News
Amy Olson denies any wrongdoing in backstopping controversy
Following the backstopping controversy which overshadowed the LPGA’s Honda Thailand event, Amy Olson one of the two players involved, took to social media to present her side of the story.
Within the post, Olson denied any intent and dismissed claims of collusion, while stressing both herself and Ariya Jutanugarn’s innocence from any wrongdoing.
— Amy Olson (@AmyOlsonGolf) February 25, 2019
The LPGA previously addressed the situation after the second days play, stating
“There was no agreement by either player to leave Jutanugarn’s ball in place to help Olson’s next stroke. An LPGA Rules Official was approaching the 18th green at the time and agreed that no breach had occurred.”
Neither player received any punishment over the incident, and both Olson and Jutanugarn notched top-25 finishes at the event, finishing T23 and 14th respectively.
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.
Card III and Bacha both miss their birdie tries on the first playoff hole.
We’ll play 18 again @OspreyOpen. pic.twitter.com/vNpHTdkHDg
— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) August 3, 2025
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
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #1
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #2
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Chandler Phillips – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Davis Riley – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Scotty Kennon – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Austin Duncan – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Will Chandler – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kevin Roy – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ben Griffin – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Peter Malnati – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ryan Gerard – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Adam Schenk – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kurt Kitayama – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Camilo Villegas – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matti Schmid – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
Pullout Albums
- Denny McCarthy’s custom Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Swag Golf putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Karl Vilips TM MG5 wedges – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- New Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matt Fitzpatrick’s custom Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.
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)
‘Why would anybody want to change that swing?’ – Brandel Chamblee says PGA Tour star was wrong to change his swing
‘The stupidest freaking thing I’ve ever heard’ – Billy Horschel slams Open idea suggested by Padraig Harrington
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Golfer proudly posts photo of ball mark on iron, receives immediate roasting
WITB Time Machine: Matthew Wolff’s winning WITB, 2019 3M Open
Oakmont Country Club bans Wyndham Clark over locker incident; Reveals specific conditions to earn reinstatement
Adam Scott puts Callaway blades in the bag at Wyndham Championship
Report: LIV star fires caddie and coach in shock shake up
Rickie Fowler makes equipment change to ‘something that’s a little easier on the body’
The championship formula: How 3 key stats separate winners from the field
Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
Peter McGill
Feb 28, 2019 at 8:20 pm
I always clear on my popularity in the group if they all race up to mark their ball when I’m about to chip…
dan mcco
Feb 26, 2019 at 6:17 pm
Change the rule so that a ball cannot be marked unless the player hitting onto the green requests it. Then there is no backstopping issue and everyone gets the “advantage”. We used to make player putt over or around a ball on the green (stymies.)
Matthew Keves
Feb 26, 2019 at 1:29 pm
Simple fix…if an opponent’s ball hits yours, you both play it as it lies…no more putting it back where it was. That’ll stop this immediately
Sandra
Feb 26, 2019 at 1:43 pm
That’s a good one. I’d go for that AND mark my ball every time!
frank cichon
Feb 26, 2019 at 12:06 pm
What a joke! After hitting her chip, Ariya started towards the hole INTENDING to MARK her ball but glanced at Olson and was WAVED OFF by Olson. If anyone that has played the game at a fairly decent level (having some skill) knows that a ball resting within 2 feet right of the hole makes a downhill chip (from a poor lie) MUCH easier. I my mind Olson took advantage and hit the shot MUCH quicker than she would have. I think Olson should have been penalized …not Ariya because Olson waved her off. As for not holding up play…did I not see Wie standing on the fringe of the green (NO CLUB in hand) waiting for a RULING. WHAT A MONTH FOR GOLF……..KUCHER, DJ’s ruling was another JOKE ….I lost a lot of respect for ALL 3 of these golfers.
UpstateGolfer
Feb 26, 2019 at 9:34 am
Rub of the green. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it hurts. I am for the speed up of play and if it helps a player every now and again so be it. Non-Issue.
Tim Armington
Feb 26, 2019 at 9:14 am
If she is good enough to hit a 1.5″ ball at will why wouldn’t she aim at the 4.5″ hole? It speeds up play and should be a non-issue!
