Charlie Woods, Tiger Woods, Maverick McNealy, Joel Dahmen, Geno Bonnalie and Marina Alex (clockwise from high left).
Getty Photos
Welcome again to the Monday End, the place we’re feeling grateful for — you guessed it — golf. To the information…
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GOLF STUFF I LIKE
Stepping away in your phrases.
We knew it was Lexi Thompson‘s finale. Sunday’s fourth spherical on the CME Group Tour Championship was the ultimate day of what Thompson has known as her closing full season on the LPGA Tour, marking the tip of an period for an iconic LPGA presence. Thompson’s retirement announcement got here again in Could, forward of the U.S. Ladies’s Open, which allowed her legions of followers an opportunity to bid farewell, so there was loads of build-up to the waning moments of her spherical at Tiburon Golf Membership in Naples, Fla.
“I believe ever since I used to be tremendous younger I’ve held lots in,” an emotional Thompson mentioned post-round. “I believe as athletes you’re at all times advised to be robust and be intimidating on the golf course. Don’t present any signal of weak point … it’s form of like, this time I’m truly letting myself really feel these feelings and really be actual.”
Thompson wasn’t the one one calling it a profession on the finish of 2024. A powerful record of LPGA mainstays — 11 whole, in accordance with Golfweek — had already introduced their departures. That included Thompson, Catriona Matthew, So Yeon Ryu, Angela Stanford, Mariajo Uribe, Laura Davies, Amy Olson, Gerina Mendoza and Brittany Lincicome.
It included I.Okay. Kim, who didn’t break the information till after her closing spherical at St. Andrews, when she let it slip to R&A head Martin Slumbers. (She’d advised her family and friends simply the evening earlier than.) And it included Ally Ewing, who saved a few of her greatest golf for final and completed robust with a T16 exhibiting on the CME.
“Having household right here however then additionally as many gamers that got here out and supported me, ending on 18 and even simply the notes which were left in my locker this week, it’s been extremely particular to have constructed relationships like this,” Ewing mentioned.
After which there was Marina Alex.
For years, Alex admitted, she’d admired athletes who’d gone out on high. The picture of Suzann Pettersen, who’d retired after holing a Solheim Cup-winning putt, had been etched in her thoughts for years.
“I believed that was one of the vital unbelievable issues I’ve seen from a participant. I used to be like, ‘wow, that’s actually cool. Option to exit on high.’ When you realize, you realize, and that’s that. I at all times wished in some trend that for myself.”
Alex nearly earned herself that chance. She completed T6 on the Maybank Championship in October after which made all of it the way in which to a playoff within the Toto Japan LPGA Basic, which she finally misplaced, simply lacking the prospect to experience into the sundown a winner. She missed her subsequent two cuts, a reminder that nothing ends completely. However a final-round 66 in Naples to lock up a T12 end? That was fairly shut. The craziest half? She’d saved it a secret.
“You by no means are going to get that fairytale expertise, you realize, win, stroll away,” Alex mentioned. However I’m so completely satisfied for the final month of golf. It’s actually — golf doesn’t owe you something. To have the ability to not less than get just a little little bit of feeling prefer it’s one of the best golf I’ve ever performed and I’m leaving with that, I’m actually grateful for it.”
Alex admitted that it was difficult to not inform her buddies on tour. “Inform one particular person, would possibly at effectively inform 20,” she mentioned. However she appreciates the bond they share having performed collectively for a decade-plus.
“I’ve some unbelievable friendships. I believe there may be an unwritten bond so many people have out right here simply by means of touring and the hardship, the great and the unhealthy.
“I don’t need to whine and say this life is horrible. It’s wonderful — and we all know that. However it’s difficult. It’s laborious. All of us form of share that battle. For all of us who’ve recognized one another for an prolonged interval there may be loads of intertwined simply bonds and relationships.”
Going out in your phrases — that’s golf stuff I like. As for what’s subsequent?
“Proper now, I’m simply actually able to relaxation my mind and principally, like, my coronary heart,” Alex mentioned. “This can be a laborious job emotionally and I’m lastly prepared to hold that up and never stay and die by the golf course.
