The American sanctuary has been desecrated. Pebble Beach has been shaken by the same gentleman who won the US Open and who just three months ago was making birdies at the Real Club de Golf de Sotogrande.
Wyndham Clark has turned this Saturday’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am upside down after signing the lowest round in the history of this course. 60 strokes. Twelve under par. And with three very clear options on holes 16, 17 and 18 to go under 60 strokes. A goal in the corner is always a goal in the corner, but it’s not the same to score it at Wembley than at Craven Cottage. Well, that’s it, at Pebble Beach.
Clark has blown up the tournament. He has come from the depths of the classification to the first place, although he will still have to sweat ink to win the tournament. He has taken the lead with -17, with a one-stroke lead over Ludvig Aberg (-16), two over the unassailable Matthieu Pavon (-15) and three over Mark Hubbard and Thomas Detry. Four strokes behind are Jason Day, Justin Thomas, Scottie Scheffler and Tom Hoge. The most crushing logic indicates that among these nine should be the winner.
Clark will sweat ink… or not. In fact, it is possible that he will win the tournament without even dressing up. The weather forecast for Sunday and Monday is horrible. A lot of rain and very strong wind are expected, with gusts that could reach 70 kilometers per hour. The PGA Tour does not rule out, in fact, that it may not be possible to play and that, therefore, the tournament is reduced to 54 holes. If so, Wyndham’s 60 would gain even more relevance.
The golfer from Colorado has displayed an enormous golf in the first 14 holes. He has made eight birdies and two eagles in this stretch. He has placed himself with -11 still missing four holes. His numbers are crazy. He has made 28 strokes in the first nine and has signed a partial of six under in the four par 5s. There are only three players who today have made more under par in their 18 holes than he only counting the par 5s. He has hunted nine streets, 16 greens and has taken more than five strokes on average to the tournament on the greens. He has holed more than 45 meters of putt, practically the same as Scheffler, Aberg and Detry combined (the stellar match).
It is true that today the conditions were very favorable at Pebble Beach. The course was very receptive, soft from the rain, and the balls were sticking like darts on the greens even coming out of the rough. Even so, don’t think they have blown it up. Clark, yes, obviously, Jason Day too, with 63 strokes, and Hubbard has made 65. In any case, the average number of strokes on the beautiful Carmel course has been the lowest in the last 40 years. Not a drop of wind has blown.
Clark will have to face, if it is played, the cheeky European golf. There are Aberg, Pavon and Detry, fully involved in the battle. It is surprising what the three are doing. The Swede seems to have been on the PGA Tour for 40 years because of his tranquility, Pavon does not seem to be going to wrinkle ever and Detry, with some more suffering now that the goal is approaching, has managed to hold on.
The one who has had a terrible time this Saturday is Scheffler. Again, black cloud on the greens. He even lost his patience, taking it out on some advertising fence, something very rare in his usual behavior. He finished angry and frustrated, not wanting to talk and wanting to turn the page and think about tomorrow. He has missed a huge amount of short putts, losing almost two strokes in this area with the tournament. However, if he manages to putt with the effectiveness of Friday, he can still take the victory.
