{"id":211875,"date":"2025-10-14T08:16:13","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T08:16:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/211875\/"},"modified":"2025-10-14T08:16:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T08:16:13","slug":"first-came-a-4-putt-next-a-miraculous-comeback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/211875\/","title":{"rendered":"First came a 4-putt. Next? A miraculous comeback"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome back to the Monday Finish, where we\u2019re calling out \u201cleaf rule!<\/a>\u201d and dropping one at the edge of the fairway. To the golf news\u2026<\/p>\n

GOLF STUFF I LIKE<\/p>\n

Getting up off the mat.<\/p>\n

On a scale of soul-crushing things you could do as a professional golfer, four-putting<\/a> the final green to lose a tournament by one is tougher than most. Tough enough to leave some scar tissue. Tough enough that it would take a while to get over. Even if you\u2019re No. 1 in the world.<\/p>\n

Enter Jeeno Thitikul.<\/p>\n

\u201cDefinitely cried a lot. Not going lie, cried quite a lot,\u201d she said, describing the days that followed her 72nd-hole implosion at the Kroger Queen City Championship, where she\u2019d gifted a victory<\/a> to Charley Hull. But with time came perspective. She spent a week away from golf and, as she took a break, gave herself a break.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever happened, it\u2019s in the past. And then I\u2019m human, which means I\u2019ll make a mistake for sure, everyone does,\u201d Thitikul said. She added this:<\/p>\n

\u201cIs negative going to help? I don\u2019t think so. I mean, definitely negative things are going to be in our head, for sure, but I think to be able to live our life and get one percent better each day, that definitely comes from positive.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to know what combination of mindset and generational golf talent spurred on her Sunday charge, but Thitikul rallied from four shots back with five holes to play with a birdie-birdie-birdie-eagle charge on 14-15-16-17 to tie the lead. Then, facing a par putt on No. 18, negativity and doubt crept in again.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving the last putt to be able to make par to force the playoff just reminded me like, about the last event and that is what\u2019s happening,\u201d Thitikul said. <\/p>\n

This time, though, she drained it. She earned extra holes against Minami Katsu, despite Katsu\u2019s sparkling bogey-free 65. And then on the fifth playoff hole Thitikul stuck her approach to three feet, setting up the winning birdie putt.<\/p>\n

\u201cFeels so unreal, for sure,\u201d she said. \u201cI mean, like so happy, so unreal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her win had a fascinating subplot: In the 27th event of the year she became the LPGA\u2019s first repeat winner. Only fitting that she had to go through the fire to get there. And only fitting that the best in the world is the first to repeat.<\/p>\n

WINNERS<\/p>\n

Who won the week?<\/p>\n

Xander Schauffele, undefeated father<\/p>\n

This week\u2019s Baycurrent<\/a> was Xander Schauffele\u2018s first stroke-play golf tournament since the BMW Championship in August. It was his first time truly in contention all season. And it was his first tournament as a father since he and his wife Maya became parents to their son Victor last month.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a young dad I guess, he\u2019s only just over six weeks old, but yeah it\u2019s weird, I\u2019d do anything for him,\u201d Schauffele said post-tournament.<\/p>\n

It was particularly remarkable, then, that he closed 63-67-64 for his first victory since the 2024 Open Championship. And it was clear from his post-round grin just how much he enjoyed doing so. So how\u2019d he find his game? One admission I found particularly revealing was what he said about the pressure of playing in September\u2019s Ryder Cup and how it forced him into good habits.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very high-stakes, high-pressure golf and I started to hit some shots that I wasn\u2019t really hitting throughout the year,\u201d he said. \u201cI think the whole tournament, even though we lost, for me personally I was able to hit a few shots in high-stakes moments that gave me a little bit of confidence for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

In other words, if you\u2019re good enough, the Ryder Cup can snap you out of unhelpful swing thoughts and back to a version of your best self. Or something like that. Schauffele\u2019s up to No. 3 in the world and he\u2019s undefeated as a father. Thus far \u201cVictor\u201d seems like a pretty fitting name for both father and son.<\/p>\n

