Here’s the prize money breakdown for each golfer at the 2026 KLM Open

Eugenio Chacarra secures his second DP World Tour title #KLMOpen pic.twitter.com/iwx0gcS5CQ

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 7, 2026

Oliver Lindell had put the pressure on the long-time leader as a round of 69, capped by a birdie of his own, took him alongside Chacarra at ten under par.

The Spaniard responded in kind with an excellent approach setting up a two-putt from around 20 feet to seal the crown at The International in Amsterdam.

Dropped shots for overnight leaders Sebastian Söderberg at the first hole and Chacarra at the third allowed Marcus Armitage and Maximilian Steinlechner to take a share of the lead with two birdies apiece.

Söderberg birdied the fourth but Chacarra seized control approaching the turn, birdieing the eighth and ninth to open up a three-shot lead at 11 under as his closest challengers dropped back.

A bogey at the 12th brought the chasing pack back into contention, with Lindell birdieing the 14th to move within one. Chacarra responded immediately with a birdie of his own before Lindell and Steinlechner both picked up shots at the 15th to emerge as his main challengers.

While Chacarra dropped a shot at the 16th, Steinlechner bogeyed the par-three 17th and Lindell’s par left him just one behind heading to the last.

The former LIV Golfer, Chacarra, went desperately close to a virtual clinching birdie at the 17th, which would have been only the fifth of the day on that hole, and Lindell asked the question with a closing birdie to move alongside him at the summit as the Spaniard prepared to hit his approach shot.

He duly found the back of the green and ran his first putt down close to the pin, taking deep breaths as his playing partners finished up before the tap-in to clinch his second DP World Tour win, after last year’s Hero Indian Open.

Chacarra spoke after Saturday’s round of how he relishes tough conditions and Sunday in Amsterdam certainly delivered, with high winds throughout. The low round of the day was just a three-under-par 68 from Marcel Siem, while only eight players shot in the 60s.

Lindell, who birdied three of the last four holes and has made the cut in all 16 of his DP World Tour starts this season, was left to settle for second on his own while Angel Ayora eagled the last to join Steinlechner, Söderberg and Joe Dean in third on eight under.

Julien Guerrier and Danny Willett were a further shot back with the top ten completed by Yanhan Zhou at six under and Lindell’s fellow Finn Sami Välimäki at five under.

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The post Chacarra wins KLM Open, his second DP World Tour title appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Connor Syme successfully defended his maiden DP World Tour title after claiming it 12 months earlier when he had seen off playing partner Joakim Lagergren by two shots. The 29-year-old Scot had been in control throughout the final round the previous year as he closed out a breakthrough victory in his 182nd appearance.

The International hosted the event for the third consecutive year and fourth time overall. The Amsterdam venue once again proved to be the perfect setting for the tournament and, over the previous two editions, had seen victories for Syme and Guido Migliozzi. It had also hosted the event in 2019 when Sergio Garcia lifted the trophy, and the 2017 Masters champion remained one of several Major winners to have tasted KLM Open success.

First played in 1912 and an ever-present on the DP World Tour schedule since 1972, aside from Covid-related disruptions, the event had been won by the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, José María Olazábal, Payne Stewart, Darren Clarke and Martin Kaymer. As one of the great national opens, it continued to be a jewel in the crown of the DP World Tour schedule, with The International playing an important role in its rich history.

Eugenio Chacarra birdied the 18th hole to win the 2026 KLM Open by one stroke.

