Connect with us

News

Morning 9: Rickie in the spotlight | Further arguments against Daly riding | Devoted to Detroit’s munis

Published

6 years ago

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

June 27, 2019

Good Thursday morning, golf fans.
1. Fowler in the spotlight
Golfweek’s Dan Kilbridge on the primacy of Rickie Fowler, Quicken Loans sponsoree, this week…
  • “He’s one of the most recognizable players at any tournament and is so deeply engrained with this week’s title sponsor that Fowler was asked about his level of excitement for this tournament more than two months ago. In the Augusta National press center. During Masters week. Usually players are asked about the Masters at other tournaments in the week’s leading up, but it hardly ever works the other way around.”
  • “Now the week has finally arrived and Fowler is throwing himself fully into the mix at Detroit Golf Club, where he participated in a three-hole celebrity challenge Tuesday afternoon and played a Pro-Am practice round with Kid Rock Wednesday morning.”
2. What the employees want 
Beyond “will they strike,” it’s worth pointing out “why they’re striking” with respect to Detroit Golf Club employees…
  • AP report “…A union leader says seven employees at the Detroit Golf Club are willing to strike at the start of the Rocket Mortgage Classic if they don’t get a new contract.”
  • “Teamsters Local 299 President Kevin Moore says the groundskeepers and mechanics represented by the union want a 45-cent per hour raise as part of a new, four-year deal. Moore was among dozens of protesters, holding signs and handing out flyers, near an entrance to the private golf club on Wednesday.”

Full piece. 

3. Tait: Daly should walk
Golfweek’s Alistair Tait offers this take on John Daly taking a buggy at Portrush…
  • “Similar to PGA Championship, Daly hasn’t been a factor in the Open Championship since his 1995 win at St Andrews. Of his 19 appearances since then, his best finish is 15th in 2005. He’s missed 13 cuts, including his last four. There’s no reason to suggest four wheels in Northern Ireland will suddenly make him competitive.”
  • “Like Lynch, I’d be more sympathetic if Daly had the sort of extreme medical condition Casey Martin had when he petitioned the USGA to play in the 1998 U.S. Open. Martin rightly got his way and finished T-23. (He also qualified for the 2012 U.S. Open, rode a cart but missed the cut.) No way Daly comes close to top 25 at Portrush, even if the R&A caves and lets him ride.”
  • “There’s a more fundamental reason I don’t want to see Daly ride in the 148th Open Championship. It has to do with golf culture in Great Britain and Ireland. It’s a culture that emphasizes walking as an integral part of the game. The vast majority of British and Irish golfers walk.”

Full piece.  

4. Same ball for 72 holes…and a win
Wow. Via Golf Channel’s Will Gray…
  • “Dropped off from a nearby equipment trailer, they’re rarely noticed when they splash into a pond or get tossed to a fan during the walk from green to tee. Even the faintest scratch is usually reason enough for a player to swap in a fresh ball, leading to caddies reaching into the bag with regularity.”
  • “But that was not the case for 25-year-old Alex Chiarella, who over the weekend captured the Mackenzie Tour’s Lethbridge Paradise Canyon Open with a score of 20 under par. What’s more, he took home the trophy after playing all 72 holes using a single ball:”

Full piece.

5. Saving Detroit’s munis

Stellar stuff from Golf.com intern (!!!) Max Marcovitch profiling Karen Peek…

“Minutes later Peek was out on the course, tending to her duties as director of golf operations for the three munis: Rackham, Rouge Park and Chandler Park. She greeted a regular as he headed for the 1st tee, sent off members of a local Elks chapter as they commenced their weekly round, and checked in with groundskeeper Doug Melton and his affable dog, Baxter.”

“It hadn’t rained in three days, a welcome change amid the unseasonably wet weather. In Peek’s race against time, rain impedes progress. On an inclement day, Rackham might be lucky to have 20 players on its tee sheet.”

