pga tour wins in a row

PGA Tour Records

Flipping Through the PGA Tour Record Book

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Looking for PGA Tour records? Here is a stroll through the PGA Tour recordbook, with highs and lows, bests and worsts in various categories. Some of the records are relayed right here on this page, but when the name of the record appears as a link, click on that link for a more in-depth account of that record.

PGA Tour Records: Scoring

• Lowest score, 72-hole stroke total
• Most strokes under par, 72 holes
• Lowest 18-hole score
• Lowest 9-hole score
• Lowest Vardon Trophy scoring averages
• Most consecutive birdies
• Highest score on a single hole

Most Birdies, 72-Hole Tournament

• 32 - Mark Calcavecchia, 2001 Phoenix Open
• 32 - Paul Gow, 2001 B.C. Open
• 31 - John Huston, 1998 United Airlines Hawaiian Open
• 31 - Phil Mickelson, 2006 BellSouth Classic
• 31 - Steve Stricker, 2010 John Deere Classic

Most Consecutive Birdies to Win This record is for most consecutive birdies at the end of a tournament to win that event on the PGA Tour.

• 7 in a row - Kevin Streelman, 2014 Travelers Championship
• 6 - Mike Souchak, 1956 St. Paul Open
• 5 - Jack Nicklaus, 1978 Jackie Gleason Inverrary Classic
• 5 - Tom Weiskopf, 1971 Kemper Open
• 5 - Russell Henley, 2013 Sony Open

Fewest Strokes in Back-to-Back Rounds

• 122 strokes - Troy Matteson (61-61), Rounds 2-3, 2009 Frys.com Open
• 123 - Steve Stricker (61-62), Rounds 3-4, 2009 Bob Hope Classic
• 123 - Justin Thomas (59-64), Rounds 1-2, 2017 Sony Open
• 123 - Patrick Rodgers (61-62), Rounds 3-4, 2018 RSM Classic

Fewest Strokes, First 54 Holes of Tournament

• 188 - Steve Stricker (60-66-62), 2010 John Deere Classic
• 188 - Justin Thomas (59-64-65), 2017 Sony Open
• 189 - John Cook (64-62-63), 1996 FedEx St. Jude Classic
• 189 - Mark Calcavecchia (65-60-64), 2001 Phoenix Open
• 189 - Tommy Armour III (64-62-63), 2003 Valero Texas Open
• 189 - Phil Mickelson (60-66-64), 2013 Waste Management Phoenix Open
• 189 - Patrick Reed (63-63-63), 2014 Humana Challenge

PGA Tour Records: Wins and Winning

• Most career wins
• Most wins in one year
• Longest winning streaks (most consecutive wins)
• Most wins after age 40
• Largest margin of victory
• Largest comeback with 18 holes to play
• Left-handers with most PGA Tour wins
• Father-son winners

Most Wins In the Same Tournament

• 8 wins - Sam Snead , Greater Greensboro Open: 1938, 1946, 1949-50, 1955-56, 1960, 1965
• 8 - Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer Invitational: 2000-2003, 2008-09, 2012-13
• 8 - Tiger Woods, WGC Bridgestone Invitational: 1999-2001, 2005-2007, 2009, 2013
• 7 - Tiger Woods, Farmers Insurance Open: 1999, 2003, 2005-08, 2013
• 7 - Tiger Woods, WGC American Express Championship/CA Championship/Cadillac Championship: 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005-07, 2013

Consecutive Wins In the Same Tournament The record for most wins in a row in the same PGA Tour event is four, shared by these golfers:

• Young Tom Morris, British Open: 1868-70 (no event 1871), 1872
• Walter Hagen, PGA Championship: 1924-1927
• Gene Sarazen, Miami Open: 1926 (no event 1927), 1928-1930
• Tiger Woods, Bay Hill Invitational: 2000-2003
• Tiger Woods, Buick Invitational: 2005-2008

Most PGA Tour Wins By Golfer in His 20s

• Tiger Woods - 46 wins
• Jack Nicklaus - 30 wins

Most Wins By Golfer in His 30s This record is for the most wins on the PGA Tour by a golfer from age 30 through 39:

• Arnold Palmer - 44 wins
• Ben Hogan - 43
• Jack Nicklaus - 38
• Sam Snead - 37
• Byron Nelson - 35
• Billy Casper - 34
• Tiger Woods - 33

Most Consecutive Years With a Win Golfers who won at least one PGA Tour event the most years in succession:

• 17 years: Jack Nicklaus, 1962-78
• 17 years: Arnold Palmer , 1955-71
• 16 years: Billy Casper, 1956-71

Longest Gap Between Wins

• 15 years, 6 months - Robert Gamez (March 25, 1990-September 25, 2005)
• 15 years, 5 months, 10 days - Butch Baird (May 7, 1961-October 17, 1976)

Longest Gap Between 1st and Last PGA Tour Wins

• 28 years, 11 months, 20 days: Raymond Floyd (March 17, 1963-March 8, 1992)
• 28 years, 2 months, 17 days: Sam Snead (January 17, 1937-April 4, 1965)
• 23 years, 11 months, 24 days: Tom Watson (June 30, 1974-May 24, 1998)
• 23 years, 11 months, 5 days: Macdonald Smith (August 28, 1912-August 2, 1936)
• 23 years, 9 months, 27 days: Jack Nicklaus (June 17, 1962-April 13, 1986)

Largest 54-Hole Lead Lost These are the largest leads with 18 holes to go by golfers who failed to win the tourney:

• 6 strokes - Bobby Cruickshank, 1928 Florida Open
• 6 - Gay Brewer , 1969 Danny Thomas-Diplomat Classic
• 6 - Hal Sutton, 1983 Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic
• 6 - Greg Norman, 1996 Masters
• 6 - Sergio Garcia, 2005 Wachovia Championship
• 6 - Spencer Levin, 2012 Waste Management Phoenix Open

PGA Tour Records: Top 10s

Most Top 10 Finishes In One Year The record for most top-10 finishes in one season on the PGA Tour was set in 1945 by Harold "Jug" McSpaden. Jug McSpaden finished in the Top 10 31 times that year.

Consecutive Top 10 Finishes The recordholder for finishing in the Top 10 in the most consecutive tournaments is Byron Nelson - 65. Yes, Nelson placed in the Top 10 in 65 PGA Tour events in row, starting with the 1942 Texas Open and continuing until the 1946 New Orleans Open.

Most Career Top 10 Finishes

• 358 - Sam Snead

PGA Tour Records: Cuts

• Most consecutive cuts made
• Youngest to make the cut on PGA Tour
• Oldest to make the cut on PGA Tour

Most Career Cuts Made This record is for the highest number of cuts made over the course of a career by golfers on the PGA Tour.

• 592 - Jay Haas
• 590 - Tom Kite
• 583 - Raymond Floyd
• 566 - Gene Littler
• 561 - Doug Ford
• 543 - Arnold Palmer

PGA Tour Records: Money

• Most total/consecutive years leading the money list

Most Career Top 10 Finishes on Money List Golfers who finished in the Top 10 of the PGA Tour's money list the most total years:

• 18 Years - Jack Nicklaus
• 15 - Sam Snead
• 15 - Tiger Woods
• 14 - Phil Mickelson
• 13 - Arnold Palmer

Consecutive Years in Top 10 of Money List

• 17 consecutive years - Jack Nicklaus, 1962-78
• 13 - Tiger Woods, 1997-2009

PGA Tour Records: Major Championships

• Most wins in majors
• Career grand slam winners
• Lowest 18-hole stroke total in a major
• Lowest total strokes in a major
• Most strokes under par in a major
• Youngest golfer to win a major
• Oldest golfer to win a major

PGA Tour Records: Playoffs

• Longest sudden-death playoffs
• Most players in one sudden-death playoff

Most Wins In Playoffs

• 14 playoff wins - Arnold Palmer (overall playoff record 14-10)
• 14 - Jack Nicklaus (14-10)
• 12 - Sam Snead (12-5)
• 11 - Tiger Woods (11-1)

PGA Tour Records: Putting

• Fewest putts, 18 holes

Fewest Putts, 9 Holes

• 6 putts - Stan Utley, front nine, second round, 2002 Air Canada Championship
• 7 putts - Bill Nary, back nine, third round, 1952 El Paso Open

Fewest Putts, 72 Holes Here are the golfers with the fewest putts taken in a PGA Tour event over four rounds, 72 holes:

• 92 putts - David Frost, Harbour Town Golf Links, 2005 MCI Heritage
• 93 - Kenny Knox, Harbour Town Golf Links, 1989 MCI Heritage Classic
• 93 - Mark Calcavecchia, Forest Oaks Country Club, 2002 Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic
• 93 - Brian Gay, TPC Blue Monster at Trump Doral, 2013 WGC Cadillac Championship

PGA Tour Records: Youngest and Oldest

• Youngest winners on the PGA Tour
• Oldest winners on the PGA Tour
• Youngest to play in a PGA Tour tournament
• Oldest to play in a PGA Tour tournament
• Youngest to win a major
• Oldest to win a major
• Youngest to make the cut in a major
• Oldest rookies

Oldest First-Time Winner

• Jim Barnum - 51 years, 1 month and 5 days old at time of first win (1962 Cajun Classic)

Oldest to Make the Cut in a Major Sam Snead is the recordholder here. He made the cut in the 1979 PGA Championship at the age of 67 years, 2 months, 7 days old. Snead finished 42nd in the tournament, shooting 73-71-71-73 for an 8-over total of 288.

