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Monday Tour Mash: Spieth Again, Fowler Wins the Scottish
Yawn, it’s Spieth again
Jordan Spieth won his fourth tournament of the 2014-15 PGA Tour season, capturing the John Deere Classic for the second time in three years. Spieth barged into the lead with middle rounds of 64-61, then made like he didn’t want to win with 1-over par through his first 12 holes on Sunday. In the interim, names like Tom Gillis and Zach Johnson shot up the leaderboard. Then, Spieth woke up.
The double-major winner of 2015 squeezed four birdies out of the final six holes to tie Gillis above all others. Gillis stood six-under through eight on the day, but bogeyed the ninth to miss out on a 29. That bogey foreshadowed another collapse late in the round, one that would resign him to a playoff with Spieth. Gillis made three birdies on the back nine, then once again bogeyed late, this time on the 16th. That second gaffe opened the door for Spieth, who made short work of the playoff, winning with par on the second extra hole.
For Gillis, though, there was a silver lining behind the cloud of oh-so-close. By virtue of being the highest-finishing golfer not yet eligible for the oldest of the majors, Gillis secured the final golden ticket to St. Andrews for the 144th playing of The Open Championship.
Fowler steals the show
On Sunday, Rickie Fowler outright stole the Scottish Open from countryman and Ryder Cup teammate Matt Kuchar. Birdies did not flow on Sunday for anyone, unless your name was Marc Warren — who made seven birdies for a 64 and T4 finish. Fowler found his birds when they mattered most. The Californian stood at an indifferent 1-over on the day when he birdied 15 and 16 to tie for the lead. From the 18th fairway, tied for the lead, Rickie Fowler staked an 57-degree wedge to 20 inches, then made the putt to emerge as the 2015 Scottish Open champion.
Although Raphael Jacquelin could not preserve the lead he held midway through the final round, the Frenchman emerged with a consolation prize: entry into next week’s Open Championship at St. Andrews. Joining Jacquelin in the tournament field are Daniel Brooks of England and Sweden’s Rikard Karlberg. Karlberg also posted seven birdies on the final day for 64.
U.S. Women’s Open: Dumbo and the Roller Coaster
In Gee Chun, a 20-year-old golfer from South Korea, backed up a Saturday 68 with an electric Sunday 66 — tied for low round of the day — to bring home the major championship victory. And she has one of the most weirdly interesting nicknames in sports.
[quote_center]BACK IN KOREA MY NAME WAS KNOWN AS DUMBO AFTER THE FIRST WIN, AND EVERYONE CALLS ME DUMBO. WHEN I CAME OVER HERE, SOME AMERICAN FANS RECOGNIZED THAT NICKNAME AND CALLED ME DUMBO. AND SOME EVEN SHOUTING IT, ‘LET’S GO, DUMBO,’ THAT HAS MADE ME REALLY ENJOY THE GAME. THANKS EVERYBODY.[/quote_center]
It would be a harrowing thing to describe how this tournament of hot-potato unrolled over the final two hours. First, Amy Yang had a safe lead. Next, Chun staged an early run with birdies on three of her first seven holes. Then Yang made a pair of birdies. Then Stacy Lewis made a birdie, a double bogey, two more birdies, another double. Oh, and Yang bogeyed four out of seven holes in the middle of the round. And on and on.
Let’s fast-forward to the last three holes, where Chun birdied 15 through 17 to take a lead, then bogeyed the last to offer Yang a chance at the U.S. Women’s Open title. Yang eagled the short, par-four 16th, birdied the par-three 17th to tie, then twitched away a chance at the title with a final-hole bogey. Once again, an unheralded golfer had claimed the National Open championship of the USA. For every Annika Sorenstam, you have a Birdie Kim. For each In Bee Park, there is a So Yeon Ryu. And now, you have Michelle Wie and Dumbo in consecutive years.
Other Events
After the Encompass Championship, Jerry Smith might ask the North Shore Country Club in Glenview, Ill. for a framed photo of their 16th hole. The second-year Champions Tour golfer made birdie there on Friday, reached it in two and made eagle on Saturday, then holed out a greenside bunker shot on Sunday for another eagle. That 3 provided enough cushion for Smith to earn a three-stroke victory over David Frost and status on the tour as a tournament winner.
Until the Albertsons Boise Open, Martin Piller was recognized more as half of the Touring-Pro couple of Gerina and Martin Piller. Creatively-sequenced rounds of 61-63-65-67 gave the Texan a six-stroke margin of victory over Jorge Fernandez Valdes and a 48-space bump (from 52nd to 4th) in the chase for a PGA Tour card. Piller eagled a hole every day but the first, when 10 birdies led to nines of 32-29. Over the course of the week, Piller made 24 birdies, 3 eagles and 2 bogies. As if the rest of the field had a chance!
Cheng Tsung Pan turned pro after the 2015 NCAA Championships. The Taiwanese export spent four years in Washington state, at the University of Washington and got used to a certain amount of travel. Over the past four weeks, he has criss-crossed the continent with his golf clubs, and now has a tournament title to show for his efforts. Manitoba isn’t exactly in Washington, but it has the same northwestern feel and at The Players Cup, Pan took advantage of third-round leader JJ Spaun’s Sunday inconsistency (six bogeys and five birdies) to secure a three-stroke victory over Sweden’s “other” Robert Karlsson.
Let it fly
A few big names had some trouble holding onto their drivers this weekend: Ian Poulter in Scotland and Michelle Wie in Pennsylvania.
SLOW MOTION!Michelle Wie ??? can’t hang onto the club after her drive at No. 7. #USWomensOpen
Posted by FOX Sports on Sunday, July 12, 2015
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...
Matto
Jul 14, 2015 at 4:09 am
144th Open.
Ronald Montesano
Jul 14, 2015 at 5:08 pm
Isn’t it great when your ginfer slips and you tpye the wrong number, Matteo? I intentionally looked up the number, then still got it wrong! Thank you for catching that error.
RM
gvogel
Jul 13, 2015 at 9:51 pm
I enjoyed watching In Gee Chun’s come from behind victory. She has apparently had a lot of success in the Korean tour. She is fairly young – I hope to see her do well in future majors.
It’s nice to see golfers who can smile at their mistakes, and still win golf tournaments. Even major golf tournaments.
Ronald Montesano
Jul 14, 2015 at 5:10 pm
One thing you can’t change is a golfer’s personality. It’s rare because successful golfers often have insular, me-directed personalities. They don’t make great salespeople because they are very focused on the self and the self’s task. That’s why a Lee Trevino, a Christina Kim, a Fuzzy Zoeller and an in Gee Chun are such rare birds.
RM