Golf Monthly UK – August 2019

Emotional first-time victories

on both sides of the Atlantic

NateLashleyproducedoneofthemost
heart-warmingwinsinrecentyearsatthe
RocketMortgageClassicinDetroit.The
AmericansecuredhisfirstPGATour
triumph 15 yearsafterhisparentsand
girlfriendwerekilledinaplanecrash
having watched him play in a college event.

The36-year-oldwasnoteveninthe

fieldcomingintotheweek,buttook

advantageofhislatecalluptoproducea

six-shotvictory and take home the $1.3m

firstprize.

Lashleyhadpreviouslyonlyrecorded

onePGATourtoptenandwasranked

353 intheworldbeforethetournament.

He’d even quit the game six years ago to

pursueacareerinreal estate after

feelingburntout.

“Ittookalotofyearsformetogetover

myparents’death,”Lashleysaidafter

thewin.“Iwasgettingalittleemotional

evenwalkingup 18 beforeI hitmy

secondshotthinkingaboutmyparents,

becausewithoutthemI wouldn’t be

sittinghererightnow.”

Lashley’striumphcameinthesame

weekasanotheremotionalwinthis

sideoftheAtlantic.Christiaan

Bezuidenhout’sfirstEuropeanTour

victoryattheAndaluciaMastersin

Spainwasnotableforthefacthenearly

diedagedtwo having accidentally drunk

ratpoison.

TheSouthAfricandevelopeda

stutterfollowingtheaccidentand

wasprescribedanti-anxiety

medication,which led to a ban

backin2014.

Hetestedpositiveforbeta

blockersintheAmateur

ChampionshipatRoyal

Portrush,buthistwo-year

banwaslaterreduced to

nine months.

PaulLawrieandCarlMason

PlayingintheFarmfoods

EuropeanLegendsLinksChampionship,

thetwoseniorsweredisqualified after

hitting the wrong balls.

MichelleWieWieshot 84,

82 attheWomen’s

PGAChampionshipand

acknowledgedshedoesn’t

knowhowmuchmoregolf

she has left in her career.

JPFitzgeraldRoryMcIlroy’s
formercaddiehasfoundwork
onthebagofyoungAmerican
sensationMatthewWolff.Theymade
theirprofessionaldebuttogether at the
Travelers Championship.

JazzJanewattananondThe
Thaiyoungstersecuredhis
fourthAsianTourwinandsecondof
2019 attheKolonKoreaOpen.Hewon
by one stroke from Hwang Inn-choon.

TOUR NEWS

GOOD MONTH/BAD MONTH

Words:

Sam Tremlett

Photography:

Getty Images

NateLashleysecuredaheart-warming

victory in the Rocket Mortgage Classic