Players Championship: Wyndham Clark’s ‘duff’ into dreaded 17th hole waters

CNN
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Xander Schauffele capitalized on Wyndham Clark splashing a horror shot into the waters of the fabled 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass to nudge into a one stroke lead and tee up a grandstand finish at The Players Championship.

The American duo waged a pulsating third round battle at the PGA Tour’s flagship tournament on Saturday, and had looked on course to head into the final round level at the top before reigning US Open champion Clark chunked his first swing at the penultimate 123-yard par-three hole.

Opting not to tee up his ball, the world No. 5 sent clumps of turf flying before wincing in anguish as his ball splashed into the water well short of the iconic island green.

“Why would you not tee the ball up when you can?” questioned Sky Sports Golf broadcaster Ewen Murray.

“He’s just duffed it,” added co-commentator and 20-time LPGA champion Laura Davies.

Yet the response was as sublime as the initial effort was shoddy, with a nerveless Clark – having decided against taking a different angle from the penalty drop area to the left of the green – dropping his second attempt to within seven feet of the cup before rolling home.

If good bogeys exist then this was one of them, and Clark certainly thought so – celebrating a job well done in damage limitation with an emphatic fist pump.

After matching Schauffele’s par at the last hole to sign off his two-under 70 round, Clark remains within striking distance of the $4.5 million winner’s purse.

“It’s unfortunate on a hole that’s so iconic and has a bunch of trouble to have your worst swing of the day,” Clark told reporters.

[But] I followed it with a great swing and a great putt … I’m hoping that’s a huge point in the tournament and we look back after tomorrow and say, ‘Hey, that was maybe the shot and the putt that meant it all.’”

Clark dismissed any suggestion of a lapse of concentration contributing his tee shot blunder. Instead, the 30-year-old said a last-minute piece of advice from caddie John Ellis to “take a little off” his typical sand wedge striking distance led to a costly flinch.

“I’m not throwing John under the bus by any means, but it was probably a perfect sand…