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GolfWRX Morning 9: Rocco rages about U.S. Open backlash | Tiger switches putters | Spieth’s struggles mental?

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7 years ago

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Good morning, GolfWRX members. As most of you are signed up for our newsletters, you likely already know that I’ve been sending this little Morning 9 roundup of nine items of note.

In case you’ve missed it, or you prefer to read on site rather than in your email, we’re including it here. Check out today’s Morning 9 below.

If you’re not signed up for our newsletters, you can subscribe here.
By Ben Alberstadt (ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com)

 

June 29, 2018

Good Friday morning, golf fans.
1. After all that…

 

Tiger Woods made the switch to the TaylorMade Ardmore 3…and was 93rd in strokes gained: putting for his first round. For reference, he was 89th on Tour this season with the Cam. He opened the Quicken Loans National with an even par 70.
  • Golfweek’s Dan Kilbridge…”He’s doing everything he can to get out of a nasty putting slump and placed a new TaylorMade Ardmore 3 mallet-style in the bag for Round 1. The speed was good and it looked like he was rolling it alright out there, but makeable birdie putts continued to slide past the hole.”
  • “Woods shot Even-par 70 in the opening round of the Quicken Loans National, good for a T-48 slot before Friday’s 8:20 a.m. Eastern tee time with Bill Haas and Marc Leishman. He finally settled on the new putter Wednesday afternoon after a 90-minute practice session on the greens, and it sounds like he’s sticking with it for the foreseeable future.”
  • “‘I put my (Scotty Cameron) putter down and I hit a few putts with it. It just didn’t feel right, wasn’t looking right,” Woods said. “So, time for it to sit on the bench a little bit. I’m sure it will come back eventually, just one of those things.'”
2. Hello no!

 

J.J. Spaun tied the tournament record Andrew Landry set earlier in the day with a 7 under par opening round yesterday at the Quicken Loans National.
  • Playing in the group behind Tiger Woods, reporters asked if any fans peeled off to follow the guy with the hot hand.
  • “No, hell no. They don’t even know who I am. They played so fast, actually like they were a solid hole ahead of us.”
3.  Korda, young guns positioned at Women’s PGA

 

Beth Ann Nichols writes...”Jessica Korda admitted earlier this season to putting too much pressure on herself at the majors. It’s easy to believe considering the shocking run of missed cuts she’d had at big events in recent years.”
  • “But here she is at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship on top of the board early at Kemper Lakes Golf Club after a 5-under 67, and there’s reason to believe that she has turned a corner. Everyone remembers the ANA’s Sunday playoff under the lights (followed by marathon Monday), but Korda’s rip-roaring 66 had fans spellbound before that. It was a gutsy closing performance, and the share of fourth marked her career-best major finish.”
  • “Korda, a five-time winner on the LPGA, is one of a handful of major-less heavyweights off to a hot start in suburban Chicago. Charley Hull, the entertaining Brit who tied for seventh at the ANA as an 18-year-old, carded a 68 while Minjee Lee, a top-10 player with four LPGA titles, bogeyed her final hole to open with a 69.”
4. Rocco goes off!

 

The 2008 U.S. Open runner up isn’t holding back. Representing the old-school, hardline set: Rocco Mediate. Here’s what he had to say about player reactions to the U.S. Open setup at Shinnecock Hills.
  • “Truthfully, it’s all been a bunch of bull(expletive), what I’ve heard, complete horse(expletive). I’ll say it again if you want me to.”
  • “Here’s the deal – here’s the deal, two weeks ago: If you don’t like how it was set up, A, hit better shots; B, don’t come. Don’t come. Someone will take your place. It’s real, real simple. Now you’re getting me mad.”
  • “They’re talking about, well, you just shot 10 feet right of the pin, rolled into the bunker. Hit it left of the pin, then, OK? Because everybody’s got to play the golf course.”
  • “Let me ask you this question, too. Remember the one about the golf course changed from the morning – have you ever played one that didn’t? Of course it’s going to change. That’s what it’s supposed to do.”
  • “Sometimes it can get softer in the afternoon. Sometimes it gets firmer…What I heard that week made me want to throw up, basically. Just shut up, play. Because I guarantee you that trophy, that beautiful trophy they give away, this week and two weeks ago, is way worth the crap you have to go through to win it. It is. I haven’t done that yet, but it is. I had this much on it. It was worth the try.”
5. Is the root of Spieth’s poor play mental?

