As with most weeks, it’s hard to know where to look in the world of golf.
Heading towards another major, the stars were out in force on the PGA TOUR. McIlroy, Rose and Fitzpatrick were the feature group for the first two rounds at Quail Hollow, but it was the younger of the Sheffield brothers who provided the most entertainment.
Comeback stories were on the menu for Kristoffer Reitan and Brandt Snedeker, who claimed emotional wins in differing fashions, while Boo Weekley and Justin Herbert both completed maiden victories.
And in a week where Nelly Korda took some rest, it seemed inevitable that Jeeno Thitikul was to get her hands on some silverware after some time off.
But undoubtedly the greatest story of them all came on the DP World Tour, where a record set by a certain Tiger Woods was frightened to the very last putt.
Here’s your weekend roundup, courtesy of Golf Today.
Catalunya Championship – Premlall comes close to history
Yurav Premlall is not a name that one would typically associate with the history books – but it sure came close in Barcelona.
Playing in only his 29th DP World Tour event, with his previous best coming two years prior – finishing 19th at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship – Premlall had missed three cuts in his last four events.
But mother golf had something different planned for the South African at Catalunya last week.
Back-to-back birdies to close out his fourth and final round on Sunday took Premlall to a final score of 28-under-par – 14 shots clear of his compatriot Shaun Norris in second.
In fact, Premlall’s total tally of 32 birdies threatened Tiger Woods’ record of the biggest winning margin on the DP World Tour – but alas he fell just one shot short.
The 22-year-old shot back-to-back 63s over the weekend, earning him a healthy bonus of $50,000 for carding the course record – to supplement his winner’s cheque of £345,000.
His whirlwind of a week also catapulted him from 598th to 250th in the world rankings.
1 – Yurav Premlall (-28)
2 – Shaun Norris (-14)
T3 – Oihan Guillamoundeguy, Alejandro Del Rey, J. C. Ritchie (-13)
Truist Championship – Reitan claims maiden win as Fitzpatrick falls short
The Fitzpatrick family have had a whirlwind couple of months. From individual triumphs and a first team win, to a baby announcement and an exemption certificate – it’s going to be hard to top.
While Matt often dominates the headlines as one of the world’s best golfers, his younger brother Alex has been doing much of the heavy lifting these past two weeks.
A top ten at the Cadillac Championship was backed up last week at Quail Hollow – as Fitzpatrick junior began the final round with a one shot lead over Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan.
In a star-studded field including Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Cameron Young and Fitzpatrick senior, the two men from Sheffield and Oslo respectively made for an unlikely final pairing.
But while the Sheffield man faded away with a two-over-par 73, Reitan held his nerve to card a cool two-under-par 69 and claim his first ever win on the PGA TOUR.
Not so long ago, Reitan was considering a move away from professional golf – and in 2022 he did just that.
The Norwegian had fallen out of love with the game, but after some soul searching he eventually made his way back to the Challenge Tour – and finally reaped his reward yesterday to win the Truist Championship.
Elsewhere in the field, Fleetwood looks in fine shape heading into this week’s PGA Championship (ending the week at T5), while Rickie Fowler finished with a sensational six-under-par to give him a tie for second.
1 – Kristoffer Reitan (-15)
T2 – Rickie Fowler, Nicolai Hojgaard (-13)
4 – Alex Fitzpatrick (-12)
Myrtle Beach Classic – sternum surgery finally pays off for Snedeker
It was an all-American podium at Myrtle Beach over the weekend, as Brandt Snedeker secured his 10th win on the PGA TOUR.
The 45-year-old shot a five-under-par 66 on the final day to leapfrog Mark Hubbard for gold.
Having undergone a rare sternum surgery back in 2022 to save his career, Snedeker’s Myrtle Beach triumph comes after eight years without a win to his name.
Hubbard’s bogey on the par-4 18th saved this year’s U.S. Presidents Cup captain the stress of a playoff, as he brought back $720,000 in winnings.
Wolverhampton’s Aaron Rai shot level par on the final day to finish with a solo fifth, while Brooks Koepka refound his passion for the game, finishing T11 for the week.
1 – Brandt Snedeker (-18)
2 – Mark Hubbard (-17)
T3 – Beau Hossler, Kevin Roy (-16)
Americas Open – Thitikul back to winning ways
Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul, more commonly known as Jeeno Thitikul, finished at 13-under-par as she marched to victory at the Americas Open.
Having been cut at the recent Chevron Championship, Thitikul made the most of a field lacking Nelly Korda, who was resting this week.
In the world number one’s absence, the world number two picked up the slack, shooting 67, 69, 70, 69 for a four-shot win.
China’s Ruoning Yin threatened Thitikul on the front nine with five birdies, but two bogeys coming in put paid to any dramatic chase.
England’s Charley Hull and Lottie Woad failed to make the cut at four and thirteen-over-par respectively – while Australia’s Hannah Green continued her fantastic season with a T14, despite a final round of +3.
1 – Atthaya Thitikul (-13)
2 – Ruoning Yin (-9)
T3 – Jenny Bae, Alison Lee, Gaby Lopez, Hye-Jin Choi (-8)
LIV Golf Virginia – Kim steals headlines despite Herbert win
Amidst speculation and uncertainty, LIV Golf continues to march on – playing host this week to a first-time winner.
Australian Lucas Herbert, three-time winner on the DP World Tour and once on the PGA, claimed his first individual win at LIV, having joined back in 2024 as a member of the Ripper GC team.
The win was a comfortable one after opening scores of 64 and 63 allowed the 30-year-old to head into the weekend with an unassailable lead.
European legend, Sergio Garcia, finished four shots back in second place, while Bryson DeChambeau rallied to shoot six-under-par on the final day and round off the podium.
Anthony Kim shot a blistering 10-under-par on Sunday to launch himself to T6 alongside Thomas Detry.
Kim later gave an X-rated press conference post-round, in which he claimed that he didn’t “Give a sh*t what anybody thinks about me”.
Captained by Dustin Johnson, Kim’s team (4Aces GC) won their third team title of the season in a playoff against Garcia’s Fireballs GC.
1 – Lucas Herbert (-24)
2 – Sergio Garcia (-20)
3 – Bryson DeChambeau (-19)
Insperity Invitational – not to be for Els as Weekley gets his hands on first title
America’s Boo Weekley surplanted golfing royalty, Ernie Els, to win his maiden title on the PGA TOUR Champions.
Weekley and Els were neck-and-neck all throughout their third and final round on Sunday, but a double bogey on the par-4 16th at the Woodlands Country Club ended Els’ hopes for an 8th Champions title.
Stewart Cink – who already has four wins to his name this season – tied for fifth place with Zach Johnson, as both Colin Montgomerie and Padraig Harrington finished at four-under-par.
Jon Daly, whose last win on tour came at the Insperity Invitational back in 2017, withdrew with injury after his first three holes.
1 – Boo Weekley (-15)
2 – Ernie Els (-12)
T3 – Darren Clarke, Charlie Wi (-11)
