Good Tuesday morning, golf fans — also known as Demo Day at the PGA Show in Orlando, Florida. GolfWRX will of course be on site all week gathering as much content as we can. Stay tuned to the front page, forums, and our social channels.
1. How majors will decide if LIV golfers get OWGR points
James Corrigan at the Telegraph…”If Greg Norman is looking for a conspiracy to blame for LIV Golf events being denied world ranking points then he will now have to play a dangerous game and point the finger at the four majors themselves.”
“Norman has vehemently demanded that Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour commissioner, and Keith Pelley, the chief executive of the DP World Tour, recuse themselves as board members from being involved in LIV’s application to join the Official World Golf Rankings.”
“And, in a move that might catch Norman by surprise, Pelley revealed on Monday that the pair have done just that, as well as Keith Waters, Pelley’s right-hand man who also sits on the OWGR panel.”
ESPN’s Bob Harig…”Amid suggestions that he should be removed from his position, Greg Norman’s role as CEO and commissioner of the LIV Golf League is actually being strengthened, meaning more autonomy in running the second-year circuit that announced its 2023 schedule and will begin play next month.”
“Sports Illustrated has learned that Majed Al-Sorour, the managing director of LIV Golf, will leave that role but continue as one of seven members of the LIV Golf board of directors. Al-Sorour is also CEO of the Saudi Golf Federation.”
“Al-Sorour’s role with LIV Golf is not being filled, meaning more power for Norman, 67, the two-time major-championship winner who is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and whose leadership has been questioned by PGA Tour stars Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.”
4. Tiger Woods announces Marcus Byrd as recipient of the 2023 Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption
PGATour.com staff report…”Tournament host Tiger Woods has announced Marcus Byrd as the recipient of the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption into the 2023 Genesis Invitational. Byrd will join the field at The Riviera Country Club February 16-19. Awarded annually since 2009, the Sifford exemption represents the advancement of diversity in the game of golf.”
“Marcus has shown resiliency and perseverance in pursuit of a professional playing career,” Woods said. “These are qualities that remind me of Charlie and his journey. I look forward to watching Marcus compete at Riviera.”
“Byrd competes on the Advocates Professional Golf Association (APGA) Tour, where in November he finished atop the standings for the Farmers Insurance Fall Series. The fall series title wasn’t the only victory of the season for Byrd. In September, he won the APGA Valley Forge Championship and in June 2021 he earned his first APGA Tour victory with a win at TPC Louisiana. The start at Riviera will be Byrd’s second career appearance in a PGA TOUR event. He made his TOUR debut at the 2022 Corales Puntacana Championship.“
5. Baddeley’s daughter writer letter pleading for WMPO sponsor’s exemption for her dad
Golfweek’s Adam Schupak…”The 41-year-old resident of Scottsdale, Arizona, played in his hometown event for 18 consecutive years beginning in 2003 and won the title in 2007. But he has missed the last two playings of the “People’s Open” due to his limited status on the PGA Tour in recent years — he plays out of the past champion category. He answered his daughter that it wasn’t looking too good for him again this year. Even if he were to finish in the top 10 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am the week before, he’d likely not get into the 132-man field, which should be even more loaded now that the event has been upgraded to designated status and the purse soared to $20 million.”
“Baddeley explained that he likely would need to secure one of three spots available at the Monday Qualifier or be granted one of five unrestricted sponsor invites. Jolee was none too happy with this response and decided she was going to do her part to help his cause.”
Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”TGL, the technology-focused golf league that is set to launch in January 2024, is set to announce its fifth PGA Tour player who will take part in the innovative team concept.”
“Per a Sports Illustrated report, Adam Scott will join Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas in TGL’s roster. Woods and McIlroy co-founded TMRW Sports, which created TGL, with former Golf Channel president Mike McCarley.”
“Tiger pushed golf to a standard that was never seen before, and guys are continuing to push forward,” Scott told SI. “Now, in the position that he’s in, for him to stand up and take a voice for the PGA Tour, I think that’s really strong. We never saw much side-taking from Tiger during his career. That’s fair enough; he was a competitor, and he was interested in what he was doing. Now, he’s showing his feelings on things.”
Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”One of Perez’s objectives is to earn one of the 10 PGA Tour cards up for grabs for top finishers on the DP World Tour, a benefit of the new strategic alliance between the two tours. Perez had tried to find his footing on the U.S. tour a couple seasons ago, but he made just six cuts in 12 starts. He has also made only half his cuts in 24 career Tour appearances, but he chalked up some of his struggles to the pandemic.”
“Now, though, Perez is ready to try again.”
“Ideally, I think that’s everyone’s goal,” Perez said of making it to the PGA Tour. “I think the Tour has done such a great job giving us the opportunity. I was saying, I think it’s never been easier to get on the PGA Tour for European Tour players because now we have those 10 cards. You have all the Rory McIlroys and Jon Rahms of the world that are on list but are going to be taken out, so it’s really going to drop to, whatever, the 20th position and gives us a great category when you get to America…”
“I think there’s a lot of Europeans that are starting to break through and go over there. I think, you know, you see guys at the Hero Cup last week playing very well, and then going back to the PGA Tour. That’s inspiring and something that I think we all want to do.”
“Not quite, but there is likely as much interest in the game scheduled on June 5th as any of the seven made-for-television events broadcast over the last four years.”
“On Sunday, former junior golf star turned social media influencer Paige Spiranac announced she would be challenging John Daly at Geneva National in early summer, and that followers have the chance to caddy for either player.”
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.
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.
Card III and Bacha both miss their birdie tries on the first playoff hole.
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.
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