Here’s the prize money breakdown for each golfer at the 2026 KLM Open

1st – Eugenio Chacarra – €402,463.27

2nd – Oliver Lindell – €260,417.41

T3rd – Angel Ayora – €112,689.72

T3rd – Joe Dean – €112,689.72

T3rd – Sebastian Söderberg – €112,689.72

T3rd – Maximilian Steinlechner – €112,689.72

T7th – Julien Guerrier – €65,104.35

T7th – Danny Willett – €65,104.35

9th – Yanhan Zhou – €53,030.45

10th – Sami Välimäki – €47,348.62

T11th – Nacho Elvira – €40,798.73

T11th – Jayden Schaper – €40,798.73

T11th – Richard Sterne – €40,798.73

T14th – Marcus Armitage – €32,095.60

T14th – Pablo Ereño – €32,095.60

T14th – Marcus Helligkilde – €32,095.60

T14th – Calum Hill – €32,095.60

T14th – Daniel Hillier – €32,095.60

T14th – James Morrison – €32,095.60

T14th – David Ravetto – €32,095.60

T21st – Ross Fisher – €25,331.51

T21st – Jordan Gumberg – €25,331.51

T21st – Angel Hidalgo – €25,331.51

T21st – Scott Jamieson – €25,331.51

T21st – Niklas Nørgaard – €25,331.51

T21st – Brandon Robinson Thompson – €25,331.51

T21st – Bernd Wiesberger – €25,331.51

T28th – Michael Hollick – €21,425.25

T28th – Kazuma Kobori – €21,425.25

T28th – Guido Migliozzi – €21,425.25

T28th – Callum Tarren – €21,425.25

T32nd – Andreas Halvorsen – €17,913.56

T32nd – Yuto Katsuragawa – €17,913.56

T32nd – Matteo Manassero – €17,913.56

T32nd – Francesco Molinari – €17,913.56

T32nd – Ryan Peake – €17,913.56

T32nd – Marcel Siem – €17,913.56

T38th – Cameron Adam – €14,441.33

T38th – Kiradech Aphibarnrat – €14,441.33

T38th – Davis Bryant – €14,441.33

T38th – Jens Dantorp – €14,441.33

T38th – Ricardo Gouveia – €14,441.33

T38th – Hunter Logan – €14,441.33

T38th – Lars van der Vight – €14,441.33

T45th – David Law – €12,073.90

T45th – JC Ritchie – €12,073.90

T45th – Robin Williams – €12,073.90

T48th – Dylan Frittelli – €9,706.47

T48th – Sadom Kaewkanjana – €9,706.47

T48th – Alexander Levy – €9,706.47

T48th – Stefano Mazzoli – €9,706.47

T48th – Brandon Stone – €9,706.47

T48th – Paul Waring – €9,706.47

T48th – Ashun Wu – €9,706.47

T55th – Adri Arnaus – €7,812.52

T55th – Jacob Skov Olesen – €7,812.52

T55th – Antoine Rozner – €7,812.52

T58th – Rikuya Hoshino – €7,220.66

T58th – Jason Scrivener – €7,220.66

T60th – Sebastian Garcia – €6,392.06

T60th – Mikael Lindberg – €6,392.06

T60th – Joost Luiten – €6,392.06

T60th – Renato Paratore – €6,392.06

T60th – Eddie Pepperell – €6,392.06

65th – Dan Bradbury – €5,681.83

T66th – Matthew Baldwin – €5,208.35

T66th – Rafa Cabrera Bello – €5,208.35

T66th – Nicolai von Dellingshausen – €5,208.35

70th – Frederic Lacroix – €4,734.86

T71st – Marcus Kinhult – €4,024.63

T71st – Connor Syme – €4,024.63

73rd – Marcel Schneider – €3,548.15

W/D – Ewen Ferguson – €3,542.14

W/D – Nathan Kimsey – €3,542.14

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The 29-year-old Scot was always in control on Sunday at The International in Amsterdam as he closed out a breakthrough win in his 182nd appearance on the DP World Tour.

With Syme starting the day two shots ahead of Lagergren with the rest of the field a further four back, it came down to almost a match play battle between the pair – even as a weather-related rescheduling left them playing in a three-ball with Francesco Laporta.

Syme struck first with a birdie at the second, hitting his approach to four feet. Lagergren responded with a 15-foot putt at the seventh but gave the shot back after finding sand beside the ninth green.

Both players birdied the 13th, Syme holing from 15 feet and Lagergren matching his score, but the Scot dropped a shot at the next – his first bogey in 33 holes, since the 16th on Friday – to cut his lead back to two.

Lagergren missed the 15th green and though he almost salvaged par with a brilliant chip that brushed the edge of the hole, a shot slipped away. Syme had a birdie chance from around 10 feet and though the putt died off to the left, his lead was three with three holes to play.

Lagergren hit an excellent approach into the 16th but had to settle for a par, with Syme making a superb up-and-down to match his score.