“I’m actually wanting ahead to that.”
WINNERS
Who gained the week?
Jeeno Thitikul gained the CME Group Tour Championship due to a preposterous eagle-birdie end and pocketed the first-place test of $4 million, the most important prize in ladies’s golf, within the course of. (This additionally introduced her season earnings to a report $6.06 million, whereas Nelly Korda‘s seven-win marketing campaign was second at $4.39 million.)
Maverick McNealygained the PGA Tour’s finale, the RSM Basic, due to an epic 72nd-hole birdie mixed with a pair bogeys from his competitors one group forward. After a adorned school profession, the win was McNealy’s first on Tour in his a hundredth made reduce.
Elvis Smylie gained the BMW Australian PGA Championship, edging his Aussie idol and mentor Cameron Smith by two photographs in what’s technically the primary occasion of the DP World Tour’s 2024-25 season.
And Patrick Reed gained the Hyperlink Hong Kong Open on the Asian Tour — his first victory in practically 4 years — due to a wild 59-66 weekend.
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NOT-WINNERS
A number of golfers who didn’t win however nonetheless kinda gained.
Joel Dahmen was the discuss of the RSM Basic; he’s a favourite not solely amongst followers however Tour execs, too, and his top-125 standing was in critical jeopardy heading to the weekend. First he wanted a five-footer simply to make the reduce. Then he wanted an epic Sunday rally and delivered a clutch six-under 64, sufficient to carry him to No. 124 within the standings. Extra on that right here (and across the web; Dahmen’s triumph left its mark) however in order for you a style of what that felt like for onlookers? Right here’s Dahmen’s PGA Tour peer Mark Hubbard‘s response:
And in case you suspect that destiny was on Dahmen’s aspect, effectively, you’d have some proof for that. Right here was his second shot at No. 4 on Sunday:
Nearer the highest of the leaderboard, three execs completed a smidge exterior a playoff. Newbie (and Florida State student-athlete) Luke Clanton was paired with latest Tour winner Nico Echavarria; each have been sitting at 16 below, each pulled their method photographs left at No. 18 and each made bogey. Daniel Berger, seeking to cap off his comeback season with a win, noticed a number of quick birdie appears to be like go wanting within the closing holes and completed T2 beside them.
And Angel Yin was two photographs away from Thitikul with two holes to play and completed par-par — however someway misplaced outright. Regardless of her opponent’s heroics, she nonetheless completed second alone and may have a comfort prize of $1 million. For Yin, who was in a wheelchair earlier this 12 months as a consequence of damage, the end capped off a exceptional turnaround.
“That I’m fairly superior,” she mentioned with a smile, requested what she’d realized about herself. “That [I couldn’t] stroll and completed second. So I’ve realized that I simply must imagine my myself and that’s what I did.”
SHORT HITTERS
Who’s in — and who’s out?
–Daniel Berger moved means inside the highest 125; he began the week at No. 127 and completed at No. 100. He sounded loads assured on the weekend regardless of a prolonged layoff from skilled golf.
“To me, it doesn’t actually concern me as a result of after I play 1/tenth of what I’m able to, I’m at a stage that’s — it’s going to sound horrible, however I believe I’m simply at a distinct stage than among the different guys I’m competing towards,” he mentioned after Saturday’s spherical. “Regardless, anytime you are taking two years off of something aggressive, it simply takes some time to come back again. I’m giving myself 12 extra months to be the place I need to be.”
–Henrik Norlander moved in, too — however not by a lot. He made the reduce on the quantity and rallied with a 63-68 weekend to climb into T17 for the week and No. 120 for the season.
-Then there was Dahmen, whose rollercoaster week noticed him end at No. 124 — the identical place he began.
“Makes you recognize issues just a little extra when occasions are robust,” he mentioned afterwards. “I believed lots about every part. It got here all the way down to the final putt this week. I hit 1000’s of golf photographs this 12 months, missed loads of cuts, had loads of alternatives to do every part, so it didn’t have to come back to this. So I used to be grateful for the chance as we speak, however I don’t need to undergo this ever once more.”