Jeeno Thitikul \u2014\u00a0again<\/p>\n

From the LPGA\u2019s perspective, it has to be a relief that this damn streak is over; streaks are fun and interesting, and parity is impressive, but in sports what\u2019s far more fun and interesting are stars and players chasing dominance. In golf, 26 different winners in 26 different events starts to feel random. Thitikul finishing second-second-first and opening up her lead at World No. 1? That\u2019s much more compelling.<\/p>\n

Masters Marco<\/p>\n

He\u2019ll be coming to a PGA Tour event near you \u2014\u00a0and to a major championship with which you\u2019re likely familiar. Marco Penge won<\/a> the Spanish Open for his third DP World Tour title this year and guaranteed himself a Tour card for 2026.<\/p>\n

Penge has been to the edge of status a couple times in his career \u2014\u00a0which has included an odd suspension and a crucial five-foot putt<\/a> \u2014\u00a0but seems well positioned for success on the PGA Tour, given his immense ball speed and strong iron play. A good golf swing tends to travel well.<\/p>\n

Chandler Blanchet \u2014\u00a0and the man he saved<\/p>\n

The Korn Ferry Tour\u2019s finale came to a dramatic close on Sunday \u2014 even though nobody actually moved in or out of the all-important top 20. But they sure came close. Chandler Blanchet knew he was already assured of a PGA Tour card when he teed it up on Thursday, but shooting 68-66 on the weekend to add a victory didn\u2019t hurt, either. And it changed the fortunes of bubble boy Pontus Nyholm, who began and ended the week at No. 20 but would have gotten bumped to No. 21 had No. 54 Barend Botha \u2014 who began the final round in the lead \u2014\u00a0gone on to win. Instead Botha finished second, Blanchet improved to No. 2 on the Order of Merit and Nyholm held onto No. 20.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am a huge Chandler Blanchet fan,\u201d he told a tour writer<\/a> post-round.<\/p>\n

NOT-WINNERS<\/p>\n

But still\u2026<\/p>\n

Max Greyserman was pretty darn close. Again. Greyserman held a share of the Baycurrent\u2019s 54-hole lead and was outplayed by Schauffele on the final day but came to his approach shot on the par-4 18th needing to hole it from 190something yards. He very nearly did.<\/p>\n

The second-place result was the fifth of his PGA Tour career and his second consecutive runner-up at this event. Here\u2019s what Greyserman had to say post-round:<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I could take this a few different ways. \u2018Another second\u2019 would be one thought, \u2018disappointed\u2019 would be another thought, but also on the flip side I could say I played really well. I shot 65 on Sunday when I was tied for the lead and in the last group, so a lot of good. It\u2019s like, I don\u2019t really know how to feel because I\u2019m obviously very disappointed, but it\u2019s the PGA Tour, you need to play exceptional on a Sunday to win a golf tournament. I played great, but I just didn\u2019t play good enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s better said than I could, Max. Feels like he\u2019ll be back in the mix soon.<\/p>\n

And when Rico Hoey also gets in the mix again soon, remember we told you he was coming. Hoey has been a top-tier ball-striker for a long time but a long putter only for a short time. So far, so good: a T9 at the Procore and a T4 at the Baycurrent in three starts with the big flat stick.<\/p>\n

There was also Collin Morikawa, who finished off his competitive season with a final-round 63 but admitted mixed emotions as he heads to an extended offseason.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, this is my last tournament for the season and got a lot of work to do. It\u2019s not really the way I wanted the year to end. I can look at the positives, but for right now I know what I need to fix and kind of tune up if I want to be the player that I know I can be.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, two things, I think we talked about it in the presser at the beginning of the week. One\u2019s the putting, to really just kind of stick with one putter and just feel confident. Today I felt great. I felt like if I put myself on the greens I felt like I could make any putt. I need to get that feeling a little more often during the season. And two\u2019s just kind of getting the body right to where I know I can hit my cuts. I know I played well today, but I think we\u2019re good enough to where we can in a way fake it around golf courses. But I don\u2019t want to do that, I want to have full control. When I watch some of these top guys and how they\u2019re playing right now, it\u2019s motivating for me to put in the work. It\u2019s going to be a fun couple months heading into next year.\u201d<\/p>\n

