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The weather was once again on our side as we brought our 2026 season to a close with the PXG Christmas Special at St. George’s Hill, proudly sponsored by Blue Rock Incentives, on Thursday 11th December.
The course was presented in immaculate condition and provided the perfect stage for some excellent golf throughout the day. Adding to the festive atmosphere, the full MASHIE team were out on the course delivering a series of fun and engaging activations. These included a longest drive challenge using a persimmon wood with Ollie, while Julia kept players refreshed with Prime Time Beer.
Players also took part in a “Beat the Pro” challenge with Maria, Dan and James, accompanied by warming mulled wine. A second festive twist on “Beat the Pro” saw golfers draw a ball from a Santa hat to determine the club Mike had to use, with Ed and Sarah serving mince pies and hot chocolate. Nick entertained members and guests on the 1st and 10th tees, while Will proved a popular auction item as a specialist caddie for the day.
It was a truly memorable occasion, with many members commenting that it was our best event to date. The day was perfectly rounded off with a charity auction in support of our fantastic cause, Spread a Smile, followed by a delicious carvery to close out a brilliant finale to the year.
In the world of Professional golf
Image credit: www.alfreddunhillchampionship.com
Schaper Snatches Victory in South Africa Playoff
24-year-old Jayden Schaper claimed a dramatic maiden DP World Tour victory against compatriot Shaun Norris at the Alfred Dunhill Championship. The South African duo, playing in their home nation in Johannesburg, were tied at 16-under after 54 holes.
The tournament was shortened due to intense rainfall on Saturday, resulting in no possible play. 36-hole leader Eugenio Chacarra failed to deliver in the final round, returning a level par 70 to finish one shot back despite a final hole bridie. The pair of Springboks were forced into sudden death and a replay of the par-five last. Norris hit first from the fairway from 250 yards to the heart of the green.
Then the younger Shaper struck an exquisite hybrid clipped perfectly from the bunker that pitched a mere few feet from the flag before rolling to the back fringe. Norris left his eagle attempt on the low side but within a few feet, but Schaper, who had already failed to get up and down on the 54th hole for the win, drained his eagle attempt from just off the surface to dramatically secure his first tour win. With the triumph, the South African moves inside the top 100 in OWGR and into first place in the early race to Dubai standings.
The win comes off a runner up at last week’s Nedbank, highlighting that Jayden has rounded into form at the right time, capping off his 2205 with his first professional victory, and in his home country no less.
Two-time winner on tour Norris displayed immense sportsmanship in defeat after shooting a final round 62 to get into the playoff in his home town. The 43-year-old was the defending champion going into the week following his one stroke win last year, but the loss takes his playoff record for his career and for 2025 to 0-2, an unsavoury return for the man who turned professional just a year after Schaper was born.
The DP World Tour heads to Mauritius to round off the year, before returning with the Dubai Invitational in the middle of January.
Coughlin and Novak Combine for Grant Thornton Crown
In the mixed event in Naples, Florida on the PGA Tour, Laurn Coughlin and Andrew Novak paired up to win by three strokes. It is Novak’s second team triumph of 2025, after he and Ben Griffin claimed victory in the Zurich Classic in New Orleans back in April. Incidentally, they are also Novak’s only two wins on the PGA Tour, and both were accomplished by shooting 28-under for the week alongside his partner.
The 30-year-old lost out in a playoff to Justin Thomas at the RBC Heritage the week before earning the Zurich title. Coughlin asserted herself onto the scene in 2024 where she picked up her first two LPGA victories and had two top five finishes in majors. However, she was unable to relocate her best form in 2025, missing the cut in three of the majors without notching a single win. This may boost her game as she searches for her best stuff going into 2026, also a Solheim Cup year.
A trio of duos finished three shots back of the 28-under par benchmark set by Coughlin and Novak, the top three all firing final round 63s. Jennifer Kupcho and Chris Gotterup, Nelly Korda and Matt McCarty, Charley Hull and Michael Brennan, all tied at 25-under after the three rounds that alternated from fourball, then foursomes, then fourball again for the final round.
There were 16 pairs in the mixed format, with the Grant Thornton Invitational always spotlighting the need for men and women to compete together in professional golf more often, instead of being tagged on at the end of the year, with most of the top stars in full offseason mode. The proposed event at the 2028 Olympics will hopefully spark a renewed interest in integrating a similar model during the summer on the American circuit.
Again, with the schedule finally winding down, the PNC Championship bookends the calendar year in Florida this week, with 20 professionals teaming up with a family member. With Bernard Langer and son Jason looking for the three-peat after successfully defending their title last year in a duel with Tiger and Charlie Woods.
