News
Tour Rundown: Memorial winner and new world No. 1 | Second KFT win of 2020 for Riley
It wouldn’t be professional golf if the officials didn’t get a ruling wrong. The one thing that we thought might go away for good returned but with little bite. An apparent infraction, not discernible to the naked eye, was picked up by a high-speed camera, examined ad nauseum, and then assessed post-roundem. As indicated above, the two-stroke penalty did not change the current event, but it signaled a dangerous return by the powers of golf, to the very type of scrutiny that turned fans off to the sport.
The PGA Tour followed in the footsteps of the USGA (Dustin Johnson and Anna Nordqvist) and the PGA of America (also Dustin Johnson) in turning to super high-resolution video to uncover a maybe-infraction. It’s a shame when officials insert themselves into the story; it takes away from the spirit of the game.
Thank you for reading my rant against hyper-vigilance. Let’s proceed with this week’s Tour Rundown.
Rahm wins Memorial, ascends to world number one
Jon Rahm spoke across the ocean to his mother and grandmother in Euskera, the Basque language, moments after he won the Memorial Tournament. Rahm became the first Spaniard since the late Severiano Ballesteros to reach the pinnacle of professional golf, the number one ranking in the world. Rahm stood on the 10th tee with an eight-shot advantage. Preserving such a lead has only come easily to Tiger Woods. Over the next four holes, Rahm would make two bogies and a double, and see his lead dwindle to three strokes over playing partner Ryan Palmer. To make the match more delicious, Rahm and Palmer team up annually at the Zurich Classic, the two-man event held in New Orleans. They’ve even won the event together, but on Sunday afternoon, there was no love shared nor lost.
Just when things looked dismal for the former Arizona State golfer, Rahm pulled off a shot for the ages. He holed out from the high grass behind the 16th hole, when it appeared that he would drop a shot or two. Despite missing the 17th fairway (bunker) and 18th fairway (rough), and both the 17th and 18th greens in regulation, Rahm’s deft touch emerged once again around those putting surfaces, and he raised his hands in triumph. His margin of victory was reduced from five to three (see rant above) but in the end, he was the victor.
Rahm seized control of the event on Saturday’s back nine (32) and Sunday’s front (34). He was able to gain strokes as his competition frittered them away. The fairways and greens at Muirfield Village were firm as can be, and shots bounded through to the rough, and launched off greens into sand and tall grass. That Rahm was able to reach double-figures under par was evidence that his game stood above all others this week. Palmer was able to reach minus-six, good for second place. England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick posted 68 in round four, moving up 15 spots into solo third position, at five under par.
Riley claims 2nd Korn Ferry Tour title of 2020 at San Antonio
Things just turned a bit more interesting for Davis Riley. He and his fellow KornFerrians have known since April that there would be no promotion of The 25 or playoff performers, to the 2020-2021 PGA Tour. One avenue for promotion to the big tour does remain, and Riley is one win away from walking it. The University of Alabama golfer product, originally from Mississippi, earned his second tour title of 2020, with a seven-birdie performance in Saturday’s final round. On the Korn Ferry tour, three victories in a season earns the golf equivalent of a battlefield promotion. With eleven events still to come on the 2020 schedule, Riley’s chance at the elevation just got better.
The KFT spent a second consecutive week in San Antonio, moving over from the TPC’s Canyons course to its Oaks layout. Last week’s winner, David Lipsky, was all over the board, with the epitome of an up and down week. He ultimately placed 76th after surviving the cut. The winner two weeks back, Will Zalatoris, had a much better time of it. He rebounded from an opening 77 with a day-two 67, to sneak inside the cut line. A 66-67 weekend jumped him all the way to fifth place.
Day four for the contenders had a bit of everything. Overnight leader Derek Ernst had a nightmare start. He played the first five holes in five-over par, thanks to three bogies and a double. Just like that, he was out of contention, leaving followers to wonder who would emerge from the chase pack. Ernst did rebound on the inward half with four birdies, and joined in the fifth-place tie with Zalatoris and two others.
Davis Riley had the hot hand on day four. His seven birdies included three over the closing four holes, The final two were enough to boost him out of a tie with Canada’s Taylor Pendrith and France’s Paul Barjon. Riley’s two bogies came at the third and 11th holes, but he was able to bounce back in both cases, and return to the sub-par train. His first tour title came in February, at the Panama Championship. Despite the high level of competition on the Korn Ferry Tour, we like his chances of earning win number three and a move to the PGA Tour.
Stalter claims Euram Bank Open
In 2020, this event had the unique distinction of serving as both a challenge and regular tour event. For Wikipedia, that means that Joel Stalter now has three professional wins, not two. We’ll get to Stalter in a while, but we need a moment to extend our condolences to Robin Sciot-Siegrist. Like Stalter, S-S plays under the flag of France. Unlike Stalter, RSS was in the clubhouse on Friday evening with a score of 61, good for a three-shot advantage over England’s Richard Mansell. If the leader had scored Mansell’s +1 71 on Saturday, he would have claimed his own, first European Tour win. A day removed from posting six consecutive birdies in that nine-under par effort, Sciot-Siegrist (sounds like a name from Game of Thrones, am I right?) made not a single birdie in his fourth round. Two bogies and a triple were all that separated him from 18 pars (a number that also would have won) and a painful lesson accompanied his third-place tie.
On Saturday, amid Sciot-Siegrist’s departure, the tournament opened up to a variety of challengers. Richard Mansell, Alexander Knappe, and Christofer Blomstrand all reached 11-under par, giving chase to the trophy. It was Joel Stalter who played the best of the top ten, however. His final round included three birdies against one bogey. It wasn’t the low round of the day, but it was the round that he needed to hold off his pursuers. Mansell came in at plus-one on the day, falling to -12 and second place. Knappe and Blomstrand were even and plus-one, respectively, for round four, and finished one back of Mansell, in a third-place tie.
The European Tour moves to England this week, to the storied Close House golf club, for the British Masters.
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...
