09/02/2026 5-Minute World Tour newsletter

Welcome to the Free Drop 5-Minute World Tour, where we get you caught up on the weekend’s professional golf action.

Amateur Golf

Buchanan wins Africa Amateur by 6

Jack Buchanan capped off a superb performance at the Africa Amateur Championship with a 5-under 67 which confirmed a 6-shot victory and a spot in the 154th Open Championship.

The 21-year-old got off to a strong start with rounds of 68 and 65 before closing out his campaign with back-to-back 67s. Holding a 4-shot 54-hole lead, Buchanan picked up four birdies and an eagle in the last round and dropped just one shot. Incredibly, he dropped just four shots all tournament around Royal Johannesburg’s East course.

Three players tied for 2nd, Charl Barnard (63), Ivan Verster (69) and Dewan De Bruin. De Bruin put together a final round for the ages as he shot a 12-under par 60 which featured an eagle and 10 birdies – five of them in a row – as he set a new course record.

Astonishing though the feat was, there was no catching Buchanan who played incredibly consistent golf en route to an emphatic victory.

Professional Golf

PGA Tour: Gotterup wins playoff over Matsuyama

Photo credit: PGA Tour/X

A birdie at the first hole of sudden-death saw Chris Gotterup beat Hideki Matsuyama and win the WM Phoenix Open.

Gotterup’s playoff berth was the product of five birdies over his final six holes in a superb 7-under 64 in the final round.

Frustratingly for Matsuyama, the overnight leader, a bogey at the last in a round of 69 meant he fell back into a playoff after he and Gotterup finished on 16-under for the event.

An errant tee-shot on the 72nd hole and another in the playoff, which found the water, ultimately cost the Japanese player.

Gotterup on the other hand converted a birdie putt from 27-feet to complete a remarkable victory.

DP World Tour: Reed continues scintillating form with Qatar win

Photo credit: DP World Tour/X

Patrick Reed followed up his playoff loss at the Bahrain Championship with a second DP World Tour win in three weeks as he won the Qatar Masters by two shots after a closing 70.

The former Masters champion’s two-shot 54-hole lead had vanished through 56 holes after Jacob Olesen birdied the first and Reed dropped at the 2nd. Oliver Lindell threw his hat into the ring with six birdies and two bogeys on his front-nine to take the lead. Lindell birdied the 11th but back-to-back bogeys halted his challenge.

Reed restored his lead with birdies at 10 and 11. Another red number at the 14th and a chasing pack which failed to sustain their challenge, afforded Reed the luxury of running out a two-shot victor after four pars to close out the event.

LIV Tour: Smylie wins LIV debut

Photo credit: LIV Golf League/X

Australia’s Elvis Smylie made a dream start to his LIV Golf career, holding off a charging Jon Rahm to win LIV Golf Riyadh by a shot on 24-under par.

Smylie made a strong start to the week as he carded rounds of 6-under 66, 69 and 65 to share the lead with Peter Uihlein on 16-under par.

In the fourth round, the first of its kind in LIV’s history, Smylie kept his tally ticking over with six birdies over his first 13 holes. A drop at the 17th followed before a birdie-3 at the 18th for his lowest round of the week, a 64.

Rahm was in imperious final round form, notching three front-nine birdies before recording a 4th at the 10th. Five birdies over his last six holes including at holes 15-18 gave Smylie something to think about, but in the end Spain’s Rahm came up just short.

HotelPlanner Tour/Sunshine Tour: Enefer beats Otto in CT Open playoff

Photo credit: Sunshine Tour/X

Will Enefer birdied the first extra-hole to defeat Hennie Otto and win the Cape Town Open.

On a windy final day, the pair played superb golf. Otto picked up four birdies in a bogey-free 68 while Enefer mixed six birdies with three bogeys in a round of 69.

Hitting an iron off the tee on the par-4 18th in the playoff, Enefer proceeded to hit his approach to within 10-feet. Otto played a world class recovery shot from the right-hand trees to keep his hopes alive. He could do no better than par though while Enefer made no mistake, converting his birdie-3 into a maiden HotelPlanner Tour title.

Overnight leader Trevor Fisher Jnr, who opened with rounds of 66, 67 and 67 battled to a 4-over 76 on the final day.

Sunshine Ladies Tour: Sattelkau wins Supersport Ladies Challenge in playoff

Photo credit: Sunshine Ladies Tour

Celina Sattelkau won the Sunshine Ladies Tour season opener after defeating Casandra Alexander in a six-hole playoff.

The pair had contrasting paths to the playoff: Sattelkau bookended her tournament with rounds of 3-under 69 which complemented a 75 in round 2. Alexander meanwhile closed with a 68 after rounds of 73 and 72 earlier in the week at Humewood Golf Club.

The playoff produced high drama, the pair parring the first two playoff holes before bogeying the 3rd. Two pars followed. Alexander blinked with a double-bogey 5 with her German opponent nabbing the win after managing a bogey-4.

Korn Ferry Tour: Nicholas breaks through with last-hole eagle

Photo credit: Korn Ferry Tour/X

James Nicholas eagled his final hole, lifting himself out of a tie with Norman Xiong and into the Korn Ferry Tour winner’s circle for the first time at the Astara Championship.

Nicholas held the 54-hole lead and ensured he didn’t relinquish pole position in the final round. He countered three bogeys with six birdies. It was an eagle-3 at the last which proved his most significant score and allowed him to complete a 5-under 66 and pip Norman Xiong (66) to the title.

Fun Facts & Scary Stats

Per Justin Ray Golf, Patrick Reed has made birdie or better on 31% of holes played in his last 3 DP World Tour starts.
Over the last 10 PGA Tour seasons, the 54-hole leader has converted their lead into victory 32.7% of the time (Credit: Justin Ray Golf).
In the last 20 years, Steve Stricker is the only player to convert 5 + 54-hole leads 100% of the time, having won 6 out of 6 times when holding the outright 54-hole lead (Credit: Justin Ray Golf).