COLUMBUS, Ohio – Stephan Jaeger and Vincent Whaley electrified fans Saturday at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship and reached 15-under par for the tournament, giving the pair of multi-season PGA TOUR players a one-stroke lead after 54 holes at The Ohio State University Golf Club’s Scarlet Course.

Jaeger entered the day with a share of the 36-hole lead, but early struggles left the Munich, Germany native scrambling as he tumbled down a congested leaderboard. The short-game maestro kept the round together with par save after par save until he closed the front nine with consecutive birdies. But as Whaley posted a 6-under 65 and reached 15-under par, it appeared Jaeger would end the day without a share of the lead for the first time this week.

Undeterred by the rocky start or three-stroke deficit, Jaeger climbed tenaciously to the top of the leaderboard once again, birdieing three of the final four holes for a bogey-free 5-under 66. And just like two weeks ago at the Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Aetna, the 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour regular season finale, Jaeger sank a riveting birdie putt at the 18th green and walked into the sunset with a 54-hole lead in hand.

For the fifth time this season, Jaeger holds at least a share of the 54-hole lead, and Sunday’s final round will be the sixth time he plays in the final group this season. It will also give Jaeger yet another run at a Three-Victory Promotion, which would grant him fully exempt status for the upcoming 2021-22 PGA TOUR season, no matter what happens at next week’s Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance.

In addition to the status which comes with a Three-Victory Promotion, a win Sunday would give Jaeger the strongest possible grip on the No. 1 ranking in The 25 points standings. It would also be the seventh win of his Korn Ferry Tour career, a total which would tie Jason Gore’s all-time record.

Jaeger came tantalizingly close to the historic victory at the 2021 Visit Knoxville Open this past May, brushed with it again when he lost a playoff at the 2021 REX Hospital Open this past June, and again as he played the first 10 holes at 3-over par and faded to a T4 in the regular season finale two weeks ago.

Even after those near-misses, and with questions about a Three-Victory Promotion and seventh career win arising yet again, Jaeger has not grown tired of discussing either topic.

While Jaeger thrilled the gallery with the putter, Whaley delivered the shot of the tournament at the par-4 14th – which, along with the par-4 11th, played as the toughest hole relative to par Saturday. Whaley had 142 yards to the flag at the 473-yard par 4; he landed a pitching wedge within two feet of
the hole, and watched from the fairway as it spun back into the cup for an eagle.

“I was kind of stalled at that point, so that was helpful,” Whaley said. “I knew I was somewhat up (the leaderboard), but I needed a few more coming in to really get towards that final group, so that was huge.”

Whaley, who grew up in McKinney, Texas and played alongside Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler on the state’s golf circuit, also made birdies at Nos. 1, 6, 12, and 15. The Georgia Tech alum’s 65 tied Adam Svensson for the lowest score of the third round.

Canadian Svensson is in fourth at 13 under, while Canadians Stuart MacDonald and Michael Gligic are both tied for 24th, and Taylor Pendrith is tied for 49th.

Whaley played the 2020 and 2021 seasons on the PGA TOUR following a 25th-place finish in the 2019 Korn Ferry Tour regular season points standings. The 26-year-old posted a solo second and T3 in 2019, but his only professional wins to this point are mini-tour events.

Having learned several lessons from his two seasons on TOUR, Whaley hopes those experiences will leadto his first Korn Ferry Tour victory Sunday.

“The first year (on the PGA TOUR) was a big learning experience. I don’t know how ready I was for it, to be honest,” said Whaley, who finished 183rd in the 2020 FedExCup standings, and 140th in 2021. “But I felt like I got a lot better, especially this season. I haven’t won out here and I’ve only really been in contention twice, so that’s all I want to do… I’m just going to try to win the golf tournament.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do… win at this level. That’s all I really care about.”

Fort McMurray, Alta. – Charles Fitzsimmons shot the lowest round of the tournament to win the 34^th Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Fort McMurray Golf Club on Friday.

“It still hasn’t quite set in yet,” said Fitzsimmons. “This has definitely been a long-term goal of mine and definitely a dream, so it just feels unreal.”

The London, Ont., native previously held both the 18 and 36-hole leads before a third-round six-over 78 put him five shots back of the leader, Neil Thomas of Edmonton at one under, heading into Friday’s final round.