SHORT HITTERS<\/p>\n

5 golf stories, in brief.<\/p>\n

1. TGL released its complete schedule<\/a> for 2025. One curiosity I have: what\u2019s the deal with the match on Jan. 6? Are players from The Bay and Atlanta Drive going to start their season with a Tuesday late-night flight to the Sentry, wherever it\u2019ll be? And what was the plan if they\u2019d played it in Hawaii?<\/p>\n

2. Full Swing <\/a>is coming back for a fourth season. That\u2019s good news for fans of Team Europe \u2014\u00a0and for at least one of its commentators<\/a>.<\/p>\n

3. Tiger Woods announced a seventh back surgery, a lumbar disc replacement. We tracked down a particularly optimistic sports injury analyst<\/a>, though, who said this procedure doesn\u2019t actually have a very long recovery and that if he wanted to play, say, the PNC with his son Charlie, that\u2019s not out of the question.<\/p>\n

4. The PGA Tour Champions has officially canceled its Q-School. I\u2019d like to unload a bunch more thoughts on this later this week, but here\u2019s a deep dive on the decision<\/a> courtesy of Adam Schupak at Golfweek.<\/p>\n

5. There will be 20 new PGA Tour players coming in by way of the Korn Ferry Tour, and it\u2019s worth getting to know \u2019em \u2014\u00a0from No. 1 (Johnny Keefer) to the tallest Tour pro yet (Christo Lamprecht, 6-foot-8) to the more modestly-sized Davis Chatfield (5-foot-5) and everyone in between. Full breakdown of those 20 here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

ONE SWING THOUGHT<\/p>\n

Three, actually. From three pros contemplating the ends (or not-yet-ends) of their PGA Tour Champions careers.<\/p>\n

Scott Dunlap, eyeing retirement: \u201cYou know, it\u2019s always fun to compete but it hasn\u2019t been fun to not play well. That\u2019s why I\u2019ll leave with a big smile on my face because it hasn\u2019t really been what I would call \u2018fun\u2019 for a while. You know, more like a job. It always is a job, it\u2019s what we do, but it\u2019s fun to compete when you think you have a chance. But you\u2019re a little broken and not really competitive and you\u2019re just taking up a spot, you know it\u2019s time to move on.\u201d<\/p>\n

“My time out here has been a blessing.”<\/p>\n

Two-time PGA TOUR Champions winner Scott Dunlap is calling it a career at 62 after finishing just outside the top 72 to make it into the Schwab Cup Playoffs. pic.twitter.com\/cqjceVXuo3<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) October 13, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Mark Walker, unsure on retirement: \u201c[I\u2019ll] just miss the competition, miss the guys out here. Competition mainly. That\u2019s what gets you up in the morning, waking up and knowing you have a place to compete and test your game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kirk Triplett, resisting retirement: \u201cI\u2019ve talked to a few guys that I always try and learn from, the people that come before, and to a man they say do not stop playing until your eligibility is up because you will miss it.\u201d<\/p>\n

ONE BIG QUESTION<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next for Jon Rahm?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s tough to categorize Jon Rahm\u2019s season, which included LIV\u2019s individual title but, for the first time in his professional career, didn\u2019t include an individual victory. Still, we can agree on a few things: he played well and ridiculously consistently, with 13 top-11 finishes in 13 LIV starts. He also had a strong year at the majors, with three top-15 finishes. But given his lofty standards, it was a bittersweet year, with no victories and no major finish better than T7. It did have a happy ending, with a winning record at a victorious Ryder Cup and a final-round 65 to post a top 10 in his home Spanish Open. But now his season\u2019s over \u2014\u00a0and his non-LIV future\u2019s uncertain.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m lucky to be able to go home now, have a preseason, be a father, be with my family, and well, if I see that it\u2019s too much, then maybe I won\u2019t do it next year, but I\u2019m looking forward to it,\u201d he told Ten Golf<\/a> of his planned three-month offseason. That means no India, no Abu Dhabi, no Dubai. He expects his next tournament start to come the first week of February 2026 at LIV Riyadh.<\/p>\n