Oldest With a Top 10 Tournament Finish The oldest golfer to finish in the Top 10 in a PGA Tour tournament is Sam Snead. Snead was 63 years, 3 months and 4 days of age when he finished tied for eighth place at the 1975 B.C. Open.

Youngest to Shoot His Age on PGA Tour Sam Snead - Age 67 in 1979 when he posted a 67 in the second round of the Quad Cities Open. Two days later, in the final round, Snead shot 66.

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• Most Career Wins on the PGA Tour
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• Jack Nicklaus in the Majors
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Harbour Town Golf Links

Tiger Woods' 82 PGA Tour wins by the numbers

Tim Bradbury/Getty Images

Tiger Woods' pursuit of Jack Nicklaus' record 18 major championships has always drawn more focus than his chase of Sam Snead's 82 PGA Tour wins for two main reasons: 1.) It's a bigger deal; and 2.) It's a lot easier to understand. In the modern era, golf's four majors have been long established, while the criteria of what constitutes an official PGA Tour victory has been somewhat of a moving target. Snead's case , in particular, required a panel of golf historians put together by former commissioner Deane Beman in the late 1980s. That group combed through the Slammer's records and concluded he had 81 wins instead of 84. No, wait, make that 82. They eventually settled on 82, a total with which Snead wasn't pleased.

RELATED: Why Tiger Woods should get credit for passing Sam Snead long ago

Regardless, Snead won a LOT. Over a long period of time. And now over his own long period of time, Woods has also won a LOT. And until Woods wins again or another panel is created, they are officially tied at 82. So instead of digging into a comparison of these two legends— we've done that already —let's look closer at how Tiger got to No. 82.

20: Tiger's age when he won his first PGA Tour title (1996 Las Vegas Invitational).

43: Tiger's age when he won his 82nd PGA Tour title (2019 Zozo Championship). Snead was 52 when he won what would be officially his 82nd and final PGA Tour title at the 1965 Greater Greensboro Open.

3: Number of Woods' wins that have come in his 40s.

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33: Number of Woods' wins in his 30s.

46: Number of Woods' wins in his 20s. Just this total would rank him No. 7 on the PGA Tour's all-time wins list.

Gregory Shamus

15: Number of major championships Woods has won. Woods has also completed the career Grand Slam three times.

18: Number of World Golf Championships Woods has won. Dustin Johnson is second with six.

10: Number of seasons Woods has won at least five times, a PGA Tour record. Snead is No. 2 on the list with eight five-plus win seasons.

7: Number of tournaments Woods has won at least five times, a PGA Tour record. Snead and Jack Nicklaus have the next most with three.

8: Number of times Woods has won his first event of the season, the Zozo victory bumping him from seven. For comparison, Rickie Fowler has six PGA Tour titles total in his career.

David Cannon

5: Number of times Ernie Els and Vijay Singh have finished runner-up in a Woods win, the most of anyone. Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk and Davis Love III have each finished runner-up to Woods four times.

16: Number of different states Woods has won in. Woods has also won 16 times in Florida alone.

RELATED: This map of Tiger Woods' prize money by state is staggering

Chris Condon

22.8: Woods' winning percentage in his 359 career PGA Tour starts. Ben Hogan is second all-time at 21.3 percent. Snead won 14 percent of his career starts.

79: Number of Woods' PGA Tour wins that have come in stroke-play events. Woods has also won the WGC-Match Play three times.

243: The aggregate number of strokes Tiger has won his 79 tour stroke-play titles by. That comes out to a little over three shots per win.

4: Number of times Woods has won by at least 10 shots.

15: The largest margin of victory during Woods' career, his romp at Pebble Beach in the 2000 U.S. Open.

11: Number of Woods' wins that have come in playoffs. More incredibly, Tiger's record in extra holes is 11-1 with his lone loss coming to Billy Mayfair at the 1998 Nissan Open. Woods' first tour win in 1996 also came in a playoff against Davis Love III in Vegas.

24: Number of Woods' wins in which he trailed after 54 holes. Woods' biggest come-from-behind win was five shots, done at the 2000 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and at the 2009 Arnold Palmer Invitational.

2: Number of times Tiger hasn't won when holding at least a share of the lead after 54 holes. He has converted 46 of 48 of these chances, a staggering 96 percent.

7: Woods' longest winning streak, which spanned parts of 2006 and 2007. Woods also has winning streaks of six and five tournaments. No one else since 1953 has ever won more than three PGA Tour events in a row.

$120,954,766: Career earnings by Woods on the PGA Tour. This has come in 373 starts, meaning Woods has earned $324,275 per start, or $1,475,058 per victory.

RELATED: Watch episodes of "Tiger Woods: My Game"

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Last call for the ultimate Pinehurst trip

Nelly Korda’s dominance continues, wins Chevron for 5th title in a row

Nelly Korda would not be denied at the Chevron Championship, winning by two strokes for her fifth title in a row.

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Nelly Korda is simply unstoppable.

For the fifth time in as many starts, Korda is a champion. From Florida to California, Arizona to Nevada, and now in Texas, no one has bested the 25-year-old in nearly three months. You thought Scottie Scheffler’s run was impressive? Korda has done him one better.

“It’s everything that I always wanted as a little girl,” Korda said. “To lift that major trophy. I can finally breathe now and just enjoy the moment.”

Korda entered the week at the Chevron Championship the heavy favorite to win the first women’s major of the year. Coming off four wins in a row will do that. From the very start, she showed the gutsy resolve that has been crucial to her historic run.

On Thursday, she was even par with six holes to play. She birdied four of her last six to post 68. The next day, she began the round with a double bogey. She ripped off six birdies (and made just one bogey) over her final 17 holes to get to to seven under and within a stroke of the 36-hole lead.

“It takes a lot of patience to win,” Korda said. “I just never give up. No matter, what no matter how much adversity is thrown your way, they know that I never give up and I give it my all.”

With her sights set on the leaders after 36 holes, Korda patiently waited to make her move. Saturday ended after just 11 holes with thunderstorms cutting the third round short, and after finishing up her early Sunday morning, she was still just a shot back.

“You just kind of have to adjust to whatever is thrown your way,” Korda said. “You just [have] to adapt to the situation you [are] in right now.”

Korda had no trouble in that regard. Playing in the final threesome alongside Brooke Henderson and 54-hole leader Hae Ran Ryu, Korda took the lead within the first three holes — and it was a lead she would never relinquish. She went out in three-under 33 and stretched her lead to as many as four midway through the final round.

American Lauren Coughlin put some late pressure on her with a four-under 68 (the low round of the afternoon) to post 10 under, and Maja Stark made a late charge to get to 11 under, but Korda did not flinch.

On a day when just three player broke 70, Korda posted the second-best round of the day to keep her competitors from overtaking her. By the time she tapped in on 18 to finish off her final-round 69, Korda was etching her name in the record books.

“That felt like the longest back nine of my entire life,” Korda said. “It was a little bit of a grind on the back nine, but happy to get the win.”

With the win, Korda becomes just the third woman (joining Annika Sorenstam and Nancy Lopez) to win five LPGA tournaments in a row. Most importantly though, it marks her second career major title.

“I think there’s a key in the simplicity that I have when I play,” she said. “I just take it a shot at a time and we pick a game plan when we get to the course and we work and we stay in our own little bubble. It’s been working so far.”

If it keeps working, there’s no telling how many more are to come.

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Nick faldo wonders: did he just see the best golf swing ever, how to watch nelly korda's attempt at five-straight wins at the chevron championship, 2024 rbc heritage purse: payout info, winner’s share , behind hot putter, brooke henderson flies up leaderboard at weather-delayed chevron, zephyr melton.

Zephyr Melton is an assistant editor for GOLF.com where he spends his days blogging, producing and editing. Prior to joining the team at GOLF, he attended the University of Texas followed by stops with the Texas Golf Association, Team USA, the Green Bay Packers and the PGA Tour. He assists on all things instruction and covers amateur and women’s golf. He can be reached at [email protected].

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When’s the last time a PGA Tour player won three consecutive tournaments?

Scottie Scheffler has won his last two PGA Tour starts, taking the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship to pick up two of the biggest tournaments staged in 2024.

Now, he's in contention to win once again at Memorial Park, as he's near the lead heading into the final round of the Texas Children's Houston Open. Winning three-consecutive PGA Tour starts is not something that happens frequently. In fact, it's been almost seven years since it last happened.

