Connect with us

News

Five Things We Learned: Thursday at the 2022 Masters

Published

3 years ago

on

About the only thing missing from the first round at the Masters was the late Tim Rosaforte. The docent of golf scribes passed in January. His contributions were honored by his fellow journalists in the days leading up to the first round of competition. Oh, and that left-hander, but that’s a can of worms we dare not open. Instead, let’s focus on those fine, Spanish-language tweets from @TheMasters. Take it from este chaval: aciertan.

Cameron Smith proved two things on Thursday: it is possible to open and close with double bogeys, and still shoot 68; and, his comfort with this golf course is palpable. The 2020 runner-up to Dustin Johnson  demonstrated the same ease he employed to conquer TPC Sawgrass last month. Don’t sleep on the mullet.

With those opening remarks, another season of Five Things We Learned is underway, and it’s time to enter the ring for the main event. Stay with us all week and enjoy keeping up with our education.

1. Cameron Smith is fun to watch

As mentioned in the tease, our favorite Australian is in the mix at four-under par. Smith began the day in a manner we all know: lose your drive to the fade side and find a bunker. From there, Smith escaped in two, airmailed the green in three, and failed to get up and down for not just par, but bogey as well. Fast forward about four hours to the 18th tee, where again the block put him in trouble. He punched free to the fairway but, perhaps cognizant of his long third at the first, came up shy of the flag by about fifty feet. His par putt raced by, and he could not convert for bogey.

Sound familiar? The eight birdies in between probably weren’t. Smith played brilliantly from the second tee to the 17th green. He converted stroke-savers at the impossibly-difficult fifth and sixth holes, then added two more at eight and nine, to turn in 34. On the inward half, Smith made a deuce at the 12th, then added three more birdies from 14 through 16. In conclusion, the eight birdies impressed far more than the two doubles depressed. Smith will be around for a while this week.

2. The amateur contestants struggled on Thursday

Bobby Jones always demanded an amateur presence at his tournament. Each year, the amateur champions from Latin America, Great Britain, the United States, and Asia are invited to compete. Joining them are the USGA Mid-Amateur titleist and the USGA Amateur runner-up. In some years, the amateurs shine, but 2022 was not to be one of them, at least not today.

Three of the non-professional entrants finished at nine-over par. A fourth signed for plus-seven on his card. Austin Greaser, the US Amateur runner-up in 2021, turned in one-under par, but suffered bogey at three holes on the second nine, finishing at an admirable 74. His total placed him firmly in the top half of the field of contestants.

Keita Nakajima was the class of the amateur set on Thursday. The reigning Asia-Pacific Amateur champion posted even-par 72. His round was a balanced one: three birdies, three bogeys, and a slew of pars. Perhaps inspired by 2021 wins by Tsubasa Kajitani (Augusta National Women’s Amateur) and  Hideki Matsuyama (Masters), Nakajima positioned himself for a firm run at making the cut on Friday.

3. Welcome to Three-Under Land

A fine foursome sits at three-under par after 18 holes. Masters champions Danny Willett (2016) and Dustin Johnson (2020) reached the figure in different ways. Willett opened with bogey, but bounced back with birdie at the second. He made his second and final bogey of the day at the sixth, then began to chip away at Old Man Par. Birdies at eight and nine brought him to the red side of par. Two more on the inward par-five holes seated him at the table of minus-three. Johnson reached four-under at the 10th hole, suggesting that he would find a way to the mid-60s by days end. Instead, he avoided birdie at the two, reachable par-five holes on the back nine, and made bogey at 17. It was not the second nine he anticipated.

Joining the two of them at 69 are Joaquín Niemann of Chile, and world number one Scottie Scheffler. Niemann made a spectacular eagle at the ninth, then played even over the next nine holes to place himself inside the top six golfers at day’s end. Scheffler played brilliant golf all day, until a final-hole bogey dropped him one shot from minus-four. We haven’t seen either of these two in the mix at a major, so it will be fun to watch them try to establish a place in this echelon of professional golf.

4. Don’t Sleep on Us

This is the most risky and enjoyable thing to write. These combatants have a special something that earns our attention. For those of you who love bullet points, buckle in!

  • Patrick Cantlay: Patty Ice has nerves of steel and is aching for a major. Is it time?
  • Harold Varner III: HV3 gets better with age. The road from Akron to Augusta might end in triumph.
  • Corey Conners: The long-hitting Canadian has knocked on many a door in recent years. Augusta suits him.
  • Tiger Woods: One-under par defied all expectations. The mind and the game are present; the fitness will determine his tournament this week.
  • Daniel Berger: the Floridian was minus-three until his double at the last. He is gritty and wants respect.

5. Sungjae Im is your leader in the clubhouse

Im Sung-jae has won twice on the PGA Tour. He won the 2020 Honda in Florida, and the 2021 Shriners in Nevada. Neither of those places bears a resemblance to Augusta National, but Im doesn’t seem to mind. Im opened his tournament with three consecutive birdies, then made another at the seventh, to reach four deep. He made mistakes at 10 and 11 to drop a pair of shots, then reclaimed both with an electrifying eagle at the thirteenth. A final birdie, at the par-five fifteenth, brought the Korean champion to the top of the podium with 67. Im will tee off in the ninth group on Friday, at 9:39, with Australia’s Marc Leishman and Webb Simpson of the USA.

Related Topics:

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.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

News

Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

on

Aug 4, 2025

By

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.

Continue Reading

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

Published

4 weeks ago

on

Jul 29, 2025

By

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.

 

Continue Reading

News

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

Published

4 weeks ago

on

Jul 28, 2025

By

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)

Continue Reading

WITB

Whats in the Bag3 weeks ago

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...
Whats in the Bag3 weeks ago

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...
Whats in the Bag4 weeks ago

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. ...
Whats in the Bag4 weeks ago

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...

Facebook

Trending