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Morning 9: Tiger ready for Match | Zalatoris return date | More NBC changes

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3 years ago

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco and Matthew Vincenzi.

For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com. On Twitter: @benalberstadt
December 8, 2022

Good Thursday morning, golf fans, as we inch closer to Tiger’s return this Sunday in the latest edition of the Match.

1. Tiger ready for the Match

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach…”Tiger Woods is ready to go for the latest edition of “The Match” on Saturday night, even if his right foot isn’t fully healed.”

  • “Woods, a 15-time major champion, will team up with world No. 1 Rory McIlroy in a 12-hole match against Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas under the lights at Pelican Golf Club outside Tampa, Florida.”
  • “Woods, who was forced to pull out of last week’s Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas because of plantar fasciitis in his right foot, said being able to use a golf cart in The Match will help “a lot.”
  • “I can hit golf balls. It’s just hard getting from point A to point B, so [the cart] will certainly help a lot,” he said Wednesday.
Full piece.

2. McGinley denies DP World Tour bankruptcy rumors

Elliott Heath for Golf Monthly…“Paul McGinley has called DP World Tour bankruptcy rumours “absolutely not true” and hailed the strategic alliance with the PGA Tour as a “phenomenal deal” in an interview with the Irish Independent.”

  • “Relations have never been better between the two tours,” McGinley told the Irish Independent’s Brian Keogh. “They are working very collaboratively together. We’ve just announced record prize funds and so has the American tour.”
  • “I know everybody doesn’t want to believe me and everyone wants to believe the rumours that we’re bankrupt and we were saved by the Americans and all that bulls***. That’s absolutely not true.”
  • “We’ve now hitched our wagon to the PGA Tour, and it provides long-term security for every player on the DP World Tour going forward. It’s a phenomenal deal we’ve done with the PGA Tour.”
Full piece.

3. Substation attacks hurting Pinehurst

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”Tens of thousands of Duke Energy customers in Moore County, North Carolina, lost power after police say two power substations were intentionally damaged by gunfire on Saturday night.”

  • “The list of those affected includes Pinehurst Resort.”
  • “According to Pinehurst’s website, parts of the resort, including all its golf courses, remain open, but the main clubhouse has been closed among other temporary changes.”
  • “While Pinehurst Resort has been affected by the widespread power outage in Moore County, we are working diligently to provide our guests with the best experience possible given these challenging circumstances,” the resort said in a statement. “At this time, the resort remains open, and golf is still being played, but we are implementing temporary changes due to limited electrical power throughout the resort.”
Full piece.

4. A special exemption

Golf Channel’s Max Schreiber…”At the tournament he grew up attending, the APGA Tour’s Michael Herrera will make his PGA Tour debut. “

  • “The Moreno Valley, California, native has received a sponsor’s exemption into the 2023 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.”
  • “The Farmers team is proud to congratulate Michael on earning this exemption and making his PGA Tour debut at the 2023 Farmers Insurance Open,” said Jeff Dailey, President and CEO of Farmers Insurance. “Our efforts to support the APGA Tour and grow diversity in the game of golf reflect the value Farmers places on advancing diversity, equity and inclusion as an organization, both on and off the course.”
Full piece.

5. Zalatoris sets a return date

Golf Channel’s Max Schreiber…”Nursing a lower back injury since August’s FedExCup playoffs, Zalatoris will tee it up at Kapalua’s Sentry Tournament of Champions during the first week of January.“

  • “A week after notching his maiden Tour victory at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis, Zalatoris was in contention at the BMW Championship. However, during the second round, he injured his back during a tee shot.”
Full piece.

6. Tappen out at NBC

Golfweek’s Adam Schupak…“Golfweek has learned that Kathryn Tappen, who handled post-round player interviews this season, will be replaced by a revolving door of Golf Channel talent already on site, including Cara Banks and Damon Hack. Tappen declined to comment and neither Banks nor Hack responded to messages.”

  • “An NBC spokesperson said it had no further comment beyond its previous statement that it “will be announcing any additional changes to our lineup early in the new year.”
Full piece.

7. Lexi ready for QBE Shootout

Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols…“Lexi Thompson is back for a sixth time at the QBE Shootout while her partner, Maverick McNealy, is a rookie at the event. The former Stanford star got his first look at Tiburon Golf Course on Wednesday.”

  • Thompson, however, competed there just last month at the LPGA season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. She won the CME at Tiburon in 2018.
  • “I know he’s good,” said Thompson, when the pair of 27-year-olds were asked what they knew about each other. McNealy commented on their shared competitive drive.
  • “We’re not showing up here as an exhibition,” he said. “I want to give us as many good looks from the fairway as possible and just hit it right at the flag. Really excited.”
Full piece.

8. Best celeb foursome Tiger has played with

Our Matt Vincenzi…“With Capital One’s The Match set to take place this weekend, Tiger Woods was asked about the best celebrity foursome that he’s ever played a round with.”

  • “Tiger replied: “[John] Smoltz, [Tom] Glavine and [Greg] Maddux when they were all pitching with the Braves. That was epic. I shot 62, 62 and lost money.”
  • “The three pitchers combined to win seven National League Cy Young Awards in the 1990s and led the Atlanta Braves to a World Series win in 1995.”
Full piece.

9. QBE Shootout Photos

  • Check out all of our galleries from this week’s event
Full piece.
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Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

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Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

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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News

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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