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Y.E.Yang Captures PGA Championship
Oh my! Those two words became the phrase of the day, first uttered after Tiger Woods missed a six foot birdie putt on the first hole of the final round of the PGA Championship. I had just said, “here he goes” after the second shot on the first hole. No way he misses that putt. Miss he did. I repeated myself after the miss on number two; Oh my! Y.E Yang pretended not to notice. I bet he was as surprised as the rest of us, even saying a few oh my’s to himself. I kept wondering when the real Tiger Woods would stand up and begin thrashing the one hundred and tenth ranked player in the world. When will Mr. Yang begin playing like the one hundred tenth ranked player in the world is supposed to play in the final group in the final round of the years final major? Neither happened. I kept muttering “Oh my”.
Oh my! Those two words became the phrase of the day, first uttered after Tiger Woods missed a six foot birdie putt on the first hole of the final round of the PGA Championship. I had just said, "here he goes" after the second shot on the first hole. No way he misses that putt. Miss he did. I repeated myself after the miss on number two; Oh my! Y.E Yang pretended not to notice. I bet he was as surprised as the rest of us, even saying a few oh my’s to himself. I kept wondering when the real Tiger Woods would stand up and begin thrashing the one hundred and tenth ranked player in the world. When will Mr. Yang begin playing like the one hundred tenth ranked player in the world is supposed to play in the final group in the final round of the years final major? Neither happened. I kept muttering "Oh my".
Mr. Woods missed every putt of import, save one birdie on the 14th hole, appearing surprised and befuddled by some of the breaks hidden on the greens. All together he had seven misses inside ten feet for birdie and a couple for par. I don’t remember ever seeing him gesture so many times after a miss that the ball should have gone the other direction. He almost appeared, dare I say, human on the greens, because of his bafflement. Those reactions are replayed on courses all over the world every day by golfers of all statures. They are new one’s in the game of the best player in the world.
Mr. Yang is one of the few to play in the final group with Mr. Woods with the "deer in the headlights" look frozen on his face. He never appeared to be out of sorts, breathing normally and smiling frequently. Well, except for the 17th green, where he left his first putt woefully short. His reaction seemed to say "what the heck was that?" complete with wry smile. The second putt was even worse, and it became conceivable that the wheels would finally come of the bus. I have been so conditioned to that result over the years of Mr. Woods’ dominance that for a player to pull things back together always surprises me. Think Bob May and Rocco Mediate, two other guys who gave Mr. Woods all he could handle for more than seventy two holes.
With the chip in eagle on the 14th hole, Mr. Yang laid the pressure squarely on top of Mr. Woods broad shoulders. Something to which the normal Woodsian response is to hit an iron shot impossible close to the hole. I thought he had done so on the 17th hole but his tee shot was just a fraction long, taking a hard bounce forward off the green into the deep rough behind the flag. On greens that did not give up a hard bounce all day, that one seemed particularly cruel. After a flubbed chip and another missed putt led to bogey, Mr. Yang began his three putt adventure to a matching bogey. The 18th hole brought a highlight reel shot from Mr. Yang. A 3 hybrid from 206 yards, hooked around a tree that stopped eight feet from the hole. When the ball hit the green it sounded like a hammer driving the final nail home. Mr. Woods still had a shot at making up the single stroke between them, but his iron into the green was less than a yard wide in the long rough pin high. Needing to chip in to put the pressure on Mr. Yang, his chip shot missed the hole and ran past to the left. The eight foot birdie putt that rolled into the center of the hole gave Mr. Yang to victory and a couple of firsts. First Asian born player to win a Major Championship; first player to come from behind in the final round of a major and beat Mr. Woods. And the first winner to press his entire golf bag over his head after winning a major. Very very cool stuff.
Here’s the quote of the week: “This might be my last win as a golfer,” Yang said. “But it sure is a great day.” Amen to that. Congratulations to Mr.Yang. He deserves this victory and the adoration of his nation. It truly was a great day!
On another note, I feel terrible for Padraig Harrington. To take a second 8 in two weeks on the same kind of blown pitch shot is disheartening. I just have to shake my head. Stupid game. It does this kind of hoo haa to all of us at one time or another. Even those who have won three majors. Sigh.
Now it will start, all the talking heads, chat rooms, water cooler discussions, and 19th hole discourses about the end of Tiger Woods domination of golf. The guy is losing it at the age of 33. All those putts that fell all those years as an amatuer and professional will start missing the hole. Watch and listen. He’s fourteen months removed from major knee surgery. He’s only won five times this year including two of the last three weeks. He missed his second (that be number 2, two) cut in a major in his career. The other three majors he was in contention but didn’t putt very well and yet he could have won them all. Oh that sounds just about the end of the line to me, perhaps he should just hang it up and take up wine making. Give me a break. Give him eight months more on that recovery thing, and eight months more to practice, which I believe is something he’ll probably do, and next year he could just as easily win only four events, but all four of them would be majors. Listen and wait. It’s what I’ll do, and by March I’ll be anxious to watch and see what happens.
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...
