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Morning 9: JT will get captain’s pick | Solheim Cup roster revealed | How Hovland took next step

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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 all roads now lead to Rome with the upcoming Ryder Cup.

1. How Hovland took the next step

Evin Priest for Golf Digest…”The biggest par save of the week, though, was at No. 14 when playing partner Schauffele was within three shots. An improved short game briefly deserted Hovland as he left his pitch shot 23 feet short but made the putt. “That putt was huge; two shots with four [holes] to go is a different [mindset] than three shot,” he said.”

  • “Rory McIlroy says that’s where Hovland has blossomed as an elite player. “He’s one of the best drivers of the golf ball in the world and a hell of a player,” said McIlroy, who finished fourth despite problems with his back all week. “I think as we all know he’s improved around the greens this year. That’s been the difference from being a top-10 player in the world to what he’s done this year.”
  • “Hovland’s Ryder Cup teammate, Matt Fitzpatrick, agreed, saying, “He is just so straight and so accurate; tee to green he is phenomenal.”
  • “Tommy Fleetwood, who finished T-6, reminded reporters that despite being on tour for four years, Hovland was still only in his mid-20s. The best, Fleetwood said, was likely yet to come.”
Full piece.

2. Awaiting the call

Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…”Whatever value U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson put on individual performances at the Tour Championship – and given Sunday’s finish at East Lake there was plenty for Captain America to digest – there’s only one step remaining: the phone call.”

  • “Every captain will count this point in the process as the most difficult. After two years of qualifying and analysis, Johnson will huddle with his vice captains and the six automatic qualifiers to round out the U.S. team that will travel to Rome next month. Anyone with even a remote chance of being one of those six picks will spend the next 24 hours staring at their phones and mulling their fate. For a professional golfer, the lack of control is a triggering experience.”
  • “The phone call that awaits players, either to invite them to join the fun in Rome or condolences for coming up short, produces emotions that are unique to a game that attempts to detach process from outcome. And regardless of the message, every call is memorable.”
Full piece.

3. JT will get the nod

Ewan Murray for the Guardian…”Zach Johnson is poised to ignore the poor form of Justin Thomas and select the two-time major winner for the US Ryder Cup team.”

  • “Johnson names his six wildcards on Tuesday, with much focus on whether Thomas, whose missed cuts at the US Open and the Open Championship featured rounds of more than 80, will get the nod.”
  • “Thomas admitted during the Open at Royal Liverpool that he was at a loss to explain his performance. He subsequently missed out on the PGA Tour’s end?of?season playoffs. But Johnson is likely to bank on Thomas’s experience and influence by handing the 30-year-old a huge vote of confidence just weeks from the meeting with Europe just outside Rome. Thomas took two and a half points from four matches as the US routed Europe at Whistling Straits in 2021.”
Full piece.

4. Solheim Cup roster reveal

AFP report…”US captain Stacy Lewis unveiled the complete American roster for next month’s Solheim Cup on Monday by adding Angel Yin, Cheyenne Knight and Ally Ewing to complete the 12-woman lineup.”

  • “World number one Lilia Vu, second-ranked Nelly Korda, eighth-ranked Allisen Corpuz and Megan Khang, who won her first LPGA title Sunday at Vancouver, were among nine automatic qualifiers confirmed Monday morning for the US lineup in the biennial match-play golf showdown against Europe.”
  • “Just hours later, Lewis rounded out the squad with her captain’s picks…”These final days were definitely some of the hardest ones of my career, but I’m so proud to have Ally, Cheyenne and Angel on the US Solheim Cup team,” Lewis said.”
Full piece.

5. Chacarra wins on Asian Tour in 10-hole playoff

Gabrielle Herzig for SI…”Eugenio Chacarra captured his first non-LIV professional victory on Sunday at the Asian Tour’s inaugural St Andrews Bay Championship in dramatic fashion.”

  • “Chacarra, 23, defeated Australia’s Matt Jones, another LIV golfer, in a 10 hole playoff—the longest playoff in the Tour’s history.”
  • “The suspenseful finish topped the 2001 SK Telecom Open in Korea, which saw a seven-hole playoff. The longest playoff on the PGA Tour was 11 holes at the 1949 Motor City Open.”
  • “Chacarra and Jones both finished at 19 under par in regulation after shooting 67 and 69 on Sunday, respectively. Jones’s fate was almost sealed on the third extra hole, but he holed a chip shot for birdie from 25 feet to extend the sudden-death playoff.”
  • “It took two hours and 8 minutes before a champion was crowned.”
Full piece.

6. Reed’s liberal use of the hashtag

7. Payday

Patrick McDonald for CBS Sports…”Every player who finished inside the top 150 of the FedEx Cup standings will receive some portion of this bonus, but nearly $60 million of it was still up for grabs in Atlanta. A player’s career earnings will not technically grow because of his performance in the postseason final, but that doesn’t mean the money is not astronomical.”

  • “For the second straight year, $18 million was be awarded to the FedEx Cup winner — Viktor Hovland — with every player inside the top 10 cashing seven figures. All 30 players enjoyed the luxury of claiming at least $500,000, even if their play resulted in a last-place finish.”
  • “Scottie Scheffler was the only man to surpass $18 million in earnings this season, and he was on the cusp of a $40 million year if he won his first FedEx Cup crown. Alas, that did not happen. Hovland, Jon Rahm, Rory Mcilroy, Wyndham Clark, Max Homa and Patrick Cantlay all entered East Lake with at least $10 million already under their belts.”
Full piece.

8. RIP

Todd Kelly for Golfweek…”John Davis, a 2019 inductee into the Arizona Golf Hall of Fame and sports journalist for nearly 36 years, died early Monday after a long battle with cancer.”

  • “Davis, 73, was a fixture on the Arizona golf scene for more than 20 years and witnessed firsthand the rise of the Phoenix Open. Phil Mickelson, a native of San Diego but a hero for Arizona State, became the face of the event, spearheading its massive growth into one of the world’s most highly attended sporting events.”
  • “And Davis was right there along for the ride. Over time, writer and golfer forged a friendship. A typical routine after a tournament round consisted of Mickelson signing autographs for 20 or 30 minutes, putting pen to paper for anyone and everyone who wanted one at TPC Scottsdale. It wasn’t an uncommon sight to see him and Davis later engaged in small talk, sharing a smile or two, catching up like two longtime friends.”
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.

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News

Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

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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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