Pádraig Harrington returns to a happy hunting ground for this week’s Simmons Bank tournament at Pleasant Valley in Little Rock, Arkansas, where the 54-year-old Dubliner will be seeking to win for the third successive year in an event that is the second of three in the Champions Tour’s playoffs.
Harrington won the tournament in 2023 and 2024 and will again go hunting for the title in a tournament confined to the leading 54 players on the Charles Schwab Cup points standings, which is headed by Spain’s Miguel Ángel Jiménez.
Currently sixth in those standings, Harrington has juggled playing the Champions Tour with outings on both the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. This will be his 27th competition of the year: he has played 14 times on the Champions Tour and 12 on the PGA/DPWT schedules.
So far this season, Harrington has won twice on the Champions Tour – both of them majors, the US Senior Open and the ISPS Handa Seniors Open – and has six top-10s.
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Darren Clarke, a past winner in 2020, is also playing in Little Rock and, currently 13th in the order of merit, will also advance to the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship on November 13th-16th, which is confined to the leading 36 players in the standings.
Clarke has one win so far this season, which came in the American Family Insurance Championship, where he teamed-up with Thomas Bjorn.
Top amateurs headed for Slieve Russell
The PGA National Slieve Russell has been confirmed as the host venue for next year’s European Ladies’ Amateur Team Championship following a detailed bidding proposal to the European Golf Association.
One of only eight PGA National-designated resorts in the world, Slieve Russell will stage the championship on July 7th-11th, 2026, with 20 teams competing.
Golf Ireland high-performance director Neil Manchip welcomed the announcement: “Slieve Russell has played a big part in the story of Irish golf, producing some of our top amateur players like Leona and Lisa Maguire. Our current panel of players are continuing that tradition, and having the opportunity to compete at home next summer will be a real boost as they measure themselves against Europe’s best.”
By the Numbers: 27
Sei Young Kim’s win in the BMW Ladies Championship in Haenam, South Korea created a record 27th different winner in a season on the LPGA Tour. Kim’s 13th career win and first since 2020 was achieved in some style, as she finished four strokes clear of runner-up Nasa Hataoka. Of the record number of winners in one season, Kim remarked: “I think it shows how strong the LPGA Tour is at the moment.”
Word of Mouth
“I came in with the goal of committing to every shot, really focusing on the process, not getting caught up in the leaderboard and the scores, and honestly, I had not looked at a leaderboard until we were on the 18th green. Did that well, and I think it paid off” – Kim Kaufman, after safely negotiating the LPGA Tour second stage qualifying at the Plantation resort in Florida to advance to the Q-Series Final. The American was diagnosed with breast cancer last October, underwent a lumpectomy last November, had chemotherapy earlier this year and completed her treatments in June.
On this day: October 21st, 2001
Paul Lawrie found joy from the Valley of Sin on the hallowed turf of the Old Course at St Andrews, as the Scot – winning for the first time since his Claret Jug success of 1999 – spectacularly sank a long birdie putt on the finishing hole to usurp Ernie Els.
“I was trying to give myself a chance of a playoff at the last and making sure not to three putt. It’s been a tough year for me but it’s good now. It doesn’t get much better than to win at the Home of Golf,” remarked Lawrie, who closed the inaugural Dunhill Links Championship with a final round 71 for a total of 14-under-par 274, one clear of Els.
Lawrie had shared the 54-holes lead with Paul McGinley (who slumped to finish tied-ninth after a final-round 74) and was tied with Els playing the 18th, where his approach shot spun back into the notorious hollow. But, akin to Costantino Rocca’s famous hole-out in the 1995 Open, Lawrie’s birdie putt from off the green found the tin cup, which gave him victory and a pay-day worth €551,040.
Social Swing
Incredible week here in India, great people, great hospitality and some good golf too. Congrats to Tommy on another win – Shane Lowry on his third place finish in the DP World India Championship, which was won by Tommy Fleetwood.
Practice is overrated – Michael Kim responding to a post by the DP World Tour highlighting how the American’s travel issues delayed his arrival into India until the night before the tournament. Kim’s lack of a practice round didn’t impact too much as he finished tied-ninth in the tournament.
Would you expect anything less from the ultimate gear head? @TommyFleetwood1 had an R7 Quad Mini, a 9-wood and a unique wedge set up in his winning bag this week #TeamTaylorMade – the official Taylor Made Golf social media on Fleetwood’s club selection for his win in India (see What’s in the Bag).
What’s In the Bag
Tommy Fleetwood – DP World India Championship
Mini Driver: TaylorMade R7 Quad Mini (13.5˚)
5-wood: TaylorMade Qi35 bonded (18˚)
9-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (24 ˚ ˚)
Irons: TaylorMade P7TW (4-PW)
Wedges: TaylorMade Hi-Toe 4 (52 ˚), TaylorMade MG Proto (56˚ and 60 ˚)
Putter: Spider Tour Black
Ball: TaylorMade TP5x Pix
Know the Rules
Q In a match, player B has completed the hole in five strokes. Player A, who has a putt for a five, asks B what their score was for the hole. B mistakenly states that they holed out in four strokes. Player A picks up their ball without marking its position. Player B then corrects their mistake. What is the ruling?
A Player B loses the hole for telling the opponent the wrong number of strokes and not correcting it before the ball was lifted. This is covered by rule 3.2d(1): As player B gave the wrong number of strokes and did not correct the mistake before player A picked up their ball, player B loses the hole.
