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5 things we learned on Thursday at the U.S. Open

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6 years ago

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Golf at Pebble Beach is different, especially in the U.S. Open. For the professionals, it is a known commodity, a course that they see on multiple occasions each February. For the viewers, it represents an accessible (albeit expensive) public option, a course hard against an ocean, as we have been told golf should be. For the association that conducts the event, it is the ideal course on  which to hold this championship. It allows each qualified golfer to hit driver as often as he dares, yet lay back as often as he desires. Pebble Beach offers familiarity at the end of the continent, a destination sought by most, and a journey measured by an elite few. The first round of the 2019 United States Open championship reminded us of these insights, and it gave us five things worth remembering.

5. Brooks Koepka has a wide-right that he needs to fix

For a guy from Buffalo, wide right has an especially painful significance for this scribe. For Brooks Koepka, it nearly cost him an opportunity to defend his consecutive victories in this event. On #16, Koepka’s drive finished in the right rough, as did his approach to the green. The result: a near-bogey. On #17, his 4-iron flared once again to starboard, finding the first of two greenside bunkers. The result? Bogey. At the 18th hole, Koepka opted to lay back with a fairway metal from the tee, then bombed the ball again to his right, nearly out of bounds. His 2nd was played from the macadam path that borders the hole, and he escaped with another par. Our point? Koepka played the closing stretch in +1, which should have been better and could have been worse. To contend over the next 54 holes, wide right needs to go away.

4. Tiger Woods is … somewhere

Forget Ted Talks. Forget Master Classes. Follow Tiger Woods around Pebble Beach, or any U.S. Open venue, and you’ll witness a golfer who squeezes every ounce of opportunity from himself and the golf course. On Thursday, Woods’ round started with 3 birdies in the first 7 holes. Only an inexplicable double bogey at 5 kept him from a run at the top. 11 consecutive pars followed, some conjured in the mysterious ways of a magician. The 2000 champion at Pebble Beach made an improbable par from beyond the 14th green, after blading a sand shot from the fronting bunker. On 17, he again saved par from the sand, while a 3rd trip to a bunker at the home hole was also fraught with difficulty. Somehow, some way, he managed 70 on the day, a mere 5 strokes behind the leader.

3. Xander Schauffele lies in wait

The X Man has two runner-up finishes in major championships. He tied for 2nd at the 2018 Open championship, and did the same at this year’s Masters. Every facet of his game lends itself to major competition. On Thursday, Schauffele made eagle at the last to reach five-under par, tied with Rickie Fowler, Louis Oosthuizen and Aaron Wise (at the time) for 1st place. As do Woods and Fowler, Schauffele hails from California, and his west-coast familiarity might be what pushes the 4-time PGA Tour champion into the realm of major champion. Whether he hoists the trophy on Sunday or not, Schauffele will certainly be in the mix.

2. A golf course might just survive US Open criticism-does it matter?

Let’s see, Oakmont had bad officiating, Chambers Bay had bad grass. Erin Hills had wide fairways. Shinnecock Hills had Phil Mickelson. Raise your hand if you want to host a U.S. Open. What’s that? No one? (cue crickets chirping.) It’s a tough gig, being the site for a pre-eminent event in the USA, subject to the scrutiny of multiple elements, the carping of unsatisfied competitors. Would Oakmont have been vestal without the DJ affair? Would Chambers have received its due if the greens hadn’t apparently died? What might we have done with the Hills twins, Erin and Shinny? The point is, fans, media and history demand that each playing exceed the previous ones. That shouldn’t be the case. yet here we are. As demonstrated in the introduction to this piece, Pebble is many things to many people. Let’s raise a glass to how a tournament course can be prepped, and an event can be conducted … oh, wait, we still have 54 holes left.

1. Justin Rose is a major player

We found this out in 1998, when the English lad holed from 50 yards out at the last, on his way to a 4th-place tie and low amateur status. In 2013, Rose established himself as a major champion at Merion, winning a U.S. Open in Hogan-esque fashion. In 2016, Rose became the first golfer in over 100 years to capture an Olympic gold medal. Buoyed by an eagle at the 6th, Rose added five birdies to counteract his lone misstep, a bogey at the treacherous 8th. Just as Pebble is a long way from emerging unscathed as an Open site, Rose has three rounds left to prove himself worthy of a 2nd title in the event. His lead is one slim stroke, but the composure and assurance he demonstrated in round one, makes Rose a worthy contender this week, on the California coast.

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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.

3 Comments

3 Comments

  1. L

    Jun 14, 2019 at 10:37 am

    The USGA caved and set the course up like the AT&T and it’s fairly innocuous. Not like a tough major. Quite a snooze fest. Greens are way too receptive.
    Lets have some wind

    Reply Report comment

    • dat

      Jun 14, 2019 at 11:32 am

      Yes, the USGA told GOD HIMSELF not to let the wind blow so the course would play easy.

      Reply Report comment

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Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

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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

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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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