Across the USA, fantasy football drafts take place, while school supplies adorn shelves and leaves begin to turn color. It’s not fall for at least a month, but the winds have shifted and summer is nearly behind us. The Women’s Open will take place this week at The Old Course, and it will signal the true end of the summer professional golf season. 2024 has been a year of wondrous competition, from the majors to the ultra-major (the Olympic games) to the playoffs. It’s FedEx Cup time, to be followed by the CME and the Race to Dubai. Before she departs for good, let’s enjoy another week of Tour Rundown, and all the magnificent shots that were played.

PGA Tour Playoffs @ FedEx St. Jude: Hideki moves from bronze to gold

Last month, Hideki Matsuyama led, then lost, then reclaimed a medal at the Paris Olympics. Matsuyama closed elegantly, to claim a spot on the Olympic podium, bronze medal around his neck. His return to the USA for the beginning of the FedEx Cup run began with a stumble, but ended with more greatness.

While awaiting a connecting flight in London, Matsuyama, his caddie, and coach, were robbed of a number of belongings. The caddie and coach lost their passports, and were compelled to return to Japan to secure new documentation. Matsuyama continued on to Memphis, securing the services of Taiga Tabuchi, the usual caddy for Ryo Hisatsune. The duo worked efficiently throughout the week, moving to the top of the board with an opening 65. A 64 on day two gave Hideki the solo lead, and he preserved it on Saturday with another 64.

Matsuyama played solid golf over the majority of the TPC Southwinds course, even as Xander Schauffele chased him down. Schauffele, still sore after losing a spot on the Paris podium, posted the low round of the week (63) on Sunday to reach 15-under par. At the 12th, Matsuyama found water and made his first bogey since Saturday’s second hole. He dunked his tee shot on the ensuing par three, but got up and down from 35 yards away for a bogey that felt like birdie. He wasn’t finished. Yet another wayward drive at 15, followed by an errant approach shot, brought a double bogey to his card. A once-safe lead was gone, a casual stroll home had disappeared, and Matsuyama was in a battle to the end.

Despite a par at the reachable, par-five 16th, Matsuyama yet to steady himself. A creative approach from the left rough left 25 feet for birdie on 17, and the putter did not disappoint. Par at the last would secure victory, the great champion found fairway, then green, then birdie for a two-shot win over Schauffele. Tied for second was Norway’s Viktor Hovland, whose season-long struggles may finally be at an end.

Matsuyama mic drop. pic.twitter.com/c5Buv17xto

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 18, 2024

DP World Tour @ Czech Masters: Ravetto collects first tour title

Although they say that it’s how you finish that matters, you must do something along the way to have that chance at the end. David Ravetto of Paris opened his stay in Prague with rounds of 68 and 63. The latter tied the course record, and brought him to the top spot, one ahead of Sweden’s Jesper Svensson. Svensson reclaimed the advantage on Saturday, but Ravetto was brilliant once more on Sunday.

Thanks to six birdies, Ravetto turned for home in 30, once more in the lead. A bogey at 12 slowed his train, but birdies at three of the next four greens regained the momentum. Svensson was within one of the lead when the pair reached the par-five 16th. Ravetto made the last of his day-four birdies, while Svensson lost course with a double-bogey seven. The Swede was able to preserve solo second with a pair of pars, but it was Ravetto who earned a first-ever triumph on the DP World Tour.

Top class bunker shot from Ravetto to hold onto his one-shot lead ?#CzechMasters pic.twitter.com/YT2bCKKqrc

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) August 18, 2024

LPGA @ Scottish Open: Coughlin can’t be stopped

It was early July, just prior to the Paris Olympics, and Lauren Coughlin was a winless grinder on the LPGA circuit. Move ahead five weeks, and the American is the champion of not one, but two countries. Coughlin secured her first LPGA win at the Canadian Open last month, then traveled overseas to the Dundonald Links in Scotland. There, she posted four rounds in the 60s, the only one in the field to achieve such notoriety. Those four rounds were enough to develop a four-shot margin of victory over Germany’s Esther Henseleit.

Couglin made a pair of bogeys on day one, then did not slip again until the beginning of round four. Despite bogey at the second and fourth holes on Sunday, Coughlin found five birdies the rest of the way, including a decisive one at the home hole. Henseleit, who gained attention with a come-from-way-behind, Silver medal in Paris, rode a third-round 66 to a two-shot advantage for second spot.

Bunkers are a beast in Scotland but they’re not stopping @LCisHOOSgolfin from getting the up and down ? pic.twitter.com/nqopZK0OA1

— LPGA (@LPGA) August 18, 2024

Korn Ferry Tour @ Magnit: McGreevy masters Metedeconck

The low total in New Jersey this week was 18-under par. That figure belonged to Max McGreevy. Next came four golfers at -15, followed by another three at -14. A three-shot margin of victory might seem like a safe space, but it isn’t. McGreevy did nothing spectacular on Sunday, but neither did he do anything dangerous. He posted three birdies and fifteen pars, and let the field do its best to catch him.

Among those at -15, Tim Widing had the best chance. The two-time winner this season had five birdies and an eagle on the day, but he also fell into a few holes along the way. Two bogies and a double bogey ensured that a third tour title would not come his way this week. Will Chandler was the 54-hole leader, but four bogies from the sixth to the 13th took him too far back to make victory a reality. The Korn Ferry Tour moves on to the Boise Open this week, the longest-running event in tour history.

Max McGreevy with an early birdie in the final round to maintain the lead ?@maxmcgreevy looks for his second win in the 2024 season @MagnitChamp. pic.twitter.com/jTPXV3zOPU

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) August 18, 2024

PGA Tour Champions @ Rogers Charity: Tanigawa returns to podium

Ken Tanigawa kinda sorta burst onto the PGA Tour Champions scene, back in 2018. He won the PURE Insurance, then followed it with a major, at the 2019 Senior PGA at Oak Hill. 123 tournaments followed for the two-time winner, with nary a victory among them. No one, especially Tanigawa, thought that it would take five years of competition for a third triumph to come his way.

This week in Calgary, Tanigawa found that elusive triumph. He moved into contention on Saturday, thanks to an electrifying 61. Seven birdies plus one ace propelled him into Sunday’s penultimate group. Tanigawa chased down Richard Green, the overnight leader, with a masterful 64. Over the final five holes, Tanigawa found a pair of birdies, while Green tripped over two bogies, for a four-shot swing. Green held on to second position, two behind the winner, and one ahead of Darren Clarke and Jason Caron.

Clutch birdie on 17 to take the lead!
@KenTanigawa leads by one searching for his first win in five years @RogersClassic. pic.twitter.com/KUai5JLz8c

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) August 18, 2024