Wyndham Clark throws shade at LIV Golf's Joaquin Niemann with spicy comment
PGA Tour's Wyndham Clark takes aim at LIV Golf's Joaquin Niemann's 59 at Mayakoba after shooting 60 at Pebble Beach.
PGA Tour star Wyndham Clark appeared to throw shade at Joaquin Niemann's round of 59 at Mayakoba on LIV Golf after firing his own round of 60 at Pebble Beach.
Clark tied the low 9-hole record at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am by going out in 28 shots in Saturday's third round, and he then returned in 32 to record the lowest-ever round in Pebble Beach history.
The reigning US Open champion left three putts in the jaws of the hole on the final three holes, including his eagle putt on 18.
Clark's course-record round 60 (unofficial record due to lift, clean and place) saw him vault straight to the top of the leaderboard in the PGA Tour's first 'full field' signature event of the season with a gigantic $20m prize purse on the line.
He finds himself at 17-under par and one shot clear of Sweden's Ludvig Aberg with 18 holes left to play.
However, there is a very good chance Clark will now walk away with the $3.6m first prize as bad weather is forecast for both Sunday and Monday, meaning the tournament could be shortened to 54 holes.
A decision on the completion of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am will be made by tournament officials this afternoon.
But back to the original story, and it was Clark's frosty response to his own round of 60 - just 24 hours after Niemann shot a course-record 59 at Mayakoba in the first round of the LIV Golf League season - that has got golf fans up in arms on social media.
Moments after tapping home from inches to record a historic round of 60, Clark said:
The PGA Tour also got fully behind his comment as they posted a graphic with the caption 'Wyndham Clark knows it'.
This comes during a week when the PGA Tour agreed to a huge $3 billion private investment with Strategic Sports Group (SSG), which now casts some doubt on the circuit's framework agreement with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).
It just means more at Pebble Beach.@Wyndham_Clark knows it. pic.twitter.com/9G806ke01C
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 4, 2024
Clark then went further:
It should be noted for context Clark was heavily linked with a move to LIV Golf just two weeks ago as the Saudi-bankrolled circuit finalised its roster for 2024.
Jon Rahm reportedly wanted Clark on his team, and while negotiations got close, the deal fell through and Clark remained a PGA Tour player for the 2024 season.
Instead, Rahm picked up his European Ryder Cup teammate Tyrrell Hatton.
Some golf fans believe Clark is feeling a little aggrieved at not having got his big-money move to Rahm's Legion XIII as a result of his latest salty comments aimed at LIV Golf.
Other golf fans think Clark is just talking plain nonsense, simply because preferred lies were in place during his round of 60 at Pebble Beach.
This means players were able to lift, clean and place their golf ball when they were on the fairway.
Niemann's course-record 59 at Mayakoba in Mexico on Friday was considered by Data Golf specialists as the 'fourth best round' since they began in 2016.
Therefore some fans believe Niemann's round was vastly superior to that of Clark's 60 on a softened Pebble.
Niemann finds himself two strokes clear heading into the final round of LIV Golf Mayakoba.
The Chilean thought he was four shots clear with 18 holes to play but he was assessed a two-shot penalty for a rules violation in the second round.
GolfMagic put Niemann's historic 59 and Clark's 60 at Pebble to the vote to find out which one you consider the better round.
Get involved with the vote here:
Which is the better round of golf then?
— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) February 4, 2024
Which do you consider was the better round of golf - Clark's 60 at Pebble Beach or Niemann's 59 at Mayakoba? Share your thoughts and comments over on the GolfMagic social media channels.
