Across the USA and Canada, it’s a long weekend that marks a celebration of fall. Across the golf world, victors were anointed in England, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Florida, and North Carolina (OK, mainly across the USA:) The colorful passing of leaves from trees forewarns the arrival of cold temperatures, snow and, in some places, a break from the golf. For us, we chase the sun as Hogan did, running down professional tournaments wherever they are played. Have a nice cup of something warm and enjoy this week’s Tour Rundown.

Hatton claims homeland PGA Championship

The great debate rages on, as to why the USA is home to three of the world’s four major men’s golf titles. Important events are played across the globe, and the British PGA must certainly be counted as one. The uncontainable Tyrrell Hatton withstood an early charge from France’s Victor Perez, then countered mid-round with a volley of his own. He then closed firmly, to claim a 5th European title and second professional win of 2020.

Hatton had stamped himself as the frontrunner over three days, but when Perez stood minus-six on the day through twelve holes, the Englishman was compelled to seek something deep. His lead was a single stroke at the time, thanks to consecutive birdies at 9, 10 and 11. Perez simply wouldn’t go away … until the next hole. The man from Gaul had emptied his storehouse of birdies, and two closing bogies brought him back to -15. After a hiccough at 13, Hatton finished off a -19 performance with birdies at 15 and 18. The closing hole was kind to him all week; he made birdie each of the days, and secured a coveted, homeland title of importance.

Sei-young Kim finds major glory at Aronimink

With this taste of fall major championships, golf’s followers might lobby to do this more often into the future. First the US men’s open, and now the Women’s PGA! The scattering of events of magnitude throughout the calendar year is compelling, and might encourage the admins to rethink the way (and the places) that they shape their schedules.

Sei Young Kim won four of her ten previous LPGA titles in playoffs. She is money in extra time, but came nowhere close to needing a playoff in Philadelphia this weekend. Kim entered Sunday with a two-shot advantage over Brooke Henderson, and the Canadian would have needed 61 just to reach one of those aforementioned playoffs. That’s due to the monstrous 63 that Sei-young etched into history on Sunday. Three birdies on the front nine to preserve the lead, as Henderson struggled. Four more over the closing six holes, to reach -14 over a stored Donald Ross course. It’s a lengthy, one-paragraph summary; in essence, it was a one-woman event. Despite the heroics of Carlota Ciganda and Inbee Park (65s on Sunday) and Nasa Hataoka (64 punctuated by a hole-out eagle at the 1st), WPGA 2020 will be forever known for the separation of Sei-young Kim from the field. Welcome to the Major table, SYK!

Martin Laird is a winner once more

Unlike Sei-young Kim, Martin Laird is not Money Martin in playoffs, unless they take place in Las Vegas, kind of. Laird has been involved in three Shriners playoffs (2009, 2010, 2020) and has won two of them. Take him away from the desert, and he is zero for two. Time to focus on what he did brilliantly this week, holding off Matthew Wolff and Austin Cook in extra time for a 4th tour title.

Laird entered round four in a tie with Patrick Cantlay, at -20. After a 63 and two 65s, Cantlay went somewhere mysterious with a front-nine 39 on Sunday. He had two birdies coming home, but the damage was done. Laird soldiered on, as many around him made mid-6os runs at the lead. In addition to the aforementioned Wolff and Cook, Peter Malnatti and Bryson DeChambeau had 66s, and burst into the top ten. With the tournament in his hands, Laird made bogey at the watery 18th, falling into a three-way tie and a lagoon of doubt.

Regrouping quickly, the Scotsman headed off to extra holes with two associates. All three made par at the first playoff hole, with Wolff and Laird excruciatingly close to a winning birdie. At the 2nd playoff hole, the par-three 17th, Laird’s putt never looked like it would stay high enough, until it caught the lower edge and dropped for a winning birdie. Seven years after his last tour win, the now-gray Laird had a fourth title, and one to share with his young family.

Mullinax locks gate on Korn Ferry 2020 with Orange County win

Trey Mullinax was a part of those Justin Thomas-led, University of Alabama teams of the early 2010s. Since his time in Tuscaloosa, Mullinax has ground out a living across America’s PGA Tours. He has two victories on the Korn Ferry Tour, along with a stint on the big tour, to show for his efforts. This weekend, Mullinax claimed that second KFT victory, by one stroke at the Orange County National complex in Orlando.

Round four was an unstable one for the man from Birmingham. Five birdies were offset by three bogies, and he closed with 69 for -23. Fortunately for Mullinax, one of those birdies came at the par-five finishing hole. Gaining ground behind him were Brandon Wu and Stephan Jaeger. After forging his seventh birdie of the day at the 15th, Wu could summon no more, ending at -22. Jaeger was the antithesis. After dropping a stroke at the par-five 14th, he closed with three birdie along the four-hole, finishing stretch. After reaching the last in two, his putt for eagle and a tie came up shy, and Mullinax had a victory to close the 2020 campaign.

The Big Easy plays well in Cary

The SAS Championship celebrated its 20th playing this week, all of them in Cary, North Carolina. The little town that could has grown up, and what better champion to celebrate two decades of success than Ernie Els? Situated west of Raleigh, and south of Durham and Chapel Hill, Cary makes no claims on enlarging the triangle into a quadrilateral. It likes who it is, just fine, and should serve as a fine host to the PGA Tour Champions for years to come.

Els came oh-so-close to being one of those winners in his first senior event, earlier this year. He has now won twice in his maiden campaign on the Champions Tour, by one shot this week over Colin Montgomerie. In truth, the SAS appeared to be a reset to the early 2000s, with Els, Monty, Vijay Singh and Bernhard Langer giving chase. After 74 on Sunday, it appears that the the great German champion Langer might be finally showing signs of passing the torch to a new generation of old guys.

For all the world, it seemed that Singh and Montgomerie would do battle for the title. Both had 70 on day four, and finished at -10 and -11, respectively. Els stood +1 through five holes on Sunday, apparently out of the picture. Along came the seven-birdie train, however, punctuated by gained shots at the final two holes, and just like that, the South African hero had snatched the title from the mitts of Scotland and Fiji. The title boosted Els into the Schwab Cup lead, with two events left before the grand finale in Phoenix, in November.