The FedExCup Playoffs began this week on the PGA Tour, while Ryder Cup automatic qualifying for both Europe and the USA came to an end. The LPGA was north of the border in Canada while the Web.Com Tour concluded its qualifying campaign for its own finals series. Lots to watch, lots to mash. Let’s get to those potatoes!

Patrick Reed keeps winning streak alive at The Barclays

Not that he was ever worried, but Patrick Reed had not won since January of 2015 and his streak of consecutive seasons with a win might have stopped at four. Then came Bethpage Black, The Barclays and Reed’s efficient performance. It wasn’t pretty, more like the octagon than the golf course (complete with the belligerent NY-fan base) but Reed got the job done when others faltered.

Rickie Fowler began the final day with a one-stroke advantage over the eventual champion, but handled the 54-hole lead about as well as he has in previous events: not well. Fowler made three bogeys and a double on his final nine, visiting parts of the course known only to 36-handicappers and the grounds crew. The leader finished three-over par on the day, dropping all the way to T7. Sean O’Hair had one of the day’s lower rounds (66) and shot up 14 spots, into a tie for second with Emiliano Grillo.

Related: Patrick Reed’s Winning WITB

It was Reed who minimized mistakes until the end. Three-under on the day through 15 holes afforded him a cushion, and he used all of it. Bogeys on two of the final three holes brought him back to 9-under, good for the slimmest of all victories: 1 meager stroke. With the win, Reed joined seven others as automatic Team USA qualifiers for the fall’s Ryder Cup in Minnesota.

Two putts to win.#QuickHits https://t.co/xgk2acBqUL

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 28, 2016

Pieters is Made In Denmark on the European Tour

Thomas Pieters has been agonizingly close to significant wins in 2016. He played as well as anyone at the Rio Olympics for three rounds, but a third-round implosion kept him off the medal platform. Not only was he looking for validation this week in Denmark, he was also in search of a spot on the European Ryder Cup team, captained by 2011 Open champion Darren Clarke. For 15 holes on Sunday, it looked strangely like a typical Pieters performance: close, but lacking the closing strength needed to drive home the nail.

Bradley Dredge was in the driver’s seat. He even closed with a birdie from over 30 feet to get to 16-under and shake off pretenders Adrian Otaegui (Spain) and David Lipsky (USA), both of whom shot 67 in round four to finish at 15-under, tied for third. And then, Pieters did something remarkable: he nearly aced the 16th and birdied each of the three closing holes, shooting past Dredge to 17-under and victory. Will it be career-defining? Career-igniting? Enough to convince Clarke to tap Pieters for a spot? Perhaps, but no matter; victory was precisely what the young, talented Belgian golfers needed at this stage in his career.

Inches. https://t.co/iq8r24Fi7X

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) August 28, 2016

Jutanugarn claims fifth title of 2016 at CP Women’s Open

Ariya Jutanugarn lacked one thing in her magical 2016 season: a lap-the-field victory in which she proved that she could take a third-round lead and hold it firmly on Sunday. She had another opportunity to make such a statement at the Canadian Women’s Open in Calgary, and she did so with a bold exclamation point. Jutanugarn’s seven-birdie, one-bogey Sunday stroll gave her a 4-stroke victory over Sei Young Kim (-19) of Korea, with In Gee Chun a stroke farther back in third.

Jutanugarn came into the week on uneasy footing. Less than seven days removed from an injury-related withdrawal at the Rio Olympics, the five-time winner on the 2016 LPGA circuit played the week with a bandaged knee. Despite the pressure (8 birdies, 1 bogey) applied by Kim on Sunday, Jutanugarn was equal to the challenge, establishing herself as the lead candidate for player of the year. In other news, Ayako Uehara finished tied for 10th, but left Alberta with holes-in-one in each of the last two rounds.

Aces are wild! Check out these 2 holes-in-one by Ayako Uehara and MJ Hur @cpwomensopen! Tune in to @GolfChannel now! pic.twitter.com/ySWgJIJbxQ

— #CMEFinalStretch ???? (@LPGA) August 27, 2016

Brehm headed to PGA Tour after Portland Open win

Ryan Brehm ended Saturday’s third round in Portland in first place. In the final event before the Web.com Tour playoffs, all golfers were jockeying for position, with goals ranging from playoff qualification to a PGA Tour card. Brehm had built a two-stroke lead by the time he reached the par-five 18th hole. Knowing that bogey would be enough to secure victory, Brehm relaxed a bit too much and dumped his approach into a greenside bunker. With enough presence, Brehm was able to escape the sand pit and take two putts for six and a one-stroke victory.

Tied with Brehm after three rounds was CT Pan, a former collegiate standout but, like Brehm, without a win in the 2016 campaign. Pan was assured of a tour card in 2017, but he sought more. A day after shooting a tournament-low 62, Pan was unable to recapture his Saturday magic. Pan’s even-par 71 dropped him into a tie for fourth. A number of golfers made a run at the title in Round 4, but none were able to go low enough to pressure Brehm. Mark Anderson closed with 68 to finish second alone, one behind the champion. Zack Fischer also had 68 on Sunday, moving up six spots to solo third.

A trophy, and a TOUR card!

Ryan Brehm wins the WinCo Foods Portland Open.

Sparty on. https://t.co/6fI9ET2L3P

— Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) August 29, 2016

Langer ties Trevino for all-time PGA Tour Champions wins at Boeing Classic

For a time on Sunday, it seemed that Gene Sauers would follow his U.S. Senior Open victory with another in Washington state. Sunday was not kind to Sauers, and his last-ditch attempt at eagle on 18 meant that a trio of players (Kevin Sutherland, Woody Austin and Bernhard Langer) would return to the 18th tee to settle matters in a playoff.

The final hole at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge has three diabolical cross bunkers at the fairway’s bend. Austin was able to get past them on his drive, while Langer played short and left, and Sutherland drove into the last of the three. This advantage proved to be short-lived, as Austin dumped his second into a greenside bunker and could not get up and down for birdie. Sutherland suffered a similar fate, leaving matters to Langer. One day past his 59th birthday, Langer drained a 3-foot birdie putt on the only playoff hole to win for the second time in Washington and his 29th overall on the senior circuit.

Bernhard Langer keeps making history. Highlights from his win @BoeingClassic. https://t.co/OuMmE3RO4j

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) August 29, 2016