There are two European traditions in action this time of year, that stonish and horrify many around the world. The Sanfermines and the Tour de France each involve clusters of competitors and the certainty of disaster. The former, better known as the Running of the Bulls, takes place in northern Spain. The latter moves across a sizable portion of France and, at times, other countries.

Sanfermines are over quickly, as the bulls decide to forge ahead toward the bull ring or confront one of the amateur runners that fill the streets of Pamplona. Tour de France involves many sorts of cycling encounters. The long, arduous campaigns over open, flattish roads are built for one sort of talent. The climbs up mountains invoke another skill. Descents down similar traces are quite another thing. More of a haphazard, roller coaster without tracks or guard rails. The sprints around twisting city streets summon a third, and the mad dash toward an impending finish line and potential yellow jersey demand a fourth area of expertise and conditioning.

It’s rare that you have a crash in either of the first two elements. The last three are rife with injury and sometimes, death, as are the Sanfermines. In golf, this drama is a distant consideration, but bunching and sorting is a shared commodity. No one is faster than the bulls, and the peloton always catches the breakaway riders, if it wishes to do so. In golf, sometimes breakaways happen, and the field is helpless and awestruck. Most of the time, it’s a mad, breakneck stroll down the final fairways of a tournament and then, when the final putts are holed, a sorting of the podium. This week, the first in July, we have some of each resolution. Folks might have been caught looking ahead to the next two weeks when the Scottish and Open Championships come into focus on the men’s tours. If they were, they missed quite a bit of inspiring action.

Let’s have our own glance, safely, at this week’s Tour Rundown.

Ladies European Tour @ Irish Open: Woad you say? An amateur in triumph

In April of this year, Lottie Woad made a gallant putt on the 18th green of the Augusta National course, to hold Bailey Shoemaker at a distance, and win the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. In 2024, Woad tied for the tenth spot at the Women’s Open, earning the Smyth Salver trophy as low amateur. It’s safe to say that, if and when she does turn professional, Lottie Woad will garner as much attention in golf, say, as Caitlin Clark has done in basketball.

Why so daring a proclamation? This week at Carton House in Ireland, Woad won the Irish Open by six shots. The Irish is a fixture on the Ladies European Tour and featured such household names as Charley Hull and Madelene Sagstrom. Those two finished in the top four but were mere attendants to a coronation. Woad stood second after an opening 68 but made her move on day two. Her 67 pushed her three shots ahead of day-one leader Chiara Tamburlini. As the melodious Tamburlini fell away on day three, Woad pushed her total to 17 under par over the par-73 layout, establishing a commanding advantage. On a day when no one near the lead broke 70, Woad signed for 67. Day four saw the crowning of the young queen, as Woad closed with 69 to reach minus twenty-one. Sagstrom moved one clear of Amelia Garvey for second, and Hull took fourth. Fatima Fernandez Cano, on the strength of the week’s low round (66) ascended to fifth position.

PGA Tour @ John Deere Classic: Campbell wins playoff for second title

Unlike the Irish Open mentioned above, the JDC on the PGA Tour was a cluster to the end. For a time, it was Max Homa on the mend, then it was David Lipsky on the attack. A goateed Beau Hossler gave early notice that low numbers were available at the TPC Deere Run. Finally, Brian Campbell and Emiliano Grillo took center stage, albeit briefly, before a champion was decided.

Max Homa played the first four holes like a man on a mission. He played the closing fourteen in a bit less. The man who took a stand against social media gave it his best, but ultimately, a tie for fifth was his reward. He finished two shots out of a playoff. Joining him on that number was a quintet of fellow competitors. Among the six, Jacob Bridgeman needed to close with four birdies to reach overtime. He secured the first three, but made bogey at the last to fall away. David Lipsky and Kevin Roy finished one shot distant from the extra session. Lipsky lipskied out on the final hole to miss joining the apres-round participants, while Roy made birdie at the last to earn a career-best finish.

So away they went, Brian Campbell and Emiliano Grillo, to decide which would raise the champion’s trophy. The post party was over in minutes. Grillo’s attempt to cut the corner on eighteen fell short of target, and he could only chunk an iron down the fairway, within twenty yards of the flag. His pitch went astray and he could not chip in with his fourth. Campbell played the hole as designed: tee-fairway-green-hole and the title was his.

DP World Tour @ BWM International: Battle of Britain turns Brown

Sunday in Munich was a brilliant, sunny day, and the golf equaled the atmosphere. One had to look to eleventh place to find a score at 70 or worse on the day. Those in contention made the most of opportunity at Munchen Eichenried, and Daniel Brown and Jordan Smith made more than the others. The two Brits battled down the stretch, and it was the mountainous Brown who came out on top.

New Zealand’s Kazuma Kobori left nothing in the pocket, as he rode nine birdies and an eagle to 63 and third place. If Kobori had managed to avoid bogeys at eight and seventeen, he would have given Brown and Smith an even more threatening rabbit to chase.

After nine holes, Smith stood on minus-five and moved within one of the lead. His stretch from ten through fourteen was less appetizing, featuring three bogeys and a birdie. Smith closed with a pair of birdies down the stretch, but Brown held his two-shot advantage to the close.

PGA Tour Americas @ Explore NB Open: Perkins is your man in New Brunswick

Ten golfers will receive hockey sweaters in late September. Those sweaters will signify promotion to the Korn Ferry Tour for 2026. David Perkins sits atop the Fortinet Cup standings, thanks to his victory this week in the Canadian maritime. Perkins slipped past third-round leader Tripp Kinney, earning the win by one shot.

Perkins began the week like a man possessed. His 130 total at the halfway poll gave him the lead, but he handed it over to Kinney after a third-round 68 was no match for Kinney’s 64. Granted, the new lead was but one stroke, adding to the potential for dramatic conclusion. On day four, Perkins survived a pair of bogeys at the turn, rebounded with four birdies on the inward half, and signed for 19-under par. Kinney broke out of a day-long malaise (one bogey, zero birdies, through fourteen holes) to post eagle-birdie at 15 and 16. Each player closed with a pair of pars, and the title traveled away with Perkins.

Crazy leaderboard in New Brunswick ?

1. David Perkins (-16) thru 10
T2. Ford Clegg (-15) F
T2. Davis Lamb (-15) thru 14
T2. Drew Nesbitt (-15) thru 14
T2. Riley Lewis (-15) thru 12
T2. Tripp Kinney (-15) thru 9 pic.twitter.com/jCtcINuEBU

— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) July 6, 2025