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Tiger Woods chooses Finau, Woodland, Reed, and….himself as his Presidents Cup picks
Tiger Woods has named himself, Tony Finau, Gary Woodland and Patrick Reed as his captain’s picks ahead of next month’s Presidents Cup.
Both Woodland and Finau are set for their debuts at the event, while Reed will be competing in his third consecutive Presidents Cup. For Woods, it will be the 15-time major champion’s first appearance at the biennial tournament since 2013.
Speaking on the decision to pick himself as playing-captain for the event, Woods stated
“The players, they wanted me to play in the event. It’s going to be difficult, but I also have three amazing assistants in Fred (Couples), Stricks (Steve Stricker) and Zach (Johnson). So that helps a lot.”
Both Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth are big-name omissions from the team which will feature five rookies. Spieth will be missing his first team event since 2012, while Fowler has been on each U.S. team since 2014.
Speaking on the call to leave Fowler out of the side, Woods stated
“That was a tough call to make. He’s a friend of mine. We kept it short. There was no need for a long call. I’ve been on both sides I haven’t been picked. I get it. He’s obviously going to hurt not being there.”
Woods’ four picks are all higher ranked in the OWGR than any of the players of the International side, but the 43-year-old warned that statistical advantage goes out the window once play gets underway next month.
“On paper we certainly have the advantage in the world ranking. Our players have earned that by playing well around the world and playing well in big events. But when we start out on Thursday, it’s 0-0. We’ve got to go out and earn points to win the cup.”
Woods’ decision to choose himself as a player next month means that he will be the first playing captain at team events since Hale Irwin in 1994.
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.
Card III and Bacha both miss their birdie tries on the first playoff hole.
We’ll play 18 again @OspreyOpen. pic.twitter.com/vNpHTdkHDg
— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) August 3, 2025
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
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #1
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #2
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Chandler Phillips – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Davis Riley – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Scotty Kennon – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Austin Duncan – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Will Chandler – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kevin Roy – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ben Griffin – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Peter Malnati – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ryan Gerard – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Adam Schenk – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kurt Kitayama – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Camilo Villegas – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matti Schmid – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
Pullout Albums
- Denny McCarthy’s custom Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Swag Golf putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Karl Vilips TM MG5 wedges – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- New Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matt Fitzpatrick’s custom Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.
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)
‘Why would anybody want to change that swing?’ – Brandel Chamblee says PGA Tour star was wrong to change his swing
‘The stupidest freaking thing I’ve ever heard’ – Billy Horschel slams Open idea suggested by Padraig Harrington
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Golfer proudly posts photo of ball mark on iron, receives immediate roasting
WITB Time Machine: Matthew Wolff’s winning WITB, 2019 3M Open
Oakmont Country Club bans Wyndham Clark over locker incident; Reveals specific conditions to earn reinstatement
Adam Scott puts Callaway blades in the bag at Wyndham Championship
Report: LIV star fires caddie and coach in shock shake up
Rickie Fowler makes equipment change to ‘something that’s a little easier on the body’
The championship formula: How 3 key stats separate winners from the field
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...
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...
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. ...
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...
Kim Chee
Nov 8, 2019 at 5:10 pm
Lots of salty ass Tiger haters in here. And the usual bringing up of his infidelity is sickening. Y’all are carrying a six shooter with only one bullet.
Everyone deserves a change to change. Whether you care to admit it or not, he has changed. He was humbled big time when the game he loves so dearly was taken from him. He has so much more appreciation for the game and other people now. Take it from someone who has met him personally BEFORE and AFTER his change.
Stop being so damn salty, you ignorant bags of trash.
Steve C
Nov 8, 2019 at 4:34 pm
99% sure that TV execs were in Tigers ear convincing him to play. And I doubt it took too much arm twisting.
Big Dan
Nov 8, 2019 at 5:29 pm
So much negativity. Tiger is simply the best ever. The event will be so much more interesting with him playing. I for one wouldn’t even consider watching this event if Tiger wasn’t playing. Go Tiger go.
Jp
Nov 8, 2019 at 7:05 pm
You do realize tiger has not had a winning record nor has the United States won but one ryder cup with him on the team is last Ryder cup appearance he went 0 for 5 in points best ever hardly
MT
Nov 9, 2019 at 11:33 am
He was the best, but now is inconsistent. His Ryder and President cup record is not stellar.
