News

Tour Rundown: K-squared | 14 for Ko | A first-time win in Puerto Rico

Published

2 years ago

Mar 6, 2023

Weekend number one of March welcomed the PGA Tour to Orlando and Puerto Rico, the Champions to Arizona, the LPGA to Singapore, and the Asian Tour to New Zealand. There was high drama all around, as first-time winners took to the podium at two events, a defending champion defended at a third, and a grizzled veteran claimed glory at a fourth. It was high times this week across the golfers globe, so strap in and enjoy our Tour Rundown-March edition.

PGA Tour: Arnold Palmer Invitational sees first-time winner in K-Squared

From the Asian Development Tour, to the Asian Tour, to the DP World Tour, Kurt Kitayam has handled the pressure of a close event. His three prior wins in the professional ranks were all by two shots or less. It should have surprised no one when he played a smart tee ball away from the water on the 72nd hole at Bay Hill. His lie was less than enviable, but he managed to chop it onto the left portion of the boomerang 18th green, leaving a two-zip code putt between his blade and victory. With all the calm of a journeyman grinder, Kitayama hit a perfect putt that somehow defied gravity and remained on the lip of the crevice. After a mark, he tapped in from an immeasurable distance to secure his first PGA Tour title, by one slim shot.

Forget about the Rory McIlroys (2nd) the Patrick Cantlays, Scottie Schefflers, Tyrrell Hattons, and Jordan Spieths (4th). The fellow who should have won going away tied for 10th. After opening with 67, Cameron Young closed his second round four over par over the closing four holes. On Saturday, he played the same stretch in plus-two. Sunday saw him even par of the apparently-impregnable quadrilateral. Give Young those six shots back, and he finishes -11.

Back to Kitayama. Over the first two days, he kept damage to the minimum of one bogey per day. Saturday and Sunday showed a different side: a guy who could rebound from the big number. After a double on the par-five fourth on day three, he played the remaining 14 holes in minus-two. On Sunday, Kitayama was cruising along when he yanked a drive left on the ninth hole, and ended with a two-feet putt for triple. Most non-winners would have ceded passage to the name brands, but not the NoCal kid. Kitayama posted seven pars, then made birdie at the impossible 17th, followed by his heroics at 18.

Clutch birdie from @Kurt_Kitayama ?

He leads by one with one to play @APInv. pic.twitter.com/bjLuxCxIto

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 5, 2023

LPGA: Women’s World Championship is 14th LPGA win for Jin

Jin-Young Ko had a three-year run from 2019 to 2021, when she was a threat to win every event she entered. Ove the past two years, her game has leveled but the ability to win has not gone away. This week in Singapore, Ko had the added pressure of serving as defending champion. With rain dropping from the skies, and tears from her eyes, Ko outKlassed the field with a 17-under total, edging Nelly Korda by two. The week began with three bogeys and a 72 for the eventual winner, not the jump-start one might expect. That even-par round seated her eight shots behind leader Elizabeth Szokol’s 64. As Szokol took up residence in the 70s for the rest of the week, finishing in a tie for eighth position, Ko found a new residence in zone 65.

Twin rounds of seven-under par on Friday and Saturday moved the Korean Komet to the top of the board, two shots clear of her closest pursuers. After the three-bogey start, Ko settled down to one speed bump per round; her fourth-round bogey came at the 11th hole, but she erased it with birdie number four two holes later. Chasing closely was Korda, who shows all signs of complete recovery from last season’s health scare. The Floridian opened with a trio of 68s, but was never able to break into the mid-60s that she needed to track Ko down. Sunday brought her a five birdie-two bogey round of 69, enough to edge one putt past Ayako Furue and Danielle Kang for solo second.

UNSTOPPABLE

Jin Young Ko with a brilliant birdie on 13 and leads by 2! ? pic.twitter.com/F4PFtciF56

— LPGA (@LPGA) March 5, 2023

PGA Tour: Puerto Rico Open welcomes a Colombia winner in Nico Echavarría

Back when the slogan of the PGA Tour was “These Guys Are Good,” it always stood open to interpretation. When opposite-field events like the Puerto Rico Open were not granted the same stature as other tournaments, the message rang like “Some of These Guys Are Good.” No longer the case, as guys like Nico Echavarría and Akshay Bhatia found glory in Río Grande.

