Inbee Park highlights my weekend wrap..

First, it is truly nice to have a day off, after a long month I wrapped up work at 10pm last night having driven through those spectacular, lightning laced squalls. Tip of my best golf hat to all those hard working men and women who worked through this long weekend with me.

As always, another intriguing weekend of golf, highlighted by Inbee Park coming from behind to win the Women's British Open in tough conditions at Turnberry, she has now won all four majors, and don't get me started on the Evian Championship in France being a major..

LPGA Tour Ricoh Women's British Open final leaderboard http://espn.go.com/golf/leaderboard?tour=lpga

With a -7 65, Park won by three shots to get to -12 for her seventh major title, becoming just the seventh female player to win four different majors.

 

Jin-Young Ko, yet another unheralded South Korean, was attempting to become the third first-time major winner from South Korea in the last five majors, after Hyo-Joo Kim at the Evian last year and In-Gee Chun at the U.S. Women’s Open last month. She led by 3 shots early in the final round before her fellow South Korean Park took over.

 

“They are machines,” Cristie Kerr said of South Korean golfers. “They practice 10 hours a day.”

 

18-year-old Lydia Ko was seeking to become the youngest major winner, and she shot 69 and T3 -8 with So Yeon Ryu (68).

 

Brooke Henderson finished E,72 while Alena Sharp shot +2, 74

 

 

PGA Tour Quicken Loans National final leaderboard http://espn.go.com/golf/leaderboard?tour=pga

Any time Tiger shows up for an event he becomes the story, and although he was out of it before the round started after a 74 on Saturday, he had the huge gallery following him as he made an early run with 5 birdies before missing a 3 footer for par on 11, made three birdies in four holes to finish T18.

 

What many missed was Bill Haas who was tied for the lead making four bogeys and a double bogey in the final seven holes to drop out of contention, and my pick Rickie Fowler who had an up and down day (7 birdies, but 5 bogey's) ending up 2nd -15  and rising star, David Lingmerth shooting 69 finishing 3rd.

 

Most importantly the winner, Troy Merritt who had a 61 67 weekend, -18 total for his first career victory in 96 starts, finishing 3 clear with a bomb of a birdie putt on the 72nd.

 

Adam Hadwin had another top 25, 71, -7 total T21. Nick Taylor was T52 72, -3 total.

 

 

Champions Tour 3M Championship final leaderboard http://espn.go.com/golf/leaderboard?tour=champions

 

The best part of this event for me was watching Jack, Lee and Gary all playing so well and enjoying themselves in the scramble format. The bad part from a health point of view was seeing how fat so many of the old guys have become. Hale Irwin, Tony Jacklin, Fuzzy, David Graham and so many more, all with familiar swings, but unfamiliar bodies..

 

As for the tournament itself, Kenny Perry who hits it longer than any of the guys, easily defended his 3M Championship, shooting -4 68 for a four-stroke victory over Bernhard Langer, Scott Dunlap and Kevin Sutherland. Perry actually won it after shooting a 61 on Saturday.

 

Stephen Ames finished T7 with a final round of -4 68, while Rod Spittle T38 -5.

 

 

European Tour Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Match Play final results http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2015/tournamentid=2015058/leaderboard/index.html#qhm7BQJeMlu1gUAV.97

 

It was a big week, for an unusually big Thai player, Kiradech Aphibarnrat who just managed to beat Robert Karlsson by one hole in the final, after he was three holes up with four to play before losing the 15th, 16th and 17th, but he held his nerve at the 18th to secure his third European Tour title and his first outside Asia.

 

Meanwhile David Howell recovered from his narrow semi-final defeat to Karlsson to beat Scottish fan favourite Marc Warren by one hole in Sunday afternoon's other match to secure third place.

 

Fowler looking to win his third title of the year at Quicken Loans

PGA Tour Quicken Loans National leaderboard http://espn.go.com/golf/leaderboard?tour=pga

Searing heat, soft greens, no wind are hardly the conditions he faced winning the Scottish Open in Gullane, but Rickie Fowler can play in any weather and after shooting 68 yesterday he is just a shot behind leaders Troy Merritt 61 -14 and Kevin Chappell 67.

Jason Bohn (67), Whee Kim (67), Charles Howell III (67) and David Lingmerth (68) are all at -12

Tiger followed his newsworthy 66 on Friday with a messy 74, didn't make a birdie until the 15th, and starts today 9 shots back.

Fowler who won the Players Championship earlier this year will be in the second last group. "I’m looking forward to being out in front and making some noise, see if we can chase the guys down early and get things going,” he said

It's already hot and humid this morning in Gainesville, so expect someone to shoot a low 60 for the win today...

Canadians :  Adam Hadwin is at -7 T21 after a third-round of 69. Nick Taylor shot +1 72.

Final round underway at Women's British Open

LPGA Tour Ricoh Women's British Open leaderboard http://espn.go.com/golf/leaderboard?tour=lpga

Here's a news flash... it's raining this morning, with a steady if not spectacular breeze on the Ailsa course at the Women's British Open..

Yet another unheralded South Korean with a local lad as her caddie, 20 year old Jin-Young Ko is tied for the lead at -8 after a 69 yesterday along with Teresa Lu from Taiwan..Ko’s story is all the more remarkable considering she met her temporary caddie for the week, a locally born, 27-year-old digital advertiser called Jeff Brighton, for the first time on Tuesday. She said she is taking advice from Brighton on every stroke, and hasn’t been adapting her usual game for the links despite the wind and rain that has lashed the Ailsa course.

