It occurs to me, that the movement of the men’s PGA Championship to May should have an unforeseen benefit for the LPGA and PGA Tour Champions. After the Open championship finished up last week, it became apparent that there was still a healthy amount of major golf in the offing. This week, we watched the women compete in the Evian Championship, while the senior men held an Open championship of their own. In two weeks, the women will celebrate their Open championship, at venerable Muirfield. Now that the finest courses in the world have opened their eyes to the value of hosting a major event on any of the global tours, we earn the double bonus of seeing dramatic tournament resolutions at breathtaking venues. Have a read on this week’s results in Tour Rundown.

LPGA: Evian Championship heads to Hockey Town

It’s rare that a golfer holds a lead in a major championship for four rounds. Brooke Henderson didn’t have that burden on her shoulders this week at Evian. She began the tournament with 64, one shot behind Japan’s Furue, in a tie with Nelly Korda. Henderson repeated her 64 on Friday to assume the outright lead, and preserved it on Saturday with a 68. Since her amateur days, Henderson was considered a can’t-miss kid, but we know how hard it is to live up to those expectations. Ask Lexi Thompson, who gave back a late-Sunday lead at the Women’s PGA this year. It wasn’t the first time for her, nor for anyone.

That was the burden of expectation for Henderson as she began the final round. Korda was not with her, but lurked. When the young Canadian played the first six holes in plus-three, her lead was gone, with Korda surging at minus-three on the day. Nelly Korda would eventually fade to a tie for eighth spot, but Henderson’s challenges were just beginning. Henderson made birdie at the seventh, but posted another bogey at the 11th to drop out of the lead for the first time in three days. American Sophia Schubert posted her fourth consecutive round in the 60s, to reach 16-under par for the week. Spectacular as her performance was, it would fall one stroke shy of first position.

Also emerging from the pack were Mao Saigo of Japan, who made birdie on half her holes in round four. She would finish at 15-deep, as would Lydia Ko, Hyo-joo Kim, Carlota Ciganda and Charley Hull. The international leader board had players from New Zealand, Korea, Spain, and England, but it would be the Maple Leaf that would rise the highest. Faced with a now or never moment, Team Henderson (sister Brittany is her caddie) rose to the challenge with birdies at 14 and 15 to reclaim a tie at the top. On the par-five 18th hole, Henderson faced a twelve-feet putt for the win, and with a little body Canadian, the orb rolled into the bottom of the cup for victory. Evian 2022 represents thes second major title of her career, following her PGA championship in 2016.

FOR THE WIN @BrookeHenderson is a two-time major champion! ?? pic.twitter.com/G2RAI2RMKs

— LPGA (@LPGA) July 24, 2022

Senior: Open Championship

As the 2022 Open at Gleneagles Kings course wound down, two things became apparent. For the fourth time, we would have a winner who had previously won the Open championship. In addition, he would bear an Irish surname. The question was, would it be Harrington or Clarke?

Darren Clarke, the broadcast team suggested all week, had a seriousness of purpose about him over these four days. His swing was consistent, his shots were true, and he was never out of the lead. Paul Broadhurst, the 2016 champion at Carnoustie, stood tied with Clarke after three rounds. Broadhurst would tumble away on Sunday with 71, and finish in a tie for third, two back of the top spot.

Broadhurst wasn’t alone. Joining him at eight-under par were Mauricio Molina, Doug Barron, Ernie Els, Thongchai Jaidee, and Steven Alker. It was anyone’s game at Gleneagles, but it came down to two.

Had you watched Harrington play military golf this week (left-right-left-right) you’d have wondered how he made the cut, much less found the path to contention. Yet, there he was at the end, the ultimate grinder, home in nine-under par. Padraig went out in 37, courtesy of bogey at seven and double at nine. He came home like the double-Open champion that he is. Six circles for birdies on the inward half added up to thirty, and 67 on the day. It was left to Clarke to make one final birdie at the 18th, to edge past his old rival. In true, old-world fashion, Clarke … well, never mind, we’ll let you watch for yourself.