When's the last time a PGA Tour player won three consecutive tournaments?

Dustin Johnson was the last PGA Tour player to win three-consecutive starts on the circuit. He accomplished the feat around this time of year in 2017, winning the 2017 Genesis Open at Riviera before taking the 2017 WGC-Mexico Championship and the 2017 World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play to round out the streak.

Prior to Johnson's three-event run, Rory McIlroy was the last player to accomplish the feat back in 2014. That's when he won the 2014 Open Championship, the 2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and the 2014 PGA Championship. The two majors he won in that stretch are the last two majors Rory McIlroy has won in his career.

Tiger Woods won three starts in a row in 2008, too, starting with Torrey Pines. Coincidentally, Woods is the last player to win four consecutive PGA Tour starts as well, doing so in 2007.

Obviously Scheffler would find himself in some incredible company where he able to pick off the 2024 Texas Children's Houston Open. Whatever the result, Scheffler is on a tremendous run, having won $8.5 million in his last two PGA Tour starts and becoming the first player to ever successfully defend The Players Championship title in its 50-year history. Heading into the Masters, which Scheffler won in 2022 at Augusta National Golf Club, the American is by far the best player on the planet.

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Ryan Ballengee is founder and editor of Golf News Net. He has been writing and broadcasting about golf for nearly 20 years. Ballengee lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his family. He is a scratch golfer...sometimes.

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Golf compendium, byron nelson in 1945: 18 wins, 11 in a row, all his scores and finishes.

Nelson's 11 Wins In A Row

Nelson's 18 wins total, byron nelson's full 1945 pga tour tournament results, byron nelson's 1945 tournament scores, finishes, popular posts from this blog, golfers with the most wins in major championships, 2024 masters tournament winner and final scores.

24 Famous Golfers Who Were Photographed in the Nude

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Jaeger wins Houston Open for 1st PGA Tour title. Scheffler’s bid for 3 in a row ends on 5-foot putt

Jim Crane, left, owner of the Houston Astros baseball team, and Stephan Jaeger pose for photos with the trophy during ceremonies after Jaeger’s win after the final round of the Houston Open golf tournament Sunday, March 31, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Scottie Scheffler watches a putt on the 18the green during the final round of the Houston Open golf tournament Sunday, March 31, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Stephan Jaeger, left, and Scottie Scheffler shake hands after finishing their round on the 18th green during the final round of the Houston Open golf tournament Sunday, March 31, 2024, in Houston.(AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Stephan Jaeger watches his tee shot on the ninth hole during the final round of the Houston Open golf tournament Sunday, March 31, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Stephan Jaeger waits to putt on the ninth green during the final round of the Houston Open golf tournament Sunday, March 31, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Thomas Detry chips onto the eighth green during the final round of the Houston Open golf tournament Sunday, March 31, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Alejandro Tosti checks his line before putting on the eighth green during the final round of the Houston Open golf tournament Sunday, March 31, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Scottie Scheffler checks the eighth green before his putt during the final round of the Houston Open golf tournament Sunday, March 31, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

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HOUSTON (AP) — Stephan Jaeger couldn’t have dreamed up a better scenario for his first PGA Tour victory. He played the final 36 holes with the best player in the world, and he won the Houston Open on Sunday to earn his first trip to the Masters.

“It feels amazing,” Jaeger said.

Scottie Scheffler couldn’t imagine a tougher way for his March winning streak to end — a clutch shot to 5 feet on the final hole, and a birdie putt he thought was good until he looked up and realized it wasn’t.

“I hit two or three really good shots into 18 to give myself a chance and I feel like I made the putt and I looked up and it was breaking off,” Scheffler said. “So a bit disappointing, but Stephan played great this week and he’s a deserving champion.”

Jaeger closed with nine straight pars, and that was just enough for a 3-under 67 to finally win in his 135th attempt on the PGA Tour.

Jaeger was preparing for a playoff after narrowly missing a 20-foot birdie putt that would have assured the victory. But then Scheffler, who gave himself three good looks down the stretch, saw his putt burn the left edge of the cup.

“I expected him to make it, and I’m not mad at him for missing it,” Jaeger said.

Scheffler was trying to become the first player in seven years to win three straight starts on the PGA Tour, and he was right there with a chance. Two shots behind, he had a 20-foot eagle putt on the par-5 16th and settled for birdie. He missed from 12 feet for birdie on the 17th, and stayed alive when Jaeger missed from 7 feet on the reachable par-4 17th.

His last chance was from 5 feet.

“It would be one thing if I pulled it or something like that,” Scheffler said. “I just misread it. I don’t know why I misread it, it’s part of the game. Maybe I could have hit it with some more speed, I felt like I hit a nice putt kind of how I wanted to, just didn’t go.”

Jaeger, a 34-year-old German who came to high school in Tennessee when he was 16, earned his first trip to the Masters with the victory. He also is in the remaining four $20 million signature events this season.

Alejandro Tosti had a chance to become the fourth PGA Tour rookie to win this early in the year. He was tied for the lead until chipping too strong on the 18th and missing the 18-foot par putt for a 68.

There was a five-way tie for the lead at the start — the largest on tour since 2009 — and eight players had at least a share of the lead at some point during the round.

Jaeger was always in the mix, taking the lead with an 8-foot birdie putt on the par-3 ninth hole at Memorial Park. That was his last birdie of the day, and no one could beat him.

“I was just tried to stay within myself,” Jaeger said. “Birdies eluded me on the back nine. But this golf course plays difficult, especially when you’re around the lead. I’m just super happy.”

Thomas Detry, David Skinns and Taylor Moore all made mistakes down the stretch.

Scheffler was one shot behind when he missed the green on the par-3 15th and failed to save par on an 8-foot putt, falling two shots behind with three to play. He got one back with his birdie on the downwind 16th, where Jaeger had to lay up and settle for par.

Scheffler and Jaeger both missed good birdie chances on the 17th, and Scheffler had one last chance on the 18th.

Jaeger finished at 12-under 268 and cracks the top 50 in the world ranking for the first time.

“I couldn’t have dreamed up a better week,” Jaeger said. “Playing Scottie last couple days, he’s been on a tear, so to kind of slay the dragon a little bit this week was amazing. He’s such a good dude, such a good player, I was just happy to play with him a couple days.”

Defending champion Tony Finau closed with two straight birdies for a 66 and joined Scheffler, Tosti, Detry and Moore in a tie for second.

This was the final week for players to move into the top 50 and earn a Masters invitation, and no one from outside the top 50 — Mackenzie Hughes and Tom Hoge had the best chances — did well enough to earn a spot.

Byeong Hun An is the only player from the top 50 added to the field for the Masters, which now includes Jaeger.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Opinion & Analysis

Today in golf history: byron nelson starts his streak of 11 wins in a row.

It was 72 years ago today when Byron Nelson won the 1945 Miami International Four Ball Tournament. Between March 8 and August 4, he was untouchable. Nelson won a record of 11 events in a row and shot 50 consecutive rounds under par starting with his first swing in Miami.

Nelson’s record streak took place during WWII. Pros like Lloyd Mangrum, Tommy Bolt, Jack Fleck, Herman Keiser, Ted Kroll, Ed “Porky” Oliver all served in WWII. Mangrum and Fleck were both even involved in the heroic D-Day invasions. Nelson did not serve in the army, but he did play a big role along with other professionals in raising money in exhibition matches. In 1945, with the help of Nelson, PGA members raised more than $100,000 for the war efforts. In all, Nelson won 18 events during the 1945 season.

In this story, I examine the utter dominance displayed by Lord Byron during his record streak over the course of 5 months and 3 days.

Miami International Four-Ball (Team Event)

• Where: Miami Springs Golf and Country Club
• Margin: 1st Place – 8 & 6 (Four-Ball Format)
• Prize: $2,000 (War Bonds)

Byron Nelson and Harold McSpaden beat Sammy Byrd and Denny Shute in the final match of the $7,500 International Four Ball Tournament. His partner in the Miami event, Harold “Jug” McSpaden, a 17-time winner on the PGA Tour, had a front row seat to the streak. Over the course of the 1945 season, McSpaden finished runner up in 13 events… mostly to Nelson.

1945 Charlotte Open

• Where: Myers Park Club Course
• Margin: 4 strokes (playoff)

In the 1945 Charlotte Open, Nelson and Sam Snead tied at the end of 72 holes with a score of 272. The next day they had a playoff to determine the winner. The problem was that Nelson and Snead tied again the next day with a pair of 69s. Nelson finally won, besting Snead by four strokes in a second 18-hole playoff… a grim match played before an almost silent gallery of some 1,800 people. Already three strokes ahead, Nelson sank a 30-foot putt on the 18th hole to finish Snead off.

