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Tour Rundown: Kuchar, Westwood snap victory droughts; Langer wins Schwab Cup

Published

7 years ago

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Playoffs are winding down on three of the world’s major tours. Both the European and LPGA played their penultimate events for the 2019 playoff runs, while the Champions Tour crowned regular- and playoff-season champions in Arizona. The PGA Tour, meanwhile, kept its wraparound season chugging along, as golfers gathered in Mexico for the 2nd-last individual event before the winter break. Despite the long grind, the only thing rundown about professional golf is this week’s Tour Rundown. Let’s have a look at all the winners and what led to their trophy lifts.

Kuchar wins first since April 20, 2014; So does Westwood

Matt Kuchar and Lee Westwood have much in common: both represented their sides in multiple Ryder Cup competitions; neither has won a major title, although such was predicted and nearly accomplished, again on multiple occasions. Now we can add the most unlikely commonality: the ending of 4+ year winless streaks, started and completed on the same days. Let’s begin with Kuchar at Mayakoba.

The Georgia native was left off this year’s USA squad that lost to Europe in France. Kuchar arrived in Mayakoba as one of many, but through 7 of 8 nines this week, he looked unbeatable. Over the final 9 holes, the reality of an 8th tour title set in, and his putting stroke quickened. Despite missing a handful of shortish putts on the way in, Kuchar was able to withstand a Danny-Lee challenge and claim PGA Tour Title the ocho on the Yucatan peninsula. In the land of Maya and cenotes, Kuchar sidestepped the big abyss of pressure and hoisted the unique winner’s shell. As for Lee, a 2nd PGA Tour title will have to wait. His final-round 65 was splendid, marred only by a 15th-hole bogey and a massive misread on his tying birdie putt at the last. For Kuchar, his local caddie El Tucan and the fortuitous bounce at the last, were the stuff that forms unlikely wins.

Lee Westwood has had his share of missed opportunities over the years, certainly more than Kuchar. In South Africa this week, the English champion dumped the bagel that had followed him since mid-April, four years ago. Over the course of the final round, Westwood did battle with Sergio Garcia and Louis Oosthuizen, golfers with the major-championship cred that has escaped the Englishman his entire career. As Westwood piled on the birdies, Garcia and Oosthuizen played slower and slower, eventually reaching the attention of tour officials. Garcia looks poised to repeat his 20+ regrips of year past, but victory was not to be his this week. Hoping to enchant the home-country crowd, Oosthuizen got wayward, way too often, and finished 3rd alone at -11, one behind Garcia. Westwood’s closing 64 featured an early eagle and 6 birdies, superior stuff to anything his challengers had on offer.

Gaby Lopez claims 1st LPGA win at Blue Bay

Gaby Lopez, in the midst of her third season on the LPGA Tour, played sublime golf this week on China’s Hainan Island. Staring down a challenge from the great Ariya Jutanugarn, Lopez nearly balanced her bogeys (5) and birdies (4) and escaped with a 1-shot victory, her first on tour. Jutanugarn showed the erratic play that plagues her, making four bogies in five holes to fall well off the pace. Similar dismay befell Sung Hyun Park, ranked 2nd in the world behind Jutanugarn. The Korean had three bogeys and a double in her closing round, falling from contention to also-ran status. As for Lopez, even a missed, four-feet putt at the last could not steal the win away. Finishing at -8, one ahead of Jutanugarn, Lopez moved inside the top 50 in the season-long CME Globe race.

Singh, Langer elevate trophies as Champions Tour season concludes

They say that the first human to reach 150 years of age might already live among us. I propose Bernhard Langer as a candidate. The German giant won but twice in 2018, but his consistently-high level of play brought him a 5th, season-long Schwab Cup title. Langer held off Scott McCarron by 250 points. Winning this week was Vijay Singh, whose 10 birdies on Sunday gave him 61 on the day, -22 on the week, and a 4-shot margin over runner-up Tim Petrovic. The aforementioned McCarron, in the catbird’s seat on Sunday morning, failed to come through in the season’s final round. With victory in clear sight after opening rounds of 65-64-66, the California native made two double and two bogies in round four, tumbling to 72, a tie for 3rd, and no Schwab Cup. Singh’s victory moved him to 4th on the season-long list, just ahead of Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez and behind Langer, McCarron and Scott Parel.

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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.

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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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WITB

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