Another nerveless par at the 17th, as Lagergren dropped a shot, gave Syme a four-shot lead to take up the last and after all three players hit their tee-shots within two feet of each other in the fairway, Syme calmly hit two more shots to the front of the green.

Lagergren sent a Hail Mary fairway wood right over the pin and holed a fine eagle putt to finish nine under but Syme two-putted from 70 feet to join the likes of Colin Mongomerie, Gordon Brand Jr and Ken Brown as Scottish winners of the KLM Open.

MORE: Here’s the prize money breakdown for each golfer at the 2025 KLM Open

South Africa’s Jayden Schaper finished third at four under after a final round of 69.

Ewen Ferguson had his own champagne moment earlier in the day with a hole-in-one at the seventh, helping him to a 67 and a share of third place on three under with fellow Scot Richie Ramsay and England’s Jack Senior.

Laporta bogeyed the last after finding sand and then water to drop to two under, level with last week’s Austrian Alpine Open presented by SalzburgerLand champion Nicolai von Dellingshausen as well as Spanish pair Jorge Campillo and Manuel Elvira and Englishmen Andy Sullivan and Dan Bradbury.

Main Image: Getty Images

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The post Connor Syme secures maiden DP World Tour victory at KLM Open appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

In the fourth event of the European Swing, Italian star Guido Migliozzi returned to The International to defend his KLM Open title from June 5-8, following his thrilling play-off victory over Joe Dean and Marcus Kinhult 12 months prior.

Joining Migliozzi in the field was former champion Pablo Larrazábal, Major winner Jimmy Walker, and a strong Dutch contingent featuring Joost Luiten, Darius van Driel, and Wil Besseling.

Luiten, a two-time KLM Open winner in 2013 and 2016, made his 18th appearance at the tournament.

The 105th edition also marked a significant milestone, as Dutch football legend Ruud Gullit was appointed co-tournament director, sharing the role with long-time sporting lead Daan Slooter.

It was Scotland’s Connor Syme who won his maiden DP World Tour title as he saw off playing partner Joakim Lagergren by two shots at the 2025 KLM Open.

