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Morning 9: Bryson’s transformation: One year on | Koepka set to return from injury | “Monstrous” week ahead at Aronimink

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5 years ago

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1. Bryson’s transformation: one year on
PGATour.com’s Ben Everill…“One year ago, DeChambeau looked a small throng of journalists in the eye as he was getting set to leave the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open and vowed he would transform his body to a level not seen before.”
  • “I’m going to come back next year and look like a different person. You’re going to see some pretty big changes in my body, which is going to be a good thing. Going to be hitting it a lot further,” DeChambeau said after finishing T4 in his title defense at TPC Summerlin.”
  • “At the time the comments brought with it plenty of eyerolls. A sense of – here goes crazy Bryson again – was most certainly permeating through some of the golf world. But the doubters are – at least right now – eating their words.”
  • “…At the end of the 2018-19 season DeChambeau boasted a Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee mark of +0.421 and a driving distance average of 302.5 yards. A year later he put up a season where his SG: Off-the-Tee led the TOUR at +1.039 and led driving distance at 322.1 yards.”
2. 48-inch driver plans persist
ESPN’s Bob Harig…“DeChambeau, who is making his first start since he won the U.S. Open last month at Winged Foot at this week’s Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, said Wednesday that he has been working with a 48-inch driver and hopes to unveil it at Augusta National.”
  • “A longer shaft, presumably, would allow him to hit the ball farther. DeChambeau, who has undergone a well-chronicled transformation in the past year that has seen him add weight to get up to 240 pounds, led the PGA Tour in driving distance for the 2019-20 season, averaging 322.1 yards off the tee.”
  • “I’m looking forward to trying to put in a 48-inch driver and see what that can do for the golf course and what opportunities it will present me,” DeChambeau said at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas, the site of this week’s tournament. “It’s going well. I think there is a lot of, I guess you would say, advantages to having a 48-inch driver and being able to put it in play and keep it in play.”
  • “So working on that. Still need to get some things worked out, but so far, it’s been pretty amazing.”
3. What to watch in the LPGA Tour’s third major of 2020
Charlotte Gibson for ESPN.com…“It’s October, and still golf major season. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the LPGA Tour shifted its schedule — including when and how many majors will be played….Here’s what to watch for in this week’s LPGA major”
“Riding major momentum, Sophia Popov looks for title No. 2…Last year, Popov lost her LPGA membership after battling complications of Lyme disease for nearly five years. When she tried to win it back at the LPGA Q-Series in the fall of 2019, she fell short by one shot. Playing on the Symetra Tour, Popov got into the Marathon Classic in August after the LPGA was unable to fill the field due to the pandemic. After she tied for ninth, she gained a spot at the Women’s Open.”
  • “Nelly Korda looks to claim first major…”At the ANA Inspiration in September, all eyes were on Korda.”
  • “It looked like the 22-year-old was going to win her first major in a battle against Brooke Henderson. Korda knew it wasn’t over until the last putt on 18. In a wild turn of events on the back nine, Mirim Lee holed two chip shots and landed herself in a three-way playoff with Korda and Henderson. On the first playoff hole, Lee holed a five-foot birdie putt and won the major.”
4. Bryson hits a car behind the range at TPC Summerlin
Golfweek’s David Dusek…“On Tuesday, golfers used a forward position, and with the dry desert air warming into the 90s, the range couldn’t contain Bryson DeChambeau.”
  • “Fresh off his win at the 2020 U.S. Open, DeChambeau hit several drives over the range and onto Hillshire Drive, the street behind the range where the trucks were parked. DeChambeau was flying the ball nearly 360 yards.”
  • “Reps were calling me saying he was bombing it into their trucks,” said Ben Schomin, Cobra Golf’s director of tour operations. “I had him stop in the morning and had to move him back in the afternoon for safety reasons.”
5. Mel Reid fined by LPGA after first win celebration
Golf Channel’s Mercer Baggs…“And there was Sunday night’s celebration, for which she said she was fined for breaking the LPGA’s COVID-19 protocols.”
  • “Got in a bit of trouble. It wouldn’t have been me if I didn’t get in trouble,” she said at Aronimink Golf Club. “Yeah, I mean, I obviously took it a little bit easier than I probably would have done normally.”
  • “Reid’s celebration included beers in her voluminous trophy and she said her caddie, Ryan Desveaux, took it a little deeper than did she. Reid will have a proper celebration when she reunites with family and friends.”
6. Brooks Koepka set to return from injury at CJ Cup
Golf Channel’s Will Gray… “Koepka will return to action next week at Shadow Creek, as the tournament which he won in South Korea in 2018 has temporarily relocated this year to Las Vegas because of the COVID-19 pandemic. There he’ll be joined by Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, PGA champ Collin Morikawa and defending champ Justin Thomas among a 78-man field.”
7. USGA to play the 2022 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur in Alaska, completing its quest of playing a championship in all 50 states
Golf Digest’s John Strege…”The missing link in the United States Golf Association’s quest to take its championships to every corner of the country has been Alaska, which it finally will be able to check off its list in 2022 with the playing of the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur there.”
“The USGA made the announcement on Wednesday, scheduling the championship for July 30 through Aug. 4 at Anchorage Golf Course.”
“It’s a monumental occasion for us to bring a championship to Alaska, something that has been a long time coming,” Mike Davis, CEO of the USGA, said in a news release. “Players from all over the country dream of becoming USGA champions, so it is important we bring our events to all corners of the United States to expose golfers and golf fans to the inspiration and competitiveness of our championships. We’re so thankful to Anchorage Golf Course for working with us to make this dream a reality.”
8. “Monstrous” week ahead at Aronimink 
Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols…“Everything about the historic Donald Ross design, including its stately clubhouse and oversized greens, feels grandiose.”
  • “The view from the first tee alone is a stunner.”
  • “I mean they’re kind of calling it the ‘lumber yard’ right now,” said Cristie Kerr, referring to the number of woods players are hitting into greens.
  • “Danielle Kang called it “monstrous,” and said she’s thinking about taking out one of her wedges and putting an extra hybrid in the bag.”
  • “This is a proper golf course for sure,” said 2018 AIG Women’s British Open winner Georgia Hall. “It’s what a major should be.”
9. Molinari returns
PGATour.com’s Ben Everill…“While the 37-year-old’s concern for the global health crisis was a factor in his absence, the main reason the Italian has been off the golf grid so long is a cross Atlantic move from London to Los Angeles. Molinari and his wife and two children have made a permanent shift and the former Open Champion insisted he be a dedicated part of the monumental move.”
  • “Obviously feels great after such a long layoff to be back. I didn’t think at THE PLAYERS that it will be so long to get back. I’m just very happy to be here,” he said.
  • “I just decided to take some time off to work out a few things with the family. Obviously we moved over here to California during this time, so, yeah, it’s been different. Not something I thought I would do in my career, but in a way it was nice to take a break and stay away for a bit. I definitely feel refreshed and looking forward to being back playing golf.”
  • “The Molinari’s first moved to San Francisco in July and were in fact in the city during the PGA Championship but Molinari declined to play as they continued to try to lockdown a new residence. While Collin Morikawa was making history, Molinari and his kids were at the zoo. Since then they’ve found a place to call home in Southern California.”

 

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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.

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News

Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

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Aug 4, 2025

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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

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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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