Clark finally had his breakthrough moment at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina
Count it as a day Wyndham Clark will forever cherish in his PGA Tour career. As the latest first-time winner on Tour Sunday, Clark propelled his way beyond No. 5 ranked Xander Schauffele for a four-stroke victory and accompanying $3.6 million paycheck at the 2023 Wells Fargo Championship.
Returning to its traditional home of Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte after a one-year relocation in 2022 — Quail Hollow hosted the Presidents Cup last year — the Wells Fargo Championship has been a launching pad for some of the game’s biggest names in previous years, and Clark now joins the list of first-time Tour winners at Quail Hollow. He followed up a dazzling 8-under 63 in Saturday’s third round with a 3-under 68 Sunday to secure the milestone moment in his professional career.
“It has been a long few years to get [a win] on Tour,” Clark told CBS. “I would have thought I would get one here or there [already]. But it was well worth the wait. I am just so grateful.”
Clark’s round began on a bit of a bumpy note with a bogey on the par-5 1st, but he was unfazed the rest of the way. The first hole was his lone bogey of the round, and Clark held steady while making some key birdies at key moments. His round included an 3-under 33 on the back nine to finish off a 19 under for the event. It marks the lowest score at the Wells Fargo Championship since 2015, when Rory McIlroy set a tournament record at 21 under, and Clark says it’s a testament to his increased mental toughness.
“Well, definitely the mental side of it,” Clark added. “I did not hit it as well as yesterday. I didn’t make as many putts as maybe the day before. But mentally, I was super strong. I didn’t start off great. I was super shaky. I think in years past, I might have folded. This time, I just stayed patient there and then I caught fire on the back [nine].”
Clark arrived at Quail Hollow with only four top finishes since turning professional in 2017. That included a playoff loss at the Bermuda Championship in 2020. But a course where plenty of breakthroughs have been made proved to be the site of Clark’s own. McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and Max Homa are notables whose notched their first tour wins at the Wells Fargo Championship, and Clark now joins some well-respected company. Grade: A+
Source: cbssports.com