Tour News
Tour Mash: Olesen barely hangs on, and a walk-off eagle

The European and PGA Tour Champions completed their penultimate playoff events this week, while the Asian Swing on the LPGA Tour came to a close. The PGA Tour was just up the road from the Vegas strip, while Hong Kong hosted PGA Tour China. As the U.S. presidential season draws to a close, football ramps up, and basketball gets into swing, golf continues to contest meaningful events. But there was certainly no shortage of excitement on the links this weekend, so with no more delay, let’s mash it all together and serve it up.
Turkish Open Goes to Olesen, just barely
Some pundits will claim it’s hard to win with a large, final-round lead, while others will sustain that shooting four low scores in a row is tricky. In the end, it’s the same coin and Thorbjorn Olesen learned that lesson at Antalya. The sometimes-great Dane nearly lost all of a sizable, overnight lead when a pair of opponents got hot early.
First it was David Horsey, with 7 birdies in his first 15 holes, to reach 18-under par. Next came Bernd Wiesberger with a flock of birds from hole Nos. 6 through 9 to catch Olesen’s attention. As for the Dane, missed opportunities throughout a hum-drum, outward nine of even par had him smiling at the sky and scratching his head.
The turning point…
His lead was cut from seven to two with five holes to play. Then @ThorbjornOlesen did this. https://t.co/lp8RihKuYW
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 6, 2016
Nice putt, Rod
Francesco Molinari does a decent Smylie Kaufman impression. He had eight birdies and an eagle on Sunday for 61, but he didn’t win. Harris English performed an acrobatic feat that made nearby Cirque du Soleil jealous: four consecutive 67s. He didn’t win, either. When the PGA Tour comes to Las Vegas, crazy things happen. Here’s what really went down.
Rod Pampling came within a whisker of a 59 on Thursday. He held the lead through Friday evening, and was one stroke back of Lucas Glover, resurgent with a new putting stroke, on Saturday. Also in the mix was young Ryder Cupper Brooks Koepka.
Most likely to win was Koepka. He came close, finishing two back of the top spot, in solo second at 18-under. Second most likely to win was Glover, the 2009 U.S. Open champion. Having withstood major pressure before, Glover made bogey at the last to fall out of a second-place tie, into third at 17-under.
Atop the field stood the most unlikely of champions. The Aussie won twice in a three-year span on the PGA Tour…in the mid 2000s! It had been more than 10 years since he lifted a Tour trophy, but a 32-foot birdie putt at the last was the final dagger to the heart of his challengers.
Early celebration ????. pic.twitter.com/v10OSMC0nv
— Skratch (@Skratch) November 6, 2016
Related: What Pampling was thinking over his winning putt.
Toto Japan Classic LPGA Tour To Shanshan
2016 has been a year of streaky golfers on the LPGA Tour. Hana Jang and Lydia Ko were winners of early tournaments in close proximity, then Ariya Jutanugarn went on two mini-streaks of three consecutive and two straight wins mid-season. As the season draws to a close, it’s Shanshan Feng’s turn, so enjoy the ride!
Feng claimed her second tournament in two weeks at the Minori course of the Taiheiyo Club, in Ibarkabi. The final round offered the prospect of a shootout, with player of the year candidate Jutanugarn and perennial challenge Suzann Pettersen in close pursuit of Feng. Both golfers took a wrong turn early and finished outside the top five. It was left to others to take up the challenge, and familiar faces appeared.
Ha Na Jang posted six birdies on the way to a third consecutive 68, moving to 12-under for the week. Feng, meanwhile, played superb golf throughout the round, making zero bogeys and four birdies to reach 15-under. Then, things got a bit strange. After a poor drive, Feng had to play for the par-four green in three, but a poor first putt and a missed second, left 3 feet for the win. Feng made that final putt for career win No. 6.
Celebration is on. Congrats @shanshanfengCHN! pic.twitter.com/mXmu0rCs5u
— #CMEFinalStretch ???? (@LPGA) November 6, 2016
McCarron wins Dominion Charity Classic in extra time
There was a bit of the bizarre and more of the unexpected as Week 2 of the Schwab Cup playoffs wrapped up in the great commonwealth of Virginia. The bizarre was this: Not one player moved into or out of the top 36 for next week’s concluding event in Arizona. The odd was that money leaders Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie and Miguel Angel Jimenez, expected to challenge, were nowhere near the frying pan when it went over the fire.
So what did happen? Well, Tom Byrum made a run at the trophy by holding the lead through Rounds 1 and 2. He made six birdies on Day 3, but was hurt by three bogeys. Unable to achieve separation, the best Byrum could solidify was a playoff at 13-under. Joining him at that number was the reborn Scott McCarron.
With a clean card of 3 birdies and 0 bogeys, McCarron found his way to extra holes. Making quick work of the affair, Scott McCarron made four on the par-five 18th hole (where neither playoff participant had made birdie in regulation) to earn his second win of the campaign and move into second spot in the Schwab Cup playoffs.
We have a winner!@ScottMccarron beats Tom Byrum in a playoff to take the @DominionClassic. #SchwabPlayoffs ???? https://t.co/zVs5IZZmgI
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) November 6, 2016
Clearwater Bay Open on PGA Tour China won with playoff eagle
Alexander Kang did everything he thought necessary to win this week in Hong Kong. Four rounds in the 60s, including three-under on Day 4, seemed to be enough, but then came Daniel Nisbet. The Australian posted 65-64 on the weekend and reached 15-under par after just missing an eagle putt at the last. When Kang’s 12-foot putt for birdie on the par-five closer went astray, the two headed out for a sudden-victory playoff.
Kang had entered the final round with a healthy lead, but a wind miscalculation at the 12th led to a watery double bogey, his only sour hole of the day. In the playoff, he reached greenside in two at the par five and snuggled his pitch to six feet for birdie. Unfortunately for the young American, Nisbet had played the hole perfectly, striking two metals onto the putting surface, leaving a 10-foot putt for three and the win. The putt rolled true and the victory and the $32K prize went to the Australian.
Here’s a great recap of the playoff. Hats off to the videographer!
Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

