In last week’s Tour Rundown, only the PGA Tour Champions avoided a playoff. Well, they made up for it big-time, with an extra half-round needed before a winner was decided in the season’s final event. The PGA Tour played municipal golf on a spectacular rehaul in Houston, while the European Tour did something new on something kinda old. Confused? Intrigued? Good! Have a read of this week’s Tour Rundown, where nothing was as it seemed.

PGA Tour Champions goes NINE extra holes at CS Cup

Kevin Sutherland looked for all the world like a winner on Saturday evening. He reached 13-undre par, with a five-shot advantage, after 36 holes. His 69 on Sunday appeared to further his advantage, until Paul Broadhurst came out from beyond nowhere with a heroic 63. courtesy of eight birdies on Sunday. Broadhurst failed to record birdie on the closing par five, something that Sutherland was able to do, to force a playoff. The pair returned to the 17th hole for overtime, where pars sent them on to 18. Kinda smart, huh? Problem was, they both made par there, so back to 17 … and then 18 … and then 17 … and then 18 one last time, before night fell, with no winner. On Monday morning, Broadhurst and Sutherland returned to the course, this time reversing the order. Didn’t help. Pars at 17 and 18 meant the pair had played seven bonus holes over two days, and were no closer to a winner. Finally, at the 8th extra hole, we had a birdie from Sutherland, from long distance.

Then, we had two, as Broadhurst converted a short one, to remain alive. Back to the 17th hole they went. And on the 9th extra hole, Sutherland converted a four-feet putt for a second consecutive birdie, and a title that appeared destined for him, some 36 hours prior. The victory moved the Californian to third spot in the season’s money race. Bernhard Langer entered the final week with a 30K advantage over Ernie Els. Langer and Els tied for 5th in Phoenix, and the season’s money title came to the German great for an 11th time.

Cyprus Showdown left town with the new Lefty

Robert MacIntyre burst onto the European Tour scene in 2o19, suggesting that the southpaw might break through in 2020 for a victory. Throughout the majority of the campaign, MacIntyre had played well, but never worked himself into contention until Sunday. At the Cyprus Showdown, played for a second consecutive week on the island of Cyprus, MacIntyre found himself tied with, well, everyone else as Sunday dawned. That was the plan, thanks to a curious and ingenious new format. The CS, played at Aphrodite Hills, made a cut after 36 holes to the low 30 golfers and ties. Those players teed off on day three at even par, and from there, the low sixteen and ties would advance to Sunday’s final round. Did you guess that they would once again zero the balance sheet? If so, you were correct.

The one fellow who might have felt a bit odd about the whole notion was the USA’s Johannes Veerman. The Texas A&M product played the best golf of everyone, finishing at 18-under on the week. Since he spent his 64s on Friday and Saturday, his 67 on day four was only worth a tie for 4th position. Japan’s Masahiro Kawamura looked a fit for the crown, closing with birdie for 65. Then came MacIntyre, who finished birdie-birdie for 64, and an inaugural European Tour win. The tour takes a break from old-world competition for Masters week, but returns to play on November 19th at the Joburg Open.

Houston Open to Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz in thriller

So many names were introduced to golf fans at Houston last week. Tom Doak and Mike Nuzzo, the two architects who rebuilt the Memorial Park muni to make it Tour-worthy; Brooks Koepka the consulting player; Jim Crane, the man whose vision came to fruition; and Carlos Ortiz. The golfer from Guadalajara began day four a shot back of leader Sam Burns. The overnight leader went the wrong way on Sunday, opening the door for Dustin Johnson (65) and Hideki Matsuyama (63) to reach 11-under par. The stage was set for the two titans to do battle for the championship, but no one warned Ortiz. The three-time Korn Ferry Tour winner (all in 2014!) signed for a 65 of his own on day four, including birdies on 16 and 18. and claimed an inaugural tour title. With the victory, Ortiz became the first golfer from Mexico since Victor Regalado in 1978, to claim victory on the PGA Tour.

Ortiz played his college golf at the University of North Texas, turning professional in 2013. His three victories on the Triple-A tour earned him an instant promotion to the PGA Tour the following season. Since then, Ortiz worked his way into contention on multiple occasions, including a previous-high of 3rd place at the 2018 Sanderson Farms Championship. As Masters week dawns, one man is smiling brighter and wider than the rest, with a sincere right to do so.