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Tour Rundown: Good news and gut-wrenching stuff

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2 years ago

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For those who follow professional golf to its truest level, Sunday was an emotional day. The DP World Tour was cancelled for a second consecutive day, constricting its finish to 54 holes at best. Five golfers vied for a PGA Tour title, including a fellow who could not find a fairway on Sunday, no matter how hard he tried. On each tee where his caddy handed over the driver, we winced, waited, wondered, and wept. The most gut-wrenching result, however, took place on the Korn Ferry Tour, yet it did not involve the champion nor the chasers. At stake was a PGA Tour card for 2023-2024, and at fault, one of the nuances of the rules of golf. If you’ve the soul for it, we have a rundown of all five tournaments that reached resolution, and we’re happy to provide it for you.

In fact, let’s start with some good news, before the gut-wrenching stuff!

Korn Ferry Tour @ Tour Championship: Barjon bellows while Tuten totters

Paul Barjon began the fourth round in a tie with Josh Teater for the lead of the final Korn Ferry Championship to be played at Victoria National. Next year, it moves across state to the Pete Dye course at French Lick Resort. While Teater teetered, Barjon was resolute, posting a 68 for a three-shot win over Fabian Gomez of Argentina. The victory was his second of the campaign,

It was all bad news for Teater. He held on to a tie for fifth place, which was enough to move him inside the top 30 and guarantee a PGA Tour Card for next season. Gomez wasn’t so fortunate. He needed a win to ascend, and outplayed everyone but the champion on day four. Gomez was perfect on the day, with five birdies and zero bogeys on the card. Needing three more to tie, he might look back at the three par-five holes that he didn’t birdie, but what’s the use in that?

The heart-rending moment of the day came at the hands of Shad Tuten. Apparently finished at three-under par and a top-twenty finish, Tuten also had the final Tour Card in his grasp. Then came the rules officials, to discuss the place part of lift, clean, and place. On the 15th hole, Tuten had placed his ball properly. It moved forward, so he replaced it to the side. That was the rub. The ROG (rules of golf) demand that he attempt to place it one more time, before finding the closest possible area. With that miscue came a two-shot penalty, a drop to minus-one and t28, and a return to the KFT in 2024. Golf, simply, can be cruel.

DP World Tour @ Dunhill

There could not have been a zanier finish, than the one that took place in the Kingdom of Fife this week. The first two rounds went off as planned, but there was weather in the offing. Round three was postponed to Sunday, and then again, until Monday. Even links courses can hold just so much water. With uncertainty all around, the third rounds at Kingsbarns and St. Andrews were slated to tee off consecutively, while Carnoustie would see a shotgun start. Keeping up, are you?

Matthew Southgate grabbed the lead from Ryder Cupper Matt Fitzpatrick for a time, but then Fitzy grabbed it back from fellow Englishman Southgate, and reached 20-under par. Southgate ended in a second-place tie at -16. As Fitzpatrick was tapping in his final putt at St. Andrews Old, Marcus Armitage was moving past the turn at the Carnoustie shotgun. Hearken back, if you will, to the 1950s, when the leaders didn’t necessarily go off in the final group. Armitage reached 17-under with three to play, but he settled at 16-deep, to join Southgate and Ryan Fox in the crowded, second spot on the podium.

After his inconsistent performance at Marco Simone, Fitzpatrick had to feel good about returning to victory, so soon after.

LPGA @ The Ascendant: Hyo Joo finds fortune in Texas

It’s not fair to say that no one else stood a chance, but this span always seemed destined to be Hyo Joo’s week. The Korean champion posted 64 on day one, that had Sofia Garcia shaking her head, even after the Paraguayan signed for a 66 of her own. Kim followed up with a 68, and Garcia matched her to remain close. Round three saw separation, where the inexperience of Garcia culminated in a 76 and an ultimate drop to t16 on the week. Kim was determined, and preserved a lead over more-seasoned competitors like Lexi Thompson and Sarah Kemp.

On day four, it was two younger challengers that rose to meet Kim. Bianca Pagdanganan of Phillipines and Atthaya Thitikul from Thailand each posted 65 to surge up the board. Those numbers brought them to a second-place tie at nine-under par, one shot clear of Sarah Kemp. Holding steady at the ship’s helm was Kim, who followed her Saturday 70 with a Sunday 69. She reached 13-deep, and claimed a four-shot win for her sixth LPGA victory, and first since April of 2022.

PGA Tour @ Sanderson Farms: Five Guys play off for title

When the Korn Ferry Tour rules issue unfolded, Rafael Campos was the unwitting winner, as he claimed the PGA Tour card that Tuten lost. Imagine being a guy like Ludvig Aberg, fresh off a Ryder Cup debut, making enough birdies and eagles to reach -18, knowing that it won’t be enough. Or Henrik Norlander, who made two bogeys in his final five holes, to reach the same figure. Or Scott Stallings, or Luke List. All of those fellows imagined that Ben Griffin was in command, and would win in regulation.

What they didn’t know, was that Griffin was in the midst of the worst driving day of his life. The UNC alum had his irons dialed and his putter smoking, but that big club was finding spots that were unmappable by Google or Bing. Despite a pair of birdies on the inward half, Griffin had a trio of bogeys, including one at the last. He closed with 74 and dropped to … you guessed it … 18-under par.

Away did the quintet return to the final tee at the Country Club of Jackson. Unbeknownst to the other four competitors, Luke List had manifested this win a few weeks back. He confided to his wife that he had a feeling, and that he would win during the Fall stretch. Away he went to a 45-feet putt for birdie, and didn’t he drain it for the walk-off win. That’s some story.

PGA Tour Champions @ Furyk&Friends: Quigley claims second Champions title

Brett Quigley is the epitome of a tour grinder. He has always had those dashing looks, which often gave folks pause when assessing his desire. Quigley never won on the PGA Tour, although he did have a pair of Korn Ferry titles on his resume. When he hit the golden 50, Quigley won in Morocco, proving that he could win on the senior circuit. Three years later, the Massachusetts native has another win to his credit.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Brett on Sunday. Fellow New Englander Billy Andrade closed within one, before a rough stretch at the end dropped him to a tie for sixth. Jerry Kelly was in the mix, as was Ernie Els, but neither one mounted enough of a threat to worry the leader. In the end, it was the senior surge, Steven Alker, who provided the greatest threat. The Kiwi played the final nine holes in minus-three, to reach ten deep. He could not summon one more birdie over his final three holes, and was destined for solo second.

Quigley looked to be in the clear, until a double bogey at the 14th dropped him to 11-under par. Calling on all his faculties, he parred out to eke out the win over Alker. If there was one person who might have been move moved than Quigley, it was his caddy, Nick Hunter. Here’s why.

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Ronald Montesano writes for GolfWRX.com from western New York. He dabbles in coaching golf and teaching Spanish, in addition to scribbling columns on all aspects of golf, from apparel to architecture, from equipment to travel. Follow Ronald on Twitter at @buffalogolfer.

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Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

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Aug 4, 2025

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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

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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

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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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