GolfWRX is live this week from the final event of the PGA Tour’s regular season, the Wyndham Championship.
Photos are flowing into the forums from Sedgefield Country Club, where we already have a GolfWRX spirit animal Adam Schenk WITB and plenty of putters for your viewing pleasure.
Check out links to all our photos below, which we’ll continue to update as more arrive.
General Albums
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #1
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #2
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Chandler Phillips – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Davis Riley – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Scotty Kennon – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Austin Duncan – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Will Chandler – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kevin Roy – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ben Griffin – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Peter Malnati – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ryan Gerard – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Adam Schenk – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kurt Kitayama – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Camilo Villegas – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matti Schmid – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
Pullout Albums
- Denny McCarthy’s custom Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Swag Golf putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Karl Vilips TM MG5 wedges – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- New Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matt Fitzpatrick’s custom Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.
Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2025 3M Open

GolfWRX is live from the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities!
Back from our overseas journey, we have plenty for you to digest from Minnesota, including WITBs and in-hand looks at some pretty impressive putters.
Check out links to all our photos below.
General Albums
- 2025 3M Open – Tuesday #1
- 2025 3M Open – Tuesday #2
- 2025 3M Open – Tuesday #3
- 2025 3M Open – Tuesday #4
WITB Albums
- Luke List – WITB – 2025 3M Open
- Isaiah Salinda – WITB – 2025 3M Open
- Akshay Bhatia – WITB – 2025 3M Open
- Kaito Onishi – WITB – 2025 3M Open
- Chris Gotterup – WITB – 2025 3M Open
- Rickie Fowler – WITB – 2025 3M Open
- Seamus Power – WITB – 2025 3M Open
- Chris Kirk – WITB – 2025 3M Open
- Vince Whaley – WITB – 2025 3M Open
- Andrew Putnam – WITB – 2025 3M Open
- David Lipsky – WITB – 2025 3M Open
- Thomas Campbell – Minnesota PGA Section Champ – WITB – 2025 3M Open
- Max Herendeen – WITB – 2025 3M Open
Pullout Albums
- Rickie’s custom Joe Powell persimmon driver – 2025 3M Open
- Custom Cameron T-9.5 – 2025 3M Open
- Tom Kim’s custom prototype Cameron putter – 2025 3M Open
- New Cameron prototype putters – 2025 3M Open
- Zac Blair’s latest Scotty acquisition – 2025 3M Open
See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.
Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2025 Open Championship

GolfWRX was live this week across the pond for The Open Championship! Check out links to all our galleries from Royal Portrush below.
General Albums
- 2025 The Open Championship – Sunday #1
- 2025 The Open Championship – Monday #1
- 2025 The Open Championship – Monday #2
- 2025 Open Championship – Monday #3
- 2025 The Open Championship – Tuesday #1
- 2025 The Open Championship – Tuesday #2
- 2025 The Open Championship – Wednesday #1
Pullout Albums
- Cobra’s 153rd Open Championship staff bag – 2025 The Open Championship
- Srixon’s Open Championship staff bag – 2025 The Open Championship
- Scotty Cameron 2025 Open Championship putter covers – 2025 The Open Championship
- TaylorMade’s 153rd Open Championship staff bag – 2025 The Open Championship
- Shane Lowry – testing a couple of Cameron putters – 2025 The Open Championship
- New Scotty Cameron Phantom Black putters(and new cover & grip) – 2025 The Open Championship
- FootJoy x Harris Tweed limited-edition shoes – 2025 The Open Championship
- Nike “Open Championship” collection shoes, bags and hoodies – 2025 The Open Championship
Pingback: Tour Mash: Olesen barely hangs on, and a walk-off eagle – Swing Update