News

Morning 9: Tiger joins Tour Policy Board | Villegas to make booth debut | New LIV fantasy game

Published

2 years ago

Aug 2, 2023

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com

Good Wednesday 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. Tiger joining PGA Tour Policy Board

SI’s Bob Harig…”Tiger Woods is joining the PGA Tour Policy Board as a sixth director and will work with commissioner Jay Monahan to assure that players have a say in all decisions going forward.”

“The move is apparently in response to the secret agreement that Monahan and two board members made with the DP World Tour and Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia.”

“The “framework agreement,” announced June 6, caught players by surprise in light of the yearlong fight against LIV Golf. In its announcement Tuesday, the Tour said players will have the final say on any changes from the agreement.”

“Woods, who had surgery on his right foot following the Masters, has said nothing publicly about the agreement. According to the announcement, Woods is being added to the board, which will give players six seats. There are five independent directors.”

Full piece.

2. Tour statement

3. Rahm on PIF-PGA Tour deal

Our Matt Vincenzi…”This week, Jon Rahm appeared on the “Golf Sin Etiquetas” podcast, which is in Spanish. As translated by “handicap_54” on Twitter, Rahm said he believes “LIV will continue””

“2 minutes before the announcement came out someone from the PGA Tour contacted me and told me everything. I thought it was a joke. And this is what they should have done from the beginning. Instead they generated division then decided to come together again… “I hope they reach an agreement. I think LIV will continue, from what I understand when I talked to their players, none of them intend to return to the PGA Tour. They left for a reason.”

Full piece.

4. Bryan vs. Bryan

Ed Carruthers for Golf Monthly…”The duo, who are well known for their YouTube channel ‘Bryan Bros Golf’, both carded rounds of 66 at Bermuda Run Country Club in North Carolina.”

“With only four play-off spots up for grabs and a quintet of players tied at five-under par, the pair went head-to-head in a thrilling playoff.”

“With Hank Lebioda and Joey Lane already booking their place at the final PGA Tour event of the regular season, Tommy Gainey, John Lyras, Ricky Palonis and the Bryan brothers would battle it out to join them.”

“Ultimately, only two would make it through, with George narrowly falling short as his brother, Wesley and Gainey advanced through from the playoff.”

Full piece.

5. Bubble boys

A few on the outside looking in, as assembled by Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…

“Justin Suh…FedExCup position: 77…Why he’s in this position: Stagnant summer. Following a T-6 finish at The Players, Suh jumped to a season-best No. 61 in points. He’s missed just one cut in 14 starts since, but he also has just two top-25s during that span. He does rank No. 12 on Tour in strokes gained putting, so he’ll need to rely heavily on the flatstick at Sedgefield if he wants to keep his season going.”

“Minimum finish needed: Two-way tie for 19th…Finish needed without help: Solo third or better”

“Justin Thomas…FedExCup position: 79…Why he’s in this position: Ball-striking. Prior to this season, Thomas ranked in the top 5 in strokes gained tee to green for seven straight seasons. He’s been third or better in each of the past six. Right now, he’s No. 25, which doesn’t sound like a big deal, but when you combine that drop with being No. 158 in strokes gained putting, it explains why Thomas has struggled. His missed cut at 3M was his fifth in his past seven starts.”

“Minimum finish needed: Solo 18th…Finish needed without help: Solo third or better”

Full piece.

6. Behind the scenes of Barstool’s KFT broadcast

Kevin Prise for PGATour.com…”??Then the show’s lead analyst, Sam “Riggs” Bozoian of Barstool Sports’ Fore Play golf brand, glances to his right. Riggs gazes across an eclectic mix of PGA TOUR Entertainment and Barstool Sports staffers – co-producing four-day competition coverage of the NV5 Invitational at The Glen Club in Chicagoland – and he locks eyes on Francis Ellis, a stand-up comedian and Barstool regular who was originally penciled as the third member of the 18th hole tower, alongside Riggs and play-by-play man Jake Marsh.”

“The key word there: Penciled.”

“You’re a better roamer,” Riggs tells Ellis.

“After quick chatter, the group agrees. Ellis will become an on-course reporter, swapping roles with Kirk Minihane, a longtime Boston-area sports radio personality who now hosts Barstool’s Kirk Minihane Show. He lives and breathes golf – he can readily inform you of Fred Couples’ most recent result on PGA TOUR Champions – and co-hosts a golf gambling show with Riggs.”

“Minihane was first slotted for an on-course role, but the production meeting’s chatter sparked a vision in Riggs’ mind. It’s the Barstool way, really. On the fly, unscripted. See where it goes.”

“We might move the guys around,” sells it short.

Full piece.

7. LIV gets into the fantasy biz

From a press release…”LIV Golf has announced the launch of a free-to-play fantasy game, LIV Golf Fantasy, designed to engage fans and create deeper connections with the new golf league, its teams and players.”

“Fans around the globe can now join a public league or create their own, strategically pick “their team” out of LIV Golf’s star-studded 2023 roster of players, and follow the action for a chance to climb the global leaderboard and win prizes like exclusive event access, tickets and merchandise. Game play continues throughout the LIV Golf League season with prizes at stake for both individual event and season-long competition, with season-long odds favoring players who play every event.”

“LIV Golf’s new fantasy game is another way to deliver on a core focus of our league: bringing new audiences to the sport through fun, creative opportunities that engage with fans around the world,” said LIV Golf CEO and Commissioner Greg Norman. “We are just scratching the surface on the possibilities with team golf, and building fantasy teams with the game’s biggest stars is a natural tie-in for fans who love the thrill of team sports and competing with each other.”

Full piece.

8. Villegas to make booth debut

Adam Schupak for Golfweek…”Former Wyndham Championship winner Camilo Villegas will make his broadcast debut this week on Golf Channel’s coverage of the PGA Tour event in Greensboro, North Carolina. Villegas, a 41-year-old four-time Tour winner who ranks 223rd in the FedEx Cup standings, will work in the booth as the main analyst alongside host Steve Sands.”

“Last year, Sands served as emcee at Villegas’s charity golf tournament, a fundraiser for Mia’s Miracles, when Sands told him he thought he could have a bright future doing golf commentary on TV. Sands wondered, “Would you like to do a week and see how it goes?”

“Villegas looked Sands straight in the eyes and told him in no uncertain terms that he wasn’t interested.”

“As a competitor, as a golfer, you never want to be done. When you start looking somewhere else and you’re 41 and you haven’t been performing, that was my first reaction,” Villegas explained.”

“But after giving it some thought, the former University of Florida golfer and Colombia native called Sands back and apologized for his knee-jerk reaction.”

Full Piece.

9. Photos from the Wyndham Championship

Check out all of our galleries here!

Full Piece.

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)