After winning the 2023 U.S. Open, it seemed like PGA Tour player Wyndham Clark was about to vault his career into a new stratosphere. But it never quite took off the way many thought it might. On Sunday, Clark won the CJ Cup Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch, his first PGA Tour victory since February 2024. He shot 30-under for the event, beating Si Woo Kim by three shots.
There’s a common saying in golf that “some tournaments are won and some tournaments are lost.” Clark won the CJ Cup Byron Nelson by shooting a ridiculous 11-under 60 in the final round. He nearly holed out on the 72nd hole, which would have been an eagle and a round of 59. Had his final approach gone into the hole, Clark would have become the 16th player to post a sub-60 round in PGA Tour history.
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Kim entered the final round with a two-shot lead over both Clark and Scottie Scheffler. Kim did his part, shooting an impressive six-under 65. But he just couldn’t keep pace with Clark’s near-historic performance. This was a tournament Clark won, not a tournament Kim lost.
Wyndham Clark celebrates with the trophy after winning The CJ Cup Byron Nelson 2026 at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The win represented a major turnaround for Clark, who missed the cut at the PGA Championship earlier in the month. He hadn’t won an event since the 2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and hadn’t won a 72-hole tournament since the 2023 U.S. Open.
One month prior to that major victory, Clark earned his first win on the PGA Tour, finishing first at the 2023 Wells Fargo Championship. In February 2024, Clark captured the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am by shooting a course-record 60 during the third round. The tournament’s final round was rained out, the event was shortened to 54 holes and Clark was declared the winner.
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Clark nearly won the 2024 PLAYERS Championship, finishing in a tie for second. In other words, a 29-year-old player who had not won a PGA Tour event in his life captured three titles in less than one calendar year, nearly winning a fourth, and one of the wins included a major. Clark even found himself on the 2023 U.S. Ryder Cup team.
Wyndham Clark reacts after making a birdie on the 17th hole green during the final round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch. (Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
But newfound success meant newfound expectations, not just from fans but from Clark himself. Unfortunately, the run between 2023 and 2024 didn’t carry over. The now-32-year-old Clark never came close to winning in 2025, posting just two top-10s in 24 tournaments. He missed the cut at the 2025 U.S. Open and made headlines after destroying a locker at the prestigious Oakmont Country Club in frustration.
WYNDHAM CLARK ACCUSED OF DAMAGING LOCKERS IN CLUBHOUSE AFTER MISSING US OPEN CUT
Clark addressed his past struggles in his post-round interview with CBS golf reporter Amanda Balionis.
This is a major step for Clark, who was left off the 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup team, but he needs to improve his performances during the season’s biggest events. While he did post a top-5 finish at the 2025 Open Championship, Clark has missed the cut in five of his past 10 major starts. The T4 at the Open represents the only top-10 he’s had in a major since the U.S. Open victory in 2023.
Clark’s next opportunity to take that step comes in the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, which starts on June 18.