LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Welcome to the Monday Leaderboard, where we round up the top stories of the weekend in the wonderful world of golf. Grab an Arnold Palmer, pull up a chair and stay on good terms with the local police…
Xander Schauffele deserves Valhalla glory
The US Open will be here before we know it, so before we completely turn the page on this year’s PGA Championship, let’s take one last look at Xander Schauffele’s magnificent victory on the 72nd hole. The PGA Championship can struggle with its identity, but it almost always delivers a spectacular ending. Purists may complain that the courses are designed to create low scores and lumped rankings, and that complaint has merit. But someone has to fight their way out of that snarl and give Schauffele credit for going wire to wire and staying steady the entire time. Maybe this will lead to more majors, maybe this will be a testament to a lifetime of hard work, but either way, it’s a remarkable win for one of the best players of his era.
As for Valhalla itself, this could be the last championship it hosts now that it is no longer owned by the PGA. The course is a bit of a relic from a bygone era – the demands it places on players are not particularly difficult for this current team – and the infrastructure, such as the one way in and out, is a challenge. But the galleries were exceptional, the views spectacular and the golf exciting… even if it wasn’t exactly the toughest test we’ll ever see. Valhalla deserves another big one one day, and Schauffele will be the first back.
Scottie Scheffler police drama update
After his round on Sunday, Scottie Scheffler was so exhausted that he almost put his head on the scorer’s table and passed out. No wonder; he had spent the past two weeks experiencing some of the most emotionally demanding moments of his life, from the birth of his child to an unexpected arrest on Friday and four criminal charges. He will be arraigned on these charges on Tuesday… or maybe not. According to No imposition, prosecutors are considering dropping all charges against Scheffler. Without speculating as to why that is, it’s likely that everyone involved wants to put this whole ugly little misunderstanding behind them. And the only thing that was lost was a pair of pants.
Nelly Korda remains reliably excellent
Although lost in the whirl of the PGA Championship, Nelly Korda’s victory at the Mizuho Americas Open marked her sixth victory of this spectacular season. She beat a crowded leaderboard, beating Hannah Green on the final hole to take the victory. Korda is now the first American to win six times on the LPGA Tour since 1990. Only three other players in LPGA history have won six times before June 1. Korda’s victory was a welcome reversal of bad news for the Mizuho, where ten players withdrew from the tournament with a variety of illnesses.
Another man overboard on the PGA Tour
In the immediate aftermath of Schauffele’s victory came news that another independent member of the PGA Tour Policy Board was stepping down from his position. Mark Flaherty resigned with a letter to his fellow board members that failed to mention fellow former board member Jimmy Dunne’s lacerating “no meaningful progress” side. What does this resignation mean for the PGA Tour and the hope for some kind of deal with the Saudi Public Investment Fund? It’s early and dark, but it’s clear that the players on the board – not the PGA Tour infrastructure – have the upper hand at the moment. That could spell trouble for Tour commissioner Jay Monahan’s tenure, as well as trouble for the “framework agreement.” As fun as it was to see LIV and Tour players in action this weekend, it’s likely we’ll only see that in the majors for the foreseeable future.
Harry Higgs and the Eagle of Destiny
Tommy Fleetwood hit his final hole to make the cut at the PGA Championship, but all that got him was a paycheck. Check out Harry Higgs, who holed out to Eagle on his final hole to force a play-off for the 2024 AdventHealth Championship… and then won the play-off!
It was a great win for someone who grew up near the tournament grounds in Kansas City, and it was Higgs’ first win on the Korn Ferry Tour since 2019. All wins are good wins, but wins that come like this remember forever.
The Jordan Spieth Mulligan of the Week: A dip into booze
Spieth didn’t give us much to work with this week, aside from his hellish attempt to drive the green at the picturesque par-4 13th on Sunday. (He ended up in the water.) So we turn to Adam Hadwin, who managed to convince a fan to take off his skivvies and dive into the water to retrieve a bat from him:
Reasonable request to make a fan. I hope the guy at least has an autographed ball.
Swing away and roll ’em through this week, friends, and we’ll see you back here next Monday!
