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Tour Rundown: Breakthrough wins abound

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I’m wondering how the introduction of the Forme Tour snuck up on me. If you haven’t seen the release, it’s a complement to the Mackenzie Tour, for U.S.-based members of that Canadian wing of the PGA Tour. Say what? Well, since Canada is still locked down, and cross-border transit is non-existent, the Blue Jays in Buffalo isn’t the only big news. The PGA Tour will offer a series of eight events for MacTour golfers in the states to earn a spot on the Korn Ferry Tour. Meanwhile, the Mackenzie Tour will continue for Canada-based card holders.

That’s not the biggest news this week, however. The Byron Nelson found a new home near Dallas, the peripatetic Ladies European Tour opened its season in South Africa, and three other major tours competed from England to the southeastern USA. Masks came off in certain spaces as the parts of the world moved a bit closer to what once was, and professional golf marched on.

Let’s have a look at what transpired in this week’s release of #TourRundownGolfWRX.

PGA Tour: K.H. Lee notches inaugural tour win

It’s great when all eyes are on someone else. Sam Burns learned this lesson the hard way, and Kyoung-hoon Lee was the beneficiary of deflected attention. Burns had done everything right at the 2021 Byron Nelson Classic through 54 holes. He blistered the Craig Ranch course for 65 and 62. Those numbers weren’t necessary on the weekend, but what Burns provided just missed the mark. He close with 69 and 70 for 266 and solo second place.

Patton Kizzire and Daniel Berger got out early on Sunday and signed for 63 and 64, respectively, before the rains came. Lee and Burns were on the 16th hole when forced to endure a multi-hour delay. Displaying great patience, both players returned to the course and lost no ground. Lee had jumped out to a lead by playing the front nine in 4-under, despite an inexplicable bogey-six at the par-5 ninth. He tamed the back nine as well, finishing with birdies at 17 and 18 when matters got a wee bit tight.

Burns played the bogey-birdie game on two occasions during the outward half and dropped from the top spot for the first time all week. He gathered himself coming home, posted minus two on the back nine, and salvaged second tier on the podium.

European Tour: Bland breaks through at British Masters

In 1996, Richard Bland turned pro. In 2001, he won the Challenge Tour Grand Final and jumped to the big tour. Since then, he exemplified the notion of the journeyman professional. He came close on numerous occasions to winning on tour, including three runners-up and a pair of show finishes. On Sunday at The Belfry, Bland began his last round three shots behind the leader, fellow Englishman Eddie Pepperell. The front-runner had struggles on the front nine, paving a path for someone to jump up and seize the title. That someone was Richard Bland.

Bland had quietly played a near-perfect tournament as round four opened. He had tripped over bogey just once in 54 holes, at the par-four eighth hole on Saturday. He nearly matched his weeklong tally of eight birdies with six more on Sunday. He also avoided bogey and reached the 18th hole in a tie with Guido Migliozzi. When the young Italian champion three-putted the green that had been the site of so many European triumphs in the Ryder Cup, Bland was finally a European Tour champion. His inaugural victory came less than half an hour from his hometown, a fitting locale for a long-awaited breakthrough.

Korn Ferry Tour: Sigg-nificant win at the Visit Knoxville Open

With no offense intended to the other 73 golfers, the Visit Knoxville Open was always about two golfers: Greyson Sigg and Stephan Jaeger. Sigg opened the week’s curtains with a masterful 61 to seize the lead by two. The next day, Jaeger produced a sparkling 62 and seized the lead when Sigg collapsed to a 68. Yup, it was that kind of week. The pair produced 65s on day three and set the stage for day four.

Speaking of day four, Seth Reeves matched Sigg’s 61 with 10 birdies and one bogey. Ironically, the only day that failed to feature a sizzling round was moving day; the best these chaps could do on Saturday was a 63 — but I digress. Sigg and Jaeger produced seven rounds in the 60s this week, and the one to seep into the 70s was the one who settled for second-place money.

Jaeger’s round four bordered on the symmetrical. He posted birdies at one and 10, and bogeys at nine and 17. The rest were pars. So close! Symmetry doesn’t guarantee victories, however, and it was that 71st-hole bogey that dropped him to 19-under par. Sigg, meanwhile, was out in 3-under par and caught Jaeger by the turn. On the inward half, the Georgia Bulldog posted two bogeys and three birdies. It was his stroke-saver at 16 that pushed him to 20-under par, and a one-shot win — his first on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Ladies European Tour: South African Open a weather person’s delight

Pia Babnik made an incredible move on Sunday morning, as the winds of South Africa perplexed every other golfer in the field. The 17-year-old Slovenian was the only competitor to break par, and she did so by three strokes. The question on the minds of all involved was, did she have enough left in the tank for the closing 18 holes that afternoon? For 13 holes, the answer was Yes.

Babnik began round four with a two-shot advantage over Lee-Ann Pace, a well-decorated golfer playing in her homeland. The Slovenian opened birdie-double bogey and quickly conceded her lead. As things went along, she fought back and found herself even for the round and in the thick of things with five holes remaining. At that juncture, wind or exhaustion or tension set in, and Babnik came unraveled. She closed in plus-six for 78 on the day and a tie for sixth position.

Pace herself had struggles at the end. She closed bogey-bogey but had just enough fuel to hold off Germany’s Leonie Harm by one mere stroke. Harm’s bogey at the penultimate hole pushed her to 4 over overall, one beyond Pace.

PGA Tour Champions: Pride at stake at Mitsubishi Electric

Dicky Pride never had to look far to find motivation. He was a very good junior golfer and played his collegiate golf at Alabama, but that was long before the Crimson Tide was the powerhouse it is today. He was often overlooked — until he wasn’t. U.S. Amateur semifinalist in 1991, a one-time winner on the PGA and Korn Ferry tours, and now, a champion on the Champions Tour.

When Pride turned 50 in 2019, his arrival on the PGA Tour Champions circuit was not heralded with fanfare. He was recognized as yet another journeyman pro who aged into another opportunity. On Sunday at Duluth, Georgia, Pride stood at the top with guys like Ames, Triplett, and Andrade, all multiple winners on the regular tour, golfers with greater cred than he. And Pride simply turned the tables on everyone. He had six birdies in his hip pocket before he reached the 15th tee, where he made his lone bogey of the day.

Meanwhile, Doug Barron had run and stumbled, reaching minus-ten before a double and a single brought him back to 7-under and a T5 finish. Andrade could not get out of his own way, making birdie at the first and bogey at the last, and 16 pars the rest of the way. Pride finished with pars at the final three holes for minus eleven and a three-shot win over Ames, Triplett, and overnight leader Paul Goydos, who fell back and then fired to return to the podium.

Ronald Montesano writes for GolfWRX.com from western New York. He dabbles in coaching golf and teaching Spanish, in addition to scribbling columns on all aspects of golf, from apparel to architecture, from equipment to travel. Follow Ronald on Twitter at @buffalogolfer.

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  1. Pingback: Morning 9: Neither rain nor pressure of pursuing first PGA Tour win… | Remembering Rory’s 2012 Kiawah romp – GolfWRX

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Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

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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

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

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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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