Connect with us

News

Morning 9: Romo (10,000-1) the most popular Nelson bet? | Crenshaw on putting | McIlroy a Euro Tour member after all

Published

6 years ago

on

 

1. Spieth embracing the struggle
PGATour.com’s Mike McAllister on the Texan’s difficulties, where his head is at…
  • “A year ago, it was putting that plagued Spieth, as he finished T-123rd in Strokes Gained: Putting. He enters this week ranked 50th. A nice bounce-back, almost to his ranking in 2017 (48th).”
  • “However, his other rankings have suffered. Off-the-Tee, he gone from T-50th to 205th. Approach-the-Green, he’s gone from 33rd to 120th. Around-the-Green, from T-49th to 87th. Tee-to-Green, from 23rd to 180th. And overall, from 32nd to 148th. (By the way, he was second overall in 2017.)”
  • “Spieth said that he’s never allowed other parts of his game to be negatively impacted while he focuses on a specific place to improve. That’s why the numbers don’t concern him.”
  • “There’s always something you’re singling out and you obviously put more emphasis on that to get it back up,” Spieth said, “but it’s not been in a place where anything else has dropped as significantly…”
  • “I know what I need to work on. I’ve been now putting the effort in over there while making sure we’re maintaining the rest of the game.”
2. A Tiger spotting at Bethpage
News of Woods’ yacht docking off Long Island is a few days old at this point. Wednesday, however, the 15-time major champion was spotted practicing at Bethpage Black.
The PGA Championship’s Twitter posted a nicely edited video of Woods walking across the 14th green.
3. Nantz on Bethpage
Golfweek’s Dan Kilbridge relays the anchor’s remarks…
  • “If we’re gonna get everybody to think this is gonna be knee-high rough for a PGA Championship, I promise you, it’s not going to look anything like it did for those two (U.S. Opens),” Nantz said.
  • “I just wanted to issue one word of warning here,” Nantz said. “We’re all conditioned to think about Bethpage Black and how it was set up for the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Opens. It was never gonna be set up like (that), because it’s a PGA Championship. (Chief Championships Officer) Kerry Haigh and the PGA, they like birdies. It’s never gonna look like what it looked like back in 02 and 09.”
4. The traveling tour pro
All tour pros travel (a lot), sure, but Dylan Frittelli takes to the itinerant life with gusto.
PGATour.com’s Helen Ross…
  • “Since turning pro in 2012, he’s won tournaments in Austria, Mauritius, South Africa and Switzerland. Frittelli also won as an amateur in Canada and Zimbabwe, as well as in the United States where he played at Texas and sank the putt that gave the Longhorns’ the NCAA title his senior year.”
  • “Ask the 28-year-old his favorite destination and he’ll give you several. For one, Frittelli is drawn to the culture of Japan — “I’ve never seen a sort of Asian country that has so much respect and so much I guess, rigidity in their lifestyle,” he says. And a beach destination like Fiji would definitely top his list of vacation spots.”
5. The teams are coming together
Golf Channel’s Randall Mell…
  • “Juli Inkster isn’t yet among the players in the field for the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational this summer, but the American Solheim Cup captain is planning to be there to check out the pairings in Midland, Mich.”
  • “European captain Catriona Matthew will also be there, but she’ll be playing alongside one of her vice captains, Suzann Pettersen, who isn’t yet dismissing the possibility she might be a playing vice captain in Scotland in September.”
  • “This all adds intrigue to the two-woman team event’s dynamic with some early pairings released Wednesday.”
  • “Notably, the pairing of Lexi Thompson and Cristie Kerr was announced. They’ve become the dynamic duo of team golf, amassing an 11-1-2 record as partners in the Solheim Cup and UL International Crown.”
 
