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Morning 9: $15 million man | FedEx Cup finale…worked? | Roundup o’ winners

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

August 26, 2019

Good Monday morning, golf fans. Forget Rory McIlroy’s FedEx Cup payout: what does caddie/boyhood pal Harry Diamond going to buy with his million-dollar windfall?
1. 15 million dollar man
The AP’s Doug Ferguson…“Rory McIlroy won the FedExCup on Sunday when he surged past Brooks Koepka in the final round of the TOUR Championship at East Lake, and also earned the first-place check worth $15 million.”
  • “One shot behind, McIlroy took the lead with a three-shot swing on No. 7 and never let Koepka or Xander Schauffele catch him.”
  • “McIlroy closed with a 4-under 66 and finished four shots ahead of Schauffele.”
  • “He joined Tiger Woods as the only players to win the FedExCup twice since it began in 2007.”

Full piece.

2. Not perfect, but it worked
Golf Digest’s Joel Beall with his perspective (which is the emerging consensus) on the new FEC Playoff format…
  • “Unequivocally, the latest iteration of the FedEx Cup, with its new-fangled, stroke-adjusted start, was no lemon. The two best players in golf-Brooks Koepka and Rory McIlroy-were in the final pairing at the Tour Championship, with Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas keeping things honest. The fusion of performance and popularity was a dream scenario for any Sunday, let alone the PGA Tour’s season finale.”
  • “Just as important, players ranked 10th to 20th heading into Thursday at East Lake, often left as spectators in previous FedEx Cup formats, were given a viable chance to compete under the new system.”
  • “There’s no insurance policy this week for anybody. The guys at the top, even guys middle of the pack, you’d have an insurance policy [before]. If you didn’t play well, it kind of didn’t matter [you still finished high in the final points standings],” said Paul Casey, one of those middle-of-the-pack guys who finished fifth. “[Now], the guys in the middle, guys down at the bottom have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain.”

Full piece.

3. No bogeys for Ko a trophy-holder maketh
Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols on Jin Young Ko’s Canadian Open outlasting of home favorite Brooke Henderson…
  • “…Ko, the first player to win four times in a season since Ariya Jutanugarn and Lydia Ko in 2016, didn’t even play a practice round at Magna Golf Club before Thursday’s opening round. Just nine holes in the Wednesday pro-am. And her veteran caddie, David Brooker, arrived in Canada on Wednesday evening. He walked the course on Thursday morning before Ko’s afternoon tee time.”
  • “Apparently practice rounds are overrated…Especially for a player who makes the game look so effortless. Even when Ko hit a 3-wood into the woods on the par-5 ninth, she still managed to get up and down and make par after taking an unplayable.”
  • “Ko hasn’t made a bogey on the LPGA in her last 106 holes. She became the first player since Inbee Park in 2015 to win a 72-hole tournament without a bogey.”

Full piece.

4. Hovland locks up PGA Tour card…
All credit to Boise Open winner Matthew NeSmith, but the biggest story out of the Idaho tournament: the reigning U.S. Amateur champ is heading to the PGA Tour.
  • Golf Channel’s Will Gray…”[Hovland] has been a frequent contender since turning pro in June, but he could only watch as fellow nascent pros Matthew Wolff and Collin Morikawa won tournaments this summer to quickly secure status. Hovland came close, finishing fourth at the regular season-ending Wyndham Championship, but he didn’t earn enough non-member FedExCup points to clinch membership for next season.”
  • “Instead, Hovland went to the three-event Korn Ferry Finals, where he tied for 11th last week and removed all doubt this week with a T-2 finish behind Matthew NeSmith at the Albertsons Boise Open. While Hovland couldn’t convert a 54-hole lead for his first win as a pro, the result moved him up to third in the Finals points list and ensured that he’ll receive one of 25 PGA Tour cards that will be handed out at next week’s finale in Evansville, Indiana.”
5. Van Rooyen!
EuropeanTour.com’s report on the bearded South African’s victory…”Erik van Rooyen birdied the last to overcome Matthew Fitzpatrick in a thrilling final day battle and win his first European Tour title at the Scandinavian Invitation.”
  • “The South African was last season’s European Challenge Tour Graduate of the Year and arrived at Hills Golf & Sports Club having finished second three times on the European Tour – twice on the 2019 Race to Dubai.”
  • “He entered the final day in Gothenburg with a one shot lead and was caught by Fitzpatrick and local hero Henrik Stenson but led by two at the turn and stretched that lead to three on the back nine.”

Full piece.

6. Freddie Falters
Sometimes, the headline is too good not to share. From Golf Digest’s John Strege: “Fred Couples’ Seattle homecoming goes awry, blows five-shot lead and loses to Brandt Jobe by six”
Pretty much says it all.
Strege: “It has been a long quest for Couples to win a professional tour event in the region and he has yet to do so, even after taking a five-stroke lead into Sunday’s final round of the Boeing Classic at the TPC at Snoqualmie Ridge about 25 miles west of Jefferson Park.”
“Couples, with a huge throng following him, shot a four-over par 76 and lost to Brandt Jobe, who closed with a nine-under par 63 for his second PGA Tour Champions victory.”
7. Booth a winner again (and she didn’t know it)
Heather Dewar at BBC Scotland…
“Scotland’s Carly Booth was “overwhelmed with happiness” after ending a seven-year wait for her third Ladies European Tour title with a one-shot victory in the Czech Open.”
  • “Booth, who shared the lead heading into the final round, carded a two-under-par 70 to finish on nine under par.”
  • …”I was so surprised,” said Booth, 27.
  • “I holed my par putt and came off the last hole and had no idea I had won. After seven years, to finally get another victory is amazing.”

Full piece.

8. Lightning strike victims out of hospital 
Golf Digest’s Joel Beall…”The people who were injured at East Lake Golf Club during Saturday’s lightning strike have been released from the hospital, the PGA Tour confirmed Sunday morning.”
“Though the third round of the Tour Championship was suspended at 4:17 p.m., many fans remained on property, seeking shelter in temporary hospitality tents. Dual lightning strikes hit the Atlanta course at 4:45 p.m. ET, one striking a tree by a fan zone near the 16th tee box. According to the Atlanta Police Department, five men and a girl who were under the tree were hit with debris.”
9. Welcome to the team!
Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols on the final Solheim Cup qualifiers on the U.S. side…”The race to clinch the final automatic qualifying spot on Juli Inkster’s Solheim Cup team couldn’t have finished any tighter. Projections indicated that Amy Olson needed to birdie the 72nd hole at the CP Women’s Open to edge Annie Park by the slimmest of margins.”
  • “Olson failed to convert and finished T-7 for the tournament, which made Park the fifth Solheim rookie to make Inkster’s team. Ultimately that last birdie putt might not have mattered for Olson as Nasa Hataoka birdied the last to move into a share of fifth with Carlota Ciganda. Olson needed to finish no worse than a two-way tie.”
  • “The two highest-ranked Americans in the Rolex Rankings not otherwise qualified after the Canadian stop made the cut….Angel Yin, a captain’s pick in 2017, joined Park in qualifying off the rankings.”

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. Ryan

    Aug 26, 2019 at 11:06 am

    IMO the modified system didn’t work that well. Justin Thomas is a clear example of that. He finished outside the top 10 in the season long standings, finished outside the top 10 in the Northern Trust, won the BMW, then shoots -1 for the week at the Tour Championship and because of the head start, finished T3. I’m not sure what the answer is, but the points system needs to be tweaked if they plan on doing this modified start.

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Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

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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

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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

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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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