Record setting 2020 season on the European Tour.

From the fastest round to new scoring records and the first professional disability golfer to play on the European Tour, here are the history making moments of the 2020 season.

NOVEMBER 2019

The 2020 season started with a historic change in tournament policy for the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa, where players were allowed to wear shorts on tournament days for the first time due to the hot temperatures.

DECEMBER 2019

In just the second event of the season, Danish teenager Rasmus Højgaard made history in what was his fourth event on the European Tour, claiming his maiden title in a dramatic play-off at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open to become the first player born in the 21st century to win on Tour.

A week later, Nick Flanagan tied the course record of 63 during Saturday's round, and eventually finished in a tie for sixth - three shots adrift of winner Adam Scott

JANUARY 2020 

Jayden Schaper made waves in the first event of 2020 when he became the first amateur to record a top ten on Tour in ten years - the highest place finish by an amateur in the South African Open since Ernie Els in 1990.

Lee Westwood then captured his 25th career win in 24 years on the European Tour, which puts him at eighth in the all-time list for number of wins on the European Tour. The victory, which saw him become just the third player in Tour history to win in four different decades, was his 44th worldwide

Sebastian Soderberg followed Westwood's history-making week in Abu Dhabi with a record of his own during the final round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, which he played in just 97 minutes.

FEBRUARY 2020

The Vic Open produced a moment to remember in February when Min Woo Lee earned his maiden European Tour victory - at the event of the same name won by his sister Minjee in 2014 and 2018. 

Jon Rahm then set several records at the year's first WGC, the WGC Mexico Championship. During the third round, Rahm not only recorded his lowest ever round as a pro - a 10 under par 61 - but broke the course record and tied the lowest ever round recorded at a WGC.

JULY 2020

When the Tour resumed in July following a four month break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Robin Sciot-Siegrist was the first player to make his mark by tying the course record at GC Adamstal with a third round 61. 

Jon Rahm achieved an impressive milestone just a few days later, becoming the just the second Spaniard in history to reach the top of the Official World Golf Rankings. 

Another of the big headlines of July belonged to Miguel Ángel Jiménez, who earned his place in the history books by overtaking Sam Torrance's previous European Tour appearance record of 706 events.

AUGUST 2020

Continuing the trend of breaking long-standing records during the UK Swing was Andy Sullivan, whose victory at the English Championship also saw him set the record for the lowest ever aggregate score on the European Tour, of 257. The previous record of 258 had been first set by David Llewellyn at the 1988 AGF Biarritz Open, and matched only once - by Ian Woosnam during the 1990 Torras Monte Carlo Open. 

Brendan Lawlor made history of his own in August too, by becoming the first professional disability golfer to compete on the European Tour. Back in the headlines with his second victory in just 15 starts at the ISPS HANDA UK Championship, 

Rasmus Hojgaard became the second-youngest player - after Matteo Manassero - to win multiple titles on the European Tour.

SEPTEMBER 2020

Four-time Asian Tour winner and American Catlin is no stranger to the winner's circle, and the 29-year-old claimed his first European Tour title with a composed display in southern Spain, seeing off former World Number One Martin Kaymer in a thrilling final round battle that saw him become the only wire-to-wire winner in the tournament's history.

OCTOBER 2020

Laurie Canter recorded four top 10s on the European Tour in 2020, and came incredibly close to lifting his maiden title during the Italian Open, where he recorded the lowest 36 hole score in the tournaments history. 

The newly rescheduled season saw two brand new events make their debut on the European Tour: The Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Open, and the Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Showdown. Those events saw Cyprus become the 50th different country visited by the European Tour.

NOVEMBER 2020

A number of records fell during an historic week at Augusta National, which hosted the Masters for the very first time. Dustin Johnson triumphed that week for his second Major Championship, and became the first player in history to reach 20 under par in the event - overtaking Jordan Spieth's previous record of reaching 19 under.

