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Tour Mash: Kevin Chappell emotionally wins his first

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Five strong events highlighted the third week of April’s professional slate. Playoffs were the standard in Europe, while a long-awaited, first-time champion was crowned on the PGA Tour. Whoa, that’s enough teaser. Let’s straight-up mash this week, right now!

PGA Tour: Texas Open marks Chappell’s coronation

Kevin Chappell had knocked…and knocked…and knocked on the champions’ locker-room door on numerous occasions. After 179 shots at victory, the former UCLA Bruin fobbed his way in with an 18th-hole birdie on Sunday. Standing in his way was Brooks Koepka, whose 65 on day four was also punctuated with a last-hole birdie.

Only three holes prior, the nay-sayers wondered if Chappell had the stuff of champions. A tugged approach from fairway center sailed into a bunker and bogey, and his lead was reduced to one. Koepka had lost the steam of consecutive birdies on 11 and 12, but regained it to return the pressure squarely to Chappell. A proper drive and lay-up were followed by a wedge to 8 feet. One final putt later and the monkey was off Chappell’s back for good. In third place, three behind the champion, were Kevin Tway and Tony Finau. In other words, it was a young man’s week!

Related: Kevin Chappell’s Winning WITB

European Tour: Shenzhen International to Wiesberger on 73rd hole

If Bernd Wiesberger had summoned even one of the birdies that Tommy Fleetwood loaded onto his scorecard in round 4 of the Shenzhen International, matters would have ended in regulation play. As it was, the Austrian’s run of 11 pars to end his round, coupled with Fleetwood’s 7 birdies and 1 eagle for 63, sent the pair to the 18th tee to decide a champion.

As the rains poured down, Wiesberger dared the water alongside the 18th fairway and nearly drowned his ball. He hit a spectacular approach from the bank to five feet, then drained the birdie putt to eliminate Fleetwood and secure his fourth European Tour title and first playoff win after three losses.

The 2017 Shenzhen was hardly a two-golfer affair. Gregory Bourdy and Ross Fisher each finished at 15-under par, one shot out of the playoff. Another three golfers, including recent European Tour winner Fabrizio Zanotti, tied for fifth at 14-under.

PGA Tour Champions: Legends of Golf to Singh and Franco

Presidents Cup teammates Vijay Singh and Carlos Franco reunited in Missouri and added to their legendary status with a one-stroke squeaker of a win, over three other duos. The funky, par-3-only format at the Big Cedar Lodge course lends itself to drama and birdies. With a perfect lie off each shot, the onus is squarely on the golfer to stuff it close, at every opportunity.

Singh and Franco did precisely that. Four birdies over their closing five holes brought the pair to 15-under. Fred Funk and Jeff Sluman nearly matched them. The USA partnership birdied holes 13-17, but that elusive final deuce left them one shot in arrears, tied with Paul Goydos/Kevin Sutherland, and Cory Pavin/Duffy Waldorf.

Web.Com: United Leasing is Lee’s first U.S. victory

The Victoria National club was built with a U.S. Open in mind. It may never have that opportunity, but you won’t receive any argument from the Web.Com Tour players as to its difficulty. D.H. Lee was the lone survivor on Sunday, escaping Indiana by one shot after a final-round 74. The Korean golfer eluded his closest pursuer, Jason Gore, whose 72 on day four left him at 5-under.

Lee looked to all the world like a man in trouble as he stepped to the tee at the 15th hole. A wayward approach on the previous trace left him in deep rough, costing him two attempts at recovery and a double-bogey. Unfazed, he played the par-five perfectly, reaching in three and dropping the birdie putt to regain his advantage.

For Gore, it was as topsy-turvy, inward nine as can be imagined. His only pars came at 11 and 16, and he gave himself a shot at victory with four birdies over the closing stretch. Unfortunately for the Fresno State alum, two bogeys and a double of his own were lurking, and the Bulldog was destined for the runner-up station on the podium.

Ladies European Tour: Mediterranean Open to Parker on fourth extra hole

Europe’s playoff weekend continued as three golfers reached 72 holes at 15-under. Flory Parker had not won on tour since 2010, and her birdie on 18 earned her a spot in the playoff parade. Carlota Ciganda won twice on the LPGA Tour in 2016 and narrowly lost a third in a playoff, and birdies on four of five holes on the back brought her even with Parker. A lip-out at the last kept her at the magic number. Anna Nordqvist had a watch-winning ace on Saturday, and like Parker, Nordqvist made a 3 at the last to join the party.

Parker and Nordqvist again birdied 18 in the playoff, while Ciganda missed from close range and was eliminated. Neither Parker nor Nordqvist could repeat their birdies on the next two holes, so they returned again to the 18th for a fourth time.

On that occasion, Nordqvist chased another birdie first, but her effort unbelievably stayed out. Parker had dropped her own approach shot inside five feet and seized the opportunity to capture her second tour title. Her putt did not err and the Mediterranean Open was hers.

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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.

2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Ronald Montesano

    Apr 24, 2017 at 2:27 pm

    I clearly lost my mind for that moment. I must have projected my affinity for the big Austrian. Good catch, Red Scotty!!

  2. Red Scotty

    Apr 24, 2017 at 2:11 pm

    Thanks for the piece Ronald – just a small thing – I must have missed Weisberger’s Ryder Cup debut ?

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 Players Championship

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On the heels of Scottie Scheffler’s dominant victory at Bay Hill, the PGA Tour heads a little farther north in Florida to TPC Sawgrass this week for The Players Championship. And of course, GolfWRX is on site to get a look at what the players are playing.

We’ve already spotted a new Titleist mini driver this week, and there’s plenty more.

Check out our photos below!

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Photos from the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational

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GolfWRX is on the ground in Orlando ahead of the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club & Lodge.

We’re assembling our usual collection of WITB photos, general galleries, and of course, gear inspired by the King himself.

We’ll continue to add to the photos below as more flow in from Florida.

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Photos from the 2024 Cognizant Classic

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GolfWRX is on site this week at the Cognizant Classic —FKA the Honda Classic.

The first leg of the PGA Tour’s traditional “Florida swing,” the Cognizant Classic continues to be contested at PGA National’s Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, host course of the 1983 Ryder Cup and 1987 PGA Championship. The course is known for its famed “Bear Trap,” a three-hole stretch of holes that take their name from Jack “The Golden Bear” Nicklaus, who redesigned the course in 2002.

The Bear Trap includes No. 15 (a par 3), No. 16 (a par 4), and No. 17 (a par 4). All three holes involve water and have led to several big numbers from Tour players over the years.

Check out an assortment of general galleries, WITBs, and pullout albums below.

We’ll continue to update the galleries as more photos flow in from Florida!

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