Golf

Two-time NCAA champion Rose Zhang became the first LPGA Tour winner in her pro debut in 72 years, capturing the Mizuho Americas Open with a par on the second hole in a playoff against Jennifer Kupcho on Sunday. The last female player to win in her pro debut was Beverly Hanson, who edged Babe Zaharias to take the Eastern Open in 1951.

iktor Hovland is a playoff winner at the Memorial. The Norwegian star made a clutch birdie on the 17th hole and a big par on the 18th hole for a 70. That got him into a playoff with Denny McCarthy. Hovland won with a 7-foot par. McCarthy had not made bogey all day until the 18th hole twice, in regulation and in the playoff.  He was trying to win for the first time.

Rory McIlroy didn't look like he was going anywhere at the Memorial until he wound up with a share of the lead. That's how tough it was at Muirfield Village. McIlroy had a 70 and was tied with Si Woo Kim and David Lipsky. That leads to a Sunday that figures to be wide open. There are 22 players separated by three shots. That includes Hideki Matsuyama and Patrick Cantlay. They helped everyone's cause by making triple bogeys at various points in their rounds. Nine of those 22 players in the mix have never won on the PGA Tour.

Justin Suh has the 36-hole lead at the Memorial. Hideki Matsuyama is one shot behind. Both can thank their putters for that. Suh made eight putts from the 10-foot range and longer. That includes a birdie on his final hole for a 66. Right behind is Matsuyama. The Japanese star made a pair of long birdie putts at the end of his round for a tournament-best 65. Patrick Cantlay is a two-time Memorial champion. He's two shots behind. And four shots back were Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm. Rahm began his round of back-to-back bogeys and recovered for a 70.

The Memorial has another loaded field. That included the pro-am with a cast of athletes and celebrities. The tournament Jack Nicklaus built already was among the best on the PGA Tour. Now it's an elevated event with a $20 million purse. It's part of a crowded PGA Tour schedule that's going to get more compact next year. Tour officials are developing a schedule with $20 million events and majors all bunched together. That's to give space to the other tournaments. As for the Memorial, Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler resume their battle for No. 1 in the world.

Emiliano Grillo made a 5-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole at Colonial to get his first PGA Tour victory in more than 7 1/2 years. Grillo had blown a two-stroke lead with a double-bogey on the 72nd hole. Grillo curled in the winning putt at the 186-yard 16th hole, the same hole where he had taken the solo lead before finishing at 8-under 272.

Steve Stricker is two-for-two in senior majors for 2023 after beating Padraig Harrington in a playoff at the Senior PGA Championship. Harrington forced the playoff with a short birdie putt on the par-5 18th. The 51-year-old Irishman found trouble in a replay of the hole. Stricker finished off a routine par, but Harrington couldn’t make the par putt to extend the playoff. 

Harold Varner III is finally a winner on American soil. Varner won his first LIV Golf event. He two-putted for birdie on the 18th hole at Trump National for a one-shot win over Branden Grace. Varner never won on the PGA Tour. His two previous wins were the Australian PGA and the Saudi International. He wins $4 million for his LIV Golf-DC victory.

Mito Pereira has a one-shot lead going into the final round of the LIV Golf event at Trump National DC. Pereira had five birdies over his last seven holes and shot 67. He leads by one shot over Harold Varner III. Varner opened with a 64 but he didn't make a birdie on the back nine Saturday and shot 72. Henrik Stenson and Kevin Na are tied for third. PGA champion Brooks Koepka shot a 69 and was six shots behind. Phil Mickelson shot 75 and is 43rd out of 48 players in the field.

Adam Schenk closed out a 3-under 67 with a 16-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to match PGA Tour rookie Harry Hall for the lead at 10 under after three rounds at the Colonial. Hall had the solo lead after the first and second rounds and had to overcame consecutive double-bogeys on the front nine Saturday. 

Padraig Harrington is in a tight duel with Steve Stricker going into the final round of the Senior PGA Championship. A double-bogey helped erase a five-shot lead for Harrington, who is one ahead of Stricker in what will be a matchup of opposing Ryder Cup captains from 2021. Harrington shot 68, while Stricker matched Harrington's tournament-low 64 from the opening round. Stewart Cink aced the 191-yard 13th hole and is three shots behind Harrington.