A Week of Firsts, Homecomings, and Historic Streaks: Golf’s Global Stage Delivers Drama
In this week’s “The Starter,” PGA professional Brendon Elliott, a three-decade industry veteran, gives his thoughts on the week that was in golf for R.org. From MacIntyre’s homecoming win at St. Andrews to first time PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour wins, it was a jam-packed week of golfing brilliance.
The first week of October had it all. A triumphant homecoming on Scottish soil. A breakthrough victory fueled by clutch putting. A record-tying achievement that underscores the LPGA’s depth. From St. Andrews to Mississippi to Hawaii, the world’s best showed why this sport captivates across continents.
DP World Tour: MacIntyre’s Perfect Homecoming
Robert MacIntyre just authored the storybook ending every golfer dreams about.
Fresh off earning 1.5 points for Team Europe at Bethpage Black, the world No. 9 returned to his native Scotland and captured the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship with a commanding four-stroke victory. His third consecutive 66 (this one battled through fierce winds on the Old Course at St. Andrews) completed a 54-hole masterclass at 18-under par.
“Just a beautiful ending to a good week,” MacIntyre said after his triumph at golf’s most hallowed ground.
The victory marks his second DP World Tour title in as many years on Scottish soil, following last year’s Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club. But this one carried extra weight after the emotional high of Europe’s Ryder Cup victory just days earlier.
MacIntyre’s week defied conventional wisdom about tournament preparation. He arrived on Wednesday afternoon, played just 12 holes before competition began, and admitted his diet consisted mainly of takeaways and fish and chips. “I’ve done everything against the book this week,” he laughed. “But yeah, sometimes when you are least expecting it, things happen.”
His links mastery came from staying out of trouble, particularly avoiding the treacherous pot bunkers scattered across Carnoustie, Kingsbarns, and St. Andrews. Celebrities like Bill Murray, Michael Douglas, and hockey legend Wayne Gretzky entertained crowds in the pro-am format. MacIntyre stayed focused on the task at hand.
Defending champion Tyrrell Hatton, another European Ryder Cup hero, shot 65 at St. Andrews to claim second place. Tommy Fleetwood, Europe’s top scorer in New York with 4 points, finished nine strokes back at 9-under.
“I don’t know how we’re going to celebrate after the celebrations we had last Sunday,” MacIntyre said. “We’ll try our best.”
The third round was postponed on Saturday due to stormy weather, condensing the tournament to 54 holes. MacIntyre didn’t need the extra day. His consistency across three different championship courses proved unbeatable.
PGA TOUR: Fisk’s Fearless Finish in Mississippi
Steven Fisk wasn’t going to let anything stop him from his first PGA TOUR victory. Not even Garrick Higgo’s relentless charge.
The 28-year-old Georgia Southern alum birdied his final three holes Sunday, closing with an 8-under 64 to win the Sanderson Farms Championship by two strokes over the South African. His finishing 24-under 264 at The Country Club of Jackson came with perfect timing and massive implications.
“I came out today with an attitude that nothing was going to stop me,” Fisk told Golf Channel on the 18th green. “I just felt like I’d be standing right here, right now, before the round started. I know I’m good enough. I thought I could do it.”
The final holes delivered pure theater. Fisk and Higgo traded blows down the stretch, with Higgo rattling off four consecutive birdies on the back nine after a shaky bogey-bogey start. When Fisk missed a 5-foot birdie attempt on the reachable par-4 15th, momentum seemed to shift.
Then Fisk drained a 40-footer on 16. Someone in the crowd shouted, “Take that, Higgo.” The South African answered immediately with a 12-footer of his own, playfully putting his finger to his lips with a smile.
Fisk’s wedge on 17 danced around the cup before settling 3 feet away. Higgo matched him inside 3 feet. But Higgo’s short birdie putt caught the left lip, giving Fisk a one-shot cushion heading to 18. He sealed it with an approach to 4 feet and one final birdie.
“My mindset was to birdie every hole,” Higgo said afterward. “I almost did that. Steven did the same, so hats off to him.”
The victory carries life-changing benefits for Fisk. He entered the week at No. 135 in the FedExCup Fall standings, destined for a return to the Korn Ferry Tour without significant improvement. Now he has a two-year exemption through 2027, after five years of grinding to reach the TOUR.
“To have some job security is pretty nice,” Fisk said. “It’s been a long, hard year.”
Danny Walker, Vince Whaley, and Ryder Cup player Rasmus Højgaard tied for third. All three earned consolation prizes in the FedExCup standings, with Højgaard jumping from No. 87 to No. 75. That’s crucial movement as players battle for top-100 status to maintain full cards.
LPGA Tour: Hwang Makes History, Defers Membership
Youmin Hwang just etched her name into the LPGA record books while making a calculated decision about her future.
The 22-year-old South Korean became the 26th different winner in 25 LPGA events this season, capturing the Lotte Championship in Hawaii with a one-stroke victory over Hyo Joo Kim. That ties the record for most different winners in a single season, a benchmark set in 1995 and matched only in 2018 and 2022.
Hwang birdied five of six holes during her final-round charge, finishing at 17-under to claim the $450,000 winner’s check from the $3 million purse. She’s the first non-member to win on the LPGA Tour since Rio Takeda captured the TOTO Japan Classic last November.
What makes this interesting: Hwang declined immediate LPGA Tour membership, instead deferring until the 2026 season. She’ll compete as a rookie next year, which means she won’t be considered a Rolex First-Time Winner in 2025, despite her breakthrough performance.
The decision suggests strategic thinking about preparation and timing. Hwang primarily competes on the KLPGA, where she has won twice in 2023 and 2024. She also captured the Foxconn TLPGA Players Championship earlier this season.
She’s the sixth different Korean athlete to triumph in 2025, joining Jin Hee Im, A Lim Kim, Hyo Joo Kim, Somi Lee, and Haeran Ryu. Hwang also became the second consecutive Korean winner of the Lotte Championship, following A Lim Kim’s 2024 victory.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda finished in a four-way tie for fourth at 14-under, earning $117,177. The depth of talent continues to define the 2025 LPGA season. Twenty-six different winners through 25 events speaks to unprecedented parity at the highest level.
The Bigger Picture: Golf’s Global Brilliance
One week. Three continents. Three completely different stories united by excellence under pressure.
MacIntyre celebrated European Ryder Cup glory by conquering the Old Course. Fisk transformed his career with three clutch birdies when everything hung in the balance. Hwang made history while charting her own path to LPGA membership.
This is golf at its finest: individual brilliance celebrated across the sport’s global stage, where every tournament matters and every victory carries its own weight.