Elsewhere, Bernhard Langer became the oldest player to make the cut, Sungjae Im recorded the lowest ever score for a player making their debut, and Cameron Smith achieved something no one else had ever done - shooting all four rounds in the 60s.

And while Adrian Meronk was unable to convert a 54-hold lead into a record as the first player from Poland to win on the European Tour two weeks later, he did still make history as the first Polish player to lead (or co-lead) after any round on Tour.

DECEMBER 2020

Christiaan Bezuidenhout excelled in the South African Swing, taking home two titles at the Alfred Dunhill Championship and South African Open - becoming the first player since Justin Rose in 2017 to win back-to-back titles.

And in the final event of the season, it was Lee Westwood who book-ended his year with two new records. By claiming the season-long race for a third time, Westwood not only became the oldest winner of the Race to Dubai, but he also now holds the record of most years (20) between first and most recent Order of Merit wins.

Bryan Angus

(europeantour.com)

My reflections on 2020, between the ropes and in our lives,

I was reflecting back on this bloody awful 2020. 

It's been a long haul in my career, since 1975 as the Assistant GM at the Commonwealth Games Complex at Meadowbank half way around the world and back until my semi retirement these days.

All of it involved in sports at home, and internationally, one way or another, surviving a brain aneurism, a daily battle with diabetes, been broke and have managed to save a few bucks, won and lost at love, met a lot of idiots, and a lot more wonderful friends, some very well known, lots just ordinary folks.

This year has been different and dangerous, like no other for us all. At my age I've been put in the 'at risk' category so have been very careful as we all should be.

I don't remember much of the pre COVID golf season, except for Nick Taylor's wonderful week winning at Pebble Beach in February, and Mac Hughes T2 at the Honda Classic in mid March. 

I was against golf returning after it all closed down, my stance was that this evil virus from China was infecting and killing millions around the world, staying away from each other was way more important than anything else, never mind a select few very rich golf pros.

Well the rest is history, first the PGA Tour at the Charles Schwab Challenge, eventually the European Tour at the Austrian Open. 

Watching golf is very boring to all but golf fans, watching it in dead silence with no fans was worse, but we got used to it. It's slow pace and over analysis wasn't as bad as basketball or hockey coverage turned out to be.

The highlight of it all for many including myself came beginning August 20 at Royal Troon and the AIG Women's Open.

I know the course and the town well, on one round there in 1987 my pals and I won the jackpot in the members lounge slot machine to the disgust of several old members having their daily liquid lunch.... until of course we announced "this round on us!!" to ensure we escaped safely.

In a howling (but not unusual) gale and driving rain a little known German born, Arizona resident Sophia Popov, with no status on the LPGA Tour, survived the first two days better than most, then outplayed them the next two, to steal our hearts in cinderella fashion, and the title, as she collapsed with tears in her big blue eyes, into the arms of her boyfriend/caddy, and into golfing immortality.

There were other highlights, DJ swept the board as player of the year and won the Masters, while Lee Westwood rolled back the clock, becoming Europe's #1 for the third time at 47, losing the DP World Tour Championship to Matt Fitzpatrick but winning the Race to Dubai in the process.

I followed Canadian Aaron Cockerill's journey on the European Tour, along with Mac Hughes, David Hearn, Roger Sloan, Michael Gligic, Adam Hadwin, Nick Taylor, Corey Connors, and Taylor Pendrith over here, they all had their moments.

I enjoyed following Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp on the LPGA Tour. Brooke or Nelly Korda should have won the ANA Inspiration, until yet another in the long line of South Korean women who dominate this tour, Mirim Lee chipped in 3 times, including from across the green on the last hole to catch them and then win in the playoff.

Alena's highlight was recently getting married to her long time partner/caddy Sarah Bowman. She was stellar in bad weather at the AIG Women's Open, just needed a few more putts, and finished her year last week with her best, -8 64

So those are some of my reflections as we stagger locked down into these not so festive Christmas holidays, with COVID back again as bad as ever, but with the great news that vaccines are on their way which will eventually get to us in the general public, and hopefully back to "normality"

However the damage has been done. With Christmas Eve upon us, I think of all those who have lost loved ones, those who have lost their jobs or their business, their livelihoods, or had their life savings wiped out, those anxiously awaiting test results, those whose depression has deepened under these lockdowns and can't get solace from their visiting family.

