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Tour Rundown: Rose, DeChambeau and Campos master the possibilities

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The Champions and LPGA Tours rested this final full week of January, while the PGA, Web and European tours hosted important, early-season events. None disappointed in their results, and two of the three came down to the final holes before resolution.

The PGA Tour was in San Diego at Torrey Pines, host of the annual event and the upcoming 2021 U.S. Open. The Web.com Tour finished midweek in the Bahamas, while the European Tour closed a two-week run in the Emirates, in Dubai. Tour Rundown starts in 3, 2, 1, now.

Justin Rose holds off resurgent Scott at Farmers

Rose opened the week with 63, trailing 2017 champion Jon Rahm by one shot. Rose followed with 66 to seize the halfway lead from the Basque talent. Over the course of the weekend, the Englishman stayed just under 70 each round (69-69) and that effort was enough to keep a resurgent Adam Scott at arm’s length.

Rose ultimately won by two strokes, thanks in part to a clean card on the inward half. His three birdies on the home march held off the 2013 Masters champion, who currently rides a two-year winless horse. Scott finished electrically, with birdies over the final four holes, to reach 19-under par. His only blemish on the day was a fifth-hole bogey, and the 68 allowed him to hold solo second place at day’s end. Rose’s 10th PGA Tour win featured 3 bogeys in his first five holes on Sunday, turning a weekend waltz into a nail-biter. He set sail at the seventh with birdie, followed up with a second at the ninth, and came home unblemished for victory.

Hideki Matsuyama rebounded from a Saturday 73 to finish tied for third with Talor Gooch at 16 under par.

Bryson DeChambeau in rare form in Dubai for first European Tour title

The temptation to make a fifth estate-proclamation on this or that, after DeChambeau’s seven-shot triumph over Matt Wallace, is tempting. The Californian did post 26 birdies and two eagles over the 72 holes of the Dubai Desert Classic. Better than par every two to three holes is an uncommon feat, and is duly noted in DeChambeau’s rise in the rankings. This much is certain: when DeChambeau is on point, his confidence is palpable and his control, unwavering.

Such was the case in the Emirates, where 66-66-68-64 brought him to 24-under par, a country-code or two away from his chasers. Matthew Fitzpatrick opened with 65 for the lead, but posted consecutive 70s over the final three rounds for T16. Anything over 69 was akin to a dropped shot, as scores in the mid 60s were commonplace.

DeChambeau was hardly flawless, posting six bogeys over the course of the tournament. He avoided big numbers and encountered spates of birdies, on his way to professional win number seven, and his fifth since June of last year. Matt Wallace, the Xander Schauffele of last year’s European Ryder Cup-side race, continued his magnificent play into 2019 with 17 under for solo second, one shot clear of Paul Waring.

Rafael Campos leaps to first at Great Abaco on Web

John Oda had a rough day four in the Bahamas-he fell from first to T4 with a 76; Erik Compton had it worse, tumbling all the way to 25th after an 83. They were not along on Wednesday’s windy finale at The Abaco Club. Most golfers shot par or higher. Only two in contention were able to mildly master the challenging, seaside course as the tournament wound down.

Rafael Campos brought his island vibe from Puerto Rico to the top of the leader board, posting six birdies on the day for 70 and a one-shot victory over USA-mainlander Vincent Whaley of Kentucky. Campos began strong with two opening birdies, survived a double at the third, and won the tournament on the club’s inward half. Campos posted third birdies against no bogies coming home, and held off Whaley, who had five birdies against five bogeys on the day.

Paul Imondi matched Campos’ closing 70 for solo third at five under, two behind the champion. The victory elevated Campos into first place on the season-long chase for 25 PGA Tour cards, just ahead of last week’s winner, Zecheng Dou. After two Sunday-Wednesday events, the tour continues this week in Colombia, with a traditional Thursday-Sunday event in Bogota. Campos became the first golfer from Puerto Rico since Chi Chi Rodriguez to win a PGA Tour-sanctioned event, with his first-ever professional triumph.

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

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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

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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

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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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