Stephen Ames loves playing The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge in Washington State. With rounds of 67 67 he led after 36 holes, then went on a tear playing his final 5 holes in six under par for a closing 63 to beat defending champion Miquel Jimenez by 7 shots to win the 223 Boeing Classic, his 4th title of the season, in just 14 starts.
Stephen Ames
The win worth $330,000 was his 6th Champions Tour victory and moves him up to #3 in the Charles Schwab standings. He opened and closed in style with eagles.
'' Yeah, it was kinda sweet for sure, I think anyone would take that for sure. Closing like that, sort of freewheeling a bit, I hit the shots I needed to hit coming down the end, everything just clicked, everything came out just the way you usually see it. Not always does it come out like that, but I guess I was in a different time zone playing the last 4 holes.
The way I ended up finishing, I didn't expect that but I came out on top, which is nice."
After a decade of suffering from the yips, veteran Lucas Glover (who doesn't wear a glove), gave in and changed to the long putter, going from "no control" to playing the best golf of his career, with back to back victories and finishing 6th or better in 5 of his last 6 starts.
This time he beat Patrick Cantlay in a playoff, and held off Tommy Fleetwood and Rory McIlroy by a shot in the process. He is now 4th in the FedEx Cup standings and 30th in the world and $3,600,000 richer. He is guaranteed a place in the top 30 for the Tour Championship, automatically qualifies for 2024 high stakes "signature" events, and moves right in contention for a Ryder Cup selection...
"When you're hot your hot, when you're not you're not !"
Canadians
Four of the five Canadians will move on to the BMW Championship top 50 this week at Olympia Fields in Chicago.
Corey Conners had a great 65 65 weekend to finish his week T6, -11 worth $584,285, up to 25th in FedEx standings
Adam Hadwin had a real solid week T16 67 66 69 69 -9 worth $310,000 (ranked 37th)
Nick Taylor improved from an opening 71, with 68 68 66 7 T24 worth $158,285 now ranked 16th in the FedEx standings
PGA Tour : FedEx St Jude Championship.. Leaderboard
After his win at the Sanderson Farms earlier in the year, Mac Hughes was ranked 6th in Fed Ex Cup points, but after a topsy turvy season he has dropped all the way to 47th after his +5 75 on Saturday.
He is out of contention this week, but will need a much better day today to avoid missing out on the top 50 who will advance to the BMW Championship next week.
With 3 bogey's in his first four holes, he recovered with 2 birdies, but a double at the 10th and a triple at the 12th saw him limp home wit the 75. He can still qualify if the projections are right by finishing 53rd or better after today's play.
With a red hot Lucas Glover who won last week and leads by a shot today at 66 64 66 -14 here are where the Canadians are projected to finish today
Nick Taylor T42 71 68 68 -3 started 12th projected 22
Corey Conners T23 67 72 65 -6 (30th ,31st)
Adam Hadwin T12 67 66 69 -8 (44th, 37th)
Adam Svensson T32 66 69 70 -5 (38th ,40)
Mac Hughes T55 67 68 75 E (47th, 51st)
So we can see Taylor, Conners, Hadwin and Svensson are all projected in to play next week, and Hughes would be out.
However as I've been saying all week, it's all about the numbers today, some more so than others like Hughes.
TPC Southwind is no stranger to low scoring, throw in the world's best, hot muggy southern air, and receptive greens at this St Jude Championship in Memphis, well you get the picture.
Jordan Spieth was the best of the bunch after the opening round, tying one of his better scores in a mediocre season at -7 63. The brilliant Korean Tom Kim wearing pedal pushers next -6 64, with Morikawa and Grillo rounding out the top 3 with -5 65's
Players will need to keep pace this week, and Adam Svensson continued his fine recent form leading 4 Canucks inside the top 15 with his T5 -4 66 projecting him inside the top 30 at 28th. 10 players shot 66 to give you some idea of the logjam upcoming.
Mac Hughes, Adam Hadwin and Corey Conners all T15 with 67's.
