Pressure, Patience and the Next Shot

Andy Taylor Golf Lab | Monday 19 October 2026 Professional golf review: 15–18 October 2026

It is often the quietest moment in a round that tells us the most about a player. Not the longest drive or most spectacular iron shot, but the decision after something goes wrong. The four-foot putt when the leaderboard tightens. The recovery shot when a comfortable lead suddenly feels less comfortable.

This weekend gave us two excellent examples in Asia. Ruoning Yin won in front of her home crowd in Shanghai; Eugenio Chacarra completed a long, weather-disrupted Sunday in Delhi and emerged as the new leader of the Race to Dubai. And in North Carolina, Vijay Singh reminded us that there is no age at which a golfer has to stop learning or competing.

Three different stories, one common coaching theme: the work matters, and so does your response when the round stops following the script.

LPGA Tour | Yin wins at home in Shanghai

Playing in front of home supporters brings its own kind of pressure. You want to perform for them, but also manage the expectation of being the player everyone watches.

Ruoning Yin handled that beautifully at the Buick LPGA Shanghai at Sheshan Golf Club. The 2023 Women's PGA Championship winner closed with 68 to finish 11-under-par 277, one stroke ahead of Hye-Jin Choi (-10). Amy Yang (-8) was third, followed by Rio Takeda (-7) and Carlota Ciganda (-6). Yin's rounds were 68, 74, 67 and 68.

Choi led after each of the first three rounds and was seeking a maiden LPGA Tour title. The pair were level through the 15th on Sunday. Yin holed a four-foot birdie putt at the 16th and birdied the 17th to pull ahead. Choi's closing 71 was a brave effort after setting the early pace with an opening 64.

For Yin this was a seventh LPGA Tour victory, a second Shanghai title after 2024, and a second win in consecutive LPGA starts following the FM Championship. We sometimes talk about experience as though it must mean decades of competition. In reality, it is the quality of the experiences and what we learn from them.

Choi, still seeking her first LPGA title after more than 100 starts, has plenty to take from this week too. I would be interested in how she reviews the round, where she draws confidence and what she chooses to improve next.

Coaching lesson: Pressure is not always about an enormous putt. Sometimes it is about following your routine on a short one when the crowd, leaderboard and your own thoughts are trying to hurry you.

DP World Tour | Chacarra's marathon changes the Race to Dubai

If Yin's finish was about composure, Eugenio Chacarra's victory at the DP World India Championship was about endurance, recovery and winning without feeling entirely comfortable.

Storms disrupted the event at Delhi Golf Club, leaving Chacarra to play 25 holes on Sunday. He completed round three in a remarkable 63, then shot 70 to win at 21 under par, two ahead of Daniel Hillier (-19). Ángel Hidalgo and Adrian Meronk shared third.

It looked comfortable on paper. It wasn't. Chacarra's lead stretched to six before Hillier made a late charge. Par saves at nine and ten kept him in control, and another excellent recovery at 16 came at exactly the right time. When protecting a lead, those saves are every bit as valuable as birdies.

Chacarra had fractured a toe before the Open de España yet still finished runner-up there. He has now added Delhi to victories at the KLM Open and Italian Open in June: three DP World Tour wins in 2026, four overall. His first also came in India, at the 2025 Hero Indian Open.

He moves ahead of Patrick Reed in the Race to Dubai, with Rory McIlroy also in contention as the Genesis Championship and the two UAE play-off events approach.

What interests me is the need to manage energy and short-game performance after an interrupted schedule and 25 competitive holes. This is why I believe physical preparation, decision-making and routines must be developed alongside technique.

Coaching lesson: When your best ball-striking isn't available, do you have a plan B? A sound short game, sensible targets and a willingness to take par can keep the round alive.

PGA Tour | A break, and a Champions Tour reminder

The main PGA Tour had no tournament from 15–18 October, between the Baycurrent Classic in Japan and the forthcoming Butterfield Bermuda Championship. FedExCup Fall contenders therefore had a pause before the next chance to improve their position and secure status.

