Morikawa ousts JT in incredible play-off, European Tour returns, and Solheim stays put
Collin Morikawa won his second PGA Tour title in just his 24th start as a pro after the most incredible play-off with Justin Thomas at the Workday Charity Open.
The pair finished on 19-under in regulation play after Thomas squandered a three-shot lead with three to play.
The play-off was packed with drama. They returned to 18 where Thomas did this:
…only to watch Morikawa reply with this:
They returned to play 18 again and Thomas had this putt to win:
Then, at the 10th, the third extra hole, Thomas leaked his drive right and it inexplicably landed behind a small tree nestled in the rough.
He was forced to take his medicine and a par was enough for Morikawa.
The 23-year-old, who opened his PGA Tour account at last year’s Barracuda Championship, now has more wins than he does missed cuts.
- Related: What’s in Morikawa’s bag?
- Related: What’s in JT’s bag?
Caddie-less Warren wins as European Tour returns
After all the excitement about how the upcoming UK Swing will relaunch the season in spectacular fashion, the European Tour decided to sneak out a couple of co-sanctioned events in Austria as a little warm-up act.
And it was Marc Warren who snatched a one-shot victory at Diamond Country Club.
The 39-year-old Scot’s successive rounds of 70 over the weekend were enough for his fourth European Tour title and first since 2014.
And incredibly he did it all without a caddie after his regular bagman didn’t receive his Covid-19 test results in time. Warren told the European Tour the experience was “brutal” before adding: “At times like that you appreciate what a great job they do.”
PGA Tour to close gates for remainder of 2020
Good news for those of you who are enjoying watching the golf without hearing the Mashed Potato Brigade as the PGA Tour has decided to run the remaining nine tournaments of the 2020 season without fans.
This includes the three FedEx Cup play-off events as well as the season’s only major, the PGA Championship. The Workday Charity Open was the fifth event to be played behind closed doors since the PGA Tour’s return.
The remaining two majors of the year, the US Open and the Masters, are part of the 2021 schedule and no decision has been made about allowing fans at any tournament past the season finale in August.
LET will return in Scotland
The Ladies European Tour have confirmed they will return to action in August with a two-week run in the Scotland for the Ladies Scottish Open at Renaissance and Women’s British Open at Royal Troon the following week.
Both events will be co-sanctioned with the LPGA Tour, which resumes its season a fortnight before, and will be played behind closed doors.
Solheim Cup to stay where it is
We’re not entirely sure why there was a suggestion the Solheim Cup would move after the Ryder Cup postponement but organisers have reiterated they have no intention of moving the tournament.
Catriona Matthew’s Europeans will defend the trophy they won at Gleneagles last year when they take on the Americans at Inverness Club in Ohio from September 4-6, 2021, with the Ryder Cup three weeks later at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.
“We are excited for this double-header, to celebrate all the great golfers, male and female, who play for the USA and Europe,” LPGA commissioner Mike Whan told BBC Sport.
Quick hits
1. Why it was absolutely the right decision to postpone the Ryder Cup.
2. Tiger Woods has announced his return and will play in his first PGA Tour tournament since February.
3. Two more events have been added to the European Tour’s season with a promise of more to be announced very soon.
4. Gemma Dryburgh won her second Rose Ladies Series event in a row after a fun finish at Royal St George’s.
5. Speaking of RSG, it was meant to be Open week this week. But don’t worry because the R&A have got something pretty cool lined up.
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Alex Perry
Alex has been the editor of National Club Golfer since 2017. A Devonian who enjoys wittering on about his south west roots, Alex moved north to join NCG after more than a decade in London, the last five of which were with ESPN. Away from golf, Alex follows Torquay United and spends too much time playing his PlayStation or his guitar and not enough time practising his short game.