The goal if you're not going to win this week's shootout is to make the top 50 for the BMW next week at Olympia Fields, and therein lies all the story's, with all the projections.
The top 10 guys, like Rahm, Rory and Scheffler will all be in Atlanta for the season finale, they don't need the money, but the jockeying for the lower positions can make a lesser financially blessed players like Adam Svensson secure for life.
Weather for Memphis.
Today not much precipitation or wind, just more hot muggy air topping out at 34*c by this afternoon
With five Canadians in the field, the $75m FedEx Cup playoffs begin tomorrow, in Memphis for the $20,000,000 FedEx St Jude Championship on TPC Southwind, click the link above for all.
Canadians
9.02 1st Mac Hughes, Tom Hoge, Cameron Young
9.14 1st Adam Hadwin, Patrick Rodgers, JT Poston
11.44 1st Adam Svensson, Ben An, Brendon Todd
12.08 1st Corey Conners, Chris Kirke, Seamus Power
12.44 1st Nick Taylor, Tony Finau, Jason Day
Feature Group
10.44 1st Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy
Weather
In general another hot, humid summer's week in Memphis with a lot of unsettled weather mixed in to affect play.
With his 1st win on the Korn Ferry Tour being 9 years ago (2014) and a demotion after a #160 finish on the 2021-22 PGA Tour, Roger Sloan was winless in 9 years and was without a top 10 in 14 outings this year.
Roger Sloan
All that changed Sunday afternoon in Salt Lake City, when he birdied the last 2 holes of the Utah Championship, both with approach shots within 10 feet for a -5 66 -24, good for the one shot win over a bogey free Christopher Petefish.
" It feels great, to win here is special because it reminds me so much of being back home. Any time you win is very special. This one my family was here, to see my kids run on to the green and hug them is a moment I'll never forget.
I haven't had the greatest of years results wise, that's because I've been working on my game more than usual. I got to keep chipping away at what I've been doing all year, staying committed. The goal is for me to be the best player I can be, and get back on the PGA Tour. Right now Im just taking one day at a time.
While this is great, we'll enjoy it and get back on the grindstone next week"
He wins $180,000 and importantly moves from #92 to #27 on the points list, where the top 30 secure their 2024 PGA Tour cards..
From a historic Masters triumph to a dominant Open Championship performance, the Major Championships have once again provided us with great intrigue in 2023.
Rahm wins to emulate hero Seve
The first Major of the season returned to Augusta National for the 87th edition of the Masters Tournament from April 6-9.
Despite starting the week by four-putting the first hole on Thursday, the Spaniard barely put a foot wrong from there, producing a relentless display of huge driving and nerveless putting.
Weather delays on Friday and Saturday meant Rahm – one of the pre-tournament favourites – had to complete 30 holes on Sunday as he started the final day four shots adrift of Brooks Koepka.
But by the time the pair had completed their delayed third rounds Rahm had cut the gap to two shots before he wiped out the deficit entirely inside four holes of the final round.
However, when the 2021 U.S. Open Champion reached the 15th tee, he held a four-shot lead and maintained that advantage through to the finish to seal his second Major triumph and first Green Jacket.
It was his fifth top-ten finish in seven visits to Augusta as he became the fourth Spaniard to win the Masters as he was met by his family – wife Kelley and two sons Kepa and Eneko – by the 18th green.
Before being presented with his Green Jacket by last year's winner Scottie Scheffler, Rahm said: "For me to get it done on the 40th anniversary of his win, his (Ballesteros’) birthday, on Easter Sunday, it's incredibly meaningful."
Koepka claims third US PGA title
A month later saw the second Major of the season – the PGA Championship – held at Oak Hill Country Club.
A three-under 67 in the final round saw Brooks Koepka hold off Viktor Hovland and a fast-finishing Scottie Scheffler to win his third US PGA Championship and fifth Major.
A birdie blitz across the second, third and fourth improved his overnight lead to four shots, but after finding the water off the tee on the sixth hole his lead was down to a single shot.
