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Z. Johnson bests Tiger in playoff, wins World Challenge

Published

12 years ago

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The Northwestern Mutual World Challenge’s final playing at Sherwood Country Club provided a whirlwind of a finish Sunday evening, as Tiger Woods’ four-shot lead on the back-nine was erased and Zach Johnson clinched the victory over Woods with a par on the first playoff hole.

Woods faced a 5-footer to continue the sudden death playoff, but his putt caught the high edge of the hole and lipped out, leaving Johnson as the victor.

The final three holes alone provided all the drama one could ask for in the close of a golf tournament. Johnson nearly jarred approaches on both Nos. 16 and 17, but settled for tap-in birdies to pull even with Woods at 13-under par with the final twosome heading to the home hole.

Woods helped add to the late drama, playing a perfect flop shot on the par-5 16th. The shot set up a tap-in birdie which maintained his one-shot lead at the time.

After Johnson found the fairway on the 72nd hole, Woods missed the fairway to the left and was faced with a challenging side-hill lie on his approach. Trying to draw a shot with the ball below his feet, Woods’ second found a greenside bunker, giving Johnson the apparent advantage.

But, Johnson’s iron shot produced a jaw-dropping result, as the poorly struck shot found the water hazard to the right of the green of No. 18’s green.

Calmly, Johnson refocused and took his shot from the drop-area. The approach landed short of the hole, skipped just beyond the cup then zipped back to the bottom of the hole for an astounding par.

Woods, smirking at Johnson’s hole-out par, gave his tough bunker shot a run past the hole, then tapped in for par to force a playoff.

Both competitors found the fairway as they replayed the par-4 18th hole. Despite having a much better look at the green the second time around, Woods wound up back in the greenside bunker once again, while Johnson found the green some 25 feet to the left and below the hole.

Woods’ bunker shot ran by the hole to about 5 feet this time, before Johnson two-putted for his par. Facing the breaking five-footer, Woods’ putt had a little too much pace as it caught the edge and lipped out.

The duel was a near turnaround of Johnson and Woods’ battle in 2011 at Sherwood Country Club. That time, Woods birdied holes No. 17 and 18 to turn a one-shot deficit into a one-shot victory.

Woods began the day with a two-shot edge over Johnson, the same advantage he held following his second-round 62. Woods began the final round with a pair of two-putt birdies on the front-nine’s par-5s. His lead extended to four shots as Johnson bogied the par-4 10th hole.

Johnson birdied the next two, though, while Woods’ three-putt bogey on No. 14 trimmed the lead down to one and set up the excitement to close the event.

Bubba Watson and Matt Kuchar made attempts to throw their hats in the challenge for the tournament title, but were too far back. Both finished the tournament at 9-under-par. Kuchar’s final-round 67 was the best of the day, narrowly edging out Johnson’s 4-under-par Sunday round.

Webb Simpson rounded out the top-five finishers at a 281 tournament total (7-under). He also carded a final round 4-under-par.

The tournament will relocate to Woods’ old home course of Isleworth Golf and Country Club near Orlando, Fla., next year, after Sherwood has hosted the event since 2000.

Woods has claimed the title five times (2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2011) and has carded top-two finishes 10 times in 12 appearances while the tournament has been hosted at Sherwood. Davis Love III (2000, 2003) and Graeme McDowell (2010, 2012) are the only other multiple-time winners at the event.

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GolfWRX fan turned GolfWRX contributor. Sports fan, golf enthusiast. Looking to provide a variety of content to GolfWRX.

3 Comments

3 Comments

  1. christian

    Dec 9, 2013 at 10:36 pm

    A bit too much of a fluke for my taste. I know, it could have happened on days 1-3, but it happened on the last hole.

    Reply Report comment

  2. Tom

    Dec 9, 2013 at 12:10 pm

    Talk about an exciting finish….

    Reply Report comment

  3. Corrie-Lynn's Dad

    Dec 9, 2013 at 12:31 am

    now he’s 11-2

    Reply Report comment

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Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

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Aug 4, 2025

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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.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

Published

4 weeks ago

on

Jul 29, 2025

By

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.

 

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News

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

Published

4 weeks ago

on

Jul 28, 2025

By

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)

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WITB

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