Austin Ernst won for the third time in her LPGA  career at the Drive On Championship played on the Ron Garl masterpiece Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club. Americans are 3 for 3 starting the year. Jessica Korda will be Austin’s bridesmaid this coming week at her wedding. Double Congratulations to Austin.

Bryson DeChambeau, playing his Bridgestone TBX golf ball, bombed his way around Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge, including reaching the green on the par 5, 589 yard 6th by driving it over the lake on Saturday. The 27-year-old kept the pedal to the metal on Sunday to come away with a one-shot victory over Englishman Lee Westwood for his 8th PGA TOUR title.

The Players Championship was very exciting Sunday with triumphant Justin Thomas winning his first Players and 13th overall on the TOUR, for the hefty sum of $2.7 million. An eSouthernGOLF shoutout to Lee Westwood, at age 47, for his consecutive seconds at the API & Players. Justin played his way to the top of the leaderboard with a full bag of Titlist clubs and ball.

Matt Jones was on cruise control at the Honda Classic as the 40-year-old Australian carded his second PGA title by 5 strokes with a full bag of Titlist tools and ball. The reigning Australian Open winner is now in the Masters with his win at the beautiful Champions course at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
At the Le Triomphe Golf Club in Broussard, Mexican born 34-year-old Roberto Diaz took home his first title at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open with a one-stroke victory on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Joel Dahmen, the 33-year-old cancer survivor, won his first PGA TOUR event at the Corales Puntacana Resort in the Dominican Republic. The tournament was played on the Tom Fazio-designed Corales course, part of the 45 holes magnificent resort complex.

In Bee Park walked away with a wire-to-wire win at the Kia Classic for her 21st victory at the Arnold Palmer designed Aviara Golf club in Carlsbad, California. Way to Go In Bee.

The PGA had their own version of March Madness with another Florida boy, Billy Horschel, winning the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play Championship after 5 days of round-robin match play, defeating Texas homeboy Scotty Scheffler at the Austin Country Club. A special shout-out to Matt Kuchar another homegrown Florida boy for winning the consolation match.

Well, Spring has Sprung. I hope everyone is practicing their game and cleaning their clubs and shoes for the another great season of golf. There is not much to say good about the pandemic, but golf was the perfect social distancing activity and the numbers proved it. More golf rounds were played in 2020 compared to 2019.
So GO PLAY!

David J. Daubert, GWAA, ING, USGA
Editor