A fascinating duel ensued between the pair up until the 16th when Hovland struck his second shot into the face of a fairway bunker.
That cost him a double bogey while Koepka hit his approach shot close and holed out for a birdie and a four-stroke lead with two to play.
Meanwhile, Scheffler enjoyed a strong final day as five birdies in eight holes round the turn helped him into a share of second alongside Hovland, who holed a 16-foot birdie putt to record his best ever finish at a Major.
"I’m just so happy right now, I’m kind of at a loss for words,” said Koepka. “This is just the coolest thing.”
“To be with those names (winning five Majors) is incredible, I’m not even sure I dreamed of it as a kid.”
Clark writes remarkable LA story to win U.S. Open
Just 43 days after winning his first professional title at the Wells Fargo Championship, Wyndham Clark claimed his maiden Major Championship at the 123rd U.S. Open.
It was a remarkable rise to prominence for the American who entered the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in March, having been 313th last May.
Clark started the final round in a tie for the lead alongside Rickie Fowler – who along with Xander Schauffele had hit the lowest U.S. Open rounds ever registered with eight-under 62s on the opening day – but it soon became clear the tussle for the trophy was going to be between him and Rory McIlroy.
An opening birdie for the Northern Irishman boosted hopes he could end his nine-year wait for a fifth Major victory.
But on a day when he found the most greens in regulation over the field, McIlroy was unable to capitalize on challenging greens due to them being quick and dried out.
A bogey at the par-five 14th proved costly as Clark, playing in the group behind, made a two-putt birdie to open up a three-shot lead.
But back-to-back bogeys at the 15th and 16th threatened to open the door ajar only for Clark to make a nerveless two-putt from distance on the 72nd hole to win his national championship.
Harman delivers Hoylake masterclass to secure Claret Jug
We didn’t have to wait long for another first-time Major winner as fellow American Brian Harman produce a fine display of links golf to win The 151st Open.
One stroke off the lead after the opening round, the 36-year-old seized control of the tournament with a six-under 64 that earned him a five-stroke advantage heading into the weekend.
Despite a stellar chasing group doing their best to bridge the gap, he maintained that advantage with a 69 on Saturday to put himself on the cusp of victory.
The final round was played in persistent rain but that didn’t dampen Harman’s spirits as he plotted his way round the links with aplomb, whose lead never dropped below three despite bogeys at the second and fifth.
Back-to-back birdies at the sixth and seventh and then later at the 14th and 15th helped him to post a 70 to secure a six-stroke victory.
Remarkably, he ended the week having only found two bunkers – one of which came at the 18th in the final round – while he only missed one putt inside ten feet all week.
"It’s pretty surreal,” he said. “It really hasn't sunk in yet. I’m not going to let (the Claret Jug) out of my sight for the time being.
"To win what I consider the greatest prize in golf is as good as it gets.”
Lucas Glover won the Wyndham Championship by 2 shots at -20 after a 2 hour Sunday rain delay worth $1,368,000 and moving up 63 places from #112 to qualify for the playoffs at #49.
Canada's Adam Svensson finished T7 63 67 70 68 -12 worth $233,060,000 and #38 in the standings thus wrapping up the 47 events of the regular PGA Tour season.
Michael Gligic will continue to try to keep his card during the Fall Series. He T67 worth $15,884 at the Wyndham 70 68 71 72 +1.
The top 70 players will now proceed to the 3 events that make up the $75,000,000 FedEx Cup playoffs beginning next at the St Jude Championship in Memphis with a prize fund of $20,000,000.
The top 50 from there will compete at Olympia Fields in Chicago August 17-20 with the top 30 qualifying for the Tour Championship in Atlanta at East Lake GC August 24-27.
Five Canadians have qualified
Nick Taylor #12
Corey Conners #30
Adam Svensson #38
Adam Hadwin #44
Mac Hughes #47
For the complete list click on "Standings" above.
Notables Justin Thomas missed by a shot at #71 and Adam Scott at #72.
