News

Tour Mash: Pat Perez wins his third, Hatton goes back-to-back

Published

8 years ago

Oct 16, 2017

If tournament golf provides a brief respite from the floods and fires that have ravaged much of our world, it has served its purpose. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by these disasters. With that in mind, we offer you this week’s Tour Mash.

PGA Tour: CIMB Classic is Perez’s third career victory

Pat Perez won for the second consecutive fall, this time in Malaysia. The resurgent Perez kept his card in the 60s all four days, reaching 24-under par in the end. His margin of victory was four strokes over countryman Keegan Bradley, and lifted him to second position in the very early stages of the 2018 FedEx Cup chase.

How he won:

The long look is the successful shoulder surgery and bye-Callaway-hello-PXG equipment shift that took place in 2016 and 2017. The short look is the 23 birdies (against 2 bogies) of the first 54 holes. Perez improved more than anyone else over those three days, then opened Sunday with three birdies in his first four holes. Against that type of performance, what can you do? Yep, just clap your hands.

See the clubs Pat Perez used to win the 2017 CIMB Classic

How they didn’t:

Xander Schauffele and Sung Kang might have put pressure on Perez with a low-60s round on day four, but neither one had the juice to pull it off. They finished tied for 3rd at 17-under. Cameron Smith had the best first and fouth rounds in the CIMB Classic (both 64s) but did the opposite of Perez, struggling in rounds 2 and 3. Smith tied for fifth with Hideki Matsuyama, who followed a 63 with a closing 71.

Pat Perez has no intentions of taking his foot off the pedal.

He has a chance to set the 72-hole course record today. pic.twitter.com/zhp4dWeNVG

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 15, 2017

European Tour: Italian Open

No doubt that the home crowd was pulling for back-to-back wins by Francesco Molinari, the 2016 champion. Well, they have their back-to-back winner, but it’s not Molinari. Instead, Tyrrell Hatton, last week’s victor in Scotland, claimed another European Tour title, this time on the 72nd hole.

How he won:

If last week’s win was one of elegance, this week was one of guts. Hatton had virtually nothing going through eleven holes, then came the fireworks. Four consecutive birdies from holes 12-15, then the coupe de grace, the 20-feet putt for another birdie, to reach the magic, 21-under par total. Left as co-runners up were Ross Fisher and Kiradech Aphibarnrat, at 20-under.

How they missed out:

Overnight leader Matt Wallace did nothing wrong through 13 holes, then a wretched bogey at the par-5 14th did him in. He had birdie at the 17th and a fine putt to save par at 18, to collect solo fourth place. Fisher faltered at the last green for the second consecutive week. In Scotland, he had a tiny putt for 60 at the Old Course, but missed. This week, well in advance of the final group, Fisher just missed a putt for 62. Aphibarnrat was the man in charge through 15 holes, until a sloppy double bogey dropped him out of the lead. He rallied with birdie at the next, but could not make three at the last, finding himself even with Fisher.

BACK-TO-BACK!@TyrrellHatton wins the #ItalianOpen pic.twitter.com/6EaAkpExL2

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) October 15, 2017

LPGA Tour: Hana Bank Championship is all about Ko

The golf world met Ko Jin-young in 2015, when she miserably lost a three-shot advantage over the British Open’s final 9 holes, falling into a runner-up position behind Inbee Park. Ko made a bit of amends this week, holding off Sung Hyun Park by two strokes, for her first career LPGA Tour title.

How she won:

Sometimes it’s better to finish strong than start with a flurry. Sunday offered a slow start for Ko, with bogeys on holes 2 and 3. After that, it was pedal to the metal, with six birdies and a 4th-round 68. Ko reached 19-under, out of reach for Park. As important as the birdies was the absence of bogeys over the same stretch.

How they came close:

In contrast to Ko, Park started her round in hyperdrive, with birdies on three of the first five greens. She added another on the 11th and seemed game for a stretch battle with her Korean mate. Bogeys on 14 and 16 did her in, offering the final margin of victory. In Gee Chun made a scant three bogies on the week, half of what the two golfers ahead of her penciled in. Unfortunately for Chun, she was unable to ride the birdie train as long as Park and Ko, and came third at 16-under.

KOR #jinyoungko #EvianChamp @LPGATourTweets @LETgolf #ladieseuropeantour #lpgatour #golf #golfswing pic.twitter.com/7gSVAElLjS

— Pro Golf Swings (@progolfswings_) September 12, 2015

PGA Tour Champions: SAS Championship

“W” is the last letter in “low,” but low is the key to the W, when W means Win. No matter the tour, Sunday is the new moving day most weeks, and the SAS saw everyone move past third-round leaders Phillip Price and Jerry Kelly. So many birdies, so little time! Here goes nothing.

How he won:

Colin Montgomerie has finished runner-up in the season-long Schwab Cup for three consecutive seasons, to the same Bernhard Langer. Monty is a bit behind his previous years’ pace, but never say never to the chipper Scotsman. Montgomerie shined brightest on Sunday at the Prestonwood Country Club outside Raleigh, earning his second victory of 2017. His final round of 64 was low on the day, and enabled him to surge past all challengers.

How they lost:

The Saturday night leader board was tightly packed, with three co-leaders at 136, four more at 137, and four at 138. Vijay Singh’s third-hole double bogey was too much to overcome, despite six birdies and an eagle. Defending champion Doug Garwood has five birdies, an eagle and one bogey on the day, good enough to tie Singh for the runner-up spot. As for Monty’s 36-hole co-leaders, Kelly and Price totaled seven bogeys between them and dropped to sixth and T11, respectively.

When you're on, you're on.

Monty flirts with an albatross on the 17th. He's your leader at the @SASChampionship. pic.twitter.com/AfWVpVOLpf

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) October 15, 2017

News

Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

Aug 4, 2025

Ronald Montesano

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

Published

4 weeks ago

Jul 29, 2025

GolfWRX Staff

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

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.

News

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

Published

4 weeks ago

Jul 28, 2025

Brian Knudson

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)

GolfWRX

Tour Mash: Pat Perez wins his third, Hatton goes back-to-back

News

Tour Mash: Pat Perez wins his third, Hatton goes back-to-back