News
Tiger’s driver: Major outlets report what you probably already knew

If you take a look at the golf news today, there are reports from almost every major outlet (thanks largely to the dissemination of an AP piece by Doug Ferguson) that Tiger Woods was using his prototype Nike Covert from last year in the third round at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
I guess Doug Ferguson and writers from the major outlets don’t read the GolfWRX forums.
Swopes30 started a thread July 31 at 1:34 p.m. titled “Tiger back to Covert 1 in practice round” and posted photos supporting the claim.
That’s right, Tiger has been using his driver from last year all week and no major outlet said anything until today. Yet a GolfWRXer posted about it Thursday.
And Ferguson, in his AP piece, seems to claim Woods just put the driver in the bag for the third round. If the photos readily available to all on Getty Images are to be believed, he used it in the first and second rounds as well.
I’m tempted to rant about the laziness of the mainstream golf media and their contentment in passing around the same half-baked stories from one outlet to another like a lukewarm potato.
Instead, here are photos of the two drivers.
The Covert prototype from last year Woods put back in the bag this week, below.
Tiger’s Covert 2.0 prototype from this year, below.
How’s it working? Not very well: Woods hit six fairways Saturday (42 percent).
And why the decision? As Woods said:
“I figured the lighter shaft should help me out a little bit, get some speed back, because I’m just not quite as explosive as I need to be. I haven’t done any explosive lifting. I haven’t done any of my fast-twitch stuff yet. As soon as I start doing my fast-twitch stuff, I can get my speed back up and then I can go back to my old driver.”
As for the shaft change, we spotted Woods with a Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana Blue Board 93X the week of his return to competitive golf at the Quicken Loans National, and he is using a Diamana White Board 73X shaft that is 20 grams lighter this week at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
News
Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

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

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

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)
Painter33
Mar 27, 2024 at 10:51 am
Being from tge future, I have a prediction: Nike will leave the clubmaking industry to pursue more time with its family…and because Tiger and Paul Casey are the only ones using their metal stuff. Their clothes, however, will continue to be overpriced.
gunmetal
Aug 4, 2014 at 11:39 am
Why not reshaft the Covert 2.0?
James
Aug 4, 2014 at 10:59 am
Why is this a big deal? if drivers added 15 yards each year we would be at 400+ by now…these companies are making a ton of money off the same shiny toy just made to look different
I can go back 15 years and hit those drivers just as far as i hit the new ones today
dot dot
Aug 3, 2014 at 12:59 pm
Yea, you scooped the mainstream media in the sport you specialize in exclusively reporting on. You don’t get kudo’s for doing your job. The mainstream media is supposed to turn to you little specialized guys for info that they then bring in a watered down version to a wider audience. Learn your place in the world GWRX.
ThinSoul
Aug 3, 2014 at 11:00 am
Does anyone know if Tiger’s driver is still around 44″? If so a 73g shaft is definitely on the light side. I think driver should stick to the short and heavy driver. Even if he loses 20 yards he can make it up hitting 5-8 irons in for sure.
ThinSoul
Aug 3, 2014 at 11:02 am
My phone made Tiger driver. Should read ‘I think Tiger should…’
Jericho
Aug 3, 2014 at 2:03 am
Ok just googled pedantic.. gonna be throwin this one around for sure ..lol
Jericho
Aug 3, 2014 at 1:54 am
..pedantic ..hmm ..better google that
db
Aug 2, 2014 at 9:07 pm
Considering Rory is absolutely BOMBING the 2.0 it definitely is the driver.
MHendon
Aug 2, 2014 at 8:09 pm
Hell the fact he’s had two prototype Coverts is news to me. I just wish they’d release the bonded hosel version to retail without that big swoosh on the crown, then I’d be interested.
kloyd0306
Aug 2, 2014 at 7:02 pm
Is it the driver, or is it Tiger?
If it’s the driver, the “oven” boys can’t figure it out.
Tiger drove it straighter when using a DG S300 in his King Cobra SS model.
Maybe it is still in the garage too?
MHendon
Aug 2, 2014 at 8:10 pm
It ain’t the driver!
Lukas
Aug 2, 2014 at 6:24 pm
Go easy on the mainstream media. Take them for what they are. The “main stream” doesn’t know what a Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana Blue Board 93X is, nor do they care. Matter of fact I’d bet the majority would stop reading by the time they hit the second “i” in Mitsubishi.
Nick
Aug 2, 2014 at 6:13 pm
This article is unnecessarily pedantic.
Jwowzer
Aug 2, 2014 at 7:02 pm
I agree, shallow and pedantic.
MHendon
Aug 2, 2014 at 8:06 pm
Thanks Nick you just improved my vocabulary! Pedantic, lol?
Mj Martin
Aug 2, 2014 at 6:04 pm
Probably the same media whores that have reported that Dusti was suspended by the PGA.