Yes it's been a bloody awful 2020.

It will be better in 2021...

All the very best to you all and your families.

Bryan Angus

 

2020 Season message from European Tour CEO Keith Pelley

 

As we reach the end of this most challenging of years, on behalf of everyone associated with the European Tour, I want to thank you for your valued support.

We have greatly appreciated it, just as we have appreciated the true heroes of these past 12 months, the frontline workers, who have kept us safe and kept the world moving.

Through our Golf for Good initiative, we have celebrated these amazing people and recognised the sacrifices they have made. To echo what our players said in this video earlier this month, thank you to each and every one of you.

When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged at the start of the year, none of us really knew what lay ahead.  There was no crisis playbook for what has unfolded in the subsequent months, with uncertainty being the only constant.  

At one stage in March and April, it felt as if tournaments were being cancelled on a daily basis, and the thought of playing a full schedule through to December was inconceivable.  

I am therefore immensely proud of everyone at the European Tour for what we have achieved this year. From our resumption in Austria on July 9, we played 27 tournaments in a row, 23 of which were regular European Tour events and 15 of those we created from scratch. We operated a world-class health strategy which included administering more than 20,000 PCR tests for players, caddies and tournament staff to ensure their safety.

When I wrote to you in the early stages of the pandemic I was unable to provide many guarantees, but I did pledge we would do our utmost to provide you with engaging content to help entertain and keep people connected. Through innovative concepts such as the BMW Indoor Invitational, the moving stories told in our Golf for Good videos and when our live broadcasts restarted from July onwards, I hope you feel we achieved that goal. Ultimately sport is about entertainment and this year has reminded us that more than ever before.  

Earlier this month, we unveiled an expansive 2021 schedule which will feature a minimum of 42 events in 24 different countries. It included an enhanced Rolex Series, innovative events and Tour classics, plus the return of the Middle East, Iberian and UK Swings, as well as the rescheduled Ryder Cup and Olympics.  Announcing this schedule was another considerable feat, coming only five weeks after we confirmed the final events of our 2020 season.

We also ended the year by announcing our Strategic Alliance with the PGA TOUR. Bringing together golf’s two leading global Tours presents immense opportunities for both of us and I am looking forward to working with Commissioner Jay Monahan and his team to develop our ideas during 2021.

With advances in the vaccine globally, there are plenty of reasons for optimism as we head into the new year, but I also think everyone realises getting that back to normality will take a while. We will therefore continue to proceed with care, adopting the step-by-step approach that served us well in 2020.

For all that we have achieved this year, there has, of course, been one key ingredient missing and that is you. We have dearly missed each and every one of you at our events and we all deeply hope we will be able to gradually reintroduce fans next year and when it is safe and appropriate to do so.

For now, all I can do is thank you once again for your support of the European Tour and I sincerely hope you and your family enjoy the holidays.

Best wishes

Keith Pelley

European Tour Chief Executive

As we reach the end of this most challenging of years, on behalf of everyone associated with the European Tour, I want to thank you for your valued support.

We have greatly appreciated it, just as we have appreciated the true heroes of these past 12 months, the frontline workers, who have kept us safe and kept the world moving.

Through our Golf for Good initiative, we have celebrated these amazing people and recognized the sacrifices they have made. To echo what our players said in this video earlier this month, thank you to each and every one of you.

When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged at the start of the year, none of us really knew what lay ahead.  There was no crisis playbook for what has unfolded in the subsequent months, with uncertainty being the only constant.  

At one stage in March and April, it felt as if tournaments were being cancelled on a daily basis, and the thought of playing a full schedule through to December was inconceivable.  

