News
Tour Rundown: 25 or 6 to 4
Championship golf for August bid farewell with the second of three, PGA Tour playoff events. And a Korn Ferry tour championship. And a pair of standard LPGA and Euro championships. And an early-week Champions Tour tout. In other words, the type of week that golf fans need, as they cede attention (possible) to NFL football in the coming fortnight. We’ve run it all down for you, so have a read of this week’s Tour Rundown.
PGA Tour: 44 or 663-Rahm and Johnson Chicago-style the BMW Championship
Waiting for the break of day
Searching for something to say
That old Chicago band number, 25 or 6 to 4, came to mind on Sunday, when two titans did battle at Olympia Fields. First came Jon Rahm, once and future King of Golf, who re-staked a claim to world number one with his performance. Then came Dustin Johnson, current and also-future King of Golf, who nearly topped the Basque colossus. It was a Sunday that was good for golf, and reminded us why immortals need to exist in this sport of wise women and men.
Staring blindly into space
Getting up to splash my face
As bit players, Joaquin Niemann and Hideki Matsuyama did their part. Niemann surged to the lead early, but could not dig deeper under par to stake a titular claim. The Chilean finished on -2, worthy of a third-place tie with Matsu. Hideki lifted up the 54-hole lead, and his minus-one might have worked on another day. Still, he didn’t collapse, which lesser players would have done.
Wondering how much I can take
Should have tried to do some more
In regulation play, Jon Rahm kept improving. 75 to 71 to 66 to 64. The once-impenetrable OF course became vulnerable, and Rahm kept tapping the tree for more syrup. Flawless on the day, with six birdies and zero bogeys, he somehow saved the best for last. There was little more that he could have done. Johnson matched Hideki through 54 holes, and had but one hiccough on day four: a bogey at the tenth. Thanks to Rahm’s stellar execution, the lanky Palmetto found himself one in arrears as he reached the 72nd green. Facing an unreadable, indecipherable putt of 43 feet, Johnson somehow read and deciphered it, and drained it to forge a tie. He also (almost) showed emotion. OVERTIME!!!
Dancing lights against the sky
Giving up I close my eyes
Return the leviathans did, to the 18th tee. This time, it was Rahm’s turn to face the unreadable and indecipherable, except it was not 66 feet, 3 inches. Away it went , at an angle from which a homeward turn seemed impossible. And then, it began to turn, and slow, and turn some more, until it dropped for a birdie that Johnson did not match. At 25 years of age, Rahm had bested the 6 feet, 4 inch Johnson, in a championship for all time.
25 or 6 To 4, indeed.
Korn Ferry Tour: Tour Championship
Brandon Wu won the 2017 Porter Cup, a major amateur event in my backyard. This is important to me, because Brandon Wu also won the 2020 Korn Ferry Tour Championship. The two courses, Niagara Falls CC and Victoria National GC, could not be more dissimilar. The former is a mildly-classic layout north of Buffalo, where shot-shaping is requisite. The latter, possibly a former fish hatchery (never proven) is myriad lakes and ponds, demanding complete domination of the aerial game. On Sunday, Wu overcame third-round leader Greyson Sigg, who made but two mistakes, to win his first professional event. Good time for it.
Sigg continued to the lead through 64 holes on Sunday, despite Wu’s surge. Sigg’s eagle at the tenth re-established a one-shot margin over the Stanford alum. Sigg then made a bad swing, which led to a double bogey at the fourteenth hole, and his lead was now a deficit. With no more flying critters on his scorecard, Sigg came up one strike shy of a tie with Wu. Both golfers made massive moves up the money roster: Sigg jumped from 21 to 6, while Wu impressed more, from 48 to 5.
LPGA: Ernst doubles victory tally with Walmart NW Arkansas Championship win
It’s a difficult chore to overcome a 63 by anyone on Sunday, unless it’s posted by the marker who accompanies the final, unpaired golfer. Austin Ernst was neither marker nor final, unpaired golfer on Sunday. She started third, and she jumped up two spots for a two-shot win over Anna Nordqvist. The win was the South Carolina daughter’s 2nd on tour, and first in six year.
It was the two bogeys on Sunday, that made the former LSU golfer’s performance even more impressive. Ernst was compelled to collect 10 birdies on the day, to overcome the pair of stumbles. Nordqvist began the final day in first, and acquitted herself well, at two-under par on the day. When Ernst notched birdie at each of the first three holes, the game was on. The 28-year old never backed off, took a one-shot lead to the 18th, and finished the day as she began, with a final birdie for a two-shot win over the Swede.
European Tour: ISPS Handa UK Championship
Rasmus Højgaard has nearly as many wins as vowels in his name. The young and (possibly) great Dane collected a second triumph in this wraparound season, in a playoff with third-round leader Justin Walters of South Africa. Like Jon Rahm above, Højgaard improved by the day, all week long. From 73 to 69, to make the cut. From there to 67, to line up for a top-ten finish, to 65 on day four, to reach a playoff at -14.
Walters had a rough final round, with two bogies and a triple threatening to turn him into an also-ran. His grit was evident, as he clawed seven birdies from the scorecard, to reach extra holes with Højgaard. The lads went back to the venerable (if flawed) 18th at the Brabazon course, where pars caused a second return. Then, Walters flinched with bogey, Højgaard was true with his par putt, and the second tour victory was forever in his hands.
PGA Tour Champions: Charles Schwab Series at Ozarks National
Once upon a time, winning a debut event on the Champions Tour was a mythical thing. Not many had done it, not even the Big Easy, Ernie Els, earlier this calendar year. Then the falling Octopus (Jim Furyk) came along this summer, and won in week one. He was followed by Phil Mickelson this week and, let’s be honest, if anyone is going to win in his Champions Tour bow, it’s lefty. He didn’t disappoint.
Dad-Bod opened with 61 on Monday (cool way to start the week, Ozarks National. We should do more of this.) Tim Petrovic, his long-time rival (not really, but I need a story line) was three back. Philly Phil phollowed up with 64, increasing the lead over the University of Hartford alum to four (Petro had 65.) On Sunday, Phil phinished with 66, matching the unflappable Petrovic’s final day tally, and the margin remained at four.
Welcome to the next stage, Phil. We know it will be a while before we see you back, but we’ll be here. Mickelson had failed to qualify for week two of the FedEx Cup playoff series, and hoped to stay sharp for the upcoming US Open. By winning against his own standard, he may have done enough to reach contention at Winged Foot in mid-September.
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...
