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.”

5 Birdies. 1 Eagle. 28 shots

Wyndham Clark's back nine @CJByronNelson was unreal. pic.twitter.com/RRTS2YQpRz

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 24, 2026

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.

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.

Follow Golf Digest Middle East on social media

Instagram

X

Facebook

YouTube

Main Image: Alex Goodlett

The post Wyndham Clark admits ‘comeback’ victory at Byron Nelson made sweeter after Oakmont ‘downfall’ appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Kohles, the reigning Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year, was one ahead. Pendrith, a Canadian playing in his 74th career PGA Tour event, knew he needed to make a birdie on the par 5, and perhaps even an eagle to get into a playoff at TPC Craig Ranch.

Until that point, the two had combined to miss 12 cuts this year—Kohles had one top-10 finish and Pendrith had two.

There were fireworks of sorts to even get to that point where they had a chance to win on 18. Kohles made birdie on both the 16th and 17th holes to capture the lead. Pendrith made six footers to save par on both holes just to remain within one.

In a stunning turn of events, Kohles left a chip shot short of the green, failed to get up and down and eventually made the only bogey of the day on the 18th hole. Yes, his only bogey of the day, but THE only bogey of everyone in the field. Then, when Pendrith two-putted from 40 feet, he replaced the one-shot deficit with a one-shot victory.

“I feel for Ben,” Pendrith said. “He played really, really good today, especially down the stretch birdieing 16, 17. I’ve been on the other side of it a couple times and it sucks, but it’s golf. It’s a hard game.

“Obviously I’m thrilled to birdie the last and get it done. But feel for him.”

Winning is hard.

Ben Kohles went on to make bogey on the 72nd hole to miss a potential playoff by one shot. He was the only player to bogey the 18th today. pic.twitter.com/JYx69sMP0U

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 5, 2024

Pendrith, 32, was already a little miffed when he arrived at the course Sunday. His beloved Toronto Maple Leafs lost a Game 7 in overtime, 2-1, to the Boston Bruins on Saturday night and were eliminated from the NHL Playoffs. Still he started the round with the advantage and remained steady, only making one bogey to go with five birdies for his final-round 67 to end at 23-under 261 total. Besides the two-putt birdie on the 72nd hole, the par saves on the 70th and 71st holes were as big as they come for the man looking to join Mike Weir’s International Presidents Cup team later this year in Montreal.

Until this week, results in his 10 starts this year read like this: T-10, MC, T-9, MC, MC, MC, MC, T-36, MC, T-11. The 11th-place tie came a couple weeks ago at the Corales Puntacana Championship, where he was in contention until a final-round 73 moved him down the leaderboard.

Now, suddenly, he’s qualified for next week’s signature event, the Wells Fargo Championship, which has guaranteed money attached to it.

“It’s super special,” Pendrith said. “I still can’t believe that I’m a winner of this tournament. But I’m sure it’ll kick in soon.”

360° and in!

A nervy par save by @TaylorPendrith to remain one back as he seeks his first PGA TOUR victory @CJByronNelson. pic.twitter.com/LVFXUSidSg

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 5, 2024

As special as it is for Pendrith, it was equally as devastating for Kohles, who has won four times on the Korn Ferry Tour, including twice in 2023.

The 34-year-old grew up in Dallas but moved to North Carolina when he turned 10 and didn’t take up golf until he was 15. Still, the area is special to him and he’d have loved nothing more than to have captured his first PGA Tour event at a place named for Byron Nelson.

Kohles, whose best finish this season is a T-6 at the Puerto Rico Open in March, applied pressure all day and looked like the man to beat until the bitter end. He rattled off four birdies in a five-hole stretch from Nos. 4-8, made seven straight pars before the terrific birdies on the 16th and 17th holes. On 16 he hit a laser approach from 180 yards to two feet and on 17 he smoothly rolled in a 20-footer to take the lead.

On the 72nd hole, Pendrith found the green in two and Kohles came up short and was in thick rough short of the green. His first chip failed to reach the green, leaving a more awkward stance and shot for his third. He managed to chip that one to five feet, leaving a par attempt he’d have to make to send the tournament into a playoff. But the putt slid left, and Kohles looked at his caddie as if it was a bad read more than it was a poor, pressure-packed stroke. It was only Kohles’ third bogey all week, his first of the day and, again, the only one on the 18th hole of everyone in the field.