“Rackham is six miles north of Detroit Golf Club, site of this week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic. It doesn’t get the attention that DGC does but it has rich history of its own, extending back to its opening in 1923. Ben Davis, the first black head pro at a municipal course in the U.S., taught there for 50 years. Among his students was famed boxer Joe Louis, a Rackham regular. The two would play money matches. In the 1940s, Louis hosted an annual golf tournament at Rackham, aimed at showcasing talented black players.”

Full piece.

6. Breaking 70
Dave Shedloski on Tom Watson, pushing 70, preparing to tee it up at the U.S. Senior Open…

“Winner of the 1982 U.S. Open, Watson is competing this week in his 52nd USGA championship and his 17th U.S. Senior Open, which he has never won, though he has had six top-five finishes.”

“He turns 70 on Sept. 4. He has no special plans to celebrate it. “What’s September 4?” he said, feigning ignorance and grinning. “You blab to the whole world I’m 70 years old on September 4? Thanks a lot.”

“Having cut back on his schedule, Watson has competed just five times this year and skipped the first two senior majors. He has no idea how many more times he’ll play in this championship, but it’s clear he has a special affinity for USGA events. The influence of his dad, Ray, is woven tightly into his golfing DNA.”

Full piece.

7. Playing golf alone and the descent into lunacy

Funny stuff from Mark Townsend at National Club Golfer…

“I give myself a pep talk walking down the hill to the 1st that these stolen moments will be the making of my season. Come bedtime I will have a clearer viewpoint on three possible new clubs while simultaneously putting into practice a new magic move which would be a variation of Gary Woodland’s chipping technique.”

“There is a hint of jazz spin on my wedge over the brook that a) reinforces my need to keep cleaning out the grooves and b) thrusts one of the wedges straight into the starting line-up.”

“On the short walk to the 2nd tee I both congratulate myself on making the effort to getting out of the house while also giving myself a ticking off for having not brought these wedges out sooner.”

Full piece.

8. Not a bad loop

Mike Berardino of the Indianapolis Star, syndicated in Golfweek…

“Greg Helmkamp, the 35-year-old assistant teaching professional at Warren Golf Course, was wolfing down a quick lunch last Friday when his boss called him into his office.”

“Hey, I got a new job for you next week,” said John Foster, general manager at the Notre Dame-owned course since 2002. “You’re going to be caddying for Tom Watson.”

Full piece.

9. Things are coming together

Francis Donnelly for the Detroit News…

“We’re very pleased with how things have gone so far,” said Jason Langwell, the tournament executive director.”

“Like any first-time event, the tournament has run into a few challenges, he said. Workers are re-calibrating the amount of concessions and fine-tuning signs that direct traffic, both vehicular and pedestrian.”

“Because of the rainy spring, tournament sponsors and VIPs have to park with the hoi polloi at Michigan State Fairgrounds, said officials. The bigwigs were originally slated to use Palmer Park but the ground is too wet.”

Full piece.

 

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.

5 Comments

5 Comments

  1. larrybud

    Jun 27, 2019 at 11:34 am

    Re Rackham.

    If you want to save Rackham, which is a great layout (used to be far better before 696 construction changed it), stop jamming people in with 6 min tee times which results in no rounds < 5 hours. It's a joke. I'll never play there, along with Troy city courses which do the same thing.

    Reply Report comment

  2. Jordan

    Jun 27, 2019 at 11:18 am

    Having a groundskeeper labor union strike during their first ever PGA tour event is the most Detroit thing that could happen.

    Reply Report comment

  3. micheal

    Jun 27, 2019 at 11:15 am

    the piece on daly walking is so clearly written perspective of a young person with no real physical issues. “scores of people older than 53″…. im 30 with multiple hip surgeries. Get off your high-horse. Pretty useless article/repost. Super glad discrimination is strongly part of golf still and forever

    Reply Report comment

    • JD

      Jun 27, 2019 at 11:22 am

      Yeah sorry, young guy here… zero sympathy for someone who has literally eaten himself into dilapidation

      Reply Report comment

      • Johnny Penso

        Jun 27, 2019 at 12:40 pm

        I have the same issue as Daly and I didn’t eat myself into dilapidation. I couldn’t walk 72 holes of a tournament if I tried. Arthritis isn’t caused by diet.

        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