But Fitzsimmons bounced back on Friday with the championship low round – a bogey-free five-under 67 – to win by four strokes over Thomas who shot a 76.

Matt Williams of Calgary and Justin Wood of Saskatoon finished tied for third at five over, while David Lang of Toronto rounded out the top five at six over.

In addition to shooting the lowest round of the tournament, Fitzsimmons’ final score – a one-under 287 – was the only final score under par in the entire field.

Going into this week, Fitzsimmons was the highest ranked amateur in the field at No. 1247 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings. Fitzsimmons has been in the mix for the past three Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championships with his previous best finish coming in 2019, when he finished third. That year he also won the Ontario Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship.

Fitzsimmons played on the Western University Men’s Golf Team between the 2006 and the 2018 seasons, where he won the OUA Championship in 2017. Fitzsimmons now coaches sport psychology and said focusing on breathing and engaging in the moment – things he coaches his athletes on – were the keys to his success on Friday.

With the victory, Fitzsimmons earns exemption into the 2022 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at Point Grey Golf and Country Club in Vancouver, Aug. 1 to 4.

“Any chance to get to play a national championship is always an honour that way, and I’m just excited to be able to go and compete again next year,” said Fitzsimmons, who finished tied for fifth at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship earlier this month at Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor, Ont where Max Sekulic rallied to victory.

The Mid-Master division – run concurrently with the Mid-Amateur division for players 40 and over – was decided in a playoff between Ben Bandura of Selkirk, Man., and Glenn Robinson of Middle Sackville, N.S., where the latter came out victorious.

Click here for full results.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – The 2021 Junior Skills Challenge National Event will take place on August 29^th at the prestigious TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley.

A total of 26 golfers from four age groups will compete in the 12^th edition of the National Junior Skills Challenge which brings together the top-scoring juniors from coast-to-coast.

The participating junior golfers will compete in a three-part skills challenge (putting, chipping and driving) with one overall winner per age group and gender.

Golf Canada, in partnership with Cobra and Puma Golf along with the PGA of Canada will host the 2021Junior Skills Challenge National Event on Sunday, August 29 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley. The event is the culmination of more than 1,500 Junior Skills Challenge participants who competed at 80 qualifying events held across Canada. 

The field is comprised of 26 golfers from across Canada, all selected from the top of the Junior Skills Challenge National Leaderboard. 

Format

Driving: Each competitor receives three drives. Points are awarded and dependent on distance and aim of the drive. The drive must come to rest within the 30-yard width to qualify for points. The number of points is dependent on the distances completed.

Chipping: Each competitor receives three shots. Points are awarded and dependent on the distance of the chip from the target.

Putting: Each competitor receives one putt each from each distance of 5, 10 and 20 feet. Points are awarded for holing the putt and for proximity to the hole.

The winners of the Junior Skills Challenge National Event will receive prizing courtesy of program partner, Cobra-Puma Golf. The winners of the National Event in the boys and girls 15 to 18 age groups will also receive an exemption into their local NextGen Championship in 2022. 
On August 28^th, Junior Skills Challenge National Event participants will have the opportunity to play the prestigious TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley layout in an exciting match play format, outfitted by program sponsor Cobra-Puma Golf.

For more information on the Junior Skills Challenge National Event, click here.

Participants

Girls 8-and-under

Girls 9-11

Girls 12-14

Girls 15-18

Boys 8-and-under

Boys 9-11

Boys 12-14

Boys 15-18

MARKHAM, ONT. – With continued logistical challenges and travel restrictions faced by participating National Federations due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, Golf Canada in partnership with Golf Ontario has cancelled the 2021 World Junior Girls Golf Championship, presented by Sargent Farms.  The championship was scheduled to take place September 27 to October 2 at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont.

Facing the ongoing public health concerns as well as uncertainty around the rising global impact of the pandemic, cancelation was the only responsible course of action as many of the National Federation athletes, coaches and delegates scheduled to participate were facing increased restrictions and protocols in their travel to, and home from, the championship.  

The 2022 World Junior Girls Golf Championship, presented by Sargent Farms will be contested at Angus Glen Golf Club at a date to be determined.  

