June is a pivotal month. No matter where you live, in the northern hemisphere, the good weather has finally arrived to stay (except for Wisconsin.) Even rainy June days are a delight. When she closes on the 30th each spin around the sun, we realize that the calendar has crested the mountain’s peak, and that the days are getting shorter. Not by much; we don’t notice a difference until August. Back to June: we extract as much as we are able out of the year’s sixth month. It helps that the US Men’s Open finishes on the third Sunday each year.

June’s second weekend brought five global events to our eyes. Women and Men vied for a single prize in Sweden, while seniors gathered in Wisconsin (one guess on who won in his home state?) The men found four days in Ontario to be typical, maple-leaf party, while the women took their best shots in the Garden state. Oh, lest we forget, those KFT guys traveled to upstate South Carolina for a little BMW bash. Time to run down the quintet of … wait, what just happened? Is that boarding? Five-minute major penalty for the security guard? You be the judge. Say a prayer for Adam Hadwin, while you’re at it.

unbelievable. was a totally clean hit. are we gonna start playing flag football now?! pic.twitter.com/u4VyaGvoQT

— James Colgan (@jamescolgan26) June 12, 2023

DP World Tour @ Scandinavian Mixed: Whitnell Whins!

A year ago at this event, Linn Grant played flawless golf to become the first female to triumph on the DP World Tour. Dale Whitnell was in the throes of a 14-year, winless streak on the big tour. Since he turned professional in 2009, the former Walker Cup golfer has scratched his way from minor league to major league, but had never tasted victory until this week. After he opened with 66, the worst thing possible happened in round two: a 61.

For those uninitiated, such a round on Friday is more of a yoke than a blessing. You carry a large lead with you for 36 holes, and rarely do you build on it. Whitnell struggled mightily against expectation and self-imposed pressure over the next 48 hours. Saturday saw a brilliant day of seven birdies nearly undone with two doubles and a single. On Sunday, the yoke tightened ever more, and no dust had settled until the watery 17th. It was there that the Englishman played two sensible shots to within 17 feet of the hole, then calmly rolled the putt for birdie home. With three strokes in hand over the USA’s Sean Crocker, the leader managed to find the fairway at the home hole, then pitch inside of 15 feet. Two putts later, the 34-year old journeyman was finally a winner on the DP World Tour. As a bonus, Whitnell received the champion’s trophy from one of the all-time greats, host Annika Sorenstam.

A maiden Tour victory for @Dale_Whitnell ? #VolvoScandinavianMixed pic.twitter.com/rrw3QJ0zpt

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 11, 2023

LPGA @ ShopRite Classic: Buhai corrals first LPGA title in states

Ashleigh Buhai is the defending Women’s Open (aka British Open) champion, and having that sort of winning experience means a lot, coming down the final holes of any tournament. For much of the tournament, it looked like veteran Dani Homqvist might break through for a maiden LPGA win but, as is often the case, inexperience with closing the door took over. Homqvist could not settle the bogey nerves, ultimately scribbling five of them on her Sunday card. Her +1 on day three offered opportunity to the chasers, and it was a battle to the finish in New Jersey.

Yan Liu of China reached -11 with a final-day 67. Her hopes for victory were dashed when Hyo Joo Kim of Korea posted 68 for -13 on the week. Kim would see her number eclipsed by South Africa’s queen of golf, Ashleigh Buhai. Buhai sizzled on the front nine, tossing five birdies at the par of 37, to turn in 32. She survived a bogey bump at the 11th, and unearthed two more birdies coming home. Her four at the closing par five was the exquisite stroke that propelled her to a 21st professional win, and 2nd on the LPGA tour.

Eye on the prize from our current clubhouse leader @ash_simon ?

Tune into @GolfChannel now to catch the action! pic.twitter.com/epYNMS1umT

— LPGA (@LPGA) June 11, 2023

PGA Tour @ Canadian Open: Taylor lifts the curse for Oh, Canada!

Let’s begin with a moment of silence for hard-luck Tommy Fleetwood. Poor bustard needed a PGA Tour win for validation, and he ran headfirst into history. As we know, history always wins. Keep at it, Fairway Jesus. Your time is coming.

