Clark takes two-shot lead
Will try to hold on for first PGA title
Wyndham Clark has never won on the PGA Tour.
He aims to change that Sunday. Clark shot an 8-under-par 63 at the Wells Fargo Championship on Saturday, giving him a two-shot lead over Xander Schauffele going into the final round at Charlotte, N.C. The Denver native is at 16-under 197 for the tournament.
Schauffele, the world’s fifthranked player, shot 64 at Quail Hollow while playing alongside Clark. He is at 14 under.
Adam Scott and third-round coleader Tyrrell Hatton are tied for third at 11 under, five shots behind Clark. Tommy Fleetwood, Harris English, and Sungjae Im are six back.
Defending champ Max Homa shot 68 and is 8 under for the tournament.
Clark is within striking distance of the tournament’s 72-hole scoring mark (in relation to par) of 21-under 267 set by Rory McIlroy in 2015. That was when Quail Hollow played to a par 72; it is now a par 71.
Clark would gladly settle for his first win on tour.
“I’m excited to see how I handle the pressure,” Clark said. “It’s going to be a fun challenge.”
At one point Saturday, there were 11 players tied for the lead.
Then Clark stepped on the course and shot 31 on the front nine and posted birdies on Nos. 13, 14, and 15. He hit his first 17 greens before his approach shot on No 18 landed on the fringe, less than two inches off the green. He needed just 28 putts on Saturday, best in the field.
But Schauffele put his 260-yard approach shot on No. 15 to within 27 feet to set up an eagle, then added a birdie on 16 to cut Clark’s lead to two. Brendon Todd (65) is at 9 under. McIlroy’s bid for a fourth win at Quail Hollow is essentially over after he shot a 71 that left him at 1 under. LPGA — Lexi Thompson made backto-back birdies on the back nine and the United States earned the final spot in the semifinals of the LPGA’s International Crown team matchplay event in San Francisco.
The US clinched the semifinal berth when China lost its second match to England, but got a halfpoint anyway when Thompson and Danielle Kang rallied to tie Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom and Maja Stark.
Sweden won Pool A when Anna Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall beat Nelly Korda and Lilia Vu, 1 up, and will play Pool B runner-up Australia in the semifinals on Sunday.
The US plays Thailand in the other semifinal. Thailand won all six fourball matches in pool play.
The Americans had a tough time with Sweden despite Vu delivering the shot of the day when she holed out from the sixth fairway for eagle.
The US led most of that match before Nordqvist made birdies on the 15th and 17th holes to give Sweden the win.
Thompson and Kang rallied from two down to take the lead by winning three straight starting at No. 14. Thompson made birdie putts on 15 and 16, but Sweden got the half point when Stark birdied the final hole.
Thailand and Australia clashed to determine who would win Pool B.
Thailand won both matches, with sisters Moriya and Ariya Jutanugarn beating Hannah Green and Sarah Kemp, 3 and 2, and Patty Tavatanakit and Atthaya Thitikul beating Stephanie Kyriacou and Minjee Lee, 1 up.
The finals are also Sunday. European — Julien Guerrier will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Italian Open at Guidonia Montecelio.
Guerrier started the day two shots off the lead but carded eight birdies and three bogeys in a 5-under 66.
His one-stroke advantage was over French compatriot Romain Langasque, who set a new course record at the Marco Simone club outside Rome, and Poland’s Adrian Meronk.
Langasque hit seven birdies and an eagle in his 9-under 62.