Manic Monday

CME Group Tour Championship, Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Florida

'Ave it!

England’s Charley Hull came within a whisker of taking the LPGA's season-ending Tour Championship and a cheque for a cool $1.5 million.  She finished one shot behind Kim Sei-young of South Korea who holed a twenty-five-foot putt at the last to clinch the title and the biggest payday in the history of women’s golf.

Hull started the final round three shots behind Kim but produced a faultless round of 66 which consisted of six birdies. It looked like she had earned herself a play-off against the South Korean golfer but had the heartbreak of watching her opponent hole the long birdie putt at the last.

The 23-year-old from Kettering in England has finished in style with birdies at the last three holes.

"I gave it my best shot," she said. "I told myself on 15, I needed to birdie in to have a chance and I birdied 16, 17, and 18."

Kim led the tournament after every round and held her nerve and found a putt when she really needed to take the huge prize.  The 25-foot putt earned Kim $60,000 for each foot it travelled to the hole. Amazingly she was not aware of the true position when she stood over her putt

“To be honest, I was only aware of Nelly’s position, I didn’t know about Charley,” Kim said about her thoughts over the winning putt.

“I was just trying to two-putt to beat Nelly," Kim said. "I knew it was on a good line, but I didn’t know it was going in. Then I heard the crowd yell. Just knowing that I won the greatest prize in the history of women’s golf is a great honor.”

The win is Kim’s 10th on the LPGA tour and she has had an LPGA Tour  victory in every season since 2015.

Danielle Kang tied for third with Nelly Korda, who started the day one stroke behind Kim. Brooke Henderson was fourth on 273 with Lexi Thompson, Jessica Korda and Su Oh joint fifth a further two shots back.

Georgia Hall ended in a tie for eleventh following a closing 68, one stroke ahead of fellow Englishwoman Bronte Law. who shot a 71.

For the final leaderboard click HERE

DP World Tour Championship, Jumeirah Golf Estate, Dubai

After many months and umpteen events it all came down to one putt and Jon Rahm delivered, holing from some four feet on the final green at the Jumeirah Golf Estate, Dubai. The birdie on the final green won him both the DP World Tour Championship, the Race to Dubai and a cool total of $5 million in winnings.

Rahm becomes the second Spaniard to win the European Tour, Seve Ballesteros won it on no fewer than six occasions.

"Seve was such an idol for us," said Rahm. "To put my name there, it's hard to believe. I can't believe some of the things I have accomplished."

The big Spaniard took the title by one shot from Tommy Fleetwood pipping the same man to the Race to Dubai. At one point Rahm was eight shots clear of Fleetwood, in the final round, after opening with five birdies in his first seven holes.

A stumble by Rahm as he approached the turn and a sublime back nine from Fleetwood set up the nail-biting finish. Fleetwood’ charge, he birdied five of his last seven holes, meant that Rahm needed to get up and down from a greenside bunker at the last for a birdie and both titles.

After an excellent bunker shot that putt was worth over a $1 million dollars for each foot it covered.

Rahm picked up the biggest winning prize in tournament golf of $3 million with a further $2 million for winning the Race to Dubai.

"It was such an up and down day," he said. "I had a six-shot lead and I came down 18 needing a birdie to win.

This victory also takes the big Spaniard up to third in the world one place behind Rory McIlroy. The man from Northern Ireland had a disappointing day, closing with a one-over 73 and fourth at Jumeirah Golf Estate.

For the final leaderboard click HERE 

RSM Classic, Sea Island Resort, Georgia

We are not sure why we chose this picture.