Echavarría played his college golf at Arkansas, then worked his way through the professional ranks on PGA Tour Latinoamerica, where he won twice in 2018. This week in the caribbean, Echavarría opened with a pair of 67s, but waited until Saturday to make his move. Carson Young had the 36-hole lead, but when he slipped to 71 on Saturday, Nico soared past with 65. On Sunday, it was a duel between Nico and the aforementioned Bhatia. After making the US Walker Cup side as a teenager, Bhatia eschewed university and went straight to the professional ranks. After beginning round four with a bogey, the Wake Forest, N.C. scion etched seven birdies into his scorecard for 65 and 19-under par. On this day, the Colombian was unstoppable. after an up-down front nine, Echavarría came home in 33, to secure a two-shot victory.

"VAMOS!" ?

Colombian @Nicolas_Ech is seeking his first TOUR win @PuertoRicoOpen as he leads by 3 with 4 to play. pic.twitter.com/SLcAlIyG0Y

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 5, 2023

PGA Tour Champions: Cologuard Classic to Toms by a shot

Folks from another generation remember David Toms as the guy who denied Phil Mickelson a PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club. When Toms reached the Tour Champions in 2017, he wasted little time reminding us that he had game. His 2018 US Senior Open title was followed by … very little. Toms next won on the senior circuit in 2021, then waited another two years to claim title number three.

Chasing him in Arizona were guys like Steve Stricker and Robert Karlsson. Stricker faded to 8th with a day-three 71, but Karlsson hung in quite well. The Swede played nearly-flawless golf on Sunday, with a bogey at the 11th his only blemish. Did that miscue cost him a playoff? Statistically speaking, yes. Toms had a bogey of his own on day the last, at the 13th, but he had enough birdies to hold off Karlsson … until his final drive. Toms’ cut faded just enough to drop into the hazard off the tee. He played two more shots to about five feet, then drained the putt for bogey and victory. As they say, it’s never how you do it; just how many.

That winning feeling for @davidtomsgolf ? pic.twitter.com/dXZX2n12OW

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) March 5, 2023

Asian Tour: New Zealand Open trophy rests in hands of elder statesman Jones

Even a third-round 62 wasn’t enough for Brendan Jones to assume the top spot at the New Zealand Open. Shae Wools-Cobb and two other stood between him and the point of the pyramid. As fans know, following a nine-birdie effort with another, stellar round is way easier said than done. Fortunately for Jones, he had a little help from his competition.

After three stellar rounds, Cobb’s game went off the rails with 78 on Sunday. Christopher Wood and Terumichi Kakazu drifted to rounds of 72, which opened the door for a dozen challengers. Four golfers were able to reach 269 for 15-under on the week, highlighted by John Lyras’ 64, the second-low round of the day. After a one-under front nine, Jones was on no one’s marker sheet as title favorite, but that changed in one hour’s course. Four birdies from holes 12 to 17 elevated the 48-year old Aussie to his first Asian Tour win in 13 years, and his 19th professional win overall. As they say, the sun sets late on the career of the professional golfer!

Relive the action from the final round of the @NZOpenGolf ?

?: @PhotosportNZ #NZOpen #whereitsAT https://t.co/OArodorQ8C

— Asian Tour (@asiantourgolf) March 5, 2023

News

Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

Aug 4, 2025

Ronald Montesano

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.

We’ll play 18 again @OspreyOpen. pic.twitter.com/vNpHTdkHDg

— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) August 3, 2025

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

Published

4 weeks ago

Jul 29, 2025

GolfWRX Staff

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.

News

BK’s Breakdowns: Kurt Kitayama’s Winning WITB, 3M Open

Published

4 weeks ago

Jul 28, 2025

Brian Knudson

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)