During the excitement of last week’s US Open, we were unable to give proper coverage to the LPGA and PGA Tour Champions. We plan to rectify that this week, with a look back at the last, full week of golf in September 2020, along with a look waaay back at what else went on during US Open week. It’s strange to imagine fall as majors season, but with the Masters coming up in November, golf suddenly carries some weight with American football. The world’s top players will play some sort of schedule, in the run-up to an 11th-Month Augusta, and we should have quite the look at our favorite players as the leaves turn majestic. Time to Tour Rundown. Wake me up, when September ends.

Swafford captures Corales Puntacana title after slipping

The University of Georgia’s Hudson Swafford came out on tour in 2011. He won on the Korn Ferry tour the following season, then claimed an inaugural PGA Tour title in 2017. Three years on, he has a second, big-tour win to add to his wiki, thanks to a solid, bike-balancing in the Dominican Republic.

Swafford sat second to Adam Long on Saturday evening, but inherited the top spot as Long struggle on the outward nine, eventually settling in fifth place. Swafford was out in 31, thanks to a mighty eagle on the par-five fifth hole. Then, awareness rose from the mists, and he made double bogey at 13, followed by bogey at 15. At that juncture of the fairways, Nate Lashley, Tyler McCormick, and Mackenzie Hughes had worked into contention.

Bogey at 17 did Lashley in, while Hughes suffered a similar fate at the final hole. McCumber surged late, capping a bogey-free 32 back nine with a birdie at the last. This effort garnered him solo second spot. As for Swafford, he struck a magnificent iron on the windy, par-three 17th hole to fifteen feet, then dropped the slow-roller for deuce and a lead that would hold to the end. The tour returns stateside this week, at the Sanderson Farms Championship in Mississippi.

Wolfe claims second KF Tour victory of 2020

Back in January, before the world knew that it would turn inside-out, Jared Wolfe took a large step in his ten-year touring career. Buoyed by PGA Tour Latinoamerica victories in three consecutive seasons, the former Racer from Murray State earned a Korn Ferry tour victory in the Bahamas. Eight months later, Wolfe can add a bookend trophy to his home shelf, following a one-shot win over Canada’s Taylor Pendrith.

The pair entered the final round 1-2, and held position throughout most of day four. Pendrith made birdie at the 15th, but Wolfe topped him with an eagle at 14. Pendrith then notched a bogey at 16, but Wolfe outdid him again with bogies at 15 and 16. In other words, they were feeling the nerves. Pars at the final two holes for both meant a one-stroke cushion for Wolfe, and increased buoyancy in the world of professional golf.

It should be mentioned that Taylor Pendrith, in any other year, would be the story of the season. After finishing outside the top 25 in his first five KF Tour events, followed by a pair of missed cuts, the Ontario native has collected four 2nds and a 3rd over his last nine starts. With a win anywhere, Pendrith would top The 25 money list. Currently, he sits in 2nd spot, behind Will Zalatoris. The Korn Ferry tour heads to Savannah, Georgia, for this week’s penultimate 2020 tournament.

Catlin corrals second 2020 win in Northern Ireland

2020 is defining itself, in mild golf terms, as a year of the late bloomer. In addition to Jared Wolfe, we now have John Catlin. Over the years, the former University of New Mexico golfer has plied his trade on the Asian and European tours. As September arrived, so did Catlin, with a career-changing win in southern Spain. After the Irish Open this week at Galgorm Spa, the Sacramento native now has a pair of Euro tour titles, and a fair amount of standing and cache in the world of golf.

England’s Aaron Rai held a four-stroke lead on the first tee, Sunday morning. He worked his way around the course in 70, the second time he had done so all week. Thrice on the day, he traded birdie for bogey. Rai began his round with a lost shot, but retrieved it immediately at the second. His second birdie of the day, at the 10th, was immediately offset by stray play at the 11th. Finally, and most injurious, he made birdie at 17 to keep hope alive. Needing a 2nd consecutive one to tie Catlin, Rai made bogey at the par-five closer to finish at 8-under par, in solo second position.

