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Tour Mash: Perez completes comeback, earns first win since 2009

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Golfers across the U.S. continue to play, deep into November. Across the world, from China to India, from Argentina to Mexico and the U.S. professional golfers settled season-long playoffs and uncovered future aspirations. It’s a mash-worthy week and not worth a moment’s delay, so let’s get at it.

Perez returns to winner’s circle at Mayakoba

It’s possible that someone could script a stranger fiction than the truth that unfolded on Sunday in Mexico, but I doubt it. Perhaps Carlos Fuentes, but he’s gone. Gary Woodland began the day with a one-shot lead over Pat Perez, but that dissipated with a Perez birdie and a Woodland bogey on the first hole. The same happened on the third and Perez had bolted to a three-stroke advantage before the crowd had warmed up.

Scott Piercy entered the fray, as did Russell Knox and Kevin Streelman. Streelman had nine birdies on the day, but three bogeys kept him from mounting a true challenge, and he finished 17-under par in a tie for 4th. Knox had seven birdies of his own, but a pair of bogeys left him at 18-under in solo third.

The tournament came down to Piercy, Perez and Woodland. After squandering his meager lead, Woodland bounced back with birdies on the final two holes to finish at 19-under and alone in 2nd place. Piercy looked to be the most serious challenger to Perez, but his finish went like this: birdie-bogey-birdie-double. He tied for 4th.

And Perez? After the hot start, he played the back nine in 1-over, but it was good enough to seal a two-shot victory for his second PGA Tour win and first since 2009. The triumph also completed a comeback from surgery for a torn labrum and guaranteed Perez exempt status for the next two years.

Related: See the clubs Pat Perez used to win

Four’en for Noren with win at Nedbank

Alexander Noren is making a strong case for European Tour Player of the Year. Noren moved into third spot on the Race To Dubai money list with his six-stroke victory this week at the Nedbank Challenge. The triumph, the fourth of season for the Swede, came at the hands of the third-round leader, Jeunghun Wang of Korea.

Wang’s lead was three shots over Louis Oosthuizen at the start of the day. The young Korean began well with birdies on two of his first four holes. It wasn’t enough, as Noren raced through the front nine with six birdies and three pars. Wang came unraveled on Nos. 6-9, though, with a bogey and a double.

If any other contenders considered victory within reach, Noren quashed those hopes with an eagle-birdie start to his back nine. With victory all but assured, would Noren make a run at 59? An especially difficult task was halted with a bogey at the par-five 14th, but the win made Noren the man to beat next week as the European Tour season concludes in Dubai.

Related: See the clubs Noren used to win

Langer wins season-long Schwab Cup, but the tournament title goes to…

Leading a tournament from start to finish is an uncommon feat. Paul Goydos lit up the Desert Mountain Club on Friday with a 62, then held on to the top spot with a second-round 67. All that was left to do was complete the victory… with Bernhard Langer and Colin Montgomerie in hot pursuit. Piece of cake.

Goydos pulled it off. The California native made two birdies late on the front nine to gain traction, then closed with three more over the final five holes. Langer made every effort to chase him down with six birdies on the day. He could get no closer than two strokes in the end. As for Montgomerie, the Scotsman claimed solo 3rd at 11-under, two back of Langer and four behind the champion. Unable to mark more than two birdies over the first 14 holes, a hole bogey on No. 15 ended his chances.

Ciganda claims second LPGA title at Ochoa Invitational

Less than a month removed from her first LPGA victory, Spain’s Carlota Ciganda returned to the top spot on the podium with a come-from-behind win at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Mexico. Ciganda chased down third-round leader Austin Ernst of the U.S., who ended in a five-way tie for 2nd, two shots behind the victor.

Ciganda’s day began with an eagle at the second hole, and she added four birdies to two bogeys for a 4th-round 68, her second of the weekend. England’s Jodi Shadoff birdied holes 2-4 to start — and closed with birds at Nos. 13, 16, and 18 — but was unable to catch Ciganda. The case was similar with the other three runners up: two many bogeys and not enough birdies.

Other Tours-Argentina Classic, Putian Open, Women’s India Open

Aditi Ashok made history earlier in 2016 when she competed for India in the Rio Olympics. She wrote an even larger chapter on Sunday as the first Indian female to win a tournament on the Ladies European Tour. A two-stroke lead at day’s arrival was erased by the 18th tee. Tied with clubhouse leader Brittany Lincicome and playing partner Belen Mozo at the home hole, Aditi and Belen took on the par-five finisher, but only Ashok negotiated it in birdie four for the victory. The win, in her native India, moved the 18-year old into the top-10 on the season-long money list.

Korea’s Taewoo Kim had played marvelous golf all week at PGA Tour China‘s Putian Open. He had wrested the top spot from first-round leader Taylor Cooper of Australia and carried a large lead into the final round. A quintuple bogey on Sunday’s 4th hole erased most of the margin and left Kim doubting himself. Able to regroup and play 1-over golf the rest of the way, Kim secured a four-stroke victory over a resurgent Cooper and Sejun Yoon of the U.S.

The Argentina Classic on PGA Tour Latinoamerica was reduced to 54 holes by rain and lightning, with Spain’s Samuel del Val declared the winner at 13-under. The margin between him and Derek Gillespie was one slim stroke, resulting from the Canadian Gillespie’s 18th-hole bogey on Saturday. Del Val moved into the 4th spot of Los Cinco, the five-man squad that will advance to the Web.com Tour next year.

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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.

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Photos from the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans

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GolfWRX is live on site this week at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans for the PGA Tour’s one-and-only two-man team event.

As usual, general galleries, WITBs, and pullout albums — including some pretty spicy custom putters and headcovers — await your viewing.

Be sure to check back for more photos from the Big Easy, as we’ll continue to update this page with additional galleries throughout the week.

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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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