Connect with us

News

Harman on rollback | Caddie qualifies for 3M Open | Scheffler’s putting proves costly

Published

2 years ago

on
By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com

Good Wednesday morning, golf fans, as attention now turns towards the 3M Open.

1. A year free of Sunday drama at the majors

The AP’s Doug Ferguson…”Wyndham Clark was on the 18th green, 60 feet away from the hole. Rory McIlroy was in the scoring room, watching on television. Clark rolled the long putt to within a foot of the hole and pumped his fist. All that remained was tapping in for par to win the U.S. Open.”

  • “That was the extent of Sunday drama in the majors this year.”
  • “The champions are not about to complain, least of all Clark at Los Angeles Country Club or Brian Harman at Royal Liverpool, both of them first-time major winners who played as though they had been there before.”
  • “Not every Masters can have the remarkable back-and-forth between Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose, much less a comeback by Tiger Woods. Augusta National always seems to deliver, but the slogan of the Masters not starting until the back nine on Sunday would be a tough sell the last four years.”
  • “All that can salvage 2023 for edge-of-the-seat theater is the Ryder Cup.”
Full piece.

2. ‘I pray for your forgiveness’ – Tour pro admits to cheating at recent PGA Tour Canada tournament

Our Matt Vincenzi…”On Monday, PGA Tour Canada player Justin Doeden took to Twitter to admit that he had, in fact, cheated when he changed an already signed scorecard.”

  • “I am here to confess of the biggest mistake I have made in my life to date. I cheated in golf. This is not who I am. I let my sponsors down. I let my competitors down. I let my family down. I let myself down. I pray for your forgiveness. John 1:9″
  • “The potential infraction was reported by Ryan French, or better known as “Monday Q Info” on Twitter.”
  • “Two players were having lunch after the second round of the PGA Tour Canada event in Ottawa on Friday when they noticed that Justin Doeden was listed at 3 under on the leaderboard. One of the players had played with Doeden and had watched him make a 7 on the par-5 home hole to finish 1 under, a shot off what would become the cut line. The players notified the rules officials of their concern, assuming it was a live scoring issue (not unusual on a developmental grind). The officials pulled Doeden’s card and noticed that the 7 he made on 18 had been erased and replaced with a 5.”
Full piece.

3. Scheffler’s putting costs him

Ed Carruthers for Golf Monthly…”Well, looking at the numbers, it’s glaringly obvious, and well documented, that it’s his putting that has been letting him down”

  • “Throughout the bag, Scheffler is firing on all cylinders, ranking fifth in the field for his shots gained off the tee and shots gained in approach at this weekend’s Open Championship.”
  • “But his putting stats are leaving a lot to be desired, with Scheffler dropping to 149th in the standings for shots gained with his flat stick.”
  • “Scheffler has openly admitted before that he has struggled with his putting this season saying at the Memorial Tournament that his putting “wasn’t the best.”
Full piece.

4. Westwood hits out at golf journalist

Our Matt Vincenzi…”After Brian Harman’s impressive victory at The Open Championship, Golf Digest’s Joel Beall wrote a story about the event, calling it a “dud.”

  • “The headline of the story read: “British Open 2023: Brian Harman was due for a big win, and golf was due for a dud finish.”
  • “In response, Lee Westwood wrote a column for The Telegraph, saying that Beall’s article “disgusted” him.”
  • “I read an article on Monday morning which thoroughly disgusted me. It was on a specialist golf website and the headline declared that ‘golf was due a dud’. The level of disrespect towards Brian Harman and his remarkable victory at the Open on Sunday was astounding.
  • “You expect that nonsense in the dark recesses on Twitter, but not in one of the best-known magazines in America. I will not name the publication because it has some great journalists who I don’t want to implicate. But, at the very least, the headline should be changed. In short, it is a disgrace and shows a complete lack of understanding of the nature of the sport in that publication’s very own title.”
  • “Westwood went on to share why he believes Harman’s win was so special, including his incredible putting performance.”
Full piece.

5. Harman on rollback

Mike Hall for Golf Monthly…”There has long been concern over the effect of the game’s big hitters on the game and in March, the game’s governing bodies confirmed a golf ball rollback plan aimed at reducing hitting distances.”

  • “However, following his win, Harman admitted he was sceptical as to whether the proposed Modal Local Rule, which would reduce the distance golf balls travel in elite golf, will benefit shorter hitters.”
  • “He said: “It depends on who you talk to. Some people say it’ll help. The guys that hit it shorter – I don’t know how it helps a guy that hits it shorter. There hasn’t been any — there really hasn’t been any change or golf course design that’s helped a shorter hitter over the last 20 years, so I don’t know how the next thing would help a shorter hitter. The game is going longer. That seems to be the way it’s going.”
Full piece.

6. EVR’s caddie to tee it up alongside him at 3M Open

7. Overrated?

Our Matt Vincenzi…”In what he correctly labeled as a “possible hot take”; PGA Tour player Michael Kim tweeted over the weekend that he thought Cameron Smith’s up-and-down on the Road Hole (Par-4 17th) was “a bit overrated”.”

  • “Kim is referring to the putt around the bunker that the 2022 Champion Golfer of the Year Cameron Smith put to about fourteen feet before knocking in the crucial par save. The wizardry displayed by the Australian ensured that fan-favorite Rory McIlroy would not be able to chase him down on the closing holes at the Old Course.”
  • “Possible hot take… I think this putt is a bit overrated because of the way it looks with the pin behind the bunker. He still has a full yard to play with on the line that he hit the putt on. It was a very clutch second putt but that bunker isn’t nearly as in play as it looks.”
Full Piece.

8. JT adds to schedule in search for form

Reuters Report…”After another disappointing performance at the final major of the season, Justin Thomas entered next month’s Wyndham Championship, the final tournament of the PGA Tour regular season.”

  • “The Wyndham will be a chance for Thomas to not only earn FedEx Cup points, but also to prove he belongs on the United States Ryder Cup team.”
  • “Thomas, 30, has won two PGA Championships and one Players Championship in his career thus far, but he has struggled throughout 2022 and ’23. He missed the cut at the Masters, the U.S. Open and last week’s Open Championship, shooting a round of 81 at the U.S. Open and an 82 at The Open.”
  • “After the disheartening U.S. Open, Thomas added the Rocket Mortgage Classic to his schedule. He went 76-69 and missed the cut, failing to earn any additional FedEx Cup points. Thomas is No. 75 in the FedEx Cup standings; only the top 70 will qualify for the first playoff event, the FedEx St. Jude Championship.”
Full Piece.

9. Reminder: Members Choice voting is live (and wraps this week)

Vote now!!!
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.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

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.

Continue Reading

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.

 

Continue Reading

News

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

Published

4 weeks ago

on

Jul 28, 2025

By

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)

Continue Reading

WITB

Whats in the Bag3 weeks ago

Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)

Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here.  Driver: Titleist...
Whats in the Bag3 weeks ago

Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship

Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Whats in the Bag4 weeks ago

Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)

Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
Whats in the Bag4 weeks ago

WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship

Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...

Facebook

Trending