The Monday Mulligan: the week that was in golf …
- themondaymulligan
- Oct 6
- 7 min read
Things you love to see - an Aussie back in the winner’s circle! Wade Ormsby held his nerve with a clutch putt on the 72nd hole to get into a playoff which he ultimately one, securing his first victory in two years. Elsewhere around the world of golf we had some wild weather over in Scotland for the Dunhill as well as rookie winners and great finishes.
The Jakarta International Championship (JAKIC) 2025, staged at the Damai Indah Golf PIK Course in North Jakarta, marked the debut of this International Series event on the Asian Tour, boasting a US$2 million purse. From early rounds, Pavit Tangkamolprasert lit up the leaderboard with back‑to‑back low rounds (64, 65) and 13 birdies in 36 holes to take the halfway lead. However, the leaderboard remained tightly packed, with Scott Vincent firing a bogey‑free 62 in round 3 to join the lead alongside Wade Ormsby and Gaganjeet Bhullar at 11-under. Drama unfolded when Ormsby was assessed a one‑shot penalty in round 3 after officials ruled his ball had moved as he addressed it, a decision that wiped out his sole lead and placed him in a three‑way tie at 11-under going into the final round. On Sunday, both Ormsby and Vincent shot 1-under (69) to finish at 12-under and forced a sudden‑death playoff. Ormsby secured victory on the first extra hole after Vincent’s second shot found the water beside the green, while Ormsby safely parred the 18th. This win marks Ormsby’s fifth Asian Tour title and his second International Series victory. It also gives him a strong boost in the season’s Order of Merit and the International Series Rankings, with potential implications for a LIV Golf League card. From the host nation, three Indonesians made the cut: Kevin Akbar was the best finisher (6-under, T29), while Jonathan Wijono (T66) and Gabriel Hansel Hari also completed the event. Overall, the inaugural Jakarta International Championship delivered high drama, strong fields, and a fitting finish befitting its status as one of the season’s marquee events.
Australian Wade Ormsby breaks a two-year drought to win again on the Asian Tour
(photo courtesy of: https://golf.com.au/)
The 2025 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, held across the historic courses of St Andrews, Carnoustie, and Kingsbarns, was dramatically altered by Storm Amy, forcing the event to be reduced to 54 holes. Saturday’s third round was abandoned due to sustained winds reaching 60 mph, and play was restarted on Sunday with a two‑tee start format across all three venues. At that point, Robert MacIntyre of Scotland and Richard Sterne of South Africa were tied at 12-under, with Louis Oosthuizen just one shot behind. In the final round on Sunday, MacIntyre birdied key holes and held firm under shifting conditions to pull away, ultimately securing victory. The home favourite’s win was celebrated by fans, earning him a prestigious title on Scottish soil. MacIntyre posted back‑to‑back rounds of 66 earlier in the event to vault into contention. Amid the weather disruptions, several notable storylines emerged: Nathan Kimsey equaled the DP World Tour record for nine consecutive birdies at the Old Course, though he ultimately trailed the leaders. Also in the spotlight was tennis legend Andy Murray, participating in the pro‑am and evoking laughter with a bunker blunder, reminding fans that even celebrities can struggle on links golf. Overall, despite the inclement weather and format changes, the 2025 Dunhill Links delivered drama, resilience, and a home champion in MacIntyre, memorable for both the golf and the chaos.
Best of the Aussies was Matt Jones who finished on 7-under at T40, a sign that his form is still holding true during the Liv Golf League off-season.
Robert MacIntyre wins The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
(photo courtesy of: www.bunkered.co.uk)
The 2025 Sanderson Farms Championship delivered drama, records, and breakthrough glory. After two solid rounds, Garrick Higgo held a one‑shot lead heading into the weekend with a 13‑under 131, thanks in part to a 6‑under 66 on Friday. By Saturday, Higgo extended his margin to two strokes, firing a 67, with Steven Fisk and Danny Walker lurking just behind. In Sunday’s final round, Fisk turned in his best showing, posting an 8‑under 64 that featured nine birdies and one bogey en route to a 24‑under total (264), a new scoring mark at the Jackson layout. He birdied the last three holes, seizing the lead on 17 and sealing the win with another clutch birdie on 18 to finish two strokes clear of Higgo. Fisk’s win is his first PGA Tour title and comes in his rookie season. Meanwhile, Vince Whaley made headlines off the course, saving par in the final round despite encountering an alligator in ankle‑deep water while retrieving his ball, he carded a 5-under 67 and tied for third. Other memorable moments included two holes‑in‑one on the par‑3 4th hole (hit by Niklas Norgaard and Matt Kuchar) and a bizarre 104‑yard topped drive by Stephan Jaeger. With the fall series underway, Fisk’s win gives him momentum and security as many players fight to preserve their Tour status.
