NewzLOUIS (AP) — Wyndham Clark lost the lead with a double bogey on the first hole and then left everyone in his wake Saturday at Bellerive, making five birdies and an eagle in an eight-hole stretch and finishing with a 5-under 65 to build a five-shot lead in the BMW Championship. It was the second time this year Clark has led by at least five shots going into the final round. He had a six-shot advantage at the U.S.
Open and held on to win by one for his second major. Rory McIlroy ran off three straight birdies late in the round and saved par from a bunker on the 18th for a 65. Patrick Cantlay birdied the 18th for a 66.
They were tied for second, a position far more relevant to Cantlay. 43 in the FedEx Cup and needs a high finish to be among the top 30 who advance to the FedEx Cup finale next week in Atlanta. “That’s a lot to make up,” McIlroy said of his deficit.
“But if I focus on myself, try to shoot a good score — I shot a 64 and a 65 this week — shoot something similar tomorrow, you never know.” Gary Woodland, trying to cap off his remarkable year with a return to the Tour Championship, only managed two birdies in a round of 70. He was six shots behind, perhaps too far back to challenge Clark but high enough to extend his season another week. He was tied with Chris Gotterup (68).
Clark was bogey-free through 36 holes and only once was under serious stress of making a par. But he pulled his tee shot into gnarly rough on the opening hole, hit the next one into the right rough, came up short of the green and missed a 7-foot putt to take double bogey. Just like that, he was one shot behind Woodland.
They were tied when the crowd erupted for Woodland’s 15-foot birdie putt on the par-4 seventh. Clark followed with a 10-foot birdie, and that was the start of a one of those hot streaks where Clark looks like he can’t miss. He hit a 5-wood to 12 feet for eagle on the par-5 eighth.
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