He should have given another player the opportunity.
joro
Nov 8, 2019 at 3:17 pm
Woods has proven many times he stinks in team play. Look at his past, he cannot play with others, just against others. He and Phil, two of the greatest ever both suck at team play.
But so be it, he had a choice and he took it leaving someone who could handle team play out. Good Luck Mr. Woods, you had an option and took it now go feed your ego..
Pdq
Nov 8, 2019 at 2:06 pm
You know who is happy Tiger picked Tiger? The networks this will draw more eyeballs to the lay golf fan.
Speedy
Nov 8, 2019 at 1:35 pm
Go International Team!
Eck42
Nov 8, 2019 at 1:07 pm
Just my thought, but I would like to see Captains not eligible to play. I think picking yourself is very selfish.
John Bachman
Nov 9, 2019 at 7:02 am
Couldn’t agree more
Dave
Nov 8, 2019 at 10:04 am
Patrick Reed….are you kidding me. Why because he was so stellar as your partner? Very disappointed.
JP
Nov 8, 2019 at 9:14 am
Tiger picking himself is the right move. IMO only
.
If America wins, nobody will be able to question it. Wait for the results and decide then.
.
And I agree, Trump is the best thing to happen to America since Columbus.
Weaseling
Nov 8, 2019 at 3:16 am
What a selfish move, he himself and waffles house waitresses. Poor move on his part. Imagine the phone call to Fowler… he man I was going to pick u but I picked myself!
Obee
Nov 8, 2019 at 9:57 am
You an Arnold Palmer fan?
B
Nov 8, 2019 at 10:14 am
So picking the #7 ranked player in the world, who just won his last tournament played, over the 21st ranked player in the world, who hasn’t played since the Tour Championship is a selfish and poor move? Makes sense to me. Pick a guy who has been worried about a wedding and banging his wife on their honeymoon over a guy who just won and is ranked well ahead of him in the OWGR. Keep trolling bro
john
Nov 8, 2019 at 1:36 am
surprised no Fowler .. I would take a Fowler over Reed any day
MW
Nov 7, 2019 at 10:57 pm
I guess his back is better…when he wants it to be. Or is it his knee, or his…
Bob
Nov 7, 2019 at 10:39 pm
Just confirming that Tiger is a narcissistic, selfish individual! He could have done something good for golf by choosing a young, up and comer.
Simms
Nov 8, 2019 at 1:07 am
100% correct, it would have been a real shot in the arm for him to just be the Captain. Just as his image was becoming stronger he pulls this bone head mistake…
I See Dumb People
Nov 8, 2019 at 9:33 am
What are you guys talking about? The guy literally just won last week and also won the Masters. In the tournaments he’s played in at 100%, he’s been great. If anyone else was captain they would pick Tiger. Just because he’s in the driver’s seat he’s not allowed to put together the best team? Tiger not being on the roster would be a mistake. No matter who is making that call.
Mike
Nov 8, 2019 at 2:27 am
Good for golf, are you drunk? The more Tiger plays with the few years he has left the better it is for golf. The more he plays directly influences the amount of new golfers we have. Nobodys turning on the TV or going to a tournament to watch some up and comer golfer, whether you like it or not Tiger is the draw for people.
Bob
Nov 8, 2019 at 7:19 am
Wow..has golf participation inclined or declined during the Tiger era? I know it will be hard for you Mike, but think hard….it’s declined greatly! Actually, I’m glad he chose himself. Now…I, for sure, will not be waisting my time watching this event.
Obee
Nov 8, 2019 at 9:54 am
Sigh…
Jimmy
Nov 7, 2019 at 10:10 pm
No kuch, no donkeys..
Kevin S
Nov 7, 2019 at 9:50 pm
Tiger is correct. Austrialian courses are vastly different from the states. Once the wind starts blowing, it will be a whole different story. Kevin kisner would be a better select over captain america
JP
Nov 7, 2019 at 10:12 pm
And Reed is a douche!
Miller Time
Nov 8, 2019 at 9:53 am
He may be a douche, but he’s the best player on the US team in these types of formats!
d
Nov 8, 2019 at 9:49 am
reed is a great match player….reed is from texas used to playing in the wind. Hits a natural draw again good for wind…..
Tiger picking himself is fine. When healthy or focused he is still top 10 player and the number 1 draw period.