1945 Greater Greensboro Open

• Where: Starmount Forest CC
• Margin: 8 strokes
• Prize: $1,333 (War Bonds)

Just five days after he beat Snead at Charlotte, Nelson was back at it again but just at Snead’s home course. Nelson was absolutely dominant. He was 8 strokes ahead of his closest competitor, Sam Byrd.

1945 Durham Open

• Where: Hope Valley Country Club
• Margin: Won by 5 strokes
• Prize: $1,000 (War Bonds)

Byron Nelson shot a final-round of 65 while continuing his unbeaten streak at Durham. In geographical terms, he swept the Carolinas with wins at Charlotte, Greensboro and Durham.

1945 Atlanta “Iron Lung” Open

• Where: Capital City Country Club
• Margin: 9 strokes

In Atlanta, Nelson only picked up his pace from previous weeks. He had 22 birdies during the event with rounds of 64-69-65-65. He set a new mark for the Tour’s 72-hole scoring record with 263, a number that would be bested by the end of the year. The King of Atlanta golf, Bobby Jones, said: “When I was at my best, I never came close to the golf Nelson shot in this tournament.”

1945 Montreal Open

• Where: Toronto St. Andrews
• Margin: 10 strokes

In his first event north of the border, Nelson continued his winning ways at the $10,000 Montreal Open posting a score of 268 and winning by 10 strokes. In doing so, he recorded the lowest four-day score at a Canadian course in tournament play beating Lawson Little’s mark at the Toronto St. Andrews layout in 1933.

1945 Philadelphia Inquirer

• Where: Llanerch Country Club
• Margin: 2 strokes
• Prize: $3,333 (War Bonds)

In the 1945 Philadelphia Inquirer, Nelson impressed himself. He shot a sizzling, final-round of 63 at the Llanerch Country Club , besting the club record by three strokes.”It was the hottest round of golf I’ve ever played,” he said. Nelson finished the tournament with a 269, two shots better than Jug McSpaden.

1945 Chicago Victory National Open

• Where: Calumet Country Club
• Margin: 7 strokes

Many thought Nelson’s streak would end at the Chicago Victory National Open because of a back strain sustained in the long-driving contest one day prior. That didn’t stop him one bit, as he played through pain to post 13-under par for a total of 275. Once again Harold “Jug” McSpaden finished second. He tied with Ky Lafoon, seven strokes behind.

1945 PGA Championship (Match Play)

• Where: Moraine Country Club
• Margin: 1st Place – 4 & 3
• Prize: $5,000 (War Bonds) and the Wanamaker Trophy

The 1945 PGA Championship was the ninth of Nelson’s record 11 consecutive wins in 1945. It was Nelson’s fifth and final major title and his second win at the PGA Championship (he also won in 1940). Due to WWII, it was the only major championship played in 1945. Over the course of the tournament, Nelson disposed of Denny Shute and Claude Harmon before facing Sammy Byrd in the finals. Byrd, a former New York Yankee, lost to Nelson 4 & 3 and the streak lived on.

Fact: Sammy Byrd is the only person to ever play in both the World Series and The Masters.

1945 All-American Open

• Where: Tam O’Shanter Course
• Margin: 11 strokes
• Prize: $10,200 (War Bonds)

In the All-American Open, also known as the Tam O’Shanter Open, Nelson dominated with an 11-stroke victory over the nearest competitors, Gene Sarazen and  Ben Hogan . At this point, Nelson had collected $45,200 in War Bonds… just as much as he won in 1944. This was Nelson’s fourth win of the event in its five-year history.

1945 Canadian Open

• Where: Thornhill Golf & Country Club
• Margin: 4 strokes

In his second visit to Canada during his winning streak, Nelson won the Canadian Open by four strokes. At this point, the newspapers were calling him the “mechanical man” for his flawless golf, but Nelson was showing signs of wear. Over the stretch his highest 18-hole total happened in the Canadian Open with a pair of 72s.

Nelson displayed a valiant effort in getting to 12 wins in a row, but was cut short the next week finishing 4th in the Memphis Open.

Ranking the Best Teams in College Golf

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Josh is the Editor and Owner of GolfHistoryToday.com, an area of the web dedicated to golfing history involving players, courses, and events from 1800s Scotland to present. Frequent Weekend Caddy...USGA Volunteer.

Mar 13, 2017 at 9:24 pm

I don’t care who your playing against, 11 in a row is a great accomplishment. Oh and by the way McSpaden (17 wins on the PGA), Hogan and Snead weren’t bad competition. Even if Hogan and Snead hadn’t hit their best years yet.

Mar 13, 2017 at 9:08 am

For those who suggest Nelson was playing against weaker opponents, I suggest you consider the number of HoF’ers in these fields as compared to, let’s say any Modern Day golfer, eg. Woods and just add them up.

Mar 12, 2017 at 6:48 pm

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Ryan: why the race to get better at golf might be doing more harm than good.

B.F. Skinner was one of the most important psychologists of the 20th century, developing the foundation of the development of reinforcement, and in doing so, creating the concept of behaviorism. In simple terms, this means that we are conditioned by our habits. In practical terms, it explains the divide between the few and far between elite instructors and college coaches.

To understand the application, let’s quickly review one of B.F. Skinner’s most important experiments; superstitions in the formation of behavior by pigeons. In this experiment, food was dispensed to pigeons at random intervals. Soon, according to Skinner, the pigeons began to associate whatever action they were doing at the time of the food being dispensed. According to Skinner, this conditioned that response and soon, they simply haphazardly repeated the action, failing to distinguish between cause and correlation (and in the meantime, looking really funny!).

Now, this is simply the best way to describe the actions of most every women’s college golf coach and too many instructors in America. They see something work, get positive feedback and then become conditioned to give the feedback, more and more, regardless of if it works (this is also why tips from your buddies never work!).

Go to a college event, particularly a women’s one, and you will see coaches running all over the place. Like the pigeons in the experiment, they have been conditioned into a codependent relationship with their players in which they believe their words and actions, can transform a round of golf. It is simply hilarious while being equally perturbing

In junior golf, it’s everywhere. Junior golf academies make a living selling parents that a hysterical coach and over-coaching are essential ingredients in your child’s success.

Let’s be clear, no one of any intellect has any real interest in golf — because it’s not that interesting. The people left, including most coaches and instructors, carve out a small fiefdom, usually on the corner of the range, where they use the illusion of competency to pray on people. In simple terms, they baffle people with the bullshit of pseudo-science that they can make you better, after just one more lesson.

The reality is that life is an impromptu game. The world of golf, business, and school have a message that the goal is being right. This, of course, is bad advice, being right in your own mind is easy, trying to push your ideas on others is hard. As a result, it is not surprising that the divorce rate among golf professionals and their instructors is 100 percent. The transfer rate among college players continues to soar, and too many courses have a guy peddling nefarious science to good people. In fact, we do at my course!

The question is, what impact does all this have on college-age and younger kids? At this point, we honestly don’t know. However, I am going to go out on a limb and say it isn’t good.

Soren Kierkegaard once quipped “I saw it for what it is, and I laughed.” The actions of most coaches and instructors in America are laughable. The problem is that I am not laughing because they are doing damage to kids, as well as driving good people away from this game.

The fact is that golfers don’t need more tips, secrets, or lessons. They need to be presented with a better understanding of the key elements of golf. With this understanding, they can then start to frame which information makes sense and what doesn’t. This will emancipate them and allow them to take charge of their own development.

Vincenzi’s 2024 Valspar Championship betting preview: Elite ballstrikers to thrive at Copperhead

The PGA TOUR will stay in Florida this week for the 2024 Valspar Championship.

The Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort is a par 71 measuring 7,340 yards and features Bermudagrass greens overseeded with POA. Infamous for its difficulty, the track will be a tough test for golfers as trouble lurks all over the place. Holes 16, 17 and 18 — also known as the “Snake Pit” — make up one of the toughest three-hole stretches in golf and should lead to a captivating finish on Sunday.

The field is comprised of 156 golfers teeing it up. The field this week is solid and is a major improvement over last year’s field that felt the impact of players skipping due to a handful of “signature events” in a short span of time. 

Past Winners at Valspar Championship

• 2023: Taylor Moore (-10)
• 2022: Sam Burns (-17)
• 2021: Sam Burns (-17)
• 2019: Paul Casey (-8)
• 2018: Paul Casey (-10)
• 2017: Adam Hadwin (-14)
• 2016: Charl Schwartzel (-7)
• 2015: Jordan Spieth (-10)

In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the  Rabbit Hole  by  Betsperts Golf  data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value). 

Key Stats For Copperhead

1. strokes gained: approach.

Strokes Gained: Approach grades out as the most important statistic once again this week. Copperhead really can’t be overpowered and is a second-shot golf course.

Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds (per round)

• Tony Finau  (+.90)
• Nick Taylor  (+.81)
• Justin Thomas  (+.77)
• Greyson Sigg  (+.69)
• Christiaan Bezuidenhout (+.67)

2. Good Drive %

The long hitters can be a bit limited here due to the tree-lined fairways and penal rough. Playing from the fairways will be important, but laying back too far will cause some difficult approaches with firm greens that may not hold shots from long irons.