I am therefore immensely proud of everyone at the European Tour for what we have achieved this year. From our resumption in Austria on July 9, we played 27 tournaments in a row, 23 of which were regular European Tour events and 15 of those we created from scratch. We operated a world-class health strategy which included administering more than 20,000 PCR tests for players, caddies and tournament staff to ensure their safety.

When I wrote to you in the early stages of the pandemic I was unable to provide many guarantees, but I did pledge we would do our utmost to provide you with engaging content to help entertain and keep people connected. Through innovative concepts such as the BMW Indoor Invitational, the moving stories told in our Golf for Good videos and when our live broadcasts restarted from July onwards, I hope you feel we achieved that goal. Ultimately sport is about entertainment and this year has reminded us that more than ever before.  

Earlier this month, we unveiled an expansive 2021 schedule which will feature a minimum of 42 events in 24 different countries. It included an enhanced Rolex Series, innovative events and Tour classics, plus the return of the Middle East, Iberian and UK Swings, as well as the rescheduled Ryder Cup and Olympics.  Announcing this schedule was another considerable feat, coming only five weeks after we confirmed the final events of our 2020 season.

We also ended the year by announcing our Strategic Alliance with the PGA TOUR. Bringing together golf’s two leading global Tours presents immense opportunities for both of us and I am looking forward to working with Commissioner Jay Monahan and his team to develop our ideas during 2021.

With advances in the vaccine globally, there are plenty of reasons for optimism as we head into the new year, but I also think everyone realizes getting that back to normality will take a while. We will therefore continue to proceed with care, adopting the step-by-step approach that served us well in 2020.

For all that we have achieved this year, there has, of course, been one key ingredient missing and that is you. We have dearly missed each and every one of you at our events and we all deeply hope we will be able to gradually reintroduce fans next year and when it is safe and appropriate to do so.

For now, all I can do is thank you once again for your support of the European Tour and I sincerely hope you and your family enjoy the holidays.

Best wishes

Keith Pelley

European Tour Chief Executive

It's KO-ho-ho for Christmas at the CME Group Tour Championship.. final scoreboard

 CME Group Tour Championship final leaderboard  here.

Alena Sharp saved her best round of the year for her last, a magnificent -8 64 after rounds of 73 76 76 to finish T46 at this CME Group Tur Championship. 8 birdies and not a single bogey heading into the off season.

Meanwhile her fellow Canadian, Brooke Henderson made a bogey 6 on the par 5 1st hole, adding 2 more on a front nine of 39, seeming out of any chance of winning, then battling as she always does, 4 birdies in a row from 10-13 and she was at -10. Brooke made a messy 3 putt bogey on the par 5 17th, birdied the last for a -1 71, -11 T7.

The winner pictured below with Brooke is world #1 Jin Young Ko with 4 birdies in her last 7 holes for -6 66 -18, five shots clear of the field. Yet another impressive winner from South Korea, the best players on the LPGA Tour for the last 10 years.

Bryan Angus

Henderson chasing South Koreans, Sei Young Kim and Jin Young Ko, Sunday CME Group Tour Championship ... live scoring

 CME Group Tour Championship live scoreboard here.

Round 4 is now under way at the LPGA season finale. The winner of the CME Group Tour Championship will be decided with the richest first prize in women's golf $1.1m on the line as is the eventual winner of the Race to CME Globe, the season long points race.

Here's the set up.

Sei Young Kim -13 and Jin Young Ko -12 started Sunday as the leaders, and the rest of the pack are chasing the two South Koreans.

Brook Henderson's 66 on Saturday got her to -9, so in with a chance is she has another good day and the Koreans stall.

Lexi Thompson is charging this morning at -3 to get to -12, Georgia Hall from England is -2 today at -11, Lydia Ko is -2 in a group at -10.

Breaking News : Brooke made a bogey 6 on her 1st hole, and just added another at the 7th, so is t +2 today -7 total, heading in the wrong direction.

Follow the live scoring by clicking on my link above..

