What NFL football? Professional golf is thriving. Fans showed up at the Champions Tour’s Sanford International in Sioux Falls, the European Tour played a second week on the Iberian peninsula, and the LPGA celebrated its second major of the season. In addition, the Korn Ferry and PGA tours kept up the frenetic pace of competitive golf, into the fall. September is here, and golf shows no signs of slowing down. Time to run down the five big events that highlighted tour golf this week.

Lee wins first major title at ANA Inspiration

Let’s pretend that a wall didn’t take any sort of stage this week. Let’s pretend that writers had something better to write about, than a human-made object, of which everyone could take advantage. There are two truths about the finish: Nelly Korda, Brooke Henderson, and Mirim Lee played splendid, trophy-worthy golf throughout the week; and Lee had a bit better fortune at the end.

The triumvirate of talented LPGA golfers tied for first at 15 shots deep. Lexi Thompson came 4th, two back, trying to match brother Curtis’ win on the Korn Ferry Tour (more on that later.) Lee made eagle at the last, Henderson notched a birdie of her own, and Korda could only manage par at the mildly-easy final hole. Off they went to extra time, where sudden victory would determine a champion.

In the playoff, Lee again played the hole to perfection, while Henderson’s birdie putt strayed away from the hole, and Korda struggled once more with the finishing hole. The ladies return to action this week at the Cambria Portland Classic in the great state of Oregon.

Cink returns to victory lane in Napa

Stewart Cink was the most unlikely winner this week in Napa. Fitted in between the end of the FedEx Cup playoffs and the rescheduled US Open, the double cross-country Atlanta-Napa-Westchester jaunt was not on everyone’s list. Surely a youngster, an up-and-comer, would make the Safeway Open a launching pad to a solid career. Perhaps Harry Higgs? Sam Burns? Doc Redman? All three showed well, and all three showed up, but it was the Georgia Tech alum who holed the putt that mattered most.

For a time, it looked as if Redman’s lightning 62 on Sunday would steal the show. Higgs eclipsed him by one, but it was the old guy who played the best golf. Until his bogey at 17, Cink was perfect on the day. That momentary hiccough did little to deter his train; he made birdie at the closing trace to earn a two-shot victory over Higgs. Incredibly, the win was his first in 11 years, since he stole an Open Championship from Tom Watson (an offense, incidentally, that I have not forgiven, and will probabably never forgive. Stewart Cink, you don’t know me, but … ugghh.) Anyway, a great win for the 47-year old, now seven-time titleist on tour.

Guess what? It’s U.S. Open week!

Curtis the final Thompson to claim professional victory

Curtis Thompson is the youngest of the three Touring Thompsons. Sister Lexi is the most well-known, having won multiple times on the LPGA Tour. Older brother Nick won on the Korn Ferry Tour in New Zealand, and Curtis has now joined them in the winners’ circle, thanks to a one-shot triumph at the Evans Scholars Invitational.

Thompson got off to a bumpy beginning, with bogey at the first two holes. He breathed deeply and played minus-four golf the rest of the way. It was a good thing, as a number of golfers made a run at his overnight lead. Germany’s Max Rottluff was six-under par through ten holes, but could only play minus-one the rest of the way. He tied for 4th position at -14. Both Jimmy Stanger and Will Zalatoris made eagle two at the 14th hole, gaining two shots on Thompson, who could record a mere par. Stanger and Zalatoris would tie at -16.

Thompson came to the par-five 18th at the same number. Zalatoris had made par there, while Stanger had recorded a birdie. Thompson, a Florida native and LSU alum, reached the immense 573-yarder in two mighty strikes, then calmly two-putted for a winning birdie. The Korn Ferryians have a week off before finishing their season with three consecutive events.

Coetzee leaves home and strikes it rich in Iberia

Until Sunday, George Coetzee had not strayed far from home for victory. His previous European Tour wins had come in South Africa and Mauritius. The global golfer might now have to consider purchasing land in Portugal, as he holds the title of Portugal Masters champion of 2020. The spry hulk held off England’s Laurie Canter by two shots, and captured a fifth Euro title.

It wasn’t ever easy for Coetzee. The Pretorian owns two looks: the first is a mirthful one, and you want to raise a pint with him; number two is a smoldering, angry visage, and you want to douse the flames with the pint, or run away in terror. Coetzee never had enough of a lead where he could coast. Japan’s Masahiro Kawamura, England’s Tommy Fleetwood, and the aforementioned Cantor kept the pressure applied, but Coetzee was up to the task.

The tour remains in Portugal for another week, then heads to Northern Ireland for the Irish Open as September draws to a close.

MAJ secures 10th senior title in South Dakota

If you’ve paid attention, you’ve seen Miguel Ángel Jiménez take an early lead on the regular European Tour this year. He hasn’t been able to hold on, but the practice against the mocosos stood him well this week in Sioux Falls. The Canarian was strong enough to keep Bernhard Langer, Steve Stricker, and Steve Flesch at bay. The subsequent, one-stroke victory over Flesch was Jiménez’ 10th on the Champions Tour.

The dancing Iberian was in secure position, until Flesch made eagle at the 16th, to reach -13. Stricker stood at the same number on the 17th tee, but made bogey and failed to record birdie at the last. Langer had a pair of birdies on the inward half, but needed a few more to reach a tie. Jiménez made a birdie of his own to leap to 14-deep, and there he remained.

The Champions move to Pebble Beach this week, then close their campaign with a six-week run of events across the lower 48 states.