News

Sunday Tournament Recap

Published

18 years ago

Jul 31, 2007

What an exciting day in golf, there was honestly too much compelling tournament coverage to watch just one.

Natalie Gulbis won her first career LPGA victory. Andres Romero rebounded from his mistakes at the Open Championship to win one of the biggest tournaments on the European PGA Tour. Tom Watson solidified his place as the greatest links golfer of modern times by winning the Senior Open Championship. Jim Furyk made a tremendous final round charge to catch Vijay Singh and defend his title at the Canadian Open.

Canadian Open

Jim Furyk began Sunday three strokes behind Vijay Singh. From the beginning it was clear this would be a special day for him. Furyk birded two of the first three holes until the lead changed hands on the fourth hole, a 209 yard par three. Furyk’s hole in one at the fourth catapulted him to a one shot lead and he would never look back. Furyk said, "When the ball hit it, looked like it was online in a good spot and you could see kind of them growing enthusiasm, and then everyone arms up in the air and cheering. Couldn’t see it go in, but we understood directly from the reaction what had happened."

Yet a seasoned competitor and former Canadian Open champion like Vijay Singh wasn’t going to go away quietly. Singh began the back nine with three straight birdies and needed a birdie at 18 to force a playoff. From 164 yards, Singh’s approach shot landed 20 feet away. Unfortunately his putt stayed on the high side and Furyk had won his 13th career PGA Tour title. "I had my chances, but I couldn’t get it going on the front nine," Singh said. "I had a chance on the last, but Jim played well. Anyone who shoots seven-under on the last day is deserving."

Senior Open Championship

Just a month ago, Tom Watson had a monumental collapse at the Senior U.S. Open, giving away a big lead on the back nine of the tournament. However, back on his familar U.K. soil which has yielded five Open Championships and two other Senior Open Championships, the stars always seem to align for Watson. At Muirfield Village, it was a battle, but Watson prevailed in the end, cementing his legacy as perhaps the greatest links golfer of all time. "This has been a very serene week for me," he said. "The weather was right up my alley: good blowy conditions, a little rain here and there. The beauty of the place, I feel very comfortable," said Watson.

However, after his tee shot on the 18th hole, the scene looked anything but serene. With a three shot lead, Watson pulled his tee shot left into a fairway bunker and took two shots to finally advance his ball, although he ultimately missed the green. His fifth shot was a long putt that settled three feet from the cup and after sinking the final putt for double bogey Watson found himself with the Senior Open Championship title once again.

Deutsche Bank Players’ Championship

How many people could forget watching young Andres Romero painfully hook his 2 iron into the burn out of the thick Carnoustie rough? Although he didn’t win the Open Championship, his third place finish vaulted him up the world golf rankings and got him into the field at the Deutsche Bank Player’s Championship. Romero took full advantage. His two stroke victory was relatively easy, even after a double bogey on the ninth hole, Romero was able to rein himself in and regain his composure. A solid mix of pars and birdies on the back nine guaranteed him a three shot victory.

When asked about his win, Romero thanked Cabrera for inspiration, "I loved the way Angel Cabrera plays, after he win the U.S. Open that he opened all the doors for the Argentineans, and I was thinking I have to do my share now. That helped me a lot, and I’m very grateful to Angel. Because he won the U.S. Open, I have even more confidence for me to play good golf."

Evian Masters

Natalie Gulbis finally shed her Anna Kournikova of golf image with a playoff victory in France yesterday. Gulbis’s play coming into France was a bit erratic, struggling with a back injury making cuts was increasingly difficult let alone finding her first victory. However, all that seemed a mile away during the fourth round of the tournament. "This is my sixth year and I have been waiting a long time. But I knew if I was patient it would eventually happen for me. This feels great to have done it at last," said Gulbis.

A strong front nine with three birdies began Gulbis’s charge up the leader board, but difficulty on the back nine had her doubting her chances for a victory. However, at the urging of fellow Tour player Cristie Kerr, Gulbis continued to practice and hope for a playoff. She got her opportunity and took advantage hitting the green in two on the par five playoff hole against Jang Jeong. After two putting for birdie Gulbis had won her first tournament on the LPGA.

News

Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

Aug 4, 2025

Ronald Montesano

I’m going to gush in this intro paragraph, to get the emo stuff done early. I’ve not pulled harder for a professional to win, than Cameron Young. I coach golf in New York state, and each spring, my best golfers head to a state championship in Poughkeepsie. I first saw Cameron there as a 9th grade student. I saw him three more times after that. I reconnecected with Coach Haas from Wake Forest, an old interview subject from my days on the Old Gold and Black, the Wake newspaper. He was there to watch Cameron. After four years at Wake Forest, Young won on the Korn Ferry Tour, made it to the big tour, almost won two majors, almost won five other events, and finally got the chalice about 25 minutes from the Wake campus. Congratulations, Cameron. You truly are a glass of the finest. #MotherSoDear

OK, let’s move on to the Tour Rundown. The major championship season closed this week in Wales, with the Women’s Open championship. The PGA Tour bounced through Greensboror, N.C., while the PGA Tour Americas hit TO (aka, Toronto) for a long-winded event. The Korn Ferry lads made a stop in Utah, one of just two events for that tour in August. The many-events, golf season is winding down, as we ease from summer toward fall in the northern hemisphere. Let’s bask in the glory of an August sunrise, and run down a quartet of events from the first weekend of the eighth month.

LET/LPGA @ Women’s Open: Miyu bends, but she doesn’t break

Royal Porthcawl was not a known commodity in the major tournament community. The Welsh links had served as host to men’s senior opens, men’s amateurs, and Curtis and Walker Cups in prior years, but never an Open championship for the women or the men. The last-kept secret in UK golf was revealed once again to the world this week, as the best female golfers took to the sandy stage.