The moment @DarrenClarke60 won The #SeniorOpen Presented by @ROLEX ?? pic.twitter.com/QevVaw6zym

— Legends Tour (@euLegendsTour) July 24, 2022

PGA Tour: 3M Open

It would be too easy to show you the lowlights of Tony Finau’s last two holes. The tee shot on 17 that barely stayed dry, or the tee shot on 18 that didn’t. Thing is, neither was punitive enough to carve away all of Finau’s four-shot advantage. He got up and down for par at the par three penultimate, then got down in three after a drop at 18, and won by three shots over Sungjae Im and Emiliano Grillo.

It was a rough day for leader Scott Piercy. Paired with Grillo, he struggled to a 76 after playing brilliant golf for 54 holes. Piercy was still in the hunt when he made a shambles of the 14th hole. Grillo also found his own waterloo, despite not hitting a ball in the water, on the 7th. The Argentine went from rough to rough, with an unplayable stroke mixed in. Add a few pitch shots and two putts, and he also had a triple bogey. He fought back on the inward half, and had to be at least a bit satisfied with a runner-up tie.

The victory was Finau’s third on tour, and first in regulation time. Prior to Minnesota this week, Finau had been in five playoffs since 2016, winning two of them. Winning is never easy, no matter how large or small the advantage. Cheers to Tony Finau on another tour victory.

The winning moment for @TonyFinauGolf.

He gets win No. 3 @3MOpen. pic.twitter.com/iiEUK84Nt0

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 24, 2022

Korn Ferry: PC Charity Championship

Taylor Montgomery and Peter Kuest were two of the golfers who posted a leading 63 on Thursday in Springfield. Homer Simpson was not the third. Kuest had a struggle the rest of the way. He made the cut, but never returned to the 60s, and tied for 49th place. Montgomery fare quite a bit better. He added three more rounds in the 60s, posted 22-under par for the week … and finished second by six shot. Tied with Montgomery were Robby Shelton, Augusto Núñez, and Kevin Yu.

Way out in front of the pack was the third amigo from Thursday, David Kocher. After his 63, Kocher signed for 66-65-66 and finished the week at 28 below old man par. Harder to believe than his total, were the three bogies that he made during the week. Kocher had 30 birdies on his four cards, and had one of those weeks you dream about. A fitting way to end this week’s Tour Rundown, wouldn’t you say? Let’s all dream a bit!

Calm, cool and collected. ?

Birdies all day for 6-stroke leader @davidkocher21. pic.twitter.com/mq6FLuull0

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) July 24, 2022

DP World Tour: Cazoo Classic

Richie Ramsay is a grinder. He was the only golfer to post four rounds in the 60s at the Cazoo Classic, although none of them went below 67. There were plenty of mid-60s rounds this week, along with a few in the low 60s. None of that faze Ramsay, the 2006 winner of the US Amateur at Hazeltine, and a three-time winner on the DP World Tour.

Paul Waring owned the lowest round of the week, a 63 that he posted on Thursday. Unlike Ramsay, Waring would not once return to the 60s this week. Had he done so, he’d have tied for first or won the event outright. Waring finished at 13-under par, one shot ahead of the quintet that tied for third position.

After much jousting on the day, the tournament came down to the final hole, as it should. Waring reached the par-four in regulation figures, and faced a 30-feet putt for birdie. His effort wavered at the end, and he tapped in for par. Ramsay found himself in the rough off the tee, and could only reach the apron, some 30 yards from glory. He pitched to eight feet and then, with the grit and guts that emblemize his career, he drained the putt. The one-stroke win was Ramsay’s sixth on tour, and first since 2015.

Pure elation ? @RamsayGolf | #CazooClassic pic.twitter.com/IdzMCHpQLh

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) July 24, 2022