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Tour Rundown: Two Spaniards, an Aussie, a Kiwi, and an American walk up to a trophy

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3 years ago

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It was an international week for winners on five of the world’s professional golf tours. Tournaments were held in eastern Spain, western Mexico, California, Texas, and Alabama. Although the venues were mildly international, it was the collective of winners that reminded us of the global nature of high-level, tournament golf in 2022. Golfers from diverse spots across the globe showed their mettle and emerged from the cauldron with the spoils of competition. Let’s have a glance at this quintet of gladiators and the tournaments they dominated, in this week’s Tour Rundown.

PGA Tour: Mexico Open to Rahm by a shot

Jon Rahm lit the Vidanta Vallarta course up like a summer party over the first 36 holes. He wasn’t quite as adept across the weekend, but played well enough to edge past a trio of runners-up by a single putt as Sunday drew to a close.

Tony Finau, Brandon Wu, and Kurt Kitayama each took a run at the imposing Basque, Kitayama and Finau each made birdie at the closing par-five hole, on their way to scores of 68 and 63, respectively. Finau’s number was the day’s best, matched by Wu. Of the three in second position, only Wu failed to birdie the manageable closing hole. Had he found a way to make four, he would have seeped into a playoff with Rahm, and posted a sensation 62. Alas, it was not to be.

As for Rahm, he kept the bogeys to a minimum (one on Sunday, five on the week.) Of his stumbles, three came at the pesky tenth hole. The defending US Open champion had 20 birdies and an eagle over the course of the week. He reached 17-under par, which turned out to be the week’s magic number.

LPGA: Inaugural Palos Verdes Championship sends trophy home with Alex

The Mexico Open wasn’t the only, big-time debut this week on the professional tours. After a successful week at Wilshire, the ladies traveled about 30 minutes to Palos Verdes, and played in the inaugural PVC at Palos Verdes Estates. It was a sensational week, as Hannah Green, Jin-young Ko, Lydia Ko, and others did battle for the right to be the first. In the end, it wasn’t any of those names, but it was a decorated veteran who earned the right to be the first.

Marina Alex, a member of the USA side in the 2019 Solheim Cup, won her second LPGA event by one shot. She edged Jin Young-ko by one shot, thanks to a six-pack of birdies on the day. Only Atthaya Thitikul had a lower score than Alex on the day, and her 65 was not nearly enough to enter the fray. JY Ko matched Alex’s 66, but came up one shot shy of another tournament title.

DP World Tour: Arnaus claims first title on home soil

While Jon Rahm brought glory to the Basque people, Adri Arnaus made sure that the folks in Cataluña had something to cheer about. Following in the footsteps of fellow Barcelonan Pedro Larrazabal, Arnaus brought a title to the mediterranean city that hosted the 1992 summer olympic games. Arnaus and Olive Bekker of South Africa tied at 11-under par, two clear of the third-place trio of McEvoy, Meronk, and Canter. Of those three, the most disappointed was Meronk. A 71st-hole double bogey dropped Adrian Meronk from first to third.

Arnaus and Becker headed to the 18th tee for their playoff, and each made par. They returned to the 18th hole four more times, with the resulting pars condemning the overtime session to a sixth hole. A change was made to the 17th hole, and it paid off, at least for the tournament organizers and one of the contestants. Becker cracked. He suffered a bogey, while Arnaus made his sixth-consecutive, extra-time par. With the score of four, Arnaus claimed his first title on the major tour of Europe and the Middle East.

Korn Ferry Tour: Hunstville Challenge in a walk for Endycott

Harrison Endycott won the 2016 Porter Cup at Niagara Falls country club, not too far from my keyboard. Since that win, the Australian has toiled on the world’s caravans, hoping for a shot at the PGA Tour. His time in the minors may be just about over, if he puts another two weeks together this season, like the one he just completed.

Endycott began the final round with a healthy advantage, and he never buckled. Ben Taylor of England began the day in second spot, and found himself there at nightfall. He posted 70 on day four, and never threatened to evict Endycott from the throne. The day’s top score, a 63, belonged to Marcelo Rozo. All that it got him was a 37-spot bump, inside the top fifteen.

As for Endycott, he moved to 12th position on the year-long chase for a PGA Tour card. As May arrives, that’s a pretty good seat to occupy.

PGA Tour Champions: Alker’s bounce-back from playoff loss makes a statment

Last week, Steven Alker lost a playoff to Scott Parel in Irving, Texas, about half a state away near Dallas. In the warmer confines of Houston, the New Zealander took command of the Insperity with a back-nine run of four birdies and an eagle. Even a final-hole bogey wasn’t enough to wrest his hands from the winner’s trophy. Alker posted 66 on the day, 18-under par for the week, and broke free from a tie at the top after two rounds.

Both Brandt Jobe and Steve Stricker were even with Alker through 36 holes. Jobe couldn’t buy a birdie on the outward nine, settling for nine consecutive pars. He rallied on the inward half, but needed four more birdies to equal Alker. Stricker’s opening nine was equally forgettable, with one birdie offset by one bogey. He had a pair of birdies coming home, but like Jobe, could not make enough to apply pressure.

Alker was the 2021, feel-good story in November, when he claimed his first Tour Champions title. His second trophy came four weeks ago. Despite two playoff losses on the senior circuit, Alker continues to fire at flagsticks. He once again tasted the sweet honey of victory this week, and now has three senior titles on his resume.

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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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