6. Crenshaw on putting
Perspective from a man who knows a thing or two about the subject in question…
Geoff Shackelford spoke with Gentle Ben…
  • “Shack: I’m sure you’ve had parents ask, what would help someone develop a great putter?”
  • “Crenshaw: Putting contests, I always thought, were great. Harvey encouraged that. Having to putt against someone and go around the clock. There’s no better practice, because you’re putting something on the line, you’re competing. When you’re putting at different holes, that’s what golf is. When I was a kid, I found about eight balls out on the golf course. I went up to the putting green by myself, and I hit this one putt about an hour. Same putt, over and over. Harvey said, “Ben, I see what you’re doing. Your stroke looks pretty good, but you’ll never have that putt again the rest of your life. Putt to different holes.” You see young people do that in practice. They get the chalk out with straight lines and all that stuff.”
7. Making another bet…
Perhaps the bloom is off the rose with this gentleman, but nevertheless…
Stephen Hennessey at Golf Digest…
  • “James Adducci has doubled down. Golf Digest has learned that Adducci, the 39-year-old Wisconsin man who won $1.19 million on Tiger Woods winning the Masters, has taken $100,000 of his winnings and placed it on Woods to win the Grand Slam.
  • William Hill U.S. confirmed the bet was placed on Wednesday afternoon at the SLS Casino in Las Vegas, the same sportsbook where Adducci placed-and then cashed-his first bet. Michael Grodsky, William Hill’s VP of marketing, said Adducci flew to Vegas and placed the bet on Wednesday.”
  • “Adducci claims his initial $85,000 bet on Tiger to win the Masters at 14-1 was his first sports bet. The $100,000 bet at 100-1 odds on Tiger Woods winning the Grand Slam would net the 39-year-old Wisconsin man a $10 million payday. Tiger’s current odds of winning next week’s PGA Championship are listed at 8-1 at the Westgate Sportsbook.”
8. Bettors plowing cash behind Romo at 10,000-1?
David Purdum at ESPN…”On Wednesday afternoon, Jeff Sherman, an oddsmaker at the SuperBook at Westgate Las Vegas, reviewed the early betting action on this week’s PGA tournament, the AT&T Byron Nelson, and was fascinated with what he saw — more bets had been placed on Tony Romo to win the tournament than on any other golfer in the field.”
  • “Romo is 10,000-1 to win the Byron Nelson at the SuperBook. Other sportsbooks have him at 2,000-1 or 1,000-1. Regardless, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and current CBS broadcaster will be a massive long shot when he tees it up Thursday at Trinity Forest Golf Club in his third PGA Tour event.”
9. After all that…
The Telegraph’s James Corrigan…
  • “Rory McIlroy has enacted an 11th hour U-turn to join the European Tour and so make himself eligible for Ryder Cup points this season. The news will come as a relief to Europe captain Padraig Harrington, particularly as he has limited himself to three wild-card picks for next year’s match.”
  • “McIlroy had been in a stand-off with his home circuit since the end of last year because of a disagreement believed to centre around appearance fees and told the media in January…”
  • “…although he will probably limit his schedule on the Tour to the minimum of four appearances in 2019, his late decision to send in the forms just before the deadline has come a sizeable boost for chief executive Keith Pelley.”

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.

2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Voice of Reason

    May 9, 2019 at 11:07 am

    Tiger winning the Grand Slam at 100-1 is about the dumbest bet I have ever seen. Let’s look at the math. Tiger is 8-1 at the PGA. Let’s say he wins, being conservative he will be 6-1 at Pebble. Now if he wins you would be looking at a 48-1 payoff. Anyone think he will be longer than 2-1 at the Open? Of course he will be, not to mention you have 2 built in outs if he is in poor form. Why in the world would you essentially play a parlay card when you can make a multiple of the winnings playing each tournament?

    Reply Report comment

    • Johnny Penso

      May 9, 2019 at 1:58 pm

      Because, when you win a longshot bet, and you’re not very smart, you might have a tendency to think you were somehow smarter than everyone else and that’s why you won the initial big bet. You don’t realize it was pure luck that you picked the right guy at the right time and not some special insight. Win big and quit, invest your money in real estate.

      Reply Report comment

Leave a Reply

Cancel 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