CLARK CAPTURES FIRST WIN
Wyndham Clark tried to pull his hat over his eyes with both hands as he struggled to hold back tears on the 18th green at Quail Hollow Club after winning his first PGA Tour event at the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, N.C.
The long, agonizing wait that included days on tour where he wanted to “break some clubs” were over.
It was time to celebrate. “I’m a little choked up,” Clark said on the green. “It’s been a long five years (on tour) to get to this point. I thought I would have won one earlier, but it is well worth the wait.”
Clark shot 68 on Sunday for a four-shot victory over Xander Schauffele.
He finished the tournament at 19-under 265, the second-lowest score in relation to par in tournament history behind only three-time champion Rory McIlroy’s 21-under 267 in 2015 when par for the course was 72.
Schauffele had accuracy issues with his driver on Sunday and shot 70, finishing at 15 under.
Tyrrell Hatton and Harry English finished tied for third at 12 under, one shot better than Tommy Fleetwood and Adam Scott. Defending champion Max Homa shot 70 on Sunday and tied for ninth at 9-under 275.
“There are so many times that I wanted to cry and break clubs — and I did break clubs at times — in this journey,” Clark said. “But to get to this point is so sweet. It is just amazing to finally do this.”
“To go and put that round of 63 together (on Saturday) and finish at 19 under is a fantastic effort,” Hatton said. “Yeah, he deserves to be holding that trophy.”
Clark’s victory didn’t come easy — perhaps fitting for his career.
The world’s 80th ranked player opened the final round with a two-shot lead, surrendered it to Schauffele after seven holes and then stormed back to win after playing the final 11 holes in 4 under.
Despite never having won on tour before, there were signs that Clark was due. He’d finished in the top six in three of the
last five tournaments he’d entered, including a third place finish at the Zurich Classic last month.
He showed the poise of a champion after a rough start.
Clark pulled his tee shot left on No. 1 over the cart path, leaving him a difficult approach shot leading to a bogey. Schauffele pulled into the lead with birdies at Nos. 3 and 7 and it looked like Clark, who was struggling just to make birdie over the first six holes, might collapse under the pressure of trying to win his first tournament.
“My caddie (John Ellis) kept preaching to me that it’s going to be challenging and get your mind wrapped around it,” Clark said.
The momentum changed on the eighth hole.
Clark chipped to within 4 feet and rolled in a short birdie putt to pull back into a tie and then took the lead for good at the turn when Schauffele’s par putt lipped out on No. 9.
Schauffele started struggling
with his driver, missing four straight fairways. Clark kept the pressure on sinking birdie putts at No. 10 and 12 sandwiched in between a Schauffele bogey on No. 11, pushing the lead to four strokes with six holes left to play.
“I didn’t hit it as well and didn’t make as many putts as maybe I did the day before but mentally I was super strong,” Clark said.
Schauffele said he wished he could have put more pressure on Clark, but that he was just flat on Sunday.
“I started leaking oil,” Schauffele said.
Elsewhere
Atthaya Thitikul birdied the 16th hole to cap a dominating week that carried Thailand to a victory over Australia for the country’s first International Crown team match play title.
Thitikul beat Stephanie Kyriacou 4 and 2 to improve to 5-0 on the week and earn the clinching point in the final.
Patty Tavatanakit had already beaten Hannah Green 4and3in the other singles match.
Sisters Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn won their match over Minjee Lee and Sarah Kemp 4 and 3 when Ariya Jutanugarn holed out a chip shot from the edge of the green on the 15th hole as sixth-seeded Thailand finished the week winning 11 of 12 matches.
The United States beat Sweden in the consolation match to finish third.
• Stephen Ames capped off his dominant week on the TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Ga., with a 4-under 68 that gave him the tournament scoring record at 19-under 197 and a four-shot victory in the Mitsubishi Electric Classic.
• Adrian Meronk’s goal of making the European Ryder Cup team is closer to reality after winning the Italian Open outside Rome. Meronk finished at 13-under overall with a 2under 69 for a one-stroke victory over