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Golf fans saw plenty of excitement this weekend, with big moments on every major tour. Justin Rose took a commanding win at Torrey Pines, the LPGA faced weather issues, and there were first-time winners on both the DP World and Korn Ferry Tours. The 2026 season is proving to be full of surprises.
The recent weekend in professional golf was characterized by experienced players prevailing, weather significantly influencing outcomes, and high-pressure situations challenging even the sport’s most prominent figures. Justin Rose delivered one of the most commanding performances of his career at Torrey Pines, while a tumultuous playoff in Bahrain resulted in a breakthrough victory and considerable debate. In the LPGA, severe cold prompted officials to make a contentious decision that awarded Nelly Korda an early victory and reignited discussions regarding fairness and scheduling. Concurrently, the Korn Ferry Tour continued to highlight emerging talent, with Ian Holt advancing rapidly toward PGA Tour qualification.
The weekend featured record-setting performances, missed cuts by top players, and weather-affected championships, collectively underscoring the unpredictability and volatility inherent in professional golf.
Tour-By-Tour Recap
PGA TOUR
Event: Farmers Insurance Open
Winner: Justin Rose
Score: -23
How They Won: Justin Rose led from start to finish at the Farmers Insurance Open. He began with a strong 62 on the North Course and kept his lead throughout the tournament. Over the weekend, he played the South Course with patience and accuracy, using his experience to avoid mistakes while others tried to catch up. He finished with a record 23-under-par and won by seven shots, showing a mix of early boldness, steady play, and veteran calm all week.
Top 5: 1. Justin Rose T2. Pierceson Coody T2. Si Woo Kim T2. Ryo Hisatsune T5. Jake Knapp T5. Stephan Jaegar
Storyline to Know: Justin Rose finished 23-under par, setting a new tournament scoring record at Torrey Pines. He won by seven strokes, which is one of the largest margins in the event’s history. This was his 13th PGA Tour title and made him one of the oldest winners on tour.
Brooks Koepka’s return from LIV Golf drew a lot of attention before the tournament. He made the cut but did not contend for the win, mainly because of poor putting. Over four rounds, Koepka lost more than seven strokes on the greens and ranked 74th in the field.
By finishing tied for seventh, Joel Dahmen earned more starts in future events. He is now eligible for next week’s WM Phoenix Open on a sponsor exemption and has a chance to move into the Aon Swing 5 standings for more Signature Event entries.
Xander Schauffele missed the cut, ending his streak of 72 consecutive events making the cut. Scottie Scheffler now holds the longest active streak among players with 65.
Notable names to miss cut:
- Xander Schauffele
- Patrick Cantlay
- Will Zalatoris
- Max Homa
- Ludvig Åberg
- J.J. Spaun
- Billy Horschel
- Akshay Bhatia
- Max Greyserman
DP WORLD TOUR
Event: Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship
Winner: Freddy Schott
Score: -17 (Playoff)
How They Won: Schott forced a sudden-death playoff after tying for the lead at 17-under with Calum Hill and Patrick Reed at Royal Golf Club. In the playoff, Reed was knocked out on the first extra hole after a bogey. On the second playoff hole, Hill ran into trouble off the tee and conceded, allowing Schott to claim his first DP World Tour title. Schott’s steady final-round 69 and calm play under pressure helped him win in a dramatic three-man finish.
Top 5: 1. Freddy Schott T2. Patrick Reed T2. Calum Hill T4. Daniel Hillier T4. Sergio Garcia
Storyline to Know: In his 91st start, Schott earns his first DP World Tour win.
Patrick Reed came into the week after winning the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and was aiming for a rare back-to-back win on the DP World Tour. He moved up the leaderboard with strong weekend rounds and put himself in contention, but fell short in the playoff.
Calum Hill led after the second and third rounds and kept that momentum going into Sunday, but lost his lead late in regulation and then struggled in the playoff. His performance, along with his unusual decision to concede the playoff, became a major talking point among fans and pundits.
LPGA
Event: HGV Tournament of Champions
Winner: Nelly Korda
Score: -13
How They Won: Nelly Korda turned the tournament around on Saturday with a standout third-round 64. She started the day several shots behind but shot 8-under in cold, windy conditions, making key birdies and an eagle to reach 13-under par and take a strong lead. When severe weather led the LPGA to cancel the final round and shorten the event to 54 holes, Korda’s impressive Saturday left her as the clear leader and champion.
