Well, as finishing kicks go, Wyndham Clark got it right this time.

Having lost his game in the last year followed by a notorious episode in which he lost his temper, Clark was a model of composure Sunday in the final round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Clark fired a 28 on the inward nine at TPC Craig Ranch that propelled him to a closing 11-under 60 and his first victory since he won the 2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He also shot 60, a course record, in the third round at Pebble Beach, which ended up being the final round after storms shortened the event to 54 holes.

Winner of the 2023 U.S. Open, Clark made news last summer at the same championship at Oakmont Country Club by leaving the members something to remember him by. He put a foot to a few of the club’s ancient lockers after bogeying the last hole to miss the cut. The damage was substantial—more to his reputation than the lockers, though a casual observer might call it a draw. Oakmont subsequently banned him from the property.

Now, if you think we’re being a shade unfair to the lad, one who also last year angrily threw a club that nearly struck a volunteer at the PGA Championship, he wasted no time bringing up the Oakmont incident on national television after he signed for a 30-under 254 total to beat third-round leader Si Woo Kim by three shots.

Credit to Clark for finally owning it publicly. Bonus for not putting his foot in his mouth doing it.

“It’s amazing. I have to first thank a lot of people because what happened last year at Oakmont wasn’t the greatest thing,” Clark, 32, said after he became the fifth player since 1983 (when records began to be kept) to win on the PGA Tour after shooting 28 on the closing nine holes. “My sponsors, Power Design, SOFI, T-Mobile, Lexus all of them stayed with me, which means a lot. I’m very thankful for that.

“The greatest thing about having a downfall like that is the comeback,” he added. “Today feels really special after having a really tough year and grinding it out.”

For much of the day, Kim, who settled for 60 in the second round after bogeying the final hole, was doing enough to hold off Clark and playing partner Scottie Scheffler, the defending champion, whom, it should be noted, seems determined to see just how many top-three finishes he can rack up in a calendar year that do not include wins.

Fortunes turned at the par-5 12th hole, where Clark rolled in a 15-footer for eagle and leapfrogged over Kim into a one-stroke lead at 26 under par. Kim birdied the same hole moments later to regain a share at the top only to see Clark two-putt from 74 feet for birdie at the short par-4 14th and then guide home another birdie from 45 feet at 15 for a two-shot lead. Clark never let up, closing with two more birdies from 12 and three feet to slam the door. Figuratively, mind you.

Like we said, that’s quite a closing kick. It is believed that no one has won two tour events with a closing 60, let alone doing it in consecutive wins.

Kim fell to 2-6 when holding a 54-hole lead despite a 65. He finished runner-up for the second time in 2026. Scheffler also shot 65 to end up another two shots back in third place at 259. That makes six finishes of third or better in 11 starts this season, only one of them a victory way back in January at The American Express.

“I played great. I think it’s pretty much [the] best play golf I’ve ever had,” said Kim, who led the field with 33 birdies. “I’m a little frustrated, but nothing I can do. Wyndham played so good. It was so impressive.”

Clark pocketed $1.854 million with his fourth career PGA Tour title and assured himself starts in the year’s remaining signature events. He had fallen to 75th in the world, but the victory elevated him back inside the top 50 to a projected 44th, well off his career high of third from two years ago but now heading in the right direction.

Which is exactly what he’d tell you about himself in several aspects. One of which he already alluded to but to which he offered no further elucidation.

Clearly, a putting turnaround is another key. The club that was so crucial in his U.S. Open victory at Los Angeles Country Club had become a liability. He had gone through a number of putters this year and finally came across one he could trust—a Ping Scottsdale Tec Ally Blue Onset putter.

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Mike Mulholland

“I went through kind of a tough spurt, not swinging it good, not feeling comfortable with a lot of things, and I did a lot of work this off-season working on my golf swing,” he said. “Then I started hitting it better but wasn’t making the putts. Then finally landed on a great putter, and then everything’s been kind of coming together.”

It came together to the tune of a plus 20.210 strokes gained/total effort for the week fueled by a tournament best 12.573 strokes gained/putting performance.

And then, of course, Clark also had a day like few golfers ever have, which made it easy to enjoy. Nevertheless, it felt unusual, if you will. He was in a zone for sure. One that undoubtedly had gone missing.

“Yeah, it was definitely a calm zone, like I never … yeah, it was weird,” admitted. “I’ve been in the zone before. Like at Pebble, that was a crazy zone, just simply because that golf course and the putts I was making was almost like out of this world just because those greens are so difficult.

“Here it just almost felt like I was playing at home, and every hole was a new hole. I didn’t worry that I just made six birdies or that I needed to make more. I just was like, ‘All right, I have this 20-footer. I see it left edge, and I’d hit it, and it would go in.’ It was a different zone than I’ve been in before, that’s for sure.”

Finding the zone is one thing. Finding a “calm zone,” well, any golfer would tell you that’s just nirvana. And finding that zone at a tournament dedicated to the memory of the gentlemanly Byron Nelson has almost a spiritual vibe to it.

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Main Image: Alex Goodlett