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Tour Rundown: Leishman holds off Rahm, Climactic series of errors at Dubai, Sagstrom, Wolfe
A day of professional golf, that began with the promise of exciting finishes and worthy champions, joined the rest of the sporting world in its conclusion of mourning the loss of life. Kobe Bryant was never associated with golf, but the loss of life impacted the world of athletics as accidents always do. It compelled golf’s aficionados to recall lives and careers in our sport, cut short by tragedy, and reminded us of the promise of a new day, hopefully surrounded by those we love. With that in mind, please keep the Bryant and Altobelli families in your hearts and meditations, and join us in this week’s Tour Rundown.
Herbert and Bezuidenhout in climactic series of errors at Dubai
Both Lucas Herbert and Christian Bezuidenhout went to sleep on Sunday, knowing that they had tossed away a chance to win a golf tournament on the European Tour. One of them was fortunate enough to regroup and claim the title, but the knowledge that even the best professional golfers botch shots under pressure buoys the amateur in the constant pursuit of improvement. Bezuidenhout came to the unfortunately-ponded 18th hole at the Emirates Golf Club, thinking he needed birdie when par would have won the event in regulation. There will always be camps divided on knowing where you stand versus not knowing; in this case, a little knowledge would have gone a long way. CB got too cute with his approach, spun it back into the drink, and made bogey. In their two-hole playoff, Herbert stood uncomfortably over a 3-metal approach, after Bezuidenhout had laid up on the par-five closer, and chunk-blocked it into the water. It was the worst shot anyone has seen, under pressure, in a long time. Herbert narrated the strike himself, in similar fashion. And yet, the Aussie regrouped, stuffing his 4th to within 18 inches, to save par. Recalling his swimmer in regulation, Bezuidenhout was cautiously beyond the hole, and took two putts for par, and the pair moved on. Perhaps to speed play, a drop zone at 18 aided Herbert in his recovery. Instead of dropping in thick rough, he was given a perfect fairway lie for his 4th, and was able to spin it to a stop. On the second playoff hole, the long-striking LH reached the putting surface in two, and made birdie with two jabs of the flat stick. The South African Bezuidenhout was unable to match, and the tournament was Herbert’s first career title on the European Tour.
Leishman holds off quick-recovering Rahm for 5th PGA Tour title
On Sunday, Marc Leishman ran away with a tournament that Jon Rahm gave away, until Rahm re-entered the fray, forcing Leishman to close the deal. Rahm began the day with a 1-shot lead on Ryan Palmer. With the Texan headed south and east on day four, toward a closing 77 and a T21 finish, the tournament belonged to the Spaniard … until Rahm played the first 5 holes in 4 over par. Over the same few hours, Leishman opened with 5 birdies on the outward half, making up 9 shots and seizing the lead. Various other players (Brandt Snedeker, Rory McIlroy, Tom Hoge) dallied along the leader board, but this day’s story was about two golfers. As quickly as he disappeared, Rahm reappeared on the inward half. He closed with 4 birdies and 1 eagle over the closing, 6-hole stretch. Only a bogey at the 15th kept him from reaching 15 below par. Leishman added 2 more birdies after turning for home, but bogey at the penultimate trace brought him back to Rahm’s -14. In the manner of champions, the Aussie took aim at the hole and dropped his third within a yard, making an eighth birdie on the round, to claim his 5th tour title. Rahm had reached the 18th in 2 mighty strikes, but was unable to drop a long eagle putt to match Leishman’s total.
Sagstrom’s maiden LPGA title comes in Boca
Madelene Sagstrom, another in the line of tremendous Swedish golfers on the LPGA, claimed her first tour title with all the world’s pressure on her shoulders. After bolting from the pack to seize the 36-hole lead, Sagstrom fought past emotions and a collection of challengers, to win by a most slender margin. Sagstrom’s 2nd-round 62 was as stunning as it was unexpected. 9 birdies in the first 12 holes began the whispers of 59. 2 more birdies brought her close, but a bogey at 17 ended her chances. Still in complete control as Saturday closed, the 2017 Solheim Cup competitor posted 67 to establish a 2-shot lead over last week’s runner-up, Nasa Hataoka of Japan. Over Sunday’s opening 9 holes, the 2 golfers reversed course, with Hataoka taking the offensive, on the strength of an outward 33. Sagstrom was +2 through 7, before a birdie at the 8th restored her confidence. On the homeward half, it was Sagstrom who strengthened, with an inward 33. Hataoka could only manage 36, including bogey at the last with everything on the line.
It was the closing pair of holes that determined the champion. Sagstrom took on a 17-green hole location that, for all the world, appeared to be floating in a pond. She stuffed an iron to 3 feet and converted the birdie to tie the lead. At the 18th, the Swede had a 6-feet putt for par, and placed it center-cut, with authority. In total contrast, Hataoka decelerated badly on her 3-feet par putt, missed low, and finished runner-up for a 2nd time in 8 days.
Wolfe claims victory at 2nd Korn Ferry event of 2020
While Matthew Wolfe stokes the embers of PGA Tour fans, Jared Wolfe will happily repeat the success that saw him to victory at the Great Abaco Classic in Nassau. In the second of two Sunday-Wednesday events to open the 2020 season on the KFT, Wolfe earned victory as the only golfer to complete four rounds in the 60s. Wolfe didn’t run away with things, but he avoided disaster on day four, on his way to a closing 69. In contrast, his closest pursuer (Brandon Harkins, -14, 2nd place) had double bogeys at the 1st and 16th holes. Harkins also had 4 birdies, 1 eagle, and 2 bogeys on the day. Wolfe saved his best for last, closing with birdies on 3 of 4 concluding holes. The victory was Wolfe’s 1st on the Korn Ferry Tour, on the heels of 3 PGA Tour Latinoamerica wins. The tour moves to Panama this week, to open February in Central America.
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...
