Other than all those promises on Instagram, you don’t often find a six-pack just hanging around. That’s precisely what we have this first weekend in July of 2023. From The Belfry to Detroit Golf Club, with stops at Alberta and the Yucatan Peninsula, and side trips to Illinois and Wisconsin, the golf was plentiful leading into the USA’s Independence Day celebration. It’s more of a Tour Run-Run-Rundown this week, so let’s get clap-clap-clapping, run-run-running!

Long time friend @Minwoo27Lee reacts to @_danielhillier posting the clubhouse lead at ?#BetfredBritishMasters pic.twitter.com/j2XKJMOWXl

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) July 2, 2023

USGA Senior Open @ Sentryworld: Langer becomes all-time win leader with 2nd US Senior Open title

Since he won his 45th senior title on the US Tour in February, Bernhard Langer has been on a worldwide watch. His next title would break his tie with Hale Irwin for all-time leader in Tour Champions victories. The time between the Chubb Classic in Florida and this week’s United States Golf Association’s Senior Open became a Celebration of Three Steves. Stricker, Ames, and Alker combined to win six events. Langer, meanwhile, made no additional dent in the all-time record.

The USGA brought its feature senior event to the SentryWorld course in Wisconsin, and two native sons fought for attention. Both Steve Stricker and Jerry Kelly would finish in the top five, but it was Langer who stole the show. The German champion closed strong on Saturday to carry a two-shot advantage into the final round. Any thoughts of nerves dissipated when Langer played Sunday’s first ten holes in four-under par figures. His lead reached six at one point, but bogey at each of the final three holes brought him back to a two-shot advantage. No matter; minus-seven over four days brought him to the top of the mountain, with his 46th career senior title.

A virtuoso performance from Bernhard Langer!#USSeniorOpen @SentryWorld pic.twitter.com/K2k7IYOWCP

— USGA (@USGA) July 2, 2023

PGA Tour @ RocketMortgage: Fowler finds freedom on extra hole

The golf world rose and fell with Rickie Fowler’s attempt at the US Open last month in Los Angeles. Never has a golf guy existed like Rickie. He could be a condescending, I’m-better-than-you sort of pro. Instead, he’s an I’m-on-your-side-and-you-earned-it guy. He was Dick Fowler, Private Eye, for goodness’ sake! On Sunday, Fowler fought back after losing a final-round, overnight lead. It would have been the first time, nor even the fifth, that this fate would have befallen him. With no eye on him (you know, that lousy television coverage thing) the California native watched as fellow Golden Stater Collin Morikawa posted 64 to reach 24-under par. Moments later, Fowler’s playing partner, Adam “Tackling Dummy” Hadwin signed for 67 and the same figure. Fortunately for Fowler, he had stuffed his approach to the 72nd green, then dropped a four-feet putt to make the extra-holes party a threesome.

The trio of titans returned to the same, closing par-four hole for its first salvo. Fowler found the green, some fifteen feet from the hole. In the video below, you can tell that he thinks it might not have enough gas. When the ball falls in the side of the hole, the four-year wait is over. Would the world love a Fowler win at Hoylake in three weeks? Sure would, especially since the man in orange finished co-runner up there in 2014, the last time that Royal Liverpool hosted the championship.

A champion once again ?

The winning moment for @RickieFowler @RocketClassic. pic.twitter.com/LEQ8f05gHN

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 2, 2023

DP World Tour @ British Masters: Hillier happens upon first title at Belfry

There were easily a dozen golfers within two shots of the top through 54 holes, including four at the top of the board. None of them was called Daniel Hillier, and none of them hailed from New Zealand. As the golf world knows, from multiple Ryder Cup matches, The Belfry can summon horrific collapses and heroic comebacks. Among the leaders, two shot plus-six on the final day this week, and another pair produced plus-three finales. On the flip side, a young Kiwi trotted out the round of his life, at a time when it mattered most.

