Kajitani wins Augusta Women’s Amateur in playoff

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Seven years removed from his last major championship and nearly 18 months since his last win, it would be easy for Rory McIlroy to focus on the past. But the two-time FedExCup champion arrives at Augusta National – the final barrier standing between him and the career Grand Slam – with an eye toward the future. “I’m obviously focused on this week, but it’s bigger than that,” McIlroy said in his pre-tournament press conference Tuesday. “It’s a journey, right, and it’s a journey to try to get back to playing the game the way I know that I can play the game.” RELATED: Tee times | Roundtable: Predictions | Power Rankings McIlroy recently added swing coach Pete Cowen to his stable as he tries to break out of a slump brought on by his desire to emulate Bryson DeChambeau’s eye-popping distance. McIlroy has known Cowen since he was a teenager. Their familiarity was a big reason that McIlroy selected Cowen from the cadre of coaches who inhabit a PGA TOUR driving range on a weekly basis. McIlroy’s childhood coach, Michael Bannon, is still part of Team McIlroy, but the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult for McIlroy to get face time with him. Cowen, meanwhile, has been in the United States for months. While there may be some concern that the Northern Irishman will get bogged down in mechanics under a new coach, McIlroy promises the opposite is true. “I’m actually getting away from a lot of technical thoughts. I’m actually going the other way,” he said. In an attempt to add distance, McIlroy said his swing got too flat and too long. Under Cowen, he wants to gain a better understanding of his swing so he can make quick fixes in the middle of rounds. “When you don’t understand why you’re hitting certain shots, you can become lost and you can start to think of all sorts of stuff. And I felt like every time I was going to the range, I was trying something different,” McIlroy said Tuesday. Cowen is helping McIlroy gain control of his wedge play, as well. His inconsistent distance control with his short irons has often led to squandered scoring opportunities. McIlroy expects to play more “flighted” shots, bringing down his trajectory to better control his ball, and playing more conservatively to eliminate the big number. “I think being a little bit more in control of what I do, … that’s the sort of golfer that I want to be going forward,” he said. The big number has plagued him several times at this tournament. He had a round of 77 or higher in six Masters appearances in a seven-year span (2010-14, ’16). A decade ago, he famously shot a final-round 80 after taking a four-shot lead into the final round. Last year, he rebounded from a first-round 75 to finish T5, shooting 14 under par in his final three rounds. He’s finished in the top 10 in all but one Masters since 2014. He arrives at Augusta National ranked 43rd in the FedExCup, with four top-10s in 11 starts. His recent play has been inconsistent, however. In his last four stroke-play starts, he sandwiched a pair of top-10s between two missed cuts, including a 79-75 showing in his title defense at THE PLAYERS. He did not advance out of his group in the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play. McIlroy, 31, hopes his recent past is just prologue to a new chapter in his career, though. “I’m just at the start of a journey here,” he said Tuesday, “that I know will get me back to where I want to be.”

