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Tour Mash: DJ takes WGC-Mexico, Queen Inbee wins HSBC

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Many of the tours took a vacation during this World Golf Championships week, but the three tournaments that were played provided scintillating competition. Hole-outs galore offered a season’s worth of highlights at the WGC-Mexico Championship, while a great champion returned to the podium on the LPGA Tour. For balance, the European Tour toasted a first-time winner. Let’s toast all three with some delicious mash, this week’s main course.

WGC-Mexico Championship: 4th WGC title for DJ

As the introductions for the final threesome were made, only Dustin Johnson received a translation into Spanish. Perhaps the bilingual welcome motivated the big man, perhaps not. The 2016 U.S. Open champ and World No. 1 became the third two-time winner on the PGA Tour this season, sneaking out of Mexico City with a one-stroke margin over England’s Tommy Fleetwood.

Winning WITB: See what clubs were in DJ’s bag in Mexico

Johnson and the field trailed three-time season winner Justin Thomas at the day’s start, but Thomas struggled for a second time this week to find his groove. After Thursday, the Alabama alum sent video of his swing back home to his PGA Professional father. The fix worked for two days, but on Sunday the swing repair broke down.

Replacing Thomas as Johnson’s prime competition were two unlikely Sunday chargers. Fleetwood, he of the hair of Samson, posted six birdies on Sunday for 65, coming up one stroke back of the victor. On Fleetwood’s heels was countryman Ross Fisher, who closed with three consecutive birds (nine on the day) for 65 and solo third.

Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson and John Rahm were each poised to take home the title on Sunday morning, but only Rahm (68) was able to shoot under par in the final round. Back-to-back three putts on Nos. 16 and 17 dropped the 22-year-old two shots back of Johnson.

European Tour: Burmester rises to Tshwane Open title

A week after a missed opportunity at the Joburg Open, Dean Burmester found himself in Sunday’s penultimate pairing trying to chase down third-round leader Scott Jamieson. The 27-year-old Burmester was also in pursuit of his initial European Tour victory, but Jamieson appeared anything but wobbly after rounds of 67-65-68 gave him the 54-hole lead.

How quickly luck can change course! While Burmester sailed through his front nine in 29 strokes, Jamieson was headed in precisely the opposite direction. The Scottsman gave up seven strokes to par on the final day, with three doubles and four bogeys punching holes in his dreams. Jamieson tumbled all the way to a tie for 22nd.

On the other side of fortune’s tide was Burmester. Seven birdies in his first 10 holes (nine overall) brought him to 20-under par and a five-shot advantage over Jorge Campillo and Mikko Korhonen. Two late bogeys would drop Burmester to 18-under, still good for a three-stroke triumph Campillo and Korhonen. With the victory, Burmester gains exempt status on the European Tour through the end of the 2018 season.

LPGA’s Queen Bee back in the hive at HSBC

Inbee Park entered the Hall of Fame in 2016 and won an Olympic gold medal, both while nursing an injured thumb that resulted in a season shut-down for six months. On Sunday the Korean champion returned with resolve, claiming her 18th LPGA victory by one stroke.

Park lit up the Sentosa golf club in Singapore with nine birdies in the final round, inscribing her name under “Course Record” in the process. The Olympian began the day three shots behind leader Michelle Wie, but made eight birdies in a 10-hole stretch to assume command of the event. Her victory made her the only two-time winner of the tournament.

Wie, whose newest putter and putting stance have drawn great attention during the LPGA’s first, Far East Swing of 2017, derailed her final round with a four-putt on the 5th hole, including two misses from inside four feet. Wie ultimately tied for fourth, five back of the leader.

The HSBC’s leaderboard was packed with the tour’s top players. Ariya Jutanugarn, Lydia Ko, Brooke Henderson and Ha Na Jang all made a case for the title. Jutanugarn closed with 66 for second place, while rookie Sung Hyun Park of Korea finished with 68 for third, three strokes back of first place.

Ronald Montesano writes for GolfWRX.com from western New York. He dabbles in coaching golf and teaching Spanish, in addition to scribbling columns on all aspects of golf, from apparel to architecture, from equipment to travel. Follow Ronald on Twitter at @buffalogolfer.

4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. Ronald Montesano

    Mar 6, 2017 at 8:18 pm

    Hah, I didn’t see that one. Can you elaborate?

    • Jugger Nut

      Mar 7, 2017 at 5:31 pm

      Volume was off at the pub. Just read he was somehow standing on a sprinkler head in the middle of the bushes, and got ‘another favourable ruling’. Can’t make it up.

      • Ronald Montesano

        Mar 9, 2017 at 5:47 am

        When you pimp a leather jacket like Phil, even sprinkler heads go out of their way to lend a hand. #ChuckNorrising

  2. Jugger Nut

    Mar 6, 2017 at 2:04 pm

    Longer than the DJ win, I’ll remember the bogus drop Philly Mick got out of the bushes on Saturday.
    Can anyone explain his argument- I’d like to use it?

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