CHARLOTTE, NC — Windham Clark shot an 8-under 63 at the Wells Fargo Championship on Saturday, putting him in position for his first win on the PGA Tour.
The 29-year-old Clarke has a two-shot lead going into the final round. The native of Denver, Colorado, is 16-under-197 for the championship.
Xander Schauffele, ranked fifth in the world, shot a 64 at Quail Hollow while playing alongside Clark. Chaveli is fourteen years old.
Adam Scott and third-round leader Terrell Hatton are tied for third at 11-under, 5 shots behind Clark. Tommy Fleetwood, Harris English and Songjae Im are tied for fifth, 6 pace shots.
Defending champion Max Homma shot a 68 which is 8 short of the tournament.
Clarke is within striking distance of the 72-hole championship scoring mark (as far as par) of 21-under 267 set by Rory McIlroy in 2015. That was when Quayle Hollow played a par of 72; It is now par 71.
At one point on Saturday, 11 players were tied for the lead.
Clark shot 31 on the front nine and posted birdies at numbers 13, 14 and 15. He hit the first 17 green before his approach shot landed on number 18 two inches from the green. He needed just 28 strikeouts on Saturday, best in the field.
Schavelli, however, did not allow Clark to withdraw.
His 260-yard touchdown put the 15th to a 27-foot touchdown run for an eagle, then added a birdie on the 16th to cut Clark’s lead to 2.
Although he’s never won, Clark’s rise to the leaderboard doesn’t come as much of a surprise considering his recent play. He’s finished in the top six in three of his past five tournaments and hasn’t missed a cut since the Shriner Open last October.
Brendon Todd was one of the big movers on Saturday, shooting a 65 to reach 9-under.
McIlroy’s bid for a fourth win at Quail Hollow essentially ended after the world’s third-ranked player failed to make a move on Saturday, shooting an inconsistent 71 that left him at 1-under in the tournament. McIlroy previously won the event in 2010, 2015 and 2021.