Jim
Feb 26, 2019 at 9:13 am
Gianni,
Words are significant! Your use of the word “denies” in your column above implies there was guilt. A much more positive word would have been the truthful “explains” what happened. I’m tired of all you journalists and so-called experts taking the negative viewpoint on everything, especially Chamblee!
Regarding the backstopping, Amy made an error in judgement trying to protect the field from slow play by playing fast. That’s all.
Stop trying to make something sinister or negative out of it and get on with life and more important things!
Dennis
Feb 26, 2019 at 9:02 am
Require a ball on the green must be marked before the next player plays his/her shot.
Dave R
Feb 26, 2019 at 10:50 am
Curious…how far away 100yds…50yds
This whole “backstopping” thing is ludicrous…
joro
Feb 26, 2019 at 8:59 am
So what, there is no rule against it and it is done all the time. A person chips it close and rather than wait for the player to mark it, which takes time, the next player hits. So big deal, it is stupid to even comment on it. It has been going on forever.
Tiger Noods
Feb 26, 2019 at 5:49 am
You guys are full of it. The word “likely” is used in the rule, and by all accounts, likely by definition is better than a 50% chance. The thought that you are all suggesting that it was *LIKELY* that the other ball would be hit from a pitch from off the green is flatly preposterous. If it were “likely”, then imagine how easily a larger target, like a 4.25″ hole would be hit from there… this was just a wee little 1.68″ ball!
You either expect these ladies to be shooting 59s consistently, or you are putting way, way too much into this.
JP
Feb 25, 2019 at 9:42 pm
Jutanugarn was on her way up to mark her ball. She knew it was likely to get hit. Olsen waved her off and proceeded to do just that.
Everyone who saw it knew it was a rule infraction.
Like already said, if this were match play, there’s no way Jutanugarn doesn’t mark her ball!
scott
Feb 26, 2019 at 2:21 pm
“likely”? Why didn’t she just hit the stick instead of the ball that was 2 feet to the right? Wouldn’t it be easier if she would have just hit the stick and made the chip instead of hitting the other ball?
But I guess you are right EVERYONE knew it was a rules infraction. Let’s not let the fact that it IS NOT a rules infraction get in the way of your story.
JP
Feb 26, 2019 at 3:47 pm
“Likely” as in it had a good chance! It was in close proximity to the intended target. So yes, it was likely to get hit.
.
Oh wait! Not just likely, it DID get hit! That’s how likely a ball somewhat close to the pin is to get hit. A distinct possibility. That’s why there is a rule about this.
.
Given the choice, I’d love to have a ball or two somewhat close to the pin each and every time I chip up. And I’d prefer those balls be just left, right, or behind the cup. Why? Because it’s likely I’ll hit them once in a while and it will help. Or is there a rule regarding this???
Tom
Feb 25, 2019 at 2:33 pm
Both spectators watching the women’s golf noticed the infraction…..lol!
2putttom
Feb 25, 2019 at 1:45 pm
what does the “rule” say
thebigdad
Feb 25, 2019 at 11:58 am
I can assure you had Jutanugarn’s ball been in front of the hole, Olsen would have insisted it be marked.
bob
Feb 25, 2019 at 11:06 am
So they want to speed up play, but you have to stop to mark every ball on the green.
kevin
Feb 25, 2019 at 1:38 pm
it took the players 12 seconds from the shot to walk to the green and fist pump. marking a ball sitting next to the cup does is not the reason why players are slow.
the simple test should be whether or not the ball would’ve been marked during match play. guarantee it would’ve.
Matt D
Feb 25, 2019 at 4:37 pm
100% right Kevin. Jutanagarn’s instinct was to mark it because it might give Amy an advantage. Jutanagarn is entitled under the rules to mark her ball, or have any other ball marked if there’s an advantage. My guess is she didn’t want to make waves so just left it.
Jon G
Feb 25, 2019 at 9:48 am
Players need to know the rules. I like Amy, but ignorance of the rules for any player in a sport they play for a living is not good for the sport,