News
Tiger changes driver-weight settings, shoots even-par 70 at Honda Classic
After missing the cut by four strokes at the 2018 Genesis Open last week, Tiger Woods is back at it again this week at the Honda Classic; it’s the first time he’s played in back-to-back PGA Tour events since 2015.
Opting for something other than driver off the tee much of the day, Woods made one double bogey, one bogey, and three birdies en route to an even-par 70.
It’s no secret that Woods has been struggling off the tee of late, especially with the driver. He’s hitting just 35 percent of fairways on the year, and he has already made one driver shaft change (going from a Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70TX to a Matrix Ozik TP6HDe ahead of the Genesis Open). According to photos on Thursday, it appears Woods has also changed the weight settings in his TaylorMade M3 for a bit more forgiveness and fade-bias (as pictured above). At the Genesis Open and the Farmers Insurance Open, Woods had the M3 driver weights in the forward position, which moves CG (center of gravity) forward and tends to lower spin.
On Thursday, however, Woods hit a slew of long irons and fairway woods off the tee instead of drivers at the 7,100-yard par-70 PGA National… an approach that seemed to work. Well, he hit just 50 percent of the fairways on the day, but that means he’s trending upward.
One of the shots Woods hit with the driver was so far right it was literally laughable… but he managed to make par anyway.
Did it ever not look (or sound) like a par?! ????#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/3GrUK511IY
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 22, 2018
Actually, his double-bogey 7 on the par-5 third hole (his 12th of the day) came after hitting the fairway; he was fumbling on and around the green after hitting his third into a greenside bunker. That blunder aside, three birdies and an even-par round at the always-difficult PGA National leaves Woods currently in T19, obviously well inside the cutline.
Do you think Woods will make the cut? Do you think he can contend to win the tournament?
See the clubs Tiger Woods has in his bag this week at the 2018 Honda Classic.
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...
J Jackson
Mar 2, 2018 at 5:14 am
The total attraction to woods is unbelievable. The way that television coverage centers on this one individual is abhorrent.
Timmy Dearden DDS
Feb 24, 2018 at 7:50 am
Glad to see that Mud Shark Coal Burning anti American race traitor aka Lindsay Vonn crash and burn at the Olympics.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Feb 24, 2018 at 7:53 am
Listen what the man had to say about Mud Sharks like her https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2gLsR0WOhKQ
choo choo
Feb 25, 2018 at 12:36 am
Methinks Tiger has lost his coal driver mojo and his golf game went up in ashes.
cdj
Feb 24, 2018 at 6:40 am
180+ ball speed not laughable at all though…
JR
Feb 25, 2018 at 12:48 am
… but the spin axis is carrying the ball into bananaland. He should learn to hit square and straight otherwise his high speed swing will exaggerate any small mistake.
He should first learn to swing at a slower speed and control the ball before he launches bombs into the spectator gallery on his right side…. which is a danger zone if beaned by one of his errant efforts.
Chuckster
Feb 24, 2018 at 12:07 am
OMG! OMG! OMG! ELDRICK SHOOTS 70! HE’S BAAAAAACK! HE’S CAPTURED THE MAGIC FROM 1996-2000, THIS IS IT, THIS IS
IT, THE SECOND COMING! HE’S GONNA WIN THE 5 MAJORS NOW, OMG! WHAT DO WE DO NOW? HYSTERIA ABOUNDS!! THE
WORLD IS FLAT!! HAHAHAHA!! HOW DESPERATE ARE WE FOR THIS EXHAUSTING COVERAGE OF A PEDESTRIAN, HAS BEEN
GOLF’A?
Uhhh geez, gimme a break with all the forced hoopla already! You’da thought his group was the only one on the nmad course!!
Edith…..where’s my beer?
Robert Nadjiwan
Feb 23, 2018 at 12:52 pm
I like the fact that Tiger is willing to work with a few equipment tweaks to try and strengthen his game. The driver is not an easy club to hit because one has to hit it with authority to get the performance that it has to offer. As always Tiger brings something to the game that I admire and trust that he will be rewarded with favorable results. Success comes in small spurts and it’s all about time, patience and the willingness to overcome challenges.
george
Feb 23, 2018 at 1:30 pm
Gary Player says that Tiger told him that he became confused after 2000, since taking instruction from the ‘experts’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZkxmr2wMyU
Tiger more than any other pro has unlimited clubs and shafts to test and the time to check out all the adjustments.
He is still confused about the golf swing. Too bad, but for his well being and health he should retire before he does permanent injury.
JR
Feb 25, 2018 at 12:42 am
Gary Player is a blowhard. He isn’t giving a golf clinic. He is giving a lecture on how everyone needs to be just like himself.