–Sam Ryder secured the final protected spot; he missed the reduce however held onto No. 125 when Hayden Springer slipped down the leaderboard with a Sunday 70 and completed at No. 127.
–Zac Blair and Wesley Brian have been the 2 gamers to begin the week contained in the quantity and end exterior; they performed alongside Dahmen within the first two rounds however every missed the reduce, fading from Nos. 123 and 125 to 126 and 128, respectively.
ONE SWING THOUGHT
Mav on his closing 6-iron.
McNealy credited his brother and new caddie Scout with protecting him in the fitting mind set coming down the stretch. So what was their dialog earlier than that closing 6-iron method?
“It was 185 [yards] and 185’s normally an ideal 7-iron, however [the wind] was in off the left,” McNealy mentioned. “I knew that pin was barely on the again aspect of the grain change and I knew that placing from lengthy at that pin was nice.
“I’ve been engaged on hitting cuts and I simply thought — I advised Scout, ‘195 [yard] 6-iron.’ A 6-iron is sort of a 200 membership, so I didn’t must kill it, however I simply wanted good strong one. He advised me, ‘compress it, simply smash down, take a divot.’ Scout’s teaching has been fairly easy these days, he says swing left and take a divot. So I simply swung left, took a divot, all got here out proper on line, useless heart of the clubface and it couldn’t have been a greater time for it.”
As at all times: sounds easy, when he places it that means…
ONE BIG QUESTION
Who could be out?
Recently there’s been loads of discuss across the changes the PGA Tour will make to its membership starting on the finish of subsequent season. That features shrinking many fields plus lowering “full” PGA Tour playing cards from 125 to 100.
“I’ve to get higher to be within the high 100,” Dahmen admitted post-round.
I’d argue the consequences of the change are overstated; the Tour is basically simply guaranteeing that gamers with a card get into the occasions they need to get into, and gamers within the 101-125 class will nonetheless get loads of begins. However say the adjustments had been applied this season — how would it not look?
The Tour tweeted out the record of Nos. 51-125. The far-right column consists of some winners who’d have multi-year exemptions, like Rickie Fowler and Matt McCarty. However most others could be staring down partial standing for 2025 and attempting to determine what kind of schedule they’d be capable of play.
ONE THING TO WATCH
Tiger Woods’ subsequent event.
On Monday the 15-time main champ introduced that he was “disillusioned” to not tee it up in subsequent week’s Hero World Problem. It’s no shock that Woods isn’t prepared — his newest again surgical procedure was in September — however Woods had initially thought of the potential for recovering in time to tee it up within the Bahamas.
So now what? The crew of Tiger and Charlie Woods had been anticipated to fill out the ultimate spot within the PNC Championship; maybe Tiger is sitting out to ensure he’s in full well being for what he’s known as “our fifth main.”
After which there’s the TGL, the sector golf league co-founded by Woods, which is slated to kick off in January. Golf’s TV rankings have been buoyed by Woods’ presence for many years — a part of the worth proposition of the TGL is that he’ll play. We’re assuming he’ll be good to go, but it surely’s price monitoring what golf followers have grown accustomed to monitoring for practically twenty years: the state of Tiger’s well being.
NEWS FROM SEATTLE
Monday End HQ.
The Christmas tree is up. A pre-Thanksgiving tree store is unprecedented in my family however with Turkey Day this late it was vital to regulate on the fly. Eat up, gang. Sneak in a morning 9 in case you can. We’ll see you subsequent week.
Earlier than you go, a fast request: If you happen to just like the Monday End, subscribe at no cost HERE to get it in your e mail inbox!
Dylan Dethier welcomes your feedback at dylan_dethier@golf.com.
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Dylan Dethier
Golf.com Editor
Dylan Dethier is a senior author for GOLF Journal/GOLF.com. The Williamstown, Mass. native joined GOLF in 2017 after two years scuffling on the mini-tours. Dethier is a graduate of Williams Faculty, the place he majored in English, and he’s the creator of 18 in America, which particulars the 12 months he spent as an 18-year-old residing from his automobile and enjoying a spherical of golf in each state.