“It was sitting up a little bit, but honestly hadn’t seen any rough like that all week,” Kohles said of his first chip, also noting that he hit his irons so well that he hardly chipped.

“Yeah, just didn’t hit a great shot. Just needed a little bit more oomph on it. I kind of maybe deceled a little bit, but you live and you learn.”

At any rate, he’ll have to wait another day to secure his first tour victory. He still has plenty of time left in the season to become the fourth player in history to be the Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year and win the next year on the PGA Tour. He did, however, qualify for the Wells Fargo Championship next week at Quail Hollow.

“Did so many good things this week,” Kohles said, “and I’m just going to keep reminding myself of that and try to get myself back in this position.”

Image: Tim Heitman

The post Taylor Pendrith captures first PGA Tour victory with dramatic two-shot swing on 72nd hole appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

None of this was of concern to Raul Pereda at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson on Thursday, however, where the Mexico-born tour pro holed one of the most immaculate aces you will ever see. Sound the air raid sirens, because this thing is a missile.

ACE ALERT @Raulp96 cards a 1⃣ on the 236-yard par-3 7th @CJByronNelson !

(Presented by @CocaCola) pic.twitter.com/3dt98avO3X

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 2, 2024

RELATED: Michael Block holes out for eagle, high fives walking scorer, remains one of golf’s greatest showmen

TPC Craig Ranch’s gargantuan 236-yard par-3 7th hole isn’t a pitch n’ putt cupcake with a feeder pin hoovering up Joe Schmo’s Kirkland. This is a full-grown beast and Pereda put it on a leash and told it to sit with one perfect swing. When all is said and done, Pereda’s ace will go down as one of the shots of the year, rivalled partly by his other mind-boggling eagle, which he logged at the Mexico Open back in February.

¡Águila desde 249 yardas!

El año pasado en el @MexicoOpenGolf, y su debut en el TOUR, @RaulP96 se llevó un recuerdo para toda la vida.#TOURVault pic.twitter.com/KUzg3Yd2Cd

— PGATOUResp (@pgatouresp) February 20, 2024

What can we say? The man loves a hole-out. Pereda’s hole-in-one was more than just for show, though. The shot moved the 940th-ranked player in the world to two-under and into a tie for 8th place. With just 10 events played, three cuts made and under $50,000 in career earnings on the PGA Tour, another couple of shots like this wouldn’t just move Pereda up the leaderboard, they would change his life.

The post This 236-yard missile at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson might be the purest ace you see all year appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Initially, there was no reason given to Zalatoris’ decision, announced by the PGA Tour’s communications team. However, Zalatoris later posted on social media that he suffered a “flare-up” of the back problems that sidelined him for the entire 2023 season.

“My back needs some rest and recovery. I am ahead of schedule according to my doctors, but unfortunately the first six months back are the most important for the long-term health of my back,” Zalatoris wrote on Instagram. “I need to be prudent to make sure I don’t miss a big chunk of time again. I hate that a flare-up happened during one of my favourite weeks all year, but knew something like this was a possibility early on in my return to golf.”

Zalatoris had played in the past three tour events—including last week’s team competition, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, where he and teammate Sahith Theegala missed the cut. He had been scheduled to speak to the media on Wednesday, but is no longer on the list.

It is a blow to tournament organizers, who are losing their second hometown star. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is always passing on the Dallas event as he and his wife prepare for the birth of their first child. The Nelson has just three players in the Official World Golf Ranking’s top 30 in the field.

Zalatoris, 27, has enjoyed a solid comeback year after missing 2023 due to back surgery. Zalatoris finished in a tie for second at the Genesis Invitational, with a top-five finish last month at Bay Hill and a T-9 three weeks back at the Masters. He’s currently 16th in the FedEx Cup and 30th in the OWGR.

Nick Watney will replace Zalatoris in the field.

Main image: Ben Jared

The post Will Zalatoris WDs from CJ Cup Byron Nelson appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.