 

Gianni Magliocco makes the case.
  • A taste…”His demeanor on the golf course has given truth to these admissions all year. An already very animated and talkative player on the golf course, Spieth has been more fractious than ever with both caddy, Michael Greller, and spectators alike. Nothing portrayed how the game had gotten well and truly under Spieth’s skin than when the camera panned to him by the side of the 18th green on Friday evening at Shinnecock Hills. Spieth stood with his shoulders slumped against the backdrop of the amber evening sun, shaking his head with a look of both bewilderment and anger knowing full well that he had just thrown away the opportunity of playing the weekend of the U.S. Open.”

 

6. More terrible news for Jarrod Lyle

 

Awful stuff for Jarrod Lyle as he continues his recovery from cancer for the third time.

 

PGATour.com’s Ben Everill writes
  • “Lyle underwent a haploidentical transplant and stem cell therapy back in his native Australia in December to deal with a third acute myeloid leukemia diagnosis and was recovering well until recently.
  • “In the last week the two-time Web.com Tour winner’s vision has deteriorated into a complete blur and doctors are baffled as to why….It is a condition that may be irreversible.
  • “Lyle said: “I’m having every test known to mankind to try to figure out what’s going on with it…One of the head neurologists said it’s a very, very rare thing he’s only seen once or twice so they are not sure whether it is going to reversible or not, it depends on how much damage has been done up until now.”
7. French interest in Ryder Cup is…
                                                               
French people don’t really care about golf, says French pro golfer Michael Lorenzo-Vera. The 33-year-old is one of 19 entrants in the Open de France this week.
  • Reportedly, only 10 percent of French people follow golf, and according to the European Golf Course Owners Association, only 400,000 of the country’s 66 million citizens play golf.
  • Lorenzo-Vera spoke with the New York Times, and he doesn’t think hosting the Ryder Cup at Le Golf National is going to do much to boost the game’s popularity in the country.
  • “People don’t care about the Ryder Cup. Honestly, nobody knows there’s going to be a Ryder Cup in France. Only the golfers know. That’s it. There won’t be many French there. There will be so many more from England or Spain.”
  • Asked about the perception of golf in France, he had this to say…”Golf is a very private thing for people in France. Private courses for only rich families or rich people – that’s it….Golf is not a good thing here. It’s for rich people and spoiled kids. That’s the image we have.”
8. Smoltz struggles

 

Former MLB pitcher and current analyst, John Smoltz qualified for the U.S. Senior Open. How’d his first round go? Not great.

 

The former Cy Young Award winner opened with four bogeys en route to a 15-over-par 85.
  • “I can sum it up. I made a lot of easy bogeys. A lot of par putts turned into easy bogeys. I did not hit the ball in the fairway enough. I thought I hit a lot of, a lot of good shots that just didn’t get good results.”
9. For your viewing pleasure

 

A departure from your regularly scheduled reading: GolfWRX visited upstart shirt maker Criquet in Austin to get a look at the company’s wares and very unique headquarters.

 

Related Topics:

Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. ogo

    Jun 30, 2018 at 3:11 pm

    I don’t give a flying fig what kind of putter Tiqqer is using… it’s irrelevant !!!

    Reply Report comment

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Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

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Aug 4, 2025

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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.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

Published

4 weeks ago

on

Jul 29, 2025

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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.

 

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News

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

Published

4 weeks ago

on

Jul 28, 2025

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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)

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WITB

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