News

Morning 9: RIP Ivor Robson | Hero field announced | Brooks takes fresh swipe at Wolff

Published

2 years ago

Oct 17, 2023

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com

Good Monday morning, golf fans, as the Hero World Challenge field release has got people chattering about a possible Tiger return.

1. Hero field announced. A spot open for Tiger?

Golf Digest’s Tod Leonard…”Tiger Woods announced the field for the 2023 Hero World Challenge on Monday, and at the end of the impressive list that includes eight of the top-10 ranked players in the world was “TBA tournament exemption.” Could that spot be for the tournament host himself?”

“It would seem to be a possibility, though Woods has not indicated anything yet. He hasn’t played in a tournament since April’s Masters, after which he underwent ankle surgery. Speculation about Woods possibly playing at the Hero in the Bahamas, Nov. 30-Dec. 3, heated up when he was videotaped hitting a shot on The Hay course at Pebble Beach while he hosted his TGR Jr. Invitational.”

Full piece.

2. Brooks takes aim at Wolff again

GolfWRX staff report…”Brooks Koepka has been enjoying plenty of individual success this year, but when it comes to the team aspect of LIV, the 5-time major champ clearly feels let down by one individual.”

“Earlier this year, Brooks hit the headlines for tearing into his LIV teammate Matt Wolf, saying he had “given up on him” and questioning his work ethic.”

“Wolff since responded, calling the criticism “heartbreaking”, and over the weekend, Brooks made it clear that he was still firmly unimpressed by the 24-year-old, failing to even acknowledge him when speaking to reporters about the team:”

“There’s only three of us on our team. I mean, obviously, I’m pretty tight with my brother, and I’ve been pretty close with Jay for maybe the last three years. I’ve enjoyed being around him. He’s a good player, super talented. It’s been fun to be around him, and he’s played pretty solidly this year. Yeah, I can’t say anything bad about him.”

Full piece.

3. LIV OWGR point battle not over?

ESPN’s Bob Harig…”the biggest reason LIV’s bid has so far failed: it is considered a closed shop. The avenues on and off the league are not believed sufficient by the OWGR. LIV has plans to “relegate” four players to the Asian Tour—Chase Koepka, Jed Morgan, Sihwan Kim and James Piot—with three advancing from a Promotions event (or Q School) and a fourth coming via the top player from the International Series (who right now is Andy Ogletree). The four players who finished outside of the top 44 in season-long points can also participate in the Promotions event, to be played in December but not officially announced.”

“But the league has no weekly qualifying and has a number of “contracted” players who cannot be dropped.”

“Simply put, the board committee does not believe it is equitable to thousands of players who strive every day to get starts in OWGR eligible tournaments to have a tour operate in this mostly closed fashion,” Dawson wrote.”

“This is fair point and one that appears fixable if LIV is willing to make the changes and the OWGR signs off on them. In fact, Dawson said that LIV could resubmit its application. LIV Golf has previously said it has offered to alter its format but wants to know what will and won’t pass muster. Without that guidance, it seems, the League doesn’t want to make a change, only to be denied anyway.”

“That would suggest its time for both parties to come together and figure it out: if LIV is willing to change, then be serious about change; if Dawson and the OWGR are really at odds with the idea that there are several LIV players not properly ranked because they can’t earn points, then it needs to offer LIV a specific path to compliance.”

Full piece.

4. Angel Yin’s inspiration

Audrey Vick for Golf Channel…”Following her triumph at Qizhong Garden Golf Club, Yin spoke of a change in mindset, particularly with her emotions on the golf course where the long-hitting Yin is normally the opposite of her bubbly personality off the course.”

“Where Inkster comes in is some advice Yin’s former Solheim Cup captain has given her in the past.”

“I’ve been speaking to Juli Inkster about it. I don’t really feel much emotions on the golf course,” Yin explained. “She was like, ‘No, that’s not good. I want you to get mad again.’ I got a lot of emotions and I think started doing again and I started playing well. That helped me a lot, to be able to be expressive and not just flat lining on the golf course.

“Growing up everyone taught me to be stone faced, no emotions, poker face. I don’t think that fits me. What fitting me right now is I’m doing to express myself.”

Full piece.

5. RIP Ivor Robson

Ben Parson’s for Bunkered…”Ivor Robson, the former voice of The Open, has died aged 83.”

A legendary and much-loved figure in golf, Robson was the official starter at The Open for 41 years before retiring at St Andrews in 2015.

Robson sent the world’s best players on their way in golf’s oldest major for over four decades – from Jack Nicklaus to Tiger Woods, from Arnold Palmer to Seve Ballesteros and from Tom Watson to Rory McIlroy.

Full piece.

6. Spikemark struggles continue

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”Spikemark’s big rankings reveal is delayed.”

“The NCAA’s new scoring and rankings partner was slated to roll out its first rankings for Divisions I, II and III, men’s and women’s, on Oct. 15, but that deadline came and went with coaches around the country receiving no explanation.”

“Crickets,” texted two different D-I coaches when asked Monday morning if they’d heard from Spikemark or the NCAA. Several other D-I coaches shared something similar with Golf Channel.

“Spikemark’s debut has been widely considered disastrous, as the company, founded by former UCLA coach Derek Freeman, has fallen short in many areas since being announced as the replacement to longstanding Golfstat in July. Its live-scoring product malfunctioned on Day 1 and remains down. Its website also experienced a cyber-attack at the start of the fall season and still lacks many of the features it promised when handed the NCAA contract.”

Full piece.

7. Pennsylvania University adds women’s golf as a varsity sport

Todd Kelly for Golfweek…”More opportunities in women’s college golf have opened up.”

On Monday, Saint Joseph’s University, located in Philadelphia, announced the addition of women’s golf as a varsity sport for the Hawks. The team will begin competing fall of 2024.

“We are extremely excited to announce the addition of one of the most popular sports for high school girls and college women with the addition of women’s golf,” Vice President and Director of Athletics Jill Bodensteiner said in a post on the university’s website. “During my time on Hawk Hill, I have had more inquiries about starting a women’s golf program than any other sport. I am delighted to offer additional participation opportunities for female student-athletes to receive a Jesuit education at this great institution.”

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)