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Morning 9: #1 up for grabs | Finau misses Brooks | Tiger’s scouting mission

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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
February 14, 2023

Good Monday morning, golf fans, as we gear up for Tiger’s return.

1. OWGR: No. 1 up for grabs at Genesis

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”Scottie Scheffler’s return to world No. 1 could potentially be a short one.”

  • “That’s because the top spot in the Official World Golf Ranking, which Scheffler took back for the first time since last October with a win Sunday at the WM Phoenix Open, will again be up for grabs this week at the Genesis Invitational. World Nos. 2 and 3, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm, each have chances to bump Scheffler from No. 1.”
Full piece.

2. Finau: I miss Brooks

Tom D’Angelo of the Palm Beach Post…”TMZ Sports caught up with Finau in Arizona during the Phoenix Open and asked him if he’s still cool with his peers to who defected to LIV, the league financed by the Saudis.”

  • …”Finau added he even misses many of them.”
  • “A lot of the international guys I miss, Carlos Ortiz, Abraham Ancer,” he said. Finau then added how much he misses Jupiter’s Brooks Koepka, saying he is “one of my closest guys on tour.”
  • “Finau said it’s been about a year since he’s seen many of them.”
Full piece.

3. 2023 U.S. Open local qualifying sites

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”The road to The Los Angeles Country Club can officially begin.”

  • “The USGA announced on Monday the local and final qualifying sites for the 123rd U.S. Open Championship, which will be contested June 15-18. It will be the first time the championship will be played in Los Angeles in 75 years.”
  • “Local qualifying will be held between April 17 and May 22 with 18-hole qualifiers being conducted at 109 sites across 44 U.S. states and Canada. The 36-hole final qualifying will be held May 16 in England, May 22 in Japan and Texas, and June 5 in Canada and nine other U.S. sites.”
Full piece.

4. On Full Swing

Adam Woodard for Golfweek speaks to Full Swing creators…“The vision for an immersive series on the lives of professional golfers goes back half a decade, but it came to fruition at a 2021 dinner at Soho House in Los Angeles.”

  • “That’s where Chad Mumm met Paul Martin and James Gay-Rees for the first time. The latter co-founded Box to Box Films in 2016 – known for the highly touted Formula 1: Drive to Survive series – and listened to Mumm pitch his project.”
  • “Five minutes into the dinner they’re like, ‘Yeah, we’re in. Let’s go,’” Mumm said of the meeting.”
Full piece.

5. Captain Lewis, again

Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols… “Stacy Lewis has yet to lead Team USA into battle at a Solheim Cup, but she already has the job lined up for a second time. With the Solheim Cup being contested in back-to-back years, Lewis, 37, will lead the American team both in Spain and Virginia, the LPGA has announced.”

  • “Already the youngest captain in Solheim Cup history, she’ll be 38 when Team USA tries to take back the Cup from Europe on Sept. 22-24 at Finca Cortesin in Spain. The youngest U.S. captain to date was Patty Sheehan in 2002 at age 45.”
Full piece.

6. A tradition continues
Full Piece.

7. Pros excited for Tiger’s return

Cameron Morfit for PGATour.com…”News of his intentions rippled across TPC Scottsdale as players worked to complete their second rounds at the frost-delayed WM Phoenix Open on Friday afternoon.”

  • “That’s great,” Jason Day said after signing his card. “That’s awesome. That’s actually really good news. I’m actually really happy about that. It’s good that he’s out, he can walk and it’s nice to be able to see that. So, yeah, I’m excited to see him (this) week. That’s going to be fun.”
  • …”Still, his plan to play the Genesis came as a surprise, as Riviera CC is not an easy walk.”
  • “I imagine we’ll be carrying him down the hill on 1 and up it on 18, which no one would mind,” said Max Homa, a Southern California native who won the 2021 Genesis Invitational. “But it’s awesome. I’m really glad he’s back. I think we’re privileged any time he plays now.”
Full Piece.

8. Oddsmakers preparing for Woods wagers

Will Gray for PGATour.com…”Woods will attract plenty of fanfare from those on-site at Riviera, and oddsmakers know that he’ll receive an equally outsized amount of attention this week from bettors.”

  • “Woods will face a tall task to return to the winner’s circle against a stacked field – and break the TOUR’s all-time wins mark in the process – and he’s priced accordingly in the outright markets. Oddsmakers at BetMGM have listed Woods at +15000 (150/1) to win this week, the same odds as Joel Dahmen, Kurt Kitayama and Matt Kuchar among others. It’s a far cry from his position in 2020, his most recent Genesis start, when he was priced among the tournament favorites and just months removed from winning the 2019 ZOZO Championship. After teeing off at +2000, Woods went on to finish 68th.”
  • “Over the years, his price has had the ‘Tiger element,’” explained a spokesperson for the BetMGM trading team. “This time around, we are seeing odds on him to win that we’re not accustomed to at 150/1. But the fact is that he is much older, this is his first time up after a long spell through injury, and more so than anything, there are simply more and more better golfers on TOUR.”
Full Piece.

9. Tiger’s scouting mission

Elliott Heath for Golf Monthly…”Tiger Woods was spotted on a scouting mission at this year’s US Open venue Los Angeles Country Club ahead of the venue’s debut men’s Major in June.”

  • “Woods confirmed his participation in this Genesis Invitational on Friday, posting on social media: “I’m ready to play an ACTUAL PGA Tour event next week @thegenesisinv.”
Full Piece.

Related Topics:

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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News

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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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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