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. J.J. Spaun went back to a place that clearly brings out his best, Lauren Coughlin handled one of the LPGA’s sternest tests with real authority, and now the sport turns toward Augusta with the familiar electricity that only Masters week can bring.

PGA TOUR: Spaun Finds Something Familiar in San Antonio

A Familiar Place, A Timely Win

There are certain venues that just fit a player’s eye, temperament, and timing, and TPC San Antonio has become that kind of place for J.J. Spaun. He closed with a 5-under 67 to win the Valero Texas Open at 17-under par, one shot clear of Matt Wallace, Michael Kim, and Robert MacIntyre. It was Spaun’s third PGA TOUR victory, and notably his second in this event after also winning here in 2022. Even more interesting, this was his first top-10 finish of the 2026 season, which tells you just how much this week felt like both a win and a reset. Spaun himself called the game “crazy” and said it meant a lot to come back and win at a place that has been so good to him.

Why This One Feels Bigger Than One Week

What stood out to me most was not just that Spaun won, but how he did it. He began Sunday two shots behind MacIntyre, stayed patient, and then produced the kind of composed closing round that good players find when their games finally feel aligned again. He led the field in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green at 9.280, jumped from No. 115 to No. 24 in the FedExCup standings, and was projected to move from No. 13 to No. 6 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Those are not small ripples. That is a serious tremor heading into Augusta week.

The Rest of Sunday Had Plenty to Say, Too

The leaderboard also told a larger story about the week. Wallace continued a quietly strong history at the Valero Texas Open with another top finish, while Michael Kim nearly added a signature result of his own. MacIntyre, who held both the 36-hole and 54-hole lead, could not quite finish it off, which is the kind of Sunday sting that can linger for a bit. Ludvig Åberg finishing T5 also deserves notice. It was not the closing charge many expected from him, but it was another reminder that his name is not going anywhere as the year’s first major arrives. Wallace’s runner-up also mattered in another way, helping him lock up an Aon Swing 5 place into the RBC Heritage.

LPGA Tour: Coughlin Controls Shadow Creek

Major-Championship Golf in the Desert

Shadow Creek did not give much away this week, and that is exactly why Lauren Coughlin’s win at the Aramco Championship impressed me. She finished at 7-under and won by five over Leona Maguire and Nelly Korda, closing with an even-par 72 on a course that asked players to hit disciplined shots and accept that perfection was not available. In fact, Coughlin finished as one of only three players in the field under par for the week. On a setup like that, even-par on Sunday is not hanging on. It is controlling the tournament.

This Was Built Long Before Sunday

The final margin may look comfortable, but this was not some out-of-nowhere Sunday steal. Coughlin shared the first-round lead with a 67, stretched her advantage to five shots after 36 holes in gusty conditions, and then carried a two-shot lead into the final round over Korda. That matters because it shows this was a four-day performance, not a late scramble. She established herself early, absorbed the toughest moments of the championship, and never really lost control of the tournament’s rhythm. That is how elite wins tend to look on demanding golf courses.

Why Coughlin’s Week Matters

This was Coughlin’s third LPGA title, and to me it felt like one of those wins that carries a little extra weight because of the venue and the cast around her. Korda was right there. Maguire was right there. Shadow Creek was certainly not in a giving mood. And still, Coughlin was the player who looked the most settled all week. Ruoning Yin’s Sunday 67 to climb into a tie for seventh was a nice late move, but this championship belonged to Coughlin from the moment she put herself in position and refused to blink. That kind of performance gets remembered.

Masters Preview: Augusta Is Finally Here

Rory Returns Without The Old Burden

Now we shift to the 90th Masters, which begins April 9 at Augusta National, and the first thing that stands out is how different Rory McIlroy’s emotional posture feels compared to all those years when the conversation was dominated by what he had not yet done. That burden is gone. McIlroy’s victory last year completed the career Grand Slam, and as the defending champion, he arrives in a very different place mentally, one where the annual Augusta interrogation has given way to something freer. That does not make him less dangerous. If anything, it may make him more so.

Scheffler Still Looms Large

And yet, for all the understandable attention on McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler still feels like the giant presence in the room. Reuters and AP both noted that Scheffler arrived at Augusta after the birth of his second child, with the family story adding a human layer to a week that is already packed with pressure. He is still the world No. 1, still a two-time Masters champion, and still the betting favorite. When a player has that résumé and that history at Augusta, any talk of shakier form can only go so far. You can call it a question mark if you want. I still call it a warning sign for the rest of the field.

This Field Has Real Depth

What makes this Masters especially compelling, though, is the number of believable storylines beyond the top two. AP noted the fresh intrigue around players like Chris Gotterup, Ben Griffin, and Jacob Bridgeman, while Reuters pointed out that LIV’s smaller presence in the field still includes serious threats such as Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. Add in Cameron Young’s recent big-stage breakthrough, Åberg’s lingering promise, and Spaun bringing fresh momentum from San Antonio, and this does not feel like a week with one obvious script. It feels open, volatile, and very Augusta in that way.

That is what makes the sport so fun this time of year. One player found a familiar comfort zone in Texas. Another stared down Shadow Creek and looked stronger with every round. And now the game heads to its grandest stage, where comfort disappears fast and where legacies can change in the span of one back-nine stretch on Sunday. That is a pretty good way to start Masters week.