Planet Golf News for Monday, February 24, 2025

Brian Campbell Wins Mexico Open at VidantaWorld In Dramatic Playoff | Angel Yin wins Honda LPGA Thailand in record fashion with last-minute local caddie | Jacques Kruyswijk clinches first DP World Tour win in Kenya

Monday, February 24, 2025

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Today’s Top Golf News in Three Minutes

Good Morning,

What a weekend in golf! Brian Campbell finally got his long-overdue PGA Tour win at the Mexico Open after 186 starts—and it only took a bounce off a tree to get there. That’s right, on the playoff hole, Campbell’s drive looked headed for disaster until a friendly tree decided to play caddie, kicking his ball back into play. From there, he birdied the hole, took home $1.26 million, and booked himself a trip to The Masters. Aldrich Potgieter was probably thinking, “Really? A tree?” but hey, golf is weird like that. Meanwhile, Isaiah Salinda, a PGA Tour rookie, made a Sunday charge with a 65, fell just a shot short, but can at least take solace in being golf Twitter’s new “what if” hero.

Speaking of heroes, Angel Yin turned the Honda LPGA Thailand into her own highlight reel. With her regular caddie out sick, she called in Sakchai “Tom” Sirimaya, a local caddie who probably thought he was just going to carry the bag for a nice weekend stroll. Instead, they set a tournament record at 28-under-par. Even Akie Iwai’s outrageous final-round 61 couldn’t derail Yin, who coolly birdied the final hole to seal the deal. Tom’s probably updating his résumé as we speak.

Over in Kenya, Jacques Kruyswijk bagged his first DP World Tour title after 139 starts. No trees needed—just some grip powder (yes, really) and a bogey-free round of 67. He even managed to keep the trophy on African soil, much to the delight of local fans. John Parry tried to make it interesting, but Kruyswijk was in “no mistakes allowed” mode.

Meanwhile, the TGL league continued to try and make golf a prime-time spectacle. Tony Finau will make his debut for the Los Angeles Golf Club, and with playoff spots on the line, the drama will be palpable. Los Angeles is riding high, New York is still searching for a win, and Boston Common Golf just wants to not be the league’s punchline. Oh, and let’s not forget the newest update to the TGL rulebook—the “Hammer” feature. Because what golf really needed was more gimmicks.

With The Masters looming, everyone’s scrambling for form and FedEx Cup points, including Campbell, who now gets to stroll down Magnolia Lane this April. The golf world is buzzing, the trees are bouncing balls back into play, and somewhere out there, someone’s practicing their AimPoint on a two-foot putt (stop that).

Golf: never boring—just sometimes bizarre.

Today’s Top Golf News

Major Golf Tournaments finishing yesterday

TGL Week 7: How to watch, TV times, lineups, standings, more

TGL - PGA Tour - SoFi Stadium - Palm Beach Gardens, FL

The upcoming TGL matches today and tomorrow promise to be exciting as the league continues to heat up. Today the Los Angeles Golf Club will face off against the New York Golf Club at 5 PM ET. Los Angeles, led by Tony Finau (making his TGL debut), Collin Morikawa, and Sahith Theegala, is riding high after dominant performances, including a 12-1 win over Jupiter Links GC. They aim to maintain their strong form. Meanwhile, New York, represented by Cameron Young, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Rickie Fowler, is still searching for their first win after struggling in earlier matches. Later tonight at 9 PM ET, Boston Common Golf will take on Atlanta Drive GC. Boston, featuring Keegan Bradley, Hideki Matsuyama, and Rory McIlroy, is yet to secure their first victory this season and will be eager to turn their fortunes around. On the other hand, Atlanta, with Justin Thomas, Billy Horschel, and Patrick Cantlay at the helm, has been impressive so far and will look to continue their unbeaten streak. Tomorrow The Bay Golf Club will face Jupiter Links GC at 9 PM ET. The Bay, led by Min Woo Lee, Shane Lowry, and Wyndham Clark, aims to build on their prior successes. Jupiter Links, playing without Tiger Woods this time, will rely on Tom Kim, Kevin Kisner, and Max Homa to rebound from mixed results in earlier matches. All matches will take place at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach, Florida.