Golfers who have a good balance of distance and accuracy have the best chance this week.

Good Drive % Over Past 24 Rounds

• Brice Garnett  (+91.3%) 
• Zach Johnson  (+91.1%)
• Sam Ryder  (+90.5%)
• Ryan Moore  (+90.4%)
• Aaron Rai (+89.7%)

3. Strokes Gained: Ball Striking

Adding ball-striking puts even more of a premium on tee-to-green prowess in the statistical model this week. Golfers who rank highly in ball-striking are in total control of the golf ball which is exceedingly important at Copperhead.

SG: Ball Striking Over Past 24 Rounds:

• Xander Schauffele  (+1.32)
• Keith Mitchell  (+1.29)
• Tony Finau  (+1.24)
• Cameron Young (+1.17) 
• Doug Ghim  (+.95)

4. Bogey Avoidance

With the conditions likely to be difficult, avoiding bogeys will be crucial this week. In a challenging event like the Valspar, oftentimes the golfer who is best at avoiding mistakes ends up on top.

Gritty golfers who can grind out difficult pars have a much better chance in an event like this than a low-scoring birdie-fest.

Bogey Avoidance Over Past 24 Rounds

• Brice Garnett  (+9.0)
• Xander Schauffele  (+9.3)
• Austin Cook  (+9.7) 
• Chesson Hadley  (+10.0)
• Greyson Sigg  (+10.2)

5. Strokes Gained: Total in Difficult Conditions

Conditions will be tough this week at Copperhead. I am looking for golfers who can rise to the occasion if the course plays as difficult as it has in the past.

Strokes Gained: Total in Difficult Conditions Over Past 24 rounds

• Xander Schauffele  (+1,71) 
• Min Woo Lee  (+1.39)
• Cameron Young  (+1.27)
• Jordan Spieth  (+1.08)
• Justin Suh  (+.94)

6. Course History

That statistic will tell us which players have played well at Copperhead in the past.

Course History Over Past 24 rounds

• Patrick Cantlay  (+3.75) 
• Sam Burns  (+2.49)
• Davis Riley  (+2.33)
• Matt NeSmith  (+2.22)
• Jordan Spieth  (+2.04)

The Valspar Championship Model Rankings

Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (27%), Good Drive % (15%), SG: BS (20%), Bogeys Avoided (13%), Course History (13%) Strokes Gained: Total in Difficult Conditions (12%).

• Xander Schauffele
• Victor Perez
• Greyson Sigg
• Justin Thomas
• Lucas Glover

2024 Valspar Championship Picks

Justin thomas +1400 ( draftkings ).

Justin Thomas will be disappointed with his finish at last week’s PLAYERS Championship, as the past champion missed the cut despite being in some decent form heading into the event. Despite the missed cut, JT hit the ball really well. In his two rounds, the two-time major champion led the field in Strokes Gained: Approach per round.

Thomas has been up and down this season. He’s missed the cut in two “signature events” but also has finishes of T12 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, T12 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, T6 at the Pebble Beach AT&T Pro-Am and T3 at the American Express. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach and 6th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking in the field.

Thomas loves Copperhead. In his last three tries at the course, he’s finished T13, T3 and T10. Thomas would have loved to get a win at a big event early in the season, but avoidable mistakes and a balky putter have cost him dearly. I believe a trip to a course he loves in a field he should be able to capitalize on is the right recipe for JT to right the ship.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout +6000 ( FanDuel )

Christiaan Bezuidenhout is playing spectacular golf in the 2024 season. He finished 2nd at the American Express, T20 at Pebble Beach and T24 at the Genesis Invitational before finishing T13 at last week’s PLAYERS Championship.

In his past 24 rounds, the South African ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach and 26th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. Bezuidenhout managed to work his way around TPC Sawgrass last week with minimal damage. He only made five bogeys in the entire week, which is a great sign heading into a difficult Copperhead this week.

Bezuidenhout is winless in his PGA Tour career, but certainly has the talent to win on Tour. His recent iron play tells me that this week could be a breakthrough for the 35-year-old who has eyes on the President’s Cup.

Doug Ghim +8000 ( FanDuel )

Doug Ghim has finished in the top-16 of his past five starts. Most recently, Ghim finished T16 at The PLAYERS Championship in a loaded field.

In his past 24 rounds, Ghim ranks 8th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 5th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. In terms of his fit for Copperhead, the 27-year-old ranks 12th in Bogey Avoidance and 7th in Strokes Gained: Total in Difficult Conditions, making him a great fit for the course.

Ghim has yet to win on Tour, but at one point he was the top ranked Amateur golfer in the world and played in the 2017 Arnold Palmer Cup and 2017 Walker Cup. He then won the Ben Hogan award for the best male college golfer in 2018. He certainly has the talent, and there are signals aplenty that his talent in ready to take him to the winner’s circle on the PGA Tour.

Sepp Straka +8000 ( BetRivers )

Sepp Straka is a player who’s shown he has the type of game that can translate to a difficult Florida golf course. The former Presidents Cup participant won the 2022 Honda Classic in tough conditions and should thrive with a similar test at Copperhead.

It’s been a slow 2024 for Straka, but his performance last week at the PLAYERS Championship surely provides some optimism. He gained 5.4 strokes on approach as well as 1.88 strokes off the tee. The tee-to-green game Straka showed on a course with plenty of danger demonstrates that he can stay in control of his golf ball this week.

It’s possible that the strong performance last week was an outlier, but I’m willing to bet on a proven winner in a weaker field at a great number.

Victor Perez +12000 ( FanDuel )

Victor Perez is no stranger to success in professional golf. The Frenchman has three DP World Tour wins including a Rolex Series event. He won the 2019 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, as well as the 2023 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, which are some big events.

Perez earned his PGA Tour card this season and enters the week playing some fantastic golf. He finished in a tie for 16th in Florida at the Cognizant Classic and then tied for third in his most recent start at the Puerto Rico Open.

In his past 24 rounds in the field, Perez ranks 11th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 1oth in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking, 6th in Good Drive % and 15th in Bogey Avoidance.

Perez comes in as a perfect fit for Copperhead and offers serious value at triple-digit odds.

Myrtle Beach, Explored: February in South Carolina

As I gain in experience and age, and familiarity breeds neither contempt nor disdain, I understand why people return to a place. A destination like Myrtle Beach offers a sizable supply and diversity of restaurants, entertainment venues, and shops that are predicated on the tenets of the service industry. Greet your customers with a smile and a kind word, and they will find comfort and assurance. Provide them with a memorable experience and they will suggest your place of business to others.

My first tour of Myrtle Beach took place in the mid-1980s, and consisted of one course: Gator Hole. I don’t remember much from that day, and since Gator Hole closed a decade later, I cannot revisit it to recollect what I’d lost. Since then, I’ve come to the Grand Strand a few times, and been fortunate to never place a course more than once. I’ve seen the Strantz courses to the south and dipped my toe in the North Carolina courses of Calabash. I’ve been to many in the middle, including Dunes, Pine Lakes, Grande Dunes among them.

2024 brought a quartet of new courses, including two at the Barefoot Resort. I’d heard about the North Myrtle Beach four-pack of courses that highlight the Barefoot property, including layouts from Pete Dye, Tom Fazio, Davis Love III, and Greg Norman. I had the opportunity to play and shoot the Dye and Fazio tracks, which means that I’ll have to return to see the other two. Sandwiched between them were the TPC-Myrtle Beach course, also from Tom Fazio, and the Pawley’s Plantation trace, by the hand of Jack Nicklaus. I anticipated a bit of the heroic, and bit of the strategic, and plenty of eye candy. None of those architects would ever be considered a minimalist, so there would be plenty of in-play and out-of-play bunkers and mounds to tantalize the senses.

My nephew arrived a few days early, to screen a few more courses. As a result, you the reader will have an extra quarter of mini-reviews, bringing the total of courses in this piece to eight. It was inconceivable that CJR would play four courses that I had never played nor photographed, but that was the case. His words appear at the end of this piece. We hope that you enjoy the tour.

Main Feature: Two Barefoots, a TPC, and Pawley’s Plantation

Barefoot Dye

What Paul “Pete” Dye brought back from his trips to the United Kingdom, hearkened back to what C.B. MacDonal did, some 65 years prior. There is a way of finding bunkers and fairways, and even green sites, that does not require major industrial work. The Dye course at Barefoot Resorts takes you on a journey over the rumpled terrain of distant places. If there’s one element missing, it’s the creased and turbulent fairways, so often found in England and Ireland. The one tenet of playing a Dye course, is to always aim away from temptation, from where your eyes draw you. Find the safe side of the target, and you’ll probably find your ball. It then stands that you will have a shot for your next attempt. Cut the corner, and you might have need to reload. The Barefoot course begins gently, in terms of distance, but challenges with visual deception. After two brief 4s and a 3, the real work begins. The course is exposed enough, to allow the coastal winds to dance along the fairways. Be ready to keep the ball low and take an extra club or two.

