News

Morning 9: Percy starts strong | Junior breaks Tiger’s record | Topgolf Callaway purchases BigShots Golf

Published

2 years ago

Nov 3, 2023

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com

Good Friday morning, golf fans, as day two of the WWT Championship gets underway.

1. Percy starts fast at WWT Championship

Reuters report…”Cameron Percy of Australia fired a 10-under-par 62 Thursday afternoon to soar into the first-round lead at the World Wide Technology Championship in Los Cabos, Mexico.”

“Percy holed a pitch shot for eagle at the 601-yard, par-5 sixth hole and added eight birdies without a bogey to set the early pace at El Cardonal at Diamante, the first Tiger Woods-designed course to be used for a PGA Tour event.”

“The 49-year-old led Michael Kim, Nate Lashley and Colombia’s Camilo Villegas by two.”

Full piece.

2. Japanese duo tied for lead on LPGA

NBC report…”Japanese players Shiho Kuwaki and Nasa Hataoka shared the top of the leaderboard with a two-stroke lead after the second round of the LPGA’s Toto Japan Classic on Friday.”

“Kuwaki carded her second straight round of 7-under 65, and Hataoka came in with a 66, putting them both at 14-under 130 for the two rounds.”

“Three players were two shots back — Xiyu Lin of China, Japanese players Mone Inami and Akie Iwai. Lin had a 67, Inami shot 68 and Iwai, after an opening round of 63, carded 69 on Friday.”

Full piece.

3. McIlroy, Bradley headline Boston’s TGL team

Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…”Prime-time golf has its first team following Thursday’s announcement that TGL co-founder Rory McIlroy will join Keegan Bradley, Adam Scott and Tyrrell Hatton on Boston Common Golf.”

“TGL, the virtual golf league set to begin play in January, will feature six, four-player teams competing in made-for-television matches starting Jan. 9. Each match will use a combination of a state-of-the-art simulator and adjustable green complex at the league’s custom-built arena in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.”

“I’m thrilled to join Boston Common Golf and to be representing Boston and New England’s rich sports culture,” McIlroy said in a statement from Boston Commons Golf. “TGL brings a unique dimension to the game, and I can’t wait to stand with Adam, Keegan, and Tyrrell as my teammates. It’s a fantastic opportunity that will offer us all a chance to build lasting connections and to foster regional pride that you don’t often see in the game of golf.”

Full piece.

4. Rahm pulls out of TGL

Our Matt Vincenzi…”Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s new TGL golf league is garnering plenty of attention, with Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa this week being assigned to teams in the new venture.”

“However, one man previously due to be a part of the league that will no longer be involved is Jon Rahm.”

“Rahm was one of the first names to be announced for the indoor simulator golf league, but on Thursday, TGL gave a statement to Sports Business Journal confirming the news: “We will miss him during the inaugural TGL season. We understand that players have to balance a lot of different facets of their professional and personal lives and respect Jon’s choice and wish him well.”

Full piece.

5. Junior breaks Tiger Woods’ record

Golf Digest’s Ryan Herrington…”On Wednesday, Miles Russell celebrated his 15th birthday. On Thursday, he was named the American Junior Golf Association’s Rolex Boys Player of the Year, topping Tiger Woods’ mark as the youngest winner of the honor given out by the prestigious junior association every year since 1979. In 1991, when Woods claimed the award for the first of two consecutive years, he was 15 years, 10 months and two days old.”

“Russell’s résumé in 2023 was indeed impressive with four wins in eight national junior tournaments. The high school freshman from Jacksonville Beach, Fla., became the youngest winner of the Junior Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in September after winning the Boy’s Junior PGA Championship in August.”

Full piece.

6. Billie Jean King with a message for Annika

BJK with this for the new Augusta National member, via Jay Coffin at Golf Digest…”King, winner of 12 Grand Slam tennis singles titles, member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and a longtime gender equality advocate, wasted little time mentioning what she’d like to see happen at the home of the Masters.”

“My prayer for Augusta is to have a women’s LPGA event,” King said. “That’s been my prayer. I know they have the amateur girls [Augusta National Women’s Amateur], but I want to see a pro tournament.

“I hope that happens…”

Full piece.

7. Topgolf Callaway purchases BigShots Golf

Tim Schmitt for Golfweek…”Originally crafted as a top competitor, the BigShots Golf chain has been sold to Topgolf Callaway as part of a deal that brings two of the biggest “golf experience” brands together.”

“According to a release, Topgolf Callaway is paying $29 million for four of the company’s six domestic locations and the rights to any future development.”

“BigShots had been under the purview of Invited Inc., which was formerly known as ClubCorp. That organization is based in Dallas.”

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)