25/08 Free Drop 5-Minute World Tour newsletter

Get caught up on the week that was in professional golf in just five minutes.

PGA Tour: Fleetwood flings the monkey from his back

Photo credit: PGA Touur/Facebook

He’d rapped on the door more than anyone and at the Tour Championship the door into the winner’s circle finally opened for Tommy Fleetwood as he claimed a maiden PGA Tour title by three-shots.

He began the final round in a share of the lead with American Patrick Cantlay. It was Cantlay though who made a shaky start, making a bogey at the 1st before doubling the 2nd. He’d fight back by playing the remaining holes in 2-under but it was to be Fleetwood’s day:

He may have dropped three shots but offset these with five birdies to sign for a 2-under 68.

More importantly, he signed away the title of most Top-5s (30) without a victory, winning the Tour Championship and the FedEXCup in the process.

LPGA Tour: Henderson wins CPKC Open

Photo credit: LPGA Tour/Facebook 

Canada’s Brooke Henderson shot a closing 4-under 67 to eclipse Minjee Lee and win the CPKC Women’s Open.

Henderson made five birdies on the day. The most crucial of these was at the 14th which saw her move a shot clear of Lee and remain there with another at 17 after Lee had made a birdie of her own.

Lee carded a 3-under 68 but Henderson was not to be denied a second title in her home Open. 

DP World Tour: Noren snaps title drought at British Masters

Photo credit: DP World Tour/X

Alex Noren birdied three of his final four holes in a round of 5-under 67 which saw him win the British Masters by a stroke, ending a seven-year title drought in the process.

Noren started the day a shot behind England’s Matt Fitzpatrick who had set the 54-hole pace at 12-under. Fitzpatrick endured a difficult Sunday though, recording three birdies and five bogeys in a round of 2-over 74 which relegated him to a share of 6th.

Noren by contrast dropped just two shots and picked up seven birdies. Back-to-back birdies at 2 and 3 preceded birdies at 10 and 11 but it was his birdies at the 15th, 16th and 17th which proved crucial. 

Though they preceded a dropped shot at 18, they ensured the Swede bested Nicolai Hojgaard (67) and Kazuma Kobori (65).

LIV Golf Tour: Legion XIII win Team Championship

Photo Credit: LIV Tour/Facebook

Birdies by Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton at the second extra-hole saw Legion XIII pip Crushers GC to the LIV Team Championship.

The team’s were tied on 20-under par following the final day action with all four golfers scores counting towards the team score. Caleb Surratt’s 6-under 64 was the final day highlight for Legion XIII while Bryson DeChambeau’s 62 propelled the Crushers performance.

Rahm and Hatton were the nominated players who contested the playoff with DeChambeau and Paul Casey. 

In the playoff, Hatton and DeChambeau traded birdies at the first extra-hole before both Legion players managed red numbers on the second extra-hole, feats the Crushers were unable to match.  

Sunshine Tour: Broomhead beats Strydom in playoff

Photo credit: Sunshine Tour/Facebook

Jonathan Broomhead may have bogeyed the first playoff hole, but it was just enough to ensure he beat Jean-Paul Strydom to the Sunbet Challenge-Time Square title.

Strydom began the week with back-to-back rounds of six-under 66, earning a two-stroke advantage over a trio of players. Broomhead was a shot further adrift after carding a 69 followed by a 66.

Strydom endured a quiet final round, carding two birdies and a bogey to finish on 13-under.

Broomhead matched his 13-under total with a closing 68. The playoff saw Strydom double-bogey the par-4 1st while Brooomhead’s 5 meant he claimed a 4th Sunshine Tour title in 16 months. 

HotelPlanner Tour: Celli breaks through in Holland

Photo credit: HotelPlanner Tour/X

Filippo Celli birdied three of his final four holes to sign for a 6-under 66 which yielded a two-stroke win in The Dutch Futures.

Leader by a stroke overnight, Celli made a strong start to his Sunday with three birdies and an eagle over his opening nine. 

Bogeys at 10 and 14 halted his progress but he responded with red numbers at 15, 17 and 18 to beat Hurly Long who closed with an 8-under 63.

PGA Tour Champions: Cink beats Els in playoff

Photo credit: PGA Tour Champions/Facebook 

Stewart Cink parred the first playoff hole against Ernie Els to successfully defend his Ally Challenge crown.

The 2009 Open champion led after the first round through a sparkling 10-under 62. Els meanwhile earneed a one-shot 36-hole lead after following a first round 65 with a 67 in round 2.

Cink ensured the pair finished regulation tied on 15-under by carding a 68 which featured four birdies over his closing six holes.

Els turned in a steady 3-under 69 which was blemish-free. 

He was unable to match Cink’s par on their trip down the par-4 18th in the playoff, Cink earning the 3rd title of his PGA Tour Champions career.

Fun Facts & Scary Stats

 1. Brooke Henderson is the first Canadian women to win the Canadian Women’s Open multiple times.

2. Colin Montgomerie now has the most top-3s (10) without a win on the PGA Tour since 1983. Fleetwood had 12 prior to his Tour Championship win.

3. Tommy Fleetwood became the first player in history to be inside the top-6 on the leaderboard after every round of the FedExCup playoffs. (Credit: PGA Tour).