Wyndham Clark survived blowing a big overnight lead to fend off Rory McIlroy and grab a third PGA TOUR triumph of the season at the BMW Championship.
The 32-year-old American came into the final round of the second event of the FedExCup playoffs at Bellerive Country Club with a healthy five-shot advantage, firmly in control of the event. However, that advantage was immediately reduced to three after Clark made bogey at the 1st while McIlroy birdied the same hole. By the turn, Clark’s lead was further cut to two after a shaky display but soon found the six-time major champion level with him at the top of the leaderboard thanks to a birdie at the 11th, a hole Clark bogeyed. In addition to McIlroy, American duo Gary Woodland and Patrick Cantlay were also making strides, with Woodland sinking three birdies in five holes to get within two and Cantlay going one-under on the front nine and making birdie at the 10th to move within one. The momentum Clark built during the previous rounds looked to be dissipating with the chasing pack piling on the pressure.
But it was Clark and McIlroy who remained in a share for the lead as the tournament reached its closing stages, the crucial moment which saw Clark produce his best golf of the day. He went onto conclude his final-round in fine fashion with a run of three successive birdies from the 16th to surge away from McIlroy who stumbled towards the end as Clark carded a level-par 70, to finish on 17 under, and mark his sixth career PGA TOUR victory.
“It was weird – I wasn’t nervous but I was kind of out of it, making double bogeys,” Clark said. “I can’t believe I didn’t make anything on the greens. But I kept trying to get myself going,” said Clark, who picked up a third win of the year.
“I really started to swing free down the end. I was proud I didn’t let it get away and was mentally strong.
“I’m one of the best players in the world. Everyone gives me a hard time and roots for other people, but I’ve come into my own. It’s my best season yet coming off my worst year.”
Victory, his third of the season following the CJ Cup Byron Nelson and U.S. Open, keeps Clark in the hunt for the FedExCup as those inside the top 30 qualify to the season-ending TOUR Championship.
Cantlay also ended the event with a run of three birdies in a row to finish as runner-up on 14 under while McIlroy had to settle for third a shot further back on 13 under.
“I’m still not in a spot where I’m super happy with where my game is or where my swing is, so I just have to keep working on it,” McIlroy said afterwards on his third-place finish. “It’s nice to know even when I’m not super happy with everything I can still piece it together and get it around and still give myself a chance to win tournaments.”
What is the next event?
The next event on the PGA TOUR schedule is the TOUR Championship taking place between 27-30 August at East Lake Golf Club in Georgia.