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Perspectives on the Tiger’s WD at the Honda Classic
Rory McIlroy’s Sunday 74 and Russell Henley’s playoff victory at the Honda Classic competed for headline space with Tiger Woods’ back-nine withdrawal.
Woods withdrew after No. 13, at which point he was 5-over for the final round. He left PGA National without comment, but he later released a statement indicating that his back began bothering him while warming up and got progressively worse during the round.
Whether Tiger tapped out due to a recurrence of the back spasms that have plagued him merit top billing is beside the point. Yes, Woods was more than 10 strokes off the lead when he withdrew. Were it any other golfer, the WD wouldn’t be competing for headline space with McIlroy and Henley’s feats.
The man leaving the golf course without speaking to the press wasn’t “any other golfer,” however. It was Tiger Woods. So, here we are.
Tiger detractors will say Woods is whining. They’ll say his walkoff is comparable to McIlroy’s early departure at the same tournament last year. Many anti-Tiger-ites (on social media, anyway) speculated the golfer was frustrated with his play and the overall pace of the round and thus he elected to head home to Jupiter Island early.
Catastrophists will take this news, coupled with Woods’ underwhelming play this week and poor start to the ’13-’14 season, as signs that Tiger’s Masters hopes have gone up in smoke. Off to his worst start of his career and only has one start scheduled before heading to Augusta in April? “Tiger is doomed,” they’ll say.
Hardliners, of course, will invoke the names of the golfing greats who have soldiered on through incredible pain to finish tournaments and assert that such behavior is what this great game demands. Thus, a WD at any point other than while one is being carried away on a stretcher is unsatisfactory and Mr. Woods is a wuss.
Supporters and the more even-tempered won’t doubt the legitimacy of Tiger’s injury; many of those who followed Tiger today reported the golfer grimacing throughout his round. Whether he was truly unable to finish, only Woods himself knows. By all appearances though, the back injury was legitimate.
It’s no secret Woods is looking ahead to the Masters. If he felt there was any possibility that continuing to play would further aggravate his back, it’s understandable from a certain perspective that he withdrew in order to get treatment. However, the fact that he didn’t proceed immediately to the trainer won’t please naysayers any.
Obviously, too, he wasn’t getting quality reps while fighting through pain. Clearly, the final round wasn’t going to allow him to practice the shots he’ll need for the Masters in a competitive setting, as he reportedly likes to do in the tournaments leading up to the first major of the year. Thus, the round was, in some sense, pointless.
Does the above merit a withdrawal? Certainly not in and of itself. However, coupled with a level of pain that made continuing to play golf impossible, it’s a complementary rationale.
Regardless of what faction you align with, the following is indisputable: Tiger Woods looks as ill-prepared for the Masters at the beginning of March as he has at any point in recent memory. Clearly, he needs to practice. Clearly too, he can’t practice with a spasming back.
Therein lies the rub, as they say. It will be interesting to listen to the chatter and watch the next month unfold.
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
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
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #1
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #2
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Chandler Phillips – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Davis Riley – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Scotty Kennon – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Austin Duncan – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Will Chandler – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kevin Roy – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ben Griffin – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Peter Malnati – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ryan Gerard – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Adam Schenk – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kurt Kitayama – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Camilo Villegas – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matti Schmid – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
Pullout Albums
- Denny McCarthy’s custom Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Swag Golf putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Karl Vilips TM MG5 wedges – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- New Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matt Fitzpatrick’s custom Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.
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)
‘Why would anybody want to change that swing?’ – Brandel Chamblee says PGA Tour star was wrong to change his swing
‘The stupidest freaking thing I’ve ever heard’ – Billy Horschel slams Open idea suggested by Padraig Harrington
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Golfer proudly posts photo of ball mark on iron, receives immediate roasting
WITB Time Machine: Matthew Wolff’s winning WITB, 2019 3M Open
Oakmont Country Club bans Wyndham Clark over locker incident; Reveals specific conditions to earn reinstatement
Adam Scott puts Callaway blades in the bag at Wyndham Championship
Report: LIV star fires caddie and coach in shock shake up
Rickie Fowler makes equipment change to ‘something that’s a little easier on the body’
The championship formula: How 3 key stats separate winners from the field
Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
RumtumTim
Mar 3, 2014 at 7:17 pm
I wonder- could the Foley swing be bad for his back? Is it wiser to protect the knee or protect the back?
