An unassuming putter transformed Wyndham Clark this year from a putting struggler to a Tour dominator – a success story demonstrating how a single club can turn the tide. Since the American added his new weapon, a Ping Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue Onset CB Putter, to his bag at the Texas Children’s Houston Open in late March, his performance has known only one direction: sharply upwards. Since this switch, he's claimed victories at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, the U.S. Open, and most recently, the BMW Championship.
Before this magical putter switch, the situation on the greens was anything but rosy. In March, Clark languished at an abysmal 147th place in Strokes Gained: Putting at the Valspar Championship, using a putter he had acquired from his home club's pro shop. A setup hardly befitting a world-class golfer.
From Struggler to Putting Ace
The change was a real statement. Clark swapped the standard version for a 38-inch (96.5 cm) long, counter-balanced model with a 17-gram tip weight and 13 grams of lead tape, aiming to mimic his previous Jailbird configuration. The metamorphosis is impressive: Clark climbed to 16th in Strokes Gained: Putting, catapulted himself from 132nd to number 1 in Putting Average, and is now the top player in birdie-or-better conversion. Notably strong: his success rate on putts from 4–8 feet (1.2–2.4 meters) surged from 64.7% to 72%.
One Club, Three Wins
His most recent triumph at the BMW Championship on Sunday impressively underscores this development. He played a stellar round, leaving Patrick Cantlay three strokes behind, and finished the tournament with three birdies on the final three holes at 17-under. An interesting side note: the caddie change in March, when he replaced John Ellis with the experienced David Pelletier, is also considered part of this radical turnaround.
The story of Wyndham Clark and his putter is a lesson for every golfer. It shows that sometimes that one perfect club can make all the difference. A Ping Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue Onset CB Putter – and Clark is performing at his peak on Tour.
