What a weekend! It started with Alex Noren’s surprise win in France – as leader after leader crashed and burned, and ended in Colorado with a clutch three-hole close by David Toms to claim his maiden title on the senior circuit.
In between, Italy’s Francesco Molinari lapped the field at the Quicken Loans for his first PGA Tour trophy, while Korean superstar Sung Hyun Park completed a final-round comeback with a playoff win at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
Here’s a roundup:
PGA TOUR
MOLINARI MORTGAGES VICTORY AT QUICKEN LOANS WITH FINAL-ROUND 62
It might not have been the strongest field, but Francesco Molinari closed like a champion at TPC Potomac.
With a bogey-free 8-under 62, the long-time European Tour star from Italy finally landed in the winner’s circle for a PGA Tour event, transmuting a 54-hole co-lead into an 8-shot romp at the Quicken Loans National.
FINAL TOP 5
POS-PLAYER-SCORE(FINAL RD)
1. Francesco Molinari -21 (-8)
2. Ryan Armour -13 (-2)
2. Sung-hoon Kang -12 (-6)
4. Tiger Woods -11 (-4)
4. Abraham Ancer -11 (+2)
TOP 5 CASHERS
1st – $1,260,000 (Francesco Molinari)
2nd – $766,800 (Ryan Armour)
3rd – $482,800 (Sung Kang)
4th – $312,400 (Abraham Ancer)
4th – $312,400 (Tiger Woods)
MOLINARI’S STATS
Driving: 300.9 yards (35th)
Fairways: 42/56, 74.6% (4th)
Greens: 62/72, 86.1% (1st)
Putts Per GIR: 1.66 (17th)
Par-3 Scoring: -4 (4 Birdies, 12 Pars)
Par-4 Scoring: -11 (13 Birdies, 33 Pars, 2 Bogeys)
Par-5 Scoring: -6 (1 Eagle, 4 Birdies, 3 Pars)
Aggregate Scoring: -21 (1 Eagle, 21 Birdies, 48 Pars, 2 Bogeys)
EUROPEAN TOUR
NOREN WINS AS SUNDAY LEADERS COLLAPSE IN FRANCE
Alex Noren birdied two of his final three holes at Le Golf National to claim his first win of the season at the HNA Open de France.
Entering the day seven shots off the pace, the Swede turned in 34 to remain well behind a handful on the leaderboard. But as 54-hole leader Marcus Kinhult was struggling to start his Sunday round, Noren quietly carded birdies on Nos. 12, 16, and 18 to reach 7-under par, two shots back of then leader Julian Suri.
A nice score, but, surely, Noren’s 7 under wouldn’t hold up – not with Suri at 9 under, or stars like Rahm at 8 under or Garcia at 6 under, all with seven-plus holes to go, right? Wrong.
One by one they fell by the wayside. Rahm ended his day with a triple on the 12th; Garcia joined his compatriot with back-to-back bogeys on 12 and 13. Kinhult then officially killed his chances with a bogey-par-double bogey stretch on Nos. 13-15.
The American Suri joined the carnage with a bogey on the par-4 15th and, while holding a one-shot advantage, then dunked his ball in the water on his approach to 18, leading to a double bogey. The three late lost shots sent Suri home with a co-runner-up finish, alongside Russell Knox who sizzled on Sunday with a 65 to claim one of the four tickets to Carnoustie.
Also at T2 was Chris Wood, who was in the final pairing with Kinhult, and was the last man standing between Noren and victory.
The long-bombing Englishman was even-par on the day and clinging to the lead at 8-under par through 14 holes. But like Suri, and Kinhlt before him, Wood collapsed under the bright lights, carding bogeys on Nos. 15 and 17 to drop to 6 under. A final-hole par by Wood handed Noren his second Rolex Series title in 13 months.
FINAL TOP 5
POS-PLAYER-SCORE(FINAL RD)
1. Alexander Noren -7 (-4)
2. Russell Knox -6 (-6)
2. Julian Suri -6 (-2)
2. Chris Wood -6 (+2)
5. Matthew Southgate -5 (-6)
5. Jon Rahm -5 (+1)
5. Marcus Kinhult -5 (+5)
TOP 5 CASHERS
1st – $1,166,000 (Noren)
2nd – $521,990 (Knox)
2nd – $521,990 (Suri)
2nd – $521,990 (Wood)
5th – $250,600 each (Rahm)
5th – $250,600 each (Southgate)
5th – $250,600 each (Kinhult)
NOREN’S STATS
Driving Distance: 287.00 yards (35th)
Fairways-Hit: 42/56, 75.0% (2nd)
Greens-Hit: 54/72, 75.0% (5th)
Putts/GIR: 95/1.751 (33rd)
Par-3 Scoring: -3 (3 Birdies, 13 Pars)
Par-4 Scoring: +1 (9 Birdies, 27 Pars, 8 Bogeys, 1 Double Bogey)
Par-5 Scoring: -5 (5 Birdies, 7 Pars)
Total Scoring: -7 (17 Birdies, 47 Pars, 8 Bogeys, 1 Double Bogey)
LPGA TOUR
PARK OVERCOMES FOUR-SHOT DEFICIT TO WIN SECOND MAJOR AT KPMG WOMEN’S PGA
South Korean star Sung Hyun Park posted a final-round 3-under 69 at Kemper Lakes Golf Club and then edged Nasa Hataoka and So Yeon Ryu in a playoff to capture the 2018 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
Starting the day four back of overnight leader Ryu, the 24-year old Park was flawless, finishing her final day in Chicago with three birdies en route to a four-day score of 10-under par.