The World Junior Girls Golf Championship, presented by Sargent Farms is conducted by Golf Canada in partnership with Golf Ontario and supported by the R&A and the International Golf Federation. Recognized as one of the top events on the Women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings (WWAGR), the 2021 World Junior Girls Golf Championship would have marked the 7^th playing of the event.

TORONTO – Score Media and Gaming Inc. (TSX: SCR; Nasdaq: SCR) (“theScore” or “the Company”) announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Score Digital Sports Ventures (Canada) Inc. (“theScore Bet”), has entered into a multiyear agreement with Golf Canada to become its Official Gaming Partner. The exclusive partnership makes theScore Bet the first ever gaming partner for Golf Canada and its prestigious National Open Golf Championships – the CP Women’s Open and the RBC Canadian Open.  

The partnership, which begins in 2022, provides theScore Bet with access to activate across Golf Canada’s high-profile events and large digital footprint. As an exclusive gaming partner of the RBC Canadian Open and the CP Women’s Open, theScore Bet will be able to engage fans through a variety of on-site activations, including creating members club experiences for theScore Bet users, as well as digital activations through both tournaments and Golf Canada’s channels.

Bill C-218, which legalizes single event sports betting, was proclaimed to come into force on August 27, 2021, with regulated online iGaming and sports betting offerings from private operators expected to commence in Ontario later this year. Both the RBC Canadian Open and CP Women’s Open will be held in Ontario in 2022. The RBC Canadian Open is scheduled to be held in the Greater Toronto Area in 2023 and 2024. 

“We are thrilled to welcome theScore Bet as Golf Canada’s first Official Gaming Partner,” said Golf Canada’s Chief Commercial Officer, John Sibley. “theScore brand is already synonymous with sports coverage in Canada and we’re enthusiastic about the opportunity to team up to help build awareness for theScore Bet. Through Golf Canada’s entertainment properties and channels, theScore Bet will have direct access to engage with our large membership of devout Canadian sports fans.”

“We are proud to be Golf Canada’s first ever gaming partner and align theScore Bet with their organization and Canada’s marquee professional men’s and women’s golf events,” said Aubrey Levy, Senior Vice President of Content and Marketing, theScore. “This partnership provides us with highly engaging access points to introduce theScore Bet to a broad and endemic audience of golf fans. With the RBC Canadian Open taking place in Ontario for all three years and the CP Women’s Open in the province for at least the coming year, it provides us an amazing foothold to interact with Canada’s passionate golf community around two of the most popular golf events in the country.” 

The 2022 RBC Canadian Open will be held June 6-12 at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto with nearby Islington Golf Club hosting the championship’s practice facility. The 2022 CP Women’s Open takes place August 22-28 at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club in Ottawa.  

In March 2021, theScore Bet was named Official Betting Operator of the PGA TOUR across the United States and Canada, pending the enactment of enabling legislation and regulation, and receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals. 

theScore Bet is an immersive and holistic mobile sports betting platform which includes a wide range of pre-game and in-play betting across all major sports leagues and events, and a comprehensive variety of bet types. When paired with theScore’s flagship mobile app, theScore Bet offers a deeply personalized user experience and uniquely integrated media and betting ecosystem.

Hosted by TSN’s Lindsay Hamilton, the virtual Summit features dynamic speakers across sport and business including PGD Global executives the Sadekar sisters, LPGA Tour athletes Cheyenne Woods and Lydia Ko, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, and more.

Canadian Pacific has triple-matched donations made during the summit in support of the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation.

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) Tony Finau was developing a label as the player who did everything right but win. What he never lost was his belief he could beat the best.

That moment finally arrived late Monday afternoon at The Northern Trust against the sunlit backdrop of the Manhattan skyline. Finau delivered the best back nine of his career to track down Jon Rahm, the world’s No. 1 player, and then beat Cameron Smith in a playoff.

Finau tapped in the winning par putt at Liberty National, tilted his head to the sky and fluttered his lips in a sigh that was equal parts relief and satisfaction.

“It’s more massive I think for just my sense of
accomplishment,” he said. “It’s hard losing, and it’s hard losing
in front of the world. I’ve done it already a couple of times this
year. That made me more hungry. If it doesn’t discourage you, it
makes you more hungry. You guys keep telling me, `When are you going
to win again?’ That makes me more hungry.