“It takes hard work”. How many times has he said that? Does he think working in a factory is easy work?
He spends his whole life playing a game, getting rich doing it and then claims to know something about life. What a clod.?
HDTVMAN
Feb 23, 2018 at 11:35 am
Hit that driver at the PGA show. The M3 was OK, but preferred the Ping G400.
Mike Pollard
Feb 23, 2018 at 11:31 am
Oh Wait……Tiger changes his shoes!!!! and his golf towel……..oh, my what will he shoot today?? Frankly, I’m kinda sick of it……ijs 🙂
Mark McKenzie
Feb 23, 2018 at 12:40 pm
Tiger who…
He’s not worth the ink. Mac
Jim Bob
Feb 23, 2018 at 10:20 am
Who Cares! He’s guaranteed to hit every fairway with the new “Twist Face” Technology
Billy Turner DDS
Feb 22, 2018 at 11:48 pm
She’s a disgusting mud shark that will never marry and have off spring. It’s her fault, burn the coal, pay the toll.
Ogo
Feb 23, 2018 at 2:51 am
Blond Swedish women are inveterate coalburners… e.g. Elin
dat
Feb 22, 2018 at 9:37 pm
It is the indian, not the arrow. Adjusting a club might get you back .001 strokes per round. Fixing your swing faults will do tenfold or more better for your scores. Tiger took his medicine and generally used woods and irons. Playing it safe and making the cut is critical now for him. If he makes the weekend, by all means let the driver loose and see what happens.
Simms
Feb 22, 2018 at 10:22 pm
Love your comment it is the Indian not the Arrow..shows every amateur golfer out there that a $500 plus driver cannot even make one the greatest golfers of all time hit a fairway…and you think it is going to work for you………….
Ogo
Feb 23, 2018 at 2:11 am
But it’s so much fun tinkering with the weights to dial out your OTT banana slice…. and besides it makes yer golffing buddies green with envy as you pull out yer big black weapon to whack the lil’ whitey ball ….. 😉
~j~
Feb 23, 2018 at 11:58 am
True, but some absolutely perform better to dome than others. Spent a hard year with the 915 driver, going through multiple chefs and settings, and never found a good consistent flight with it . Finally traded it in for 2017 M2, and right off the shelf begin hammering fairways. Same Indian swingnit!
Tiger needs to ditch the M3, settings and Shafts won’t help much now that it’s in his head
TV
Feb 22, 2018 at 9:30 pm
This is why the Tour needs more OBs. Why they let these guys get away these slash swings without penalty is beyond dumb. Make them think about the trouble and force them to hit a 3w or hybrid or iron.
george
Feb 22, 2018 at 8:35 pm
give us a break, its not the arrow.
That swing sucks and it is continuing to damage his body, just as he has done since changing post 2000.
IMO he will continue to miss cuts until his body gives out, again.
gvogelsang
Feb 22, 2018 at 7:19 pm
The title of this article is surely incomplete, and perhaps totally wrong.
Tiger shot even par by hitting irons and 3-wood off the tee. The couple of times that he driver were a disaster.
Only on WRX. I would say fake news, but I hate the usage.
Your Mom
Feb 22, 2018 at 7:01 pm
Tiger isn’t hitting stuff off the toe and heel that bad! He’s a ball striker. He hits everything dead center of club face. All this twist face talk is pretty stupid
Ogo
Feb 22, 2018 at 6:21 pm
Tiger’s drive off the tee suffers from Peyronie’s disease… it jerks off to the left.
Dave Hast
Feb 22, 2018 at 6:09 pm
Here is my thought…. Twist face allows for of center hits too be playable… That being said you grooveing a swing because you are getting away with it…….. It’s only going to get worse. The club can only do so much. Put the M2 back in play and get on with it!! I’m sure they can find a way to make the M2 look like an M3. Just my two cents
George
Feb 23, 2018 at 7:08 am
Twist face is a joke. Quickly running out of ideas is what they should call it.
Ross
Feb 23, 2018 at 7:43 am
Twist face is relate to off centre hit when the path is true, If you throw it in to out it’s going right!
The dude
Feb 22, 2018 at 5:40 pm
Can’t work the Twist Face…..it’s a double edge sword
James
Feb 22, 2018 at 5:13 pm
Copy Stenson and use a strong 3 wood ? Set up a poll, should Tiger copy Stensons strong 3 wood approach to driving?
Kyle
Feb 22, 2018 at 4:51 pm
Don’t confuse correlation with causation. It wasn’t the driver that allowed him to shoot E. check out shot link on hole 12.
Martien Schwencke
Feb 22, 2018 at 4:25 pm
The best for Tiger is an Titleist 905 with a TT metal shaft (On ebay 30 dollar)