Brian Campbell cashes in on a big break and wins Mexico Open for first PGA Tour title

Mexico Open at VidantaWorld - PGA Tour - Vidanta Vallerta - Nuevo Vallerta, Mexico

Brian Campbell secured his first PGA Tour victory at the 2025 Mexico Open at VidantaWorld in a dramatic playoff against Aldrich Potgieter. The tournament, held at Vidanta Vallarta in Vallarta, Mexico, concluded with Campbell and Potgieter tied at 20-under 264 after 72 holes. The playoff extended to two holes, with Campbell clinching the win on the second extra hole thanks to a miraculous recovery from a poor tee shot. He managed to make a 4-foot birdie putt to claim the title and the $1,260,000 winner's share of the $7,000,000 purse.

Isaiah Salinda finished alone in third place at 19-under, just one shot shy of joining the playoff. Ben Griffin and Aaron Rai tied for fourth at 18-under. The leaderboard was tightly packed throughout the final round, with several players in contention as they navigated challenging conditions on the back nine.

Campbell's victory earned him 500 FedEx Cup points and 31.7 Official World Golf Ranking points, significantly boosting his standing in both rankings. The tournament saw 77 out of 132 players complete all four rounds, with a cut made after 36 holes. Two amateurs also made the cut but were not eligible for prize money.

This win marks a significant milestone in Campbell's career and sets the stage for his continued success on the PGA Tour. The event showcased intense competition and dramatic moments, providing an exciting conclusion to the Mexico Open at VidantaWorld for 2025.

With fill-in caddie, Angel Yin shoots 28 under par to win second career tour event in Thailand

Honda LPGA Thailand - LPGA - Slam Country Club - Chon Buri, Thailand

Angel Yin secured her second LPGA Tour victory at the Honda LPGA Thailand, held at Siam Country Club's Pattaya Old Course. Yin started the final round with a five-shot lead and maintained her composure throughout, shooting a bogey-free 7-under 65 to finish at an impressive 28-under 260 for the tournament. This score set a new record for the lowest 72-hole total in LPGA history.

Despite Yin's stellar performance, she faced intense pressure from Akie Iwai of Japan, who mounted a spectacular charge on the final day. Iwai fired a tournament-low round of 61, including 10 birdies and an eagle on the 18th hole, to finish just one shot behind Yin at 27-under 261. The dramatic finish saw Iwai momentarily tie for the lead with her closing eagle, but Yin responded with a birdie on the last hole to clinch the victory.

Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand secured third place with a final round 66, finishing at 21-under 267. Defending champion Patty Tavatanakit and fellow Thai player Moriya Jutanugarn shared fourth place at 19-under 269.

Yin's victory earned her the top prize of $255,000 from the total purse of $1.7 million. This win marks Yin's second LPGA Tour title, following her previous victory at the 2023 Buick LPGA Shanghai. The Honda LPGA Thailand is the first stop of the LPGA's Asia swing, with the tour now moving on to events in Singapore and China over the next two weeks.

South African Kruyswijk pips Parry to win Kenya Open

Magical Kenya Open - DP World Tour - Muthaiga GC - Nairobi, Kenya

South African Jacques Kruyswijk clinched his maiden DP World Tour title at the 2025 Magical Kenya Open, held at Muthaiga Golf Club in Nairobi. Kruyswijk started the final round with a one-shot lead and maintained his composure throughout the day, carding a bogey-free 4-under 67 to finish at 18-under-par for the tournament. His flawless performance over the weekend, which included crucial birdies on the 6th, 7th, 10th, and 16th holes in the final round, helped him secure a two-shot victory over England's John Parry.

Parry, who briefly took the lead early in the round with back-to-back birdies on the 4th and 5th holes, finished in solo second place at 16-under-par. This result continues Parry's impressive form in Africa this season, where he has now recorded a win and two runners-up finishes in three appearances. His strong performance moves him up to second place in the Race to Dubai rankings.

South African players dominated the leaderboard, with Deon Germishuys finishing in third place at 13-under-par, followed by compatriot Jayden Schaper in fourth at 12-under-par. Kruyswijk's victory not only marks his first DP World Tour title but also moves him up to seventh in the Race to Dubai rankings, providing significant momentum for the rest of the season.

The win holds special significance for Kruyswijk, who expressed his joy at keeping the trophy on African soil and bringing it back to South Africa. The tournament, celebrating its 56th edition and sixth year on the DP World Tour schedule, showcased the continued growth and competitiveness of golf in Africa.

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