Kurt Kitayama beat an All-Star cast of contenders with a clutch birdie and a magnificent lag putt on the last hole to secure the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard on Sunday, denying McIlroy and Scheffler from reclaiming the World Number One spot.
News for the 8 Eligible Official World Golf Ranking Tournaments
PGA Tour - Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard
Kurt Kitayama let an All-Star cast of contenders back into the tournament with a triple bogey, only to beat them all with a clutch birdie and the best lag putt of his life to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard on Sunday denying McIlroy and Scheffler from reclaiming the World Number One spot.
With five players tied for the lead with only three holes left, Kitayama pulled ahead with a birdie putt from just inside 15 feet on the par-3 17th hole for the lead. Then, his 50-foot putt on the last hole stopped an inch from the cup. The tap-in par for an even-par 72 might have been the easiest shot he had all day.
Rory McIlroy roared into the mix with four birdies in a five-hole stretch around the turn, only to miss a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole for the lead. He had a 70 and finished one shot behind. So did Harris English, who went bogey-free on the weekend at crusty, windy Bay Hill for a 70. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler was a foot away from having a close look at birdie and a chance to take the lead. Instead, his ball spun back into the rough on the 18th and he finished with a bogey.
This time, the 30-year-old Californian who toiled around the world to earn a PGA Tour card had the final say. Kitayama finished at 9-under 279 and earned $3.6 million moving into the Top 20 of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in his career, now ranked 19 in the World.
“It went south on 9,” Kitayama said. “All of a sudden, I'm not leading any more. I just fought back hard, and I'm proud of myself for that.”
For the full story follow the link below:
Points Won - 67.28448
World Number 46 - 19
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Gira de Golf Professional Mexicana - V Copa Prissa
The Mexican golfer Carlos Ortiz took the victory of the V Prissa Cup presented by Maestro Dobel Tequila, event six of the Mexican Professional Golf Tour (GGPM) that took place at the Puebla Country Club. From Guadalajara, Jalisco, who started the Puebla competition tied in 19th position, finished with a round of 67 shots, for a total 205 shots, 11 under par, two ahead of the local defending champion. Isidro Benitez.
"I feel happy, the truth is I am very happy to return to the Mexican Professional Golf Tour, they are doing a great job supporting Mexican professional golf, hopefully I can continue supporting golf in our country," said Carlos Ortiz, the first winner of the GGPM at Bosque Real 2017.
“You have to admit that they really wanted the field too much, they put up the flags very complicated but it was a lot of fun. In the end it was possible to win here and against a rival like Isidro. It was a historic tournament for Mexican golf due to the quality of the field”, added the LIV Golf member.
The V Prissa Cup presented by Maestro Dobel Tequila, distributed a purse of one million 600 thousand pesos and awarded points for the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). The next stage of the GGPM will be from April 12 to 15 at the Club Campestre de Aguascalientes.
For the full story follow the link below:
Points Won - 1.83270
World Number 275 - 264
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PGA Tour - Puerto Rico Open
Making just the eleventh start of his rookie season, Colombia’s Nico Echavarría became a PGA Tour champion at the 2023 Puerto Rico Open Sunday. Holding a two-shot lead through 54 holes, the 28-year-old PGA Tour Latinoamérica alum carded a 4-under 68 for a two-shot win. He tied the tournament record by finishing the week at 21-under 267.
“I’m happy with life right now,” Echavarría said. “After missing four cuts in a row, only making two cuts, you just doubt yourself. I’m very grateful I just kept pushing and got it done.”
The 28-yer old from Medellín became the third Colombian to win on the PGA Tour, joining Sebastián Muñoz and Camilo Villegas. He also became the tenth PGA Tour Latinoamérica alum to win on the PGA Tour. Nico also moved into the Top 300 in the Official World Golf Ranking his best position held in the rankings now 287th in the World.
The victory gets him into THE PLAYERS Championship, with its $25 million purse next week at TPC Sawgrass. He also earned a spot in the PGA Championship and has a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour.
“I take a lot from this week. Obviously my first win on the PGA TOUR. Very happy, very happy with Puerto Rico, it's awesome. First time here and we go out with a win. So, I'm super pumped with how my golf game evolved and how it's going to help for the rest of the year,” said the latest PGA TOUR winner.
For the full story follow the link below:
Points Won - 10.16995
World Number 486 - 287
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PGA Tour of Australasia & Asian Tour - 102nd NZ Open Presented by Sky Sport
A five-hour wait to see whether he’d made the cut has become a remarkable New Zealand Open triumph for Australian Brendan Jones.
