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5 things we learned Friday at the PGA Championship

Published

5 years ago

Aug 8, 2020

The third round of the PGA is upon us, which means that Friday is in the books, and lessons have been learned. The front nine continues to produce more birdies and eagles than the back, so the golfer who saves strokes on the inward half will find an advantage over the weekend. A massive number of golfers tied for the 58th spot, which means that over 75 are through to the weekend. Four things were learned by this writer on day two of the 102nd PGA Championship, and you will learn them, too. As a bonus, the fifth thing learned today are the predictions made, in anticipation of a memorable Saturday at TPC-Harding Park.

1. The plight of the Englishman

England gave professional golf Harry Vardon, JH Taylor, James Braid, Ted Ray, Nick Faldo, Justin Rose, and Danny Willett. Their commonality is the major title. All won at least one. Another passel of flyers of St. George’s cross has been unable to gain membership into this organization, and they include some of today’s most known names: Lee Westwood, Luke Donald, Paul Casey, and Ian Poulter. All have exhibited tremendous capacity in team and tour play, yet the illusory major championship has continued to elude them. This week, Tommy Fleetwood and the aforementioned Casey find themselves inside the top ten through 36 holes.

Fleetwood was the first to solve the back nine this week, with four birdies for 31. He was out in 33 strokes, where he had his lone, day-two bogey, and currently sits in 2nd position, at minus-six. Fleetwood’s closest brushes with major glory were 2018 at Shinnecock Hills, where he came 2nd at the US Open, and 2019 at the Open Championship, where Shane Lowry relegated him to another runner-up finish. Casey has two handfulls of top-ten finishes in the big four events, but has rarely challenged, late in the day. His trend is subtle but positive: 68 on day one and 67 on day two. The three-time US PGA Tour winner made more birdies on Thursday, but had a bogey and double count against him. On Friday, his work showed the type of consistency that will serve him well over the weekend. Three birdies against zero bogies brought him to minus-five total. If Casey or Fleetwood can play 36 holes the next two days in minus-six, he should find himself in the thick of things.

2. Haotong Li returns to the spotlight

There was a time, mid 2010s, when Haotong Li was on short lists to break through and win multple times, perhaps even a major. Li broke through at the China Open in 2016, then jumped up another level at the Dubai Desert Classic in 2018. The breakthrough stopped there, at least for a couple of years. Now, it’s 2020, the world has turned upside down at least once, and Haotong Li has the lead halfway through the PGA Championship. Much like his career to date, day two was a tale of of two halves. Over the first ten holes, Li logged five birdies; for the next eight holes, he held onto par and finished the day at 65 for a two-shot lead. No matter which of the six who sit a pair of strokes behind he plays with on Saturday, Li will have to reckon with his own potential and the magnitude of the moment.

3. In the hunt

Haotong Li can be forgiven for hearing the echoing footsteps of two former PGA champions, Brooks Koepka and Jason Day. Also at his heels are Justin Rose (US Open champion) and two of the hottest golfers on the planet, Tommy Fleetwood and Daniel Berger. From this vantage point, Koepka is the greatest threat. I might have written biggest, but that is currently Bryson #BigBangTheory DeChambeau. Concerns about his knee injury have gone away, and the four-time major title holder has the a known look in his eyes. Koepka went round in 68 strokes, and will play with Justin Rose in the third-last pairing. After them will come Berger and Day, with Fleetwood and Li as anchors.

4. Guys we will miss

The 36-hole cut came at one over par, and nearly 80 golfers moved on to round three. As for the rest, home they go. Catching trains and planes out of San Francisco are Rickie Fowler and Marc Leishman, two golfers always at the top of the predictions list, but yet to inscribe his name on a major-event chalice. Zach Johnson went from 66 to 76 and is down the road. Tyrrell Hatton and Joaquim Niemann are also checked out of their respective hotels, as are former PGA champions Keegan Bradley, Jason Dufner, and Jimmy Walker.

5. Prediction Time

Most likely to seize the 3rd-round lead: Koepka

Most likely to drop out of the top five: Rose

Most likely to drop out of the top ten: Li

Most likely to jump into the top five: Xander Schauffele (currentl t11 at minus-four)

Most likely to jump into the top ten: Hideki Matsuyama (currently t15 at minus-three)

Biggest round three surprise: Lanto Griffin, but we don’t know why

Golfer who will slowly fade away: Day

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Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

Aug 4, 2025

Ronald Montesano

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

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

Published

4 weeks ago

Jul 29, 2025

GolfWRX Staff

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

Published

4 weeks ago

Jul 28, 2025

Brian Knudson

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)

GolfWRX

5 things we learned Friday at the PGA Championship

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