News
Matching Up For A World Championship
It has been nearly a decade since Steve Stricker came out of the back of the pack to win the World Golf Championships Accenture Match Play. Nobody gave him much thought as the 55th seed but certainly there will be a lot more attention focused on him this year as the man on top of the brackets
Of course, this is match play, and just about anything can, and will, happen. That is not to say that we can expect Ross McGowan to run through the field from the 64th position but it is plausible to believe that he or anyone else in this elite field could capture the championship and the $1.4 million first prize.
That means that even the best players can falter in this tournament. You need not look any further than the number 2 and 3 seeds. In nine starts Lee Westwood has never advanced beyond the second round and steady-as-you-go player Jim Furyk, a seemingly certain contender, has struggled mightily to get beyond the third round of matches
The potential match ups could make for some riveting television and the promise of seeing the bulk the of world golf talent in one location for the first time this year has a lot of people paying attention.
You can print out your Tournament Brackets here for starters. If you can possibly pick out each and every winner you will have earned my utmost admiration.
One comforting thing for the players in the field this week in Arizona should be the fact that they will be able to dry out from the West Coast swing. Rain was a constant companion throughout the California events but the forecast centered on the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club at Dove Mountain looks to be perfect with plenty of sunshine and reasonable temperatures.
With that in place there should be nothing that affects the outcome except for how the players tackle the layout, and more importantly, their competitors.
Bobby Jones Bracket
In the Bobby Jones bracket a few matches jump out. The #1 seed, Stricker, could have his hands full with #64 Ross McGowan. The Englishman can make scores of birdies as proven by his record of shooting 60 and 61 in various European Tour events. Stricker will have to win some holes play playing steady to take advantage of any faltering by McGowan.
Match #30 will see young guns Ryo Ishikawa and Michael Sim face off for what could potentially be a pairing we see in major championships for years to come.
Ben Hogan Bracket
A couple matches to watch will include the tangle between #1 bracket seed Martin Kaymer and #16 Chad Campbell. Although he has not played this event since 2007 Campbell has made it to the top 16 in all four appearances. Kaymer has the confidence of a recent win in Abu Dhabi but it can always be tough to tangle with those gritty Texans.
Keep a close eye on Luke Donald. Now healthy after battling the wrist issue that put him out of this tournament last year, he has been playing well on the west coast and that should carry over in Arizona. His relatively mistake-free game translates well to match play. He has plenty of experience in this format as both an amateur and Ryder Cup player.
Gary Player
At the top of the Gary Player bracket eyes will be peeled to a clash of Englishmen. Lee Westwood is strong but emerging star Chris Wood could give him a test.
Also compelling is the Ernie Els and Ryan Moore match. Both have shown a lot of revival in their games of late so this could be a tight one.
Defending champion Geoff Ogilvy, already a winner this year on the PGA Tour, should get past Alex Noren in round one but he will face the winner of match #40. That will be a dust-up between Camilo Villegas and Dustin Johnson, a match sure to have a big following from both the crowd at hand and the television cameras.
Sam Snead
Jim Furyk is the #1 seed here but as mentioned he has struggled to get to the final stages of this tournament in the past.
Marquee match-ups include Mahan versus Schwartzel which could be anyone’s call while the most polar game will be between rock-steady former Masters Champion Mike Weir and the firepower-blessed Alvaro Quiros. Quiros was “one and done” in his only tournament appearance last year.
There could also be a great fight of the flatsticks as Kenny Perry; the oldest player is the field at 50, finds himself up against another great putter in Brian Gay.
The Course
Although the opponent is much more critical in match play the Ritz-Carlton Course is a bruiser that can play to over 7,800 yards if the tour wants it to. At the expected playing length of just under 7,500 yards the Jack Nicklaus crafted layout will still present a great test.
Every green, with the exception of the one of the 6th hole, has been renovated since last year to provide for better hole location options, more receptive contours, and potentially higher green speeds than what could be used in the past. They are expected to be 10.5 to 11 on the Stimpmeter this week.
No hole will be more critical than the 343-yard 15th. The par four hole plays as short as 300 yards depending on the tees, and matches often arrive at the hole during a pivotal moment in competition. With a drivable par 4 at such a crucial position of the course, players are faced with the decision of going for the green or laying up, bringing everything from eagle to double bogey into play.
Notes:
– 43 of the field of 64 players come from outside the United States. They represent 18 countries.
-The largest contingent from outside the U.S. comes from England who has 9 players in the field.
– There are 23 players under the age of 30, the most in tournament history.
U.S. TV Coverage (EST)
2/17, 2:00-6:00 p.m. GOLF
2/18,2:00-6:00 p.m. GOLF
2/19, 2:00-6:00 p.m. GOLF
2/20, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. GOLF
2:00-6:00 p.m. CBS
2/21, 10:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. GOLF
2:00-6:00 p.m. CBS
–
This report provided to GolfWRX.com by Flagstick Golf Magazine (www.flagstick.com)
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...
