Wyndham Clark missed putt: Brutal lip-out hands Scottie Scheffler second consecutive Players Championship win
Wyndham Clark missed putt: Brutal lip-out hands Scottie Scheffler second consecutive Players Championship win
Wyndham Clark had an up-and-down round Sunday, but the World No. 5 golfer had a chance to redeem himself on the 18th hole.
Clark made a birdie on the iconic island green at TPC Sawgrass to put himself one stroke back of Scottie Scheffler heading into the final hole.
Clark wasn’t pleased with his second shot on 18, but he still hit the green in regulation. That set him up with a 17-foot putt to tie Scheffler and set up a playoff.
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Wyndham Clark’s missed putt
Clark came oh-so-close to draining the putt. It tracked toward the hole with perfect-looking speed and appeared ready to go in, but it somehow lipped out.
That miss made Scheffler the first player to win the Players Championship in back-to-back seasons.
Clark clearly thought he made the putt live. He took half a step toward the cup and began to do a fist-pump before the ball spun out.
After that, Clark couldn’t hide his disappointment. He cleaned up for par but briefly hid his face behind his hat despite his solid finish.
Clark tied for second for the Players Championship, carding a 19-under for the tournament along with Brian Harman and Xander Schauffele.
That said, Clark could have guaranteed at least a solo second finish by holing the putt on the final hole. That would have guaranteed him at least $2.725 million in prize money instead of the roughly $1.9 million he receives for tying with Harman and Schauffele.
Clark also entered the weekend sporting a five-shot lead over the next closest competitor. He shot just a combined five-under Saturday and Sunday to allow Scheffler, Schauffele and Harman within striking distance, which he will certainly rue.
Despite this, Clark was gracious in defeat and took time to sign autographs for the fans on hand at TPC Sawgrass Sunday.
Clark’s loss will sting, especially since it marks the second consecutive week he finished second to Scheffler.
Still, the top-five golfer can take solace in already having a PGA Tour win this season. He finished first at the rain-shortened Pebble Beach Pro-Am after he shot a Saturday 60 to lead the tournament.