TPC-Myrtle Beach

If memory serves, TPCMB is my first trek around a TPC-branded course. It had all the trappings of a tour course, from the welcome, through the clubhouse, to the practice facilities and, of course, the course. TPC-Myrtle Beach is a Tom Fazio design, and if you never visit Augusta National, you’ll now have an idea of what it is like. You play Augusta’s 16th hole twice at TPCMB, and you enjoy it both times. Fazio really likes the pond-left, green-angle-around par three hole, and his two iterations of it are memorable.

You’ll also see those Augusta bunkers, the ones with the manicured edges that drop into a modestly-circular form. What distinguishes these sand pits is the manner in which they rise from the surrounding ground. They are unique in that they don’t resemble the geometric bunkering of a Seth Raynor, nor the organic pits found in origin courses. They are built, make no mistake, and recovery from them is manageable for all levels of bunker wizardry.

Barefoot Fazio

If you have the opportunity to play the two Tom Fazio courses back to back, you’ll notice a marked difference in styling. Let me digress for a moment, then circle back with an explanation. It was written that the NLE World Woods course designed by Fazio, Pine Barrens, was an homage to Pine Valley, the legendary, New Jersey club where Fazio is both a member and the architect on retainer. The Pine Barrens course was plowed under in 2022, so the homage no longer exists. At least, I didn’t think that it existed, until I played his Barefoot Resort course in North Myrtle Beach.

Pine Valley might be described as an aesthetic of scrub and sand. There are mighty, forced carries to travers, along with sempiternal, sandy lairs to avoid. Barefoot Fazio is quite similar. If you’re not faced with a forced carry, you’ll certainly contend with a fairway border or greenside necklace of sand. When you reach the 13th tee, you’ll face a drive into a fairway, and you might see a distant green, with a notable absence: flagstick. The 13th is the icing on the homage cake, a callout of the 8th hole at Pine Valley.  Numero Ocho at the OG has two greens, side by side, and they change the manner in which the hole plays (so they say.) At Barefoot Fazio, the right-side green is a traditional approach, with an unimpeded run of fairway to putting surface. The left-side green (the one that I was fortunate to play) demands a pitch shot over a wasteland. It’s a fitting tribute for the rest of us to play.

Be certain to parrot the starter, Leon’s, advice, and play up a deck of tees. Barefoot Fazio offers five par-three holes, so the fours and fives play that much longer. Remember, too, that you are on vacation. Why not treat yourself to some birdie looks?

Pawley’s Plantation

The Jack Nicklaus course at Pawley’s Plantation emerged from a period of hibernation in 2024. The greens were torn up and their original contours were restored. Work was overseen by Troy Vincent, a member of the Nicklaus Architecture team. In addition, the putting corridors were reseeded with a hardier, dwarf bermuda that has experienced great success, all along the Grand Strand that is Myrtle Beach.

My visit allowed me to see the inward half first, and I understand why the resort wishes to conclude your day on those holes. The front nine of Pawley’s Plantation works its way through familiar, low country trees and wetlands. The back nine begins in similar fashion, then makes its way east, toward the marsh that separates mainland from Pawley’s Island. Recalling the powerful sun of that Wednesday morning, any round beginning on the second nine would face collateral damage from the warming star. Much better to hit holes 11 to close when the sun is higher in the sky.

The marshland holes (12 through 17) are spectacular in their raw, unprotected nature. The winds off the Atlantic are unrelenting and unforgiving, and the twin, par-three holes will remain in your memory banks for time’s march. In typical Golden Bear fashion, a majority of his putting targets are smallish in nature, reflecting his appreciation for accurate approach shots. Be sure to find the forgiving side of each green, and err to that portion. You’ll be grateful.

Bonus Coverage: Myrtlewood, Beechwood, Arrowhead, and King’s North

Arrowhead (Raymond Floyd and Tom Jackson)

A course built in the middle of a community, water threatens on most every hole. The Cypress 9 provides a few holes forcing a carried drive then challenge you with water surrounding the green. On Waterway, a drivable 2nd hole will tempt most, so make sure the group ahead has cleared the green.

Myrtlewood ( Edmund Alt and Arthur Hills) and  Beechwood (Gene Hamm)

A middle of the winter New Englander’s paradise. Wide open fairways, zero blind shots and light rough allow for shaking off the rust and plenty of forgiveness. A plethora of dog legs cause one to be cautious with every tee shot. Won’t break the bank nor the scorecard.

King’s North @ Myrtle Beach National (Arnold Palmer)

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HOUSTON — Stephan Jaeger won his first PGA Tour event in his 135th attempt, closing with nine straight pars for a 3-under-par 67 and avoiding a playoff when Scottie Scheffler missed a 5-foot birdie putt on the final hole Sunday.

Scheffler was trying to become the first player in seven years to win three straight starts on the PGA Tour, and he was right there with a chance. He two-putted for birdie from 20 feet on the par-5 16th and missed from 12 feet for birdie on the 17th.

His 5-foot birdie putt to force a playoff missed to the left, and Scheffler had to settle for a 68 and a runner-up finish.

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Jaeger, a 34-year-old German who came to high school in Tennessee when he was 16, earned his first trip to the Masters with the victory. He also is in the remaining four $20 million signature events this season.

Alejandro Tosti had a chance to become the fourth PGA Tour rookie to win this early in the year. He was tied for the lead until chipping too strong on the 18th and missing an 18-foot par putt for a 68.

There was a five-way tie for the lead at the start — the largest on tour since 2009 — and eight players had at least a share of the lead at some point during the round.

Jaeger was always in the mix, taking the lead with an 8-foot birdie putt on the par-3 ninth hole at Memorial Park. That was his last birdie of the day, and no one could beat him.

“I was just tried to stay within myself,” Jaeger said. “Birdies eluded me on the back nine. But this golf course plays difficult, especially when you're around the lead. I'm just super happy.”

Thomas Detry, David Skinns, and Taylor Moore all made mistakes down the stretch.

Scheffler was one shot behind when he missed the green on the par-3 15th and failed to save par on an 8-foot putt, falling two shots behind with three to play. He got one back with his birdie on the downwind 16th, where Jaeger had to lay up and settle for par.

Scheffler and Jaeger both missed good birdie chances on the 17th, and Scheffler had one last chance on the 18th.

Jaeger finished at 12-under 268 and cracks the top 50 in the world ranking for the first time.

Defending champion Tony Finau closed with two straight birdies for a 66 and joined Scheffler, Tosti, Detry and Moore in a tie for second.

This was the final week for players to move into the top 50 and earn a Masters invitation, and no one from outside the top 50 — Mackenzie Hughes and Tom Hoge had the best chances — did well enough to earn a spot.

Nelly Korda takes Chevron, ties LPGA mark with 5th win in row

Nelly Korda lifts her second major trophy and becomes the third player in LPGA Tour history to win in five straight starts. (0:29)

• ESPN News Services

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Nelly Korda couldn't have imagined the incredible run she's put together this season while at home recovering from a blood clot that required surgery in 2022.

"Because obviously then I was just more scared for my health," she said. "Competing was kind of on the back seat. I was not thinking about competing at all. But I think all of the sad times and the health scares that I have gone through have made me who I am today."

Fully healthy now, Korda is seemingly unstoppable. The world's No. 1 player hasn't lost a tournament since January, and now she's a two-time major champion.

Korda etched her name in the LPGA Tour record books Sunday, winning her record-tying fifth straight tournament with a 2-stroke victory in the Chevron Championship.

Korda joins Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sorenstam (2004-05) as the only players to win five consecutive LPGA events. Her previous major victory was in 2021 at the Women's PGA Championship.

"It's been an amazing feeling these past couple weeks knowing that I can go on this stretch and that if I stay in my bubble and I keep golf in a sense simple and let it flow, then I can have so, so much fun out here," she said.

Korda shot a 3-under 69 in the final to outlast Maja Stark of Sweden, who birdied her final two holes to shoot 69 and pull within 1. Korda stayed aggressive on the par-5 18th, easily clearing the lake in front of the green and setting up an easy up-and-down birdie.

She had a four-day total of 13-under 275 at Carlton Woods.

Korda nearly aced the par-3 17th, with her tee shot hitting the hole and hopping in the air before settling within 10 feet. She settled for par to maintain her 2-shot lead.

Korda wowed the large crowd, which followed her throughout the day, by chipping into the wind for birdie on the par-4 10th hole to take a 4-stroke lead. The 25-year-old raised her club above her head with one hand and pumped her fist after the ball rolled into the hole.

Her parents -- former Australian Open tennis champion Petr Korda and Regina Rajchrtova -- beamed as she was presented with the trophy.