Here’s the prize money breakdown for each golfer at the 2025 KLM Open

1 – Connor Syme – €408,798.36

2 – Joakim Lagergren – €264,516.59

3 – Jayden Schaper – €151,495.86

4 – Ewen Ferguson – €102,119.43

4 – Richie Ramsay – €102,119.43

4 – Jack Senior – €102,119.43

7 – Dan Bradbury – €53,304.10

7 – Jorge Campillo – €53,304.10

7 – Manuel Elvira – €53,304.10

7 – Francesco Laporta – €53,304.10

7 – Andy Sullivan – €53,304.10

7 – Nicolai von Dellingshausen – €53,304.10

13 – Rafa Cabrera Bello – €34,707.78

13 – Grant Forrest – €34,707.78

13 – Gavin Green – €34,707.78

13 – Nathan Kimsey – €34,707.78

13 – Kristoffer Reitan – €34,707.78

13 – Johannes Veerman – €34,707.78

19 – Angel Ayora – €27,276.13

19 – Sean Crocker – €27,276.13

19 – Nacho Elvira – €27,276.13

19 – Ricardo Gouveia – €27,276.13

19 – Daan Huizing – €27,276.13

19 – Jacob Skov Olesen – €27,276.13

19 – Pierre Pineau – €27,276.13

26 – Lucas Bjerregaard – €19,701.33

26 – Daniel Brown – €19,701.33

26 – Hamish Brown – €19,701.33

26 – Ivan Cantero – €19,701.33

26 – Jens Dantorp – €19,701.33

26 – Alex Fitzpatrick – €19,701.33

26 – Daniel Hillier – €19,701.33

26 – Dylan Naidoo – €19,701.33

26 – Jason Scrivener – €19,701.33

26 – Marcel Siem – €19,701.33

26 – Richard Sterne – €19,701.33

26 – Darius van Driel – €19,701.33

26 – Andrew Wilson – €19,701.33

26 – Fabrizio Zanotti – €19,701.33

40 – Marcus Armitage – €13,947.24

40 – Benjamin Hebert – €13,947.24

40 – Angel Hidalgo – €13,947.24

40 – Zander Lombard – €13,947.24

40 – David Ravetto – €13,947.24

40 – Tadeas Tetak – €13,947.24

46 – Eugenio Chacarra – €11,783.01

46 – Yuto Katsuragawa – €11,783.01

46 – Bernd Wiesberger – €11,783.01

49 – Nicolas Colsaerts – €9,618.78

49 – Maximilian Kieffer – €9,618.78

49 – Richard Mansell – €9,618.78

49 – Freddy Schott – €9,618.78

49 – Callum Shinkwin – €9,618.78

49 – Jeff Winther – €9,618.78

55 – Oliver Lindell – €7,695.03

55 – Francesco Molinari – €7,695.03

55 – John Parry – €7,695.03

55 – Clément Sordet – €7,695.03

55 – Lars van Meijel – €7,695.03

60 – Alejandro del Rey – €6,492.68

60 – Wenyi Ding – €6,492.68

60 – Alfredo Garcia-Heredia – €6,492.68

60 – Haotong Li – €6,492.68

60 – Tom Vaillant – €6,492.68

65 – Gregorio De Leo – €5,530.80

65 – Marcel Schneider – €5,530.80

65 – Sebastian Söderberg – €5,530.80

68 – Dylan Frittelli – €4,929.63

68 – Andrea Pavan – €4,929.63

70 – Lars van der Vight – €4,568.92

71 – Calum Hill – €3,607.04

72 – Ross Fisher – €3,604.04

73 – Marcus Kinhult – €3,601.04

74 – Joel Moscatel – €3,598.04

Main Image: The International

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The Italian entered the final day one shot off the lead at The International but found himself three clear in a tie for top spot at one point and led alone by one early on the back nine before a pair of bogeys left him two behind.

He then birdied the 16th and 18th to sign for a roller coaster 70 and finish at 11 under alongside Joe Dean and Marcus Kinhult.

The trio all made two-putt birdies on the first trip back up the par-five last and while Dean and Kinhult both made par at the second attempt despite the Englishman hitting a poor tee-shot and the Swede finding the water, Migliozzi found the green in two and left himself two feet for a sixth four on the closing hole and a dramatic win.

The moment @guidomigliozzi claimed his fourth DP World Tour title #KLMOpen pic.twitter.com/k0CfekBow4

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 23, 2024

“I never thought I was done. I’ve always been in position and tried to make birdies and come back and here it is now,” said the Italian.

“It’s an incredible feeling, it’s been an incredible battle, well done to everybody. It’s super, super nice to be here now.”

Migliozzi’s victory sees him earn a place at The Open Championship next month alongside Dean, who edged out Kinhult for the second spot by virtue of the Official World Golf Ranking.

Dean came home in 30 to post a closing 68, the same score as Kinhult, with Dane Rasmus Højgaard and Italy’s Andrea Pavan finishing a shot out of the play-off.

Migliozzi burst onto the DP World Tour scene in some style five years ago, winning twice in his debut season after coming through the Qualifying School.

He also won the Open de France in 2022, producing possibly the shot of the season to take the title on the last and once again he has won a prestigious national open after late drama.

Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin also carded a 65 to finish at nine under, one clear of South African Thomas Aiken, Italy’s Matteo Manassero and Austrian Bernd Wiesberger, with Finn Korhonen finishing the week four shots out of the play-off.

Main Image: Getty Images

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Jorge Campillo was flying high after the first round of the KLM Open at Bernardus Golf in Cromvoirt, Netherlands, as he rolled in 10 birdies on his way to a nine-under 63 and a three-stroke lead.

The Spaniard started hot with four birdies on the trot from the 11th hoe (his second) and kept up the momentum to lead the field trailing. Andy Sullivan, Joël Stalter and Pablo Larrazábal were Campillo’s nearest challengers on six-under after their 66s.

Home favourite Joost Luiten was in the large group another shot back alongside Englishmen Dale Whitnell and John Parry, Spaniards Alejandro del Rey and Adrian Otaegui, India’s Shubhankar Sharma and Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat.

Clubhouse Lead @jcampillogolf with a brilliant 63 #KLMOpen

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) May 25, 2023

Campillo said: “I played solid really. I hit it great, hit the driver fairly well, missed a few fairways here and there but hit great iron shots and only made one bogey.

“I was 30 feet from birdie but hit it 60 feet past the hole – but overall I played really solid.

