Golf is firing on all cylinders, with the professionals in the middle of their seasons, and local tournaments are starting up. It’s a fantastic time of the season, where the amateurs can compete as if it’s Sunday at the Masters. Only two weeks until the PGA Championship, and incredibly, we’re already in May. Here’s a look at the action from this past weekend.
Scottie Scheffler Clobbers The Field At The Byron Nelson
This portion of the article could’ve been written and completed on Thursday. Scottie Scheffler put up video game numbers this week in his hometown of Dallas, to clobber the field in a way that hasn’t been seen in quite some time.
Scheffler has had a “down” start to the year, only having four top 10s, three top 5s, and his worst finish was T-25 at the Phoenix Open. By this time last year, Scheffler had four wins by this point last season, which is why some folks are surprised by him not having a victory yet. It’s extremely difficult to follow up a nine-win season, which makes what Tiger Woods routinely did in his prime and what Vijay Singh did in 2005 even more impressive.
Scheffler has unequivocally been the best player in the world for the last two years, probably three since his 2022 Masters win. His first statement to the golf world came at the 2020 PGA Championship, where he finished T-4 and has a stellar record at the majors since then. He’s only missed one cut this decade at major championships, seven top 5s, 13 top 10s, and two Masters victories. The question is, when will Scheffler win another major, specifically one that isn’t the Masters? With his game, calm demeanor, and robot-esque consistency, it seems like a matter of time before he starts picking off other majors, perhaps thrusting himself into the career grand slam one day.
Scheffler isn’t flashy in any way. He’s calm for the most part on the golf course. He speaks semi-quietly and won’t go out of his way to create headlines. His game isn’t as verklempt as Tiger Woods or Bryson DeChambeau. Scheffler has some Jack Nicklaus in him in the sense that he is so consistent, he uses that to his advantage.
Scheffler’s statement win in his hometown is a warning shot to the rest of the golf world. Despite the tournament being played on one of the most boring golf courses the PGA Tour has to offer, it’s still mighty impressive to shoot 31-under par.
Bryson DeChambeau Hangs On For Win In South Korea
LIV Golf racked up its frequent-flyer miles this week, going from Mexico last weekend to South Korea this week. This is their last tournament before the PGA Championship. The players teed it up at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club, home of the 2015 Presidents Cup.
Bryson DeChambeau won the individual title, but had to work for it as his teammate, Charles Howell III, shot 63 with a bogey in the final round to close in on DeChambeau. DeChambeau struggled on the first nine, but went 6-under on the second nine to shoot 66 and win by two shots. DeChambeau hadn’t won since his exhilarating 2024 U.S. Open victory. He’s a top-5 betting favorite to win the PGA Championship, where he finished one shot out of a playoff last year.
DeChambeau has made nine starts this year and has top-5 finishes five times total and four starts in a row. He’s having a very similar year to last year, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he wins a major at either the PGA Championship or U.S. Open. DeChambeau hasn’t traditionally played the Open Championship well, with only one top-10 finish in seven attempts.
Bryson DeChambeau is one of the most unique characters in golf, who mixes fan interaction with fantastic golf in a way the sport has seldom seen. DeChambeau is all but a lock for the Ryder Cup team and might do it as an automatic qualifier. He’s fourth right now, and about 2500 points ahead of seventh place. If he doesn’t finish inside the top 6 for the automatic qualifier, a reasonable Captain will select DeChambeau. Team USA’s Captain Keegan Bradley has been vocal about putting together the best team possible. DeChambeau was thrilling in the Ryder Cup in 2021, also on American soil, using his distance to help demolish the course and Team Europe.
DeChambeau’s weekend in South Korea was even sweeter, as his team, Crushers GC, won the team competition by nine shots. They shot a combined 20-under par in the final round, which would’ve put them on the podium for that round alone, even if you left Crushers GC in the field.
The Oregon Golf Association Wins The 18th PNGA Lamey Cup
The 18th PNGA Lamey Cup took place last week at Oswego Lake Country Club in Lake Oswego, Oregon. The Lamey Cup consists of the four associations within the PNGA. The Oregon Golf Association, Washington Golf Association, Idaho Golf Association, and British Columbia Golf select 12-player teams to compete in the two-day event. Next year, the Montana State Golf Association will join the competition after joining the PNGA last year.
The teams are eight men and four women. Four mid-amateur men of 25 years or older, two men of 40 years or older, two senior men of 55 years or older, two mid-amateur women of 25 years or older, and two senior women of 50 years or older.
The first day of competition is one session of Four-Ball matches and a second session of Foursomes matches. Team OGA led with eight points, Team WA Golf had six, Team BC Golf and IGA had five points. Team OGA pulled away on the second day, which is entirely singles matches. Team OGA won the competition with 17.5 points, five points better than Team WA Golf. Team BC Golf had 9.5 points while Team IGA had 8.5 points.
This competition is one of the more unique golf tournaments in the country, which brings together an entire region of golfers to compete against each other. Hats off to the PNGA and the member associations for another successful year of the PNGA Lamey Cup.
Click here for the full results of the 18th PNGA Lamey Cup.
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