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Tour Rundown: Solheim Cup, Tour Championship, KFT

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4 years ago

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Lots of twin things happened this week. Twins won on a tour in consecutive weeks for most likely the first time in recorded history. Twins rounds on the weekend proved to be the key for at least one winner. And the Korda sisters aren’t twins, but they represented the USA in the Solheim Cup. Maybe it’s a reach, but it’s early September and the story leads are thinning out. It’s Tour Rundown time again, so find your BFF, or your twin and read up together. #MoreFunWithFriends

Solheim Cup claims EGOT for best performance of the year

It figures that a course called Inverness would bring out the best in team professional golf competition. The recent restoration of the iconic Toledo club by Andrew Green set the stage for the performance of many lifetimes. Despite having three acts on the dais, no one expected an EGOT from this biennial event. And yet, the women of Europe and the USA gave us performances usually reserved for Emmy, Globe, Oscar, and Tony winners: they gave us their hearts, their soul, and their blood, sweat, and tears. What more could we ever hope to have, especially during these still-trying times?

After one day, the visitors from across the Atlantic let it be known that they would go quite noisily into the weekend. A 5.5 to 2.5 advantage told the host team that Saturday had better be different, or Sunday would be a formality of a singles competition. Rise to the occasion did the Red, White, and Blue. The home side won 4.5 of the 8 points on offer, and reduced the 3-point margin to a 2-point disadvantage. This, friends, is why singles are reserved for Sunday. Much like wrestling, you walk alone onto the mat, under the gaze of all in attendance, and have only yourself and your singlet. It is raw, it is forceful, and it is unforgettable.

The early portion of the day belonged to the blue of Europe. Three matches were won by Maguire, Sagstrom, and Boutier, while a fourth was halved. The old world stood two mere points from declaring one more piece of luggage on its return flight to the Union. At 4:30 EST, Nelly Korda held off Georgia Hall and notched the first point for the Red flag. At that same moment, it seemed, every other match went to all-square or red as well. Could a comeback take root?

It did, and it almost flowered. Meghan Kang had a six-up lead on Sophia Popov, and such a trouncing would send reverberations throughout the Inverness 18. Somehow, Popov dropped it to five, then four, then three. She ultimately lost by 3 & 2, but who is to say if her delaying the inevitable somehow allowed Matilda Castren to secure a 1-up win over Lizette Salas, and allowed Emily Pedersen to reach 3-up with three to play against Danielle Kang. Those two points made the difference, as Europe retained the Solheim Cup, and won for the first time on USA soil since 2013.

These team events were created to be exhibition matches, but they have (d)evolved into much more than that. They are a source of pride, and they hold their finish not for a moment, but for two entire years until the matches resume. Thus are explained the tears of Kupcho, Harigae, Popov, who suffered one-sided losses to their opponents. Thus is explained the exhaustion of Thompson and Nordqvist, who battled to a draw through 18 draining holes. And thus is explained the jubilation of a dozen women from Europe, who answered the call and realized the dream.

The Ryder Cup has been served notice: after the Curtis Cup and Solheim Cup competitions, the male professionals have much to live up to.

PGA Tour’s Tour Championship belongs to the Cantlifornia Cid

There was an age when Patrick Cantlay was the next and great thing in American golf. That time has returned, and not a moment too soon. As Team USA prepares to move into Ryder Cup competition, its current darling (two-time major champion Collin Morikawa) is struggling, at the same time its sinew set feuds on. Along comes Patrick Cantlay, with a win last week over DeChambeau, and another this week over Spain’s Jon Rahm, to collect his first two, playoff titles, and his first-ever FedEx Cup.

In that yet-to-be-accepted format of starting the top players with an advantage, Cantlay posted just the fourth-best score on the week, and he was tied at that. However, given his bonus strokes as top horse in the race, his 269 was just enough to edge the U.S. Open titleist (Rahm) by one. Cantlay stood outside the top six who automatically qualify for Team USA, but he figured to be an automatic pick to all. With everything on the playoff line, the winner closed birdie-bogey-birdie to edge Rahm’s 72nd-hole birdie.

In an era of Twitter-this and Bluster-that, Cantlay’s demeanor is a contradictory throwback to an era when clubs did the talking. It’s a style befitting a spot on recent European teams, not the ones sporting RWB. Here’s hoping that his disposition and comportment rub off on his teammates and give us the Ryder Cup we all deserve.

Korn Ferry Tour Championship is a tale of highs and lows

Joseph Bramlett has battled his way around the tours for over a decade. Perhaps, only in his dreams did he expect to shoot 30 on the final nine of a Korn Ferry Tour Championship — including a five-birdie run — to clinch the tournament title and a return ticket to the PGA Tour. That’s precisely what happened on Sunday in Indiana. Bramlett stood on the 14th tee, on the heels of two consecutive birdies, precisely six shots in arrears of tournament-leading Trey Mullinax. Five holes later, the former Stanford golfer had made up six shots and earned a four-shot win over the former UAlabama star. Third place went to Christiaan Bezuidenhout of South Africa, one back of Mullinax at 15 deep.

Throughout the week, Trey Mullinax had held the spotlight. He opened with 63 over the water-laced Victoria National layout, and maintained first spot until the bittersweet end. At 14 and 15, his iron game betrayed him from perfect fairway lies. At 18, it was an errant driver that nearly cost him solo second. Despite the home-stretch troubles, Mullinax will join Bramlett next year on the PGA Tour. A win in his portfolio would have been nice, but the consolation prize will comfort almost as nicely.

Let’s remember that the gilded story of the week was the performance of Mr. Bramlett. He has visited the PGA Tour before, and here’s a raised glass to his taking up longer residence this time around.

European Tour Italian Open: Twins win in back-to-back weeks

Just two of the top eight failed to break par each day at Marco Simone near Rome. One of the two, Masahiro Kawamura of Japan, finished in a tie for fifth. The other, Nikolai Hjøgaard, won by a single shot. And he did so on the 72nd hole. And he is the twin of last week’s winner, Rasmus Hjøgaard. That’s pretty exciting, huh?

For the second time in his European Tour career, Adrian Meronk had a chance at victory. Unlike the 2020 Dunhill, when he gave up a final-round lead, Poland’s top golfer stood tied with Nikolai Hjøgaard as the Dane played the final hole. Meronk had posted a sparkling 66 on Sunday, highlighted by an eagle-birdie-birdie, back-nine stretch. His closing run of five pars proved to be precisely what undid his challenge. Nikolai Hjøgaard was brilliant for three days, then held on for dear life over the course of the final round. Faced with the prospect of an initial tour title, each bogey was countered by birdie, and vice-versa. At the closing par five, he zipped a wedge approach to about 30 inches and converted the putt for four and a one-shot win over Meronk and Tommy Fleetwood, who had also made birdie to reach minus-twelve.

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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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Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

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

Published

4 weeks ago

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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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