Daniel Hillier had survived the cut with 72-71, then carded a 69 on Saturday, to move to minus-four on the week. His outward, Sunday nine of one-under par was a gentle bump, giving him thoughts of a top-ten finish. After a run of five pars to open the inward half, Hillier donned his magical cloak. From hole fifteen through hole seventeen, the two-time winner on the Challenge Tour delivered eagle-birdie-eagle to jump from five-deep to ten-under par. He flew past clubhouse leader Gunnar Wiebe and nested in a two-shot advantage. When the final groups could not remotely match his efforts, Hillier was off to Hoylake in Liverpool, site of the Open Championship, in three weeks’ time.

15th: Eagle
16: Birdie
17th: Eagle

Take a bow, @_danielhillier. Finishing in style! ?#BetfredBritishMasters pic.twitter.com/dP2BLqC8ht

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) July 2, 2023

Korn Ferry Tour @ Memorial Health: Barjon brings victory to France in Illinois

Paul Barjon won the 2022 PGA Tour Canada’s Order of Merit and the accompanying promotion to the Korn Ferry Tour. After his second 2023 win on the Korn Ferry Tour, Barjon will again uproot himself, as an elevation to the PGA Tour looms. Barjon closed with 65 on Sunday to reach 26-under par, but his win was far from a runaway victory. Tom Whitney closed with six consecutive birdies for 61 and 24-under par. He ultimately placed third for the week.

Even closer was Jackson Suber, who also stood ten-under on the day through 16 holes, thanks to six birdies, and eagles at 13 and 16. A misplayed tee shot on the par-three 17th resulted in bogey, and that was the stroke that kept Suber from a playoff. Barjon also made bogey at the same one-shotter, but he banged his approach on 18 off the flagstick, making par to seal win number two on the year.

No. 147 ?? No. 28! ?

With this winning moment @MHChampionship, @paul_barjon is one step closer to returning to the @PGATOUR. pic.twitter.com/C4aSdByma4

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

PGA Tour Canada @ ATB Classic:

Davis Lamb did something extraordinary on Sunday: he preserved his third-round lead and emerged victorious in the season’s third event. PGA Tour Canada runs through the middle of September, but Lamb has his eyes set already on a promotion for next season. While Lamb’s co-leader dropped five shots to par and fell to a tie for 9th place, Lamb posted 70 on day four and held off Eric McCardle by three shots.

Maintaining your calm and focus while those around you struggle is not easy. Eric Lilleboe began round four with birdie on two of his first three holes. From there, the train went off its track and Lilleboe posted zero birdies against four bogeys and a triple on the way home. Lamb, meanwhile, had two double bogeys on his outward nine, but rediscovered his game on the inward half. He followed a double at nine with an eagle at ten, and added three birdies coming home. McCardle could do nothing against the surge, and settled for a runner-up finish.

Lambo firing on all cylinders now ?

A birdie and fist pump on 17 to take a three shot lead to the 72nd hole pic.twitter.com/xWGQXFBU0t

— PGA TOUR Canada – Fortinet Cup (@PGATOURCanada) July 2, 2023

PGA Tour Latinoamérica @ BUPA Tour Championship: 

Something about three-way playoffs this week. Alvaro Ortiz and Justin Doeden led the field at PGA Riviera Maya in Tulum after 54 holes, but neither was able to separate and win in regulation. Ortiz dropped to a fourth-place tie after seizing the lead with a three-under par 33 on Sunday. He came home in plus-three 39, missing the playoff by one agonizing shot. Doeden finished even closer. His 71st-hole birdie elevated him into a tie with countryman Chandler Blanchet of the USA, and Jeremy Gandon of France.

The trio set off for resolution in extra time. After all three scored par on the 18th hole, Gandon and Blanchet continued on with birdies, to Doeden’s par. The third go-round brought a par from Blanchet and a bogey from Gandon. The victory was the second of the campaign for the former UWest Florida golfer, and moved him into first place in the season-long TotalPlay Cup. Blanchet and nine others earned full playing privileges on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2024.

If his first win was any sort of predictor, Blanchet will enliven any event in which he tees it up. In March, Blanchet holed for eagle at the final hole to win his first @pgatourla event.

WOW! Con águila en el 18, Chandler Blanchet se quedó con la victoria en el #RDVMemorial100.

AMAZING! @Chan_Blanchet made EAGLE to win at Ranelagh Golf Club. pic.twitter.com/I6LFWvPgbL

— PGATOURLA (@PGATOURLA) March 26, 2023