News

Morning 9: McIlroy: Back not 100% | Meronk on Ryder Cup snub | Aberg winning WITB

Published

2 years ago

Sep 7, 2023

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com

Good Thursday morning, golf fans, as we continue coverage of the build up to a hotly anticipated Ryder Cup.

1. McIlroy: Back not 100%, but I’m ready for Ryder Cup

Golf Channel staff report…”After East Lake, McIlroy didn’t hit balls again for five days to rest, recover and receive treatment. He practiced last Saturday, before departing for London, and then hit balls again Tuesday ahead of the Irish Open. He said the injury was “not at all” like the problems he has endured in the past and is “totally fine.”

“I would say it’s at 90%, 95%,” McIlroy told reporters Wednesday at the K Club. “It’s not 100% better. I just happened to take care of it a little bit, but it’s not preventing me from doing anything I want to do. Just being a little mindful, I guess. I’m a bit limited in what I’ve done, but I sort of needed to rest it and take care of that as the priority.”

“It’s an important few weeks for McIlroy, who is returning to the K Club for the first time since his stirring home victory there in 2016. Next week he will scout Marco Simone with the rest of the European Ryder Cup team before heading back to London for the BMW PGA Championship, the DP World Tour’s flagship event. Then, after a bachelor party in Mykonos and a few days of practice, it’s time for the matches in Rome.”

Full piece.

2. Meronk on Ryder Cup snub

Golf Channel’s Ryan Lavner…”Someone had to be the odd man out, and this time, it was the 30-year-old from Poland.”

“To be honest, I was in shock,” Meronk told reporters Wednesday ahead of the Irish Open, where he is the defending champion. “I was expecting to have a decent chance to be on the team, but it was a quite shocking call, yeah.”

“When asked if Donald gave him a reason why he didn’t receive one of the six captain’s picks, Meronk said he wasn’t sure.”

“When he said I’m not going, I kind of stopped listening,” Meronk said. “It was a big shock, and I didn’t really focus after that.”

Full piece.

3. Westwood: Meronk should consider himself unlucky

Mike Hall for Golf Monthly…”Donald’s decision to omit Meronk has sparked plenty of debate on social media and elsewhere and Westwood has now offered his views on the subject.”

“The former World No.1 wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Just got in from playing golf at @CloseHouseGolf and catching up with all the ‘experts’ opinions on here. I’d just say that 3rd on the @DPWorldTour points list, 1st and 2nd in 2 outings at the RC venue. @AdrianMeronk should consider himself unlucky to not get picked.”

“Of Donald’s wildcard picks, Straka, Hojgaard and Aberg are all newcomers, and Westwood went on to explain that he thinks picking a fourth in Meronk would have been too risky.”

Full piece.

4. Lowry: You’ll see what I’m made of

BBC report…”The Irishman, who has not posted a top-10 finish since February, was picked by Europe captain Luke Donald on Monday.”

“LIV Golf player Richard Bland has said Poland’s Adrian Meronk deserved a pick ahead of Lowry, but the 36-year-old says he is “confident” in his ability.”

“Well, people have their opinion,” said 2019 Open champion Lowry. “Adrian has had a great year and obviously he’s unfortunate to miss out, but somebody has to miss out.

“I’m not going to sit here and disagree with Luke Donald. It was his decision at the end of the day, if he thinks that somebody else is better for this team than he [Meronk] was.”

Full piece.

5. Who Rickie wants to be paired with

From a conversation with Golfweek’s Adam Schupak…“I think I can pair with just about anyone. I play a lot with Patrick Cantlay at home. He and Xander are a token pairing, but maybe if they sit him for a session. I’d love to play with [Brian] Harman. I’ve always loved his game and respected what he’s accomplished. We go back to junior golf. Max [Homa] is someone that is easy to pair with. He just hits it straight and makes putts. But overall, I feel like I can go out and mesh with just about anyone.”

Full piece.

6. JT making changes

Our Matt Vincenzi…”As he prepares for Rome, Thomas has made a significant change in his team. The 30-year-old is no longer working with his putting coach, John Graham, whom he began working with in 2020.”

“According to Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis, JT wants to “own his swing”, and is working mostly by himself on both his swing and his putting. He is still working with his father, Mike Thomas, in a limited capacity, but is mostly on his own these days.”

“Lewis added that Thomas doesn’t seem to be interested in adding a new coach.”

“I have not heard any rumors or any actual facts that he is trying to work with anyone else whether it be on the greens or on the driving range.”

Full piece.

7. NBC to continue plentiful college golf coverage

Cameron Jourdan for Golfweek…”After a busy spring that saw nearly 150 hours of college golf coverage shown live by the NBC Sports family of networks, a similar schedule is coming this fall.”

“The company announced its fall coverage of college golf on TV and streaming will nearly double from last year. This week marked the first event, the Folds of Honor Collegiate, with coverage on Golf Channel and Peacock.”

“Then in October, there will be four events, including one at St. Andrews. First is the Blessings Collegiate in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Oct. 2-4 from 4:30-7:30 p.m. ET. The following week, it’s the Jackson T. Stephens Cup at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas with coverage Monday, Oct. 9 from 5-8 p.m. ET and Oct. 10-11 from 4-7 p.m. ET.”

“Coverage then heads across the pond for the St. Andrews Collegiate, where it will be on Golf Channel from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. ET on Oct. 23-25. Then, it’s the East Lake Cup, Oct. 30-Nov. 1, at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta from 3-6 p.m. ET.”

“The final event, the Showcase at Cedar Crest in Dallas, Nov. 13-15, from 2:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. ET.”

Full piece.

8. Nick Dunlap, Bobby Jones, and the Old Course

Garrett Morrison for the Fried Egg…”These challenges have always rubbed certain players the wrong way. On Sunday, UK Golf Guy overheard 19-year-old Nick Dunlap, the reigning U.S. Amateur champion, grumbling about “a course where good shots are penalized and bad shots are rewarded.” This is a common critique of the Old Course, typically leveled by golfers who have rigid notions of what constitutes a “good shot.”

“But I don’t want to judge Dunlap too harshly, at least at this point in his life. He’s the same age as Bobby Jones was at the 1921 Open, when Jones took four hacks to escape from the Hill bunker and tore up his scorecard.”
“Later, Jones would write, “I considered St. Andrews among the very worst courses I had ever seen, and I am afraid I was even disrespectful of its difficulties. The maddening part of the whole thing was that, while I was certain the course was easy, I simply could not make a good score. Self complacently, I excused myself by thinking the course was unfair, that the little mounds and undulations should not be there, and because my shots were deflected continually away from the hole, I regarded myself as unlucky.”

“The next year, Jones would participate in the first Walker Cup, held at National Golf Links, a course full of adoring tributes to the Scottish game. When he played the National’s 13th hole, an Eden template, maybe he took a moment to look at C.B. Macdonald’s version of the Hill bunker and reflect on his actions the previous summer. In 1926, Jones returned to St. Andrews. For the rest of his life, he loved the course more than any other.”

Full piece.

9. Death, taxes…

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)