After a 20-foot birdie on the 16th by Ryu, it seemed like Park’s flawless effort would be for naught, as the 27-year old Korean went up two with two to play. But an errant tee shot by Ryu on the par-3 17th found the water, leading to a costly double bogey, and a three-way logjam on top.
On the first sudden-death hole, No. 18, Hataoka was eliminated as the two Koreans made birdie. Playing the par-4 16th for playoff hole No. 2, Ryu was away and slid her 20-foot birdie putt just to the left of the cup.
Park didn’t miss hers, and when it dropped the normally stoic Korean broke down in tears.
FINAL TOP 5
POS-PLAYER-FINAL SCORE (FINAL RD)
1. Sung Hyun Park -10 (-3)*
2. So Yeon Ryu -10 (+1)
2. Nasa Hataoka -10 (-8)
4. Jessica Korda -7 (-4)
4. Angel Yin -7 (-1)
* Playoff
TOP 5 CASHERS
1st – $547,500 (Park)
2nd – $290,806 (Hataoka)
2nd – $290,806 (Ryu)
4th – $170,709 (Korda)
4th – $170,709 (Yin)
PARK’S STATS
Driving Distance: 270.50 yards
Fairways-Hit: 37/56, 66.0%
Greens-Hit: 50/72, 69.4%
Putt: 114/28.5
Par-3 Scoring: -1 (2 Birdies, 13 Pars, 1 Bogey)
Par-4 Scoring: -5 (6 Birdies, 33 Pars, 1 Bogey)
Par-5 Scoring: -4 (5 Birdies, 10 Pars, 1 Bogey)
Total Scoring: -10 (13 Birdies, 46 Pars, 3 Bogeys)
CHAMPIONS TOUR
TOMS CLOSE STRONG TO CAPTURE MAIDEN SENIOR TITLE
David Toms shot a final-round 72 on The Broadmoor’s East Course to capture his first Champions Tour title at the U.S. Senior Open.
On a day when just three players in the entire field finished in the red – and just barely, the key to Sunday for the senior set in Colorado Springs was survival. And that’s exactly what Toms did as the former LSU star offset two bogeys with a pair of birdies, while adding 14 pars, highlighted by two clutch par-4s on Nos. 17 and 18 to close out a one-stroke victory.
FINAL TOP 5
POS-PLAYER-FINAL SCORE (FINAL RD)
1. David Toms -3 (E)
2. Miguel Angel Jimenez -2 (-1)
2. Tim Petrovic -2 (E)
2. Jerry Kelly -2 (+2)
5. Paul Broadhurst -1 (-1)
5. Paul Goydos -1 (E)
5. Brandt Jobe -1 (E)
TOP 5 CASHERS
1st – $720,000 (Toms)
2nd – $297,439 (Jimenez)
2nd – $297,439 (Petrovic)
2nd – $297,439 (Kelly)
5th – $141,467 (Broadhurst)
5th – $141,467 (Goydos)
5th – $141,467 (Jobe)
TOMS’ STATS
Driving Distance: 296.54 yards (21st)
Fairways-Hit: 38/56, 67.9% (T21)
Greens-Hit: 48/72, 66.7% (T21)
Par-3 Scoring: E (3 Birdies, 10 Pars, 3 Bogeys)
Par-4 Scoring: -3 (8 Birdies, 37 Pars, 5 Bogeys)
Par-5 Scoring: E (1 Birdie, 6 Pars, 1 Bogey)
Total Scoring: -3 (12 Birdies, 53 Pars, 9 Bogeys)
COMPARING THE WINNERS
CASH PAYOUTS
1. $1,260,000 (Molinari)
2. $1,166,000 (Noren)
3. $720,000 (Toms)
4. $547,500 (Park)
DRIVING DISTANCE
1. 300.9 yards (Molinari)
2. 296.5 yards (Toms)
3. 287.0 yards (Noren)
4. 270.5 yards (Park)
FAIRWAYS HIT
1. 42/56, 74.6% (Noren)
1. 42/56, 74.6% (Toms)
3. 38/56, 67.9% (Toms)
4. 37/56, 66.0% (Park)
GREENS HIT
1. 62/72, 86.1% (Molinari)
1. 54/72, 75.0% (Noren)
3. 50/72, 69.4% (Park)
4. 48/72, 66.7% (Toms)
