News

Morning 9: Hossler leads ZOZO | Brooks: I signed for the dough | Mickelson on LIV qualifying

Published

2 years ago

Oct 20, 2023

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com

Good Friday morning, golf fans, as winds wreaked havoc overnight at the ZOZO Championship.

1. Hossler leads in blustery conditions

ESPN report…”Beau Hossler shot a 5-under 65 to grab a one-shot lead after Friday’s second round of the Zozo Championship, beating wind gusts that reached 37 mph and drying conditions at the Narashino Country Club on the outskirts of Tokyo.

“Hossler, looking for his first PGA Tour victory, surprised himself and the rest of the 78-player, no-cut field where only 13 broke par. Half did in Thursday’s opening round under calmer conditions.”

“I’d say anything under par was a really quality score,” Hossler said. “So to shoot 5-under par was incredible.”

Full piece.

2. Mickelson: There’s a lot going on behind the scenes of OWGR point battle

Golfweek’s Adam Woodard…“The recent news that the Official World Golf Ranking had rejected LIV Golf’s application for points has only stoked the flames of his fiery personality, and the 53-year-old opened up about his thoughts on the ruling ahead of the 2023 LIV Golf Team Championship on Wednesday at Trump National Doral.”

“I think that the majors need to protect their product, and there’s probably other ways that they can do that by creating slots,” said Mickelson, joining the chorus of players like Bryson DeChambeau who want majors to create LIV exemptions. “If they want to make sure they have the best fields in golf, they could create vehicles for players on LIV to play in majors where they don’t have to use the OWGR, which would undermine the TV contract and revenue of the PGA Tour if they gave points to LIV.”

“But I do want to bring to light as to why exactly they are doing what they are doing. It’s not what they are putting out there on the front page,” Mickelson said of the OWGR. “There’s a lot more going on behind the scenes as to the importance of us to the getting points to the PGA Tour.”

Full piece.

3. Mickelson’s take on LIV qualifying

Our Matt Vincenzi…”Players who are eligible to participate in round one include: Players who ranked #6-#32 on the Asian Tour’s International Series’ Order of Merit, the U.S. Amateur Champion, the British Amateur Champion, the Latin-American Amateur Champion, the Asia-Pacific Amateur Champion, the European Amateur Champion, the Top-200 from the OWGR and the Top-20 from the WAGR.”

“However, according to Phil Mickelson, plenty of LIV spots may be taken before the event even takes place.”

“While at his pre-tournament press conference for LIV Miami, which is a team event and the final tournament of the season, Phil was asked about replacing the players who’ve been relegated, including his teammate, James Piot.”

“But the reality is, I’ve been fielding calls, as we all have, from players that are free agents to PGA TOUR players to DP World Tour players that want to come over. You know, the spot’s probably going to be filled by the time the qualifying tournament is here.”

“So, if I’m just being truthful, that’s a very real possibility. And even if it is filled, there’s always the possibility of a trade to get him back. There are ways this could work out. But I think there’s a good chance based on the number of calls that we’ve had that the spot will be filled fairly soon.”

Full piece.

4. Morikawa’s sushi dreams come true

Golfweek’s Adam Schupak…”Collin Morikawa is of Japanese heritage and has traveled to the homeland of his ancestors before, but his trip to compete in the PGA Tour’s Zozo Championship in Chiba, Japan, began with a special treat – dinner at Sukiyabashi Jiro, the first sushi restaurant in the world to receive three stars from the Michelin Guide, where the omakase tasting menu is served at the counter with just 10 seats and is determined in the morning each day by famed chef Jiro Ono, whose story was made famous in the documentary “Jiro Dreams of Sushi.”

“I almost don’t want to have sushi again because it was that special,” Morikawa said during a pre-tournament press conference Wednesday. “Chef Jiro was actually making the sushi for us, which made it even that much more special. Just being able to get that reservation, going there, sitting down. … you have about 30 minutes to eat the food. Man, I don’t know how to explain it other than it just being an incredible experience and an honor to be there sitting in front of him and witnessing just talent, right? It’s artwork.”

Full piece.

5. Brooks goes at Wolff again

Our Matt Vincenzi…”Earlier this week, Brooks Koepka took a shot at his Smash GC teammate Matthew Wolff, saying there is only three players on 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 [Kokrak] played pretty solidly this year. Yeah, I can’t say anything bad about him.”

“On Wednesday at his pre-tournament press conference, Koepka was asked if he’s had much interaction with Wolff recently.”

“No, I don’t. We don’t have much interaction, no,” the five-time major winner replied.

Brooks was then asked, “Don’t you think you should?”

“I’ve tried. I’ve spent majority of the beginning of the year trying to help and trying to figure that out. But I think it’s past its point. I’ve tried. I’ve been very open on it — with it, and sometimes you can’t help people that don’t want help.”

Full piece.

6. Norman speaks on claims he could be ousted

Adam Woodard for Golfweek…”Greg Norman hasn’t spoken publicly since the shocking announcement of the framework agreement between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund back in June.”

“It was fitting for the Great White Shark to resurface at this week’s LIV Golf Team Championship, held at Trump National Doral where Norman was a three-time winner in 1990, 1993 and 1996 (he lights up talking about his playoff win in 1990). In a small session with reporters, Norman talked about the future of LIV Golf and addressed the swirling rumors of his long-term position as CEO and commissioner of the upstart circuit.”

“I knew it wasn’t true,” Norman said of claims he wouldn’t have a position in the wake of the congressional hearings regarding the framework agreement. “There’s so much white noise running around out there, I paid very, very, I actually paid zero attention to it. I know sitting in this seat today, I know every step I’ve made has been for the right reasons, right reasons for the game of golf … So I was never in any fear of anybody saying anything or any animus against me or anything like that. Because the business model works.”

Full piece.

7. Newest TGL team

GolfWRX staff…Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Andre Iguodala, who played key roles in the Golden State Warriors’ success over the past decade, have joined Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s TGL league with their team, TGL San Francisco.

The ownership group of TGL San Francisco includes Marc Lasry, former Milwaukee Bucks owner and chair of Avenue Sports Group. Marc Lasry and Steph Curry are the primary owners, while Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala are additional investors in the TGL San Francisco team.

The indoor golf league, TGL, is set to begin on January 9, 2024, and will be broadcast on ESPN. TGL features 24 players across six teams, and matches will be held at the SoFi Center in South Florida.

8. Brooks: I signed for the dough

Ben Parsons for Bunkered… “The five-time major champion told the BS w/ Jake Paul Podcast that the real reason he defected from the PGA Tour for the lucrative Saudi-backed league was “for the dough.”

“Look, I’ll be honest with you – I signed for the dough,” he revealed. “I’m 100% behind that. I don’t know if tomorrow I’ll get in a car accident and never play golf again but my family is taken care of.

“That was a big thing for me, not doing it for anything else. Everybody else, they go to their 9-5, most of them don’t like their 9-5 but they’re doing it cos they get the paycheck. That’s the same thing as us. I enjoy playing golf, I enjoy winning – I’d say I’d do it for free because I love it that much, but at the same time you’ve got to take care of each other.”

Full Piece.

9. Hole-in-one…and an etiquette violation?

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)