Wyndham Clark is facing accusations of a rules violation on social media following his win at the BMW Championship on Sunday, the latest in a string of similar allegations against the two-time U.S. Open champion.
During the final round, Clark’s tee shot on the par-4 14th hole missed right and settled in the rough. With 173 yards to a pin tucked at the back left of the green, he set down multiple clubs behind his ball while assessing the shot. CBS analyst Trevor Immelman noted the moment on the broadcast.
“He’s taking a long look at this,” Immelman said. “This is like the third club he’s placed down behind the ball there.” Fellow analyst Frank Nobilo replied, “So the lie might be better.”
Clark was not assessed a penalty for the 14th hole. He went on to birdie the final three holes of his round, closing with an even-par 70 to win his third title of the season by three strokes over Patrick Cantlay and four over Rory McIlroy at Bellerive Country Club.
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Sunday’s incident was not the first time Clark’s positioning of his club near the ball has drawn scrutiny this year. During the final round of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills in June, a video posted by PGA Tour caddie Brent Henley showed Clark rehearsing a practice swing in the rough on his way to his second U.S. Open title. Henley wrote on X, “I think Wyndham Clark cheats here.” Clark was not penalized for that incident either.
Clark also faced accusations of improving his lie at the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. During the third round, television cameras showed Clark pressing his club into the rough behind his ball on the 18th hole, and footage appeared to show the ball move slightly. He was not penalized, though Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee disagreed with the ruling at the time. “The ball clearly moved,” Chamblee said. “He clearly didn’t ground the club lightly.” Clark addressed the incident afterward: “I’m not cheating or anything like that or trying to improve my lie. Obviously, they zoom in, and it makes it look worse.”
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Clark has now won three times on the PGA Tour this season, including a major championship, positioning him among the front-runners for PGA Tour Player of the Year.
