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Tour Rundown: A Monday qualifier wins, major winner No. 1, and more

Published

6 years ago

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In case golf fans found themselves looking past the first week in April, in anticipation of the year’s first men’s major championship, golfers around the globe made certain that all eyes remained focused on the goings-on this weekend. Something that had never before happened, happened. Make that two things. A third thing that hadn’t occurred since 2010, once again took place. For the weekend’s winners, April 6th and 7th were dates that they won’t soon forget. For the rest of us, the triumphs were well worth our time and attention. Have a look at all the events in this week’s Tour Rundown.

Conners becomes first Monday qualifier since Atwal to win on PGA Tour at Valero Open

I won’t lie: I picked Corey Conners to win today, in a random-someone’s Twitter poll. You’ll have to take my word for it. Conners wasn’t the 1st or the 2nd choice in the poll, but I had a hunch. A bit more than a year since giving up a 54-hole lead at Valspar, Conners made Canada proud as he surged ahead of 3rd-round leader Si Woo Kim, then held off Charlie Hoffman, Ryan Moore, and others for the win. He became the first Monday qualifier since Arjun Atwal at Greensboro, way back in 2010. The path wasn’t easy for the former US Amateur runner-up. He opened Sunday with four birdies in 5 holes, then bogeyed 6 through 9. Huh? Just as quickly, he returned to his early form, running in 6 birdies on the inward half, to close in 30 and win by 2. Kim got lost early, with a double bogey at the 3rd hole. He had far too few of the chirping numbers to mount a challenge, and closed with 72 for a 4th-place tie. Hoffman did nothing wrong on Sunday, with zero bogies on his card, but five birdies were 2 too few to catch Conners. Hoffman certainly buoyed his spirits for Augusta National next week. As for Conners, he’s headed back to Augusta for the first time as a pro, and for the first time as a PGA Tour winner.

ANA Inspiration opens major championship season with 1st for Ko

Jin Young Ko  had the commentators bubbling about her swing all week. They called it one for the ages, or one that will stand up for all time. One commentator threatened to quit if the young Korean professional ever made alterations to her back-and-through. With the pile of praise, it’s a fortunate thing that Ko made the putts and won her first major, at age 23. No one came at her all day, as -2 on Sunday was good enough for -10 on the week and a 3-shot win over Mi Hyang Lee. Holding off a challenge is one matter, but holding onto oneself is another. Ko had her share of stumbles on Sunday, with 3 bogeys to go with her 5 birdies. She never looked to be deep in trouble at any stage, but when bogeys at 13 and 15 sounded a call of hope to the competition. Ko returned birdies at 16 and 18 to clinch win #2 of the season, and #4 of her young career.

Bangabandhu Cup to unflappable Kaewkanjana

Sodom Kaewkanjana had a bit of a cushion after 54 holes of this week’s Asian Tour event. Midway through the back nine, as Ajeetesh Sandhu was working his way through a straight-fire round of 65, Kaewkanjana had one of those hiccups that champions overcome. He bogeyed three consecutive holes to lose his lead to Sandhu. When hope seemed lost, Sodom recovered from the holes 13-15 lapse with birdies at 16 and 17. With the latter, he made up 2 strokes on Ajeetesh, who bogeyed the par-five hole. Just like that Sodom had turned a 2-shot deficit into the single-stroke margin of victory he would claim, but not without a last bit of drama, as seen below. The win was the first ever for the rookie, so here’s to making an early splash!

Augusta National Women’s Amateur honored by top amateur’s Saturday performance

Jennifer Kupcho has done quite well over the last year. She claimed the individual title at last spring’s NCAA championship, and served as a rock on the USA’s triumphant, 2018 Curtis Cup team. This week, she added to that run with a victory for all time. On Wednesday, Kupcho was honored to hit the first-ever tee shot at the ANWA. On Saturday, having survived a great challenge from Mexico’s Maria Fassi, the pride of Wake Forest University hit the last shot of the week as well. The birdie putt at 18 gave her a 4-shot margin of victory over the runner-up, a differential that seemed very unlikely only four holes prior. Ten holes prior, in fact, when Kupcho suffered a 4-hole migraine. The Colorado native regained her vision and her composure, and made eagle at 13 to forge a tie with Fassi. The Arkansas Razorback bounced back with her 5th birdie of the day, at hole 14, to retake the solo lead. As happens so often at Augusta, the closing nine on the final day reveals the champion. Kupcho ripped another approach into 15, two-putting for birdie from just off the back edge. She birdied 16 as Fassi made bogey, establishing a two-shot lead. The 18th hole provided another 2-shot differential, with Kupcho at -10, and Fassi in 2nd at -6.

Jordan Mixed Open slips from Maclaren to Huizing

In a year when unique formats and new events are taking hold, the Jordan Mixed Open offered three tours competing against each other, playing from three sets of tees, but only one champion. England’s Meghan Maclaren held the lead into round three, after opening with a pair of 65s. On her heels was a Challenge Tour golfer named Daan Huizing, from The Netherlands, and Staysure (senior) golfer from Argentina, Jose Coceres. Maclaren couldn’t hold her lead, closing with 72 and finishing at -14. Coceres represented the senior set well, finishing in a tie for 4th at -11. The spoils of victory went to Huizing, who closed with 5 birdies for 68 on Saturday, for -16 and the 2-shot margin of victory. Maclaren was in top shape with 9 to play, but opened bogey-double on the home nine. Unable to make anything but pars coming in, her challenge came up just shy.

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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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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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