Wyndham Clark takes 5-shot lead into final round at BMW Championship

ST LOUIS, Missouri – Wyndham Clark expects to have familiar emotions as he tries to close out the BMW Championship with a victory.

Clark shot five-under 65 to expand his lead on Aug 22 in St Louis.

“I always sleep good (the night before a final round),” the American said. “But it’s more the angst when you wake up. That’s usually when I feel it. You wake up and you have that little pit in your stomach, you’re excited to go play, and you wish you were teeing off right as you wake up so you didn’t have to think about it.”

Clark, the US Open champion earlier in 2026, moved to 17-under 193 for a five-stroke advantage over compatriot Patrick Cantlay and Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy at Bellerive Country Club, where the second stop of three tournaments in the FedEx Cup play-offs is being contested.

Based on the tournament’s current pecking order, a victory could move him all the way up to No. 3 in the standings.

Clark, who was the second-round leader by one stroke, began the round with a double bogey before taking off. His eagle on the par-five No. 8 made him two under on the front side, courtesy of a putt from inside 12 feet after he sliced a five-wood shot neatly onto the green.

“We were in between a four-iron and a five-wood and I kind of hit a heel cut five-wood,” he said.

The 32-year-old then began the back nine with birdies on four of the first five holes. His bogey on No. 18 came after his tee shot found a bunker.

McIlroy, with birdies on three of the final four holes, matched Clark’s 65. Cantlay, who was three under with a bogey-free back side, posted a 66.

“I think I needed to be patient the last three days because my game has been good in parts,” the Northern Irishman said. “But then it has been a struggle in other ways.”

Yet it has been quite a turnaround in a matter of days for McIlroy, who was 66th out of 69 golfers in the FedEx St Jude Championship. He had built enough season-long points to advance to the second tournament of the play-offs and he has been mostly spot on in St Louis.

“It’s good to be in the final group, but when you (are several strokes) back, that’s a lot to make up,” the 37-year-old said. “But if I focus on myself, go out there, try to shoot a good score – I shot a 64 and a 65 this week – shoot something similar tomorrow, you never know.”

Cantlay, a two-time winner of the BMW Championship in 2021 and 2022, is aiming for his first 2026 victory.

“I’m going to focus all my attention here this week tomorrow and whatever happens, yeah, that’s what happens,” the 34-year-old said.

Gary Woodland (70), who trailed Clark by one shot when the day started, and Chris Gotterup (68) are tied for fourth at 11 under.

Collin Morikawa (67) and South Korea’s Im Sung-jae (70) are sixth and seventh at 10 under and nine under, respectively.

“Tomorrow just go out and shoot something really, really low and if not just kind of get any momentum heading into next week and that would kind of be I would say a successful week,” Morikawa said.

J.J. Spaun was in third place when the round began, but his 72 left him at eight under and tied for eighth place.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who won last week in the St Jude Championship, shot 68 to move to five under and a share of 15th place. His five birdies were partially offset by three bogeys.

REUTERS