News

The Northern Trust 2021 DraftKings picks

Published

4 years ago

Aug 17, 2021

Welcome to a new installment of DraftKings picks from staff writer and host of the Pick the Pup Golf Show, Andy Lack.

The PGA Tour travels to Jersey City, New Jersey, this week for the Northern Trust, the first leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs. After Louis Oosthuizen’s withdrawal, 124 of the top 125 players in the FedEx Cup standings will be in attendance this week at Liberty National, a course we have seen only four times before in professional competition.

Liberty National is a par 70, measuring 7,353 yards on the scorecard with bentgrass greens and bentgrass fairways. The Robert Cupp and Tom Kite design has hosted this tournament in 2009, 2013, and 2019, and it was also the host course for the 2017 Presidents Cup. Liberty National is a course that has proven to cater to a balanced tee-to-green skill-set, and regardless of venue, this is nearly always a tournament won by a premier player.

Last week, we were able to capitalize on some excellent pivots, such as a 3.2 percent Adam Scott, who went on to finish second, and a 4 percent $6,700 Jason Dufner who secured a 24th-place finish. Let’s keep up the positive momentum and dig into this week’s DraftKings slate!

The Northern Trust 2021 DraftKings picks

$10,000 range

Brooks Koepka, $10,200 (Projected ownership: 6.7%)

I do not understand this price or this ownership one bit. Granted, I understand that Koepka was bad in Memphis, but I wouldn’t put too much stock into that. The four-time major champion had a bad round one, and seemed to check out. Koepka will do that often in tournaments when he is not in contention, and it can really juke his stats. Looking at how Brooks has performed coming off a bad week, or more specifically a poor iron week, he often rebounds with a spike iron week. I would ignore the recent numbers with Brooks. Liberty National sets up incredibly well for him, and this ownership is laughable.

$9,000 range

Bryson DeChambeau, $9,200 (Projected ownership: 7.54%)

Once again, I am shocked by this price and ownership. The public perception appears to be off with Bryson right now. Maybe it’s because of the late Sunday collapses at the U.S. Open and WGC- FedEx St. Jude, yet I have zero concerns about the nine-time PGA Tour winner’s ability to close out a tournament. While I wouldn’t say that Liberty National is a course where one can aimlessly bomb away with no repercussions, there are tons driver holes, and these fairways aren’t narrow by any means either. On the holes where DeChambeau will have to lay up, I am also getting the number two player on Tour in proximity from 200 yards plus, on a course where 35% of approach shots come from that range.

$8,000 range

Webb Simpson, $8,900 (Projected ownership: 16.46%)

I usually tread lightly with players that project ownership in the high teens, but if you’ve noticed a theme to the article, I have differentiated from the chalk in every other price range, so I can afford to eat some with Webb Simpson. I know that Liberty National doesn’t feel like a Webb course, but he has finished 12th and 15th here in two appearances. He is also coming off a week where he gained 8.5 strokes on approach, and finished one stroke out of the playoff, despite losing strokes putting. The seven-time PGA Tour winner seems to have found something with his irons, and I’m willing to bet he can regain form with the flat-stick, which has historically been his biggest weapon.

$7,000 range

Sungjae Im, $7,800 (Projected ownership: 2.01%)

Similar to Webb Simpson, the anti-Sungjae Im argument will be that Liberty National isn’t a “Sungjae course.” I think calling Sungjae Im a specialist that should only be deployed on short Bermuda courses is really selling him short. We are talking about a player who finished second at the Masters, on bentgrass, in his first appearance ever at Augusta. Point being, the former Honda Classic winner is a really solid all-around player, who is coming off on one of his best ball-striking performances of the season. This ownership is baffling, and if it holds, this will be my favorite DraftKings play of the week.

$6,000 range

Talor Gooch, $6,800 (Projected ownership: 0.97%)

I was all in on Gooch in the outright market last week, and despite a disappointing missed cut, I have no interest in jumping off the bandwagon now. Gooch gained 5.2 strokes ball-striking last week and just couldn’t make a putt to save his life. I was probably a little hasty deploying Gooch last week on an easy course, as all of his best results this season have come on more difficult tracks where ball-striking is the name of the game. As far as comp courses to Liberty National, I think Shadow Creek is the best we are going to do, and Gooch finished fifth there.

News

Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

Aug 4, 2025

Ronald Montesano

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

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

Published

4 weeks ago

Jul 29, 2025

GolfWRX Staff

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.

News

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

Published

4 weeks ago

Jul 28, 2025

Brian Knudson

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)

GolfWRX

The Northern Trust 2021 DraftKings picks

News

The Northern Trust 2021 DraftKings picks