Out in the eighth group of the day on Saturday after his 36-hole total of four-under just scraped inside the cut-line, Jones shot nine-under 62 in Round 3 and then backed that up with a five-under 66 in Sunday’s final round to win by three at the Millbrook Resort.
He began the final round four strokes adrift of 54-hole leader Shae Wools-Cobb but took little time in elevating himself into the logjam at the top of the leader board. As Wools-Cobb made a disastrous start with a bogey and double bogey to start his final round, contenders came from all corners.
Sydney’s John Lyras (64) was the first into the clubhouse at 15-under at which point there was a five-way tie at the top. Jones was among those but separated himself with a birdie on the par-5 14th and then a sensational 8-iron shot into the par-3 15th that he thought, momentarily, may have even gone in.
Despite flirting with the out of bounds right of the green with his second, Jones added a birdie on 17 to get to 18-under. After holing out with a regulation par on the par-3 18th was doused in champagne by 12 mates who flew in from Canberra on Sunday and roared home every par save and birdie try of his final round.
“This is just incredible, I ground my arse off those first two rounds because I didn’t have my best stuff and then yesterday, that round was pretty special. I two-putted from about 60 feet on the last hole, holed a nice little five-footer which, at the time, I didn’t think too much of. Without that, I wouldn’t be here. I don’t know what’s happened but I’ve won it and I played some pretty awesome golf, for an old guy anyway. It’s a dream come true.” Said Jones
For the full story follow the link below:
https://pga.org.au/news/brendan-jones-completes-remarkable-new-zealand-open-triumph/
Points Won - 5.84605
World Number 920 - 535
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Nordic Golf League - ECCO Tour Spanish Masters
Before today's final round on Camiral Golf & Wellness – the former PGA Catalunya, it was 494 days since the last non-Danish victory on the ECCO Tour. On Tuesday, Joakim Wikström broke the Danes' stime, which had lasted since the seasonal final at Ledreborg in 2021, when Swedish Christopher Feldborg Nielsen won.
In 2022, all tournaments on the ECCO Tour were won by Danes, but Joakim WIkström wanted it differently on Camiral.
With a formidable round in four strokes under par, the Swede went the best round of the day and played from a 13th place before the final round to the top of the windy weather. The Swede ended in 7 strokes under par for the tournament. Wikström started 50 minutes before the driver's ball, so he could watch from the clubhouse and the driving rank while the other players at the top fell off. Finnish Matias Honkala ended the day in two strokes over the course couple and fell back to -6. At the 18th and last hole, he had the chance to secure the victory with a birdie, but unfortunately it ended up with a bogey for the Finn, which therefore ended in a shared third place with Swedish Björn Åkesson. Icelandic Haraldur Magnus, who went into the driver's ball with Honkala and Sebastian Wiis, ended with a round in + 5 (76 ) and a shared eighth place.
Danish Sebastian Wiis started in the driver's ball two strokes from the leaders, but three birdies on the first seven holes temporarily sent the Dane to the top of it, which ended up being a bit of a roller coaster ride for the odder player. After hole seven, five bogeys followed the next six holes, and Wiis now had to finish with three under on the last four to match Wikström. A birdie of 15. sent the Dane a beat closer, but pairs of the following two made an eagle of 18. required. Wiis hit his second battle, this year's battle so far at the Nordic League, up to a mile and a half on the par 5 hole, and from there he could roll his eagle in and secure the space in the replay with Wikström.
In the replay, the two players shared the first hole, but on the second hole Wiis came into some trouble with a bush around green, and it ended up costing a bogey. When Wikström simultaneously secured his couple, the case was settled. The first non-Danish victory on the ECCO Tour since October 2021.
Congratulations to Joakim WIkström who decided at the last minute to stand on the ECCO Tour this week rather than play the Challenge Tour in South Africa.
For the full story follow the link below:
https://eccotour.org/drama-da-dansk-svensk-omspil-afgjorde-saesonpremieren/
Points Won - 1.42416
World Number 567 - 536
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Nordic Golf League - Camiral Golf & Wellness Championship
It became Norwegian victory at this year's second tournament on the ECCO Tour, as Jarand Ekeland Arnøy with a round in 69 strokes and a total score of 11 under pairs could lift the trophy.
