The PGA Tour has completed its 2022-2023 season, and the Korn Ferry Tour is on a two-week hiatus. Despite those noticeable absences, there’s plenty of golf to report this week. The DP World Tour played its final tournament, prior to the announcement of the six captain’s selections for the European Ryder Cup side. AUTHOR’S NOTE: I am a terrible prognosticator.

The LPGA found itself in Portland, Oregon, while the PGA Tour Canada pitched a south-of-the-border yurt in Minnesota. Finally, the finest amateur golfers from Great Britain/Ireland and the USA took to match play at St. Andrews in the Walker Cup. Can’t get much cooler, so let’s run it all down in this week’s Tour Rundown: September edition.

Any excuse to show this shot… ?@MattFitz94 coming close to an albatross on his last visit to the 2023 Ryder Cup venue! ?#TeamEurope pic.twitter.com/uKX26bMO60

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) September 4, 2023

DP World Tour @ European Masters: Aberg makes strong case for inclusion with win at Crans

The great mountain event of the European Tour turned into a coming-out party for the name on everyone’s lips for Ryder Cup selection. Ludvig Aberg, a tall, lengthy hitter from Sweden, has caught the attention and piqued the curiosity of the golf world this year. Many bombers come along in their youth, but only a select few have the other necessary components for success.

At Crans-sur-Sierre in Montana, Switzerland, Aberg showed the complete package that has European team captain Luke Donald champing at the bit to announce his name this week. Aberg began play with a 64, one shot off the lead held by three golfers. He moved into first position on Friday, with 67. Nothing was secure, as a 61 from Guido Migliozzi also turned a number of heads. On Saturday, Aberg posted 66, moving to 13 under on the week, fixed solidly in contention.

Sunday saw a three-way duel take shape, with Aberg joined by countryman Alexander Bjork and England’s Matt Fitzpatrick. The battle stretched into the wee holes of the inward nine, and it was at the 14th hole where things reached the boiling point. All three golfers made birdie at the par-5 hole, but Aberg followed his with another at the par-5 15th. Bjork could only par, and Fitzpatrick suffered the first of three closing bogeys that would shockingly remove him from contention, into a tie for third position. Aberg added birdies at 16 and 17, with Bjork staying close with two more at 17 and 18. With par at the last, Ludvig Aberg earned a first championship on the DP World Tour and certain selection to the European Ryder Cup side.

Brilliant chip ?

One of Ludvig Aberg's shots of the week. #OEM2023 pic.twitter.com/AuUo7Yc0Fq

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) September 3, 2023

LPGA @ Portland Classic: Wannasaen dives deep to 63 for 1st LPGA title

That saying, go low or go home, was never more appropriate than Sunday in Portland. Megan Khang had a lead through three rounds, but a Sunday 71 waited in the shadows. At Columbia Edgewater, that number would not hold up. Five golfers shot past the American on day four, as her run to a second-consecutive win was hampered by too many pars and bogeys, and a smidgen of birdies.

Finishing in a tie for third spot were Ruoning Yin of China, Gina Kim of the USA, and Carlota Ciganda of Spain. Each posted 66 or 67 to jump to 20-under par, one ahead of Khang. Second place belonged to Xiyu Lin, also of China. She surged to 64 on Sunday and reached 22-deep. In first place, seemingly out of nowhere, Chanettee Wannasaen of Thailand, on the heels of a blistering round of 63.

The story began on Monday, when the 19-year old qualified for the event. Given that performance, we should have known that this would be her week. The young champion scorched holes three through seven with four birdies and an eagle, precisely as Khang was wobbling. Two more birdies coming home gave Wannasaen a four-shot separation from second position, and an inaugural tour title.

???

19-year-old Chanattee Wannasaen leads by FIVE at the @PortlandClassic!

Watch now on @GolfChannel! pic.twitter.com/04ZgooeS49

— LPGA (@LPGA) September 3, 2023

PGA Tour Canada @ CRMC Championship: Say “Cao” by eight shots

Yi Cao (pronounced tsay-oh) seemed to have access to intel that his competitors lacked, this week in Brainerd, Minnesota. The 33-year-old from China opened with 66, which placed him at the top amid a handful of contestants. It was his opening nine on Friday that turned heads. Three birdies plus one eagle turned in 30 shots, and the rout was on. A 32 coming home gave him 62 on the day. Cao followed that masterful performance with matching scores of 65 over the weekend and took up residence at 22-under par over 72 holes.

Jeffrey Kang placed second on the week, finishing at 14-under par. He moved from 26th to 11th in the year-long, Fortinet Cup race. Cao moved from 55th to 9th. Both players will have work to do, beginning September 7th, if they hope to earn Korn Ferry Tour cards for the next campaign. The top 10 finishers earn cards, and there will be plenty of shuffling and scoreboard-watching at Country Hills in Calgary, site of this week’s Tour Championship.

After missing three straight cuts and almost withdrawing with a neck injury, Yi Cao perseveres to win the @CRMCchamp by eight shots. ? pic.twitter.com/gMm3mcRaQT

— PGA TOUR Canada – Fortinet Cup (@PGATOURCanada) September 4, 2023

USGA @ Walker Cup: USA Side dominates Sunday to retain Walker Cup

There was great celebration on Saturday evening in the auld toon of St. Andrews. The Great Britain and Ireland side had jumped out to a 7.5-4.5 advantage, thanks to dominance in fourball (better ball in the States) and eight-man singles. Sunday would bring foursomes (alternate-shot in the States) and 10-man singles, and Team GBI had to like its chances just a bit. It needed but 5 out of 14 Sunday points to take the cup back from the Red White & Blue. Let’s be honest: foursomes/alternate shot is not something the American side plays with any frequency.

And yet, there we were, after those Sunday morning foursomes, with Team USA snatching 3 of 4 points and making a match of it. In international team play, every point and half point matters, and this opportunity for the host side had sailed out to sea. Now, Great Britain and Ireland would have to claim the equivalent of 4 of 10 individual match wins. It was possible, edging toward probable, but the visitors had other plans.

Leading the afternoon charge for Team USA were Gordon Sargent, the top-ranked amateur in the world, and Caleb Surratt. Sargent won his PM singles to claim a fourth point in four matches. After an opening-morning loss in Fourball, Surratt went on a tear, winning his next three points. The most important match of the early ones, however, was Nick Dunlap vs. Barclay Brown. Holding a three-up lead with four holes to play, the unfortunate Englishman went bogey-double-bogey-par (with par at the last feeling like a bogey) to halve his match with Dunlap. It seemed that momentum shifted with that half-point loss. Team USA proceeded to win six matches, halve two, and claim the cup by a 14.5-11.5 margin.

The putt from David Ford which crowned USA winners of the Walker Cup at @TheHomeofGolf ?? | @USGA pic.twitter.com/VHXd0Xl5xV

— The Walker Cup (@WalkerCup) September 3, 2023