It feels like golf has arrived. Spring does that sort of thing to you. The Augusta trilogy (National Women’s, Drive/Chip/Putt, and Masters) is two-thirds complete. The final opportunity to qualify for the Masters has passed, and the world’s touring circuits are in full, forward motion. There is great electricity as anticipation for the first major championship of the season ramps toward giddiness. We’ll do our best to contain ourselves as we run down the final week prior to Augusta.

Amateur Women: Augusta National Women’s Amateur sees Rose redemption

Rose Zhang had it, lost it, then found it all in the space of eight hours. Saturday was a long day at the Augusta National Golf Club, and for Zhang, it must have seemed an eternity. She opened with a double bogey, followed that with a birdie, but never found the scoring game that staked her to 13-under par and a five-shot advantage through 36 holes of the fourth Augusta National Women’s Amateur championship.

In truth, no one did on Saturday at the firm course. The National played fast and tricky and 70 was the low round of the day. One of those belonged to Jenny Bae, who came from six shots back to reach minus-nine through 54 holes. Her iron to inches on the 17th hole brought her even with Zhang, and she looked for all the world to have what it took to snatch victory from the world’s number-one amateur. Zhang, however, had other ideas.

You don’t lead the USA Curtis Cup side, win the national amateur and national junior, without knowing how to manage the speed bumps that golf puts in your way. Zhang found a way to play the inward half in par figures, earning a spot in a playoff with Bae. On the 18th hole, the first overtime go, the pair split in par numbers. They repaired to the 10th tee, where Bae had struggles and Zhang was rock solid. Bae was inside ten feet for bogey, while Zhang had a fast, down- and sidehill putt birdie. When she approached to the edge of the hole, par and victory were guaranteed.

The winning moment for Rose Zhang.#ANWAGolf pic.twitter.com/ivya9lfNG8

— Augusta National Women's Amateur (@anwagolf) April 1, 2023

PGA Tour Texas Open: Conners collects second San Antonio title

The expression horses for courses does not necessarily mean complete and total success. Corey Conners’ lone PGA Tour win prior to this week came at the TPC-San Antonio, by two shots, over Charley Hoffman. This year, Conners entered the final round a shot behind Patrick Rodgers, who sought a first title of his own. Despite Conners’ great vibe at TPCSA, there were no guarantees. Winning on tour isn’t the slightest bit easy, and Conners had no illusions about adding a second trophy to his 2019 one.

Rodgers has not solved the key to closing the deal in a PGA Tour event. Five times he has held the 54-hole lead, and now five times, he has come up empty-handed. At the Valero, Rodgers began well with birdie at the second on Sunday, but derailed with four bogeys in six holes, to close the front nine. Needing a run of birdies on the inward half, Rodgers was unable to find the elixr, and his final-round 73 dropped him into fifth place.

Back to Canada’s Corey Conners. The Ontario native and Kent State alumnus did a little bit right and nothing wrong on Sunday. Four birdies against zero bogies were enough to edge him one shot in front of Sam Stevens, with Sam Ryder and Matt Kuchar a pair of shots out of first. At one point, his lead was four strokes, but driver inside ten feet at the 17th gave Stevens an eagle and made the final hole less of a stroll for Conners. Stevens failed to birdie the par-five closer, allowing Conners the luxury of playing to the back bunker in two, and taking three to get down for par and a win.

To extend the lead to 4 …

The Conners family loved this one ? pic.twitter.com/W6dH4CV1rP

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 2, 2023

LPGA LA Open: Yin holds on for first LPGA victory

Just like Rose Zhang, Ruoning Yin had to claw each step of the way to victory. Just like Rose Zhang, she was able to do precisely that. Yin’s one-shot advantage over Hyo Joo Kim nearly didn’t last through Sunday night. It wasn’t Kim who put up the challenge, but 2018 British Open champion Georgia Hall. Kim shot 71 on Sunday, one worse than Yin. She ended the day in a tie for third with Patty Tavatanakit.

As for Hall, she was charged with following a Saturday 62 with a number that would give her a chance to win. The English golfer signed for four birdies and a round of 68, but came up one shot shy of Yin. The 54-hole leader, Yin, made precisely one par on her first nine holes, and that came at the opening hole. Birdie at the second was followed by a run of three bogies, and her lead was gone. Just as quickly came four consecutive birdies, and the lead was back. Let’s take a break!

Bogies at ten and thirteen dropped Yin into a tie with Hall for first, but a final birdie lifted the second-year LPGA member to her first tour title.

Bounce back ?

After three bogeys in-a-row, Ruoning Yin rolls in four straight birdies! ? pic.twitter.com/Qw9praSTU8

— LPGA (@LPGA) April 2, 2023

Korn Ferry Tour Chile Classic: Kohles earns third Korn Ferry title in Chile

Ben Kohles won a pair of KFT titles in 2012, then went over a decade before collecting his third. It came in a distant place, along the Pacific ocean in Chile. For a while, this didn’t appear to be his week. Mason Andersen stood 18-under par through three rounds, tied with Pontus Nyholm for the top spot. Surely one of the two would continue to produce on Sunday, and walk away with the title. That, folks, is why they play the game.

Both Andersen and Nyholm struggled on Sunday, posting scores of 73 and 76, respectively. The door was open for the chasers, and a number of them took a run at the top spot. Tim Widing and Rico Hoey reached 19-under par and, for a time, looked like worthy challengers. Their ultimate reward was a tie for third place, two shots out of a playoff. Closing strong were Kohles of the USA and Dimi Papadatos of Australia. Kohles had 67 on Sunday, including birdie at the last. Papadatos signed for 65 on day four but, significantly, failed to birdie the par-five closer.

Away the pair went to extra holes. Twice they returned to the 18th hole. Papadatos went birdie-par in overtime, while Kohles made birdie for a second and then a third time on the day, and the title was his.

Man on a mission ?@ben_kohles has the solo lead by one shot @CHILEclassic and is through No. 8. pic.twitter.com/GSIaPxe205

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) April 2, 2023

PGA Tour Latinoamêrica Aberto do Brasil: Hillier finds golf in Brasil

Charlie Hillier notched nine birdies on Thursday, seven more on Friday, and two plus an eagle on Saturday. On Sunday, one lonely birdie found its way onto his scorecard, but it was that simple avian that allowed him to stay ahead of Davis Shore and lay claim to an inaugural professional tile on PGA Tour Latinoamérica.

Hillier began the final day with a three-shot advantage over Joey Saviole. As Stuart Macdonald proved in his closing 61, low numbers were available on the Fazenda Boa Vista course in Porto Feliz. Fortunately for Hillier, Shore was unable to score a four on the closing par-five hole, and his day’s work of 66 strokes left him one shot shy of a playoff. For Hillier, the closer demanded a seven-feet par putt to secure the victory. How’d it go? Watch below.

La reacción de Charlie Hillier ?? al asegurar la victoria en el hoyo final del JHSF 68º Aberto do Brasil. ??

That winning feeling! ?? @hillier_charlie ?? reacts to his birdie at the last for the wire-to-wire win at the JHSF #BrazilOpen. pic.twitter.com/nrcXJsiXhs

— PGATOURLA (@PGATOURLA) April 2, 2023