The Monday Mulligan: the week that was in golf …
- themondaymulligan
- Aug 26, 2025
- 7 min read
Fleetwood … Finally – Everyone loved that!!! Another huge week in golf as plenty of Tours finished up and things are getting spicy ahead of Ryder Cup team selection over the next week. Read on for the recap of 'the week that was' in golf.
In a heart‑stopping breakthrough, Tommy Fleetwood captured his first PGA Tour victory at the 2025 Tour Championship, his 164th start, by finishing at 18-under, three strokes clear of Patrick Cantlay and Russell Henley. The triumph also secured the FedEx Cup and a $10 million winner’s prize. Fleetwood, long admired for his consistency yet plagued by near‑misses, including six runner‑up finishes and dozens of top‑10s, finally shattered his elusive U.S. drought. He displayed calm and character throughout the week, notably closing with a composed final‑round-68 at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. The emotional magnitude of the win was evident, Fleetwood shared a touching embrace with his caddie Ian Finnis, and moments with his stepson added depth to the victory's resonance. Support poured in from across golf and beyond: Tiger Woods, LeBron James, and Justin Rose offered praise, while Ryder Cup teammates and peers celebrated this long-awaited moment. The Tour Championship also made history, as the first golfer in the FedEx Cup era to record his maiden PGA Tour title at the season‑ending event. With the Ryder Cup just weeks away, Fleetwood’s breakthrough comes at a perfect moment, cementing his status not just as a champion, but as an inspiring figure in modern golf.
Tommy Fleetwood breaks through for his maiden PGA Tour title with the FedEx Cup
(photo courtesy of: www.europeantour.com)
Sweden’s Alex Noren claimed his first win in seven years by capturing the 2025 Betfred British Masters at The Belfry, finishing at 16‑under after a composed final‑round-67, edging out Nicolai Højgaard and Kazuma Kobori, who both ended at 15‑under. This marked Noren’s 11th DP World Tour title and his second British Masters victory, making him the first to win it twice since Ian Woosnam in 1994. Earlier in the weekend, Matt Fitzpatrick, a former champion, led going into the final round after a standout third-round 68 featuring a chip-in eagle. Meanwhile, rising star Ben Schmidt, ranked world No. 326, made headlines with a spectacular hole-in-one on the par‑3 14th, triggering a £50,000 prize that was instead donated to Guide Dogs. On the Ryder Cup front, Rasmus Højgaard secured the final automatic European spot by finishing tied 13th, overtaking Shane Lowry in the standings; Nicolai Højgaard’s runner-up finish also bolstered his case for a captain’s pick.
Best of the Aussies was Jason Scrivener who has been stringing together some solid weeks on the tour, this week finishing in T24.
Alex Noren wins the Betfred British Masters
(photo courtesy of: www.europeantour.com)
LIV Golf wrapped its season in Michigan with dramatic team action at The Cardinal at St. John's. Legion XIII, captained by Jon Rahm, emerged victorious in a tense team final, defeating Crushers GC, led by Bryson DeChambeau, in a playoff after both teams tied at 20‑under through stroke play. The semifinals saw close match-play battles: Rahm edged out Phil Mickelson 3&1, and the dynamic duo Tom McKibbin and Caleb Surratt secured another 3&1 foursomes win to send Legion XIII through. Simultaneously, Crushers GC and Stinger GC also advanced to the final bracket. In the final, DeChambeau’s Crushers took an early lead, but Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton rallied to tie by the 18th. In the playoff, paired against DeChambeau and Paul Casey, Rahm and Hatton delivered under pressure, dominating the second extra hole as DeChambeau faltered on his approach, clinching the team champion title. Earlier in the week, media attention also swirled over DeChambeau’s decision to avoid a high-profile singles match against Brooks Koepka, raising eyebrows among fans and Koepka himself.
Ripper GC unfortunately could do no better than 9th for the season and will be hoping to regroup over the break and come back strong in 2026.
Legion XIII secure the team title for the season at LIV Golf Michigan
(photo courtesy of: www.livgolf.com)
Canadian star Brooke Henderson captured the title in front of a home crowd, finishing at 15-under after rounds of 71‑66‑65‑67 for a total of 269, edging out Aussie Minjee Lee, who finished at 14-under. This marked Henderson’s first LPGA Tour victory in two years, earning $412,500 from the $2.75 million purse; whilst Lee collected $252,744 for her runner-up performance. Over the third round, Henderson surged ahead with a dazzling 6‑under 65, including a memorable eagle from a bunker on the 17th, which propelled her into a shared lead with Lee at 11-under heading into the final round. Japanese rookie Akie Iwai, fresh off her first LPGA win the prior week in Portland, had opened strongly earlier in the week with a commanding 7‑under 64 and led for two rounds before fading to finish tied for third at 10-under alongside Mao Saigo.
