The Olympic flame in Tokyo was extinguished on Sunday, but the golf fires burned brightly across the globe. A U.S. Women’s Amateur champion was crowned, and a unique format played out at the Ladies European Tour’s Spain event. The WGC-FedEx took place in Memphis, and Utah hosted the Korn Ferry Tour. Finally, the cradle of golf hosted the European Tour, but it wasn’t the Old Course that took center stage.

There are seven events to run down as August hits its stride. Have a tour with us as we look back on the first week of the year’s eighth month.

Olympic Games: Gold to Korda

Is there much more to write this year about Nelly Korda? In June, she won twice, including her first professional major, the PGA Championship. In August, the USA native claimed her second major title at Kasumigaseki, winning gold by a stroke over Mone Imani of Japan and Lydia Ko of New Zealand. In the playoff, Imani defeated Ko for the second spot on the podium. For Imani, the silver medal was a huge achievement in front of the home crowd. For Ko, the bronze was her second, as she claimed that same medal in Rio in 2016. Kudos to them, now let’s talk about the top of the podium.

The competition all week was fierce. Aditi Ashok fired 68 on day four and dropped from medal contention to fourth. Korda had 69 on day four and only a 72nd-hole bogey by Imani kept Korda out of a playoff. On day two, Nelly nearly posted 59, but a double at the last dropped her to 62. Although it was a reality check, it was not what she needed at that moment. For the first time in 36 holes, she was vulnerable. Her matching 69s got the deal one, but the Korda we saw over the second half was not the lightning bolt that snatched a massive, halfway lead.

And that’s what makes the Olympic games more than a major title. That’s why Korda has two majors and Xander Schauffele has one on the men’s side. You represent your country, and you are only one of 60 golfers in the tournament. Everything about the event is different, and it happens once every four years. Knowing that she was playing for an entire country Korda (and Imani, and Ko) found the necessary focus to complete the task at hand. Beyond third, there were no paying spots. If that’s not major pressure, I don’t know what is.

The putt that put @NellyKorda back on top ?

She leads by one at #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/mgk0nHzgf9

— LPGA (@LPGA) August 7, 2021

WGC: Memphis is Ancer to his prayers

The WGC-FedEx St. Jude event in Memphis had its swan song this year; it will be reborn and rebranded as a FedEx Cup playoff event in 2022. Probably the same course, but how could you possibly replicate the drama of 2021. Turns out that the course is not the easiest on which to seal anything. Just ask Harris English. The toast of the town all week, English came to the tenth tee with a healthy lead on Sunday. The U Georgia alum made double bogey at the 11th and 14th, yet still found himself in a tie for the lead. It didn’t last long, as he chopped his way up the 16th hole and made bogey at the par five. English finished one shot out of a playoff.

Just ask Cameron Smith, who stood on the 18th tee in a tie for first, and left the green in a tie for fifth. One wayward drive, one dumped recovery, one penalty stroke, one stiff wedge, and one putt added up to six, and the magic of the mullet was gone. Time for a trim, Smithy. So who was left? Guys who finished early and low, with nothing to lose. Hideki Matsuyama finished 64-63 to reach the playoff and lose. Sam Burns had 64 on Friday and Sunday, made the playoff, but once again came oh-so-close to his second win. The laurel wreath belongs to Mexico’s Abraham Ancer, who went super low on Friday with 62, then followed with 67 and 68 to reach the magic 16-under par figure. After Matsu, Burns and Ancer made par at the 18th, Ancer and Burns hit it close the second time through. Ancer went first, hit all of the hole, and drained. Burns putted next, caught 75% of the cup, and spun out to extend the playoff.

The putt that gave @Abraham_Ancer his first TOUR victory. ? pic.twitter.com/fuPgaBzOaU

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 8, 2021

USGA: Women’s Amateur belongs to woman in high Castle

If you like the back-and-forth of match play, the title tilt between Yu-Chiang Hou of Chinese Taipei and the University of Arizona, and Jensen Castle of South Carolina and the University of Kentucky was all that. 20 of the 35 holes played were won by one of the two finalists. Castle got to two-up after 11, but Hou wont the next two to square the match. Hou stood at two-up after the morning round, but Castle won three of four to start the afternoon 18 and take a lead of her own. Her lead reached three holes with seven to play. Hou won three of those, but Jensen won two of her own. In the end, the match stood 2 & 1, in favor of Jensen Castle.