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Welcome back folks! Nothing like easing into the New Year with views of humpback whales, rainbows, mountains and the Plantation Course at Kapalua. As is the tradition on the PGATOUR to start the new calendar year, the winners-only Sentry Tournament of Champions will open the batting. Beginning a run that will take us all the way to the TOUR Championship, it’s time to knock the rust off and bunker in for the second part of the 2021-2022 season. All who are eligible minus Rory McIlroy means 39 players will tee it up this week at the Coore-Crenshaw design on Maui. The Plantation Course will host all four rounds (no cut) as it has since 1999 but this will be the third edition after the 2019 post-tournament renovation. The last two years have seen both extremes at Kapalua. The 2020 edition was hit with severe winds and rains and posted the second-highest winning total. Last year, the weather was non-existent and the scoring was the second lowest on record on Maui. The Plantation Course is defended by the wind and its routing up and down the coastal terrain. The fairways are the widest on TOUR (almost 45 yards on average) and the TifEagle Bermuda greens the biggest targets to hit (over 8,000 square feet on average). There will be wind that blows but the good news is there will be ample room to move it and recovers. Errant shots will find almost three inches of Celebration Bermuda, which will make recovery and scrambling shots challenging to get close. Playing at Par-73 at 7,596 yards, the Plantation Course has 93 bunkers and zero water penalty areas but has plenty of canyons, ravines and trouble if shots are errant. There are only three Par-3 holes but each of the last five winners have finished in the top eight in scoring on these short holes. With massive fairways and massive greens, those gaining the most shots into and on the greens will factor this week. Of the last 17 winners 14 have been in the top seven in Strokes-Gained: Approach. Remembering this is a resort course (and Par-73) scores should be in the low 20-under range as usual if the weather cooperates so it’s not a week to grind out pars. Birdies will need to be circled and circled frequently! Combining the wind and elevation changes minus the use of personal green books (new rule in 2022) suggests that the experienced, elite talent should rule the roost this week. Harris English, the 11th consecutive American to win, returns to try and join Geoff Ogilvy and Stuart Appleby as the only players to defend the title. 2020 and 2017 winner Justin Thomas is the only multiple winner in the field this year. Xander Schauffele was the last to set the course record, 62, in his final round come-from-behind victory in 2019. His gold medal in Tokyo punched his ticket into the field this week. The prize purse gets a very nice bump to $8.2 million this season with the winner taking home $1.476 million plus 500 FedExCup points to start the New Year in style. Recent Event Winners Stats Recent Winners 2021 – Harris English (-25, 267) Birdied the first playoff hole to win for the third time on TOUR in his 250th start. … Played in the final group on 21-under, setting the 54-hole low total. … Led by two after 36 holes. … T-1 after 18 holes (Thomas) after opening with 65. … Became the EIGHTH consecutive winner inside the top five after 54 holes. … Made only ONE BOGEY thru 54 holes. … Circled 26 birdies and one eagle. … Led the field in Strokes-Gained: Putting. … Won in his second attempt (T11) at age 31. … First win since Mayakoba in 2013. … Qualified for the event from the 2020 TOUR Championship (COVID-19 exception). … Entered the week on back-to-back Top 10 finishes and four from his last six starts. Notables in the field this week: 2020 and 2017 champ Justin Thomas (3rd) posted his FOURTH podium finish in just six starts. … Debutant Sungjae Im (T5) had no problem acclimating as he posted all four rounds in the 60s as he led the field in SG: Tee-to-Green. … 2019 winner Xander Schauffele (T5) collected his third straight top five here. … Bryson DeChambeau (T7) led the field in SG: Off-the-Tee and Bogey Avoidance (2 bogeys). … Collin Morikawa (T7) posted a pair of 65s and has T7 in back-to-back seasons. … Jon Rahm (T7) picked up his fourth Top 10 paycheck in four starts. … Daniel Berger (10th) was second in Ball-Striking and GIR. … 34 of 42 players were 10-under or better. … 34 bogey-free rounds. … Scoring average 69.315, easiest on TOUR last season. … Second-easiest Sentry on record (2003). 