The world of golf has its eyes on a corner of Georgia, but that harbinger of spring is still 10 days away. The focus this week was on match play in Texas, and five other medal events around the globe. India, Qatar, the Dominican Republic, and the states of Louisiana and California each hosted an important event on the world’s tours. Snow may have fallen (hopefully, for the last time) outside my kitchen window on Saturday, but shades of green were all that was seen across this week’s Tour Rundown.

By the way, golf isn’t always like this, but we wish it were (was…you debate.)

<jordan_spieth_wow.gif> pic.twitter.com/LxtcdyQ7Q9

— Skratch (@Skratch) March 24, 2022

World Golf Championships: Dell Match Play signals the dawn of an era

How long the Age of Scheffler lasts, is to be determined. Whether it was his selection to the USA Ryder Cup side last fall, despite not having won, that was the catalyst, is unknown. What is irrefutable fact is this: Scottie Scheffler has triumphed three times during the first three months of 2022, and has ascended to the number-one ranking in the world of men’s professional golf. Scheffler down fellow match-play maven Kevin Kisner by a 4 & 3 tally, his largest margin of victory since round three of the preliminaries.

It was that 5 & 4 triumph over Matt Fitzpatrick that earned the UTexas alumnus a spot in a playoff for the right to advance to knockout rounds. After Scheffler dispatched Fitzpatrick for a second time on the day, he moved on to defeat Billy Horschel by one hole in the round of 16, Seamus power by two holes in the quarterfinals, and Dustin Johnson by 3 & 1 in the semifinals.

Kisner played his usual, on-point week of head-to-head matches, compelling the Twitterati and the Instagramblers to once again bemoan his dearth of selections to national teams. In Sunday’s final match, Kisner was off his game. Against essentially a home-town advantage, the wobbles would prove too much to overcome. In the third-place match, Canada’s Corey Conners defeated Dustin Johnson by 3 & 1.

From whoops to wow ?

Scottie Scheffler remains 3UP thru 12 after a roller-coaster hole. pic.twitter.com/Bi5vFrPb7V

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 27, 2022

LPGA Tour: JTBC Classic

Of the five medal events decided today, three went to extra holes. Nanna Koerstz Madsen, winner two weeks ago in Thailand, finished birdie-bogey to match Atthaya Thitikul’s 16-under total. Thitikul had posted the day’s low round (64) that featured a gritty, eight-feet putt for par at the last. Madsen missed from five feet to win outright, so the pair headed back to the 18th tee to settle matters.

The 18th at Aviara is an odd little hole. Driver is not an option, as a 90-degree dogleg right is protected up the starboard side by a pond. Golfers take hybrid off the tee, then battle it out from 150 or so yards for glory. On the first extra hole, Thitikul nearly holed her second, while Madsen tugged hers to the right fringe. Madsen pitched close for par, then watched as Thitikul misread the speed and line of her putt, to give the Dane a second chance in extra time.

On the second extra hole, neither golfer matched her first, overtime tee ball. Thitikul left herself 170 yards from the left side of the fairway. Madsen fared worse. Her hybrid drew hard left, coming to rest on the upslope of the rough. Her hybrid approach strayed right, and found the water. Thitikul played safely to the front-left portion of the putting surface. Madsen’s pitch for par flew too far, settling 15 feet beyond the hole.

From 50 feet distant, Thitikul putted conservatively, leaving herself a par putt of eight feet. She bet on Madsen being unable to convert her bogey putt, and she was correct. Madsen was too strong with her attempt, and it did a hard lip-out on the high side. Two putts later, Thitikul was in for bogey and her first LPGA title.

What a par ?

Atthaya Thitikul is the clubhouse leader at -16! pic.twitter.com/NqLWtmAxtq

— LPGA (@LPGA) March 27, 2022

PGA Tour: Corales Puntacana rests with Ramey

Despite being a Mississippian by birth and schooling, don’t be surprised if Chad Ramey sets up shop on an island in the Caribbean. In the past six months, Ramey has tied for 17th on Bermuda, fifth on Puerto Rico, and earned his first PGA Tour title on Hispaniola, in the Dominican Republic. The Magnolia State’s latest PGA Tour hero carved birdies on holes 13 through 16 to reach 17-under par. That was enough to hold off third-round leader Ben Martin and fast-charging Alex Smalley by one golpe.

Martin jumped out to the lead on Thursday with 66, and Ramey sat four behind the former Clemson golfer at 70. Round two was much kinder to the eventual champion, as he posted 65 to make a Friday move. As good as it was, it gained him but one stroke on Martin’s second-consecutive 66. With an opportunity to separate himself from the field on moving day, Martin came down with bogeys, and could only add a 70 to his opening 132. Ramey chipped yet another stroke off the advantage with 69.

On Sunday, Martin opened with double at the first, but bounced back with four birdies on the opening nine. The crushing blow for his effort was a bogey at the par-five 12th.  After driving into thick rough, Martin recovered to a fairway bunker, and could not reach the green with his third. His attempt at an up and down for par was denied, and he settled for six. After his four-birdie run, Ramey finished in style with regulation pars at 17 and 18.

