Back Xander Schauffele in Sunday showdown with Wyndham Clark at Quail Hollow

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The herd thinned out in a hurry at the Wells Fargo Championship.

Entering the third round at Quail Hollow Club, every player was within seven shots of the lead. When the last group teed off there was an eye-popping eight-way tie for the lead. But by the time the last putt was holed, there was one man out in front and only a handful of players within reach.

This is officially Wyndham Clark’s tournament to lose – although the work is far from over.

Clark blistered a brawny setup, firing a bogey-free 63 that gave him a two-shot lead and put him at least five shots clear of everyone not named Xander Schauffele. After opening the week at +8000 at BetMGM Sportsbook, he heads into the final round at Even money as he looks to pick up his first PGA TOUR win.

Updated odds to win Wells Fargo Championship (via BetMGM)

+100: Wyndham Clark (-16)

+140: Xander Schauffele (-14)

+1600: Tyrrell Hatton (-11)

+2500: Adam Scott (-11)

+3500: Sungjae Im (-10)

+4000: Tommy Fleetwood (-10)

Clark is in the driver’s seat, but his closest competition isn’t exactly a slouch. Schauffele shot a third-round 64 playing alongside Clark, and now they’ll have a chance to reprise the pairing in the final tee time Sunday afternoon. Hatton and Scott are both within striking distance should the leader go awry.

Here’s a look at my thoughts and angles heading into what’s sure to be an exciting finish along the Green Mile:

Draws

Xander Schauffele (-14, Second, +140 to win)

Schauffele has that look in his eye. Speaking to reporters after the round, he lamented that he couldn’t recall the last time he shot a 64 and lost a head-to-head matchup – but added that it’s a great problem to have and that he’s fine to just keep shooting 64s all day long.

Critically, Schauffele was able to keep Clark within reach down the back nine Saturday, going birdie-eagle-birdie on Nos. 14-16 to keep this thing from being a runaway. His game has been well-rounded all week, ranking third in SG: Putting and seventh in SG: Tee-to-Green, and I believe he’ll relish another opportunity to tee it up alongside Clark.

Given the situation – only one player within five shots of the lead – it almost feels like Clark’s price should be shorter than it is. Oddsmakers seem to be shading toward the X Man, and I can’t blame them given how he played in the third round. On the prop side, +100 on Schauffele to shoot 69 or better on the par-71 layout also has my attention.

Adam Scott (-11, T-3, +2500)

If you want to add a ticket with some upside, look no further than the former Masters champ. Scott admitted he endured a lull during the pandemic, and he hasn’t cracked the top 10 on the PGA TOUR since a T-5 finish at the BMW Championship last season. But his irons are firing through 54 holes (sixth in SG: Approach) and the oft-temperamental putter is also cooperating.

Scott offered a frank self-assessment after the round, having finally gotten back into the mix on a top-tier track. “I play OK every week, but OK kind of sucks on the PGA TOUR. So I’m nowhere with anything. This business is all about results.”

The Aussie is now in prime position to get some long-awaited results, and I like the notion that he’s at a higher price than Hatton despite playing together from the same score in the penultimate group. Should the leaders falter, Scott is well-positioned to potentially take advantage.

Fades

Wyndham Clark (-16, First, +100)

Look, he could absolutely pull this thing off. But there are a ton of red flags in play.

It’s hard to back up a low round, as Clark will attempt to do after barely breaking a sweat while turning in the lowest score of the week. It’s hard to win on TOUR, as Clark can attest, and that difficulty goes up at a designated event with so many of the world’s best. Yes, Kurt Kitayama broke through at Bay Hill but by and large these events have been taken down by top talent.

Clark has the game to be considered among that group, as he has collected a handful of near-misses this season including alongside Beau Hossler at the Zurich Classic two weeks ago. But his post-round comments focused on his tendency to “think fast,” a habit that could prove his undoing Sunday in the bright lights of the final pairing. Clark leads the field in SG: Approach and is second this week in SG: Putting. That combo is good enough to win on the moon. But there are also plenty of pitfalls that could impact those numbers across the final 18 holes.

As noted above, I actually think Clark’s price should be shorter given the leaderboard setup – and the fact that it’s not means I’m going to proceed with caution.

The PGA TOUR is committed to protecting our fans. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, the National Council on Problem Gambling operates a confidential toll-free hotline that you can reach by phone or text at 1-800-522-4700.