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GolfWRX Morning 9: McIlroy invoking his 16-year-old swing | Reed’s bad tickets | $20K golf bag

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7 years ago

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

August 31, 2018

Good Friday morning, golf fans.
1. How I spent my break, by Rory McIlroy
McIlroy, who skipped the first playoff event, said this ahead of the Dell Technologies Championship. “I just needed to have a couple of weeks off and sort of assess where I was at and what I needed to do to improve and go forward.”
  • “So I worked for 10 days with Michael Bannon down in Florida. We worked on a few things, sort of looking back at old video all the way back to when I was 16 and what I’ve done well in my swing throughout the years. And just sort of trying to get back to that.”
  • “When I was that age the move that I’m trying to get back to was more exaggerated at that point, steepened the shaft very much on the way back, shallowed it coming down,” said McIlroy, who has eight top 10s this year but just one victory. “Now it’s shallow coming back, and steepened coming down, that’s why I get two-way misses left and right.”
2. The case of Patrick Reed and the Red Sox seats
Here’s the tweet from Patrick Reed: “Thank you@pgatour for the tickets to the@RedSox game tonight. I love how you put my wife, sister in law and myself in the line drive section. We paid $650 and ended up in the same section as the rest of the@PGATOUR!#frontrow“
  • Seems like the PGA Tour bought a bunch of seats for players at the Sox game, P Reed asked for a few, and he was given seats in a different area than the rest of the players. Yikes.
  • Also, for what it’s worth, Justin Thomas air mailed his first pitch wide right of the plate…
3. The $20K golf bag
Golfweek’s Randall Mell…”Alana Sharp paid tribute to the Broncos playing in Saskatchewan last week, carrying a golf bag with the team logo and colors on it. She scribbled “16” on her golf balls.”
  • “The bag attracted so much attention, it was put up for charity auction this week. Sharp learned Thursday that the bag raised $19,000 for the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation, with the proceeds going to help purchase a much needed isolette machine for Humboldt Hospital. It’s an incubator used to treat premature newborns.”
  • “It made me cry and gave me goosebumps,” Sharp said upon hearing what the bag won for Humboldt. “Just unbelievable. I was at a loss for words. And so happy that we could raise that much money in awareness. And be able to give it back to the Humboldt children. That’s just something that’s made my year, really.”
4. Tiger heads to Juno
Tiger Woods finished 79th in strokes gained: putting at last week’s Northern Trust as his struggles with the flatstick returned. Woods benched his beloved Scotty Cameron Newport 2 in favor of a TaylorMade TP Collection Ardmore 3 at the Quicken Loans National, but it looks like he’s considering another switch.
  • Golfweek’sDavid Dusek spotted him practicing with a TaylorMade TP Collection Black Copper Juno putter, today, ahead of the 2018 Dell Technologies Championship at TPC Boston.
  • The Juno model looks close to the retail edition, save for the alignment dot (the retail model has a line) on the topline and “TIGER” stamped on one of the bumpers.
5. Hello, again
“I guess, hello, world.”…It was a sheepishly delivered line that changed golf. Within days, Nike Golf turned the remark, be it spontaneous or otherwise, into a marketing franchise and within 24 hours Tiger Woods set out on a historic journey at the Greater Milwaukee Open.
  • “The last few years seemed like it took centuries. I was struggling a bit. But just looking back on it, I remember so many shots from my early start in Milwaukee. I remember all that,” Woods said on Thursday at the Dell Technologies Championship when asked to reflect on that start 22 years ago. “That it’s been 22 years since then, it has gone by more fast than I would have imagined.”
So begins Rex Hoggard’s excellent look back at Tiger Woods first professional start.
6. Golf tournaments that actually started Thursday
While the Dell Technologies Championship doesn’t get started until today, here’s a quick look at the pro tournaments that began on Thursday.
LPGA: Marina Alex shot a 10-under 62 to lead at the Cambia Portland Classic.
Web: “Kramer Hickok shot a 7-under 63 on Thursday to take the first-round lead in the DAP Championship, the second of four Web.com Tour Finals events that will determine 25 PGA Tour cards” (AP)
Euro: “Christiaan Bezuidenhout edged into a one-shot lead as round two of the Made in Denmark got under way at Silkeborg Ry Golf Club.” (EuropeanTour.com)
7. Romomentum?
Things haven’t exactly been going swimmingly for Tony Romo and his ambitions as a professional golfer. As Joel Beall writes “If you didn’t pay much heed to the 38-year-old’s attempt at the pre-stage Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament, you weren’t alone.”
  • “But Romo, who bounced back from his shaky Puntacana start by winning the Racine Tri-Course Amateur Championship by nine shots in July and capturing the celebrity-centric American Century Championship, is off to an auspicious start.”
  • “Romo has posted consecutive even-par 72s at Lantana Golf Club in Texas this week, with one round to go. Though Romo, playing as an amateur, is currently 11 shots back of the leader, his T-31 standing is projected to make the cut.”
8. U.S. Senior Am: Wilson wins
Golf Digest’s Ryan Herrington writes…”Jeff Wilson was playing in his 34th USGA championship at this week’s U.S. Senior Amateur. During his decorated career, the 55-year-old car dealer from Fairfield, Calif., has been one of just two golfers ever to claim low-amateur honors in both the U.S. Open and the U.S. Senior Open. Six times in USGA events was the medalist in stroke-play qualifying, the first to do it at the U.S. Amateur, Mid-Amateur and Senior Amateur.”
  • “And yet standing on the 13th tee at Oregon’s Eugene Country Club on Thursday, 1 down in the 18-hole final against defending champion Sean Knapp after squandering an early 2-up lead, would you have blamed Wilson if doubt was setting in?”
  • “Every time I’m listed, the only thing missing is a win,” Wilson noted after winning his semifinal match the previous day. “You know, I’ve enjoyed playing [USGA championships] and I’ve had some success, but bottom line is I don’t have one.”
Fortunately, Wilson got the job done, and he’s a USGA tournament winner at last.
9. DJ’s persimmon poke
Maybe you saw the video of Dustin Johnson hitting Jack Nicklaus’ old persimmon driver at the Bears Club driving range the other day.
  • It was unclear how far the bomber carried his drive with the club up yore, but now we have the answer: 290 yards. Impressive.

 

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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.

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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

By

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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WITB

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