Wyndham Clark birdies the last three to win BMW Championship

By Staff Writer

August 24, 2026

3 min read

Key takeaways

Wyndham Clark won the BMW Championship at 17-under 263, three clear of Patrick Cantlay and four clear of Rory McIlroy.
He made no birdie until the 16th hole of the final round, then birdied 16, 17 and 18 to shoot even-par 70.
It is Clark's sixth PGA Tour win and his third of 2026, matching the most by any player this season.
The result moved him to No. 3 in the FedEx Cup standings and locked an automatic U.S. Presidents Cup place.
Gary Woodland, Collin Morikawa and Chris Gotterup shared fourth and earned $856,666 apiece.

Wyndham Clark closed with three straight birdies at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis on Sunday to win the BMW Championship by three shots, salvaging a final round in which a five-stroke overnight lead had already been surrendered.

How did Wyndham Clark lose the lead and get it back?

Clark began the day five ahead and gave the cushion away in pieces. He three-putted the 415-yard first for bogey while McIlroy, playing alongside him, birdied it. He missed the green at the 227-yard sixth for another. A greenside bunker cost him a third at the 10th. Three bogeys through 10 holes, and not a single birdie to answer them.

McIlroy drew level at 14-under with a nine-foot putt at the 11th. Then the round turned on the shortest hole of the closing stretch: Clark holed from 16 feet at the 232-yard par-3 16th, McIlroy missed his, and the lead was back. Clark added a 13-footer at the par-5 17th as McIlroy found two bunkers and dropped a shot, then rolled in 17 feet at the last from the right rough.

Clark made no birdie for 15 holes, then made three in a row and won by three.

Who else was in it at Bellerive?

Gary Woodland got within one before cold-topping his tee shot at the 436-yard ninth into water barely 100 yards ahead, making double bogey. Cantlay twice closed to a stroke and then put his second into the water right of the 376-yard 11th for a double of his own. He recovered with birdies on the last three holes to take second alone, a finish that carried him into next week's field. Morikawa eagled the 607-yard 17th to briefly reach a shot back.

Pos	Player	Total
1	Wyndham Clark	-17
2	Patrick Cantlay	-14
3	Rory McIlroy	-13
T4	Gary Woodland	-12
T4	Collin Morikawa	-12
T4	Chris Gotterup	-12

What the BMW Championship win is worth to Clark

Clark, 32, won the U.S. Open in June and has now won three times in a season for the first time. He climbed to third in the FedEx Cup standings and jumped from seventh to third in the U.S. Presidents Cup points list, which locked one of the six automatic places on captain Brandt Snedeker's team.

“Then today humbled me a little bit,” Clark said.

For anyone hoping to walk Bellerive themselves, there is no route: the course is a private members club and does not sell public tee times, so this is a week to watch rather than book. What does change is next week's viewing — Clark arrives at East Lake third in the standings, in a 30-player field where everyone starts level.

Frequently asked questions

How much was the 2026 BMW Championship purse?

The total purse was $20 million. The three players who tied for fourth each received $856,666, and the two who tied for seventh took $667,500 each.

Where is the 2026 Tour Championship played?

East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta hosts the FedEx Cup finale. The purse is $40 million, with $10 million to the winner, and the 30-player field begins at level par with no staggered start.

Can the public play Bellerive Country Club?

No. Bellerive is a private club in St. Louis and access is limited to members and their guests. It is not bookable through public tee-time services.

When and where is the 2026 Presidents Cup?

Medinah Country Club near Chicago hosts the matches from Sept. 22 to 27. Six U.S. players qualified automatically; Snedeker adds six captain's picks after the Tour Championship.