BMW Championship Round 3: Wyndham Clark Shakes Off a Double and Pulls Five Clear

Wyndham Clark spent 36 holes without a bogey, then made a double on the first hole Saturday. By the time the day was done, the lead had grown from one shot to five.

Clark shot 5-under 65 at Bellerive to reach 17-under 193 and take a five-shot lead into the final round of the BMW Championship. Rory McIlroy (65) and Patrick Cantlay (66) are tied for second at 12 under. Chris Gotterup (68) and Gary Woodland (70) share fourth at 11 under, and Collin Morikawa is alone in sixth at 10 under after a 67.

The Stumble

The opening hole was a mess. Clark pulled his tee shot into the rough, found more rough on the right with the next one, came up short of the green and then missed a 7-footer. Just like that, the cleanest card in the field had a double on it, and the one-shot cushion Clark started the day with was gone.

"I don't even know how I doubled No. 1, I didn't even hit that bad of a tee ball," Clark said, per Golf Channel.

Eight Holes That Decided Saturday

Clark got one back with a birdie at the fourth, and the round turned at the seventh. Woodland rolled in a 15-footer for birdie there to tie the lead. Clark answered right on top of him, sticking a 105-yard approach and holing the 10-footer.

Then came the shot of the day. At the par-5 eighth, Clark hit a 5-wood to 12 feet and made the eagle putt. From there the putter simply took over: a 30-footer at the 10th, roughly 15 feet at the 11th, and 12-footers at both the 13th and 14th. Five birdies and an eagle in an eight-hole stretch turned a tie into a runaway. A bogey at the 18th kept Clark from a third straight 64, which is a strange complaint to have about a 65.

Clark described the feeling of a hot putter in plain terms. "You start seeing the lines and you're so much more committed," Clark said, per the AP. "You're like, 'OK, that's exactly it.' And then you just stroke it and the ball goes in."

Here is the stat that will hang over Sunday. This is the second time this season Clark has carried a lead of at least five shots into a final round. The first was the U.S. Open, where a six-shot cushion shrank to a one-shot win. You can read how that one finished in our U.S. Open recap.

Woodland Runs Out of Gas

Woodland's afternoon went the other way. Paired with the leader and playing in front of a crowd that has been firmly behind him all week, Woodland made only two birdies in a 70. The highlight was a scrambling par at the 14th, an up-and-down from 86 yards. He is six back now.

The bigger prize may still be his. Woodland came in 31st in the FedExCup standings, and Golf Channel reported that Woodland now projects inside the top 20, which would send him to East Lake for the first time in years.

McIlroy and Cantlay Make Their Move

McIlroy got himself into the final pairing with a late burst, birdieing the 15th, 16th and 17th, then saving par from a bunker at the last. It was the McIlroy of Thursday again, after a flat Friday. He is realistic about the gap.

"That's a lot to make up," McIlroy said of the five-shot deficit, per the AP.

Cantlay has the most riding on Sunday among the chasers. Cantlay started the week 43rd in the FedExCup, well outside the top 30, and a birdie at the 18th for a 66 has him projecting inside the line. A good Sunday could also make Cantlay an easy captain's pick for the Presidents Cup, even though an automatic spot is out of reach.

"I feel like my game's in a good spot and ready to go shoot a low one tomorrow," Cantlay said.

Gotterup was spotless for 16 holes before a bogey at the par-5 17th. Morikawa played the back nine without a bogey to climb to sixth.

Bubble and Presidents Cup Math

Sunday is not only about the trophy. The top 30 move on to Atlanta, and the current projections have Woodland, Cantlay and Sungjae Im pushing out Kurt Kitayama, Bud Cauley and Rickie Fowler. Im, who has played in every TOUR Championship since his 2019 rookie season, shot 70 and bogeyed his last hole, so the margin is thin. Justin Thomas, another bubble name, shot 71 and is tied for 15th.

It is also cutoff day for the six automatic Presidents Cup spots. Ben Griffin shot 68 but is tied for 35th, and Griffin's place on the U.S. team for Medinah next month is in jeopardy. Scottie Scheffler, still not feeling great, posted 68 and sits tied for 15th, 12 shots back.

One Round Left

Clark has five shots, a hot putter and the memory of nearly letting a big lead get away at the U.S. Open. McIlroy and Cantlay have nothing to lose and something to chase. Woodland and Im have East Lake on the line. The leader controls Sunday, but a five-shot lead at Bellerive is only as safe as the next few holes make it.

Catch up on the first two days in our Round 1 recap and Round 2 recap. Full scoring is on the official PGA TOUR leaderboard (opens in a new tab), and the TOUR's Round 3 recap (opens in a new tab) has more.

Sources: PGA TOUR (Round 3 recap and leaderboard), AP, Golf Channel. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: PGA TOUR.