Bowditch Bows In Victory

To even begin to describe the pathos of Steven Bowditch’s personal travails would require a doctoral dissertation. Suffice it to say that the Aussie has battled a spate of issues including severe depression — and can now call himself a two-time PGA Tour champion.

Bowditch opened with a 62 on Thursday and never relinquished the lead. Although Saturday is moving day, Sunday is reserved for victors and Bowditch fended off all pretenders in the rain-plagued AT&T Byron Nelson with a four-birdie back nine.

Charley Hoffman, Jimmy Walker and Scott Pinkney all tied for second, four strokes in arrears at 14-under par.

Irish Open at Royal County Down

They didn’t get the hometown hero they were hoping for, nor did they get a glam champ, but Royal County Down was a champ and a boss this week at the overly-named Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Hosted by the Rory Foundation (exhale!). Here’s hoping that the event returns before too long.

As for the winner, it isn’t often that a fellow makes four bogies, a double and one solitary birdie and winds up with the trophy. That’s what happened for Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark, who won in a playoff with Bernd Wiesberger and Eddie Pepperell. Kjelden has now won four times on the European Tour, but it was his first win in more than six years.

Nordqvist Takes ShopRite Classic In Dramatic Fashion

Anna Nordqvist of Sweden had designs on an easy walk after birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 erased a 15^th-hole bogey on Sunday. Needing only bogey to avoid a playoff with Christel Boeljon of Belgium, Nordqvist made her six on the par-5 finisher and walked away a titleist. The Swede had five birdies on the day.

Morgan Pressel, the overnight leader, would have given much for that quintet of sub-pars. The tour vet once again was in command, but could not close the sale on Sunday. Pressel went bogey-double, bogey midway through the opening nine and never righted the ship.

Mariah Stackhouse and Stanford Win NCAA Match Play Title

Stanford Junior Mariah Stackhouse.

Do I play her last or don’t I? Does she come back from two down with two to play or doesn’t she? Does she make par in extra holes to win her match and the title or doesn’t she?

Yes, followed by yes, stamped with yes.

Mariah Stackhouse and her Stanford teammates dispatched the top-ranked team (and their cross-state rival) the University of Southern California, in the semifinals. Then No. 4-ranked Baylor gave the Cardinal all it could handle, but in the end it was Stackhouse making clutch shot after clutch shot, giving her teammates a national championship.

USGA Opens Jack’s Room and Welcomes Back Pinehurst and Bandon

So fitting that the first guest in the Jack Nicklaus room at the USGA Museum last week was Jack Nicklaus himself. The Golden Bear and his Golden Wife were on hand to peruse traditional and interactive mementos and memories of his storied career. After Hogan, Jones, Wright and Palmer, Nicklaus becomes the fifth golfer to receive the honor of a room at the museum. He was honored for his playing and architectural careers.

The USGA also announced that Pinehurst #2 would return as host of the U.S. Amateur in 2019, followed by the Bandon Dunes resort in 2020. The U.S. Amateur is often seen as a prelude to a U.S. Open tournament. It’s sure to happen at Pinehurst, but could it ever happen at Bandon? Mike Keiser, founder of the Oregon resort, is a staunch supporter of the amateur game and has seen the Curtis Cup, the USGA Four-Ball, Mid-Amateur and Amateur Public Links championships at his place. For now, it will be great to have these two old-school resorts in the headlines at the end of this decade.