News
Tiger Woods, at Barack Obama’s urging, to design Chicago course
Per a report in the Chicago Tribune, Tiger Woods and his TGR Design have been charged with developing a golf course on Chicago’s South Side. The land, which is currently home to Jackson Park and South Shore Golf courses, is expected to be turned into a PGA Tour-quality venue.
“This project can create incredible possibilities for the community on the South Side,” Tiger Woods said in a statement. “We want to design a course that everyone will enjoy.”
And another interesting element of TGR Design’s first foray into the Midwest: President Barack Obama, with his Chicago ties, reportedly made a personal call to Woods prodding him to be a part of the project.
Development is slated to get under way this year and the estimated date of course completion is 2020. Few details on the planned course are available at present, but the expected 7,300-plus yard track could be accompanied by a short par-three course, continuing the “recreational addition” trend in Woods’ recent designs (The Playgrounds at Bluejack National and The Oasis at El Diamante).
According to the Chicago Tribune report, Woods took a tour of the property with Mark Rolfing, who is also involved with the project, in August.
“The course will have tremendous shot values, which is obviously very important to Tiger,” Rolfing said. “This will be his first design that gets tested in competition; what his colleagues and peers think will be important to him.”
In conjunction with the project, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is expected to announce the formation of the Chicago Parks Golf Alliance Sunday. The CPGA will be dedicated to improving Chicago Park District courses and golf facilities in addition to raising money for the Jackson Park effort.
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...
Desmond
Jan 9, 2017 at 2:01 pm
If it works for the community and advances the game, why not?
All done. Yuck.
Dec 23, 2016 at 4:29 pm
I hoped these comments would be moved to the forums just like the comments on the trump story, but no, GolfWRX appears to enjoy readers making racist comments. See you boys again, never. I got kids. Like I want to explain to them why some fool calls the president of the United States count Chocula. Shameful. It’s been a week. You guys moved to protect Trumps ego within hours. I guess you know your audience, which no longer includes me.
Sableen Maleek
Dec 21, 2016 at 11:05 pm
What is your criteria for deleting readers comments? Facts can be hurtful, I can appreciate that. Let’s put up more cover for Obama, Golfwrx, just as the media does on a daily basis. However, it didnt fool the American people, did it?
Christosterone
Dec 21, 2016 at 11:16 am
What’s a race card and where can I get one?
-Christosterone
Just sayin
Dec 21, 2016 at 12:41 am
The veiled racism on this comment section… the city has crime, they shouldn’t get golf courses? Bubba, they call it civil rights, we’re all equal up here.
TDBACH
Dec 21, 2016 at 10:07 am
No one crys “race card!” faster and louder than an out-and-out racist. Way to hold up the tradition, Bubba.
Jeff
Dec 20, 2016 at 10:16 pm
I live in downtown Chicago. MORE GOLF!! This is awesome!###@!@!
Jeff
Dec 20, 2016 at 9:39 pm
Wtf happened to Golfwrx doesn’t allow political comments outside the forums.
Adam
Dec 20, 2016 at 7:46 pm
Even money says that The Count Chocula of chicago gets the taxpayers to pay for it and he gets tiger double his normal fee??!!
Adam
Dec 19, 2016 at 8:12 pm
Golfwrx needs to clean up or delete this comment section today.
Barry
Dec 19, 2016 at 1:12 am
President Obama should sign an executive order on his way out the door granting himself a lifetime exemption to The Masters to go along with his Nobel Peace Prize.
tom
Dec 18, 2016 at 10:11 pm
Obama hasn’t done much, if anything, to curb the murder epidemic in Chicago, but a golf course will fix things. Way to go, Barry!
Bert
Dec 18, 2016 at 5:57 pm
Great replay – keep talking!
Bert
Dec 18, 2016 at 6:00 pm
Great Replay Barry
Bert
Dec 18, 2016 at 6:17 pm
Dang! Let me see if I can get my Reply correct. This is my third try; not that it matters. I’d like to see Tiger design and build a course in Chicago; especially if will improve the community and provide access for all to a great game.
Jubba Bones
Dec 18, 2016 at 3:45 pm
*Polloi
James
Dec 18, 2016 at 1:55 pm
Maybe this will make the south side a desirable destination!
ooffa
Dec 18, 2016 at 6:50 am
Tiger signature design element. Easy access to parking lot for quick WD’s
golfho
Dec 17, 2016 at 8:02 pm
What an upstanding group! Lets add Chicago southside residents Jeff Fort and Larry Hoover to this honorable group. Nice little scenic drive when you exit the Ryan Expressway or Lakeshore Drive…What a typical Chicago operation.
Tal
Dec 17, 2016 at 6:02 pm
You’re just jealous. If Jack, Norman, Faldo, Monty, Palmer, Earnie and tons of other golfers can design/help to design a course, why can’t Tiger?
Jubba Bones
Dec 18, 2016 at 3:44 pm
You actually agreed with him in your first sentence you muppet!!
Tal
Dec 18, 2016 at 5:48 pm
You mean all of the logistical stuff that no one other than a specialist would be qualified enough to do? Duh! Do you really think everyone believes that a pro golfer’s involvement in course design stretches as far as maintenance issues? They probably get in there, they tell someone what they want the course to look, feel and play like, they add 25 bunkers per hole if their name is Greg Norman and they oversee/approve designs. The rest is left to the experts. Then the pro gets their name on the course, people want to play on it and Beau Welling walks away with a ton of money and, as agreed upfront, none of the credit. I don’t think he needs you to defend his honour and you’re not shattering any great illusion here.
Jubba Bones
Dec 18, 2016 at 6:46 pm
Norman: I think we need more bunkers.
Real course designer: But Greg, we already added in 100 from when you last visited.
Norman: Just make it happen. You remember what happened to the last chatty course designer don’t you?
Real course designer: Yes, sir.
Tal
Dec 18, 2016 at 9:51 pm
Usually some pretty good courses though!
Buck
Dec 19, 2016 at 8:36 am
Yeah, the professionals just love the Oaks course at TPC San Antonio.
Jubba Bones
Dec 19, 2016 at 6:41 pm
Yeah. He might be a one trick pony but it is a pretty good trick.
RollTheRock
Dec 20, 2016 at 1:46 pm
Well said
Jeb Springfield
Dec 17, 2016 at 5:57 pm
The city of Chicago, Obama, and Rahm involved…can only imagine how over budget, and late this project will be.
dWakawaka
Dec 17, 2016 at 11:49 am
Adding a short par-3 track – and I would hope a good practice area – makes the course as a whole sound like a more inviting and fun place for kids and people new to the game to develop some skills. If I were designing a course, I would put a lot of thought into those areas where people could learn the game and practice effectively, esp. the short game, and maybe even have fun at the same time.