There was an excellent story on PGA Tour Champions. At the SAS Championship at Prestonwood Country Club in North Carolina, Vijay Singh, aged 63, recorded three rounds of 69 to finish nine under, two clear of Ernie Els (-7). Alex Cejka and Tag Ridings (-6) shared third.

It was Singh's sixth Champions Tour victory and his first on that circuit since 2023. A three-time major champion with 34 PGA Tour titles hardly needs another trophy to establish his career, but that isn't the point. The desire to compete, refine and solve problems is still there.

His victory moved him from 57th to 33rd in the Charles Schwab Cup standings. The body changes, the game changes, and practice may need to change too. But improvement and competitive purpose do not have a fixed expiry date.

Coaching lesson: Consistency is not dull. Three 69s were enough. Repeatable fundamentals and sensible choices give you opportunities.

Ladies European Tour | India next

There was no Ladies European Tour tournament from 15–18 October. The tour returns 22–25 October for the Hero Women's Indian Open at DLF Golf & Country Club, Gurugram, with a US$500,000 purse.

After the men's DP World Tour event in Delhi, the spotlight remains on Indian golf. Shannon Tan won the 2025 edition at seven under par, with India's Hitaashee Bakshi the leading home player in third.

For young golfers, particularly the girls I coach, seeing different pathways into professional golf is important. Careers develop through national systems, university golf and developmental tours, and not everyone follows the same timetable.

Coaching lesson: Watch how the best players adapt their strategy to a demanding course. There is more to learn than copying a swing position.

LIV Golf | The wider landscape

There was no LIV Golf tournament this weekend. Questions about future competition structures, player opportunities and relationships between professional tours remain worth following. It is important to distinguish confirmed developments from speculation, particularly where commercial and contractual discussions are concerned.

From a player-development perspective, my interest is in clear pathways. Young golfers need to understand how they progress, where they can compete and what opportunities may be available. A strong professional game needs credible competition and an understandable structure.

My coaching reflection | What do you do with the next shot?

I often talk about long-term development rather than tips and quick fixes. These weekends explain why.

Yin did not need a new putting stroke at the 16th in Shanghai. Chacarra did not suddenly discover a different short game late on Sunday in Delhi. Singh did not become competitive at 63 through one magical swing thought.

These performances are the visible result of years of work, adjustment and competitive learning.

After your next round, rather than reviewing only the score, identify three moments when you felt uncomfortable. Perhaps a poor drive, a short putt that mattered, or a hole where you began thinking about your final score. Write down what you chose to do next. Was it a good decision? Did you follow your routine? Did you accept the outcome?

That gives us something genuinely useful to coach. A good process doesn't guarantee a good shot every time, but it gives the player a repeatable way to respond.

Looking ahead | 22–25 October

PGA Tour — Butterfield Bermuda Championship: FedExCup Fall resumes at Port Royal Golf Course, Southampton, with a $6 million purse and 500 FedExCup points to the winner. Wind management and trajectory control could be decisive.

LPGA Tour — BMW Ladies Championship: The Asian Swing moves to Pine Beach Golf Links in South Korea, for a $2.35 million event. Watch how Yin carries her momentum and how Choi responds to another close call.

DP World Tour — Genesis Championship: Woo Jeong Hills Country Club, South Korea, hosts the next event before November's play-offs in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Chacarra has the Race to Dubai lead to defend.

Ladies European Tour — Hero Women's Indian Open: DLF Golf & Country Club hosts the return to competition, with Shannon Tan's 2025 victory an obvious reference point.

LIV Golf: No tournament this week; look for confirmed announcements rather than speculation and actually the question arising is, is there going to be another LIV event ever! 

There is plenty to look forward to. Which performance stood out to you — and what could you learn from it?

Andy PGA Professional | Andy Taylor Golf Lab