Final Day Sunday at The 2024 PGA Champs
Posted on May 20, 2024
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Sunday was a warm, vibrant affair. There were birdies and eagles galore - the feeding frenzy was chaotic.
There was plenty of jostling at the top of the leaderboard and it needed a superb 65 to bring home a wire-to-wire win for X who needed all 18 holes to pull off his maiden victory.
The 18th was drama laden with X stuck just off a fairway bunker with the ball above hist feet and water to carry, needing to make a birdie to win, very clutch! He got his paws onto the Wanamaker when his putt did 270 degree spin on the hole before dropping in.
The Bulk made a deep charge with a bogey free 64 and a closing birdie that he willed home. He was on fire all day, including a birdie with his texas wedge to the right side of the 6th hole which the crowd loved, much like his antics.
He briefly tied the lead with a birdie on 16 after cannoning off a tree into the fairway, before stiffing his approach to 3 feet. There is never a quiet moment when following this man.
Collin started the day as the nearest challenger but could not make a birdie until the 18th. Like Augusta, a truly disappointing Sunday from a 2 major winner.
The biggest other charge came from The Hov who was brilliant yet will also bemoan some putting luck with several missed opportunities, such was the strength of his ball-striking.
A superb win for X who was leading the best-golfer-to-never-win-a-major category, a mantle he now leaves with Tickie & The Phenom. This win was so much more than a 1st win, but rather a confirmation of stellar play over 5 years, plus becoming the 1st 62 man to go on and win.
It won’t be last on anyone, that the PGA Tour styled course produced a 1st time winner, a record score and a win for someone who might have been considered not good enough for a really tough setup. Valhalla struggled to provide a major test unless the PGA goal is outright birdie fests, although the blame can partly lie at the rain’s door.
Round of the Day
There were 3 rounds of 64, but none better than The Bulk who was in the mix hunting his first Wanamaker. Some incredible ballstriking all day and definitely a sign of a serious return to form.
Shot of the Day
Who can beat an Eagle 2? Thats right no one. A lone yellow dot!
Some others tried to drive the par 4 13th, many got wet, but not Tosti who knocked it to within 10 feet and made the putt.
Performance of the Day
Scottie got dialled back in after a miserable Saturday, sneaking into a back door top 10, with his 65.
There were plenty of other low numbers on the course, a score in the 60s being more common than the 70s.
The Leaders
The Chasers
The top 15s managed to lock their tickets into next year’s PGA Champs which for Hodges, Burmie, Moore & Bobby Mac is gold, whilst the others already have exemptions via various categories.
For a full view of the scores head to PGA Champs leaderboard and majorpunter leaderboard.
majorpunter Leaderboard:
| Rank | Team | Punter | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Wet Balls | Rhett Lambert | -65 |
| T1 | MZeezy | Matt Zarzour | -65 |
| T3 | 9th Green at 9 | Christopher Pfeiffer | -62 |
| T3 | Punch Cut Trap Draw | Bruce Wylie | -62 |
| T3 | Hot Shots | Graeme Cook | -62 |
| T6 | You Call G | George McGregor | -61 |
| T6 | Jimmy’s Cnuts | Jimmy Hoft | -61 |
| 8 | Rob Dog 6 | Robbie East | -59 |
| T9 | One & Dunne | Mike Adams | -57 |
| T9 | noryobi444 | Jay Smith | -57 |
Final Day Sunday was filled with excitement, but mainly birdies and eagles.
Wet Balls & MZeezy fought hard down the stretch, who ended tied, 3 shots ahead of a chasing pack.
The punters battled it out all for the podium and eventually it ended with Hot Shots, 9th Green at 9 & Punch Cut Trap Draw taking home 3rd place together.
It was an exciting weekend at Valhalla, a scoring frenzy, and ultimately a worthy winner came to the fore.
majorpunter Bottomboard:
| Rank | Team | Punter | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| T65 | Dungeons | Duncan MacLarty | -33 |
| T65 | RLW-2 | Luke West | -33 |
| T67 | WRP2 | William Phillips | -32 |
| T67 | RLW-1 | Luke West | -32 |
| 69 | Mashed Potatoes | Marcelo Washington | -31 |
| T70 | Valhalla Veterans | Greg Dane | -30 |
| T70 | Happy Gilmore | Jeremy Jones | -30 |
| 72 | Eagle Express | Kate Rodrigues | -23 |
| 73 | Henri’s Heroes | Ian Norden | -7 |
| 74 | PokeyAU2 | Preston Barnes | +20 |
1 single big number pegged up the bottomboard.
PokeyAU2 took the honours for the bottom by 27 shots over Henri’s Heroes who was under par for the week, though 58 shots off the lead.
We are looking forward to the next major, the US Open at Pinehurst where Lefty will be chasing an improbable Grand Slam.
Windie will be defending and the last major winner at famed Pinehurst was a runaway with victory for Kaymer in 2014, which seems a lifetime ago.
For more news and information head over to majorpunter.