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Tour Rundown: Mr. Honest and Mr. Out-of-Nowhere

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4 years ago

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October, when the trees are bare of all they wear. That’s Bono and U2 singing, way back when. Saturday brought colder temps to the northeastern USA, and Sunday confirmed them. Fall has arrived and with it, brought fewer golf tournaments. Gone are the weeks of five and six tours in competition. Like life, things wane in the closing months. Despite the dearth of competition, the three events that took place delivered every bit of drama that one could demand. Not until the final hole did things unfold for this trio of tourneys. Our mid-October Tour Rundown is worth your time, so have a read.

PGA Tour: McIlroy outsmarts the pundits this week in Vegas

Perhaps you caught the quote from Mr. Honesty, the one about the level of golf skill that lurks on the PGA Tour. McIlroy mentioned Keith Mitchell, with whom he had played at some recent point, as really good and capable of winning at any moment. For two days of 62-64, Mitchell made the Northern Irishman seem a druid. 73 derailed Mitchell’s run at the title, although he made a run at recovery on Sunday with 67. Mitchell finished three shy of the top spot, in a tie with 3rd round leader Rickie “Hardluck” Fowler, who flatlined with with 71 on a birdie-filled Sunday.

Second spot went to Open champion Collin Morikawa, who turned in 29 after seven birdies in nine holes. The Californian cooled down a bit on the back nine with only a birdie and an eagle to brag on. Morikawa reached 24-deep and looked for all the world a winner…until along came McIlroy! The druid himself capped a final-day 66 with an eagle at the 14th and clipped Morikawa by one to claim his 20th PGA Tour title. After a forgettable Ryder Cup last month, Rors needed (and got) an individual title.

PGA Tour Champions: Mr. Out-of-Nowhere comes out of nowhere to win

We’re going to stop short of saying that the 2021 campaign has been a hardluck run for Miguel Ángel Jiménez. The Canarian has notched eight top-10 finishes highlighted by five in the top three places. In his last four starts, MAJ has finished 2-4-2-2; if winning is the measuring stick, it’s a putt or two that makes the difference. Contrast his stretch with that of Lee Janzen; the two-time U.S. Open champion has one top-20 finish this calendar year, but it’s a win. And it came this week. And you know who he touched past in the end to win!

Janzen wins as often as Jiménez eschews a glass of tinto with dinner. It ain’t often. On this day in October, a few miles west of Raleigh, Janzen opened with bogey then played 17 holes in 6 under par…scratch that, played 18 holes in 7 under par. Why 18? It took one extra hole (which he birdied) to dispatch the Spaniard. Don Miguel did everything correctly to win: He made five birdies and limited his bogey output. Unfortunately, Janzen hammered out four birdies on the inward half to close the gap. Now, perhaps, he’ll finally be mentioned in greater company than that of Leslie Knope.

European Tour: Anyone want the Andalucía Masters?

As time wound down at Valderrama, the thought on the minds of many was, “Does anyone wish to lay claim to this title?” Laurie Canter was in the mix at the start of round four; after birdie at the fifth, the Englishman played the remaining holes in 6 over par and dropped to a tie for fourth position. Min Woo Lee got close, too., but he had an ugly three-in-four stretch of bogeys and finished in a tie for second place. Sebastian Söderberg got even closer. He reached 6 under par after 70 holes but closed double and bogey over Valderrama’s difficult close and dropped back with Lee into second at minus 3.

Who came out on top? A fellow who had a less-than-memorable Ryder Cup last month, who was desperate for an affirming victory. Matt Fitzpatrick had nearly as boring a round as one might imagine: 15 consecutive pars, two birdies, then one final par. On this day, his recipe for bogey-avoidance won him an unexpected, seventh tour title. It was his first since December of 2021, when he claimed victory at Dubai. On this day, Fitzpatrick lulled the course and the opposition to sleep and emerged with a three-shot victory.

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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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1 Comment

  1. Evan

    Oct 18, 2021 at 4:56 am

    Jimenez is from Malaga, Andalusia.

    Reply Report comment

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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

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4 weeks ago

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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

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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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