Tour News
Tour Mash: Monday finish in New Orleans, A marathon LPGA playoff
A full week of professional golf saw an Indian champion return to the winner’s circle, a marathon LPGA Tour playoff, and a first-time winner in Mexico on the Web.com Tour. As for the PGA Tour, its unique, two-man Zurich Classic endured a weather delay on Sunday and saw a magical finish that forced the event to a Monday finish.
Start the beaters; it’s Tour Mash time.
PGA Tour: The Blixt-Smith Duo Finally Ends it
A playoff awaits at the @Zurich_Classic.
The dramatic way we got there is unbelievable.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/9TzRBr4iWV
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 1, 2017
Cameron Smith stuffed a pitch shot close on No. 18 for a sure birdie and what looked like victory for him and teammate Jonas Blixt in regulation play. Their four-shot lead through 54 holes had dwindled, but one more birdie should have locked up a victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Kevin Kisner had other ideas.
Faced with an eagle pitch of his own in the gloaming, Kisner left nothing back and his bump-and-run, destined to sail past the hole, slammed into the flagstick and dropped to send him and partner Scott Brown into extra holes. Unable to begin the playoff, both teams return to the TPC Louisiana on Monday at 9 a.m. Eastern to settle matters.
It took four extra holes to decide a winner, but Cameron Smith ultimately made the deciding birdie after Brown and Kisner both missed their birdie attempts. And with his first PGA Tour win at 23-years-old, Smith was so emotional he couldn’t even speak in his post-playoff interview.
How it feels to get your first win… pic.twitter.com/4jsl8ZH69S
— Skratch (@Skratch) May 1, 2017
European Tour: Levy claims victory for France in China
60 seconds of @alexlevygolf ripping it ????
(Turn the volume up for this one ????) pic.twitter.com/np9Rm93Ipq
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) April 30, 2017
Alexander Levy won his first European Tour event at the 2014 Volvo China Open. Three years and two more victories later, the hard-swinging Frenchman made China the site of his fourth European Tour victory. The win came at the expense of a young challenger (South Africa’s Dylan Fritelli) and a seasoned veteran (Spain’s Pablo Larrazábal).
Fritelli lead by one over Larrazábal after 54 holes thanks to a remarkable run of 63-64 in the tournament’s middle rounds. The University of Texas graduate was unable to close in similar fashion, signing for 74 on Sunday and a 17-under-par total. Larrazábal was unable to make noise in Round 4, beginning with bogeys at his first two holes, ultimately posting 72 for 16-under and third place alone.
It was Levy and his six-birdie 67 that chased Fritelli down, forcing a playoff that would last one hole. Both golfers had runs at birdie, but Fritelli missed first. Levy putted from 15 feet at the last and his stroke did not err. The victory moved him into 11th position in the year-long Race To Dubai.
LPGA Tour: Nomura outlast Kerr in 24 holes
Haru Nomura pulls out the W after duking it out with Cristie Kerr for 6 playoff holes! Watch highlights from her round: pic.twitter.com/hqbRWFuhkD
— #CMEFinalStretch ???? (@LPGA) May 1, 2017
High winds made an endurance event out of the final round of the Volunteers of America Shootout at Las Colinas Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. One score under 70 was recorded all day, and a majority of golfers signed cards in the mid-70s or higher. In the end, 18 holes weren’t enough for Haru Nomura and Christie Kerr. The duo would play the 18th hole six extra times before a birdie decided the champion.
Kerr, fresh off a victory in Hawaii this month, closed with a 3-over 74 on Sunday, not normally the stuff of champions. On this day, it was enough to catch third-round leader Haru Nomura of Japan, who battled to 76 on the day and a 72-hole score of 3-under. In third place, two back, was Jessica Korda. She shot 73 on Sunday.
Nomura and Kerr each parred the 18th hole five consecutive times in the playoff. On the sixth go around, Nomura steeled herself and calmly made birdie to seal her third LPGA Tour victory.
Web.com Tour: Atkins moves up 80 spots with win
Converting your first 54-hole lead into a win is impressive.
Doing it on the strength of a bogey-free Sunday? Even more so. pic.twitter.com/CMfIZOMXqB
— Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) May 1, 2017
Matt Atkins finished in 95th spot on the Web.com Tour in 2016. On Sunday in Mexico, the South Carolina-Aiken alumnus jump-started his run to the PGA Tour with a 4-under 68 and a 3-stroke victory at the El Bosque Mexico championship.
Atkins began Round 4 with the lead with a host of golfers in pursuit. Colombia’s Sebastian Muñoz was the closest and he remained there all day, finishing in second place alone at 14-under. Ted Potter, Jr. made the biggest move of the day, signing for 66 to jump up seven spots into a three-way tie for third with Roger Sloan and Austin Cook.
