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5 things we learned Friday at the British Open

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7 years ago

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We had a leader by two shots, until Carnoustie did its thing. Here’s the question: is it CarnNASTY or is it the Siren song of the Barry Burn? The serpentine end to a lengthy waterway beckons and teases and devours. It did the same to Kevin Kisner today, but we’ll get to that before too long. 79 golfers made the cut, thanks to Kisner’s gaffe…don’t worry, we’ll get to it. Some pre-tournament favorites went home early, and some unexpected names surged to the top of the leaderboard. Time now to run down the 5 things we learned on Friday at the 2018 British Open.

1. Kisner had it, until he lost it.

It might be from the tee, or from the approach, but the Barry Burn inevitably asks more than you have to give. Kisner stood in the fescue, owner of a two-shot lead, when he took an ill-advised (if any advice actually came) swing at clearing the water. He failed and poof, there went the lead. Kisner closed with six and fell back to a tie with Zach Johnson, winner of the 2015 British Open at St. Andrews.

Kisner stood in the left rough, knowing that the burn and the nearby out-of-bounds lurked, and still he went for the green. He came up woefully short, one-hopping into the briny depths. The good news for Kisner? Until the brain fart on 18, he had parlayed five birdies against two bogeys on the day, so he still finished atop the list, albeit in a tie with a former winner of the world’s oldest open championship.

2. Some will stay and some will go

From the bottom to the agonizing top, these golfers won’t be around for the weekend: Poulter, Bubba, DJ, Rahm, Sergio, Hideki and JT. The foursome missed the cut by one misplayed shot.  No, they’re not here to make the cut, but you don’t win without first making it past the halfway farewell.

We know that Sam Locke will win the medal for low amateur. The young Scotsman from Aberdeen was the only one who doesn’t play for pay to shoot below 146. Locke must be saluted; after making consecutive bogeys at 13 through 15, the lad clenched his teeth and played that treacherous closing triumvirate in two-under par. Now that’s mighty. He’ll be joined by a number of golfers expected to challenge, like McIlroy, Finau, Spieth, Fowler and even Woods.

3. Some will join José Jurado and others

…as runners-up at Carnoustie. Jurado lost to Tommy Armour in 1931, and was followed by Reg Whitcome, Frank Stranahan, Jack Newton, Dai Rees, Sergio Garcia and, of course, Jean Van de Velde. Those men never captured an Open, but fellow runners-up Bob Charles, Jack Nicklaus, Justin Leonard and Peter Thomson, did. And so it might be for Kisner, Pat Perez, Xander Schauffele, Erik Van Rooyen, et al.

They find themselves in the running for the championship at Friday’s end, which is a triumph in itself. They want more, and they will spill everything out onto the course over the weekend, all for glory and eternal fame. To those who come up short, we salute you for entering the cauldron and baring your skills and emotions on the world’s stage. If it’s your year, you might even catch the breaks.

4. There are golfers who challenge year in and out

Their names are Matt Kuchar, Tommy Fleetwood, Rickie Fowler, Charley Hoffman, and there are others. These are the golfers who’ve won on tour, many more times than once. To date, they have been unable to claim one of the game’s four major championships. They might wonder how golfers like Ben Curtis, Todd Hamilton, and Paul Lawrie were able to do so, in this event alone, in just the past two decades.

They have been preceded by Lee Westwood, Colin Montgomerie, Doug Sanders and others, golfers of the highest quality who could never break through, while others were touched by fate, perhaps undeservedly so. The Open Championship is history itself, and demands that we consider not just the importance of today’s event, but of all the others, throughout time. To the aforementioned foursome, along with Noren, Olesen, Moore and Perez, have a go.

5. The one golf course rules them all

It comes down to this, doesn’t it? The dry-baked course on Thursday, the one that allowed 400-yard drives and 280-yard 6 irons, gave way to a softer version, yet the scoring went up. What is Carnoustie’s true face? Who will figure out the mystery come Sunday?

We would bet on Zach Johnson, but it will be difficult for him to play well on Saturday. Why? Well, Kisner is unlikely to maintain his level of play, and it’s supremely difficult to play well as your partner’s chances ebb away. We might go with the resurgent Jordan Spieth, or the indecipherable Brooks Koepka. Neither should be in a position to win, yet both are, and both are proven major winners. Or McIlroy, who appears to have rediscovered his 15-year-old self.

What we’re saying is, who knows! More importantly, who cares? As they almost always do, Carnoustie and the Open will present us with a champion worthy of our affection, and deserving of the Claret Jug. Perhaps a putt like this one will complete the job.

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Ronald Montesano writes for GolfWRX.com from western New York. He dabbles in coaching golf and teaching Spanish, in addition to scribbling columns on all aspects of golf, from apparel to architecture, from equipment to travel. Follow Ronald on Twitter at @buffalogolfer.

3 Comments

3 Comments

  1. ND Hickman

    Jul 21, 2018 at 3:48 am

    Monty could never break through? 3 majors would disagree. All credit to him.

    Reply Report comment

    • Ronald Montesano

      Jul 21, 2018 at 9:55 am

      Senior majors? Not the same.

      Reply Report comment

    • Devilsadvocate

      Jul 21, 2018 at 1:43 pm

      Hahahahahahahaha incorrect sah…. Monty had the game but never got it done…. see his 6 iron short right on 18 on Sunday at winged foot leading to double when par would have won

      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

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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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