Lots of twin things happened this week. Twins won on a tour in consecutive weeks for most likely the first time in recorded history. Twins rounds on the weekend proved to be the key for at least one winner. And the Korda sisters aren’t twins, but they represented the USA in the Solheim Cup. Maybe it’s a reach, but it’s early September and the story leads are thinning out. It’s Tour Rundown time again, so find your BFF, or your twin and read up together. #MoreFunWithFriends
Solheim Cup claims EGOT for best performance of the year
It figures that a course called Inverness would bring out the best in team professional golf competition. The recent restoration of the iconic Toledo club by Andrew Green set the stage for the performance of many lifetimes. Despite having three acts on the dais, no one expected an EGOT from this biennial event. And yet, the women of Europe and the USA gave us performances usually reserved for Emmy, Globe, Oscar, and Tony winners: they gave us their hearts, their soul, and their blood, sweat, and tears. What more could we ever hope to have, especially during these still-trying times?
After one day, the visitors from across the Atlantic let it be known that they would go quite noisily into the weekend. A 5.5 to 2.5 advantage told the host team that Saturday had better be different, or Sunday would be a formality of a singles competition. Rise to the occasion did the Red, White, and Blue. The home side won 4.5 of the 8 points on offer, and reduced the 3-point margin to a 2-point disadvantage. This, friends, is why singles are reserved for Sunday. Much like wrestling, you walk alone onto the mat, under the gaze of all in attendance, and have only yourself and your singlet. It is raw, it is forceful, and it is unforgettable.
The early portion of the day belonged to the blue of Europe. Three matches were won by Maguire, Sagstrom, and Boutier, while a fourth was halved. The old world stood two mere points from declaring one more piece of luggage on its return flight to the Union. At 4:30 EST, Nelly Korda held off Georgia Hall and notched the first point for the Red flag. At that same moment, it seemed, every other match went to all-square or red as well. Could a comeback take root?
It did, and it almost flowered. Meghan Kang had a six-up lead on Sophia Popov, and such a trouncing would send reverberations throughout the Inverness 18. Somehow, Popov dropped it to five, then four, then three. She ultimately lost by 3 & 2, but who is to say if her delaying the inevitable somehow allowed Matilda Castren to secure a 1-up win over Lizette Salas, and allowed Emily Pedersen to reach 3-up with three to play against Danielle Kang. Those two points made the difference, as Europe retained the Solheim Cup, and won for the first time on USA soil since 2013.
These team events were created to be exhibition matches, but they have (d)evolved into much more than that. They are a source of pride, and they hold their finish not for a moment, but for two entire years until the matches resume. Thus are explained the tears of Kupcho, Harigae, Popov, who suffered one-sided losses to their opponents. Thus is explained the exhaustion of Thompson and Nordqvist, who battled to a draw through 18 draining holes. And thus is explained the jubilation of a dozen women from Europe, who answered the call and realized the dream.
The Ryder Cup has been served notice: after the Curtis Cup and Solheim Cup competitions, the male professionals have much to live up to.
PGA Tour’s Tour Championship belongs to the Cantlifornia Cid
There was an age when Patrick Cantlay was the next and great thing in American golf. That time has returned, and not a moment too soon. As Team USA prepares to move into Ryder Cup competition, its current darling (two-time major champion Collin Morikawa) is struggling, at the same time its sinew set feuds on. Along comes Patrick Cantlay, with a win last week over DeChambeau, and another this week over Spain’s Jon Rahm, to collect his first two, playoff titles, and his first-ever FedEx Cup.
In that yet-to-be-accepted format of starting the top players with an advantage, Cantlay posted just the fourth-best score on the week, and he was tied at that. However, given his bonus strokes as top horse in the race, his 269 was just enough to edge the U.S. Open titleist (Rahm) by one. Cantlay stood outside the top six who automatically qualify for Team USA, but he figured to be an automatic pick to all. With everything on the playoff line, the winner closed birdie-bogey-birdie to edge Rahm’s 72nd-hole birdie.
In an era of Twitter-this and Bluster-that, Cantlay’s demeanor is a contradictory throwback to an era when clubs did the talking. It’s a style befitting a spot on recent European teams, not the ones sporting RWB. Here’s hoping that his disposition and comportment rub off on his teammates and give us the Ryder Cup we all deserve.
Korn Ferry Tour Championship is a tale of highs and lows
Joseph Bramlett has battled his way around the tours for over a decade. Perhaps, only in his dreams did he expect to shoot 30 on the final nine of a Korn Ferry Tour Championship — including a five-birdie run — to clinch the tournament title and a return ticket to the PGA Tour. That’s precisely what happened on Sunday in Indiana. Bramlett stood on the 14th tee, on the heels of two consecutive birdies, precisely six shots in arrears of tournament-leading Trey Mullinax. Five holes later, the former Stanford golfer had made up six shots and earned a four-shot win over the former UAlabama star. Third place went to Christiaan Bezuidenhout of South Africa, one back of Mullinax at 15 deep.
Throughout the week, Trey Mullinax had held the spotlight. He opened with 63 over the water-laced Victoria National layout, and maintained first spot until the bittersweet end. At 14 and 15, his iron game betrayed him from perfect fairway lies. At 18, it was an errant driver that nearly cost him solo second. Despite the home-stretch troubles, Mullinax will join Bramlett next year on the PGA Tour. A win in his portfolio would have been nice, but the consolation prize will comfort almost as nicely.
Let’s remember that the gilded story of the week was the performance of Mr. Bramlett. He has visited the PGA Tour before, and here’s a raised glass to his taking up longer residence this time around.
European Tour Italian Open: Twins win in back-to-back weeks
Just two of the top eight failed to break par each day at Marco Simone near Rome. One of the two, Masahiro Kawamura of Japan, finished in a tie for fifth. The other, Nikolai Hjøgaard, won by a single shot. And he did so on the 72nd hole. And he is the twin of last week’s winner, Rasmus Hjøgaard. That’s pretty exciting, huh?
For the second time in his European Tour career, Adrian Meronk had a chance at victory. Unlike the 2020 Dunhill, when he gave up a final-round lead, Poland’s top golfer stood tied with Nikolai Hjøgaard as the Dane played the final hole. Meronk had posted a sparkling 66 on Sunday, highlighted by an eagle-birdie-birdie, back-nine stretch. His closing run of five pars proved to be precisely what undid his challenge. Nikolai Hjøgaard was brilliant for three days, then held on for dear life over the course of the final round. Faced with the prospect of an initial tour title, each bogey was countered by birdie, and vice-versa. At the closing par five, he zipped a wedge approach to about 30 inches and converted the putt for four and a one-shot win over Meronk and Tommy Fleetwood, who had also made birdie to reach minus-twelve.
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19th Hole2 weeks ago
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