McKibbin fourth in Spain as Woods undergoes surgery
Tiger Woods hits his shot from a bunker on the 11th hole during the second round of the 2022 PGA Championship at the Southern Hills on May 20, 2022 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by Darren Carroll/PGA of America)
Tiger Woods might be the favourite to captain the USA in the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor but there must be doubts now over his ability to commit to the job after undergoing his seventh back surgery in 11 years.
The 15-time major winner had a collapsed disk in his lower back replaced on Friday and it remains to be seen when he will play again.
He has not yet said if he will play December's Hero World Challenge or the PNC Championship with his son, Charlie.
But having not played since the PNC Championship last December and left the PGA of America waiting until July 2024 before turning down the 2025 captaincy, his latest health reverse raises questions about his ability to do the job at the venue owned by pal JP McManus.
At the Open de España, Marco Penge beat Dan Brown with a birdie at the first extra hole to move into the world's top 50 and clinch starts in the Masters and The Open next year.
Four clear overnight, Penge shot a scrappy one-over 72 as Brown birdied the last to shoot 67 and draw level on 15-under at the Club de Campo.
"It's crazy," Penge said after making a six-footer to secure his Augusta debut and move to second in the Race to Dubai behind Rory McIlroy. "It's a golf course that I've always wanted to play because I feel like my game sets up really, really good for it.
"My goal was to get in the top 50 in the world by the end of the year, so I think that made it a little easier, playing the playoff knowing that if I don't win, I'm still going to be at the Masters."
Tom McKibbin birdied the last from 22 feet for a 69 to finish fourth on 12-under and all but secure his third successive appearance in the DP World Tour Championship as he jumped to 38th in the Race to Dubai.
In Japan, Xander Schauffele clinched his first win since The Open 14 months ago when he fired a seven-under 64 to win the Baycurrent Classic, edging out Max Greyserman by a stroke on 19 under to claim his tenth PGA Tour win and a move to third in the world.
On the LPGA Tour, world number one Jeeno Thitikul came from four shots behind with five holes to play to win the Buick LPGA Shanghai and become the first two-time LPGA winner this season.
She shot a nine-under 63 to tie with Japan's Minami Katsu on 24 under before winning with an eagle three at the fifth tie hole as Leona Maguire's 72 left her joint 54th on three under.
At the LET's Hero Women's Indian Open, rookie Anna Foster claimed her second top of the season when she tied for seventh ($12,067) at DLF Golf and Country Club in Delhi.
A three-under 69 left the Elm Park talent just five shots behind Singaporean Shannon Tan (21), who shot 67 to win her third LET title by a shot from Alice Hewson on seven under.
Annabel Wilson was 30th on seven over and Sara Byrne 34th on eight over after they shot 73s, while Canice Screene tied for 50th after a 78.
Foster moved to 40th in the race to make the top 70 who keep full playing rights with Byrne, who has pulled out of the LPGA Q-School Second Stage to concentrate on the LET next year, 62nd, Wilson 79th and Screene 140th.
At the HotelPlanner Tour's Hainan Open, Italy's Renato Paratore secured automatic DP World Tour promotion with his third win of the season.
He birdied the last before beating Austria's Maximilian Steinlechner on the first extra hole as Liam Nolan shot 69 to finish 43rd on four under, falling to 37th in the race for 20 DP World Tour cards.
