This Week in Golf -- September 11-14

Published February 05, 2015

Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - PGA TOUR - TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP, East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, Georgia - The PGA Tour wraps up the FedExCup playoffs and the 2013-14 season with the Tour Championship this week at East Lake.

Henrik Stenson, who had won the Deutsche Bank Championship earlier in last year's FedExCup playoffs, cruised to a 3-stroke win at East Lake last year. That was the beginning of a lucrative fall for Stenson.

Stenson was one of three players to post four rounds in the 60s in 2013. He opened 64-66 and cruised to a 3-stroke win over Steve Stricker and Jordan Spieth.

The Swede claimed the big first-place paycheck and the $10 million bonus for winning the FedExCup. He did the same at the European Tour's Race to Dubai, winning the season-ending event and the bonus for winning the Race.

However, for the fifth time in six years, the reigning FedExCup champion failed to make it back to East Lake the following year. Stenson finished 52nd on the points list after the BMW Championship, and he'll now have two weeks off to rest for the Ryder Cup, instead of one week.

Of the seven past FedExCup champions, only Bill Haas and Jim Furyk are in the field this week. Also in the field is Hunter Mahan, who is the only player to compete in every FedExCup playoff event since the playoffs started eight years ago.

There will be just 29 players at East Lake this week instead of 30. Despite being out of action for several weeks now, Dustin Johnson ended 30th on the points list. He is on an extended leave from the tour and will not compete.

Golf Channel will cover Thursday and Friday's action along with early action of Saturday and Sunday's rounds. Golf Channel will hand off to NBC for the remainder of Saturday and Sunday's action.

After a week off, twelve Americans will head to Gleneagles to represent the United States at the Ryder Cup. Following another week off, the 2014-15 PGA Tour season will kick off on October 9 with the Frys.com Open.

LPGA TOUR

EVIAN CHAMPIONSHIP, Evian Masters Golf Club, Evian-les-Bains, France - The final major championship of the season is this week as the LPGA Tour heads to France for the Evian Championship.

Organizers are hoping for better weather than they had last year. Thursday's play was completely washed out by rain and the championship was reduced to 54 holes. The tour staff took the unprecedented move of covering the greens before Sunday's final round to protect them from more rain that fell overnight.

Once players hit the course, it was a tight battle throughout. Suzann Pettersen opened with a 66 and was one shot off the lead and she followed that with a 2-under 69. Pettersen and Lydia Ko entered the final round one stroke behind Mika Miyazato.

However, Miyazato struggled to an 8-over 79 to fall into a tie for 19th. Pettersen and Ko battled through the final round with Pettersen coming out on top by two strokes over Ko, who was still an amateur.

The victory was Pettersen's second major championship title and her 13th win on tour. She added another victory in Taiwan last year. Despite being injured for a time this year, Pettersen has tallied nine top-10 finishes, two of which came in major championships.

Pettersen finished runner-up at the Women's British Open, where she, Shanshan Feng and Inbee Park were among those that struggled in the windy conditions in the final round.

Three of the first four majors winners of the season -- Lexi Thompson (Kraft Nabisco Championship), Michelle Wie (U.S. Women's Open) and Park (LPGA Championship) -- are in the field, while Women's British Open champ Mo Martin is missing the event. Wie will be making her first start since a finger injury knocked her out of competition at the Meijer LPGA Classic in early August.

Golf Channel will have coverage of all four rounds. For Sunday's final round, the last hour and a half of coverage will shift to NBC.

The LPGA Tour will be in Alabama next week for the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic, which was last played in 2012. Stacy Lewis fended off 2011 winner Lexi Thompson to win the title that year.

EUROPEAN TOUR

KLM OPEN, Kennemer Golf & Country Club, Zandvoort, The Netherlands - Local favorite Joost Luiten was a playoff winner last year at the KLM Open, and he returns to defend his title this week.

Luiten carded four rounds in the 60s to post 12-under 268. Miguel Angel Jimenez beat Luiten by one in the final round, Jimenez's 67 to Luiten's 68, to force a playoff.

On the first extra hole, Luiten made par to defeat Jimenez and win for the third time on the European Tour. Luiten hasn't won since, but he collected his fifth top-10 finish two weeks ago at the Italian Open.

After narrowly missing his first Ryder Cup team, the Dutchman is back this week to defend his title. His countryman, Robert-Jan Derksen will be playing his 20th KLM Open, and likely his last, as he announced earlier this year that this will be his final season on tour.

Among the big names in the field at Kennemer Golf & Country Club will be Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington, Robert Karlsson and Matteo Manassero.

Golf Channel will have coverage of all four rounds.

The European Tour heads to Celtic Manor next week for the ISPS Handa Wales Open. Gregory Bourdy closed with a 4-under 67 to rally past Peter Uihlein to win that title by two strokes last year.

WEB.COM TOUR

NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL CHAMPIONSHIP, Ohio State University Golf Club, Columbus, Ohio - The Web.com Tour is in Ohio this week for the third event of the finals series, the Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship.

Seung-yul-Noh rolled to a 5-shot win last year thanks to three rounds in the 60s, and he was the only player with more than two rounds in the 60s for the week. He was able to keep his PGA Tour card with the victory.

Noh had just three top-10 finishes last year, and they all came in his last five starts. He also had three this season, but one was a victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Thanks to his win in New Orleans, Noh won't be back to defend his title this week.

Bud Cauley won the Hotel Fitness Championship and Adam Hadwin claimed the Chiquita Classic in the first two finals events. Hadwin is playing again this week, but Cauley is not.

A busy Golf Channel will have coverage of all four days of this event.

The last finals series event is next week with the Web.com Tour Championship. Chesson Hadley, who won the PGA Tour's Puerto Rico Open this year, won that event in 2013.

PGA TOUR CANADA

TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP OF CANADA, Sunningdale Golf & Country Club, London, Ontario - The final event of the season for the PGA Tour Canada is this week with the Tour Championship of Canada.

Max Gilbert closed with back-to-back rounds of 66 last year as he rallied to win this title. The win was Gilbert's first on the PGA Tour Canada.

He has made just four cuts in 11 starts this season with a tie for fifth at The Wildfire Invitational being his best finish. Gilbert did not qualify for the Tour Championship this year, so he is not in the field.

After the Tour Championship, the top-5 players on the Order of Merit will earn status on the Web.com Tour for next season.

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