clark, in turn, has been a student-athlete who has added a tremendous sense of pride to the Tiger uniform, and without question, Fayette County High School has been honored to have him. TG
A special thanks to our sponsor, Alabama Credit Union.
Photos by Al Blanton
