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Morning 9: Poston on 18th hole blowup | Mickelson on the attack | Wyndham seals Ryder Cup berth

Published

2 years ago

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans, as we gear up for the Wyndham Championship where players will have one last chance to punch their ticket to the playoffs.

1. “Not out here to finish 2nd”

Yahoo’s Jay Busbee…”J.T. Poston, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, stepped to the final tee on Sunday three strokes behind Hodges, but three strokes ahead of the next-closest competitors. All Poston needed was a double bogey on the hole and he would claim solo second place in the tournament, along with its tidy paycheck of $850,200. Not bad for a week’s work.”

  • “Poston’s tee shot ended up close to the water, and there, his troubles began…Poston was 213 yards from the pin, with an awkward lie, but rather than try to work his way around the dogleg-right hole, he opted to go big … and, as you can see from the position of the number 2 there, sent his approach shot to a watery grave…”
  • “After taking the penalty stroke, Poston laid up to 98 yards. But his second attempt at an approach again came up short, and once he did get onto the green, he missed a five-footer that would have given him that precious double-bogey…”
  • “So rather than taking home $850,200 all for himself, Poston had to settle for a “mere” $590,200, one-third of the total prize pool of second, third and fourth places…”
  • “Poston, for his part, took the aggressive approach once again on Twitter: “Not out here to finish 2nd,” he wrote. “Trying to win. Would make that decision 10 times out of 10 under circumstances.”
Full piece.

2. Mickelson on the attack

Our Matt Vincenzi…”Over the weekend, “The Fried Egg” published a piece titled “Memo Szn” that discussed the memo that Jay Monahan sent to the players on Wednesday that discussed the proposed agreement with the Saudi PIF…”

  • “Andy Johnson of The Fried Egg weighed in on what that might look like.”
  • “Players who publicly and loudly went after the PGA Tour and participated in the lawsuit against it will likely be given no favors. Think Pat Perez, Talor Gooch, and Phil Mickelson. Those who left gracefully without parting shots at the Tour like Brooks Koepka, Cam Smith and Dustin Johnson will likely be welcomed back with fewer penalties. Overall, expect a lot of LIV players to be forced to earn back their card through Q-School or the Korn Ferry Tour if they want to play on the PGA Tour again.”
  • “That quote was shared on Twitter by user Andrew Kirby, who expressed doubts that any punishment would be given.”
  • “Phil Mickelson replied to Kirby’s tweet, saying that “not a single player on LIV wants to play PGA Tour.”
  • “What a colossal waste of time.Not a single player on LIV wants to play PGA Tour. It would require a public apology and restitution to LIV players for paying millions to Clout media to disparage all of us. A better topic is future sanctions for the many players who now come to LIV”.
Full piece.

3. Welcome, Wyndham

Adam Woodard for Golfweek…”Wyndham Clark’s breakout year on the PGA Tour has now officially earned him a spot on the 2023 Ryder Cup team.”

  • “The 2023 U.S. Open champion will represent the red, white and blue when the Americans take on the Europeans in the biennial bash at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome, Italy, Oct. 29-Sept. 1, and joins world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler as the first two players to qualify for Team USA.”
Full piece.

4. Porthcawl proven?

Elliott Heath for Golf Monthly…”Players were faced with ‘brutal’ conditions where strong winds and constant rain caused havoc, and lots of bogeys, with two-time Major winner Justin Thomas tweeting how he was enjoying the “absolute carnage.”

  • “He’s right, it was fun to watch. It wasn’t a birdie-fest in picture-perfect weather, it was a true ‘last man standing’ kind of grind in a style of golf that the game’s foundations were built on.”
  • …”The weekend at Porthcawl was, bizarrely, a brilliant advert for links golf. Any other style of golf and the course would have been flooded, greens unplayable and the action called off.”
Full piece.

5. Nelly’s surprising equipment switch

Our Matt Vincenzi…”LPGA superstar Nelly Korda made a notable equipment change during the Evian Championship…Despite having a full bag deal with TaylorMade, the 25-year-old played with a Titleist driver on Saturday.”

  • “Korda had a great deal of success with the Titleist TSR1 in the past but signed with TaylorMade back in January. When she put the Titleist TSR1 back in play early Saturday morning, she shot a 64, which was the low round of the day.”
Full piece.

6. LPGA pro on slow play penalty

Our Matt Vincenzi…”During the second round of the Amundi Evian Championship, Carlota Ciganda was issued a two-shot penalty for breaching the LPGA Tour’s Pace of Play Policy. After the round, Ciganda appealed the penalty, but it was upheld.”

  • “In response to the decision, the Spaniard intentionally signed an incorrect scorecard (71 instead of 73), refusing to accept the penalty. She knew it would get her disqualified but did so anyway.”
  • “Clearly frustrated with how the situation played out, Ciganda posted to her Instagram story over the weekend explaining her version of what happened.”
  • “I got a few messages about the DQ from yesterday. I want to be very clear and the reason I did not sign a 7 on the last hole is because I don’t think I took 52 seconds like the Rules Official said. I had a 10 footer on the last hole, last put [sic] and the group behind they were not even on the tee on a par 5. Very poor performance from the LPGA rules official, they don’t understand what professional golf is about, they only look at their stopwatch like if 20 seconds is going to make a difference. I had family and friends watching and they all said it was impossible I took that long to hit that putt!
  • “Yesterday was tough out there with windy conditions and difficult pins and I wish everyone gets treated the same and they don’t pick on the same players all the time! That’s all!”
Full piece.

7. Cink named as vice-captain

Ed Carruthers for Golf Monthly…”Stewart Cink had been named as the US Team’s fifth vice captain for the 2023 Ryder Cup.”

  • “Cink played in five consecutive Ryder Cup teams between 2002 to 2010 and boasts a record of 5-7-7 having won the biennial event just once at Valhalla Golf Club in 2008.”
Full piece.

8. These guys are competitive

Cameron DaSilva for Golfweek…”Los Angeles Rams linebacker Ernest Jones said this offseason that he’s become obsessed with golf, spending a lot of time on the course during the summer when the Rams were off. He’s not going to quit his day job of patrolling the middle of the defense any time soon, but his golf game is coming along.”

  • “Eventually, he wants to put himself to the test against one of the best pro athletes to tee it up: Warrior guard Steph Curry.“
  • “Curry just won the American Century Championship this summer in dramatic fashion and has played in Korn Ferry Tour events in the past, but Jones is confident he can take down the smooth-swinging Steph at some point.”
Full Piece.

9. Oh boy

Someone is in trouble.

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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

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)

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WITB

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