"She had a difficult '22 and '23 in certain ways," Petr Korda said. "She did not win a tournament in '23 and some things probably made her humble and [she] put a lot of work into where she is right now. Without the work and commitment, she would not be here. So seeing that, I'm very happy."

Korda's older sister, Jessica, is a six-time LPGA winner who's taking a break from golf after giving birth to her first child.

Korda took home $1.2 million from a purse of $7.9 million, a significant increase from last year's purse of $5.2 million. That brings her season earnings to $2,424,216 and her career earnings to $11,361,489.

Winners had been jumping into Poppie's Pond off the 18th green at Mission Hills since 1988, and Korda became the second to do it in Texas by doing a cannonball off a small dock into brown-tinged water. World No. 2 Lilia Vu was first to jump into the pond here after her win last season. Vu withdrew from this year's tournament before the first round after experiencing "severe discomfort" in her back during warmups.

While still shivering from her post-win plunge Sunday, Korda confirmed she'll be competing in the JM Eagle LA Championship next week in Los Angeles. She was then asked about the possibility of becoming the first to ever win six straight LPGA tournaments.

"I'm going to enjoy this right now and then I'll think about that," she said. "But yeah, it's been an amazing time. Hopefully keep the streak alive. But I've been so grateful to compete week in and week out and get the five in a row, too."

Sorenstam, speaking to Golf Channel later Sunday, commended Korda for the accomplishment.

"So proud of her to win five in a row and to make a major her fifth," she said. "It's great for women's golf. I'm super happy for her. It's hard to win once on tour, and then twice, so to do it five times is a really hard thing to do. I'm just so proud of her and happy for her."

Asked what advice she'd give Korda as she chases a record sixth win in L.A., Sorenstam added: "Just keep going. It really doesn't matter what you've done in the past. You just have to start over and keep going. ... The hardest part isn't so much physically, it's mentally."

Masters champion Scottie Scheffler is on a similar tear, on his way to a fourth victory in five starts until rain interrupted the final round of the RBC Heritage. He couldn't help but check in on Korda.

"I actually was checking the scores this afternoon when we were in the rain delay," he said. "I'm extremely happy for her and proud of her. That's some pretty special stuff. It's been a treat to watch."

Korda entered the last round 1 shot off the lead after completing the last seven holes of the weather-delayed third round early Sunday morning on a windy and unseasonably cool day. She was wiped out after her big win because she'd been up since 4 a.m. to prepare for the end of the third round.

She birdied two of her first four holes to take the lead. Lauren Coughlin birdied Nos. 13 and 14 to get within 2 strokes, but bogeys on the 16th and 17th holes put her 4 behind. She shot a final-round 68 to finish tied for third with Brooke Henderson.

Coughlin got emotional when discussing her best finish in a major.

"It's really cool to see all of the work that I've put in, especially with my putting and my short game, and putting specifically showed off this week, as well," she said.

Henderson was tied with Korda for second to start the last round after she shot a 64 in the third round to set a scoring record for the tournament since its move from Mission Hills, California, to Texas last year. But the Canadian, who has 13 LPGA wins with two majors, also faltered early in the final round, with a bogey and a double-bogey in the first four holes.

Haeran Ryu of South Korea shot a bogey-free 67 to enter the final round leading Korda by 1. But the 2023 Rookie of the Year bogeyed the first two holes of the fourth round. She closed with a 74 and finished fifth.

Eighteen-year-old amateur Jasmine Koo provided an unlikely highlight on the 18th hole. Her second shot bounced off the advertising board in the water and back into play. She ended up with a birdie to shoot 71.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Nelly Korda makes it five (!) wins in a row at 2024 Chevron Championship

Nelly Korda claimed her second major championship title as she won her fifth LPGA Tour event in a row at the 2024 Chevron Championship.

World number one Nelly Korda says the back nine at the 2024 Chevron Championship 'felt like the longest in my life' after she captured her second major and fifth LPGA Tour win in a row.

Korda began the day one stroke behind Ryu Hae-ran but quickly took the lead on Sunday thanks to the South Korean's early mistakes. 

The 25-year-old carded a final round of three-under par 69 in gusty conditions to reach an overall total of 13-under and win by two strokes over Sweden's Maja Stark. 

Canada's Brooke Henderson and American Lauren Coughlin finished tied third on 10-under par. 

The aforementioned Ryu finished four shots behind Korda.

Korda joins Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sorenstam (2005) as the only players to achieve the feat of winning five consecutive LPGA events. 

She needed to play 25 holes on Sunday to make up for a weather delay in the third round. 

"I can finally breath now," Korda told CBS after the final round at The Woodlands in Texas.

"That back nine felt like the longest back nine of my entire life. 

"It was a little bit of a grind on the back nine, but I’m happy to get the win … I can finally breathe now and enjoy the moment.”

Korda was victorious at the LPGA Drive On Championship in January and won over three consecutive weeks in late March to early April. 

Her other victories came at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship, Ford Championship and T-Mobile Match Play. 

At the beginning of the week, she admitted she was running on fumes. "I don't think I've ever been that tired," she said. 

"I would wake up and I was ready to go back to bed but I couldn't. 

"It's almost to the point where you just can't sleep, you're just overly tired.”

Korda put circles on her scorecard at the third and fourth holes to take the early advantage on Sunday and never gave up the lead. 

Bogeys at 11 and 15 threatened to make the final stages interesting after Stark produced a late surge. 

But it was too little too late for the European Solheim Cup star. 

This was Korda's 13th career victory. She is also the fastest player to reach $2,000,000 in single-season earnings. 

Next week, Korda will attempt to set a new LPGA Tour record for winning six in a row at the JM Eagle LA Championship. 

OFF THE FLAGSTICK! 💥 @NellyKorda nearly aces the 17th hole at the @Chevron_Golf ! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Wr6OepdVpb — LPGA (@LPGA) April 21, 2024

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Tiger Woods makes cut at Masters, breaks all-time record with 24 consecutive cuts

Tiger Woods during the second round of the 2024 Masters Tournament. (Ben Jared/PGA TOUR))

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AUGUSTA, Ga. – The second day of the 88th Masters was never going to be kind to Tiger Woods. It was an intersection of worst-case scenarios, with Woods having to play early and often in cold temperatures. It takes him hours to get his battered body ready to play golf, which meant an early wake-up call Friday morning to resume his first round at 7:50 a.m.

He had to play the final five holes of his opening round before arriving at the first tee to start his second. For a man who said earlier this week that “every shot that’s not on a tee box is a challenge,” 18 holes is more than enough. Especially on the hilliest course players face all year. Add in the cold and windy conditions that make it difficult to loosen up a body pieced together by screws and rods and fused joints, and it seemed that the factors had conspired against him this week.

But Friday also was an opportunity to make more history at a course he admires more than any other. Woods said earlier this week that he is here to win. That he teed it up because he believes another victory is still possible “if everything comes together.” Victories are what drive him, but they do not cause him to downplay the seemingly mundane act of just making the cut.

On Friday, he had the opportunity to establish another record cuts streak. He was seeking his 24th consecutive made cut in this tournament, a streak that would surpass the mark he shared with Gary Player and Fred Couples. Despite the unfavorable conditions and his physical limitations, Woods did so with relative ease, shooting 73-72 to finish well inside the line . He was T25 when he walked off the 18th green Friday afternoon. He promised that a needling text message would soon be sent to Couples to mark the occasion.

“It's consistency, it's longevity, and it's an understanding of how to play this golf course,” Woods said Tuesday of the record. "Now, you still have to go out and execute it, but there's a lot of knowledge that goes into understanding how to play (Augusta National). …That's the neat thing about this. I can still go through the mental Rolodex and bring out a few putts from the '90s that still move generally in that direction and the effect that Rae's Creek has on certain shots and putts. And it means a lot.”

Woods’ affection for Augusta National comes not just from the genius of Alister MacKenzie’s design, which allows him to fully utilize his creativity and shot-making skills, but also because of the course’s annual accumulation of history. This is the same place where he played his first major championship, competing in 1995 as the reigning U.S. Amateur champion. He watched from the Crow’s Nest as Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson and Sam Snead hit the ceremonial tee shots. Three years later, he marveled at the fact that those three were drinking the milkshakes he had on his Champion’s Dinner menu.

“There's such an aura and mystique about playing this golf course,” he said.

He played practice rounds with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus in his first Masters, and has been playing here long enough to see the likes of Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler put on the green jacket. Augusta National spans generations. Woods missed the cut in his second Masters, so this record-setting streak started with his 12-shot victory here in 1997. He has won here five times but also played through swing changes and injury and personal scandal. No matter what, he has always found a way to make the cut. For two dozen years in a row.

Tiger Woods’ 1997 victory at the Masters | 25 years later

Woods tied the record last year by slogging through torrential rains and temperatures in the 40s as he completed his suspended second round early on a Saturday morning. Woods, who would need ankle surgery weeks later, was seen limping up the hill on the par-4 17th as he finished his round.

