Wells Fargo Championship: Wyndham Clark wins first PGA TOUR, Rory McIlroy’s rust and Rickie Fowler’s rise covered

A host of big names teed it up at Quail Hollow for the 2023 Wells Fargo Championship, but it was an unfamiliar face who claimed the PGA TOUR’s latest ‘designated’ event and a bumper payday.

Wyndham Clark powers to his first PGA TOUR win

Wyndham Clark captured his first PGA TOUR title at the 134th attempt with a commanding four-shot victory over Xander Schauffele at Quail Hollow.

“It’s been a long five years to get to this point on tour,” Clark said after sealing his triumph with a final round 68. “I thought I would have had one earlier, but it’s well worth the wait.

“There’s so much that goes into this. There are so many times I wanted to cry and break clubs … and I did break the clubs sometimes in this journey. To get to this point is so sweet. It’s just amazing to finally do this.”

Clark has previously paid tribute to the influence on his career of his late mother who died from breast cancer during his time at college, and he spared a thought for her following his maiden win, “You know my mom is obviously not here,” he said, “I wish she was, but I know she’s watching … just very grateful.”

Before this week, Clark’s biggest pay day was US$485,000 (for a T10 finish at this year’s WM Phoenix Open) but with this win he earned over seven times that amount – an incredible US$3.6m.

Rory remains some way off his best

In his first appearance since missing the cut at the Masters, Rory McIlroy looked a little rusty.

Speaking ahead of a tournament that he has won three times, McIlroy admitted he was a little burnt out with the drama both on and off the course having finally caught up with him.

“I’ve always thought I’ve had a good handle on the perspective of things and where golf fits within my life,” he told reporters, “but I think over the last 12 months I’d lost sight of that, lost sight of the fact that there’s more to life than the golf world and this silly little squabble that’s going on between tours. And I think once I disconnected from it a little bit, I could see things a little clearer, and where everything fits. I guess that was a good reset.”

An opening round 68 suggested that his brief hiatus had done the trick but he was unable to build on that and eventually had to settle for a share of 47th place – some way from the form that saw him return to the World No.1 spot at the end of last year.

Rickie Fowler is on the rise

With a T14 finish at Quail Hollow, crowd favourite Rickie Fowler climbed back into the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time since January 2021.

Just last September, he teed it up at the Fortinet Championship ranked a lowly 185th in the ranking but went on to record a T6 finish and has been on the up ever since.

He has missed just one cut this season with four top 10s to his name – including a runner-up finish at the ZOZO Championship last October.

If he’s able to maintain his form and progress, there could be further reward with those players in the top 60 two weeks before the U.S. Open eligible to play at Los Angeles Country Club next month.

The top 50 three weeks before the Open Championship in July will be able to tee it up at Royal Liverpool while he is also set to earn a place at this month’s U.S. PGA Championship.

Joe LaCava is back in full time employment

With Tiger Woods set to be sidelined for the foreseeable future following his latest surgery, his caddie Joe LaCava officially switched bags last week and linked up with Patrick Cantlay at Quail Hollow.

The 59-year-old’s decision seemingly brings an end to a memorable 12-year partnership but LaCava moves on with Woods’ blessing.

“Tiger and I have talked about if something were to come up, feel free to do something,” he told Sports Illustrated, “and when this opportunity arose, I checked with Tiger. And he said, ‘You’re crazy not to take the job, go forward, go win some tournaments, go have a great time!’”

Woods won 12 tournaments with LaCava by his side including his 15th major success at the Masters in 2019 and his 82nd and record equalling PGA TOUR victory at the ZOZO Championship the same year.

“It was a very tough phone call,” LaCava said. “We’re still very tight. It wasn’t like it ended where he’s healthy and going to play a full schedule. It’s a different set of circumstances. It was still a tough call.

“But like Fred (Couples) 10 or 12 years ago, I’d like to think we’re still going to be good friends, text back and forth, whatever.”

Adam Svensson is a hole-out king

Adam Svensson certainly had some fun on the par-4 1st hole over the weekend at Quail Hollow.

On Saturday, he chipped in from the greenside bunker for a brilliant birdie having found the sand with his approach.

His heroics during Sunday’s final round were even more impressive with the Canadian having missed the fairway with his tee shot and finding a fairway bunker with his second.

Unfortunately, that was about as good as it got for Svensson with bogeys blighting his card for the remainder of the round on his way to a T27 finish.