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Clark Leads BMW Championship by Five Shots After Round Three

8/23/2026

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Summary

Clark Leads BMW

Wyndham Clark leads the BMW Championship at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis with a five-shot advantage after round three.
He opened the tournament with back-to-back 64s, totaling 12-under 128 after 36 holes.
A victory would give Clark an automatic U.S. Presidents Cup berth.
He would be the first since Dustin Johnson (2016) to win the U.S. Open and BMW Championship in one season.

Summary

McIlroy Grips Iron

Rory McIlroy attached 45° Flat Cat putter grips to his 7-iron and lob wedge.
He said the grips keep his right arm straighter and improve top-of-swing support.
McIlroy defended the PGA Tour’s growing purses as market-driven and sponsor-backed.
He questioned LIV Golf’s value, saying its players have not benefited the game.
Coach Michael Bannon and caddie Harry Diamond helped him regain confidence after a poor St. Jude finish.

History

Historical Context

In April 1997 Tiger Woods won the Masters at Augusta by a record 12-stroke margin, becoming the youngest and first non-White champion and posting a 270 (-18) tournament record. That breakthrough raised the event’s profile, a pattern echoed today as Wyndham Clark leads the BMW Championship and Rory McIlroy’s equipment debate reflects ongoing commercial pressures.

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Clark Leads BMW

Wyndham Clark leads the BMW Championship at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis with a five-shot advantage after round three.
He opened the tournament with back-to-back 64s, totaling 12-under 128 after 36 holes.
A victory would give Clark an automatic U.S. Presidents Cup berth.
He would be the first since Dustin Johnson (2016) to win the U.S. Open and BMW Championship in one season.

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