Golfer adds cup on PGA Tour thanks to bad weather

Wyndham Clark claimed his third PGA Tour title when storms forced organizers of the 2024 Pebble Beach Pro-Am at the same course in California to declare him the winner a round early.

Wyndham Clark celebrates after making a birdie putt on the 18th hole of the third round of the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach Golf Links on February 3, 2024. Photo: AP

The weather had been bad since the event opened, with the forecast looking grim as round three ended with Clark leading at -17 on the par-72 course, with eight opponents within four strokes, including world number one Scottie Scheffler.

At that time, the tournament management department still hoped to carry out the final round, scheduled to end on the morning of February 5, Hanoi time. However, this plan failed when heavy rain and strong winds continued, and local authorities activated a state of emergency.

Faced with that situation, the PGA Tour based on the tournament rules and announced the final results after three rounds, in which the cup and 3.6 million USD belonged to Clark, and the runner-up position and 2.16 million USD went to Swedish golfer Luvid Aberg with a score of -16.

This is the sixth time the PGA Tour has had to end a tournament after three rounds due to bad weather in the past 20 years. The Pebble Beach Pro-Am has been stopped early twice, this year and in 2009.

"Usually, when you're up by one stroke after the third round, the pressure is quite intense. Last night, I was in that mood and told myself I had to give it my all for the final round. Even so, I did briefly think about the possibility of canceling the deciding round," Clark said when he was announced as the champion of the recent Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

To get into the lead at the end of the penultimate leg, Clark shot 60 with a round score of 12 under thanks to nine birdies, two eagles and just one bogey, thereby breaking the 18-hole record in the history of the tournament as well as the host course. This result made him almost the 13th face to shoot 59 on the PGA Tour, dating back to the first year in 1929.

Clark is 30 years old, American, and has been playing professionally since 2017. Before winning the 2024 Pebble Beach Pro-Am, he played 146 tournaments on the PGA Tour with two cup results in 2023, including the Farmers Insurance Open and the major US Open nearly six weeks apart.

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