“It all equals up to now. It was time for me to win again.”

In a rain-delayed start to the FedEx Cup playoffs, with players sitting out Sunday as Hurricane Henri moved off the eastern seaboard, Finau ended a drought that had stretched more than five years and 142 starts on the PGA Tour.

He had eight runner-up finishes, three of them playoff losses, and 39 top 10s since his lone victory in the Puerto Rico Open in the spring of 2016.

That ended with a dynamic charge, starting with a birdie-eagle-birdie stretch for a 30 on the back nine to close with a 6-under 65.

And like most victories on this tour, he needed plenty of help.

Rahm, who had a two-shot lead at the turn, made his first bogey of the final round on the 15th hole and then had to settle for par on the reachable par-4 16th, which felt like a bogey. He had to settle for a 69 to finish alone in third.

Smith had a big finish of his own with two straight birdies and a chance at three in a row with a 25-foot putt on the 18th for the win. He missed and shot 67, and that was as close as the Australian came to winning.

Returning to the 18th in the playoff, Finau pounded his drive down the middle. Smith pushed his drive so wild to the right that it sailed over the retaining wall that separates Liberty National from the edge of the Hudson River.

At that moment, the playoff was effectively over. For Smith, it was the second straight time a bad drive at the end cost him a chance to win.

The timing was just right for Finau. He moved atop the FedEx Cup standings for the first time with two events left in the chase for the $15 million prize.

It also moved him to No. 6 in the Ryder Cup standings. The top six after the BMW Championship this week automatically qualify. Even if Finau falls out, it would be hard for U.S. captain Steve Stricker to leave him off the 12-man team.

“I told myself, `If you didn’t win, you’re not going to make the team.’ Although I’ve always been high in the rankings, I wanted this validation more for myself to be part of a team like that as a winner this season and playing good golf going into the Ryder Cup,” Finau said.

Finau, who had to save par from the bunker with a 6-foot putt on the 18th in regulation to finish at 20-under 264, only had to two-putt for par in the playoff.

There were other big winners Monday, starting with Keith Mitchell. He was at No. 101 in the FedEx Cup, and only the top 70 advance to the BMW Championship. Mitchell needed a big finish and delivered with three straight birdies for a 69 to tie for eighth at 13-under 271.

Tom Hoge started at No. 108 and tied for fourth to advance. That was his best finish of the year, and it came at just the right time with points counting quadruple.

Also moving on to the BMW Championship later this week were Alex Noren, Erik van Rooyen, Harold Varner III and Harry Higgs. Van Rooyen was in contention on the front nine until he hit two shots in the water on the par-3 11th and made a quadruple-bogey 7.

Canadian Corey Conners walked away from the Northern Trust with a personal victory of his own, scoring his career lowest score of 62 to wrap up the third round. Conners momentarily tied the course record before Cameron Smith set a new record of 60 in the same round.

Conners rocketed up the leaderboard and finished the tournament tied for the 8th spot, after the postponement. Listowel Ont.’s Corey Conners is one to watch at the BMW Championship alongside fellow Canadian, Mackenzie Hughes.

The final round was postponed on Sunday as Hurricane Henri approached, and the edges of what became a tropical storm at landfall dumped more than 6 inches of rain on Liberty National. There was another four-hour delay in the morning and spectators were kept away.

They missed quite a show, and a popular winner. Few others have been so gracious as so many chances to win got away from him.

FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. – The top Canadian men’s amateur golfers over the age of 25 will head to Fort McMurray, Alta., for this year’s Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Fort McMurray Golf Club from Aug. 24 – 27.

The 122-player field includes two retired NHL players, Max Reinhart and Michael Cammalleri. Reinhart, brother of current Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart, played 23 games for the Calgary Flames between 2012 and 2015. He played in the 2019 B.C. Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master Championships at Ledgeview Golf and Country Club in Abbotsford, B.C., where he finished tied for fifth.

Cammalleri spent 17 seasons in the NHL between 2002 and 2018 where he played in 906 games, racking up 294 goals, 642 points and 425 penalty minutes. The 39-year-old most recently was in the field for the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor, Ont.