Top 5: 1. Nelly Korda 2. Amy Yang 3. Brooke Henderson 4. Lydia Ko T5. Hwang You-min T5. Miyū Yamashita
Storyline to Know: Sub-freezing temperatures and strong winds made things tough for both players and officials at the LPGA’s season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. Temperatures dropped into the 20s and only climbed to the low 40s later in the day. With an official extreme cold warning in place, tournament officials canceled the final round, making it a 54-hole event and naming Nelly Korda the winner.
However, the decision led to debate in golf media and among players, since the course turned out to be more playable than many thought. Celebrity participants were allowed to play in the cold, and reports from the venue said that while it was chilly and windy, the course was not frozen or dangerous.
Critics said that since there were no major weather threats on Monday or Tuesday, the final round could have been postponed to allow for a full 72-hole contest. This was especially important in the season’s first event, when momentum and storylines are key. Many felt that while the LPGA made the decision for safety, it hurt the competition’s fairness and raised questions about how to balance ideal conditions with those that are just uncomfortable.
Instead, Korda earned her first win in over a year in a format that many fans did not prefer. This left the LPGA to explain its decision and set an example for how the tour will handle weather issues early in the season.
Korn Ferry Tour
Event: The Panama Championship
Winner: Ian Holt
Score: -8
Ian Holt won The Panama Championship at Panama Golf Club by finishing 8-under par, two shots ahead of PGA Tour winner Adam Hadwin. He played consistently over all four rounds and finished with a 3-under 67, handling the windy final holes well.
Top 5: 1. Ian Holt 2. Adam Hadwin 3. Trevor Cone T4. Jeremy Gandon T4. Ian Gilligan T4. Cole Hammer
Holt’s win stands out because it’s his second straight Korn Ferry Tour victory, after winning the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic. He’s now the first player in Korn Ferry history to win two of the first three events in a season, and just one win away from a battlefield promotion.
Adam Hadwin, a former PGA Tour winner playing only his second Korn Ferry event this season, finished alone in second at 6-under. This shows that even experienced players were in the mix for the title. Trevor Cone and Cole Hammer also had strong finishes just behind Holt.
Official World Golf Ranking Top 20 (Week 5)
- Scottie Scheffler –
- Rory McIlroy –
- Justin Rose ⬆️ (+7)
- Tommy Fleetwood ⬇️ (−1)
- Russell Henley ⬇️ (−1)
- Robert MacIntyre ⬇️ (−1)
- J.J. Spaun –
- Xander Schauffele ⬇️ (−2)
- Ben Griffin ⬇️ (−1)
- Justin Thomas ⬇️ (−1)
- Harris English –
- Sepp Straka –
- Alex Noren –
- Hideki Matsuyama ⬆️ (+2)
- Keegan Bradley –
- Viktor Hovland ⬇️ (−2)
- Chris Gotterup ⬆️ (+1)
- Collin Morikawa –
- Ludvig Åberg –
- Cameron Young –
Updated Winner’s Rankings
- Justin Rose — No. 3 ⬆️ (from 10)
- Frederik Schott — No. 195 ⬆️ (from 436)
- Ian Holt — No. 109 ⬆️ (from 182)
Closing Thoughts
Collectively, the events of the weekend emphasized the narrow margins that distinguish success in professional golf at all levels. Justin Rose demonstrated that experience and patience remain decisive factors against elite competition, while younger players encountered the challenges of pursuing leaders on demanding courses. Freddy Schott’s breakthrough on the DP World Tour illustrated the eventual rewards of persistence, even amid unpredictable circumstances. The LPGA season opener highlighted the significant impact of logistics and weather conditions on tournament outcomes, suggesting that such decisions will receive increased scrutiny throughout the season. On the Korn Ferry Tour, Ian Holt exemplified how rapidly a career trajectory can shift when confidence aligns with opportunity.
As the season progresses, the themes emerging from this weekend, such as dominance versus depth, safety versus competition, and the dynamic between established veterans and emerging talent, are likely to develop further. These early indications suggest that the 2026 season may be particularly competitive, with each victory carrying increased significance.
