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In contention, Tiger blew one OB on the 16th hole at Bay Hill
“For a moment, it looked like it was going to be Tiger Woods’ day,” NBC anchor Dan Hicks intoned late during Sunday’s final-round telecast of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Rory McIlroy, pouring in birdies, winning for the first time on the PGA Tour since the 2016, is the story at Bay Hill this week. That said, when Tiger Woods birdied the 13th hole to get within one stroke of the lead, it looked like we could be party to a very different Sunday story.
The story, that of Woods’ potential 80th PGA Tour went, went off the rails with a pulled tee shot at the 16th hole that sailed out of bounds. After the round, Woods admitted to not fully committing to a shot shape at the 16th hole.
Speaking with Steve Sands, Woods indicated he was deciding between a left-to-right slider off the tee, bombing his driver (presumably right to left), and hitting a 3-wood. He was somewhere between options one and two when he pulled the trigger, and the result was a foul ball left.
Woods limped home after the bogey five at the 16th with a bogey at the par-three 17th. After a poor tee shot at the 18th hole, Woods played short of the green with his second and got up and down for par and a final-round three-under 69 and a tie for fifth at 10 under par.
The 79-time PGA Tour winner was five shots behind Henrik Stenson to begin the day. He birdied both the par-5 fourth and par-5 sixth holes before adding another birdie at the par-4 eighth. Woods rebounded from a bogey at the ninth with a birdie at the 10th.
A sand save at the par-5 12th moved Woods to 11 under, and rolling one in from 13 feet at the par-4 13th got him to one off the lead.
One. Shot. Back. ???? pic.twitter.com/0CcQnpJZvg
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 18, 2018
After pars at the 14th and 15th holes, Woods imploded with the already discussed out-of-bounds effort off the tee.
Ultimately, with Rory McIlroy finishing at 17 under par, Woods was never going to win this tournament; he’d have needed a final-round 61 just to tie McIlroy. However, looking ahead to Augusta, fans won’t be encouraged by his stumble down the stretch or his performance off the tee–Woods was 71st in strokes gained: tee-to-green, losing 3.526 strokes to the field.
The other side of the coin, of course, most positively, is Woods played his second tournament in as many weeks and remains unhindered by his surgically repaired back. He was 19th in strokes gained: approach, second in strokes gained: around-the-green, and eight in strokes gained: putting for the week.
Woods isn’t expected to tee it up before the Masters (April 5), where he’ll be seeking his fifth green jacket.
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...
Robert Kelley
Mar 19, 2018 at 5:27 pm
As you surely know, Ben, context or the situation or the precise moment in sports is crucial, which makes your observation “Ultimately, with Rory McIlroy finishing at 17 under par, Woods was never going to win this tournament,” off the mark, to wit, if Tiger doesn’t hit his ball out of bounds and, instead, birdies one and preferably two more holes with sans bogeys to finish his round and post his score, Rory’s mindset would have been totally different and there is no telling how the resulting pressure would have effected his play from that point on.
Tartan Golf Travel
Mar 19, 2018 at 6:54 pm
That’s a lot of ifs.How about if Rory didn’t play or any of the other guys that finished ahead of him.
Tom54
Mar 19, 2018 at 12:54 pm
How can Tiger appear in a Taylormade add promoting the new “twist face technology” that supposedly fixes amateurs tee balls and yet it has been reported that his driver is not equipped with it? Perhaps he should have had one in the bag after some of his wild tee balls. Rory sure likes his. Tigers strength was his power. Laying back with irons because he can’t hit his driver only makes him just a better than average player. Another reason I think it will be harder for him to win is he normally plays tournaments with great fields. I do think he could win as long as his health doesn’t deteriorate because he still knows what it takes to win out there.
Ian
Mar 19, 2018 at 12:37 pm
Rory finished -18
Tom Horonzy
Mar 19, 2018 at 12:24 pm
I have loved Tiger and what he brought to the game in the nineties, almost brought in 2013 and is doing it again. Valspar sold 15000 extra tickets and needed 6 addl parking lots. There are still so many that won’t like him because he broke the color barrier like no other. He is smart, energetic, not a clone of anyone else. He is the straw that stirs the PGA and the players not only know but fear it. Sure, he gets more time on tv and everyone speaks about him but who are they MOST interested in? Sorta like politics too. The press feeds on Trump and Hillary is an also ran.
Darryl
Mar 19, 2018 at 8:52 am
Have to think Woods is going to close the deal at some point this season, must be another half dozen courses he knows well enough to ham and egg it round in contention. On current form, will his ranking get low enough to play at Firestone?
I didn’t watch last night as I have taken the decision not to watch tournaments he has entered because of the medias obsessional coverage of every little move he makes makes me want to throw my putter through the TV. Whilst I don’t wish him any ill will particularly, I was pretty pleased he binned one last night when I heard about it on social media. But I’m realistic enough to know that its probably only delaying the inevitable Second Coming moment in the media when he does win.
I don’t want him to get Snead’s record, but there’s too many Stricker/Furyk (sorry lads) friendly courses (John Deere track for example, I forget what its called) out there that he could play his Hoylake strategy on and win for him not to reach that in the next couple of seasons before a different bit of his body gives out.
His enemy is father time now (as it is for us all), how long can the non fusible parts of his golf vital anatomy hold out?
The Maestro
Mar 19, 2018 at 12:03 pm
Darryl is trying a wee bit too hard to be glib. Notwithstanding the behavior that coincided with his downfall, his return to moderate form after myriad health issues is becoming remarkable.
Darryl, take a hike.
jeffrey monnich
Mar 19, 2018 at 3:31 pm
amen! cant watch this anymore- I loved to watch golf mostly for the swings now it is like a reality show.
acew/7iron
Mar 19, 2018 at 8:25 am
In other news…Speith has totally lost his game.
Back to you Jim on the latest on what Tiger had for breakfast this morning…
Foo
Mar 19, 2018 at 3:33 am
Good. Keep blowing those drives all over the planet.
Travis
Mar 19, 2018 at 12:32 pm
Now, now, we know you secretly love Tiger. Stop trying so hard to act the opposite.
Andrew Stein
Mar 19, 2018 at 12:55 am
He should have used the face twist….it’s the reverse of the driver he was playing. Balls ends up in play and Tiger makes birdie.
Foo
Mar 19, 2018 at 3:34 am
More like ball twists
john peterson
Mar 19, 2018 at 12:53 am
McElroy shot 18 under.
Andrew
Mar 18, 2018 at 10:38 pm
Is Tiger still the favorite to win the Masters? Suckers.
Tartan Golf Travel
Mar 19, 2018 at 9:52 am
He never was the favorite. Just the betting favorite. Means a lot of non golfers think Tiger will win.
Andrew
Mar 19, 2018 at 10:30 am
But, uh, ……. how do I need to respond? Oh yea. Hater!
Tartan Golf Travel
Mar 19, 2018 at 10:36 am
Right because I don’t think he’s the favorite I must be hater. Sad argument. How about he hasn’t won a tournament in 5 year. Hasn’t won the Masters in 13 years. FACTS. He certainly might contend and I hope he does but there is NO WAY he is the actual favorite. “Hater” is the argument of an unintelligent person!