FOUR birdies in a row to take the lead ?@ChadRamey2 leads by 1 with two holes to play @CoralesChamp. pic.twitter.com/YF3R0tEBsc

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 27, 2022

DP World Tour: Qatar Masters is firstie for Fergie

Conditions at Doha Golf Club thickened on Sunday, just in time for topsy and turvy to enter the conversation. Overnight leader Matthew Jordan of England had stayed afloat throughout the front nine, but took on massive water on the inward half. He had bogey on his card for five of the first six, back-nine holes, and dropped back to a fifth-place finish. Adrian Meronk began the final round tied with Jordan, but he had struggles as well. Meronk fell victim to two double bogeys over the last 18 holes, and dropped to T3.

When the low round of the day is just three-under par, those scores will move you up the leader board with pace. Marcus Armitage jumped 36 spots into fifth, tied with Jordan and five others. Another Marcus (Kinhult) jumped eight spots up the list with 71, into a tie for third. Chase Hanna matched Kinhult’s 71, and moved up five spaces, into solo second.

The surprise winner of the Qatar Masters was Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson. Just three weeks after he lost the final-round lead at the Magical Kenya Open, Ferguson turned in a magnificent 70 at Doha. The Scotsman had an early double of his own, but rallied with steady play, then lit the candle with a chip-in eagle at the drivable 16th hole. His birdie at the last matched Hanna’s, and ultimately proved to be the difference between outright win and a playoff.

The biggest putt of @EwboF's career ?#CBQMasters pic.twitter.com/5924eY9C2Z

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) March 27, 2022

Korn Ferry Tour: Lake Charles Championship decided on third extra hole by birdie

If there is a golfer as much on a roll as Scheffler or Ferguson, it’s Trevor Werbylo. The former University of Arizona golfer is in the third month of his inaugural Korn Ferry Tour season, and he is on fire. After a tie for third last week in the Louisiana Open, Werbylo stormed from off the pace with a Sunday 63, to claw his way to the top of the podium.

That 63, which included nine birdies, brought the Tucson native to 18-under par, three clear of third place, into a tie with third-round leader Seonghyeon Kim. Kim’s front nine was a suspicious affair, with bogeys (4) outnumbering birdies (3) and pars (2.) The Korean stalwart rebounded with eagle at 14, then closed with birdies at 17 and 18, to post a Not So Fast on the board. Away to the 18th tee did the pair return.

After pars halved the first extra hole, the duo returned to the same tee. Werbylo made one of the great over-and-downs in history to halve Kim’s birdie. The pair repaired to the first hole, where Werbylo ended matters with a second-consecutive, overtime birdie.

It should be noted that Werbylo stood in a tie for the lead after 36 holes last week, and his weekend effort left him one stroke shy of the playoff at Chitimacha. One thing’s for certain in the Bayou State: excitement down the stretch is guaranteed, and a playoff is a near-certainty.

From behind the grandstand?

This clutch birdie on the second playoff hole saved @trevorwerbylo. pic.twitter.com/W3iO1pQ75L

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) March 27, 2022

Asian Tour: First DGC Open ends in playoff for Sandhu and Thippong

The theme in Delhi this week was, fire and fall back. Leaders showed little ability to hang onto the top rung of the ladder, as challengers moved past the top dog each day. Australia’s Travis Smyth jumped on top on Thursday with 67, but fell away with 73 on day two. Replacing him above the others was India’s Veer Ahlawat. Ahlawat improved by a stroke over round one, reaching nine-under par after 68-67. His jubilation was short-lived, as a birdie-free 78 on day three dropped him five off the new pacesetter, Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong. The 54-hole boss posted 70 on Saturday to reach minus-eight, two ahead of India’s Ajeetesh Sandhu. No money was laid on Thippong to preserve the lead, and he nearly complied.

Through 12 holes on day four, not much had changed in the upper region of the championship. The leader and the chaser had each poste one birdie and one bogey, but the Delhi Golf Club had other plans for the final act. The two-shot advantage that Thippong enjoyed, suddenly reversed in the space of about 1800 yards. Sandhu posted consecutive birdies at 13 and 14, while the leader Thippong made a pair of bogeys at 14 and 16. As the final group reached the penultimate tee, all the momentum was alonside the home-country upstart. It was then that Sandhu made double bogey at the 17th, erasing his hard-earned advantage.

Both Thippong and Sandhu posted birdie at the par-five closer, and the pair returned to the finishing hole for another go. Thippong was left with a tap-in from 18 inches for birdie, and he did not err. His four secured an initial tour title, and confirmation that not everyone gave away the lead for good this week in Delhi.

#TheDGCOpen winning putt by Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong ?????@asiantourgolf @mastercardindia pic.twitter.com/3iy301w6PH

— The DGC Open (@TheDGCOpen) March 27, 2022