“I keep doing the same things. I’m hitting my irons really well, the driver is a little inconsistent but on this golf course, it lets you play from off the fairway as well.

“I putted great today, which I didn’t do in Belgium, so it was a nice day.”

The post Campillo flies to the top at KLM Open appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Let's just leave it to the pros to call "fore." (Wait for it)@Lexi pic.twitter.com/ivXE2orUOv

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) September 14, 2019

The response. The face. So good. But while the clip spread around Golf Twitter, it didn’t spawn a full-blown meme. I tried to push the issue, but like the word “fetch” in Mean Girls, sadly, it hasn’t really caught on:

Me when someone compares the Giants ownership to the Knicks. pic.twitter.com/Dv6Nr3pcbB

— Alex Myers (@AlexMyers3) September 16, 2019

Maybe I went too regional with a New York sports joke? I had been workshopping “Me when someone criticizes my diet” or “Me when someone asks about my chocolate addiction.” Maybe those would have played better? Oh well, I tried, Lexi. In any event, we promise to talk about some more important things going on in golf. And in the meantime, better safe than sorry with those “Fore!” calls.

WE’RE BUYING

Suzann Pettersen: Many people questioned Pettersen’s spot on the European team after essentially being on maternity leave for the past two years, but wow, did she come through with arguably the year’s clutchest putt and potentially one of the greatest walk-off moments in sports history. As in actually walking off into the sunset. The two-time major champ buried this must-make putt to claim the Solheim Cup and then immediately announced her retirement from professional golf:

Suzann Pettersen wins it on the 18th

After an @allymc10 miss on 17, @suzannpettersen makes birdie on the 18th to win the Solheim Cup for Team Europe! pic.twitter.com/6nYPDZ4azP

— LPGA (@LPGA) September 15, 2019

What a freaking mic drop.

Joaquin Niemann: From one player perfectly finishing a brilliant career to another beginning one in style, Niemann rolled in a long birdie putt to cap a six-shot win at The Greenbrier to open the 2019-‘20 PGA Tour season.

What a way to wrap up the win.

A birdie at the last for @JoacoNiemann.

He shot 31 to win by SIX @GBRMilitary. pic.twitter.com/oIZfDtBKQi

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 15, 2019

How about this kid? And we do mean kid considering he doesn’t turn 21 until November. A late-season run allowed him to keep his PGA Tour card following his rookie season and now, who knows how good this former World No. 1 amateur can be. In addition to being the first golfer from Chile to win on the PGA Tour, he also joined Seve Ballesteros and Rory McIlroy as the only foreign-born players under 21 to win a tour event. DECENT company.

Sergio Garcia: We’ll keep the international accolades going with Sergio’s KLM Open victory, his 16th career European Tour title. Frankly, it was good to see Sergio making news for something other than destroying a golf course or throwing a putter at his caddie. And I love a good Azalea sighting:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2eo4hjFUzD/?utm_source=ig_embed

We’re also buying the 18-year-old from Denmark, Nicolai Hojgaard, who he beat by one. I remember a teenaged Sergio challenging Tiger Woods at the 1999 PGA Championship like it was yesterday. Damn, I’m getting old.

Jack Nicklaus’ heroics: Jack may be closing in on 80, but the Golden Bear still possesses the magic that made him an 18-time major champ. First, here’s a walk-off putt to win a team event:

Good way to end the day!
Promised partner & longtime friend Tom Kelley I would share our fun. Tom & I won the Legends Division (small field) today in 2-day @SycamoreHillsFW National Pro-Scratch Invitational.
Wanted to make sure on 18 that we didn't lose in a scorecard playoff! pic.twitter.com/8VSWYsmKH4

— Jack Nicklaus (@jacknicklaus) September 11, 2019

And then he had a walk-off chip-in to win a charity contest:

UNREAL @JackNicklaus drained his chip for charity on 18 at The @AllyChallenge. pic.twitter.com/YgWtasd14o

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) September 14, 2019

You don’t win 18 majors by accident. What a legend.

WE’RE SELLING

Lexi Thompson’s week: What actually was that bad was Thompson’s 0-4 record. A tweaked back before her final match didn’t help matters, but if Thompson could have clawed even a half-point, Team USA would have retained the Cup. Ouch. Instead, America’s highest-ranked player got shut out, while the world’s 620th-ranked player wound up being the hero. That’s golf, folks.

