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GolfWRX Morning 9: Scrap the tee system? | JT still mad about U.S. Kids loss | A Ketel for the King

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7 years ago

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By Ben Alberstadt (ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com)

August 23, 2018

Good Thursday morning, golf fans.
1. Officially official: Woods-Mickelson set
Our Gianni Magliocco with the details…”Thanksgiving weekend is the date set for Tiger Woods vs. Phil Mickelson, an event being called “The Match.” Shadow Creek in Las Vegas, Nevada, will host the $9 million winner-take-all match. And for those not lucky enough to be able to attend the showdown, the match will be shown live on pay-per-view via DirectTV, B/R Live and other on-demand platforms.”
  • “The decision to broadcast the event on PPV has unsurprisingly not gone down too well with some golf fans. Many have taken to social media platforms to vent their disapproval.”
  • “Phil also confirmed via ESPN that the duo and their caddies will be mic’d up.”
  • “While the event is winner-take-all, reports also say that Phil and Tiger will be able to make side bets throughout the match, with the winnings going to charity.”
  • “Las Vegas Superbook has released early odds on the showdown, making Woods a -180 favorite over Mickelson (+150).”
2. Should we just scrap the tee system?
A good discussion over at National Club Golfer about the merits of stipulating who plays which tees.
  • Alex Perry: I’ve been quite outspoken on this matter. I’m sure it will disappear as we move onto the next generation of golfers, but this stigma surrounding which tees you play off is pathetic. Tees should be based on your handicap, not your gender.
  • Jordan Elliott: I play off 4, and if I play a championship course I want to play it off the tips. I want to enjoy the course from the same tees that the pros do.
  • Alex Perry: I play off 14 and if I play a championship course I want to play it off tees that aren’t going to make me feel like I’ve been beaten up by the 3rd hole.
This is but the tip of the iceberg in a solid back and forth. Check it out.
3. Writeth the Nantz
Back again with his newly minted “View from Pebble Beach” column for Golf Digest, Jim Nantz writes
  • “If there’s one thing I see as an absolute lock, it’s that the success of the revamped 2019 PGA Tour schedule-the dates of the FedEx Cup playoffs and season-ending Tour Championship especially-is going to be, for myriad reasons, a gimme.”
  • “The Tour Championship traditionally ended the third Sunday in September, which in a television context put it dead up against the NFL national doubleheader games aired on CBS or Fox. There’s no denying the NFL is America’s favorite television sport. For example, the 2018 Super Bowl produced a Nielsen household rating of 43.1, and the Waste Management Phoenix Open earlier that same Sunday drew what is considered a respectable 2.5. Even high-profile golf events don’t produce numbers that come close to the mighty NFL. The memorable Ryder Cup at Hazeltine in 2016 produced a 2.7, and in 2014, when it was broadcast from Scotland and aired early in the day here in the United States, a 1.6.”
  • “And what happens when golf regularly goes head-to-head with the NFL? Over the past 10 years, the late NFL game on Tour Championship Sunday has dominated the golf by a whopping 13.4 to 1.7.”
4. The Challenge Tour made me what I am
If you think too much is made of the path Brooks Koepka took to the PGA Tour, it doesn’t sound like he thinks so.
Ahead of the Northern Trust, Koepka said…”I wouldn’t be where I am at today…To maybe spend a year on the [Web.com Tour], I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I definitely learned a lot about myself traveling Europe and you’re on your own for months at a time.”
5. Ryder Cup Radicals return 
Luke and Shane are firing off emails again…
  • Shane asks…”Am I a bad American if I root for Team Europe at the Ryder Cup?”
  • “(Obama voice): LET ME BE CLEAR … I have not decided if I will actually root for Europe. But I am definitely thinking of rooting for Europe, and I want to know exactly how disloyal this would be before I proceed.”
  • “Here’s the thing-it’s a very loosely guarded secret in golf media that on average European golfers are more entertaining, thoughtful and generally easier to deal with. That’s not a universal truth, but generally speaking I’d rather have a beer and a chat with a European pro any time. There’s also the fact that they’re pretty big underdogs this year-at least we think so-and it’s always better to pull for the underdog than the juggernaut.”
  • “What do you think? Is it OK since it’s “only” a golf tournament? Or am I a wretched traitor for even thinking of such a betrayal?
  • LUKE…”Ultimately, Shane, you’re American, and as I was reminded at the World Cup earlier this summer: There’s nothing worse than American’s pretending not to be American. Going around calling it futbol and half-heartedly cheering for Croatia because you quite like that player … what’s his name … oh yeah, Luka MAW-DRIK. Ugh. No. Don’t be that guy, Shane.”
6. No black socks for you!
A gentleman by the name of David Cole was told he had to change his socks to play semi-private Letchworth Golf Club.
  • He tweeted” “Got refused @GolfLetchworth as my socks were not white!.(they were black spots socks) I was wearing shorts and a polo shirt but still got refused! They would rather so no to £60 between me and my brother for a sock colour which you can hardly see!”
  • The management responded, saying that he would surely have been offered the opportunity to change into the necessary white socks, to which Cole replied he wasn’t inclined to buy a pair of whites from their pro shop and went home.
7. Air quality issues
Golfweek’s Kevin Casey…”All should be better by the time the tournament starts, but the site of PGA Tour Champions’ Boeing Classic is currently dealing with air quality issues.”
  • “Per Golf Digest, TPC Snoqualmie Ridge (this week’s Boeing Classic site) is currently experiencing “unhealthy” air conditions.”
  • “This is according to Washington’s Air Monitoring Network and is the result of fires east of the Cascade mountains that have affected air to the west.”
8. Festering Thomas
Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…”Asked on Tuesday at The Northern Trust if he’d been able to move past last year’s finish at the Tour Championship, where he finished second to Xander Schauffele but still won the FedExCup, his answer was telling.”
  • “I’m still pretty mad that I didn’t win that tournament. [No.] 18 is one of the easier holes on the course. It’s a driver, 5-iron for me and I had a 30-footer for birdie,” he said. “I should have birdied that to have a chance at a playoff. So it still bothers me.”
  • He’s also still burning about, well...”Totally choked the U.S. Kids [Championship] when I was 8 years old. I shot 32, 30, I shot 37 in the second round,” Thomas explained. “I’m dead serious. I lost in a playoff. I got up-and-down on the first playoff hole then I lost on the second playoff hole, made bogey. My dad was caddying for me. I choked it. I was so mad.”
9. Special Ketel One for the King’s birthday
Golf Digest’s Stephen Hennessey (appropriately chosen to write about booze)…”Lesser known than Arnie’s affinity for mixing iced tea and lemonade might be his tendency to relax with a vodka on the rocks (with a lemon, or a twist, for the initiated). To honor Palmer with his birthday coming up (he would’ve turned 89 on Sept. 10), Ketel One has released a limited-edition Arnold Palmer Collector’s Edition bottle ($25 for a 750 ML bottle, $32 for a one-liter bottle).”

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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. steven

    Aug 24, 2018 at 11:25 pm

    I always play off the tips but…. long par 5s are par 6… long par 4’s are 5’s… and very long par 3’s are 4’s. Generally, when I play a long course over 6700 yards my personal par is between 80 and 85. No stupid hero shots… just good course management within my abilities.

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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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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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