Ponjo
Mar 3, 2014 at 1:09 pm
Golfers only withdraw when scores are bad.
Christian
Mar 7, 2014 at 2:33 pm
Very true in my opinion, bad back or not. Tiger won the US Open with a hurt knee, if he was doing much better on Sunday, no doubt he’d have stayed in. I’m a huge Rory fan but even I know last year when he withdrew he obviously wasn’t enjoying himself that round. As long as it doesn’t happen every other month, it’s no big deal.
billy
Mar 3, 2014 at 11:28 am
His short game is very average during most rounds now…I dare say its below the field in some events. If he does not recapture the magic somehow it will be a slow demise and end of a stellar golf career.
Nothing to be ashamed of for sure but there will always be that JD type question hanging low on the tree…
What if?
scott f
Mar 3, 2014 at 9:46 am
His injuries seem to be more frequent not less since he’s been bulking up. He looks as bulked this yar than I can ever remember. Rory is ripped but not bulky. Guess he needs to figure put whether he wants to beat Jack or try out for Mr Universe. Also at his age should be more focused on just core strength and stretching/yoga.
Scott
mlamb
Mar 3, 2014 at 9:09 am
“It’s no secret Woods is looking ahead to the Masters.”
This is why he is not going to win. No winning team overlooks games against lesser opponents prior to a more important matchup against a rival.
marty
Mar 3, 2014 at 11:31 am
uh, golf is not a team sport. those rules do not apply.
mlamb
Mar 3, 2014 at 1:15 pm
yes, it does. his lack of competitive play before the honda was pretty telling on wednesday, thursday, and (arguably) sunday.
simply saying “he’ll be ready for the masters” is stupid. he is far from mid-season form and there are many, many talented players in the field who have been on the grind since january.
mlamb
Mar 3, 2014 at 1:16 pm
edit: meant thursday, friday, and arguably sunday
Jack
Mar 4, 2014 at 10:43 am
No it is not like other sports. You get to a peak to perform for a tournament and do your best that way. No argument here. It’s why they all schedule around the majors…
Large chris
Mar 3, 2014 at 8:43 am
Only he knows the extent of his injury, but to have only one more start before the masters…. Is he sick of golf? Or more likely everything that goes with being who he is.
I think he has always been a very hard worker, and generally enjoys the practice, but that plus his workouts are leaving him too tired and jaded to compete.
More competitive golf, less practice and working out, fewer press and sponsor commitments, and he can play great again.
larry wilson
Mar 3, 2014 at 8:43 am
Tiger just didn’t want to post a 80.
Forsbrand
Mar 3, 2014 at 2:21 am
But don’t worry, he’ll be in great shape come the Masters in April ready for another major title! Well done Russell Henley great win
Johan
Mar 4, 2014 at 12:56 am
Är det du Anders?
Sean
Mar 3, 2014 at 12:08 am
I think the whole field was plagued with injury today. I feel sorry for Tiger. At least he has a reason for playing poorly. The rest of the field should be happy that he had a bad day. Otherwise it was his to win. At least his poor performance was due to legitimate continual issues. I don’t know what to think of the pathetic rounds I saw with the healthy one’s on the course but, wow.
Charles
Mar 3, 2014 at 7:18 am
His to win?, where we watching the same tournament?
heinket
Mar 3, 2014 at 10:58 am
He was never in contention!! This was not his tournament to win.
steve dawson
Mar 3, 2014 at 10:16 pm
his to win? sober up before posting next time..
Philip
Mar 2, 2014 at 10:05 pm
LMAO, ok you covered all the angles … woe is a society that is so predictable