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Publication by EssentiallySports |
Aug 3, 2026 | Edition #339 |
👋 {{readername | Hey, golf fans}},
It was a bittersweet Sunday, with the Rocket Classic finding a new first-time champ in its final edition, the 24-year-old Michael Thorbjornsen. We will break down his late charge and the one video that caught our eye when the winning putt dropped. We have other stuff to talk about, too, including the smoothest ace, a sweet fan interaction, and the fourth win of the season for a Tour pro.
Let’s get swinging…
Thor will make his debut in the FedExCup Playoffs now.
No PGA Tour win should feel anticlimactic, and none has in recent memory. Definitely not at the last Rocket Classic. Michael Thorbjornsen (-18/1st) won his maiden PGA Tour title and acted like he had been here before—just take a look at his reaction after dropping the winning putt.
Thorbjornsen entered the final round three back of Davis Riley (-15/3rd), but a bogey-free 63 laced with seven birdies vaulted him atop the leaderboard. A birdie on the 18th kept him two strokes ahead of everyone. Others pressed, but none could collar him.
Michael Brennan (-11/T16) stumbled with a double bogey on the seventh and then played the back nine at 3-over. Rasmus Hojgaard (-14/4th) ran out of steam after the 10th. Xander Schauffele (-16/2nd) led briefly before a lone bogey on the 13th derailed him. He showed mad respect for the younger champion, as you can see (and hear) here.
Thorbjornsen climbs to 38th in the FedExCup Standings, punching his Playoffs ticket.
This marks back-to-back first-time wins for recent PGA Tour University grads, following Jackson Koivun’s (-8/T31) victory last week.
The last time two Americans age 24 or younger logged first wins in consecutive weeks was 2017, when Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau did it.
What’s next? Rocket Classic’s final goodbye saw a first-time champion. It’s also continued a trend of young winners on Tour.
Everyone gets the same layout, but changing wind, tricky sand, and quirky breaks make each hole a real test (good luck with the fifth). After putting, you'll get a trivia question. Answer it correctly to earn a mulligan for later in the round. See if you can break par, compare your scorecard with a friend, and come back tomorrow for a brand-new challenge.
A week for the fans, aces, and pretty shots.
Juicy: One foot in the sand trap and another in the deep rough, Miles Russell pitched with a lob wedge to the green. The result is this sick shot.
Generous: Matt Kuchar (-4/T50) brought a young fan inside the ropes after making a hole-in-one. Kuchar's next thoughtful gesture made the kid's day.
Queen: Nelly Korda (-2/T4) gifted a young fan her own 3-iron. Look at the girl’s face after this unexpected gift.
Favorite: Rocket Classic arguably saved Rickie Fowler’s (-12/T8) career in 2023 in front of a loving crowd. They love him even now, as you will see here.
Emotion: AIG Women’s Open winner Shiho Kuwaki’s father broke down into tears after her win. Oh, and Kuwaki brought a note to thank everyone in English.
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Would You Want PGA Tour to Return to Detroit?
Last Poll Result: 38.99% of you said you enjoyed the U.S. Women’s Open the most, while 19.72% of you loved the AIG Women’s Open the most. 15.14%, 14.68%, and 11.47% of you voted for the Chevron Championship, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, and the Amundi Evian Championship, respectively.
Here are the five best-performing pros according to us.
It’s time for us to disclose our own leaderboard. Here, we track and rank the pros on a week-by-week basis. This is what it looks like today:
Michael Thorbjornsen & Charley Hull (T4): Everyone, let’s hail the PGA Tour University program. Thorbjornsen’s first PGA Tour victory shot him into the top five of our leaderboard for the first time. Check out his unique baseball grip here. Meanwhile, Charley Hull netted her third top-10 finish in a major in 2026. But she needs a little more to close the gap and emerge as a major champion.
Miles Russell (3): In case you missed Russell’s outrageous bunker shot we shared above, here is another chance to marvel at the beauty. Sure, he lost the Western Amateur semifinals, but keep an eye on him at the upcoming U.S. Amateur.
Shiho Kuwaki (2): Most of us hadn’t seen it coming, but Shiho did it at the AIG Women’s Open. Here is the winning putt. Before this, Kuwaki also had a T14 at the U.S. Women’s Open.
Nelly Korda (1): Sure, the missed cut three weeks ago was shocking, but Nelly, the owner of the best swing in golf, has recovered well after that, including a T4 finish last week and a T16 at Women’s Scottish Open.
Can these champions be stopped?
Portugal Invitational: Zach Johnson (-19/1st) is making a habit of it now. On Sunday, he defeated Stewart Cink (-17/2nd) by two strokes for his fourth title of the season. Hear straight from the champ what he has to say.
Utah Championship: Derek Hitchner (1st), seeking his first win, got into a 5-man playoff to win his maiden tour title. On the first extra hole, he was the only man to birdie out of the quintet. And guess whose support boosted this effort? Find your answer here.
Western Amateur: Stanford junior Jay Leng defeated Miles Russell 2 and 1 in the semifinals to advance to the finals. Check the absolute class of the teenager here. In the final, Jay defeated Michael Riebe for a 5-and-4 victory, becoming the fifth Stanford golfer to win the event.
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