My pick, Suzann Petersen shot 72 and is just a shot back at -7.

A more famous Ko, Lydia, recovered from a double-bogey at No. 1 to shoot a 72 and was three strokes off the lead, with top-ranked Inbee Park (69) and Minjee Lee (70).

Canadians : Alena Sharp shot 77 while Brooke Henderson had a 79.

Quarter final Match Play action under way on the links in Aberdeen

European Tour Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Match Play leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2015/tournamentid=2015058/leaderboard/index.html#77eL9OqsU7Mj4ExZ.97

For fans of links golf this is a treat. You can follow the women in the wind and rain on the SW coast at Turnberry in the Ricoh Women's British Open, then watch up and over to the NE coast where Paul Lawrie is hosting his match play event on the Murcur links in his hometown of Aberdeen.

Lawrie was knocked out by fellow Scot, Chris Doak yesterday, and today they are currently playing the round of 16, with the quarters to follow this afternoon.

It's sunny and relatively warm this morning with rain forecast for tomorrow. https://www.google.ca/?gws_rd=ssl#q=weather+forecast+for+aberdeen+Scotland

Bryan

Tiger back in the hunt at his Quicken Loans tournament

PGA Tour Quicken Loans National leaderboard http://espn.go.com/golf/leaderboard?tour=pga

If you'd been on the moon for the past 2 years, and just got home to turn on your TV and watched Tiger playing and shooting 66 to get to -8, just 3 strokes off the lead, you'd wonder what all the fuss was about. Yesterday he looked just like the Tiger you'd seen before your trip into outer space !

He was hitting great irons, making putts, short and bombs, spraying the odd driver, and as a result he is T5, three shots behind Ryo Ishikawa, who birdied the last three holes for a 68 to reach -11, one shot ahead of Scottish Open champion, Rickie Fowler, who also birdied the last three for a 65, and Kevin Chappell, who shot 68.

Need I remind you, two years ago, Tiger was world #1. He has had back surgery and changed his coaches, changed his swing and seemingly changed his ability to play golf. He is now an unbelievable 266th amongst his peers.

The cut fell at -2 and here's a feel good story. Billy Hurley (70) made the cut and after the round, he found out that his father, Willard Hurley Jr., had been located in Texas after disappearing for nearly two weeks.

Canadian scores:  Adam Hadwin 67, 70 and Nick Taylor, 68 69 -5 both are T19.

Bryan

Pettersen in charge of the wind and rain at Turnberry.. round 3 under way

LPGA Women's British Open leaderboard http://espn.go.com/golf/leaderboard?tour=lpga

There is a saying at Turnberry " If you can't see Ailsa Craig it's raining, if you can see it, it's going to rain"  For the uninitiated Ailsa Craig is a huge granite rock off the Ayrshire coast adjacent to the course, which provides the granite for most of the world's curling stones.

Well it rained and blew as it often does on Friday and Suzann Pettersen went out early and shot 69 to get to -7 and as I wrote yesterday, that score stood up all day and she has a two shot lead going into today's 3rd round, now underway.

It's blowing again today although the rain isn't scheduled to arrive again until tomorrow, and it's cold. https://www.google.ca/?gws_rd=ssl#q=weather+forecast+for+turnberry+Scotland

Only 2 players broke 70, Maria McBride from Sweden shot 66, a quarter of the field shot 80 or worse. Pettersen's change to Butch Harmon has revived her game, and she was in complete control and oozing confidence in terrible conditions.

Lydia Ko shot 73 and she is at -5 along with Teresa Lu (71), So Yeon Ryu (72) and Jin-Young Ko (70) while Inbee Park, seeking to complete the career sweep of the majors, also shot a 73, -2 in total.

Canadian scores :  Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp both made the cut. Henderson shot 75 and is +4 while Sharp is +5 after her 77.

Bryan

PGA Tour's 2016 busy schedule makes RBC Canadian Open slot even tougher

The PGA Tour has released its 2015-16 schedule, which has included several changes because of golf's return to the Olympics next August in Rio de Janeiro and includes the Ryder Cup in Minnesota September 29- October 1.

The Travelers Championship, John Deere Classic and Wyndham Championship will be played during the three-weeks of the Rio Olympics, not good news for them, for example Jordan Spieth will likely be in Rio, not defending at the John Deere.

Our Canadian Open, always a tough slot right after the Open Championhip, at least has a couple of weeks afterwards before the PGA Championship which helps encourage players to take the charter to Glen Abbey, knowing they can get a break afterwards.

Next year the Open is at Troon, but the PGA Championship at Baltusrol is the week right after the RBC Canadian.

With the Olympics in the mix starting in the second week of August we all knew scheduling was going to be a challenge, so everyone in the busy summer will have to sacrifice.

The European Tour is no exception and it hasn't released it's schedule yet.

The FedEx Cup playoffs will start the week after the Olympics, and that will present challenges for guys who qualify for the Olympics but are struggling to stay in the top 125 in the FedEx Cup as they lose two weeks of point possibility.

On the bright side, it means a ton of exciting golf next summer, with Olympic gold now up for grabs along with major championships.

Remember, the defending Olympic champion is Canada !! Yes I remind you it was George Lyon in 1904 during the Summer Olympics in St Louis.

Bryan