Scottie Scheffler’s “shank”: This shot definitely didn’t need a “FORE!” call and yet the PGA Tour rookie was disgusted by it. Scheffler obviously hasn’t played with my boss, Sam Weinman, because he clearly has no clue what a shank is.

If this is a shank, then sign me tf up pic.twitter.com/Na7vxbPf2R

— Amanda Rose (@AmandaGolf59) September 14, 2019

And you wonder why kids react like this on tee shots that end up 15 feet from the pin:

12-year-old Vince Komen just beat the Pros! #KLMOpen pic.twitter.com/R5gpCxMrNj

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) September 12, 2019

Hideki Matsuyama, this is your fault.

Kevin Chappell’s weekend: First off, it was great seeing Kevin playing his first PGA Tour event in nearly a year after undergoing back surgery. It was even greater seeing him fire the 11th 59 in PGA Tour history on Friday at The Greenbrier. Yet with rounds of 73 and 72 over the weekend, he managed to finish T-47. In a tournament, he shot FIFTY-NINE! But again, that’s golf, folks.

ON TAP

The PGA Tour heads to Mississippi for the Sanderson Farms Championship, AKA that event where the winner gets a rooster trophy. Meanwhile, the BMW PGA, the European Tour’s flagship event, will be contested across the pond. This event was moved from May to September with all the PGA Tour schedule changes this past season. It will boast a better field than the Sanderson Farms Championship, but not a rooster trophy. Advantage: Sanderson Farms Championship.

Random tournament fact: Cameron Champ won the coveted rooster trophy last year. But he is still looking for his first top 10 of 2019.

Matt Sullivan

Heavy lies the rooster crown.

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

—Either event will produce a dramatic finish like the Solheim Cup: 1 MILLION-to-1 odds

—Joaquin Niemann will win again this week: 12-to-1 odds (Actual odds; the favourite to win that coveted rooster trophy!)

—Joaquin Niemann will win again at some point: LOCK

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Move over, Alex Noren!

1,000 balls a day

Dutch amateur Koen Kouwenaar’s hands show how he's currently inside the Top 15 #KLMOpen pic.twitter.com/dhU7uNrtYP

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) September 13, 2019

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Move over, Brooks Koepka!

Warm weather practice for @Kiradech pic.twitter.com/E9QewCPu4e

— GOLFTV (@GOLFTV) September 13, 2019

Long live The Barn Rat.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I’m done. I’m closing it down tomorrow.” —Suzann Pettersen. Funny, I said the same thing after my latest disappointing round on Saturday.

THIS WEEK IN CELEBRITIES PLAYING GOLF

From backboards to sneakers to golf clubs, Zion Williamson destroys everything he touches:

“He literally broke the club!”

Grown. Man. Strength. @Zionwilliamson pic.twitter.com/uRd3cV6WX6

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) September 13, 2019

THIS WEEK IN TOUR PRO PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION COMPETITION

Tiger Woods and his girlfriend, Erica Herman, went to a college football game pitting their alma maters (Stanford and UCF) against each other:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2eR1IWBPzw/?utm_source=ig_embed

And Erica’s Golden Knights are probably ready to declare themselves co-national champs again after drubbing Tiger’s Cardinal, 45-27. Ouch.

Julio Aguilar

That must have been a tense car ride home. And then Woods’ Oakland Raiders got run off the field by the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Tough weekend for Tiger.

THIS WEEK IN TOUR PROS ARE JUST LIKE US

Justin Thomas shared his recent skin cancer scare and provided an important PSA for golfers everywhere:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2Utje_BIq5/?utm_source=ig_embed

Also, JT, you might want to ask Phil for some calf exercises. Speaking of Phil. . .

THIS WEEK IN PHIL BEING PHIL

Phil philmed his latest edition of “Phireside Chats” from one of his phavourite restaurants in San Diego:

I was at Addison’s (best restaurant in SD and has 1 Michelin star) and I saw a fireplace. So I shot a quick Phireside with Phil. pic.twitter.com/jVqhxzcSDJ

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) September 15, 2019

We were wondering when he was going to start turning these into ads. Can’t wait for him to start slipping in some product placement! Also, Phil got word of this fantastic painting of him:

Now this is……….AWESOME ! https://t.co/i2DsU016e4

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) September 16, 2019

Hopefully, that artist got PAID.