With very few Aussies in the field, the best we could manage was Min Woo Lee at 1-under, however he unfortunately did not make the weekend.
Steven Fisk breaks through with a maiden PGA Tour victory in his rookie season
(photo courtesy of: www.wlbt.com)
The 2025 LOTTE Championship was played at the Hoakalei Country Club and, with a $3 million purse on offer, attracted a strong field of competitors. From the outset, Akie Iwai surged into the lead after a stellar opening round of 64, and at various points held sway atop the leaderboard. Youmin Hwang, Hyo Joo Kim, Minami Katsu, Megan Khang, Brooke Matthews, Pornanong Phatlum and Jessica Porvasnik were in hot pursuit heading into the weekend. In the final round, Youmin Hwang delivered one of the week’s best performances, a 5‑under 67, which included a barrage of birdies, four in her final six holes, to surge past the competition and capture her first LPGA Tour title at 17-under. Her closest chaser was Hyo Joo Kim, who finished a single stroke back. Meanwhile, Akie Iwai, who led after 54 holes, faltered with a 1‑under 71 in the final round to slip down the standings. Hwang’s victory also continues the remarkable parity of the 2025 LPGA season, she becomes the 26th different winner in 26 events, a streak underscoring just how competitive the tour has become this year. Despite shifting winds and dramatic swings, the LOTTE Championship delivered an emotional breakthrough and reinforced the depth of talent across the LPGA.
Best of the Aussies was Gabi Ruffels who finished in T28 on 7-under, one shot better than her compatriot Robyn Choi.
Youmin Hwang becomes the 26th winner on the LPGA Tour this season
(photo courtesy of: www.lpga.com)
The season‑ending Epson Tour Championship took place at Indian Wells Golf Resort’s Celebrity Course in California, capping off the 2025 “Road to the LPGA.” Over four rounds, Anne Chen and Sophia Schubert battled fiercely, finishing tied at 22-under. The title was decided in a dramatic five‑hole playoff, where Chen ultimately prevailed to claim the championship. Chen’s win not only secured the trophy but also delivered major implications in the Race for the Card, with LPGA Tour status at stake for the top finishers on the Epson Tour. In regulation play, Chen and Schubert had matched stroke for stroke throughout the final rounds, pushing the playoff beyond the usual sudden‑death distance. In the end, Chen’s composure and clutch play under pressure made the difference. The closure of the season brought an emotional and competitive crescendo to the developmental tour, highlighting the depth of talent and the high stakes of LPGA qualification.
Anne Chen wins an epic battle at the EPSON Tour Championship
(photo courtesy of: www.epsontour.com)
Up Ahead
The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia is back this week with the WA PGA Championship being played at Kalgoorlie Golf Course. This is a great track and, for those Ron Chopper fans out there, you may have seen how good it is off his recent trip and social media coverage. It’ll be great to get stuck back into competitive golf for our men as well as catch it on Kayo for the weekend warriors who choose to tune in. This event has a prize fund of $AUD 250,000 and Jack Buchanan is our defending champion. Our women on the WPGA are still on a break and are not competing for points again whilst the NSW Open Regional Qualifying events are ongoing.
The PGA Tour continues their start to the season as they head over to Japan for the Baycurrent Classic. Overseas ventures are relatively rare these days on the PGA Tour, however they continue to attract a strong field to this one where Nico Echavarria is our defending champion. This event has a prize pool worth $USD 8 million along with 500 points towards the FedEx Cup Fall.
The LPGA Tour heads to Shanghai this week for the Buick LPGA Shanghai where Ruoning Yin is the defending champion. The purse if worth $USD 2.2 million as well as a handy 500 points in the Race to CME Globe.
The DP World Tour continues their ‘Back 9’ as they rapidly approach the playoffs. This week they find themselves in Spain for the Open de Espana presented by Madrid. This event carries a purse of $USD 3.25 million along with a very handy 5,000 points towards the Race to Dubai which are critical for those sitting right on the number to keep their card for next season. Angel Hidalgo is our defending champion after breaking through in this event last season for his first DP World Tour title.
The Ladies European Tour are back after a week off and have arrived in India ready to compete in the Hero Women’s Indian Open. Liz Young was our winner last year and for the 2025 version of the event there is a prize pool of $USD 500,000 (a 25% increase on the previous offering).
The Asian Tour has a week off before they head to China for the SJM Macao Open. The LET Access Tour also remains on a break until they compete in the final event of the season in Spain in mid-October. The EPSON Tour is won and done so we will resume recaps on this once the ladies resume play next season.
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
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