Wyndham Clark has mastered the art of winning ugly. The American surrendered a five stroke final round lead, made his first birdie of the day on the 16th hole, watched playing partner Rory McIlroy briefly draw level, then summoned three consecutive closing birdies to claim the BMW Championship in the kind of nerve-shredding fashion that’s becoming his trademark.

This was déjà vu of the most dramatic kind. Clark claimed his second US Open title earlier this summer by clinging desperately to a huge final day advantage as challengers threatened. History repeated itself at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri, in the penultimate event of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup playoffs, only this time the collapse felt even more complete before the resurrection arrived in the nick of time.

Also read: Clark shows true character in US Open win, says Scheffler

Having struggled all day whilst his lead evaporated like morning mist, Clark finally made his first birdie on the par-three 16th. He followed it immediately with another on the par-five 17th whilst McIlroy imploded spectacularly in bunkers. Then he sealed the memorable triumph with a stunning 17-foot birdie putt on the last for a round of 70 and a 17-under par total.

It was torture. It was theatre. It was Wyndham Clark winning the only way he seems to know how, by the absolute skin of his teeth.

The collapse: Five shots become none

Clark’s five-shot overnight cushion disintegrated almost immediately. He three-putted the opening hole for bogey whilst McIlroy opened with a birdie, and suddenly the advantage was down to three before most spectators had settled into their seats.

Gary Woodland joined the chase with birdies on the second, fourth, and fifth holes, cutting the gap to two and cranking up the pressure on a visibly jittery leader.

Clark wobbled alarmingly as the heat intensified. He saved par on the fifth after completely mis-hitting a simple fairway approach, the kind of shot he’d normally execute in his sleep. Then he bogeyed the sixth after a heavy chip that betrayed nerves jangling through his entire game.

The double Major winner escaped with par again after hitting the lip of a fairway bunker on the eighth, but bogeyed the 10th as his five-shot cushion became a memory and McIlroy closed in for the kill.

“It was weird. I wasn’t really nervous. I was kind of like out of it, and I just was making just dumb bogeys,” Clark admitted afterwards with the kind of bewildered honesty only a winner can afford.

McIlroy strikes: The lead evaporates

McIlroy briefly appeared to falter himself, dropping shots on the fourth and seventh. But the Northern Irishman is made of sterner stuff than that. He clawed those strokes back with birdies on eight and nine, then delivered the knockout blow with a perfectly judged birdie putt on the 11th green that drew him level with Clark.

Five shots ahead overnight. Level after 11 holes. Clark’s advantage had vanished entirely, and with it seemingly his chance of victory.

The two men exchanged pars over the next four holes whilst the tension ratcheted ever higher. Clark hadn’t made a birdie all day. McIlroy was playing the steadier golf. The momentum had shifted violently, and it appeared only a matter of time before the Ulsterman seized control.

Then the 16th hole changed everything.

The resurrection: Three birdies, one champion

Clark rolled in a 17-foot putt on the tricky par-three 16th for his first birdie of the entire round. Finally. After 15 holes of struggle, bogeys, and mounting panic, he’d made one.

For the third consecutive hole, McIlroy narrowly missed his birdie attempt, and suddenly Clark held a one-shot advantage with two holes to play. The door had cracked open. Now he needed to kick it down.

On the par-five 17th, McIlroy’s challenge imploded spectacularly. From deep rough, he yanked his ball into a fairway bunker. His next shot found another bunker. It was carnage, and it was essentially handing the tournament to Clark on a silver platter, provided he didn’t collapse himself.

Clark didn’t. He birdied. Two shots clear. One hole to play.

The 18th brought one final moment of drama, a stunning 17-foot birdie putt that sealed three consecutive closing birdies and a victory that looked utterly impossible just six holes earlier.

“As much as I would have loved to run away with this, it was fun getting the juices going, and (to) really feel the angst coming down at the end,” Clark said with the relieved grin of a man who’d just survived his own near-death experience.

McIlroy’s missed opportunity

For McIlroy, it was a case of what might have been. He’d stormed back from five behind to draw level, only to see his challenge unravel in bunkers on the 17th when the finish line was in sight.

“I don’t think I could be too disappointed. I’m probably not playing well enough to be disappointed that I didn’t win,” McIlroy said with characteristic honesty. “But I had my chances on the back nine.”

Cantlay sneaks second, Scheffler climbs

Patrick Cantlay, desperately trying to secure his place in the final field of 30 at next week’s Tour Championship, briefly moved to within one shot of Clark during a wild front nine featuring five birdies and three bogeys in his opening 10 holes.

Then he found water on the 11th for a double-bogey, and his challenge evaporated as quickly as it had materialised. But Cantlay showed character, birdieing the final three holes to grab second place on 14-under and crucially book his spot at the season-ending event in Atlanta, Georgia.

The American trio of Chris Gotterup, Collin Morikawa, and Gary Woodland finished a further stroke back on 12-under, whilst world number one Scottie Scheffler continued his remarkable climb up the leaderboard after his nightmare, illness-affected opening-day 72. He finished seven-under, tied for 12th.

The Verdict: winning ugly, winning often

Wyndham Clark doesn’t do comfortable victories. He doesn’t cruise home with leads intact and nerves settled. He wins by collapsing, resurrecting, and summoning birdies from somewhere deep within when the pressure threatens to crush him entirely.

It’s not pretty. It’s not comfortable to watch. But it’s undeniably effective.

Two Majors. A BMW Championship. All won by clinging desperately to leads that should have been insurmountable but somehow became knife-edge finishes requiring late heroics.

Clark may never win easily. But he’s proving he knows how to win when it matters most.