It’s the week prior to a men’s major championship, so the top golfers in the world found themselves near Toronto, getting one more week of reps in advance of a trip west, to Pebble Beach. The coolest golf event of the year took place in trendy Portugal, while the LPGA had its annual #ShoreThing in Atlantic City. Familiar names topped some leader boards, while a few surprises came our way on June the 9th. Have a glance at our rundown below. The nice weather has finally arrived!

European Tour: GolfSixes sees an unexpected winner in Team Thailand

Six-hole tournaments, we’ve said before, need to have more of a presence on the world’s professional golf tours. They demand constant attention, as changes happen at a lightning pace. Tournament organizers see them as an opportunity to debut new elements to keep fans enthused and happy. At this week’s GolfSixes Cascais, in Portugal, golfers teed off over a swimming pool, played a course specifically designed for this event, grooved to a variety of music feeds, and played a format called “Greensomes.” The two-golfer format allowed for true team and country spirit, and the gentlemen from the kingdom of Thailand held high the event trophy after the final match.

16 teams entered group play, including two women’s teams from Germany and England. Modeled on FIFA World Cup structure, each squad played the others in its 4-team group, with the top 2 from each group moving into the knockout stage. Surprise losers in stage one were South Africa and Ireland, but that’s the beauty of the format. With golfers each hitting a team shot, selecting one, then playing alternate-shot the rest of the way, the Greensomes format demanded reliance on the other for true team success. No one did it better than veteran Thongchai Jaidee and his prodigy, Phachara Khongwhatmai, although Spain, Italy and England’s Men did their level best. In the final match, England had a chance to win on the 6th hole (the Pool hole) but missed a short putt for birdie. The 2 teams returned to the tee twice more in overtime, going to an all-or-nothing, closest to the pin decider. Khongwhatmai locked in to about 24 inches, and the deed was done.

Relive the #GolfSixes final in 3 minutes ???? pic.twitter.com/OWC3MpNJvC

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) June 8, 2019

PGA Tour: McIlroy’s Canadian adventure sauces the field at the Canadian Open-June Version

Combine a great date (June!) with a classic venue (Hamilton golf club, known locally as Ancaster) and the world’s 2nd-oldest, Open championship returns to the herald it merits. From a guy who lives on the NY/Ontario border, the Canadian way is well-known to me. From penalty boxes, to referees, to hockey sweaters, to a little bit of sauce, Canada presented itself impeccably this week. Harry Colt’s Hamilton masterpiece was on full display, and the players embraced the venue and the attendees. Given the intervening decades and the advances in golf equipment, it’s safe to say that Old Harry would be just fine with what one Rory McIlroy did on his golf course on Sunday.

McIlroy bogeyed the 16th and 18th holes. That’s the story. Not because those 2 faux pas cost him victory; he won comfortably by 7 shots over Shane Lowry and Webb Simpson. Those two bogeys cost McIlroy a 59. Without them, he was 11-under on the day. McIlroy had 5 birdies heading out, including a nearly-holed pitch for eagle at the first. He had birdies from 11-14 to seal the victory and signal the 59 watch. Birdie at the last would have done, as the NIrishman followed his first bogey at 16, with eagle at 17. Alas, he tried to hard and made another bogey. 60, 61, not much difference. Is McIlroy the favorite for Pebble? Not really, but he was absolutely sublime in his first trip to the land of Maple Leaf.

EAGLE for leader @McIlroyRory. ????

He needs a birdie on 18 to shoot 59!#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/0HablJ3Bo4

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 9, 2019

LPGA: Lexi walks the boardwalk in Atlantic City triumph

We’ll get to the finish in a moment. Know this: Seaview is the least-long course the LPGA plays. In an era of technological wonderment, that’s not a sought-after designation. Pair it with the winds that chastise the Jersey Shore, however, and you get a golf course that plays, well, quixotic. How else to explain these final-day numbers from the top two golfers: 5 birdies, 1 eagle & 3 bogies; 5 birdies & 4 bogies. If you can’t control the height of your flight at the Shoprite Classic, you’re not likely challenging come Sunday sunset.