Bryan Angus

Big push by Henderson, shoots 66 on moving day at CME Group Tour Championship... full leadeboard

 CME Group Tour After Championship leaderboard here

With 7 birdies and just 1 bogey Brooke Henderson  has posted a sizzling -6 66 to get to -9 in round 3 at this CME Group Tour Championship. 

She ended up T6 with 5 others all chasing two Koreans, Sei Young Kim 67 -13 and world #1 Jin Young Ko 69 -12.

Alena Sharp is well down the field 73 76 76 +9 

Bryan Angus

Henderson charges up the leaderboard at CME Group Tour Championship... Full leaderboard

CME Group Tour After Championship leaderboard here

After a slow but steady start (73) to her CME Group Tour Championship, Brooke Henderson got herself back in the game with a much better -4 68 on Friday moving from T45 to T16 at -3.That is -6 shots behind world #1 from South Korea Jin Young Ko at 68 67, -9 on the Tiburon GC in breezy Naples, Florida.

Ko has only missed 1 fairway in her two rounds, averaging 27 putts with 12 birdies, and she's a shot ahead of Lexi Thompson 65 71 and another Korean Sei Young Kim 67 69 -8.

Four birdies, an eagle and 2 bogey's featured on Brooke's card, she has hit 25/28 fairways but once again she is up to 31 putts per round. In her pre event presser Brooke admitted she lost confidence in her putter Friday afternoon at the US Open resulting in that 77 on Saturday.

"Brit and I have been working on our green reading, and I think we were much better last Monday and hopefully will be this week" 

She is off the 1st tee at 9.55am today

Alena Sharp had a tough Friday slipping to 73 76 +5 T63 in the field of 72. She plays off #10 at 10.28 today.

First prize this week is worth $1.1m US the richest in women's golf. 

Bryan Angus

Henderson / Sharp post 73's at CME Group Tour Championship ..full round 2 leaderboard

 LPGA CME Group Tour Championship leaderboard  here

Hoping for a better week close to her Florida home, Brooke Henderson took a triple bogey 7 on her second hole, then fought back all day to finally post +1 73 T45 8 shots off the lead of Lexi  Thompson's opening -7 65. 

Alena Sharp began on the back nine with -1 35, but made 3 straight bogey's after the turn, before getting back to E with 2 birdies.

A bogey at the last left her with +1 73, and she and Brooke both will begin in round 2 today on the 10th hole.

Bryan Angus

CME Group Tour Championship TEE TIMES..

 CME Group Tour Championships Tee Times here 

The abbreviated LPGA season comes to an end in Naples, Florida, a week after the US Women's Open was won for the 9th time in it's last 13 starts by a South Korean, Kim A-Lim. It's the CME Group Tour Championship, with a no cut field of 72.

(courtesy Bernard Brault)

Brooke Henderson after a tough week in Houston, T44th will be looking to rebound, in particular with her putter back near her Florida home this week. She tees off at 10.06 from the 1st tee. She is 15th in the CME Race standings.

Sharp and Bowman with their two dogs, Porter and Chandler. (Photo courtesy Sharp)

Alena Sharp, who's recent wedding to her caddy Sarah Bowman was featured in the New York Times missed the cut by a stroke last week, and she is off the 10th tee at 9.55am. She is 57th in the CME Race standings.

Click on my link above for full tee times.

Bryan Angus

New and improved 2021 European Tour schedule announced

 

The European Tour today announces its 2021 schedule which will feature a minimum of 42 tournaments in 24 countries, as golf’s global Tour resumes a full international program.

Running from January to November, the schedule also features 18 returning tournaments which were either postponed or cancelled in 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

The 2021 season is headlined by a refined Rolex Series which now features the European Tour’s four premium events spread across key points in the global golfing calendar, each one enhanced by a prize fund increase, elevated Race to Dubai points and enriched media, content and broadcast coverage.

Launched in 2017, to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Rolex’s enduring partnership with the European Tour, the Rolex Series highlights the Swiss watch manufacturer’s ongoing commitment to the sport at the highest level.

