News

Morning 9: Rahm throws first pitch in green jacket | Tiger takes stairs | Morikawa: TGL call rivalled Ryder Cup

Published

2 years ago

Nov 2, 2023

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com

Good Thursday morning, golf fans, as day one of the WWT Championship gets underway.

1. Wearing his green jacket, Rahm throws out first pitch

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”When you receive the opportunity to throw out the first pitch at the World Series, you dress for the occasion.”

“For Jon Rahm, that meant breaking out his green jacket.”

“Rahm was tabbed for the ceremonial first pitch Tuesday night as his hometown Arizona Diamondbacks hosted the Texas Rangers in Game 4 of the World Series.”

“While Rahm dressed the part, his pitch was well off the mark…”

Full piece.

2. Tiger takes the stairs in Cabo

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine, again…”As the designer for this week’s World Wide Technology Championship host layout, Tiger Woods is on hand early this week at Diamante’s El Cardonal course in Los Cabos, Mexico.”

“But Woods isn’t just merely in attendance, he’s walking down a huge flight of stairs – and seemingly with little effort.”

Full piece.

3. Morikawa: TGL call rivals Ryder Cup

Golf Digest’s Coleman Bentley…”he picked up the phone to find Los Angeles Golf Club co-owner Alex Ohanian on the other end extending an invite to come suit up for the L.A.-based franchise of Tiger Woods’ and Rory McIlroy’s upstart TGL golf league. He said yes.”

“But that wasn’t all that he said. With cameras rolling, Morikawa stammered out something he probably shouldn’t have; something that, if true, probably says a lot about the state of U.S. team golf in November 2023. Check it out.”

“I just got chills through my body. I don’t think I’ve ever answered a call like this,” Morikawa said. “I mean, I got my Ryder Cup call this year, but this is … I think this tops it almost.”

Full piece.

4. Choosing med school over golf

Greg Gottfried for Golf Digest…”Natalie Srinivasan is a hell of a golfer. The Furman great hailing from South Carolina won the 2020 Annika Award (given annually to the top female collegiate golfer), finished out the 2022 season on the Epson Tour and will now be heading to medical school. Wait … what?”

“You heard that right. Sounds like Srinivasan is quite the double threat as she was recently accepted into the Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine. “When I started to lose that mind control, that’s when I knew I couldn’t do this,” Srinivasan told Golfweek about the decision to leave the sport. “The passion wasn’t there.”

Full piece.

5. Couple caught copulating in Road Hole bunker?

Golf Digest’s Coleman Bentley…“The Old Course at St. Andrews is hallowed ground. Countless watershed moments — from Seve’s clinching birdie in 1984 to Tiger’s dominance in 2000 — have gone down at the so-called “home of golf.” For one current Old Course employee, however, nothing will ever be as memorable as what they witnessed in the Road Hole bunker earlier this week…”

“It’s dark and the camera work is a little shaky, but there’s no mistaking that scene, not in a million years. A man in a dark suit lies on his back in the sand. A woman with cocktail dress hiked up above her waist is hunched on top of him. They appear to be enjoying the various, unexpected undulations links golf has to offer, if you know what we mean.”

Full piece.

6. Iwai leads LPGA Japan Open

AP report…“Akie Iwai of Japan shot a 9-under 63 on Thursday to lead the first round of the LPGA’s Toto Japan Classic.”

“Three other Japanese players — Nasa Hataoka, Yuna Nishimura and Mone Inami — were a stroke back after rounds of 64 at the Taiheiyo Club in north central Japan.

“Defending champion Gemma Dryburgh of Scotland was four back after a 67. American Rose Zhang was four back with a 68 in a very crowded field at the top.”

Full piece.

7. Aussie cricket star out of World Cup match after golf cart injury

Jonny Leighfield for Golf Monthly…”Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has been ruled out of his country’s Cricket World Cup group-stage clash with England on Saturday after suffering a concussion as a result of falling from a golf cart.”

“There were reportedly not enough seats for the players, with Maxwell said to be gripping onto the back of the cart on the way from the clubhouse to the team bus before falling off.

“The incident occurred on Monday when some members of the Australian squad went to play golf in Ahmedabad, India during a pre-planned day off. The five-time World Cup winners say Maxwell sustained no further damage and should return to the squad for the latter part of their group-stage fixtures.”

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)