So many of our northern neighbors had tried in vain to lift the Maple Syrup Jug (or whatever the trophy is) since Pat Fletcher won in 1954, at Point Grey in Vancouver. Think of these gods of Canadian golf: George Knudson, Dan Halldorson, Mike Weir, Moe Norman, Adam Hadwin, Dick Zokol, Dave Barr, and Jim Nelford, for starters.  Until this year, nothing. Then came Nick Taylor, in the 97th year of Oakdale’s existence. What a time to end the drought.

Taylor isn’t the young bomber that Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith are. He is the middle-aged bomber with the savvy of a guy who knows how to get it done. Taylor and a host of golfers were welcomed into contention as 54-hole leader CT Pan got off to a bumpy start. +2 on the day after nine, he fought back with three birdies on the inward side, and tied for 3rd spot with Aaron Rai and Tyrrell Hatton. The third Englishman to make the top five, Fleetwood made birdie at 16 and 17, but struggled to save par at 18. The closing par five would be his doom, about two hours later.

Taylor had posted 63 on Saturday, and looked to be on his way to a large margin of victory in regulation. His clean card of five-under on the day through ten was brilliant, until the enormity of the task revealed itself to him. Bogey at 11, 12, and 16 left him one back of Fleetwood, heading to the home hole. With the calm of a Mountie, he coaxed a birdie putt home to secure a spot in a playoff.

Taylor and Fleetwood battled to a fourth extra hole, matching par-birdie-par. Returning to the home hole, Fleetwood pitched to 12 feet with his third, and considered his position enviable, even though Taylor was aboard in two, 72 feet away. With one mighty blow, Taylor’s arcing putt shaved away all the years of frustration and torment for the Maple Leaf. As the ball made its final curve toward glory, the crowd rose as one and cheered for all to hear, for all time.

A win for their country ??

Canadian players watched on as @NTaylorGolf59 won @RBCCanadianOpen with an unreal 72-foot eagle. pic.twitter.com/kYtun47ceH

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 12, 2023

Korn Ferry Tour @ BMW Championship: ADdC debuts on world stage with win

His Excellency, Adrien Dumont de Chassart, would like to extend his gratitude to all for attending his coronation celebration in the duchy of Greer, South Carolina. He would like to extend his condolences to Josh Teater, the foe that he vanquished upon field of battle and honor.

Thanks for humoring me. Adrien Dumont de Chassart? If that isn’t a name fit for royalty, then I’m not fit for publication. ADC for short, had some kind of run on the Thornblade course at the Carolina Country Club, SC version. He stood two-under par on the day through 12 holes, in position for a nice payday. And then, he saw God. Birdie-Birdie-Birdie-Eagle and suddenly, his royal highness was in the thick of things. What had looked like a decent shot for Josh Teater had turned into a dogfight.

Teeter stood four-under through seven on Sunday, but lost his mojo. He played the remaining eleven holes in even par, and was fortunate to reach the playoff session. It was over quickly, but not as you might expect. It was Teater who found the extra green in regulation, but it was Teater who took three putts to get down. It was ADC who missed the green, but it was ADC who got up and down for par. Golf is like that: maddening.

Just like he has done it for years??@adrienddc eagles the 16th and takes a one-shot lead @BMWCharityProAm. pic.twitter.com/WTxAAlltek

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) June 11, 2023

PGA Tour Champions @ AFI: When in Wisconsin, bet Stricker

Honestly, why do they even play the tournament? If it’s a PGATC event in Wisconsin, and Steve Stricker is in the field, just send everyone home on Friday. Doesn’t matter if Justin Leonard shoots a 62 on Friday. Doesn’t matter if Colin Montgomerie makes a charge on Sunday. Steve Stricker has two “S” on his shirt; he’s double-Superman, especially in his home state.

So it goes. That’s a line from Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. So it goes with Steve Stricker. He wins. He might have won more on the regular tour. He might have won a major on the regular tour, but he did not. Instead, he fought through injury, helped to raise a family, and bided his time for senior golf. He also captained a Ryder Cup side to victory in … you guessed it, Wisconsin.

On Sunday, Stricker kinda coasted home after opening 65-64. He posted 69 on the home course of his beloved Wisconsin Badgers, University Ridge. He made five birdies against two bogies, but no one made a run at him. It’s as if the others were afraid to challenge the lion in his den. Whatever, dude. The victory was his 15th on the retirement tour, and his fourth of 2023. Tell your kids to watch him now, so that they can say they saw him when.

Stricker being Stricker ?@stevestricker @amfamchamp pic.twitter.com/6ftXomwLaX

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) June 11, 2023