After Clark achieved his first PGA Tour win at the Wells Fargo Championship in May 2023, Ellis described Clark by saying: “He has the work ethic to be the best player in the world. To win against this field, on this course, the next step will be feeling comfortable in Majors, but the sky is the limit.”

Clark’s tee shot on the par-4 third hole landed in the fairway, bounced in the air and returned to his own pitch mark.

Wyndham Clark is having a strong week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, but he flirted with disaster on Friday's front nine.

Wyndham Clark’s caddie is former golf pro John Ellis, who has caddied for him since his college days. Wyndham Clark’s caddie is former professional golfer John Ellis. They have have worked together ever since Clark was playing college golf at the University of Oregon.

It’s a hard course in normal conditions. Today was brutal,” said Eric Cole, who grew up playing golf at Bay Hill.

The course played about two strokes easier for players with later tee times, aiding Wyndham Clark's round that ended with a 5-under 67 and a two-shot lead.

Among those who shot 80 or higher were Max Homa and Cameron Young, the latter of whom rifled his opening tee shot out of bounds. Homa, meanwhile, has struggled for almost 10 months now, a far cry from the top-10 player he was a year ago.