Wells Fargo Championship: Wyndham Clark cruises to first PGA Tour win

(CNN) Walking in the final way At Quail Hollow on Sunday, victory all but assured, Wyndham Clark made a conscious effort to take in all the sights and sounds around him. Moments later, the American slotted home to win the Wells Fargo Championship and his first in history PGA Tour title.

“You can only win the first tournament once,” Clark mused, but this was a victory played out countless times in his imagination.

“It’s surreal, I’ve been dreaming about this since I was probably six years old,” Clark told reporters in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“Ever since I’ve been on the PGA Tour, you fantasize about it all the time, and I’ve done that several times this year when I find myself daydreaming about winning.

“To do on this golf course against this competition is better than I could have ever imagined.”

Long time coming

The manner of victory was also the stuff of dreams, as Clark carded the 19-under and sealed a four-shot victory over compatriot Xander Schauffele, who was ranked 75 places above him at world No. 5. It was the second-lowest par score in the event’s history, second only to Rory McIlroy’s 21-under in 2015 according to the PGA Tour.

McIlroy, making his first start since missing The Masters, finished 31st in a star-studded field that includes six of the top 10 in the world.

A final round three-under 68 sealed the 29-year-old Clark’s fourth consecutive round in the 60s, coming close after Saturday’s sparkling 63 gave him a two-shot lead over Schauffele heading into the closing round.

Clark, who turned pro in 2017, was five years and 133 PGA Tour starts without a win. After finishing sixth at the Corales Puntacana Championships in the Dominican Republic in March, the American began to think he might never taste victory.

“I know it sounds crazy because I’ve only been here five years, but I had a lot of opportunities to get to where I was within two or three shots, either going into the back nine or starting on Sunday, and I always seem to fall short, and not just that, but it looks like I’ve fallen back into positions,” Clark admitted.

“I got multiple texts and phone calls and times where I was so frustrated with people in my camp where I didn’t think I was ever going to win and I said, ‘Let’s just stop talking about it,’ because I didn’t want to think about it. I said maybe it’s just not in my cards.”

“So being in this position this time, I was like, ‘Well, we know what not to do.'”

Those lessons were put to the test on Sunday, when Clark opened with a bogey and stayed one over approaching the eighth tee. However, a subsequent birdie followed by four more on the back nine over the first six holes saw him cruise home.

As he rolled into the cabin that closed on his home, Clark seemed overcome with emotion. After hugging his caddy and Schauffele, he appeared to be holding back tears as he greeted the crowd on the 18th.

“I didn’t know where I was going”

The victory secured Clark a $3.6 million winner’s prize – dwarfing his previous best payday of $485,000 – and a ticket to the 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool in July. His world ranking also rose 49 places to 31st.

It fulfilled a dream that almost never got off the ground. After the 19-year-old Clark had established himself as a talented player at Oklahoma State University, his mother died of breast cancer.

Clark lost his “stones” and seriously considered quitting the sport altogether.

“I played terribly,” Clark recalled. “There are many times when I would charge off the golf course in qualifiers or tournaments and drive as fast as I could, not knowing where I was going.

“The pressure of golf and then not having my mum around and someone I could call was really hard on me. Then professionally I’ve had a number of moments like this where you just miss a number of cuts in a row or feel like your game is good and you don’t get much out of it and just consider doing it [walking away].

“Max Homa has a great quote: ‘Every golfer is one shot away from thinking they can win the Masters or one shot away from quitting golf.’ That’s a really great quote because it’s true. I’m glad I got it out there and I’m here now.”