Charlie Woods, Tiger Woods, Maverick McNealy, Joel Dahmen, Geno Bonnalie and Marina Alex (clockwise from prime left).
Getty Pictures
Welcome again to the Monday End, the place we’re feeling grateful for — you guessed it — golf. To the information…
First, a fast request: In case you just like the Monday End, subscribe HERE to get it in your e mail inbox! It’s free. And it might make me completely satisfied.
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 referred to as her last 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. Girls’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 loads in,” an emotional Thompson stated post-round. “I believe as athletes you’re all the time informed to be sturdy and be intimidating on the golf course. Don’t present any signal of weak spot … it’s type of like, this time I’m really letting myself really feel these feelings and truly be actual.”
Thompson wasn’t the one one calling it a profession on the finish of 2024. A formidable listing of LPGA mainstays — 11 complete, in keeping 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.Ok. Kim, who didn’t break the information till after her last spherical at St. Andrews, when she let it slip to R&A head Martin Slumbers. (She’d informed her family and friends simply the night time earlier than.) And it included Ally Ewing, who saved a few of her finest golf for final and completed sturdy with a T16 displaying 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 stated.
After which there was Marina Alex.
For years, Alex admitted, she’d admired athletes who’d gone out on prime. 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 unimaginable issues I’ve seen from a participant. I used to be like, ‘wow, that’s actually cool. Technique to exit on prime.’ When you understand, you understand, and that’s that. I all the time needed in some trend that for myself.”
Alex virtually 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 in the end misplaced, simply lacking the prospect to journey 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 understand, win, stroll away,” Alex stated. However I’m so completely satisfied for the final month of golf. It’s really — golf doesn’t owe you something. To have the ability to at the very least get somewhat little bit of feeling prefer it’s the most effective 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 pals on tour. “Inform one particular person, would possibly at effectively inform 20,” she stated. 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 dangerous.
“I don’t wish to whine and say this life is horrible. It’s superb — and we all know that. However it’s difficult. It’s laborious. All of us type of share that wrestle. For all of us who’ve identified one another for an prolonged interval there may be a variety 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 stated. “It is a laborious job emotionally and I’m lastly prepared to hold that up and never reside and die by the golf course.
“I’m actually trying ahead to that.”
WINNERS
Who received the week?
Jeeno Thitikul received the CME Group Tour Championship because of a preposterous eagle-birdie end and pocketed the first-place test of $4 million, the largest prize in girls’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 McNealyreceived the PGA Tour’s finale, the RSM Basic, because of an epic 72nd-hole birdie mixed with a pair bogeys from his competitors one group forward. After a embellished school profession, the win was McNealy’s first on Tour in his a centesimal made reduce.
Elvis Smylie received 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 received the Hyperlink Hong Kong Open on the Asian Tour — his first victory in almost 4 years — because of a wild 59-66 weekend.
In case you just like the Monday End, subscribe without cost HERE to get it in your e mail inbox!
NOT-WINNERS
Just a few golfers who didn’t win however nonetheless kinda received.
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 elevate him to No. 124 within the standings. Extra on that right here (and across the web; Dahmen’s triumph left its mark) however if you’d like a style of what that felt like for onlookers? Right here’s Dahmen’s PGA Tour peer Mark Hubbard‘s response:
And if you happen to suspect that destiny was on Dahmen’s facet, 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 outdoors 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 brief birdie appears go wanting within the last 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 by some means misplaced outright. Regardless of her opponent’s heroics, she nonetheless completed second alone and could 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 stated with a smile, requested what she’d discovered about herself. “That [I couldn’t] stroll and completed second. So I’ve discovered that I simply have to 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 once I play 1/tenth of what I’m able to, I’m at a degree that’s — it’s going to sound horrible, however I believe I’m simply at a special degree than among the different guys I’m competing in opposition to,” he stated 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 wish 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 respect issues somewhat extra when instances are powerful,” he stated afterwards. “I believed loads about every part. It got here right down to the final putt this week. I hit hundreds of golf photographs this 12 months, missed a variety of cuts, had a variety 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 at present, however I don’t wish to undergo this ever once more.”
–Sam Ryder secured the final secure 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 outdoors; 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 last 6-iron.
McNealy credited his brother and new caddie Scout with holding him in the proper mind set coming down the stretch. So what was their dialog earlier than that last 6-iron method?
“It was 185 [yards] and 185’s normally an ideal 7-iron, however [the wind] was in off the left,” McNealy stated. “I knew that pin was barely on the again facet 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 informed Scout, ‘195 [yard] 6-iron.’ A 6-iron is sort of a 200 membership, so I didn’t have to kill it, however I simply wanted good strong one. He informed me, ‘compress it, simply smash down, take a divot.’ Scout’s teaching has been fairly easy currently, 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 all the time: sounds easy, when he places it that means…
ONE BIG QUESTION
Who can be out?
These days 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 prime 100,” Dahmen admitted post-round.
I’d argue the results of the change are overstated; the Tour is de facto 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 modifications had been carried out this season — how would it not look?
The Tour tweeted out the listing of Nos. 51-125. The far-right column contains some winners who’d have multi-year exemptions, like Rickie Fowler and Matt McCarty. However most others can be staring down partial standing for 2025 and attempting to determine what kind of schedule they’d be capable to play.
ONE THING TO WATCH
Tiger Woods’ subsequent match.
On Monday the 15-time main champ introduced that he was “upset” 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-about the potential of recovering in time to tee it up within the Bahamas.
So now what? The group 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 referred to as “our fifth main.”
After which there’s the TGL, the world 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, however it’s value monitoring what golf followers have grown accustomed to monitoring for almost 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 essential to regulate on the fly. Eat up, gang. Sneak in a morning 9 if you happen to can. We’ll see you subsequent week.
Earlier than you go, a fast request: In case you just like the Monday End, subscribe without cost HERE to get it in your e mail inbox!
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 School, the place he majored in English, and he’s the writer of 18 in America, which particulars the 12 months he spent as an 18-year-old residing from his automotive and enjoying a spherical of golf in each state.
