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Tour Rundown: Langer ties Irwin for all-time Champions mark | Rahm regains No. 1

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3 years ago

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It takes a big deal for the senior circuit to upstage the regular-age golfers. Well, today was a big deal. You’ll find out why, but suffice it to say that the goings-on at Tiburon Golf Club this week were historic.

Titles were claimed in Florida, California, Qatar, and Thailand. The tours are close to full steam ahead, and March will certainly bring some of the year’s most anticipated events. For now, let’s run down our first spate of post-NFL events, in this week’s Tour Rundown.

PGA Tour Champions: Chubb Classic welcomes historic defender

Bernhard Langer defies and defines age. The fountain of youth was once again his this week, as he took a one-shot advantage through 52 holes, and turned it into a three-shot victory with birdies at 17 and 18. With that triumph, Langer tied Hale Irwin for the most wins on the tour that some call the greatest second chance in sports. 45 victories have come his way since October 14th of 2007. Over the ensuing 16 years, Langer has 11 senior majors, and 34 other events. What is perhaps most astonishing is how many more the German great might have amassed. Langer has lost 9 of 16 playoffs for senior titles.

This week, Langer and Paul Goydos matched 64s in round one, for a one-shot advantage over Dicky Pride and Ernie Els. Langer took the outright lead by a shot after round two, but faced as large a chasing pack as might be imagined. A dozen golfers sat within three shots of the top spot, with 18 holes to play. Day three saw Langer go out in minus-two and cede the lead to the pride of Wisconsin, Steve Stricker. The back nine belonged to the German, who tallied five birdies against four pars. With 45 wins in hand, the Langer Watch now turns to 46 and the outright lead in PGA Tour Champions victories.

PGA Tour: Genesis Invitational is Rahm’s third title of 2023

Remember how well Scottie Scheffler played last year, in the months leading up to the Masters? That script now belongs to the Basque behemoth, don Jon Rahm. Rahm took the best that Max Homa, Will Zalatoris, and a stellar field had to offer, and walked away with his third title of the calendar year. Rahm had three bogeys on the day at Riviera, but was able to counter with five birdies and most important: avoid the big number.

Homa was four strokes below par on the day when he reached the 11th tee. Unfortunately, his daily allotment of strokes saved had run out, and pars plus one bogey were all that remained. Homa finished in solo second, at 15 under par. He had done his best to defend his title, and let all who listen know, that he would be back again in 2024.

Third place belonged to Patrick Cantlay, featuring a welcome return to the podium for the Californian. Will Zalatoris came fourth, and Keith Mitchell rounded out the top five. The tour will now move across the country and debut its Florida Swing at PGA National, at the Honda Classic.

DP World Tour: Olesen claims seventh tour title in Thailand

Thorbjorn Olesen is on a resurgent run of late. After taking time away from tour to deal with personal matters, the Dane returned to the winner’s podium in May of 2022, at the British Masters. This week, at the Amata Spring Club near Bangkok, Olesen claimed yet another title, this time by four shots.

A look at his four scorecards revealed this numerical sequence: 67-67-64-66. Let’s be honest and say that 66 on day four, with the lead, is akin to posting another 64. Olesen was on-point the entirety of the final day. He allowed no one to access his space, although a few made runs. Alexander Knappe ran off six consecutive birdies from 10-15, then added another for an inward 29. He secured a tie for third with Joost Luiten, at 18-under par. It was Germany’s Yannick Paul who finished in the runner-up spot. Paul played conservatively and consistently, with five birdies and a bogey for 68 and -20. On this day, Olesen was simply too much in command of his game, and deserved every bit of the winner’s vase.

Asian Tour: Ogletree wins another I-Series event

Andy Ogletree is one of those guys for which I make an exception. He has won twice on the Asian Tour and, with fortune, will find a way back to the PGA Tour some day. Ogletree earned a career-saving win last November in Egypt. A scant, three months later, he collected his second International Series title in Qatar. The Georgia Tech alum and 2019 US Amateur winner took a healthy lead into the final round this week, but his walk to victory was no walk in the park.

Ogletree’s game, the one that brought him a 66 on Saturday, took a bit of time off on Sunday. The Mississippi native wobbled to a 73 on day four, and was nearly chased down by Thailand’s Gunn Charoenkul. Ogletree did what he had to on the outward half, shooting even par to challenge the chasers to make magic happen. Ogletree stumbled to a double bogey on the par-five tenth, but gave up but one shot to Charoenkul, who made bogey. Birdie by the chaser would have made things interesting, because Charoenkul proceeded to three birdies and an eagle coming home. Only Charoenkul’s second bogey, at the par-four 15th, gave Ogletree the room he needed to breathe his way home. His three-shot win lifted the burden of having to do it again, off his shoulders.

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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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WITB

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