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 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
GolfWRX is on site this week in McKinney, Texas, at the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson (FKA the AT&T Byron Nelson).
Last year at TPC Craig Ranch, Jason Day ended a five-year winless streak. J-Day is in the field again, as are Jordan Spieth, Tom Kim, and Will Zalatoris.
We have our usual assortment of general galleries, WITBs, and pullout albums for your perusal. As always, we’ll continue to add links to additional albums as they make their way to us from the Lone Star State.
Check out links to all our photos below.
General Albums
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Monday #1
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Monday #2
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #1
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #2
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Pierceson Coody – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Kris Kim – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- David Nyfjall – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Adrien Dumont de Chassart – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Jarred Jetter – North Texas PGA Section Champ – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Richy Werenski – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Wesley Bryan – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Parker Coody – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Peter Kuest – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Blaine Hale, Jr. – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Kelly Kraft – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Rico Hoey – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Pullout Albums
- Adam Scott’s 2 new custom L.A.B. Golf putters – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Scotty Cameron putters – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Ben Griffin playing Maxfli golf ball
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
- LIKE10
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK1
Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans
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.
General Albums
- 2024 Zurich Classic – Monday #1
- 2024 Zurich Classic – Monday #2
- 2024 Zurich Classic – Tuesday #1
- 2024 Zurich Classic – Tuesday #2
WITB Albums
- Alex Fitzpatrick – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Austin Cook – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Alejandro Tosti – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Davis Riley – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- MJ Daffue – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Nate Lashley – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- James Nicholas – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Kevin Streelman – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Rasmus Hojgaard – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Tom Whitney – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- SangMoon Bae – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Daniel Berger – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Rory McIlroy – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Russ Cochrane – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Aldrich Potgieter – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Steve Stricker WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Drew Brees WITB (Legendary New Orleans Saints QB) – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Derek Carr (New Orleans Saints QB) – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Thriston Lawrence WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
Pullout Albums
- MJ Daffue’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Cameron putters – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Swag covers ( a few custom for Nick Hardy) – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Custom Bettinardi covers for Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Doug Ghim’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Patrick Cantlay spotted testing a Scotty Cameron blade putter – 2024 Zurich Classic
- LIKE7
- LEGIT3
- WOW1
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK1
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
- Ludvig Aberg – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Collin Morikawa – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Sam Burns – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Stephen Jaeger – 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.
- LIKE10
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL2
- IDHT0
- FLOP1
- OB0
- SHANK0
-
19th Hole1 week ago
Justin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
-
19th Hole1 week ago
‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
-
19th Hole3 weeks ago
Two star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Report: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Neal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Brandel Chamblee has ‘no doubt’ who started the McIlroy/LIV rumor and why
-
Equipment3 weeks ago
What we know about Bryson DeChambeau’s 3D-printed Avoda irons
-
19th Hole6 days ago
LET pro gives detailed financial breakdown of first week on tour…and the net result may shock you