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Tour Mash: Leishman surges with late eagle, Lehman outlasts Stricker

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Weird weather, crazy bounces, low rounds and dramatic duels came together during the third week of March across golf’s professional tours. For a schizophrenic month that’s part lamb and part lion, it’s par for the course. Let’s mash it up and savor the flavor!

PGA Tour: Arnold Palmer Invitational falls Leishman’s way

In the first Arnold Palmer Invitational after The King’s passing last September, Marc Leishman survived a wild final round. He finished 11-under par, good for a one-stroke victory over third-round leaders Kevin Kisner and Charley Hoffman. Rory McIlroy and Tyrrell Hatton were a shot further back in a tie for 4th.

Hoffman had a wretched start to his day, making four bogeys in a five-hole stretch for an outward 39. The Californian rallied with 34 on the inward half, but a 17th-hole bogey ended his run at the trophy. Kisner began well, 2-under on the day through seven holes. His final 11 holes counted three bogeys and zero birdies, and that was simply not enough to finish the job at hand.

It was left to Leishman to take charge, and the Australian was up to the challenge. A 16th-hole eagle vaulted the 2015 Open Championship runner-up to the top, where his fourth-round 69 earned him his second PGA Tour title, and his first in five years.

Winning WITB: See what clubs Leishman used

PGA Tour Champions: Conquistadores Classic to resurgent Lehman

Although he finished in third place alone, for the first time in a while, the ageless Bernhard Langer was not a factor in a PGA Tour Champions event. Langer’s Sunday 65 moved him 11 spots higher on the leaderboard, but it served as a mere appetizer for the battle that ensued between veteran and rookie.

Tom Lehman and Steve Stricker, familiar foes from their PGA Tour days, went head to head (and back and forth) as each tried to claim the inaugural Tucson Conquistadores Classic. For Stricker, Tucson marked his PGA Tour Champions debut, and he came out firing as if he owned the place. Lehman would not go away, though; he turned in a 66 in round three. Stricker’s engine was leaking oil over the closing stretch, as the 2017 U.S. Presidents Cup captain closed with two bogeys in his final three holes. Lehman played the same stretch at 2-under and placed the winner’s helmet (his 10th PGA Tour Champions victory) on his 58-year-old head.

LPGA Tour: Nordqvist finds Founders Cup victory especially sweet

It’s not easy to follow a 61, but Anna Nordqvist found her groove on Sunday at the LPGA Founder’s Cup. A day after making nine birdies and an eagle in a 11-under effort, the Swede was able to hold off a passel of challengers and claim her 7th LPGA Tour title. The 2016 U.S. Open runner-up had final-round 68 for 25-under overall, two shots clear of Ariya Jutanugarn, In Gee Chun and Stacy Lewis.

Ha Na Jang had 10 birdies of her own on Sunday for 63 and a fifth-place tie (up 21 spots from day three) and many took a run at Nordqvist, the overnight leader. Five birdies over her first 17 holes gave the Swede a three-shot cushion, and a safe bogey at the last produced the final margin of victory. While Jutanugarn and Chun are stars on the rise, Lewis was once again frustrated in an attempt to claim a tour title (33 months since her last victory) and reassert herself as a regular winner.

LET: World Ladies Championship to Hae Rym Kim

For 2017 at least, the World Ladies Championship was a Korean affair. Nine of the top-10 golfers hailed from the Asian country, with only England’s Georgia Hall (in a three-way tie for third place) breaking the run. Hae Rym Kim gutted out a two-hole playoff win over Seon Woo Bae after both tied for first at 14-under, three clear of the field.

Kim was the overnight leader as Sunday dawned, but she was forced to make birdie at the last to prolong the event. On the first playoff hole, Kim looked to be finished after taking a drop from an unplayable lie, but she had the fortitude to extend matters another hole with an unexpected and impressive par. At the second playing of the par-five finisher, Kim made birdie from 4 feet after Bae was just wide from 6 feet. Just like that, Kim became the fourth consecutive Korean golfer to hoist the victor’s trophy.

PGA Tour Latinoamerica: Stella Artois Open Cut Short

It was an up-down-up week for PGA Tour Latinoamerica in Guatemala. A four-tourney bonus sponsored by Bupa Global was announced, beginning with this week’s Stella Artois Open. Next, the Jamaica Classic at Cinnamon Hill was added to the season schedule.

Unfortunately for the players stationed in Antigua, Guatemala, high winds forced the cancellation of the final rounds. The tournament was declared unofficial, as only one round was in the books. Prize money was distributed to the 139 professionals in the field, with Chile’s Christian Espinoza capturing the top share after an electric 62 on day one. Second prize went to Danny Ballin’s 65 (USA) while seven golfers tied for third at 66.

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Ronald Montesano writes for GolfWRX.com from western New York. He dabbles in coaching golf and teaching Spanish, in addition to scribbling columns on all aspects of golf, from apparel to architecture, from equipment to travel. Follow Ronald on Twitter at @buffalogolfer.

4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. Sims

    Mar 20, 2017 at 2:07 pm

    Congratulations Marc Leishman…take care of that Beautiful family we see pictured with you…..keep winning trophy’s for those little boys.

  2. Ronald Montesano

    Mar 20, 2017 at 10:40 am

    Ha, Ha. Well done, Jack Nash.

  3. Jack Nash

    Mar 20, 2017 at 9:42 am

    Jonny Miller might have titled this piece, “Lehman didn’t Choke”.

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Photos from the 2024 RBC Heritage

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GolfWRX is on site this week at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island for the RBC Heritage. Plenty of golfers who competed in the Masters last week will be making the quick turnaround in the Lowcountry of South Carolina as the Heritage is again one of the Tour’s Signature Events.

We have general albums for you to check out, as well as plenty of WITBs — including Justin Thomas and Justin Rose.

We’ll continue to update as more photos flow in from SC.

Check out links to all our photos, below.

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Photos from the 2024 Valero Texas Open

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GolfWRX is on site this week at the Valero Texas Open.

The event has been around since 1922, making it one of the oldest on the PGA Tour calendar. Over the years, it’s been held at a variety of courses across the Lone Star State, but it’s found its home at TPC San Antonio in recent years. Some of the biggest names in golf have taken home the title here, including Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, Lee Trevino, and Ben Crenshaw.

GolfWRX has its usual assortment of general galleries, WITBs and special pull-out albums. As always, we’ll continue to update the links below as more photos come in from TPC San Antonio.

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Photos from the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open

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GolfWRX is on site in the Lone Star State this week for the Texas Children’s Houston Open.

General galleries from the putting green and range, WITBs — including Thorbjorn Olesen and Zac Blair — and several pull-out albums await.

As always, we’ll continue to update as more photos flow in. Check out links to all our photos from Houston below.

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