2020 – Justin Thomas (14-under, 278) Birdied third playoff hole to win for the 12th time on TOUR in his 141st start. … Began the final round in the last group one back. … Sat three back after 36 holes. … One behind after opening with 67. … Led the field in Par-3 scoring and continued the trend of the winner being in the top seven the last five years. … 24 birdies led the field. … Becomes only the fourth multiple champion (2017) since the event moved to Kapalua in 1999. … Third podium in five attempts at age 26. … Won twice and added three top 10 paydays in six events leading into the event. Notables in the field this week: 2015 champ Patrick Reed (P2) posted two of the three lowest rounds of the week (66) to make the playoff and ensure his third top two finish. … 2019 winner Xander Schauffele (P2) led after 54 and 36 holes but could not repeat. … Patrick Cantlay (4th) led the field in Proximity and was T4 GIR. … Debutant Collin Morikawa (T7) hit the second most fairways with 55 of 60 and posted all four rounds under par. … 2018 runner up Jon Rahm (10th) hit the top 10 in both Fairways and GIR. … First edition after post 2019 renovation. … Firm fairways and greens because of all new sod. … Wind blew 20-30 MPH with gusts at 40. … Lift, clean and replace the final 54 holes. … Highest winning score since 2007. … Just seven bogey free rounds. … Only six players 10-under or better. … 72.228 scoring average. 2019 – Xander Schauffele (23-under, 269) Made 11 birdies on Sunday to win by one and claim his fourth victory in 61 career starts. … Final round 62 tied the course record and was the lowest round of the week. … Sat five off the lead after 54 and 36 holes. … Was six back after 18 holes. … Largest final round comeback in history (5 shots). … Finished T5 or better in EVERY Strokes-Gained category. … Made 24 birdies, second to Thomas. … Played his final 54 holes 22-under. … Won on his second attempt after T22 in 2018 at age 24. … Won WGC-HSBC Champions in November and T8 at Hero in December leading in. Notables in the field this week: 2017 winner Justin Thomas (3rd) led the field in birdies with 25 as he was second in Fairways and fourth GIR. … Marc Leishman (T4) backed up his T7 from 2018 even with a triple and a double on the card. … Bryson DeChambeau (7th) was T3 in Distance of Putts made. … Jon Rahm (T8) followed his solo second in 2018 with another top 10. … Cameron Champ (T11) circled 22 birdies. … Final event before the massive Coore-Crenshaw renovation. … Scoring average 70.924. … 12 bogey free rounds. … 15 players 10-under or better. Key stat leaders Top golfers in each statistic on the 2020-2021 PGA TOUR are listed only if they are scheduled to compete this week. Horses for Courses: Sentry Tournament of Champions

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PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico — Viktor Hovland of Norway holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole Sunday for a 6-under 65 and a one-shot victory in the Mayakoba Golf Classic presented by UNIFIN, his second PGA TOUR victory this year. RELATED: Final leaderboard | Winner’s Bag: Viktor Hovland It was the first time since the Mayakoba Classic began in 2007 that it was won with a birdie putt on the final hole. For the 23-year-old Hovland, it’s old hat. He made a 30-foot birdie putt on the last hole to win the Puerto Rico Open in February. Aaron Wise closed with a 63 and did everything right over the last two holes except make the birdie putts. Tied for the lead, he missed birdie putts from 12 feet on each of the last two holes at El Camaleon Golf Club. Hovland had four birdies in the opening six holes and built a two-shot lead going into the back nine on a course softened by rain that caused a two-hour delay in the morning. But he made bogey on the 12th hole, and that seemed to create chances for a half-dozen players separated by one shot along the back nine. Hovland responded with birdies on the next two holes, and he appeared to be in control with a tee shot to 4 feet on the par-3 15th. But he hit a tentative putt to remain tied with Wise, and Hovland thought he was in big trouble when his long iron on the 515-yard 16th hole sailed hard to the right toward the mangrove trees. It came down in the waste area a few feet from the hazard, and he hit a splendid sand shot to 4 feet to save par. Hovland, starting his second season on the PGA TOUR after a stellar college career at Oklahoma State, finished at 20-under 264 and moved to No. 15 in the world. That makes three players in the top 15 who were still in college a year ago in May. The others are PGA champion Collin Morikawa and Matthew Wolff, a teammate of Hovland’s at Oklahoma State. Adam Long (67) and Tom Hoge (69) tied for third at 17-under 267. Hoge holed a 20-foot birdie putt from the fringe on the 15th hole to get within one shot, but he three-putted from some 70 feet on the tough 16th to fall back. Long lost hope when he sent his tee shot into the vegetation on the 17th hole and took bogey. Emiliano Grillo, who led after the second and third rounds, closed with a 72 and tied for eighth, five shots behind. Justin Thomas got back to the fringe of contention with a 62 on Saturday but followed that with a 69, making double bogey on No. 10 to end his chances. This was the final official PGA TOUR event of the year, one last chance for players to either qualify for the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua or lock up a spot in the Masters next year. Neither was an issue for Hovland, who qualified for Maui with his win in Puerto Rico and was set for Augusta National by reaching the TOUR Championship his rookie season. Austin Eckroat of Oklahoma State had a 67-65 weekend and tied for 12th.

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