Worldwide Golf

TIM Clark roared to his maiden US PGA Tour victory with a stunning final round 5-under 67 for a one-stroke victory over Robert Allenby at The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass – his first win in 206 starts on American soil.

The South African made five birdies in a six-hole stretch around the turn to shoot up the leaderboard and post a clubhouse lead of 16-under-par which nobody could match.

“That’s as good as I could have played,” said Clark, who posted weekend rounds of 66 and 67 to set a new 36-hole comeback record at The Players Championship. “I’m hoping that this will give me that little extra confidence that I needed. This may just be what gets me started.

“I had the last two weeks off and didn’t even hit balls I was playing so badly but I just found something that clicked.”

Clark clicked into life on the par-4 seventh making birdie and then parred the treacherous 234-yard par-3 eighth. He then picked up four strokes in a row to get to 5-under-par for the day and into contention alongside overnight leader Lee Westwood and Allenby.

He parred the remaining six holes and then had a nervy wait to see if either player could catch him. Westwood lipped out an eight foot birdie putt on the par-5 16th leaving him two strokes behind with two to play while Allenby did make birdie to leave him one behind on the 17th tee.

The Australian nailed his approach to 11 feet while Westwood’s attempt fell short and into the water which ended his tournament. Allenby’s putt was agonisingly close, falling just short of the cup before incredibly rolling back one inch. He then missed a tough 47 foot putt from off the green on 18 which confirmed Clark as the winner.

“It went up to the hole, stayed on top then rolled back about an inch,” said Allenby about his putt on 17. “That was probably the most disbelief that I’ve ever witnessed, especially in those circumstances, knowing that it’s got to go in to tie Tim. For it to go up to the hole and take a little look over the top and then come back, that was a bit rude.”

Allenby carded a final round 2-under-par 70 to finish on 15-under-par with US Open champion Lucas Glover posting the same number for a 14-under-par total. American David Love III was the only other player apart from Clark to break 70 on the final day as his 68 saw him move 11 places into fourth on 12-under alongside Westwood, Heath Slocum, Bo Van Pelt and Ben Crane.