Championship golf for August bid farewell with the second of three, PGA Tour playoff events. And a Korn Ferry tour championship. And a pair of standard LPGA and Euro championships. And an early-week Champions Tour tout. In other words, the type of week that golf fans need, as they cede attention (possible) to NFL football in the coming fortnight. We’ve run it all down for you, so have a read of this week’s Tour Rundown.

PGA Tour: 44 or 663-Rahm and Johnson Chicago-style the BMW Championship

Waiting for the break of day
Searching for something to say

That old Chicago band number, 25 or 6 to 4, came to mind on Sunday, when two titans did battle at Olympia Fields. First came Jon Rahm, once and future King of Golf, who re-staked a claim to world number one with his performance. Then came Dustin Johnson, current and also-future King of Golf, who nearly topped the Basque colossus. It was a Sunday that was good for golf, and reminded us why immortals need to exist in this sport of wise women and men.

Staring blindly into space
Getting up to splash my face

As bit players, Joaquin Niemann and Hideki Matsuyama did their part. Niemann surged to the lead early, but could not dig deeper under par to stake a titular claim. The Chilean finished on -2, worthy of a third-place tie with Matsu. Hideki lifted up the 54-hole lead, and his minus-one might have worked on another day. Still, he didn’t collapse, which lesser players would have done.

Wondering how much I can take
Should have tried to do some more

In regulation play, Jon Rahm kept improving. 75 to 71 to 66 to 64. The once-impenetrable OF course became vulnerable, and Rahm kept tapping the tree for more syrup. Flawless on the day, with six birdies and zero bogeys, he somehow saved the best for last. There was little more that he could have done. Johnson matched Hideki through 54 holes, and had but one hiccough on day four: a bogey at the tenth. Thanks to Rahm’s stellar execution, the lanky Palmetto found himself one in arrears as he reached the 72nd green. Facing an unreadable, indecipherable putt of 43 feet, Johnson somehow read and deciphered it, and drained it to forge a tie. He also (almost) showed emotion. OVERTIME!!!

Dancing lights against the sky
Giving up I close my eyes

Return the leviathans did, to the 18th tee. This time, it was Rahm’s turn to face the unreadable and indecipherable, except it was not 66 feet, 3 inches. Away it went , at an angle from which a homeward turn seemed impossible. And then, it began to turn, and slow, and turn some more, until it dropped for a birdie that Johnson did not match. At 25 years of age, Rahm had bested the 6 feet, 4 inch Johnson, in a championship for all time.

25 or 6 To 4, indeed.

Korn Ferry Tour: Tour Championship

Brandon Wu won the 2017 Porter Cup, a major amateur event in my backyard. This is important to me, because Brandon Wu also won the 2020 Korn Ferry Tour Championship. The two courses, Niagara Falls CC and Victoria National GC, could not be more dissimilar. The former is a mildly-classic layout north of Buffalo, where shot-shaping is requisite. The latter, possibly a former fish hatchery (never proven) is myriad lakes and ponds, demanding complete domination of the aerial game. On Sunday, Wu overcame third-round leader Greyson Sigg, who made but two mistakes, to win his first professional event. Good time for it.

Sigg continued to the lead through 64 holes on Sunday, despite Wu’s surge. Sigg’s eagle at the tenth re-established a one-shot margin over the Stanford alum. Sigg then made a bad swing, which led to a double bogey at the fourteenth hole, and his lead was now a deficit. With no more flying critters on his scorecard, Sigg came up one strike shy of a tie with Wu. Both golfers made massive moves up the money roster: Sigg jumped from 21 to 6, while Wu impressed more, from 48 to 5.

LPGA: Ernst doubles victory tally with Walmart NW Arkansas Championship win

It’s a difficult chore to overcome a 63 by anyone on Sunday, unless it’s posted by the marker who accompanies the final, unpaired golfer. Austin Ernst was neither marker nor final, unpaired golfer on Sunday. She started third, and she jumped up two spots for a two-shot win over Anna Nordqvist. The win was the South Carolina daughter’s 2nd on tour, and first in six year.

It was the two bogeys on Sunday, that made the former LSU golfer’s performance even more impressive. Ernst was compelled to collect 10 birdies on the day, to overcome the pair of stumbles. Nordqvist began the final day in first, and acquitted herself well, at two-under par on the day. When Ernst notched birdie at each of the first three holes, the game was on. The 28-year old never backed off, took a one-shot lead to the 18th, and finished the day as she began, with a final birdie for a two-shot win over the Swede.

European Tour: ISPS Handa UK Championship

Rasmus Højgaard has nearly as many wins as vowels in his name. The young and (possibly) great Dane collected a second triumph in this wraparound season, in a playoff with third-round leader Justin Walters of South Africa. Like Jon Rahm above, Højgaard improved by the day, all week long. From 73 to 69, to make the cut. From there to 67, to line up for a top-ten finish, to 65 on day four, to reach a playoff at -14.

Walters had a rough final round, with two bogies and a triple threatening to turn him into an also-ran. His grit was evident, as he clawed seven birdies from the scorecard, to reach extra holes with Højgaard. The lads went back to the venerable (if flawed) 18th at the Brabazon course, where pars caused a second return. Then, Walters flinched with bogey, Højgaard was true with his par putt, and the second tour victory was forever in his hands.

PGA Tour Champions: Charles Schwab Series at Ozarks National

Once upon a time, winning a debut event on the Champions Tour was a mythical thing. Not many had done it, not even the Big Easy, Ernie Els, earlier this calendar year. Then the falling Octopus (Jim Furyk) came along this summer, and won in week one. He was followed by Phil Mickelson this week and, let’s be honest, if anyone is going to win in his Champions Tour bow, it’s lefty. He didn’t disappoint.

Dad-Bod opened with 61 on Monday (cool way to start the week, Ozarks National. We should do more of this.) Tim Petrovic, his long-time rival (not really, but I need a story line) was three back. Philly Phil phollowed up with 64, increasing the lead over the University of Hartford alum to four (Petro had 65.) On Sunday, Phil phinished with 66, matching the unflappable Petrovic’s final day tally, and the margin remained at four.

Welcome to the next stage, Phil. We know it will be a while before we see you back, but we’ll be here. Mickelson had failed to qualify for week two of the FedEx Cup playoff series, and hoped to stay sharp for the upcoming US Open. By winning against his own standard, he may have done enough to reach contention at Winged Foot in mid-September.