Mao Saigo, Grace Kim, Maja Stark, and Minjee Lee hoped to add a second major title to previous wins this season, but only Lee was able to finish inside the top ten. The 2025 playing of the Women’s Open gave us a new-faces gallery from day one. The Kordas and Thitikulls were nowhere to be found, and it was the Mayashitas, Katsus, and Lim Kims that secured the Cymru spotlight. The first round lead was held at 67 by two golfers. One of them battled to the end, while the other posted 81 on day two, and missed the cut. Sitting one shot behind was Miyu Yamashita.

On day two, Yamashita posted the round of the tournament. Her 65 moved her to the front of the aisle, in just her fourth turn around a women’s Open championship. With the pre-event favorites drifting off pace, followers narrowed into two camps: those on the side of an underdog, and others hoping for a weekend charge from back in the pack. In the end, we had a bit of both.

On Saturday, Yamashita bent with 74 on Saturday, offering rays of hope to her pursuing pack. England’s Charley Hull made a run on Sunday closing within one shot before tailing off to a T2 finish with Minami Katsu. Katsu posted the other 65 of the week, on Saturday, but could not overtake her countrywoman, Yamashita. wunderkind Lottie Woad needed one round in the 60s to find her pace, but could only must close-to’s, ending on 284 and a tie with Minjee for eighth.

On Sunday, Yamashita put away the thoughts of Saturday’s struggles, with three-under 33 on the outward half. She closed in plus-one 37, but still won by two, for a first Major and LPGA title.

PGA Tour @ Wyndham: Young gathers first title near home

Cameron Young grew up along the Hudson river, above metro New York, but he also calls Winston-Salem home. He spent four years as a student and athlete at Wake Forest University, then embarked on tour. This week in Greensboro, after a bit of a break, Young opened with 63-62, and revved the engine of Is this the week once more. Runner-up finishes at the Open, the PGA, and a handful of PGA Tour events had followers wonder when the day would come.

On Saturday, Young continued his torrid pace with 65, giving him a five-shot advantage over his closest pursuer. Sunday saw the Scarborough native open with bogey, then reel off five consecutive birdies to remind folks that his time had, at last, arrived. Pars to the 16th, before two harmless bogeys coming home, made Young the 1000th winner of an official PGA Tour event (dating back to before there was a PGA Tour) throughout history. What’s next? I have a suspicion, but I’m not letting on. Mac Meissner closed with 66 to finish solo 2nd, while Mark Hubbard and Alex Noren tied for third.

Korn Ferry Tour @ Utah Championship: Are you Suri it’s Julian?

Who knows exactly when the flower will bloom? Julian Suri played a solid careet at Duke University, then paid his dues on the world’s minor tours for three years. He won twice on two tours in Europe, in 2017. Since then, the grind has continued for the journeyman from New York city. At age 34, Suri broke through in Beehive state, outlasting another grinder (Spencer Levin) and four others, by two shots.

Taylor Montgomery began the week with 62, then posted 64, then 68, and finally, 70. That final round was his undoing. He finished in that second-place tie, two back of the leader. Trace Crowe, Barend Botha, and Kensei Hirata made up the last of the almost quintet. As for Suri, his Sunday play was sublime. His nines were 32 and 31, with his only radar blip a bogey at ten. He closed in style with one final birdie, to double his winning margin. Hogan bloomed late…might Suri?

PGA Tour Americas @ Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates

Some tournament names run longer than others. This week in Toronto, at the Heathlands course at TPC Toronto, we might have seen the longest tournament title in recorded history. The OVOPBVCCBMA was a splendid affair. It saw three rounds of 62 on Thursday, but of those early risers, only Drew Goodman would stick around until the end. 64 was the low tally on day two, and two of those legionnaires managed to finish inside the top three at week’s end. Saturday brought a 63 from Patrick Newcomb, and he would follow with 64 on Sunday, to finish solo fourth.

Who, then, ended up winning the acronym of the year? It turns out that Carson Bacha had the right stuff in TeeOhhh. Bacha and Jay Card III posted 63 and 64, respectively, on day four, to tie for medalist honors at 23-under 261. Nathan Franks was one shot adrift, despite also closing with 63. If you didn’t go low on Sunday, it was about the check, not the championship.

Bacha and JC3 returned to the 18th hole twice in overtime. Card nearly chipped in from the thick stuff for birdie, while Bacha peeked and shoved a ten-feet attempt at the win. On the second go-round, Card was long with his approach, into the native grasses once more. He was unable to escape, and a routine par from the fairway was enough to earn the former Auburn golfers a first KFT title.

Card III and Bacha both miss their birdie tries on the first playoff hole.

We’ll play 18 again @OspreyOpen. pic.twitter.com/vNpHTdkHDg

— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) August 3, 2025

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

Published

4 weeks ago

Jul 29, 2025

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX is live this week from the final event of the PGA Tour’s regular season, the Wyndham Championship.

Photos are flowing into the forums from Sedgefield Country Club, where we already have a GolfWRX spirit animal Adam Schenk WITB and plenty of putters for your viewing pleasure.

Check out links to all our photos below, which we’ll continue to update as more arrive.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.

News

BK’s Breakdowns: Kurt Kitayama’s Winning WITB, 3M Open

Published

4 weeks ago

Jul 28, 2025

Brian Knudson

Kurt Kitayama just won his 2nd PGA Tour event at the 3M Open. Kurt is a Bridgestone staffer but with just the ball and bag. Here are the rest of the clubs he used to secure a win at the 2025 3M Open.

Driver: Titleist GT3 (11 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 TX

3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees, A3 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX

7-wood: Titleist GT1 (21 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2 Tour Prototype
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy 1.0PT

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Bridgestone Tour B XS (with Mindset)