Wyndham Clark leads after three rounds at the Wells Fargo Championship; Xander Schauffele and second round co-leader Tyrrell Hatton in chasing pack; Rory McIlroy struggling at event where he is a three-time winner; watch throughout the week live on Sky Sports Golf
Sunday 7 May 2023 16:47, UK
Wyndham Clark shot an eight-under 63 in the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow on Saturday, putting him in position for his first PGA Tour win.
The 29-year-old Clark has a two-shot lead going into the final round, with the Colorado native sitting at 16 under for the tournament.
Xander Schauffele, the world's fifth-ranked player, shot 64 while playing alongside Clark to finish the third round at 14 under par but Rory McIlroy is surely out of contention at a venue where he is a three-time winner, sitting a full 15 shots off the pace after finishing level for the day in a frustrating round.
Adam Scott and England's Tyrrell Hatton, the second round co-leader, are tied for third at 11 under, five shots behind Clark. Tommy Fleetwood, Harris English and Sungjae Im are tied for fifth, six shots off the pace.
Defending champion Max Homa shot 68 and is at eight under for the tournament. Clark is within striking distance of the tournament's 72-hole scoring mark of 21-under 267 set by Rory McIlroy in 2015. That was when Quail Hollow played to a par 72; it is now par 71.
At one point on Saturday there were 11 players tied for the lead.
Clark shot 31 on the front nine and posted birdies on 13, 14 and 15. He hit his first 17 greens before his approach shot on 18 landed two inches off the green. He needed just 28 putts on Saturday, the best in the field.
But Schauffele wouldn't let Clark pull away.
He put his 260-yard approach shot on 15 to within 27 feet to set up an eagle, and then added a birdie on 16 to cut Clark's lead to two.
While he has never won, Clark's ascension on the leaderboard doesn't come as a huge surprise given his recent play. He has finished in the top six in three of his last five tournaments and hasn't missed a cut since last October's Shriner's Open.
Fellow American Brendon Todd was one of the big movers on Saturday, shooting a 65 to get to nine under.
McIlroy's bid for a fourth win at Quail Hollow is essentially over after the world's third-ranked player failed to make a move on Saturday, shooting an inconsistent 71 that left him at one under for the tournament. McIlroy has previously won the event in 2010, 2015 and 2021.
Watch the Wells Fargo Championship throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Early coverage continues Sunday from 4pm on Sky Sports Golf ahead of full coverage from 6pm.