Queen of the castle!@jensen_castle's #USWomensAm ? winning effort is the @Lexus Top Performance of the Day. pic.twitter.com/N3hGvuYbGb

— USGA (@USGA) August 8, 2021

Korn Ferry Tour: Creel creeps past everyone for Utah Championship

Joshua Creel likes those KF Tour events with state names in the title. Not long after a second place finish in the Maine Open, Creel snuck past a host of players with an inward 31. His 65-64 weekend brought him past the Sunday surfer, Hayden Buckley, whose 61 looked for all the world a winner. Buckley had 29 on his inward half, and that included a bogey at the 10th! Five subsequent birdies and an eagle brought him to 22-under par, ultimately worth a tie for 2nd with Peter Uihlein and Taylor Montgomery.

It was Creel and his clean, Sunday card that finished off the competition. Seven birdies against eleven pars meant 34 holes without a bogey to close the event. His thirty-feet putt for three at the last was deadly, and elicited a double pump-growl from the champion. The effort effectively eliminated his final pursuers.

10th year as a pro.
First #KornFerryTour title.@Josh_Creel_Golf embraces the moment @UTChampionship! ? pic.twitter.com/Nc1MdU58gK

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) August 8, 2021

Ladies European Tour: Alison Lee secures first individual title as a professional

The Aramco team series has quietly worked its way into relevance, for a number of reasons. The events take place in London, Spain’s Costa del Sol, New York, and Jedda. They combine a four-golfer team event with an individual competition. In the team event, three professionals partner one amateur for four rounds. At Sotogrande’s Reserva Club, the Ashleigh Buhai brigade bested the Linnea Strom squad, after both quadrilaterals tied at 35-under par. In the playoff, Buhai’s par overcame Strom’s bogey.

In the individual event, the USA’s Alison Lee hoisted a professional trophy for the first time. After opening with matching 65s, Lee carried a seven-shot advantage into the final day. Her closing 71 was enough to hold off Buhai, attempting to earn the impressive indy-team double conquest. Buhai closed with 68 to finish five back, at 10-under par. Third place belonged to Germany’s Karolin Lampert, three back of Buhai at minus-seven.

Unbelievable scenes.

Incredible shot by @stacybregman to put Team Buhai on -35 ?#RaiseOurGame | #BringTheEnergy pic.twitter.com/SDPGt68cLV

— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) August 7, 2021

European Tour: Hero Open lost in the Forrest

The top five of the Hero Open at Fairmont St. Andrews was 60% Scottish and, fortunately enough for the home crowd, a Scot claimed the title. Grant Forrest followed his Saturday 62 with a Sunday 66, and edged England’s James Morrison by one. Morrison had nine birdies on day four, including one at the par-five closer. He needed ten of them to match Forrest’s 62 and catch the frontrunner. To his credit, Forrest closed with grit and determination. After bogey at 16 dropped him out of the lead, he harvested birdie at the two closing holes to regain the top spot. The victory was Forrest’s first on the European Tour.

The moment @grantforrest93 became a winner on the European Tour ?#HeroOpen pic.twitter.com/sSJUbCksnY

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) August 8, 2021

PGA Tour: OOOHHH, Van Rooyen at Barracuda Championship

It’s a true shame that the Barracuda Championship’s format often gets lost as an alternate-field event. Any time the opportunity to gain lots of points with one shot is available, things get exciting. Adam Schenk knows all about it. After earning 30 point total in rounds two and three to take the lead, Schenk struggled to a meager five points on Sunday and finished fourth. Andrew Putnam stood on the fifth tee with 11 points already in his pocket. His three birdie-one eagle start got him to the top of the leaderboard. From that point on, Putnam played like Schenk, which wasn’t good enough for either of them.

So which of the competitors got the job done? Try South Africa’s Erik Van Rooyen. The jogger-wearing, guitar-strumming Springbok made six birdies and an eagle against one bogey, garnered 16 points on the day, and won by five points over Putnam. The win was EVR’s first on this side of the Atlantic.

Thank you, tree.

Sincerely,@FredVR_ pic.twitter.com/Y6ePdp3Emb

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 9, 2021