Comebacks do not always announce themselves, but this one did. Wyndham Clark won the CJ CUP Byron Nelson at 30 under, and when Amanda Balionis stepped up for the post-victory interview, he went straight to what happened at Oakmont before talking about the win. What Balionis had to say about that moment stopped people mid-scroll.
Balionis posted on her IG Story, “I respect Wyndham for bringing up Oakmont on his own today, thanking the people and sponsors who have stayed with him through the tough times and coming through the other side with a new perspective. Takes guts to do that on live TV during a celebratory moment.”
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Post his 4th PGA Tour win, Balionis had asked him: “You’ve been battling struggles in your game dating back to last year. How satisfying is it to finally see the results of all that hard work?”
“I have to first thank a lot of people because what happened last year at Oakmont wasn’t the greatest thing. My sponsors, Power Design, SoFi, T-Mobile, and Lexus all stayed with me, which means a lot. So, I’m very thankful for that,” Clark answered. “The greatest thing about having a downfall like that is the comeback. Today feels really special after having a really tough year and grinding it out.”
What happened at Oakmont in June 2025 was a result of sheer frustration. Wyndham Clark missed the cut and then damaged the locker room by throwing his club. Clark garnered a lot of backlash for letting his emotions get the best of him this way. The Oakmont subsequently banned him from the course.
It was not the first time Clark and Balionis shared a moment on camera. At the Genesis Scottish Open 2025, where Clark finished T11 at 8-under with rounds of 66-69-66-71, he told her after his third round 66 that “it’s nice to be sitting here with you.”
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Coming to the golfer’s struggles, 2025 wasn’t an easy year. Cark faced a neck injury and had to withdraw from the PLAYERS Championship. His best finish was fourth place at The Open. He made $3,165,584 in the entire season. In the majors, he was T46 at Augusta and T50 at the PGA Championship.
This year, Clark is trying to change things around. His final round at TPC Craig Ranch had a near-historic moment. He nearly holed out for an eagle on the 72nd hole. If the shot had fallen, he would have shot a 59, becoming the 16th player in PGA Tour history to shoot a sub-60 round. His scorecard from Sunday shows birdies on holes 2, 4, 5, 6, 11, 14, 15, 17, and 18.
Before his win, the CBS reporter also told the golfer he was ranked 132nd across the PGA Tour in strokes gained putting. And he replied with a sarcastic tone. “Jeez, I don’t think I’ve ever been that bad in putting stats, so thanks for letting me know.”
But Wyndham Clark has a game plan, as he shared how his swing coach, Pat Coyner, has been working on his putting by using a counterbalance technique, similar to what he used in the 2023 U.S. Open.
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“I’ve been very good technically, I just haven’t been making the putts,” he said.
Though Clark won, this victory did not come drama-free.
Wyndham Clark led with a bloody nose
Wyndham Clark cut his nose mid-round on Saturday. After sinking an 8-foot birdie on the 5th, the blood was visible to all. The golfer later shared that the bleeding had lasted a couple of holes, and he had no idea what had hurt his nose. Despite the ordeal, Clark shot a 65, making six birdies on Nos. 4, 5, 6, 12, 15, and 17 to reach 19-under for the tournament.
Meanwhile, Scheffler matched, also carding a 65 with birdies on holes 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 13 to reach 19-under as well. Kim shot a 68 and fell to 3 under for the round after a back nine filled with two bogeys, three shots back at 16 under.
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On Sunday, Clark and Scheffler were tied for the lead, and Si Woo Kim was hanging three behind. No one knew R4 would end with Clark pulling away at 30-under, but he did!
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