Weekend Round-Up: Women’s PGA Championship, Kolon Korea Open & Travelers Championship
KPMG Women’s PGA Championship
In the final moments of the golf tournament held at Baltusrol's Lower course, Ruoning Yin faced a straightforward moment: make a 10-foot putt to become a major champion, or miss and prepare for a playoff. Yin, a 20-year-old golfer from Shanghai, China, took her time to study the putt from all angles and discuss it with her caddie before stepping up to the ball. With a stroke that would change her life, Yin successfully made the putt to secure her victory.
Yin's birdie on the par-5 18th hole not only crowned her as the newest major champion in golf, but also highlighted a critical lesson of the final round: executing under immense pressure is crucial to winning the biggest and most challenging events in golf.
Janet Lin, who had a steady game throughout the day, failed to capitalize on a birdie opportunity on the par-5 17th hole, and narrowly missed sinking the putt. On the following tee, Lin's drive veered left and landed in the water, shattering her hopes of winning the tournament. She finished with a score of four-under 67, two strokes behind Yin, in a tie for third place.
Similarly, rookie sensation Rose Zhang's first major tournament as a professional golfer ended in disappointment. Despite a valiant effort in the final round, during which she also shot a 67 and finished three strokes behind Yin, her title hopes were dashed after she bogeyed the par-3 16th hole and failed to birdie either of the two remaining par-5 holes. On the 18th hole, she hit a ball into the water, sealing her fate. She ultimately tied for eighth place.
2023 Travelers Championship
Keegan Bradley secured his sixth PGA TOUR title and second win of the season with a remarkable performance at the Travelers Championship. This marks the second time in Bradley's career that he has won multiple events in a single season, the first being in 2011. Bradley's victory was marked by his record-breaking 257 winning total, setting a new 72-hole tournament record, surpassing the previous one held by Kenny Perry in 2009 with a score of 258.
Notably, Bradley's win also propelled him from No. 28 to No. 17 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Brian Harman finished in second place with a score of 20-under, marking his third runner-up finish of the season. Harman's previous best finish at the event was 13 starts ago, making this a significant achievement.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler finished in a tie for fourth place with a score of 19-under and recorded his 14th top-10 finish of the season, the most of any player on TOUR this season. Additionally, Scheffler has finished T12 or better in each of his last 17 starts.
Patrick Cantlay, the 2021 FedExCup champion, finished tied for fourth place with Scheffler and recorded his first top-10 finish at the event, as well as his eighth top-10 on TOUR this season.
Chez Reavie, the 2019 Travelers Championship winner, finished tied for fourth place with Scheffler and Cantlay, with a score of 19-under, aiming to become the event's eighth multiple winner and the first since Bubba Watson in 2018, who won in 2010, 2015, and 2018.
Finally, world No. 3 Rory McIlroy finished tied for seventh place with a score of 18-under, marking his fifth consecutive top-10 finish on TOUR. This is McIlroy's longest such streak since he had seven straight top-10 finishes before the 2019-20 season was suspended due to COVID-19.
Kolon Korea Open
Seungsu Han, a Korean-American golfer, claimed an impressive wire-to-wire victory at the Kolon Korea Open. Han remained calm under pressure throughout the tournament, finishing with an even-par 71 for a six-under total, securing a commanding six-shot victory over Kyungnam Kang, who also carded a 71. Han's victory allowed him to secure one of two spots in this year's Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, while Kang took the other.
Han's lead was never in doubt, as he held a five-shot lead at the turn and was seven shots ahead at one point on the back nine. Despite a few hiccups, including a wayward tee shot on the par-four 15th, Han kept his cool and showed his mental strength, securing an astonishing par save. He finished five shots ahead of the rest of the field, holing a six-foot birdie putt on the par-five 18th to seal his victory.
The win marks Han's sixth PGA Tour title and the biggest victory of his 14-year professional career. He earned a cheque for US$222,222 and becomes the 12th wire-to-wire winner of the tournament. This is also the second time he has played in a Major, having made the cut in the PGA Championship in 2018.
Han's victory was significant not only for himself but also for Korea, as he is the first Korean golfer to win the Kolon Korea Open in recent years. Han expressed his gratitude for the victory, saying that the tournament meant a lot to him since he first started playing in Korea when he was 13.
Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho had a tough week at the Kolon Korea Tour. He missed the cut with a two-round total of 16-over. Not the most ideal with The Open around the corner, but these things happen and hopefully won’t affect his mindset and preparation for the next few of weeks.
Notable Mentions
Hong Kong’s Matthew Cheung had a solid week at @trustgolftour Thailand Mixed Stableford Challenge #4. He finished T13 with 50 points, 21 points behind winner Suteepat Prateeptienchai (71). He posted, a tournament best 23-under over the 4 days. Well played Matt.