The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (January 21-24), the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open (July 8-11) and the BMW PGA Championship (September 9-12) will each now have a prize fund of US$ 8million – an increase of $1million. They will also all have 8,000 Race to Dubai points available, the same as on offer at the four World Golf Championship events.

There will also be new opportunities for all players to qualify for both the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open and the BMW PGA Championship with three places now available from respective mini orders of merit based on a series of European Tour events leading up to them. Full details of these will be announced in due course.

The prize fund for the fourth and final Rolex Series event of the season – the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai – also increases by US$ 1million to US$ 9million. The European Tour season-ending finale will also continue to feature the largest winner’s cheque in the world of golf - US$ 3 million – with, additionally, 12,000 Race to Dubai points available, some 2,000 points above those on offer at the four Major Championships.

While not in a position to announce the prize funds for all 2021 tournaments at this stage, some key points are:

▪ Prize funds for all four UK Swing events in July / August will be increased

▪ The second event of the UK Swing (July 29-Aug 1) – whose details will be announced early next year – will be co-sanctioned with the LET/LPGA

▪ The UK Swing will have a Bonus Pool for the players in addition to a charity element

▪ Prize funds for the new tournaments in Tenerife and Gran Canaria in April will each be €1.5 million. The Portugal Masters, which follows these two events, will also increase to €1.5 million

▪ Prize fund for the Betfred British Masters hosted by Danny Willett will rise to €2 million from €1.25 million

▪ Prize funds for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open and the Italian Open will each rise to €3 million, from €1.25 million and €1 million respectively

In addition to increased prize fund levels, the 2021 European Tour season also offers considerable playing opportunities across the 11 months with a schedule intended to reduce travelling wherever possible.

Illustrating that point, in addition to the traditional group of tournaments in the Middle East at the start of the year, the schedule also includes the return of the Iberian Swing in April and the UK Swing in July and August, which follows on from the run of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open and The Open Championship. Also next to each other on the schedule are the Open de España and the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters in Spain in the first two weeks of October followed by the Trophee Hassan II in Morocco the following week.

Bryan Angus edit (europeantour.com)

The "Asian Invasion" continues at the US Women's Open..

 

The stats don't lie, the national golf championship for women in the United States, alias the US Women's Open has been won since 2008, 10 of the last 13 years by a woman from Asia, 9 times from South Korea, once from Thailand.

Only Paula Creamer now retired, Brittany Lang and Michelle Wie  have won their national title in that period.

This weekend, 33 of the 66 finalists at the Champions GC in Houston were Asian women or were of Asian descent.

Kim A-Lim from South Korea managed to string 3 birdies together in a row, crucially her last 3 holes to shoot 67 and win the 2020 edition after Japanese leader Hinako Shibuno faltered to a 74 and the lone American hope Amy Olsen stalled at the 17th. 

Anyone watching the Monday final round of this US Open for the first time received an eye opening picture of the Asian dominance that is life on the LPGA tour.

Miss Lim joins Lee Jeong-eun, Ariya Jutanugarn, Park Sung hyun, In Gee Chun, Inbee Park (2), Na Yeon Choi, So Reon Ryu, and  Eun Hee Ji  all who have won US Women's Open championship since 2008.

I dare say nobody reading this post who is not covering the women's game in the USA or is not of Korean descent living in the USA has a clue who any of these women are.

All of this South Korean dominace goes back to 1998 when the amazing Se Ri Pak won the title at Blackwolf Run in Wisconsin. Se Ri blazed the trail that continues to this day, and in fact has spread to Japan who had 13 entrants this year, Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, and China.

You have to go back to 1989 to see any American domination with Betsy King, Meg Mallon, Patty Sheehan and Lauri Merton winning 6 straight titles between them.

Julie Inkster won  in 99,02, Aussie legend Karrie Webb 00,01, Hilary Lunke 03 and Meg Mallon again in 04, but then the South Korean dominance began with the aptly named Birdie Kim in 2005.