Charles Fitzsimmons of London, Ont., is the highest ranked amateur in the field at No. 1247 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR). Fitzsimmons finished third at the 2019 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship and has also finished in the top 5 at the previous three national championships.

Other notables in the field that finished in the top ten at the 2019 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship include Mike Aizawa (Richmond, B.C.) at 5^th, David Lang (Toronto) at 6^th, and Ryan Sevigny (Ottawa, Ont.) at 9^th.

Nestled along the banks of the Athabasca river, the Fort McMurray Golf Club is ranked one of the must play golf courses in Alberta by The Edmonton Sun. The 27-hole facility features a variety of shots both over valleys and creek beds along with large greens of varying degrees of undulation.

The Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship is a 72-hole stroke play event, with a 36-hole cut to the low 70 players and ties. In the event of a tie at the end of four rounds, there will be a hole-by-hole playoff immediately following completion of 72-holes. The Mid-Amateur division will run concurrently with the Mid-Master division for players 40 and older. The Mid-Amateur champion will earn an exemption into the 2022 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.

Previous winners of the tournament include Canada’s top-ranked men’s amateur golfer and NHL referee Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont., won the event three years in a row between 2014 and 2016; Graham Cooke who won it seven times between 1987 and 2002; and Stu Hamilton who won it on four separate occasions between 1990 and 1994.

Click here for the full field and tournament information.

NOTABLES

Charles Fitzsimmons (London, Ont.)

Fitzsimmons is currently ranked at No. 1247 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings, and once had a career high ranking of No. 301. He played on Western University’s Men’s Golf Team for 12 seasons between the 2006 and 2018 seasons. In 2019, he won the Ontario Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, and finished third at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship.

Brandon Markiw (Calgary, Alta.)

Brandon Markiw is currently ranked No. 1530 on the WAGR. In early June of this year, Markiw won the Alberta Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship. His best finish at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship came in 2016 when he finished tied for 12th.

Ryan Sevigny (Ottawa, Ont.)

In 2019, Ryan Sevigny finished ninth at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship and finished tied for second at the 2016 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship.

Matt Williams (Calgary, Alta.)

Matt Williams is a former member of the Team Canada Junior Squad (2014). Williams finished tied for eight at the 2017 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, and runner-up at the Alberta Men’s Amateur Championship in 2016.

FAST FACTS

The Championship was first contested in 1987 and was originally known as the RCGA Pre-Seniors Championship before it was renamed to its current name in 1989.

Graham Cooke of Hudson, Que. and Stu Hamilton of Brampton, Ont. captured 11 of the first 20 championships played. Cooke was the inaugural champion in 1987 and has the most event wins with seven.

Three players have won the event three times in a row: Garrett Rank, Dave Bunker and Graham Cooke – no one has won it four straight years.

The format changed from match to stroke play in 2006, with the Mid-Master category introduced for golfers over the age of 40.

In 2019, Team Ontario won the inter-provincial R. Bruce Forbes Trophy for the fifth straight year.

SNOQUALMIE, Wash. (AP) Rod Pampling won the Boeing Classic on Sunday for his first PGA Tour Champions victory when Jim Furyk and Woody Austin failed to get up-and-down for birdie from greenside bunkers on the par-5 18th.

Pampling, playing five groups ahead of Furyk and Austin at Snoqualmie Ridge, shot a 6-under 66 to finish at 12-under 204. The 51-year-old Australian won three times on the PGA Tour, the last in 2017 in Las Vegas, and has two PGA Tour of Australasia wins.

“It’s fantastic,” Pampling said. “You look at all the Hall of Famers are just phenomenal out here. There’s so many and they still play really good golf, which people think they don’t, but I’ll tell you what, they play so good. It’s just not quite as far off the tee anymore, but everything else is still really good. To get a win you’ve got to play good and thankfully I did today.”

Furyk dropped a stroke back with a bogey on the par-3 17th after hitting well short of the green and chipping 8 feet past. He hit left into a greenside bunker on 18, sent his third across the green nearly to the fringe and missed a 20-footer.

“Today on the way in everyone kind of ended up making some bogeys and went the other way,” Furyk said. “It’s just kind of that type of golf course. There’s some holes where there’s just no bail-out, so you fly it at the pin and if you hit a good shot, great. if not, you make bogey. There’s a few of those holes.”

