To paraphrase the wise words of a certain orange tabby, at least Mondays happen only once a week. This Monday has PGA Tour action, as the Mayakoba Golf Classic did not determine a winner on Sunday. The Nedbank Golf Challenge, in contrast, managed to wrap up in time, crowning the ever-likable Tommy Fleetwood as champion.

Mayakoba itches

Turns out missing a whole day of golf presents a problem when there are 140+ players in the field. Thursday’s washout has pushed the end of the Mayakoba Golf Classic into Monday morning. Most players were able to finish on Sunday, but the final six tee times are back on the course this morning. As things currently stand, Vaughn Taylor and Brendon Todd are tied at the top with Carlos Ortiz and Harris English one behind. Leaderboard

After missing 37 of 40 cuts between 2018 and 2019, Brendon Todd was at the lowest point of his career. A win at the Bermuda Championship this fall helped bring him back from the lower rungs of the priority rankings, and now he’s looking to win a second time in two starts. For his part, Vaughn Taylor had one of the more consistent years of his career in 2019, but he’s off to a slow start this fall. Assuming catastrophe doesn’t befall him on Monday, Taylor will notch his first top 10 since June. His last win came at the 2016 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Leaderboard notes

  • One shot back of the leaders at the Mayakoba Golf Classic is the pair of Harris English and Carlos Ortiz. Ortiz has just one hole left to play while English has four. While a longshot, Ortiz is looking to get his first PGA Tour victory in his home country.
  • A staple on the PGA Tour for the better part of the past decade, Harris English failed to keep his card last season. He earned his status back through Korn Ferry Tour Finals, but a win, or even a high finish, would really put him back on track.
  • Adam Long, Joel Dahmen, Abraham Ancer, Pat Perez, Robby Shelton, and Billy Horschel all currently find themselves in the top 10. Shelton, a 2019 Korn Ferry Tour stalwart and now a PGA Tour rookie, has already made his mark in the Big Show. He has rounds of 66-66-72 so far and is three holes away from capping off his second top 10 of the fall.
  • Defending champion Matt Kuchar shot a final-round 62 to jump up into a tie for 14th place. Kuch made seven birdies and a hole-in-one on his final loop. *Insert joke about Kuch being cheap and not paying for drinks*
  • Brian Gay also made a hole-in-one, but it’s not as easy to make hacky jokes about that, so.

Tommy lad

It took a Herculean effort on Sunday, but Tommy Fleetwood emerged victorious at the Nedbank Golf Challenge this weekend. Fleetwood made three eagles and four birdies in his final round before defeating Marcus Kinhult in a playoff. It has been 22 months since Tommy lad last won an event, a surprising fact given how consistent he has been over the past two seasons. Granted, he did have 17 top 10s and a historically great Ryder Cup in between victories. The Nedbank win moves him to No. 2 in the Race to Dubai and No. 10 in the Official World Golf Rankings. Leaderboard

Other notable finishes included Race to Dubai leader Bernd Wiesberger (T-3), Thomas Detry (T-3), Louis Oosthuizen (T-6), Lee Westwood (T-6), and Chicago’s own Matthew Fitzpatrick (T-10). Go ’Cats!

Quick Hooks

Turns out not all golfers play fast and loose with the rules. While signing golf balls for fans at Mayakoba, Russell Henley noticed he had violated the one-ball rule during the second round. The mistake resulted in eight penalty strokes and caused Henley to miss the cut. Oof. Full Story from Golf Channel

Joachim Hansen had a shank to remember (in a good way) at the Nedbank Challenge. Video

The Latest

Just the Yolk: Should Bunkers Be Intensively Maintained? – Many golfers don’t know that some courses spend at least as much per square foot maintaining bunkers as they do maintaining greens. In this new Just the Yolk, Garrett argues that if golfers relaxed their expectations about bunker conditions, the game could be both more fun and more financially sustainable.

Shotgun Start: Monday #ToddWatch, Fleetwood as the British Rickie, and idiocy of the one-ball rule

This Monday morning episode is full of anticipation about the possibilities of Brendon Todd going back-to-back on the PGA Tour. Brendan and Andy discuss the Mayakoba leaderboard with a few holes left to go. They also discuss Vaughn Taylor’s sweaty hat, why Mich Ultra would choose him to sponsor, the alcohol content of Mich Ultra, Zach Johnson playing ahead, Matt Kuchar’s bar tab for making an ace, and Brian Gay’s new car for doing the same. Andy is also extremely disappointed in the fan turnout, which prompts a conspiracy theory about crisis actors being shipped in and a Potemkin Village constructed for the Golf Channel cameras. Over on the European Tour, they discuss Tommy Fleetwood’s win at the Nedbank and the many close calls he’s had without a win over the last two years. Is he the British Rickie? The Assistant Pro National Championship also gets a shout-out before a segment on some of the luckiest breaks from this weekend. News wraps with Russell Henley self-reporting his violation of the one-ball rule and some ranting on the merits of the rule. Listen on iTunes, Stitcher, and Spotify.

Pro Shop

Correct us if we’re wrong, but we believe this is the first Monday newsletter we have started with a reference to Garfield. Speaking of new things, the Fried Egg beanies are officially stocked on our site! The fleece-lined hats are incredibly comfortable and would make great holiday gifts. Get yours today