This year, he arrived at Augusta National with just 24 holes of competitive golf under his belt.

Though he said late last year that he hoped to compete once a month in 2024, Woods only appeared at The Genesis Invitational before this week. Six holes into his second round at Riviera, he had to withdraw with the flu . His body didn’t allow him to make another start before Augusta, he said.

“Some days I just feel really good,” he said, “and other days, not so much.”

Athletes reflect on Tiger Woods’ 2019 Masters victory

His mind, and his hands, are still world class. The question each time he tees it off is whether his body will allow him to use them to their full capabilities. Woods plays the role of wily veteran these days. No longer overpowering courses with his length, he hits a sliding fade off the tee to keep his ball in play and uses a crafty short game to stay around par. He made the cut easily despite hitting less than half his greens (17 of 36).

"His short game was so good. I don't think I can explain how good some of the chip shots he hit today were," said Max Homa, who played alongside Woods. "He's special.

"We had a really quick turnaround, and if I was feeling tired and awful. I imagine he was feeling even worse," Homa added. "All the cliches you hear about him and all the old stories about how he will grind it out, it was fun to see that in person."

Woods was 1-under par when play was suspended Thursday evening . He made two bogeys on the five holes he played Friday morning, signing for a 1-over 73. He started the second round with pars on his first two holes before playing a six-hole stretch without a single par. He made birdie on the third hole, hitting a 91-yard wedge shot to 9 feet before bogeys on Nos. 4 and 5, two of the course’s most difficult holes. Then he chipped in on the par-3 sixth. He made another bogey after finding a greenside bunker on the par-4 seventh and rebounded with birdie at the par-5 eighth. Five consecutive pars followed before a bogey at the 14th hole. But he reached the green in two to birdie the par-5 15th before closing with three consecutive pars.

“I'm here,” he said. “I have a chance to win the golf tournament.”

That wouldn’t be possible without making the cut. Add another record to Woods’ remarkable Masters career.

Sean Martin is a senior editor for the PGA TOUR. He is a 2004 graduate of Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo. Attending a small school gave him a heart for the underdog, which is why he enjoys telling stories of golf's lesser-known players. Follow Sean Martin on Twitter .

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Nelly korda wins second major – and record-tying fifth lpga title in a row – at 2024 chevron championship, share this article.

THE WOODLANDS, Texas – A bald eagle circled the sky to the right of the fourth tee box on Sunday as Nelly Korda continued her march toward history. A powerful American player hasn’t dominated the LPGA since Beth Daniel in the early ’90s. The last time an American won five consecutive starts: Nancy Lopez in 1978.

It’s no wonder LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan strolled inside the ropes on Sunday afternoon at the Club at Carlton Woods, marveling at one of the best crowds the tour has seen in years.

“This is a gigantic moment for us,” said the commish.

Korda’s gutsy and stylish victory at the Chevron Championship signals a new era in the women’s game, one golf hoped would come with Michelle Wie West or Paula Creamer or Lexi Thompson. None of them rose to No. 1, let alone claimed two majors or went on a hot streak the likes of which only five players in the history of golf have ever done.

Korda, 25, now owns 13 career titles, tying current Solheim Cup captain Stacy Lewis, who did win two majors and rise to No. 1, though she shared the stage with a major-winning machine in Inbee Park.

“It’s everything that I’ve always wanted as a little girl, to lift that major trophy,” said Korda, noting that she felt sick to her stomach after the longest back nine of her life.

Nelly Korda celebrates with the trophy after winning the 2024 Chevron Championship. (Photo: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports)

Korda returned to the course Sunday morning before the sun rose, with the wind up, temperatures 30 degrees lower and a marathon day ahead. She started with a 3-foot putt on the 12th hole and grinded out a series of pars on the back nine to finish Round 3 one back of South Korea’s Hae Ran Ryu and retreated to put her feet up.

Rest has played a vital role in Korda’s rise. It started with a seven-week break that followed her first victory in her hometown of Bradenton, Florida. After three victories in as many weeks, Korda enjoyed a week off during Masters week and didn’t leave the house for two days as she snuggled with older sister Jessica’s infant son Greyson for contact naps and tried to block out the world.

NELLY KORDA : Celebration photos | Where her win streak ranks

On Sunday, she had a two-hour break between rounds before returning to the range to warm up with her tight-knit entourage of physio, caddie, agent and instructor. She took time to sign autographs and take selfies before heading to the first tee.

Pickle Spear: ⁦ @GolfweekNichols ⁩ and I revel in the LPGA’s Nelly Era as the ⁦ @Chevron_Golf ⁩ champ keeps pumpin’ out the hits. https://t.co/II6LI5tGbU — Grant Boone (@grantboone) April 22, 2024

When it comes to winning streaks in golf, Byron Nelson leads the way with a mind-blowing 11 in 1945. Tiger Woods won seven straight starts between the 2006-07 seasons and both Ben Hogan (1948) and Woods (1999-2000) each won six consecutive. Woods also had a streak end at five in 2008.

Early on in Sunday’s final round, it felt like Brooke Henderson was the most likely spoiler to Korda’s run. A thinned chip shot on the fourth hole just off the right side of the green, however, ran into a greenside bunker and the winningest Canadian golfer in history needed two swings to get out. The resulting double bogey came as Korda made a second consecutive birdie.

To her credit, Henderson birdied the next two holes to get back in it. But a chip-in birdie from Korda on No. 10 stretched her lead to four, and it suddenly felt all but inevitable.

OFF THE FLAGSTICK! 💥 @NellyKorda nearly aces the 17th hole at the @Chevron_Golf ! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Wr6OepdVpb — LPGA (@LPGA) April 21, 2024

The biggest question at that point was whether or not Korda would actually take a chilly dip into the murky pond that surrounds the 18th.

Lauren Coughlin, a journeywoman whose husband recently quit his job as a fundraiser at the University of Virginia to travel the world with her, was within two of Korda with three to play but rattled off bogeys on the 16th and 17th to fall back to a share of third.

Sweden’s Maja Stark had a run of her own down the last, but back-to-back birdies on the closing two holes weren’t enough to thwart Korda, who hit three spectacular shots down the stretch , including a near ace off the flagstick on the 17th, to seal her second major title with a fourth consecutive round in the 60s and a 13-under total.

Tournament officials threw teddy bears to the little girls who’d lined up by the 18th green to watch their hero, chanting her name.

During the trophy presentation, Korda’s team began taking off their shoes to prepare for the celebratory jump. Korda got at the back of the line as they lined up on the dock, led by physio Kim Baughman, agent Chris Mullhaupt, instructor Jamie Mulligan and caddie Jason McDede. Korda went in last, pulling her knees in tight for the cannonball of her life.

Nelly Korda jumps in the lake after winning the 2024 Chevron Championship. (Photo: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports)

“Everyone was talking about creating history,” said Korda’s father Petr, who stayed dry under the scoreboard, “and to do that under this pressure.”

Well, as he said, it was nothing short of phenomenal.

After the cold plunge, the woman who is on a heater of historic proportions clutched a portable heater as she answered questions from the press. She talked about the doubt that crept in after a monster 2021 season that saw her win a major and an Olympic gold medal.

“I heard some outside voices from other people saying that they don’t know if I’ll ever be able to win another major again,” said Korda.

A number of injuries, including a terrifying blood clot that required surgery, held her back in recent years, but she doubled down on the hard work and leaned into a team that feeds off the positivity of Mulligan.

McDede has been on Korda’s bag since she started winning in 2018 and calls Mulligan a father figure to him, noting that aura that surrounds the California instructor.

“We spend a lot of time on the phone together,” said McDede. “He’s always there for you. He’s always got a story to tell you, but then when he looks at you to be locked in, then you’re locked in.”

Korda called McDede her punching bag, her best friend and her teammate. She credited him with keeping her in the moment during a brutally long six-hour round.

The first LPGA player Mulligan ever coached was childhood friend Amy Alcott, the first player who ever jumped in the pond at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, California, starting a tradition that became part of the lore of winning what once was known as the Dinah Shore and last year moved her to Texas. The LPGA Hall of Famer sent a text to Mulligan this morning, and they now share piece of LPGA history.

Mulligan doesn’t believe Korda has changed much during the streak, but more slipped deeper into the system they’ve built.

Korda confirmed that she’ll play next week at the JM Eagle LA Championship at Wilshire Country Club, where she’ll try to become the first LPGA player to win six consecutive starts.

The week ended with a similar question Korda fielded at the start: How can this run elevate the tour?

“It’s a stage,” said Korda. “We need a stage.”

Even though final-round action went well past NBC’s scheduled three-hour window, the network continued Chevron coverage until the finish, buoyed by the fact that Scottie Scheffler’s run at the RBC Heritage was on hold due to weather.

“I think all of the stars were aligned for today,” said Marcoux Samaan.

Long live the Nelly Era.

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