Brooke Henderson wins on home soil at the CPKC Women’s Open
(photo courtesy of: www.lpga.com)
The inaugural Hills Open, part of the Ladies European Tour, unfolded at the scenic Hills Golf & Sports Club just south of Gothenburg, offering a €300,000 purse and drawing a field of top global female professionals. After three days of stroke‑play competition, Swedish amateur Meja Örtengren captured her first LET title on home soil, carding a winning total of 6-under (207), two strokes ahead of Leonie Harm. Early leaderboard action saw Örtengren sharing the lead after two rounds with Harm, setting up a thrilling finale that she ultimately dominated. This victory marks a standout moment in Örtengren’s amateur career, clinching a significant milestone at a major European tournament in front of local supporters.
Best of the Aussies was Maddy Hinson-Tolchard who finished T11.
Swedish amateur Meja Örtengren wins the inaugural Hill’s Open on home soil
(photo courtesy of: www.ladieseuropeantour.com)
Epson Tour rookie Yana Wilson celebrated her 19th birthday in style by claiming victory at the Dream First Bank Charity Classic at Buffalo Dunes Golf Club. She finished with a three-round total of 205 (11-under), capturing the title by a two‑stroke margin over Trichat Cheenglab and Daniela Iacobelli and taking home $30,000 in prize money. Wilson's breakthrough marks her second win of the season and solidifies her early dominance in the Race for the Card standings. The tournament, known for its strong developmental role in women's golf, offered a $200,000 purse and has been a staple on the EPSON Tour since 2014. Garden City’s Buffalo Dunes course once again provided a challenging yet fair test of golf for the aspiring LPGA stars. Wilson’s win represents a significant milestone in her rookie campaign, offering momentum as she progresses toward securing full LPGA Tour status.
Best of the Aussies was Soo Jin Lee who finished in T14 with a score of 5-under.
Yana Wilson wins the Dream First Bank Charity Classic, her second EPSON Tour victory
(photo courtesy of: www.epsontour.com)
Up Ahead
The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia is off to the Northern Territory to resume proceedings this week. Players will tee it up at the Palmerston Golf Course for the NT PGA Championship which carries a $AUD 200,000 purse. Daniel Gale was our last winner back in 2023 when this event was last on the schedule. Plenty in the field will be hoping for a strong performance in order to make the most of the early-season re-rank to get them into some of the bigger events later in the year.
The LPGA Tour will compete in the FM Championship this week at TPC Boston. The event carries a purse of $USD 4.1 million along with 500 points in the Race to CME Globe and Haeran Ryu is our defending champion.
The DP World Tour continues the ‘Back 9’ this week at the Omega European Masters in Switzerland. This event has a prize of $USD 3.25 million as well as 5,000 points in the Race to Dubai.
The Asian Tour is back after an extended break and will resume business at the Mandiri Indonesian Open which is being played at the Pondok Indah Golf Course. There are plenty of Aussies in the field who will be hustling to get the win and a solid share of the $USD 500,000 prize money on offer.
The LET Access Tour is in Ireland this week for the Women’s Irish Challenge which is being hosted by the Malahide Golf Club. As the end of the season is rapidly approaching, points are becoming critical as players will compete for the €45,000 purse.
The deadline for naming Ryder Cup teams is fast approaching with rumours already swirling around regarding who has and has not received phone calls. It may be one of the more unpredictable set of Captains selections we have seen in a while with mixed form across those who haven’t made the automatic positions. It’ll be one to watch as the teams are announced in the coming days.
Having finished the season, the PGA Tour will take a couple of weeks off before starting afresh at the Procore Championship in Napa. The Ladies European Tour also has a week off before they resume business in the U.S for the Houston Championship whilst the EPSON Tour is also taking a couple of weekends off before a final push to the end of the season and the Race for the Card. With the Liv Golf League season also being over, we will keep tabs on the off season and add intermittent updates as they appear. This will be of particular interest with how teams treat the drop zone and how seriously they choose to take the rules around relegation.
That’s it for this week, I hope it covered what you were after and if not, feel free to get in touch and offer some suggestions so we can improve the blog here at The Monday Mulligan. We are stoked to be back and capturing the highs and lows across the world of golf.
That’s it for now, stay safe and play well!
Play well,
TMM
References / Links:
Comments