The LPGA is truly an international tour in this generation, it reflects the growth of the women's game around the world, and that is good.

 
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Before Se Ri arrived in 1998, Swedish legend Annika Sorenstam won 2 of her 3 titles (95,96), and England's Alison Nicholas won hers in 1997You have to go as far back as 1989 to see any continued American domination, with Betsy King (89,90), Meg Mallon (91), Patty Sheehan (92,94)) and Lauri Merton (93)The LPGA in this generation is truly an international tour, which happens to be located in the USA.  It reflects the growth of the women's game around the world, and has a strong field almost every week, including their season ending Asian swing.

It does not however have the crucial big time national network TV contract and the millions of dollars that the PGA Tour thrives on to swell their purses and obtain any semblance of parity.

In fact if not for the Golf Channel they wouldn't be on TV at all.

The question is why? Their new slogan is "I'm worth watching"

I know they are, the national TV networks disagree agree apart from the majors.

They fact that 10 of their last 13 national champions are Asian women from South Korea, lots with very limited English is not helping to market their game into mainstream American households.

The fact that golf is also a very boring sport to watch to many non golf fans doesn't help either. 

Tiger came along in 1997 and changed the game all together for TV coverage of golf, transcending the sport and garnering billions of dollars in advertising, and for the Tour and it's players.

The LPGA could certainly use a Tiger of their own, Michelle Wie was to be the one, injuries scuttled that plan.

For now it is what it is as we say today, and I don't see any change coming in the near future.

Bryan Angus

Monday morning tee times / live scoreboard US Women's Open.... weather forecast...

 US Women's Open TEE TIMES / SCORING

Weather: The morning in Houston is dawning cold and windy with no precipitation. The wind gusting to 25kph N will drop significantly as the morning wears on. Overcast skies, currently 6*c a high of 9*c.

Course condition: The Cypress course took a massive soaking on Sunday and the tee boxes have been moved up, shortening the course by over 300 yards.

See my link above for new tee times/leaderboard due to Sunday's  suspension of play. The field is paired in three's off split tees

Brooke Henderson (+9) is off the 10th tee at 9.14 est with Danielle Kang and Narin An.

The leader Hinako Shibuno (-4) is off # 1 at 9.25 est  with Amy Olsen (-3) and Moiriya Jutanugarn (-1)

Bryan Angus

Henderson slumps T61, Rain falling, Sunday at US Women's Open .. live leaderboard

 US Women's Open Sunday leaderboard here

As I mentioned in Saturday's post the rain that was forecast has arrived in the Houston area so Sunday will be a wet weather day for the field on the Cypress course at the Champions GC in the US Women's Open.

Tee times are moved up, and the field is paired in three's off split tees.

(Bernard Brault photo)

Sadly for Canadians, Brooke Henderson will not be in contention this year, with 4 bogey's and a double for +6 77 she has slipped to T61 at +9. Brooke played well from tee to green all week but has used 34, 34, 33 putts, never seeming really confident with the flat stick so far this week.

Japan's Hinako Shibuno was leading by 3 shots most of Saturday, but 2 late bogey's and a 74 has reduced her lead to one shot at -4 over Amy Olsen, the American at 67 72 71 -3.

Only 8 women are at E or under par going into today's final round. After heavy overnight rain on Friday, this Cypress course had virtually no run on the fairways on Saturday, and will be worse, thus even longer today, and with the gusty wind, par will be a great score, bogey's aren't bad, they will all be trying to avoid anything worse.

Follow the live Sunday scoring on my link above.

Bryan Angus

Lee Westwood rolls back the clock, wins the Race to Dubai for the 3rd time.

 Lee Westwood has been crowned European Number One for a third time, 20 years after he first lifted the Harry Vardon Trophy. Rankings

The Englishman won the European Tour Order of Merit in 2000 but within three years he was outside the top 250 in the Official World Golf Ranking before mounting one of the game's great comebacks.