What drove Rai to desperation? A seven-birdie onslaught by the American. Catlin burst forth with four birdies over his first 10 holes. A bogey at the 13th slowed his roll, but he surged again toward the end. Catlin gained strokes on Old Man Par at three of his final four holes, only failing to go red at the par-four 17th hole. His 64 was 2nd low of the week and day, eclipsed only by Fabrizio Zanotti’s Sunday 63. The European Tour returns this week to the Renaissance Club in Scotland, for that nation’s Open championship.

Hall earns first LPGA title on US soil (last week)

Georgia Hall, she of the masterful 2018 Open championship title, earned a 2nd career win and first in the states last week. Hall and her compatriots journeyed to the kingdom of Oregon, and waged war at the Columbia Edgewater Club. Hall lurked in the shadows after an opening 70, but burst forth into the light with a second-round 66. Joining her in contention was a healthy mix of names and not-yet-names. Among the former were Moriya Jutanugarn and Inbee Park. Checking boxes in the later were Robyn Ree, Yealimi N0h, and Ashleigh Buhai. It was this last name that would prove most intriguing.

While Hall crafted another fine round, a 68 marked by six birdies and two bogeys, Buhai was on the prowl. The South African posted eight birdies on day three, including four of her final five holes. Only an unfortunate bogey at the 13th kept her from a clean card (and an outright win!) As the dust settled and the ink dried, Hall and Buhai headed toward a reckoning in extra holes, thanks to their tie at twelve deep.

Pars at the 18th brought them to the 1st, where both missed the green with approach shots. Neither recovery was stone dead, but Hall was able to coax her five-feet putt into the abyss for par. Buhai was not so fortunate, as her wee par putt stayed on the surface. The LPGA Tour travels to the opposite coast this week, for a go-round in Galloway, New Jersey, at the ShopRite Classic.

Furyk holds off Kelly in PURE playoff (last week)

Any weekend in Monterey is special, and the PURE Insurance championship made certain to hold itself to that standard. Finishing 3rd was Ernie Els; 4th was Mike Weir; and 5th was Retief Goosen. Major champions in their hey day, any member of that trio would have been a worth winner at Pebble Beach. Instead, it was left to Jim Furyk and Jerry Kelly to decide matters in overtime. Let’s reverse gears, though, and find out how we arrived at extra holes.

Furyk opened with 64, good for a one-shot advantage over Els, Cameron Beckman and Stephen Leaney. Kelly was seven shots back, at 71. On day two, Weir shone with 65, while Furyk regressed with 73, and jumped up with 68. Els was your overnight leader, but the Big Easy was too easy on the field, and did not capitalize on his standing. It’s safe to say that Els lacks the killer instinct of a Bernhard Langer; too many times in his career, he has let tournaments large and small, escape from his clutches.

Day three saw Kelly complete his monster comeback. His 65 was tied for low with Rod Pampling, and while Rod rocketed from 63rd to 31st, Kelly’s rise was even more valuable. He jumped from 9th to 1st, with a bogey at the scenic 8th the only speed bump between him and outright victory. As for Furyk, that 73 left a rotten taste in his mouth, so he returned a slightly-bizarre 67 of his own. The bald eagle was out in 31 strokes, thanks to three birds and a bald eagle in the first six holes. Furyk then Faldo-ed his way home, with 12 consecutive pars. Somehow, his bland play was good enough to reach the playoff.

The old guys lasted just one hole. Both Furyk and Kelly had wedge approach shots left to the fabled 18th green at Pebble Beach. Kelly got his ball left of the hole, and it spun away, to a dozen feet. From there, he two-putted for par. Furyk was able to keep his approach right of the flag, and the spin brought it back to about 30 inches. He knocked down the birdie putt, and moved to two events, two wins, on the tour for seniors. He might want to retire undefeated, but we doubt it. The PGA Tour Champions returns to action next week, in Cary, North Carolina.