It was a busy week across three tours, and the big story is a 19-year-old winning his first PGA Tour title in a playoff. Below are the results, plus the news that matters if you play or shop for gear.
PGA Tour: World Wide Technology Championship
Blades Brown won the World Wide Technology Championship in a playoff over Ben James after the two finished regulation tied at 23-under par. Brown shot 66-68-68-63. James shot 65-64-66-70.
Put those scorecards side by side. James had the better first three rounds, 195 to Brown’s 202. Brown’s closing 63 was his best round of the week by three shots, and James’ 70 was his worst. That 63 got Brown into the playoff, and it says he isn’t just happy to be here. Golf.com said he closed like a freight train, and the score backs that up.
The rest of the top five was packed tight. Michael Kim finished third at 22-under, one back. He opened with a 73, then went 66-63-64, which is 193 over his last 54 holes. That’s a ridiculous stretch from a guy who started the week in a hole. Kensei Hirata took fourth at 21-under (65-69-67-66), and David Ford was fifth at 20-under (67-68-67-66). Nobody in the top five shot worse than 73 in any round. Five players within three shots of each other at 20-under or better makes this a birdie fest, and Brown still had to beat every one of them.
LPGA Tour: TOTO Japan Classic
Shuri Sakuma won the TOTO Japan Classic outright at 20-under par, four strokes clear of Aki Iwai at 16-under. Sakuma shot 70-65-69-64. After an opening 70 she played the next three rounds in the 60s, and the closing 64 is what built the cushion.
Iwai (66-69-66-71) held second, and Erika Hara (70-65-68-70) finished third at 15-under. Yuna Araki (68-70-66-70) and Arpichaya Yubol (72-65-65-72) tied for fourth at 14-under. Yubol’s 65-65 in the middle was the best back-to-back stretch among the top finishers, but the two 72s on either end cost her. Winning by four in a field this deep is convincing.
DP World Tour: Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship
Jon Rahm won the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship outright at 23-under par, two shots ahead of Tyrrell Hatton at 21-under. Rahm’s 65-67-66-67 is the card to study. Four rounds, all between 65 and 67, no big swings either way. Strip winning golf down and that’s what you get.
Hatton (67-65-67-68) was solid all week but never closed the gap. Rory McIlroy finished third at 19-under (70-63-67-69). His second-round 63 was the best round among the top three, but the opening 70 left him chasing. Francesco Laporta took fourth at 17-under with a strange card: a 62 to start, then 70-67-72. A 62 gets you noticed on Thursday, but the closing 72 is why he finished six back of Rahm instead of challenging him. Angel Ayora was fifth at 16-under (70-70-65-67).
Golf News: Blades Brown, Austin Odds, WTGL and Gear
Brown’s record. The win is more than a first title. Golf.com reports that the 19-year-old broke a big PGA Tour record long held by Jordan Spieth. The headline calls it “mind-blowing,” and for once I won’t roll my eyes at the adjective. If Spieth’s name is on a record, it has stood for a while, and a teenager breaking it by winning a playoff is worth remembering. Golf.com also published his winner’s bag. I haven’t seen the specs, so I won’t guess. Click through for the full list of clubs. One thing I will say: you don’t need his driver to shoot 63, and buying it won’t give you his swing speed.
Austin Championship odds. Next up, the 2026 Austin Championship odds are led by three star PGA Tour rookies. After watching Brown this week, I can’t really argue with a rookie-heavy board. If you’re betting, though, one teenager winning a playoff doesn’t make every young player a lock.
WTGL launch. The LPGA’s new league had its first day. Golf.com’s take on WTGL launch day is that the tour is betting on a different style of marketing, and the players are going along with it. I’ll hold off on judging the format until I’ve watched more, but I like that the LPGA is trying something instead of waiting for an audience to show up.
Gear: Motocaddy M1 DHC. If you walk and your back is complaining, the Motocaddy M1 DHC got a strong endorsement from Golf.com, whose reviewer says it proved everyone deserves their own electric caddy. I haven’t used one on my own rounds, so I can’t give you my numbers. Check the price and battery options before you buy. Those decide whether an electric trolley makes sense for you.
PGA of America. At the 110th PGA Annual Meeting, delegates elected Nathan Charnes as the 45th president of the PGA of America, with Eric Eshleman voted in as vice president. The association also honored Robin Shelton, PGA, CCM, at its national awards ceremony on November 4 in Las Vegas.
LPGA Q-Series. Six players from the ANNIKA WAPT advanced to the final stage of LPGA Q-Series. Maisie Filler led the group with a T16 finish in Venice, and the six now head to Mobile. For players chasing a card, that’s real progress.
Business side. The Association of Golf Merchandisers welcomed nine new vendor partners in October, and smbGOLF launched CONTENT and CONTENT Plus to help courses keep their websites and Google Business Profiles current. If you run a course, the second one is worth a look. A stale Google listing costs you tee times.
What to Watch Next
Brown now has a win and a record, and the Austin Championship odds will show how fast the betting market adjusts. Sakuma and Rahm both posted rounds in the 60s from start to finish, so I’ll be watching both. I’ll be back next week with the results.
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