The third weekend in April brough the year’s first LPGA women’s major championship. Much was done to replicate the experience at Mission Hills, and other new elements were brought to the fore. That event was supplemented by the team event on the PGA Tour, a first-time DP World Tour competition in Japan, and tournaments on the Korn Ferry and PGA Tour Champions circuits. It was a full slate of challenges for the golf fan, and it merits a slow and deep Tour Rundown. Let’s dive right in.

Lilia takes the leap! ?

The 2x Tour winner is now a major champion ? pic.twitter.com/cx90BehK50

— LPGA (@LPGA) April 23, 2023

If we have one word on the evening of Sunday, April 23rd, it’s playoff. Only the two-man event on the PGA Tour was decided in regulation play. The excitement meter in professional golf just melted the needle. It’s time to find out who took care of business in overtime.

LPGA-Chevron Championship: Lilia Vu wins inaugural playing in Texas

Lilia Vu was a highly-decorated golfer in the amateur ranks. The professional learning curve is finally rounding into shape for the California resident. Vu posted a final-round 68 at Carlton Woods in Texas, highlighted by birdies on her final two holes. That performance moved her to 10-under par, into what would be a tie with Angel Yin.

Yin began round four in a tie with Allisen Corpuz. Neither golfer could find the magic dust that brought them to double-figures under par through 54 holes. Corpuz tripped over five bogeys on day four, posted plus-two for the round, and dropped to a tie for 4th spot. Yin had the lead to herself at eleven under, as she addressed her tee shot on the 16th hole. Two bogies later, she was in need of a birdie at the last to force a playoff. Yin made birdie and she and Vu went back to the final tee for extra play.

The playoff was over soon after it began.  Yin had five feet left for par when Vu addressed her fifteen-feet birdie putt. Although it broke quite a bit at the start, it straightened out at the end, dropping in the left side of the hole for birdie and victory. Nelly Korda placed solo third at minus-nine, but it took a final-hole eagle to get her there.

For the win! ?

Lilia Vu birdies the first playoff hole to win the 2023 Chevron Championship! pic.twitter.com/bn0iPR0VLe

— LPGA (@LPGA) April 23, 2023

PGA Tour-Zurich Classic: Two-man event features first-time winners in Hardy & Riley

If Wyndham Clark and Beau Hossler had been able to play foursomes on Sunday as they did on Friday, this segment would be about them. Instead, the duo played the final three holes in two over par, and posted a feeble, one-under par on day four. Their struggles opened the tee deck for a surgent team, and two stepped up.

Canadians Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor electrified the galleries with seven consecutive birdies, on their way to a nine-under par 63. The duo was unable to post any birdies over their final five holes, and they came home in 28-under par. Behind them, Davis Riley and Nick Hardy built a tidy round of their own. Seven birdies against zero bogies totalled 65 on their card, and they reached a magic number: thirty under par. Their tournament record was enough to hold off the Maple Leaf and every other duo in the field. With the victory, both players moved inside the top forty in the FedEx Cup race.

Davis Riley is clutch!! ?@NickHardy8 and @DavisRiley68 extend their lead to two after the birdie on 17 @Zurich_Classic. pic.twitter.com/J4OX6vFEAx

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 23, 2023

DP World Tour-Handa Japan: Herbert wins playoff in Omitama

No one would recommend the Lucas Herbert plan for travel to Japan from Orlando. The Aussie was delayed by storms in Florida, missed his connecting flight in New York, and ultimately arrived in time to play round one at the ISPS Handa Championship in Japan, the first-ever for the European circuit. With no prior knowledge of the course, Herbert ran off rounds of 67-63-68-67, to earn a spot in a playoff with Canada’s Aaron Cockerill.

Cockerill had acquitted himself well over the four days. He signed for two rounds of 64, and buttressed those with 68 and 69, to join the weary traveler at 15-under par. Just missing out on extra time was Scotland’s Calum Hill, who needed one final birdie over the closing four holes. He had played that stretch under par each previous day, but could not find the magical stroke on Sunday.

Both playoff disputants had runs at birdie and victory on playoff hole #1, and both missed by an eyelash. On the second extra hole, Herbert was wide-left with his tee shot, but found a safe patch, He negotiated an iron to within fifteen feet, then drained the putt for victory. If you missed his final two shots, enjoy them below. The win was Herbert’s third on the DP World Tour.

A superb birdie on the second play-off hole to secure victory ?

Congratulations @lhgolf5 ?#ISPSHandaChampionship pic.twitter.com/56WThJKtw8

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) April 23, 2023

Korn Ferry Tour-LECOM Suncoast: Gutschewski outlasts McAllister in playoff

It isn’t often that a score of 59 doesn’t figure in the top 15 golfers, let alone win the tournament. Mac Meissner posted the magic number on Friday, but the other three rounds were less than stellar, and he ultimately tied for 16th position. Who was the story? For a time, it was Kevin Dougherty. For all time, it was Scott Gutschewski. A player hampered by injuries and inconsistent play, finally earned a third KFT title, fifteen years after his last one.

At an age (46) when journeymen golfers consider alternate career paths or begin preparation for the senior circuit, Gutschewski found himself in a battel with a much more youthful Logan McAllister. After Kevin Dougherty, the third-round leader, gave up the ghost with a final-round 71, it was left to Gutschewski (68 for 263) and McAllister (66 for 263) to settle matters in extra time. Just missing out on the playoff at 264 were Chase Seiffert (69) and Ben Silverman (68.)

The leading duo returned to the 480-yard closing hole at Lakewood National. McAllister found the green, while Gutschewski was off the front edge of the green. With the stealth of a burglar, the journeyman pro rolled his fifty-feet birdie effort into the jaws of the hole. McAllister could not match, and Scottie G. had earned a bit of comfort as the KFT heads through spring, toward summer.

From off the green for the win ?@S_Gutschewski drains his putt to win the LECOM Suncoast Classic. pic.twitter.com/v7EiFAYcsC

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) April 23, 2023

PGA Tour Champions-Invited: Hensby moves to full status with first win

It took 58 holes of golf, including four extra as the sun dipped low, but Mark Hensby withstood everything that Charlie Wi could throw his way. Hensby even dunked his second shot in the water on the first playoff hole, but survived to continue the fight. When Wi flinched on the fourth playing of the 18th hole (one in regulation and three in extra time) and made double-bogey seven, Hensby’s mundane par five was enough to secure a title and playing privileges for the remainder of 2023.

Wi’s lie off the tee on hole 58 was so nasty, he had to take an unplayable lie. It did not get better for him, as he chopped his way to an eventual two-putt for seven. Hensby also drove in the rough on the final hole, but was able to extricate himself to the fairway, and reach the putting green in regulation figures.

Alex Cejka seemed invincible after rounds of 66 and 64 staked him to a lead on Saturday night. A different Cejka awakened on Sunday, played his first six holes in plus-three figures, and recovered agonizingly close to the top two. Cejka made birdie at the par-three 13th, and needed one more to return to -12. He played the final five holes in par figures, and finished one shot shy of the playoff.

Mark Hensby brings home the win after a four hole playoff @invitedcc ?

His first @PGATOUR-sanctioned victory since the 2004 @JDCLASSIC. pic.twitter.com/A4zMRW35zf

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) April 24, 2023