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Block wins PGA Pro National; Valhalla adds 20

With a birdie on the second hole of sudden death, Michael Block defeated Jamie Broce to win the 47th PGA Professional National Championship at The Dunes Golf & Beach Club and Grande Dunes Resort Club in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The duo completed the 72-hole event in 2-under-par 286. They traded pars on the first playoff hole. The 38-year-old Block is the head pro at Arroyo Trabuco GC in Mission Viejo, California. He's cashed in two of his three starts on the PGA TOUR from 2007-2014. Broce is 0-for-1, but he'll get another at Valhalla Golf Club in the PGA Championship in August since the top 20 from the PGA Pro National are exempt. The others (*-denotes former PGA TOUR member): 287--Stuart Deane ... 288--Frank Esposito, Jr. ... 289--2013 champ Rod Perry; 2004 champ *Bob Sowards; Dustin Volk ... 290--David Hronek; Johan Kok; Dave Tentis ... 291--1995 champ Steve Schneiter ... 292--Rob Corcoran; Aaron Krueger; Dave McNabb; *Jerry Smith ... 293--Ryan Helminen; *Jim McGovern; Brian Norman; Matt Pesta; Eric Williamson. (A six-way playoff settled the final five berths.) In addition to his spoils, Block will receive six exemptions on the 2014-15 PGA TOUR.

Source: PGA.com

Wed, Jun 25, 2014 05:27:00 PM

Spieth co-fave at THE NORTHERN TRUST

World No. 3 and pre-tourney co-fave Jordan Spieth arrives for his fifth NORTHERN TRUST ranked 3rd in the FedExCup standings and has a first-round reservation at 8:26 am ET off No. 10 tee with Hideki Matsuyama and Justin Thomas.

The 24-year-old shares the bookmaker's top spot with Matsuyama as 10/1 outrights. He's 3-for-4 in the first leg of the Playoffs, cashing three top 25s and one top 10, a T10 last year at Bethpage State Park (Black). The Texan is 16-for-19 on the season and checks in off seven consecutive weekends of action after missing back-to-back cuts at the Byron Nelson and THE PLAYERS in May. He's posted 13 top 25s, eight top 10s and seven top 5s, highlighted by his win at Pebble Beach in February and back-to-back wins at the Travelers (playoff) and The Open, both of the latter as the pre-tourney fave outright. Spieth's current form: T28-T13-1-P1-T35-T13-T2.

Source: PGATOUR.com

Aug 23 - 1:35 PM

Kjeldsen makes another bid to win home event

Søren Kjeldsen will taken on the role of local hero when he pitches up at Himmerland Golf Resort & Spa for the 2017 Made In Denmark.

The Dane has fed off the huge galleries in the three runnings of this tournament, finishing T15 in 2014, runner-up in 2015 and T8 last year. He's posted six rounds of 68 or better in his last eight laps of the course and would have been much closer 12 months ago but for a third-round 73. The layout definitely suits his game and he'll arrive with one of the key weapons for success at Himmerland, a hot putter. Kjeldsen was ranked second for Strokes Gained: Putting at last week's Wyndham Championship where he took T16 and that followed T8 in the Scottish Open on his most recent regular European Tour start. He's shown he can handle the extra expectations here; now can he get over the line and capture his first European Tour win since the 2015 Irish Open? Many managers/bettors will back him to do so.

Source: EuropeanTour.com

Aug 23 - 5:34 AM

Reed returns to New York for defense @ The NT

Patrick Reed came from just off the pace to win last year's NORTHERN TRUST, and he returns this week for a chance to defend his title, this time at a new venue.

Reed was leading by two at the midpoint last year but found himself one off the pace after 54 holes, as Rickie Fowler passed him by. Reed fired out of the gate in R4 with birdies in three of his opening seven holes. That allowed him to coast to the finish line despite a pair of late bogeys. Last year's victory came at Bethpage Black but this year the hosting duties have shifted to Glen Oaks Club, just down the road. Reed's win at Bethpage Black was the fifth of his PGA TOUR career, which is still the number he's stuck at. After a T2 in his last start (PGA Championship), Reed looks ready and willing to pick up a sixth TOUR title.

Source: PGATOUR.com

Aug 22 - 4:54 PM

Pieters is odds favorite for Denmark defense

Thomas Pieters is the clear 9/1 market leader to win the European Tour's Made In Denmark for the second year running.