Austin, the second-round leader, took two to get out of a right-side bunker and made a bogey to drop to 10 under.

Stephen Ames shot a 70, finishing the classic inside the top 10 tied for the 7th spot.

Furyk had a 70 to tie for second with Tim Herron (67) and Billy Mayfair (69). Austin’s closing 72 left him tied for fifth with Alex Cejka (66).

Pampling opened eagle-birdie, birdied Nos. 7 and 9, bogeyed the 10th, birdied Nos. 11, 12 and 14 and bogeyed the 16th.

Colin Montgomerie, playing in the final group with Furyk and Austin, shot a 74 to tie for 11th at 7 under. He had a double bogey on 17 after hitting into the water.

Local favorite Fred Couples closed with a 71 to tie for 26th at 4 under.

CARNOUSTIE, Scotland (AP) Anna Nordqvist kept her ball out of trouble to make a routine par at the last and win the Women’s British Open for a third major title.

For playing partner Nanna Koerstz Madsen, her 72nd hole of the tournament could hardly have been more traumatic.

The Scandinavians were tied for the lead on 12-under par as they made their way down the famous No. 18 at Carnoustie on Sunday, with even their tee shots unable to really separate them.

After Nordqvist landed her approach from the middle of the fairway safely on the green and 25 feet from the pin, Koerstz Madsen turned away in disgust as she pushed her shot from the light rough on the left into a horseshoe-shaped greenside bunker on the right.

Facing a plugged ball and a downhill lie at the back of the bunker, Koerstz Madsen shanked a shot that flew sideways and almost out of bounds at the back of the green.

The Danish player’s chip from straggly rough fell short and left of the cup, leaving Nordqvist with two putts for the title. The second was a tap-in from a couple of inches, securing a one-shot victory on what proved to be a shootout in perfect conditions over the storied Scottish links.

“The only thing I could really control was myself,” said Nordqvist, who closed with a 3-under 69. “It was going to be my time.”

Three players Lizette Salas (69), 2018 champion Georgia Hall (67) and Madelene Sagstrom (68) tied for second place, with a double bogey at the last dropping Koerstz Madsen (71) into a tie for fifth with Minjee Lee (66).

Canadian Brooke Henderson began the day in the chasing pack three shots behind the leaders, but she failed to gain any ground. Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., closed with an even-par 72 to finish in 13th place at 6 under. The Canadian bogeyed the ninth, 10th and 12th holes.

By adding the Women’s Open to her victories at the 2009 LPGA Championship and the 2017 Evian Championship, the 34-year-old Swede became just the third European woman after Annika Sorenstam and Laura Davies to have won three or more majors. She received a check of $870,000 from the $5.8 million purse, the largest in women’s golf.

When it was all over, Nordqvist was joined on the 18th green by her husband, Kevin McAlpine, a former Scottish Amateur champion who is from Dundee, a city barely 20 minutes from Carnoustie. On Christmas trips back to Scotland, the couple play the storied links course that can often bring players to their knees but was defenseless Sunday because of little wind and almost balmy temperatures.

A third round of 65 the lowest round of the week set up Nordqvist’s first win in four years, since the Evian Championship. But the title was up for grabs midway through the final round when, at one stage, there were six players in a share of the lead on 9 under, including the overnight leaders in the final group.

In the end, what transpired on the 18th hole over a stretch of couple of hours decided the championship. First, Lee, who started five shots back but briefly moved into outright first place, made bogey to drop to 10 under overall after nearly going into the Barry Burn that runs in front of the green.

Sagstrom, playing in the third-to-last group, also bogeyed the last to fall out of a three-way share of the lead.

Salas missed a 15-foot birdie putt in the next-to-last group and couldn’t get to 12 under, leaving Nordqvist and Koerstz Madsen to duel it out.

While Nordqvist played the 72nd hole perfectly, Koerstz Madsen lost her nerve as she sought to become the first Dane male or female to win a major.

“On 18, I tried to not make a mistake,” she said, “and that was the only thing I shouldn’t do.”

It was the first year since 2010 that a South Korean failed to win a major.

The last 13 LPGA majors have been won by 13 different players.