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Morning 9: Finau positive for coronavirus | Blessings Collegiate update | Bryson’s key club

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5 years ago

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1. Finau out of Shriners with COVID-19
Steve DiMeglio for Golfweek…“World No. 16 Tony Finau tested positive for COVID-19 and has been withdrawn from the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open at TPC Summerlin. “Earlier today, I received a positive result for Covid-19 under PGA Tour on-site testing protocols and have begun a period of self-quarantine to protect others around me,” Finau said in a tweet on Tuesday. “I am feeling well, and am otherwise in good spirits.” “I look forward to returning to action as soon as I am able, and I wish everyone at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open a great week ahead!” Finau said in a follow-up tweet.”
 
2. Alabama leads by 3 at Blessings Collegiate Invitational
Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine updates the action from Blessings…
  • Men’s team leader: Alabama. The Tide have reentered the chat. Four players shot under par Tuesday as Alabama fired a 6-under 282 to take a two-shot lead over first-round leader Tennessee.”
  • “Women’s team leader: Arkansas. It’s like the host Razorbacks have played this course dozens to hundreds of times. Paced by leader Brooks Matthews at 11 under, Arkansas sits at even par, 10 clear of LSU”
3. COVID-19 takes another tourney down…
The Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine… “There will be no Latin America Amateur Championship next year.”
  • “The USGA, R&A and Masters Tournament announced Tuesday in a joint statement that the 2021 championship, which was scheduled for Jan. 14-17 at Lima Golf Club in Peru, has been canceled because of “complications presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
  • “Future championship plans will be announced at a later date, the release said.”
  • “The LAAC, first played in 2014, annually awards its champion with invites into the Masters, Open Championship, British Amateur, U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open sectional qualifying. Argentina’s Abel Gallegos is the defending champion while Arkansas junior Julian Perico was expected to be among the Peru natives to tee it up.”

Full piece.

4. George W. Bush named 2021 Ambassador of Golf
Marla Ridenour, Akron Beacon Journal…“President George W.  Bush, who succeeded his father as honorary chair of the First Tee in 2012, has been named recipient of the Ambassador of Golf Award, to be presented during the 2021 Bridgestone Senior Players Championship, the PGA Tour announced Tuesday.”
  • …”Presented by the FirstEnergy Foundation, the award recognizes a person who has fostered the ideals of the game on an international level and whose concern for others extends beyond the golf course.”
5. 4 ideas to boost interest in PGA Tour’s fall swing
Eric Patterson for The Score with a quartet of suggestions, including…
Season within a season….“If the Tour can get Wyndham Hotels to dish out millions of dollars for a points race already referred to as the FedEx Cup, or AON to spend $1 million for a season-long risk-reward challenge that no one fully understands, it can definitely find a company to sponsor a mini FedEx Cup during the fall.”
  • “The idea is simple: Create a points race separate from the FedEx Cup standings, spread over three or four regular tournaments (not the limited-field events), and reward the top performer with a cash prize at the end. The majority of these fields consist of middling Tour pros or recent graduates from the Korn Ferry Tour, so the added incentive for these players would be very meaningful.”
  • “Additionally, an increase in prize money may grab the attention of some bigger names. Even if it doesn’t, there will be another storyline to follow during events that generally struggle to deliver excitement.”
6. If you like lists…Golfweek just released its 2020: Top Classic courses in Great Britain and Ireland
Golfweek’s Jason Lusk…”Here are the Top 50 Classic Courses in Great Britain and Ireland – built before 1960 – as determined by Golfweek’s Best Raters for 2020.”
  • “For this list, there actually are 51 courses because of a tie at No. 50.”
  • “The members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them based on our 10 criteria. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings on each course are averaged together to produce a final rating for each course. Then each course is ranked against other courses in Great Britain and Ireland to produce the final rankings.”
  • …”The members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them based on our 10 criteria.”
1. Royal County Down (Championship) 8.96
2. Old Course at St. Andrews 8.80
3. Muirfield 8.67
7. Bryson’s other key club 
Our Johnny Wunder writing for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report…“The arm-lock style is not the newest idea, but it is one that has turned decent putters into great putters, and last month it was put on display as resident PGA TOUR physicist Bryson DeChambeau used it to win the U.S. Open. His incredible distance gains have received most of the attention but that storyline overshadows his impressive results with the arm-lock putter. He finished last season ranked 10th on TOUR in Strokes Gained: Putting.”
  • “The arm-lock is a proven method used by DeChambeau, Webb Simpson, Matt Kuchar and Keegan Bradley. By resting the elongated putter shaft against the lead arm and thus securing the lead wrist, players can control the putter’s arc with the bigger muscles.”
  • “The anchoring ban sent more players to the arm-lock method after they lost their beloved belly and long putters. It has revived the careers of players like Simpson and Bradley, who used it to re-enter the winner’s circle after lengthy victory droughts.”
  • “DeChambeau began tinkering with the arm-lock method in 2017, the same year he finished 145th on TOUR in Strokes Gained: Putting. He committed to the method in the second half of 2017, and he has improved in that statistic ever since. He was 32nd in 2018, 28th in 2019 and 10th last season.”
  • “It’s safe to say the switch is paying off, perhaps even more so than the 25 pounds of muscle.”
8. Danny Woodhead is a BEAST….
Golfweek’s Adam Woodward on the former running back’s qualification for the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball…“A fan-favorite after a successful decade in the National Football League that ended in 2017, the 35-year-old former running back now finds himself so obsessed with golf that his handicap has moved to the pro side of scratch and he’s ruining his house.”
  • “On Monday, Woodhead took a big step in his golf journey, qualifying with partner Mike Wilhelm for next year’s U.S. Amateur Four-Ball at Chambers Bay in Washington.”
  • “It’s as much fun as I’ve had in a long time,” said Woodhead of the successful qualifier at Firethorn Golf Club in Lincoln, Nebraska. “I’ve played amateur events in Nebraska for three years and it’s a thrill unlike anything I’ve done. Golf doesn’t come as easy as football for me. People are going to be like ‘yeah right’ but in some ways it’s almost cooler than some of the stuff I’ve done on the football field.”
9. Eureka Earth on Twitter continues to show how Augusta is getting green
“Augusta is getting green as they go through the process of over-seeding with rye grass which grows much better during the cooler fall and winter months into spring.”

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Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Bobtrumpet

    Oct 7, 2020 at 11:58 am

    Wrong link for item 9.

    Reply Report comment

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News

Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

on

Aug 4, 2025

By

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.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

Published

4 weeks ago

on

Jul 29, 2025

By

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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News

BK’s Breakdowns: Kurt Kitayama’s Winning WITB, 3M Open

Published

4 weeks ago

on

Jul 28, 2025

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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)

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WITB

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Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)

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Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship

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