The Belgian star secured his third European Tour title in dramatic style at Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort last year when a trio of closing birdies gave him a thrilling one-shot win over Bradley Dredge. His winning total and 72-hole tournament-best 17-under was achieved with a 62 in round one (matched course record) followed by rounds of 71-69-65. A couple of things to note: Pieters' three European Tour wins have all come in August or September so he loves this part of the year. Second, he's defended just one of the previous two titles and made an excellent job, returning to the Czech Masters and following up his 2015 win with a second place in 2016. He got it all wrong in the recent PGA Championship (79-77) but the youngster was solo fourth at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational just a week earlier and that finish put him back in the world's top 30. Pieters is 16th for Putts Per GIR on the European Tour this season and the flatstick is a key weapon at Himmerland. Expect a big week.

Source: EuropeanTour.com

Aug 22 - 3:50 AM

Late rally yields solo 3rd for Webb Simpson

Second-round co-leader and World No. 59 Webb Simpson pieced together a 3-under-par 35-32=67 in the final round of the Wyndham Championship to conclude on 18-under 262, down one place to solo 3rd, four adrift of 54-hole leader and champion Henrik Stenson, who shot 64.

The 32-year-old bags his seventh top 25 in nine appearances, fifth top 10 and third top 5, highlighted by his win in 2011. It's his ninth top 25 of the season in 24 starts, fourth top 10 and third top 5, and climbs 12 spots to 25th in the FEC standings. After kicking off in 63-64, the Wake Forest alum co-led with Ryan Armour, his ninth career 36-hole lead/co-lead in 232 career events, and drops to 1-for-9 converting. He tacked on a 68 in R3 to drop into a three-way T2, one back of Stenson. Playing out of the penultimate twosome, he was sleepwalking on 1-over thru 12 holes, outpacing birdie-4 at No. 5 with bogey-5s at 4 and 10, but awoke to circle four of his final six, including a walk-off 3 from 7'2" to secure solo 3rd. Simpson hit eight (of 14) fairways and 12 GIR, losing 0.385 strokes around-the-green and gaining 0.584 on-the-green.

Aug 20 - 7:04 PM

Schniederjans bogey-free 64; career-best 2nd

Making his 39th career PGA TOUR start (36 pro), rookie and World No. 146 Ollie Schniederjans painted a bogey-free 6-under-par 32-32=64 in the final round of the Wyndham Championship to post 21-under 259, good for a career-best solo 2nd, one shy of overnight leader and champion Henrik Stenson, who also shot 64. UPDATE: Schniederjans jumps 50 spots to a career-high 96th in OWGR.

The 24-year-old carded the only blemish-free lap in Round 4. This was his second appearance, first since a MC in 2015 on a sponsor exemption. It's the Georgia Tech alum's seventh top 25 of the season in 25 events, first since T18 at the Valero Texas Open, and fifth top 10, first since a previous-best T3 at the RBC Heritage back in April. After opening in 66-63-66, he began in a three-way T2, one back of Stenson. Playing out of the penultimate twosome, the Dallas native hit eight (of 14) fairways and 15 GIR, posting 1.666 SG: Approach and 2.690 SG: TTG. He circled six at holes 5, 7, 9, 15, 17 and 18, three from between 11 and 41 feet, recording 1.600 putts per GIR and 1.932 SG: Putting. Schniederjans took advantage of a lucky break at the par-5 15th, his second caromed off the grandstands and back in play, carding an up-and-down birdie-4. He jumps 35 places to 39th in the FEC standings.

Aug 20 - 6:44 PM

Stenson wins Wyndham for sixth TOUR title

Overnight leader and World No. 9 Henrik Stenson, a pre-tourney co-fave at 14/1 outright, birdied four of his final six holes en route to a 6-under-par 33-31=64 in the final round of the Wyndham Championship to reach 22-under 258, good for a one-shot win over Ollie Schniederjans and his sixth PGA TOUR title in his 170th career start. UPDATE: Stenson climbs three spots to 6th in OWGR.

The 41-year-old's 258 aggregate is a new tournament record, eclipsing 259 by Si Woo Kim (2016) and Carl Pettersson (2008). It's his first win since the 2016 Open 16 starts ago, also as 54-hole leader, and improves to 3-for-5 converting from the three-quarter pole. The win comes in the Swede's fourth Wyndham and is his first cash. It's his seventh top 25 of the season in 13 starts, fourth straight, and third top 10, besting a T2 at the WGC-HSBC last October. After kicking off in career-low 62, 66, 66, the Orlando resident began with a one-shot lead over three players, including Schniederjans. Playing out of the final twosome, he hit 12 (of 14) fairways and 16 GIR, posting 1.872 SG: TTG. Stenson squared two bogey-5s at Nos. 2 (3-putt from 60'1") and 6, outflanked by eight circles at 1, 3, 5, 7, 12 and 15-17, four from between 16 and 43 feet, posting 1.688 putts per GIR and 2.750 SGP. He vaults 52 places to 23rd in the FEC standings.