His victory at the 2009 DP World Tour Championship, Dubai saw him crowned the inaugural winner of the Race to Dubai and the following year he completed his incredible recovery by rising to World Number One.

He found himself outside the top 100 again as he went four years without a European Tour victory but he broke that drought with a maiden Rolex Series win at the 2018 Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player.

A tearful Westwood admitted after that victory there were times when he was not sure he would ever win again but he claimed a 25th European Tour triumph and second Rolex Series title earlier this season at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA.

That gave him a chance of a Harry Vardon Trophy hat-trick at the 2020 DP World Tour Championship, Dubai and after finishing second to Matthew Fitzpatrick at Jumeirah Golf Estates, he is Europe's best once again at 47 years of age.

“It’s been 20 years since I sat there at Valderrama and finished second in the American Express Championship to win the Volvo Order of Merit as it was back then," he said. "I won here in 2009 to win the Race to Dubai and now I’ve finished second to win it today.

"They have all been very different. I guess 2000, sort of I was winning a lot, but I was still up and coming. It was only my seventh year on Tour.

"2009, I was honing in on the best player in the world spot, and I needed to win here to win the Race to Dubai, and I managed to do that.

"And then this one, I'm kind of the more mature player on the European Tour now. It wasn't something I set out to do at the start of the year, but it shows the consistency I've shown.

"The motivation's never changed, really. I get to get up each day and do the job I love. I've always wanted to be a golfer and I don't want it to end.

"So I'm prepared to keep working hard and put myself in the line of fire and try and get into contention in tournaments. It's where I'm most comfortable and what I love doing. I love the work away from the course and the gym and on the range, the hard work that people don't see, I love that. I don't need to motivate myself very often."

(europeantour.com)

Matt Fitzpatrick wins the DP World Tour Championship .. Final results

 DP World Tour Championship final Results 

Matthew Fitzpatrick claimed a second victory at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai as Lee Westwood won the Harry Vardon Trophy for the third time on a dramatic afternoon at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

Fitzpatrick entered the final day on the Earth Course in a share of the lead but after starting his round with four birdies, he held a commanding lead and was on course to win the Race to Dubai.

Westwood birdied two of his last three holes to snatch solo second and be crowned European Number One but Fitzpatrick matched his 68 to finish at 15 under, one shot clear of his fellow Englishman at the top of the leaderboard, and win his first Rolex Series title.

Patrick Reed entered the week on top of the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex and remained there for much of the day but bogeys on the 16th and 17th saw him finish one shot away from being the first American to take Europe's season long honours at 13 under.

Norwegian Viktor Hovland finished alongside Reed, one shot clear of Finn Sami Välimäki and England's Laurie Canter, with Frenchman Victor Perez at ten under.

Fitzpatrick has been one of the European Tour's most consistent performers since coming through the Qualifying School in 2014, claiming five victories in his first four seasons, including at this event in 2016.

The last of those five was his second win at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club in 2018, and between then and this week, he had finished second five times.

He has now ended that run of frustration in emphatic fashion, sealing win number six in his 141st event and climbing back into the top 20 on the Official World Golf Ranking.

"The start I got off to, four birdies in the first four, five under through seven, it's a dream start," he said. "Fortunately I managed to pull away from that and really sort of create some distance.

"It was just obviously a bit of a grind on the back nine. For me it was just about finishing one hole at a time and just getting through it. So managed to do that and finished well.

"I had no idea about the Race to Dubai because I knew where I started the week at 16, a lot needed to go my way. When I saw Lee at second, it did enter my head briefly going to 18, even if I win it's probably not going to be enough, anyway. I just wanted to win a lot this week.

"I'm just trying to improve every year. I really set high standards of myself and I am honestly very hard on myself and my team will all tell you the same thing. To be here at 26, and I don't know what this win has taken me to in the world, potentially my highest year-end ranking, I'm very, very happy"

Branden Grace and Tyrrell Hatton finished at nine under, two clear of Adri Arnaus, Tommy Fleetwood, Collin Morikawa and Andy Sullivan