Tim Clark Wins Title in Drama-Filled Final Round of The Players Championship

Tiger Woods provided the off-course drama while Tim Clark took care of the on-course spectacle on an eventful final day at Sawgrass. Woods stunned everyone but himself when he withdrew in the middle of his last round. Woods, who preserved his number one ranking after Phil Mickelson failed to win the tournament, called it quits after seven holes, citing a neck injury. In an interview, Woods revealed that he has been playing with a bad neck for “about a month.”

Meanwhile, Clark carded a 5-under 67 for a one-stroke victory over Robert Allenby. It was Clark’s first victory on the PGA Tour, and what a way to get a first, The Players Championship being the richest on the tour. Clark started the day several strokes off solo leader Lee Westwood, but birdies on 7th and 9th put him just two behind going into the homestretch. Clark birdied the first three holes after the turn and watched Westwood and Allenby falter. Allenby, who began the day a stroke off the lead, had three opportunities to force a playoff but failed to capitalize on all of them to hand the victory to the South African Clark, who had failed to win on the PGA tour in 205 previous tournaments.

Mickelson, on the other hand, could not get the same blistering round he had in round three, settling for a 74 that left him nine strokes off Clark. Westwood, who led in the second and third rounds, also had a final-round 74 in another disappointing finish. He ended up tied for fourth with a 276 total.