Aug 20 - 6:13 PM

Sabbatini ends w/ 64; first top 10 since 2015

World No. 454 Rory Sabbatini authored a 6-under-par 30-34=64 in the final round of the Wyndham Championship to wrap on 17-under 263, up seven places on the live leaderboard to T4 and tying Ryan Armour for the 72-hole clubhouse lead. UPDATE: With play completed, Sabbatini finished season-best T4, five shy of champion Henrik Stenson.

This was the Web.com Tour grad's 22nd start of the season, sixth top 25 and first top 10. It's his first top-10 finish since T10 at the Crowne Plaza Invitational in 2015, 51 starts ago. The 41-year-old was making his fourth visit to the Wyndham, first since T8 in 2013, which was his only other cash. After kicking off in 65-68-66, he began T11 on 11-under, five adrift of 54-hole leader Henrik Stenson. The South African mustered seven (of 14) fairways and 11 greens in regulation, gaining 1.971 strokes around-the-green and 2.399 tee-to-green. He squared a lone bogey-5 at 11, offset by five birdies at Nos. 3, 4, 8, 10 and 16, three from between 15 and 23 feet, adding eagle-3 at 5 from 42 inches and a 57-footer from the fringe at the par-3 16th. Sabbatini, who's projected to jump 26 places to 122nd in the FEC standings, posted 1.545 putts per GIR and 2.302 SG: Putting.

Aug 20 - 5:31 PM

Armour posts -17; first top 10 in 118 months

Second-round co-leader and World No. 543 Ryan Armour fired a 6-under-par 31-33=64 in the final round of the Wyndham Championship to post 17-under 263, up eight spots on the live leaderboard to T3 and good for the 72-hole clubhouse lead. UPDATE: With play completed, Armour finished a career-tying-best T4, five back of champion Henrik Stenson.

This was the 41-year-old's 103rd career start and fourth top 10, first since T6 at the 2007 Valero Texas Open in October of his rookie season. His career best is solo 4th at the Mayakoba Golf Classic earlier that year, so he's on the cusp of bettering that. The Ohio State alum was making his fourth start at the Wyndham and this was his first cash. After kicking off in 66 and career-low 61, he co-led with Webb Simpson, his first lead/co-lead on TOUR after any round. The Jupiter, Florida, resident backed up with 72 in R3 to begin T11 on 11-under, five back of 54-hole leader Henrik Stenson. On 10 (of 14) fairways and 14 greens in regulation, he was bogey-free 7-under thru 17 holes, circling Nos. 4, 6-8, 11, 15 and 16, before walking off with bogey-5 (failed sand save). At a projected 152nd in the FEC standings his season is over and will head to the Web.com Tour Finals.

Aug 20 - 5:09 PM

Otaegui wins 2017 Paul Lawrie Match Plays

A superb finish earned Adrian Otaegui his first European Tour victory as he downed a nervous home favorite Marcel Siem 2-and-1 in the final of the Paul Lawrie Match Play at Golf Resort Bad Griesbach in Germany.

Three appearances on the Beckenbauer Course in strokeplay had reaped nothing better than three missed cuts for the Spaniard, but it was an entirely different story in head-to-head – in fact he never played the 18th hole once all week. In the final his opponent raced from the blocks making winning birdies at 1, 4 and 8 to hit the turn 3-up. Otaegui won 10 with birdie and 11 with par, but Siem stiffed his approach to 13 to get back to 2-up. However the German then became progressively more twitchy and Otaegui moved up a gear. Siem missed tiddlers for halves at 14 and 16, Otaegui also made birdie at 15 for a win in between and then drained a 25’0" putt for another par breaker at 17 which Siem couldn’t replicate. "I was very focussed," he said afterwards. "I played well all week, very solid."

Aug 20 - 10:39 AM

World No.1238 Norris wins Fiji International

Unheralded Australian Jason Norris completed a life-changing week with a dominant four-shot victory in the Fiji International; he closed with a 5-under-par 31-36=67 for a 14-under 274 total at Natadola Bay GC.

The 44-year-old has been a pro for 21 years and whilst there have been victories on his home tour and the odd bright spot on the OneAsia circuit, this victory came right out of the blue for the World No. 1238. Given the background his final day performance was extraordinary. One shot behind Wade Ormsby at the start of play he caught and passed him with six front nine birdies at 1, 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9. There was a bogey in there at 5 and he’d add two more at 10 and 15, but a couple of back nine par breakers at 13 and 17 settled the nerves. His fellow 54-hole contenders couldn’t live with the pace. Jazz Janewattanond and David McKenzie flew home to join James Marchesani in a tie for second on 10-under. "I felt like a champion," said Norris. "I was in a good spot."

Aug 20 - 4:45 AM