News
Tour Rundown: Bezuidenhout ends year with a double | LPGA Volunteers of America goes to Stanford | Hovland’s second W
The European Tour monopolized the spotlight this weekend, with two events on two ends of a transcontinental region known as Afro-Eurasia. At the southern tip, the South African Open took place at Gary Player country club. Farther to the northwest, in Dubai, the eponymous Dubai Championship was held at the Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Fire course. Around the world, in North America, two more events took place. The LPGA played its run-up-to-the-Open event in Texas, while the PGA Tour journeyed to Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula for the final, official event of calendar year 2020. With year-end holidays around the corner, golf takes a hiatus for a few weeks, before resuming full-speed in January.
Welcome to the final Tour Rundown of 2020, and thanks for following along.
Bezuidenhout ends year with a double
Christiaan Bezuidenhout has found his form, there is no doubt. Last week, the South African pro won at the Dunhill, and this week, he followed up with a five-shot margin of victory over Welshman Jamie Donaldson. After a stumble early in his professional career, the 26-year old has started to fulfill the promise that many predicted during his amateur days.
Bezuidenhout and Donaldson were tied for first after 36 holes. The Afrikaaner had arrived with a pair of 67s, while Donaldson followed an opening 71 with a dazzling 63 (ten birdies and one bogey.) It was Bezuidenhout’s consistency that won day three (and ultimately, the week.) While Donaldson regressed to a 72, a third consecutive 67 would find its way to Bezuidenhout’s scorecard.
Donaldson made up four shots on Sunday’s opening nine, but Bezuidenhout was resolute on the inward half. With his margin trimmed, the three-time Euro Tour winner shot a clean 32 coming home, thanks to four birdies, to reestablish his comfortable cushion. After a few lean years, Donaldson has enjoyed a resurgent run in 2020, capped by this podium finish.
Rozner emerges from curtain to claim inaugural title
For all the week, it looked like Andy Sullivan’s tournament. For all the week, no one outside of Kansas City and Paris had a blip called Antoine Rozner on their radar. Yet, here we are, wondering how Sullivan’s birdie caravan (25 on the week, plus one eagle) wasn’t enough to secure the title. Even more indescribable is how the Parisian pulled a rabbit out of a hat and tossed a Sunday 64, for a two-shot win over Mike Lorenzo-Vera (who sound Italian, but isn’t) and Francesco Laporta (who also sounds Italian, and is.)
Here’s the 120-second breakdown: Rozner opened with a 63, that few noticed. He was only two back of Sully’s magical 61 after day one. Rozner had 69 on day two, lost ground, but had 67 on day three to actually win a shot back. On day four, Rozner was five-deep through 12, then made his second eagle of the week at the 13th, to take control. On 14, he did what all winless golfers do: he made bogey. Then, like all golfers who finally break through do, he made birdie at 15 and 18 to reach 25-under par on the week.
Meanwhile, Sully and the Englishmen (Matt Wallace and Ross Fisher included) were doing the very thing that they need not attempt: play safe, or, not go low enough. They were 70, 68, and 70, respectively, on day four. Those are wondrous scores for a major or a high-tier event, but at Dubai, where birdies win the day, not so much. By the way, if you wondered about the Kansas City and Paris references earlier, Rozner grew up in the City of Lights, and attended college at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where he played a little golf.
The European Tour remains in Dubai for the Race To Dubai championship, to be contested on the Jumeirah Estates’ Earth course.
LPGA Volunteers of America event goes to Stanford
You could tell that this was no ordinary Texas tournament. Scores were high, and players had to grind for every possible, saved stroke. In fact, the VOA played precisely how a run-up event to a major should play. If the Jackrabbit and Cypress Creek courses at Champions Golf Club in Houston measure up to the standard set at The Colony, the world’s greatest female golfers will be in for a second straight week of endurance and grit.
Endurance and grit are Angela Stanford’s middle names. The 43-year old, with one major title to her name, played a game with which her competitors were not familiar on Sunday. Stanford counted seven birdies among her 18 holes, and left the field behind in the Texas dust. True, her margin of victory was just two strokes So Yeon Ryu, Inbee Park, and Yealimi Noh, but it might have felt like ten. It actually took a closing bogey from Stanford, and closing birdies from two of the three runners-up, to make the margin as narrow as it was.
Back in 2003, Stanford and Kelly Robbins lost an 18-hole playoff to Hillary Lunke for the US Women’s Open title. That one-shot loss, after playing 72 holes dead even, might just get repaid next week. After all, there’s nothing that a Fort Worth pro likes more than a quick jaunt over to Houston for a US Open championship.
PGA at Mayakoba is Hovland’s second tour title
Viktor Hovland is certainly at home where Spanish is spoken, despite growing up in the decidedly-nonHispanic country of Norway. Barely 10 months removed from his first tour win in Puerto Rico, Hovland chased down Emilian Grillo, held off Aaron Wise, and won in Mexico for victory la segunda. Hovland piled 16 birdies over two bogeys on the weekend, moving from 6-under to 20-deep in the process. Grillo, who led from his Friday 63 until part way through the fourth round, could not find second gear on Sunday. His three bogey-two birdie performance dropped him from 1st to a tie for 8th.
For most of the final day, the story being written came from the pen of Aaron Wise. The former Oregon Duck is two years removed from his lone tour title, at the Byron Nelson in 2018. Three birdies and an eagle stood him at five-under through seven, then three successive birdies at 13 through 15 elevated him to 19 below par. Finishing two groups ahead of Hovland, Wise could not secure one last birdie to reach the winning score.
Golf aficionados also got a first glimpse at yet another future Stillwater star. Austin Eckroat, a senior at Oklahoma State and former roommate of Hovland, posted 14-under par to secure a tie for 12th. When the professional ranks beckon in 2021, Eckroat will be ready.
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...
