Golf's weekend winners

Henrik Stenson

"It was hairy all the way, it was a tough one. I had to dig deep to come back. I didn't play well on the front nine, made a couple of mistakes, got caught out by the wind a few times and missed one or two putts I should have made as well.

"I felt like I was starting to make a bit of a mess of it and then I came back and made the birdies on the par fives. I made some good putts closing out.

"I really feel like I played well in 2015 and I just couldn't get a trophy. It was a bit hard at times but you've just got to keep on trying and put yourself in position. I did that once again and this time I managed to go all the way."
 

Lydia Ko

“I think the sun hit me a little bit. I was feeling a little tired, but, you know, I was trying to grind my way out,” said Ko. “It’s not really the fanciest finish, finishing up with a six, but I just think of it as me bogeying another hole, but it was a great week and I love coming back here.”

James Heath

“It’s a bit surreal at the moment,” he said. “It’s been ten years since winning so I had wondered if it was ever going to happen. At the moment it hasn’t quite sunk in yet but it feels good.

“Did I feel pressure? Probably from about the time I woke up at 5:40am this morning! My stomach was churning and all that stuff. When you’re in contention on both of the final days, it feels the same both days. 

I wasn’t even going to play this week. I made a double bogey on the 17th hole on Sunday in Saint Omer last week and I just thought, ‘I’ve had enough’. But I had a pep talk from my brother on Monday night and it was tough love.

“That conversation was the best thing that could have happened to me. It just narrowed my focus. I was annoyed with myself recently because I didn’t think I was doing the right things but sometimes that’s just me being hard on myself. 

“My brother just said, suck it up, get out there and you’re in control of your own destiny – just man up basically. It went down a treat.”

James, who lost his mother earlier this year, dedicated his victory to her. 

“It’s been a very tough year so far for my family, so it was nice to give them something to be happy about. It goes without saying that this one is for my mum.”
 

Billy Hurley III

It was at this event last year that Hurley announced his father, Bill Hurley Jr., was missing and pleaded for him to return home. 

Hurley Jr., who served as a police officer for 25 years and provided security at golf tournaments, was found later that week in a library in Texas while watching the Quicken Loans National on a computer. 

Roughly two weeks later, he was found dead at 61, the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The last year has been hell for the 34-year-old and produced a roller coaster of emotions. Despite all the hurt and pain he endured, Hurley pressed on, returning to the course without a full PGA TOUR exemption. 

"He's worked so hard and had to overcome so many obstacles," said Cheryl Hurley, Billy's mother. "Obviously this past year was the hardest obstacle to overcome, and, truth be told, he was very discouraged at the beginning of the year and it was very difficult."