Major championship season is on the horizon for many of the world’s tours. The ANA Inspiration is a fortnight off, while the Masters begins the following week. Golfers on all tours are sharpening their focus and risking all for the victories that will give them confidence as spring arrives across the country. With the PGA and Web.Com tours in the southeastern USA, the LPGA in Arizona, and the European Tour in Malaysia, Tour Flydown might be the more appropriate header, but we’ll continue running down the week’s results in this installment of Tour Rundown on GolfWRX.com.

PGA Tour: Casey defends title at Valspar Championship

If there’s an heir to Slytherin on the PGA Tour, it might be Paul Casey. The Englishman conquered the Copperhead course at Innisbrook for a second consecutive year, confirming his affinity for the serpent. His margin of victory, of one stroke, was identical to 2018, but his final round could not have been any different. Casey roared back last season with a 4th-round 65, overcoming Patrick Reed and a resurgent Tiger Woods.

In 2019, Casey posted 5 bogeys against 4 birdies, but his one-over 72 was good enough to defeat Louis Oosthuizen and Jason Kokrak. The top three finishers struggled at the end, each playing the final 3 holes in +1. Kokrak’s close was the harshest, as he bogeyed the last to fall from a tie with Casey. Dustin Johnson, who began the final round just one shot behind Casey, offered a milquetoast final day of 3 bogeys and 0 birdies, tumbling to a tie for 6th with Jon Rahm and Ryan Armour.

With the Masters just three weeks away, the eyes of the world watch the WGC match play this week in Austin, followed by the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio. Golfers like Rahm, Bubba Watson, Johnson and Casey are rounding into enviable form, and each of them could don the green jacket next month.

What touch from @Paul_Casey.

Will he defend his title @ValsparChamp?#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/lgIcOEMdvH

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 24, 2019

LPGA Tour: Ko’s klean kard earns Founders Cup win

Ko Jin Young might not have had Yu Liu in her sites on Sunday morning in Phoenix. The Korean pro sat 5 shots behind the leader, with ground to make up. 4 birdies in the first 11 holes brough Young a bit closer, but Liu showed no signs of dropping off, even if she also showed no signs of the form that brought her to the top spot after 54 holes.

In the closing hour, everything changed. Ko birdied holes 14-16 to reach 22-under par, knocking the Korda sisters (Nelly and Jessica) into 2nd place at 21 deep. Liu birdied the 15th to join Ko at the top, but made bogey at the last to drop out of a playoff for the title. Joining the Kordas and Liu in a four-way tie for 2nd was Spain’s Carlota Ciganda. The victory was Ko’s 3rd on the LPGA tour, and first inside the continental United States. The 2018 rookie of the year has now tossed her name into the mix for 2019 player of the year, at this early stage.

Jin Young Ko hit 16 greens in regulation on her way to a victorious bogey-free 65!

Ko's victory is the third of her short career, and her first in the U.S.A!

Check out her final round highlights now!

HIGHLIGHTS ?? pic.twitter.com/XC5PBhYlIp

— #DriveOn (@LPGA) March 25, 2019

European Tour: Hend hoists Maybank trophy after playoff victory

Australia’s Scott Hend rarely hits first from the fairway, but for three years, he was not the last to putt out. On Sunday, Hend survived a final-green, monster birdie putt from runner-up Nacho Elvira with a 2-putt par at the last. On the only playoff hole, Hend dropped a 7-feet birdie putt to claim the 2019 Maybank Championship in Malaysia. Elvira led the tournament after 54 holes, and hoped to garner a first-ever, European Tour title.

Instead, he added a 2nd playoff loss to his resume. The Spaniard’s final round could best be described as banal, as he paired one birdie with one bogey (the rest pars) until the antepenultimate hole. Elvira closed with birdies at 16 and 18, to move to 15-under par and give himself a shot at victory. Hend started Sunday in 3rd place, but birdied 5 of his first 9 holes to leap into contention. Like Elvira, he made bogey at 10, ending his birdie binge until the 13th green. David Lipsky of the USA began the day in 2nd place, but followed an opening birdie with a +4-in-3-holes stretch. He signed for 74 and dropped 11 spots, into a 13th-place tie.

The European Tour moves to the Indian Open next week, before taking a break until late April.

????? Every shot of the play-off between Scott Hend and Nacho Elvira.#MaybankChampionship pic.twitter.com/5Zwh5h3gyz

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) March 24, 2019

Web.Com Tour: Covello  conquers Chitimacha in playoff win over Lower

Vince Covello and Justin Lower did not come from college golf hotbeds. The former cut his teeth at North Florida, while the later sharpened his skills at Malone (Ohio) University. Each golfer has journeyed far and near, in search of victory.

On Sunday, Covello earned vindication for the years of near-miss and dirt digging, marking birdie on the 3rd playoff hole to drop Lower into 2nd place. Lower sat at 21-under par after a 12th-hole birdie, but made bogey at 14 and 15, to fall to -19. In contrast, Covello was stuck far back at -17, before birdies at 16 and 18 brought him to a tie with Lower. For most of day 4, all eyes were on Argentina’s Fabian Gomez. The Platense birdied 9 of his first 12 holes, but none of his final 6. His scorching 62 left him 1 stroke out of the playoff, tied with Steve Marino for 3rd. Marino’s week went like this: 68-67-66-65. Now that’s the epitome of trending in the proper direction.

Don’t count out @VinceCovello.

The veteran makes birdie on 16 to pull within one of the lead @LouisianaOpen.

Lower -19 (16)
Zhang -18 (17)
Covello -18 (16)
Marino -18 (F)
Gomez -18 (F)#WebTour pic.twitter.com/COTN45qRRV

— Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) March 24, 2019