Although the morning again offered exposed start times due to frost, the Norwegian quickly got off to a start at today's round, playing in a driver's ball with Danish Christian Jacobsen and German Philipp Katich. With two birdies on the first four holes, Jarand quickly closed the hole and even overtaken Christian Jacobsen, who led before the final round. From there, the score rolled back and forth with three bogeys and four birdies, he ended the round in 69 strokes ( -3).
The Camiral Golf & Wellness Championship was the last tournament at this year's Winter Series, but the ECCO Tour is back with the Spring Series in Poland as of April 7-19.
For the full story follow the link below:
https://eccotour.org/jarand-ekeland-arnoey-vinder-camiral-golf-wellness-championship/
Points Won - 1.42104
World Number 785 - 703
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Professional Golf Tour of India - Gujarat Open Golf Championship presented by Gujarat Tourism
Patna’s Aman Raj closed out the week with a stoic final round effort of one-over 73 to bag the Gujarat Open Golf Championship 2023 title at a tournament total of 11-under 277 at the Kalhaar Blues & Greens Golf Club in Ahmedabad.
The 27-year-old Aman (66-68-70-73), who was at the top of the leaderboard from the first round till the end, thus emerged wire-to-wire winner at the Rs. 1 crore event. The win, Aman’s second, pushed him up from 11th to second position in the TATA Steel PGTI Rankings after he took home the winning prize purse of Rs. 15,00,000.
Bengaluru-based rookie Aryan Roopa Anand (71-69-69-69), the 2023 PGTI Q School winner who playing only his second event as a professional, finished a creditable second at 10-under 278 following a last round of 69 to continue his fine form and move up from 23rd to sixth spot in the PGTI’s merit list.
Aman Raj, the overnight joint leader along with Anshul Patel, had a poor start with bogeys on the first two holes where he missed up and downs. Aman, who won his only previous title in 2018, then didn’t hit it close enough to the pins to set up birdies but kept believing in himself and did not drop a shot as he also made some god par saves with a number of two-putts. His only birdie came on the 12th.
Aman, who was recovering from a bout of food poisoning on Saturday morning, finally crossed the line courtesy his determined approach and a patient display on the greens.
Aman said, “I wasn’t feeling too well this morning as I had food poisoning last evening. But I was still swinging it well. I missed a number of birdie opportunities not hitting it close to the pins but I made a lot of good two-putts and hung in there. I was expecting three to four birdies today but then I just told myself to keep the lead till the end and not make any errors.
“My experience told me to just keep it on the fairway and green and give myself chances. I kept believing in myself. It was a relief to get the job done finally.”
For the full story follow the link below:
https://pgtofindia.com/news/2415
Points Won - 0.56505
World Number 1332 - 1204
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Alps Tour Golf - Red Sea Little Venice Open
Quim Vidal wins the 2023 Red Sea Little Venice Open with a birdie on the 3rdhole of sudden-death playoff. Netherland’s Lars Keunen, Spain’s Quim Vidal, Egypt’s Issa Abou El Ela (am), and Netherland’s Davey Porsius all concluded their final round at Sokhna Golf Club tied for the lead, therefore taking part in the four-way sudden-death playoff thanks to their three-day score of 14 under-par. In 5th place, 3 shots back at 11 under-par, defending champion, France’s Oihan Guillamoundeguy.
After today’s final round, Alps Tour President, Mr. Marco Durante commented: “I’m very proud that the Alps Tour keeps growing, giving more possibilities to young talented golfers from all over the world a chance to compete and try to reach the next level of professional golf.” Since 2001, the tour has expanded, visiting more countries also across the Mediterranean Sea, allowing more players the opportunity to compete.
Quim Vidal captures his first professional win at the 2023 Red Sea Little Venice Open after 3 holes of a sudden-death play-off with a 5-meter putt. Quim shot a 4 under-par 68 during today’s final round with 2 bogeys and 6 birdies for a three-day total at 14 under-par which tied him in the lead alongside 3 other players. When he completed the play-off, he was delighted even though he didn’t “hit the ball my best today but the short game was nice. I had a rough start but then I made 2 birdies making some nice putts that gave me confidence and that was able to put me on top of the leader board. Even if it wasn’t my best day, I was making the putts and staying patient because I knew birdies would come.” He went on to express his joy about capturing his first professional win by saying, “this win feels really nice, I have a lot of confidence heading into the rest of the season and I’m really looking forward to it. This is my first professional win and couldn’t dedicate it to anyone else other than my team, my family and my friends that support me every day.”
For the full story follow the link below:
https://alpstourgolf.com/#/news/10264
Points Won - 0.62316
World Number 1817 - 1531
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