News

Morning 9: Scheffler embracing the imperfect | Par 4 ace | Homa owns troll

Published

1 year ago

Mar 12, 2024

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans, …as we gear up for the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass!

1. Scheffler embraces the imperfect

Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…“That’s kind of been my main goal this week, not trying to be perfect, just go out there and hit solid putts and see what happens,” said Scheffler, who closed with a 66 to beat Wyndham Clark at the year’s fourth signature event.

“Statistically, it was Scheffler’s best putting week since the 2022 WM Phoenix Open, where he defeated Patrick Cantlay in a playoff and picked up 6.49 shots on the field in strokes gained: putting.”

“His 4.347 strokes gained: putting performance at Bay Hill was nearly five shots better than his season average and ranked fifth in the field. His Sunday performance was even more impressive with a perfect 15-for-15 mark for putts inside 15 feet, highlighted by a 34-footer on No. 15 to virtually lock up the title with most of the other contenders struggling in the windswept conditions.”

“I just think that’s how it works across all aspects of the game. If you’re trying to play perfect golf, it doesn’t really work. There’s no such thing,” Scheffler said. “I think sometimes the perception from people on the outside, golf looks really easy when you watch it on TV. I mean, it really does. It does not look that hard. But then when you go out here and compete and play on the PGA Tour, it’s pretty dang difficult.”

Full piece.

2. ICYMI: Anthony Kim’s 65

Jay Coffin for Golf Digest…”In this week’s LIV Hong Kong stop, Kim opened with a six-over 76 on Friday at Hong Kong Golf Club and only bested Phil Mickelson, who shot an eye-opening 80. A second-round 72 from Kim on Saturday was much better, but still included four bogeys and a double bogey.”

“Finally on Sunday, Kim showed signs of life by recording seven birdies, against two bogeys, to shoot a final-round 65. He ended the week at a promising three-over-par total. He finished in 50th place and beat Jason Kokrak, Hudson Swafford, Mickelson and Kieran Vincent, with Abraham Ancer pulling out the title in a playoff.”

Full piece.

3. Scheffler discusses his play

Via PGATour.com’s Sean Martin…

PGATOUR.COM: Do you think that’s changed? The numbers would say it has.

SCHEFFLER: The numbers would definitely say it’s changed. I definitely feel like the harder golf courses suit me where you have to hit it really well. I definitely do feel like I think my way around a golf course really well. I’d say that’s one of my strengths.

I hit a lot of greens. Off the tee I might be pretty aggressive, but going into the greens, I may be more conservative. I really just try and play the shot that I’m most comfortable playing and just have a clear picture of what I’m trying to do. There may be one pin one day that you’d expect me to hit at, but if I’m really in between clubs and it doesn’t look right then I won’t. And then if there’s one day that there’s a pin that’s really tough, but I have the perfect number and I feel good, I might hit it right at it. So just kind of playing with what I’ve got.

I think I know when to take my opportunities. I have a good sense of when I should be taking a chance and when I should be maybe lay back a little bit.

PGATOUR.COM: Physically, what has improved about your ball striking?

SCHEFFLER: I think continuing to improve my body to make it move properly and then just refining the skill over time, like creating new shots. I feel like my distance control is probably what separates me the most from other guys. A lot of guys out here I think that can hit really straight, pretty much on command, but I think my distance control is something I practice. Distance control is kind where I extend myself a little bit and that’s something that we’ve worked on a bunch.

Full piece.

4. Defining moments in Players history

PGATour.com staff rounds up 50 in honor of the anniversary… here are 2…

“1982 – The Tournament Players Championship moves to its new, permanent home: TPC Sawgrass – THE PLAYERS Stadium Course. The course is unique, beautiful, challenging and fan-friendly. On the 72nd hole, Jerry Pate hit a fabulous 5-iron (with an orange ball) to within 3 feet to seal the victory. Then Pate enjoyed an extraordinary celebration: He threw then-PGA TOUR Commissioner Deane Beman and course designer Pete Dye into the pond near the 18th green during the awards ceremony, and dove into the pond himself for an unprecedented victory lap.”

“2001 – Tiger Woods climbed into THE PLAYERS lead with an eagle and five birdies during the third round, but he faced a seemingly impossible birdie try at the 17th green. Woods stalked his triple-breaking, downhill, lightning-fast putt that no other player had come close to making. As soon as he hit it, Gary Koch told the NBC audience around the world that Woods’ effort was “better than most.” Koch kept repeating the phrase…until the ball dropped in the hole and the crowd exploded. That one stroke – which turned out to be Woods’ margin of victory – was indeed “better than most!”

Full piece.

5. Chamblee: The PGA Tour has this over LIV

Our Matt Vincenzi…”During “Live from the PLAYERS” on Golf Channel, analyst Brandel Chamblee talked about LIV Golf’s lack of ability to generate new stars as opposed to the PGA Tour.

“The PGA Tour has a feeder system, a direct line to creating stars and just this year we’ve began to see them create new stars… The fact that LIV has bought a few players, It’s a place in time. Those players will not have that game in three or four more years. Meanwhile, the PGA Tour stars will carry on developing superstars.”

“This season, the PGA Tour has seen four first time winners in its first ten events including Nick Dunlap, Matthieu Pavon, Jake Knapp and Austin Eckroat.”

Full Piece.

6. Par four ace

Cameron Jourdan for Golfweek…”Max Lyons, a junior on the Marquette men’s golf team, made a shot he will never forget Monday during the first round of the 2024 The Johnnie-O at Sea Island. Lyons made a hole-in-one on the par-4 10th hole from 324 yards out at Sea Island’s Plantation Course. It’s the first 1 of his college career.”

“The albatross was part of a psycho scorecard Lyons, from Phoenix, had on Monday. In addition to the ace, he had five birdies, four bogeys and a double, signing for a 2-under 70 in the opening round in St. Simons Island, Georgia.”

Full Piece.

7. Max Homa in top form as usual

8. Players betting picks

Via our Matt Vincenzi…

Patrick Cantlay +2500 (DraftKings):

“Patrick Cantlay is winless since the 2022 BMW Championship but is undoubtedly one of the most talented players on the PGA Tour. Since the win at Wilmington Country Club, the 31-year-old has twelve top-10 finishes on Tour and is starting to round into form for the 2024 season.”

“Cantlay has done well in the most recent “signature” events this season, finishing 4th at Riviera for the Genesis Invitational and 12th at Bay Hill for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The former Tour Championship winner resides in Jupiter, Florida and has played some good golf in the state, including finishing in a tie for 4th at the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational. His history at TPC Sawgrass has been up and down, but his best career start at The PLAYERS came last year when he finished in a tie for 19th.”

“Cantlay absolutely loves Pete Dye designed courses and ranks 1st in the field in Strokes Gained: Total on Dye tracks in his past 36 rounds. In recent years, he’s been excellent at both the RBC Heritage and the Travelers Championship. TPC Sawgrass is a place where players will have to be dialed in with their irons and distance off the tee won’t be quite as important. In his past 24, rounds, Cantlay ranks in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach.”

“Despite being winless in recent years, I still believe Cantlay is capable of winning big tournaments. As one of the only United States players to bring their best game to Marco Simone for the Ryder Cup, I have conviction that the former top amateur in the world can deliver when stakes are high.”

Click below to see Vincenzi’s full lineup of picks!

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)