Connect with us

News

Morning 9: Sobering up and the gift of golf | Rahm + Palmer = Ralmer? | No Woods at Wells Fargo

Published

6 years ago

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

April 29, 2019

Good Monday morning, golf fans.
1. Palmer-Rahm (Ralmer? Pahm?)
While they may not have a blended name with a great ring (ala Moliwood), this odd couple sure plays some good golf together.
  • AP Report…“Ryan Palmer and Jon Rahm shot a 3-under 69 in the alternate-shot final round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on Sunday to win the PGA TOUR’s only team event by three strokes over Sergio Garcia and Tommy Fleetwood.”
  • “The victory was the fourth on TOUR for the 42-year-old Palmer, but first in nearly a decade. Having last won in 2010 at the Sony Open in Hawaii, Palmer waved and gave a thumbs-up to TV cameras as he walked up the 18th fairway with a throng of fans applauding his and Rahm’s impending triumph.”
  • “Palmer-Rahm finished with a 26-under 262 total at the TPC Louisiana, which had dried out considerably since heavy rain delayed the first round by more than seven hours and forced many players to play more than 18 holes on Friday and Saturday to get the event back on schedule.”
2. Meanwhile, in Morocco…
EuropeanTour.com report…“Jorge Campillo ended his long wait for a maiden European Tour win at the 229th time of asking with a two shot victory at the Trophée Hassan II.”
  • “The Spaniard arrived at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam with two second places and a third in his last four events and when he bogeyed two of his first three holes in round four, it looked like he may miss out again.”
  • “But the 32-year-old held his nerve brilliantly, birdieing the 16th and 17th to hit the front at nine under and finish ahead of Americans Sean Crocker and Julian Suri, and South African Erik van Rooyen after a closing 71.”
3. …and in LA…
AP report…”Minjee Lee won the Hugel-Air Premia LA Open on Sunday at Wilshire Country Club for her fifth LPGA Tour title, closing with a 3-under 68 for a four-stroke victory.”
  • “The 22-year-old Australian was projected to jump from fourth to second in the world ranking Monday after her fourth top-three finish in her last seven starts.”
  • “Coming in, the first half of the year that I’ve had, I’ve been hitting it pretty solid and playing pretty solid,” Lee said. “I felt like it was close. I feel pretty good with this one.”
  • “Lee made a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-3 18th to finish at 14-under 270. She led the last three days, shooting 66-69-67 to take a one-stroke advantage over Nanna Koerstz Madsen into the final round.”
4. Meanwhile, in senior two-man team golf…
AP report…”Tom Pernice Jr. and Scott Hoch completed a wire-to-wire victory Sunday in the PGA Tour Champions’ Bass Pro Shops Legends, opening with Pernice’s hole-in-one on the Top of the Rock par-3 course.”
  • “Pernice used a 7-iron on the 175-yard first hole….”Obviously when they go in, it’s a little bit lucky, but I did hit a very good shot and was fortunate for it to go in,” Pernice said. ”Followed it up with a birdie on 2, so that was a great start.”’
5. Woods to skip Wells Fargo
Golf Channel’s Nick Menta…”Tiger Woods will not play in next week’s Wells Fargo Championship, according Charlotte, N.C. sports radio station WFNZ.”
  • “Woods had until 5 p.m. ET Friday to commit to the tournament.”
  • “An appearance at Quail Hollow seemed a natural fit in the event he was looking to make a competitive start between the Masters and the PGA Championship. Woods won the event in 2007 and made his return to the Charlotte stop last May after a six-year absence, finishing tied for 55th.”
6. E. Molinari outs slow play offenders
Golf Digest’s Ryan Herrington…“In a similar vein, Edoardo Molinari looks to be another pro golfer willing to become a disruptor on the issue. The 38-year-old Italian has frequently taken to Twitter to bemoan the lack of enforcement against slow pokes. Upset with the pace of play at this week’s European Tour event, the Trophee Hussan II in Morocco, he took it upon himself to see if he could stir things up and potentially create some action.”
  • “Edoardo Molinari: It’s time that professional golf does something serious for slow play…5h30min to play 18 holes on a golf course without rough is just too long…way too long! #stopslowplay”
  • “Edoardo Molinari: I didn’t think I was going to cause such a debate with this tweet, however…if the above tweet about slow play gets 1,000 retweets I’ll post the updated list of players being timed and fined on the @EuropeanTour in 2019 as of last Monday!#stopslowplay”
  • “Sure enough, 1,300 retweeted him, and the former U.S. Amateur champion (and brother of reigning Open championship Francesco) made good on his threat promise, revealing the list that the European Tour does not make public but does share with its members.”
7. A win for women
Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols…”The USGA got it right in giving Lewis a place in this year’s field. In fact, the organization said in a statement that it’s taking a fresh look at its policies, most notably the impact maternity leave has on its exemption categories.”
  • “In lieu of a modified policy for 2019, the USGA offered spots to both Lewis and Brittany Lincicome, who had originally planned to defer her exemption to 2020 and is now considering her options.”
8. Sobering up and the gift of golf
Some pretty cool stuff here, as reported by the Manchester Ink Link…
  • “Officer Justin Maguire got to know Mark Yphantis quite well over the years. The 58-year-old Manchester resident drank heavily and Maguire often arrested him. Maguire says despite these unfortunate encounters, he liked Yphantis and had learned they shared the love of golf.”
  • “About a year and a half ago Maguire decided to challenge Yphantis. He told him if he could sober up, he’d take him golfing.”
  • “In January, Yphantis went into rehab and today he is more than 100 days sober.”
  • “On Wednesday, April 24, 2019 Maguire delivered a set of golf clubs to Yphantis. The clubs were donated by Golf and Ski Warehouse. On April 26, 2019 Maguire followed up with a gift certificate for 10 rounds of golf donated by the Derryfield Country Club.”
9. “50-50 chance”
Golf Digest’s Keely Levins…“It seems paradoxical to think that something that benefits women’s golf overall might hurt one of the LPGA’s flagship events. Yet that appears the potential result of the successful launch of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Or more precisely the scheduling of the event the same week as ANA Inspiration, the first major championship on the LPGA calendar.”
  • “Officials with the 48-year-old Rancho Mirage, Calif., tournament and the LPGA are expected to meet next month to discuss the long-term implications of the overlapping events, specifically lower TV ratings and lower on-course attendance. IMG runs the tournament, and listening to the company’s Chris Garrett, who serves as tournament director, it sounds like there’s a reasonable chance that the event could change dates to avoid competing for attention.”

Featured image c/o the Manchester Ink Link

Related Topics:

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.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

News

Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

on

Aug 4, 2025

By

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.

Continue Reading

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.

 

Continue Reading

News

BK’s Breakdowns: Kurt Kitayama’s Winning WITB, 3M Open

Published

4 weeks ago

on

Jul 28, 2025

By

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)

Continue Reading

WITB

Whats in the Bag3 weeks ago

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...
Whats in the Bag3 weeks ago

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...
Whats in the Bag4 weeks ago

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. ...
Whats in the Bag4 weeks ago

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...

Facebook

Trending