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Tour Rundown: Open to Minjee, four other events decided

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3 years ago

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June walked in with the first USGA Women’s Open with a presenting sponsor, and by all accounts, it was a big and special thing. The tournament was contested at Pine Needles for the fourth time, but the first since 2007. Pine Needles, located in Southern Pines, North Carolina, has become the iconic site for this championship. The winner it welcomed this year simply added to that lore. In addition to this national championship for women, four events took place around the globe for the men. Ohio, central North Carolina, Germany and Iowa celebrated tournaments with fine fields and enviable finishes. Let’s have a rundown of all five events in this week’s Tour Rundown.

USGA Women’s Open is second major for Minjee

There were two story threads that followed the 77th playing of the Women’s Open in North Carolina’s sandhills. Could She? became Mina Harigae’s tag line, after the 32-year old pro opened with 64. Harigae had been in contention before in a major, but had not found the context to contend to the end. Will she? was asked about Australia’s Minjee Lee, the 2021 Evian champion and a seven-time winner on the LPGA Tour. Lee had won on the LPGA as recently as May, while Harigae had yet to break into the the winner’s circle on the big tour.

The first-round lead weight heavy on the shoulders of all professional golfers. Few have welcomed the spotlight and questions for four consecutive days, while maintaining an advantage over the field. Harigae’s one shot advantage (64-65) over Swedish amateur Ingrid Lindblad vanished overnight, as Lee followed her opening 67 with 66, to reach 133 at the halway point. Harigae did well to post 69, and preserve a share of the lead. Golfers began to enter and depart the leader board, but in the end, this week was always a story about two golfers: Lee and Harigae.

In round three, Minjee stretched an advantage to three shots, with another 67. Harigae was under par for the third day, as well, but her 70 was eclipsed by Lee’s mastery. On pace to set a tournament scoring record, attention turned away from the first-round leader from California, and toward the leader from Perth. On Sunday, Minjee Lee fell from the 60s for the first time all week, but not by much. Her 71 was the third-lowest round on the day, bettered only by 69 from Jeongeun Lee6 and 70 from Hyejin Choi. Minjee gained one more stroke on Harigae, and set a 72-hole record for lowest number of strokes (271) in tournament history. Her score relative to par (-13) was bettered only by Juli Inkster’s -16 in 1999. Harigae held on to solo second by two shots, over the fast-closing Choi.

PGA Tour: Horschel laps field at Memorial

Billy Horschel is a complicated figure in professional golf. His intensity is unmatched, as are his attention to detail and his pursuit of perfection. Horschel’s swing is as tight as a well-tuned drum, which leaves the only chance for error to the space between the ears. It’s not an uncommon theme, as many golfers on the world’s tours exhibit most of those characteristics. Horschel has struggled with family illness, yet is able to give back to golf as a tournament host for junior tournaments. On this weekend in June, his game was on full display.

Horschel lapped the field at Jack’s tournament, the Memorial. He posted 13-under par through three rounds, and held a five-shot advantage heading into Sunday. Day four was a blustery affair in central Ohio, as 69 was the lowest score that any of the 70 remaining golfers could summon. Scores went as high as 84 on Sunday, as Muirfield Village showed a lot of teeth. Through it all, Horschel preserved his calm. Despite scoring seven shots higher than Saturday’s 65, the lead was never fewer than two shots. It was Horschel’s tournament to win, and he did so with an impressive eagle at the 15th, to return to the five-shot separation. He would make bogey at 17 to only win by four, over runner-up Aaron Wise.

DP World Tour: Samooja secures European Open

Kalle Samooja made the charge of the weekend in Germany. He posted 64 on Sunday to zip past a host of competitors, including last week’s winner, Victor Perez of France. Samooja, a native of Finland, notched eight birdies on the day, including three of his final four holes. None of the others in contention could match his brilliance, and Samooja finished two shots clear of Wil Besseling of the Netherlands.

Not that the others didn’t try. Besseling closed with double-birdie-bogey-birdie, to arrive at the solo runner-up position. Richard Mansell recovered from a first-hole bogey on Sunday with three birdies, and in third position, one more shot back. It was Perez who was most unfortunate on Sunday. His shots went away slowly, with four bogeys against two birdies.

The victory was the first for Samooja, after playoff losses in 2019 and 2020. The win moved the 34-year old inside the top 25 on the year-long rankings.

Korn Ferry Tour: Rex Hospital nail-biter goes to Thompson

With the exception of Paul Haley II, golfers held position or moved up on Sunday at Wakefield Plantation. Haley fell from contention with 71, but managed a sixth-place finish for the week. The tournament drama was reserved for a trio of contenders, and they did their best to make the event’s finish a special one.

Davis Thompson held a one-shot advantage after 54 holes, with Haley, Andrew Yun, and Vincent Norman on his trail. The leader went out in minus-three, to open up an advantage on his pursuers. He would need it coming home. Thompson played the inward half in plus-one, but secured a critical birdie at the 15th. Yun and Norman charge home in minus-three and minus-one, respectively, but they would come up one shot shy of the winner. The victory was the first for Thompson on the KFT, and came on his 23rd birthday.

PGA Tour Champions: Principal Charity to Kelly over Kirk in playoff

Jerry Kelly had five birdies in regulation on Sunday at Des Moines, Iowa. That performance earned him a curtain call with Kirk Triplett. For fun, Kelly added a sixth birdie on the first extra hole. That maneuver garnered him a 9th PGA Tour Champions title, and elevated him eight spots in the year-long, Schwab Cup challenge.

Brett Quigley, Triplett, and 2022 poster child Steven Alker held the 36-hole lead on Saturday evening. Each fell away a bit on Sunday. Quigley posted 70 to finish in fifth position. Alker’s 69 dropped him into a third-place tie with Bernhard Langer. Triplett loaded up on birdies on Sunday, with seven on his card. It was the two, front-nine bogeys that kept him from winning the tournament outright. Sometimes, it’s your week, but not your week alone.

 

 

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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

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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

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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