Jeongeun Lee6 had herself quite a week. A win at the US Open, followed 7 days later by a win 2nd-place finish at Shoprite. Lee6 found herself 2 shots clear of the USA’s Ally McDonald at the end of play. Trouble was, Lexi Thompson eagled the 54th hole to edge Lee6 by 1 shot. Yes, you read that correctly, eagle. It was a fitting end to a back-and-forth final round, when no one else seemed to matter. Each made some birdies and a bogey on the way out, then Lee6 had a 3-hole bogey run to seemingly give up the ghost. The thing was, Lexi bogeyed 2 holes over the same run of holes, so not much changed. Lee6 finished birdie-par-birdie to reach -11, but Lexi did her one better, finishing birdie-par-eagle to reach 4-under on the day and 12 deep on the week.

BOOM ???? ????@Lexi takes a two-stroke lead in to the clubhouse

Could this be the winning putt?@ShopRiteLPGA | @GolfChannel pic.twitter.com/BtUlBA3eip

— LPGA (@LPGA) June 9, 2019

PGA Tour Champions: McCarron masters Narita in Japan for 3rd Champions Tour title of 2019

We’re not ready to say that the era of Langer will give way to the time of McCarron, but a case could be made. No other Champions Tour golfer has the ability to separate from the pack like the Californian, so pay close attention as major-championship season arrives in the coming months on golf’s senior circuit. McCarron made tidy work of the Narita golf club with a 13-under par total. He limited daily damage to one bogey each day, never threatening a big number. His play forced golfers to come after him with a low-60s round, but none did. With daily medal scores never dipping below 65, the super-low 60 from last week never materialized.

McCarron blends power with precision. Eschewing the draw for the power fade, he is most likely to find the fairway and the green. Unlike Langer, the steeliest golfer of a generation, McCarron is possessed of distraction from time to time, but none of it was in evidence this week. Billy Andrade made a front-nine run on Sunday, going 4-under through 10 holes. His bogey at 11, paired with a 3-under inward half from the champion, put an end to the challenge. Kirk Triplett closed fast to match Andrade at -10, 3 back of the winner, in a tie for 2nd. Oh, if you’d like to see McCarron hit a rare draw, check out the clip below.

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????? Putt@ScottMccarron with a pretty combo at 12 to extend lead in Japan. pic.twitter.com/rb9lBKAns5

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) June 9, 2019

Web.Com Tour: 28th year in Greenville sees a Gibson victory at the end

If you’ve never been to Greenville, you should go. Smack in the middle of downtown, is a waterfall. Not the crashing, vertical type you find in Niagara, but a casual, gentle slider that reminds all of the Carolina way. Never hurry, never worry, enjoy the ride. The weather, however, got in the face of all that slow jam, shrinking the event to 54 holes this year. Golf ended early Saturday afternoon, but was unable to wedge 1.5 round in on Sunday. The Webbers did battle with the knowledge that round 3 would be it. Would Michael Miller, former amateur stalwart, hold on for a massive win, or would someone come from the way-back to take the title?

It was the latter. Miller played well enough to win some week, with -3 over the final 18. He reached -18 on the week, and had a clean card with 3 birdies and 0 bogies in round the final. Rhein Gibson schooled Miller in how one goes about securing a Web Win with a dirty, nasty 63 over the final 18. Gibson rode an eagle at the 5th to an outward 30. He added 3 birdies coming home (remember, that’s how many Miller had on the day) for 33 and a 3-shot edge at -21. To show the importance of victory, Gibson shot from 32 to 7 in The 25 PGA Tour card chase. Miller jumped from nowhere (188) to 49th, but oh how far would a win have taken him! All part of school, they say.

.@RheinGibson55 isn't letting up. ????

A birdie on No. 16 gives him a three-stroke lead with two holes left at the @BMWCharityProAm. ???? pic.twitter.com/fRihPV37K6

— Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) June 9, 2019