THIS AND THAT

Tiger Woods announced the One Bahamas Fund to help raise money for the area after Hurricane Dorian. You can donate here. Check out our Brian Wacker’s piece on Dorian’s devastating effects and donate here. . . . Viktor Hovland tied Bob Estes’ PGA Tour record by shooting in the 60s for a 17th consecutive round. Sorry, Bob, but I think your record is going down. . . . More stats! With a pair of 20-year-olds, Matthew Wolff and Joaquin Niemann winning in the same year, marked the first time since 1931 that three players under the age of 21 won on the PGA Tour in the same year. . . . Speaking of Young Gunz, 17-year-old Akshay Bhatia will make his pro debut this week at the Sanderson Farms Championship. He makes Wolff and Niemann look like grizzled vets. . . . And finally, these cookies are a new addition to Costco:

Let’s just say I’m not mad about it.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Did Tiger and Erica make a bet on the Stanford-UCF game?

Did golf writers (over)use the phrase “Young Gunz” in 1931?

Is my chocolate addiction that bad?

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By Ryan Herrington
Good news has been hard to come by for Sergio Garcia in 2019. The 39-year-old Spaniard was disqualified from a European Tour event in Saudi Arabia in February after purposely damaging greens during a round. In July, there were more on-course tantrums caught on camera at the Open Championship and the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. And after finishing 2018 at No. 23 on the Official World Golf Ranking, Garcia had fallen to No. 43 before this week’s KLM Open.

Yet on Sunday at The International in Amsterdam, Garcia finally heard the media speaking his name without taking it in vain. With a closing three-under-par 69, he won the title by one stroke over Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard.

The victory was the 16th on the European Tour for the former Masters champion, and the first since winning the 2018 Andalucia Masters. It marks the third straight year that Garcia has won an event on the European Tour, the first time in his career that he’s gone three straight seasons with a victory.

“We had a great week and great to win again,” Garcia said. “I played well all week under pressure. It wasn’t easy. There were a couple of tough moments today, but I hung on tough, that’s the most important thing.”

Specifically, Garcia birdied four of his first seven holes on Sunday, but bogeyed the other three to make the turn in one under par. On the back nine, Garcia made birdies on the 11th, 15th and 16th holes to take a three-shot lead over Hojgaard, only to bogey the 17th hole and bring the outcome back into doubt.

Hojgaard, an 18-year-old playing in just his seventh European Tour event, reached the par-5 18th in two. But his eagle putt that could have forced a playoff slid by the hole. His birdie left him with a 68.

Garcia proceeded to make a par on the 18th to clinch the win at 18-under 270, earning €333,330. The most satisfying part of the win? That it came with family members watching from behind the 18th green.

Said Garcia: “It was honestly amazing to have my brother [Victor], Angela my wife, and little Azalea [Garcia’s daughter] here. It’s very special.”

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By John Huggan
One shot ahead after three rounds and still clear after 14 holes on the final day, Chris Wood for a long time looked the most likely winner of the KLM Open. But, sadly for the 30-year-old Englishman, those last four holes proved to be four too far. As his nearest challenger, China’s Ashun Wu, made birdie 4s on the 15th and 18th to shoot a closing 67 and reach 16 under on The Dutch course just outside Spijk, Wood could manage only regulation figures. Needing a birdie to tie on the 499-yard par-5 18th, Wood agonisingly three-putted from long range—his first effort actually rolled off the green—to hand Wu the title and the €300,000 first prize.

WIN: Places in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Omega Dubai Desert Classic and Omega Dubai Ladies Classic Pro-Ams

Wu arrived in the Netherlands 90th on the Race to Dubai and a lowly 344th in the World Ranking. The 33-year-old was nearing the end of a season in which he has struggled mightily to hold onto his tour card, and thus understandably delighted at this dramatic turnaround in his fortunes. Following a T-7 finish in the China Open back in April and T-6 just a week earlier in Switzerland, this was only Wu’s third top-10 finish in an otherwise undistinguished campaign.