The question, then, surrounds his future as a member of the DP World Tour. He and Legion XXIII teammate<\/a> Tyrrell Hatton were suspended and fined, but their appeals were held until after the Ryder Cup. In the meantime, LIV has said they\u2019ll stop paying its players\u2019 DP World Tour fines. That means his future on the Euro circuit is uncertain, which means his future on Team Europe is uncertain, all while LIV\u2019s future with world ranking points is uncertain. What\u2019s going to happen with Jon Rahm, with LIV, with the DP World Tour, with the Ryder Cup, with golf\u2019s establishment?<\/p>\n

ONE THING TO WATCH<\/p>\n

Rory goes to India.<\/p>\n

This week marks the first-ever DP World Tour India Championship. It marks Rory McIlroy\u2019s first-ever trip to India. He\u2019ll be joined by several other Ryder Cup stars, too \u2014\u00a0Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, Viktor Hovland, Luke Donald and even American Ben Griffin.<\/p>\n

Superstar @McIlroyRory<\/a> has landed in India for the @DPWorldTour<\/a> India Championship.<\/p>\n

The Grand Slam champion was accorded a warm traditional welcome at his hotel.<\/p>\n

Probably the biggest sporting event in the country outside cricket events, the $4 million DP World India\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/txtYTyzeud<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Joy Chakravarty (@TheJoyofGolf) October 13, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

This is a big deal for golf in India; most of these guys have never played here. It\u2019s the biggest golf tournament in the history of the most populous country in the world. Bryson DeChambeau visited earlier this year and that was a big deal, but this tournament promises to be even bigger. Raj Khosla, president of Delhi Golf Club, said<\/a> that calling this a watershed moment for golf in India is \u201cthe understatement of the year.\u201d Outside of cricket it\u2019s one of the country\u2019s biggest sporting events ever. That\u2019s very cool<\/p>\n

Within the golf world it\u2019s also a fascinating signal about the way McIlroy\u2019s priorities have shifted and how he\u2019s scheduling his seasons going forward.<\/p>\n

Just three years ago when LIV was new on the scene, McIlroy stepped into the unofficial role of PGA Tour spokesman. He was the guy talking about mandatory appearances, about building up Signature Events, about getting guys to stay, about reshaping the Tour\u2019s future.<\/p>\n

But when the Framework Agreement came to pass and the golf world went into limbo and McIlroy got hung out to dry, something changed. He left the Tour board and in the years since his priorities and loyalties have changed, too. He\u2019s skipped plenty of Siggies. He skipped a playoff event this season to help balance a worldwide schedule. And his appearance in India will be just the latest in a more global mindset.<\/p>\n

He teased the idea of an Indian championship as early as January 2024. He\u2019s talked more and more intently about national opens. He\u2019s lauded the idea of a unified world tour. But he also seems to recognize that there\u2019s no one tour that\u2019s going to wrangle the world\u2019s best players and its most meaningful events in the immediate future \u2014\u00a0so McIlroy\u2019s doing it himself. He\u2019s playing where he wants, when he wants. It would be naive to say he\u2019s doing any of this for free; he\u2019s a businessman. But it would also be cynical to say that he\u2019s only doing it for the money. He cited another global superstar last month, citing the example he\u2019d set going to different events later in his career:<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a chat with Roger Federer, I don\u2019t know, a few years ago, sort of at the end of his career, and he was saying he wanted to go and play a lot of the places he could never play in his career. So some of the smaller 250-[level] events just because not a lot of people had never seen him play tennis before.\u201d<\/p>\n

NEWS FROM SEATTLE<\/p>\n

Monday Finish HQ.<\/p>\n

The good people of Seattle love their Seahawks. But as a transplant I have to say that I find their Mariners fandom much more endearing; the baseball side of this fanbase doesn\u2019t know what it means to win it all. Now, after a 15-inning epic and a hot start to the ALCS, they\u2019re getting closer\u2026<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll see you next week!<\/p>\n

Dylan Dethier welcomes your comments at dylan_dethier@golf.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

“><\/p>\n