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Morning 9: Legal blow for LIV? | Hall of Fame finalists | New mixed event

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3 years ago

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com
February 23, 2023

Good Thursday morning, golf fans, as day one of the Honda Classic gets underway in the Florida swing starts swinging.

1. Legal blow for LIV?

Golf Digest’s Joel Beall…”LIV Golf was dealt another blow in the ongoing litigation battle between the Saudi-backed circuit and the PGA Tour, as a U.S. District Court judge ruled on Tuesday that the tour can add Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and its governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, as defendants in the tour’s countersuit.”

  • “Attorneys for LIV Golf had argued adding the PIF, the financial backer of LIV, would cause a delay to the case that would potentially harm LIV Golf players who had been suspended by the tour. However, Judge Beth Labson Freeman wrote that LIV failed to identify how exactly those players were being harmed.”
Full piece.

2. HOF finalists

PGATour.com staff report…”Jim Furyk and Padraig Harrington, prolific PGA TOUR/DP World Tour winners and headliners on PGA TOUR Champions, top the list of finalists for the World Golf Hall of Fame that was announced today.”

  • “The late Tom Weiskopf, a 16-time PGA TOUR winner whose competitive career peaked with his victory at the 1973 Open Championship at Troon, and who later made his mark as a CBS Golf commentator and golf course designer, also made the list of finalists. So did Johnny Farrell, who learned the game as a caddie, won the 1928 U.S. Open, and went on to become the longtime head pro at Baltusrol Golf Club.”
  • …”On the women’s side, longtime CBS Golf reporter Dottie Pepper is a finalist. She won 17 times on the LPGA Tour, including two majors. A fiery presence for the Americans, Pepper compiled a 13-5-2 record in six Solheim Cup appearances. Fellow finalist Cristie Kerr won 20 times, including two majors, and played in the Solheim Cup nine times.”
Full piece.

3. PGA Tour x LPGA Tour mixed team event

PGATour.com staff report…“The PGA TOUR, LPGA Tour and Grant Thornton LLP today announced a new mixed-team Challenge Season event that will see LPGA Tour and PGA TOUR players compete together in a unique co-sanctioned tournament.”

  • “The Grant Thornton Invitational is set to debut December 4-10, 2023, at Tiburón Golf Club and The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón. The precedent-building event will allow players from the PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour to compete for an equal prize and visibility – a format new to the current era of professional golf. The last time the two tours held an annual mixed-team competition was in 1999, when John Daly and Laura Davies won the final edition of the JCPenney Classic.”
  • “The Grant Thornton Invitational’s 32-player field will be comprised of 16 PGA TOUR and 16 LPGA Tour professionals competing for a $4 million purse – with additional format details in development. The three-day tournament will be televised on NBC and Golf Channel.”
Full piece.

4. Remembering Hondas past

Via the Golf Channel Digital team…2012…”Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods teed it up in the 2012 Honda Classic, each knowing that a win would carry extra significance.”

  • “For a 22-year-old McIlroy, it would elevate him for the first time to the world No. 1 ranking, becoming the youngest to move to No. 1 since Tiger was there at 21. For Woods, it would be his first triumph since 2009 and would answer the segment of golf fans who wondered if injuries and swing tinkering would prevent him from ever winning again (sound familiar, anyone?).”
  • “McIlroy achieved his goal with a win, but not before Woods put on a charge, punctuating a closing 62 with a final-hole eagle. It was Woods’ lowest final-round score of his career, up to that point. Woods wouldn’t have to wait long to return to the winner’s circle, prevailing at Bay Hill later that month, the first of his three wins in 2012.”
Full Piece.

5. Report: LIV Golf secures first major sponsor ahead of 2023 season

GolfWRX.com staff report…“On the eve of its first event of 2023, breakaway tour LIV Golf has landed its first global sponsorship deal.”

  • “As reported by Bob Harig of Sports Illustrated, LIV has struck a deal with the shipping company EasyPost. Per the report, EasyPost is expected to be part of the broadcasts on the CW Network, and will be used in LIV Golf’s social content and on-course signage.”
  • “Speaking to Sports Illustrated, Sam Hancock, VP of Growth at EasyPost said…We are thrilled to sponsor LIV Golf in 2023. Their innovative approach to golf will bring the sport to a broader range of spectators, and that’s something we are excited to get behind.”
  • “We share the same mission, to modernize and innovate in our respective fields.”
Full piece.

6. Kaymer to miss LIV opener

Mike Hall for Golf Monthly…”In the days leading up to the start of the LIV Golf League, the circuit has suffered a second injury below with the announcement that Cleeks GC captain Martin Kaymer will miss the opening tournament at Mayakoba’s El Camaleon Golf Club in Mexico.”
Full piece.

7. DJ won’t watch Full Swing

Adam Woodard for Golfweek…”The Netflix series Full Swing that documented the lives of professional golfers in 2022 has captivated the golf world over the last few weeks.”

  • “Dustin Johnson aside…The two-time major champion, who took his talents from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf last year, was featured in Episode 5 alongside U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick, but has “zero” interest in watching the final product.”
  • “Probably not. I’m just being honest,” Johnson said when asked if he would watch the episode in the future. “I watched them film me, so I don’t need to watch the episode.”
Full Piece.

8. Best driver 2023

  • A shameless plug for our Best driver of 2023 roundup. We interviewed a panel of expert fitters looking for the best drivers across three swing speed ranges (plus the most forgiving driver). Have a look at what real golfers are really being fit into by the best in the business.
Full Piece.

9. Honda Classic Photos

  • Check out all of our galleries this week from PGA National.
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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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

By

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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