“I feel fantastic,” he said after completing his third European Tour victory and moving all the way up to 43rd on the money list. “This is unbelievable. I have so many people to thank, my caddie especially. He told me to focus on every shot and do my best. The last few holes were key. And the shot I hit to 18 was unbelievable, definitely my best shot of the week. My coach and I have been working very hard since the start of the year. And I have been getting better and better since Denmark [where he finished T-49]. I am so happy to have my name on this trophy alongside so many great ones.”

Not surprisingly, even after shooting 69, Wood was less enamored with the eventual outcome. Since winning the 2016 BMW PGA Championship and playing in the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine later that year (he partnered Justin Rose to a foursome victory over Jimmy Walker and Zach Johnson before losing to then-U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson on the final green in the singles), things have not gone quite so well for the amiable 6-foot-6 giant. Where his career path to that point had gone steadily upwards, he has since stalled amidst much tinkering with his full-swing technique.

Jan Kruger/Getty Images
Wood stood on the 18th green not believing the title has slipped away.

Indeed, since that famous win at Wentworth in May 2016, Wood has managed only six top-10s in 39 European Tour starts. Still, three of those have come this season, all of them runner-up finishes. So, even amidst this latest disappointment, the signs are once again positive. Still, he will look back with some regret on the wild tee-shots he carved well right of the 12th and 15th fairways on Sunday. The first led to a damaging double bogey (one that followed the two successive birdies that had taken him three shots clear of the field), and the latter to a hard-working par on what was the third-easiest hole on the course.

Slightly lower on the leader board, Belgium’s Thomas Detry, who drove home after Friday mistakenly thinking he had missed the cut, only to return and shoot 63-66 over the weekend, finished T-3 alongside Hideto Tanihara. Three-time major champion Padraig Harrington was alone in fifth place, three shots behind the champion. Mention too must be made of Martin Kaymer. In his first event after splitting with long-time caddie Craig Connelly, the former U.S. Open and PGA champion shot a final round 69 to be T-15. Amazingly, this was the German’s third-highest finish on the European Tour this season. Baby steps.

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By Christopher Powers
After Friday’s second round of the Valspar Championship, Paul Casey said “I want to win this week, but if I don’t I want Tiger to win this week.” One of those wishes came true.

Casey played a brilliant round on Sunday on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook, closing with a six-under 65 to earn his second PGA Tour victory, his first since the 2009 Shell Houston Open. It’s also his first worldwide victory since the 2014 KLM Open on the European Tour.

“He (Woods) made it look easy for such a long time, and it’s not,” said Casey, who finished at 10-under 274. “I’ve won a few times in Europe, [but] to take this long to get my second victory on the PGA Tour, it’s emotional. I’ve worked so hard, I’m so happy for it.”

Casey’s won more than a few times on the European Tour, 13 to be exact, which always made his lack of victories on the PGA Tour so puzzling. He’s given himself plenty of chances though, finishing inside the top seven now 21 times since the beginning of 2015, including two runner-up finishes that year. Sooner or later, win No. 2 was going to come.

“A lot of practice. I work hard at it. I think the biggest thing was I lost a friend last Saturday, at Mexico, played with a heavy heart, maybe that was the difference.”

The Englishman made seven birdies and just one bogey on Sunday, needing just 21 putts along the way. The winning putt ended up being a 21-footer for birdie at the par-3 12th, the last Casey made all day. In addition to this win, he’s made all six cuts this season, finishing inside the top-20 five on five of those occasions.

Finishing in a tie for second at nine-under 275 were Woods and Patrick Reed, who looked to be in prime position to get into a playoff with Casey when he found the green with his approach shot at the 18th hole, needing only a two-putt par. His birdie effort was so short that it rolled back to his feet on the treacherous 18th green, leading to a bogey for a three-under 68.

In the group behind Reed, Woods mounted a late charge, finally making his second birdie of the day from 43 feet at the par-3 17th to get to nine under. His last birdie effort at the 18th came up two feet short, and he cleaned up the par for a one-under 70. It was an exciting week for the 14-time major champion and a promising sign. He’ll be back next week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, where he looks to capture his ninth career victory.

Sergio Garcia, who matched Casey’s Sunday 65, finished alone in fourth at eight-under 276. Rory Sabbatini and Justin Rose tied for fifth at seven-under 277.

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