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Daly's champagne shower, Harman's clutch putt and new Euro event steals show: Dew Sweeper for May 8
Streeter Lecka
Welcome to the Dew Sweeper, your one-stop shop to catch up on the weekend action from the golf world. From the professional tours, trending news, social media headlines and upcoming events, here's every golf-related thing you need to know for the morning of May 8.
Harman's final-hole theatrics deliver victory
On a leader board saturated with big-hitting stars, it was the 5'7" Brian Harman who prevailed at the Wells Fargo Championship. His title bid took a hit after a three-putt on the par-3 15th, yet Harman -- who had one win in 171 previous tour starts -- rallied with a birdie on the 17th. Needing a low number on the 72nd hole, Harman's second shot on the par-5 18th sailed left of the green, and victory looked far from his grasp after chunking his eagle chip. But the 30-year-old responded with this 28-foot bomb, one that ultimately sealed the tournament:
That, my friends, is how you finish a round.
Congrats to Harman, and hopefully this halts some of the, "Hey, aren't you Mark Wahlberg?" questions:
No rust in return for DJ
He finished a stroke short of his fourth consecutive win, but Dustin Johnson's first start since his Augusta accident was a success. The No. 1 player in the world barely made the cut, struggling in heavy Friday winds to the tune of a 75. However, he stormed into contention with back-to-back 67s to finish T-2. It is Johnson's sixth T-6 or better in his past seven appearances, as he heads to the Players Championship as the undisputed favorite.
But bettors, beware: in eight career outings at TPC Sawgrass, Johnson's best finish is a T-28.
GolfSixes becomes instant hit
Give European Tour CEO Keith Pelley credit: the man can put on a show. This weekend Pelley debuted GolfSixes, an event pitting two-man teams representing 16 countries in six-hole matches. The tournament featured pool play, a 40-second shot clock, big-screen TVs, stadium-style seating, pyrotechnics and first-tee entrance music:
The event wasn't without its flaws; we're pretty sure the United States could send a more formidable pair than Paul Peterson and David Lipsky, and the long drive and closest-to-the-pin contests felt a little tacky. Nevertheless, for a sport clamoring for innovation, Pelley answered the call. And his GolfSixes competition -- won by Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen and Lucas Bjerregaard -- was a welcomed response.
Jutanugarn falls just short...again
Ariya Jutanugarn's year of near-misses continues, as the 21-year-old lost her battle with Sei Young Kim on the final hole of the Lorena Ochoa Match Play. It was the eighth top-10 finish for Jutanugarn in 10 tournaments this year; alas, she's been unable to find the winner's circle. It is the sixth career victory for Kim, who defeated Mi Jung Hur in the morning semifinal round.
Unfortunately, the event wasn't televised, leaving fans in the cold for the LPGA's first match-play event since 2012. Of course, after last week's six-hole, two-hour playoff debacle, maybe a week off was for the best.
Daly soaks up the spotlight (and suds)
You don't often see Champions Tour winners trend on Twitter. Then again, most Champions Tour events don't end in such spectacularly photogenic fashion:
Darren Carroll
John Daly, who hadn't placed in the top 10 in 21 previous senior circuit starts, shot a final-round 69 to capture the Insperity Invitational, his first U.S. victory in 13 years. Like the man himself, the finish was a roller coaster ride, as Daly bogeyed the final three holes. Still, five birdies and an eagle on the card were enough for a one-shot victory over Kenny Perry and Tommy Armour III.
More importantly, on the "Hell yeah, America" spectrum, I never thought the image of Hulk Hogan head-butting communism would be topped. However, after analyzing Daly's champagne shower in Old Glory pants a dozen times, I've never been happier to be proven wrong.