Atkins played with the cool of a veteran winner on Sunday. He matched two birdies and seven pars on each nine, forcing the field to chase him down. The Pennsylvania native moved inside the top-10 in the year-long competition for twenty-five 2018 PGA Tour cards.
Related: See what clubs Atkins used to win.
Asian Tour: Kapur claims 2nd career title
Relive @ShivKapur62's victory at the #YeangderHeritage #whereitsAT
Video highlights: https://t.co/j5ubHqT74p pic.twitter.com/6cPQgN4h58
— Asian Tour (@asiantourgolf) April 30, 2017
Everyone at the Yiangder Heritage was chasing Yikeung Chang after three rounds. Chang stood 10-under and had a slender lead. Eyes were on Gavin Green to overtake Chang, but it was Shiv Kapur who would fire the round of the week and surge past the field to victory.
Chang and Green acquitted themselves well on Sunday with respective scores of 68 and 67. Both tied at 14-under and might have played off for the title under normal circumstances. Kapur inserted himself into the equation on the outward nine with 33, but he blew his challengers away with a spotless, inward half of 5-under 31.
Kapur won his first Asian Tour title in 2005 at the Volvo Masters of Asia. He spent the next 10 years on a variety of tours, including the European and Asian Challenge circuits. His eight-birdie performance on Sunday, highlighted by a meager 24 putts, brought him inside the top-15 on the Order of Merit.
- LIKE12
- LEGIT1
- WOW2
- LOL1
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK2
Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 RBC Heritage
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.
General Albums
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Monday #1
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Monday #2
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Tuesday #1
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Tuesday #2
WITB Albums
- Justin Thomas – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Justin Rose – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Chandler Phillips – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Nick Dunlap – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Thomas Detry – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Austin Eckroat – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Xander Schauffele – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Jason Day – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Will Zalatoris – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Patrick Cantlay – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Ludwig Aberg – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Collin Morikawa – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
Pullout Albums
- Wyndham Clark’s Odyssey putter – 2024 RBC Heritage
- JT’s new Cameron putter – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Justin Thomas testing new Titleist 2 wood – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Cameron putters – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Odyssey putter with triple track alignment aid – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Scotty Cameron The Blk Box putting alignment aid/training aid – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Cameron putter – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Odyssey Ai One Eleven T putters – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Christian Bezuidenhout – testing new Callaway Ti 340 mini driver – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Rory McIlroy testing the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Xander Schauffele testing the Callaway Ti 340 mini driver & the DUW – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Byeong Hun An, two new L.A.B. Golf putter builds with “T” alignment – 2024 RBC Heritage
See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.
- LIKE4
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP1
- OB0
- SHANK0
Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 Valero Texas Open
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.
General Albums
WITB Albums
- Ben Taylor – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Paul Barjon – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Joe Sullivan – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Wilson Furr – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Ben Willman – SoTex PGA Section Champ – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Jimmy Stanger – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Rickie Fowler – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Harrison Endycott – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Vince Whaley – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Kevin Chappell – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Christian Bezuidenhout – WITB (mini) – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Scott Gutschewski – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
Pullout Albums
- Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Ben Taylor with new Titleist TRS 2 wood – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Swag cover – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Greyson Sigg’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Davis Riley’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Josh Teater’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Hzrdus T1100 is back – – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Mark Hubbard testing ported Titleist irons – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Tyson Alexander testing new Titleist TRS 2 wood – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Hideki Matsuyama’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Cobra putters – 2024 Valero Texas Open
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
- LIKE16
- LEGIT3
- WOW6
- LOL2
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
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.
General Albums
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Monday #1
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Monday #2
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Tuesday #1
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Tuesday #2
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Thorbjorn Olesen – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Ben Silverman – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Jesse Droemer – SoTX PGA Section POY – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- David Lipsky – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Martin Trainer – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Zac Blair – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Jacob Bridgeman – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Trace Crowe – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Daniel Berger – WITB(very mini) – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Chesson Hadley – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Callum McNeill – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Rhein Gibson – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Patrick Fishburn – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Peter Malnati – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Raul Pereda – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Gary Woodland WITB (New driver, iron shafts) – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Padraig Harrington WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
Pullout Albums
- Tom Hoge’s custom Cameron – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Cameron putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Piretti putters – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Ping putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Kevin Dougherty’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Bettinardi putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Cameron putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Erik Barnes testing an all-black Axis1 putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Tony Finau’s new driver shaft – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
- LIKE19
- LEGIT5
- WOW2
- LOL4
- IDHT0
- FLOP1
- OB0
- SHANK0
-
19th Hole6 days ago
Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Things got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
-
19th Hole1 week ago
Tiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Report: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
-
19th Hole2 days ago
Two star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
-
19th Hole2 days ago
Neal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Addiction, spinal fusion, and scam artists – Everything Anthony Kim revealed in candid interview with David Feherty
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Anthony Kim says doctors told him that he ‘may not have much time left’ ahead of LIV return