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Morning 9: Tiger’s course gets Tour event | Tour attorneys: LIV backers “ducking” suit | Valero photos

Published

2 years ago

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com

Good Wednesday morning, golf fans, as we gear up for the Valero Texas Open where players have their last chance to clinch a spot at next week’s Masters.

1. Eligibility, FedEx Cup changes for 2024

Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…”Starting next year, there will be 16 designated events, including the four major championships, The Players Championship, three FedExCup playoff events and eight other tournaments that have not yet been announced. To qualify for those eight other events, players must finish inside the top 50 on the previous season’s points list.”

  • “The top 10 players from the current season’s points list will also be eligible for the designated events, as will the top 5 players from each “swing” between designated events. Officials plan to “minimize isolated weeks” between full-field events and designated events, like this year’s Honda Classic, which was wedged between the Genesis Invitational and the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and use those “swings” to create avenues for players to play their way into the bigger tournaments via mini points lists.”
  • “Current year tournament winners and any player inside the top 30 in the world ranking, provided they are a Tour member, will also qualify for the designated events, which will have fields of 70 to 80 players and feature no cut. There will also be four sponsor exemptions who also must be members.”
Full piece.

2. Tour event coming to Tiger’s course

Greg Gottfried for Golf Digest…”The PGA Tour announced on Tuesday morning that the 2023 World Wide Technology Championship will be moved from Mayakoba to El Cardonal Course located at Diamante Cabo San Lucas.”

  • “The Tiger Woods-designed course will be replacing the Greg Norman-designed course after the latter hosted the LIV Golf season opener back in February. Opened in 2014, El Cardonal is the first golf course designed by 82-time PGA Tour winner Woods and TGR Design, and it’ll play host to one of two Mexican events this calendar season along with the Mexico Open at Vidanta.”
Full piece.

3. Tour says LIV backers are “ducking” suit

Golf Digest’s Joel Beall…”On Monday night the tour sought a motion for alternative service to the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia—which serves as the financial backer of LIV Golf—along with PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan. Last month a U.S. District Court judge ruled the tour could add PIF and Al-Rumayyan as defendants in the tour’s countersuit.”

  • “In Monday’s filings the tour states it has properly served PIF and Al-Rumayyan with its amended counterclaims in multiple ways, including serving PIF at its headquarters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with Arabic translations in according with the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. The tour also argues that these fillings have been widely reported on across the world. “And PIF and Mr. Al-Rumayyan have never argued that they do not have notice of the tour’s amended counterclaims—nor could they with a straight face,” the tour’s attorneys write.”
Full piece.

4. How the Valero Texas Open found its place

Max Schreiber for Golf Channel…”In the 2010s, the event flip-flopped on the calendar from a few weeks before or after the Masters. As a result, issues with the strength of field persisted, as many players took time off during that portion of the schedule to either prepare for or rest after the first major of the year.”

  • “But after Valero re-upped its title sponsorship with a 10-year deal in 2017, the Tour found the event a niche on the schedule — the week before the Masters, offering the last remaining spot in the major’s field. If a player isn’t already exempt, a win at TPC San Antonio will send them to Augusta. Corey Conners in 2019 and J.J. Spaun in ‘22 did just that. A few big names, including Rickie Fowler, are hoping the same will happen to them in ‘23.”
  • “The Valero Texas Open was not played in 2020 because of COVID, but like many times before, the event overcame uncertain times and bounced back bigger and better than ever in ‘21, raising a record $16 million for charity.”
  • “That year, the event added another indelible moment to its illustrious history. Jordan Spieth ended a 1,351-day winless drought and added his name to a prestigious list of Texans to win their home state’s open.”
Full piece.

5. Written in the stars for Jordan?

6. Return to LIV

Mike Hall for Golf Monthly…”Andy Ogletree has been named in the Crushers GC team for this week’s LIV Golf Orlando event after regular team member Anirban Lahiri withdrew from the Orange County National tournament for personal reasons.”

  • “That will mark the first LIV Golf appearance for the American since his one and only start in the circuit’s first-ever tournament at London’s Centurion Club last June. Back then, the 2019 US Amateur champion finished rock bottom of the individual standings at 24-over for the tournament.”
Full piece.

7. Augusta’s biggest meltdowns

Jeff Ritter for SI…”The Masters is filled with a rich history of golf greatness—and many blunders.”

  • “The history book documents both sides of the ledger, the good and the bad, and a look back at the highest scores on each hole includes a few doozies.”
  • “The highest score recorded on a single hole at the Masters is a 13, which has happened three times: Tommy Nakajima on the 13th hole in 1978, Tom Weiskopf on the 12th hole in 1980 and Sergio Garcia on the 15th hole in 2018.”
Full piece.

8. Faldo to come out of retirement for 2023 Masters

James Corrigan for The Telegraph…”Less than a year after crying live on air when hanging up his microphone on US TV, Sir Nick Faldo has been coaxed back into the booth by Sky Sports to commentate on next week’s Masters for his home audience.”

  • “With the BBC still to sign a contract to screen highlights from the season’s first major, the capture of Faldo is a huge coup for Sky. It is understood that Faldo, who has retired to a ranch in Montana, will also perform the same duties for the subscription service at the Open at Hoylake in July.”
  • “This will be the first time the six-time major winner will be working solely for Sky, although the 65-year-old did appear occasionally as a studio guest when he was contracted to CBS.”
Full piece.

9. Photos from the Valero Texas Open

  • Check out all of our galleries here!
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.

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Peter Sallis

    Mar 31, 2023 at 2:46 am

    LIV players sound nice and healthy just like some weird cult. At least they can rely on James Corrigan for PR.

    Reply Report comment

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News

Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

on

Aug 4, 2025

By

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

on

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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