Tour Wrap-Up: Tiger turns the corner

Post by Sports Writer, Derek Clements 

PGA Tour 

FOR a while, the Quicken Loans National looked like the tournament nobody wanted to win. In the end, Troy Merritt recorded his first PGA Tour victory as all about him lost their heads at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia.

Merritt shot into contention after a superb 61 in round three and as his fellow challengers frittered shots away, he hit fairways and greens, picking up birdies when he needed them. He is the 10th first-time winner this season.

Bill Haas looked liked a winner before recording three bogeys and a double-bogey in five holes. Having gone out in 31, he required 39 shots to negotiate the back nine. Justin Rose got himself into shape to make a successful defence of his title until he was derailed by a double-bogey. A final round of 70 was not what he was looking for, but he still finished tied fourth. 

Highlights from the final round of the Quicken Loans National

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAUlV1KjnCo

Rickie Fowler had gone into the final round as a warm favourite, and had recorded six birdies by the time he came off the 16th green. Unfortunately, he had also dropped five shots.  He picked up another birdie at the 18th to finish 15 under.

A couple of months ago, the chances are that you would not have heard of David Lingmerth, of Sweden. Then he won The Memorial,  beating Rose in a playoff, and he seems to have been in contention every week since. And here he was again, chasing Merritt home.

By the time he reached the 485-yard par four 15th, Merritt had picked up two shots. He was 16 under par, two ahead of Lingmerth and Fowler and was cruising. He nearly holed his tee shot at the par three 16th, tapped in for a birdied and a three-shot lead. Slam dunk! And he put the icing on the cake with a birdie on the 18th to win by three.

For Tiger Woods, it was a case of what might have been. He had been in contention after 36 holes, only to drop down the leaderboard with a 74. The world number 266 ended the tournament with a 68 to finish on eight under. He hasn't made the field for the Bridgestone Invitational but will head to the US PGA Championship in good heart.

European Tour

Kiradech Aphibarnrat continued his dream season by beating Robert Karlsson on the 18th green to win the final of the Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Matchplay. The event marked a welcome return to form for the giant Swede, who has not won since 2015, but he was always playing catch-up against the Thai golfer.

In an era when most golfers spend every spare minute in the gym, Aphibarnat is a throwback to a bygone era. Let's just say that it is a safe bet that this young man enjoys his food and almost certainly has a particular penchant for burgers. Make no mistake, however, that he is one heck of a golfer. The 26-year-old won the Shenzhen International earlier this season and has contended several times on the European Tour since that success.

He intends to become a global player, and obviously has the game to win many tournaments but at some point he is going to have to address his physical condition. Suffice it to say that he is known as Asia's John Daly - before Daly had his gastric band surgery. And, like Daly, he also smokes heavily. The picture of health he is not!

The final was watched by a disappointingly small crowd and Aphibarnrat's cause was helped by Karlsson's form with the driver. He simply missed too many fairways at Murcar Golf Club, a superb links course located near Aberdeen, and was behind all the way after losing the second. Typical was the 14th hole, where Karlsson found the rough, was unable to hit the green with his second and took three more to get down. Aphibarnrat also missed the green but was able to get up and down to win the hole and move to three up with four to play.

He gave it straight back at the next to reduce his lead to two, and then found a greenside bunker at the par-three 16th. Suddenly, the deficit was just one and Aphibarnrat's victory speech was on hold. And it was ripped out when Karlsson birdied the 17th to square the match.

And so they came to the 372-yard 18th hole, with Karlsson now the favourite. Aphibarnrat hit a wild drive but produced a fantastic recovery, ;eaving his second shot three feet from the hole. In it went for a birdie and a one up victory.

The third and fourth place playoff was a high quality affair featuring David Howell, of England, and home favourite Marc Warren. It was a nip-and-tuck match with Howell going one up after a crucial birdie at the 15th. Naturally, Warren had the bulk of the support and he hit straight back at the next with a magnificent approach shot. Howell missed the green and had to hole his pitch to secure a half. He failed to do so and they went to the 16th all square. Howell then almost holed his second at the 17th to go back to one up with one to play.

A half at the 18th meant Howell won one up to claim third place. 

You might remember that the Madeira Islands Open was abandoned earlier this season when, despite everybody's best efforts, a combination of wind and rain meant only one round was possible. They returned and finally got the job done, with Roope Kakko hitting a sensational final round of 63 to claim the title.  The 33-year-old was 17 under par for his two rounds over the weekend, and beat Scotland's Scott Henry by three shots. He set a tournament record 24 under par total, 26

Women's British Open 

Still in Scotland, Donald Trump did his best to dominate affairs at a golf course we must now refer to as Trump Turnberry. Fortunately, the quality of golf at the Women's British Open did a pretty good job of keeping the worst combover on the planet in the shadows.

Sadly, there  was to be no British or European winner. Inbee Park, the world No1, won her seventh major thanks to a stunning final round of 65 for a 12-under-par total of 276. For much of the day it looked like the winner was going to be a golfer called Ko. Surprisingly, however, it was not Lydia Ko but an unknown player called Jin-Young Ko, who is mentored by Park.

This event saw all four seasons in a day, every day, but the world's best women players defied the conditions to produce some wonderful golf. Ko was a revelation. She may have come into the championship as an unknown, but she leaves it with everybody now knowing her name.

She struck some wondrous iron shots all week, none more so than in the final round. And whenever she looked liked getting into trouble, her putter came to her rescue. What's more, she did so with a smile on her face - a far cry from the likes of Michelle Wie, who increasingly appears to be carrying the woes of the world on her shoulders.

Most pundits expected Ko to crumple in the face of the pressure that comes with the final round of a major. And eventually she did. Having progressed to 12 under and a three-shot lead with only six holes to play, she began to fritter shots away and, as she did so, Park found an eagle and a birdie in the closing holes to take control.

Lydia Ko, the 18-year-old world No2, briefly threatened with an eagle three at the par-five 14th. It took her to eight under par, but it was too little too late.

The top European finisher was Suzann Pettersen on seven under. Amy Boulden, of Wales, and Mel Reid, of England, were tied for ninth place.