Comebacks do not always announce themselves, but this one did. Wyndham Clark won the CJ CUP Byron Nelson at 30 under, and when Amanda Balionis stepped up for the post-victory interview, he went straight to what happened at Oakmont. didn’t have to revisit the controversy, especially the minute after he snapped a two-year title drought, but he did, and Amanda Balionis couldn’t help but commend Clark for that.

“I respect Wyndham for bringing up Oakmont on his own today, thanking the people and sponsors who have stayed with him through the tough times and coming through the other side with a new perspective. Takes guts to do that on live TV during a celebratory moment,” Balionis posted on her IG Story. Here is why it matters.

Just after Clark shot an 11-under 60 to seal a thrilling comeback victory at TPC Craig Ranch, Amanda Balionis asked him, “You’ve been battling struggles in your game dating back to last year. How satisfying is it to finally see the results of all that hard work?” Clark shared an unexpected response.

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On Which Hole Jordan Spieth’s Ball Got Stuck Under a Trashcan?

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“I have to first thank a lot of people because what happened last year at Oakmont wasn’t the greatest thing. My sponsors, Power Design, SoFi, T-Mobile, and Lexus all stayed with me, which means a lot. So, I’m very thankful for that,” Clark answered. “The greatest thing about having a downfall like that is the comeback. Today feels really special after having a really tough year and grinding it out.”

It has been nearly a year since the infamous Oakmont incident. Wyndham Clark missed the cut at the 2025 U.S. Open and then damaged parts of the locker room by slamming his club. Clark faced a lot of backlash from analysts and fans alike. Oakmont took action against him as well.

He was banned from the property. A year later and after multiple missed cuts and poor performances, Wyndham Clark finally came back to the winner’s circle. But when he got the chance to speak, the first response was once again regretting the mishap. That’s despite him apologizing for his behavior before.

“I’ve had a lot of highs and lows in my career, especially this year, some lows. I made a mistake that I deeply regret. I’m very sorry for what happened,” the one-time major winner told reporters from the Travelers Championship last year. As for Clark’s struggles, 2025 wasn’t an easy year.

Clark faced a neck injury and had to withdraw from the PLAYERS Championship. His best finish was fourth place at The Open. He made $3,165,584 in the entire season. In the majors, he was T46 at Augusta and T50 at the PGA Championship. This year, Clark is trying to turn things around.

He had swapped drivers and putters more than once this year. At Craig Ranch, he settled on the Qi4D driver and Ally Blue Onset putter. Balionis also told Wyndham Clark that he was ranked 132nd across the PGA Tour in strokes gained putting before the tournament. The four-time PGA Tour winner replied with a sarcastic tone. “Jeez, I don’t think I’ve ever been that bad in putting stats, so thanks for letting me know.”

But Wyndham Clark has a game plan, as he shared how his swing coach, Pat Coyner, has been working on his putting by using a counterbalance technique, similar to what he used in the 2023 U.S. Open.

“I’ve been very good technically, I just haven’t been making the putts,” he said.

Though Clark won, this victory did not come drama-free.

Wyndham Clark overcame mid-round nosebleed

Wyndham Clark cut his nose mid-round on Saturday. After sinking an 8-foot birdie on the 5th, the blood was visible to all. The 32-year-old later shared that the bleeding had lasted a couple of holes, and he had no idea what had hurt his nose. Despite the ordeal, Clark shot a 65, making six birdies on Nos. 4, 5, 6, 12, 15, and 17 to reach 19-under for the tournament.

Meanwhile, Scheffler matched, also carding a 65 with birdies on holes 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 13 to reach 19-under as well. Kim shot a 68 and couldn’t catch Wyndham Clark who bludgeoned the course with his driver. Neither could Scheffler, who tried his best but again Clark didn’t allow anyone to get near him. Every time Kim birdied, Clark matched it with his own. No one knew R4 would end with Clark pulling away at 30-under, but he did!