News

Morning 9: Saso wins U.S. Open | Bobby Mac victorious in Canada | Hull’s eventful week

Published

1 year ago

Jun 3, 2024

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com

Good Monday morning, golf fans, as Bobby Mac and Yuka Saso celebrate their respective victories from Sunday evening.

1. Saso, 22, wins 2nd U.S. Open

Golf Channel’s Mercer Baggs…”Yuka Saso overcame an early four-putt with brilliant shot-making and a back-nine 32 to win the U.S. Women’s Open.”

“Saso now has two career LPGA titles: both at this major. Having won at The Olympic Club in 2021, she added Lancaster Country Club to her grand list of conquered courses.”

“She’s the youngest player, at 22, to win two U.S. Women’s Open championships. She also joins Seri Pak and In Gee Chun, who won at Lancaster in 2015, as the only women to make majors their first two tour victories.”

“Saso closed in 2-under 68 to finish at 4 under, three shots clear of former AIG Women’s Open winner Hinako Shibuno (72). Ally Ewing, who matched the day’s best with a 66, and Andrea Lee, who finished with a frustrating 75, tied for third at even par.”

Full piece.

2 Bobby Mac!

Todd Kelly for Golfweek…”The Scottish lefty, seeking his first victory on the PGA Tour, added his dad, Dougie, at the last minute as his caddie this week and the father/son duo proved to be a solid combo, as MacIntyre finished off his week north of the border by winning the 2024 RBC Canadian Open by one stroke over France’s Victor Perez.”

“Bobby Mac opened his week with a 64 and after back-to-back 66s, he held a four-shot lead after 54 holes, the fifth golfer to hold such a lead on the PGA Tour this season.”

“Canadian Mackenzie Hughes managed to grab a share of the lead on the front nine Sunday but MacIntyre zoomed back up by four at the turn and went on to a final-round 68 to finish 16 under to become the fifth player from Scotland to win on the PGA Tour since 1940. He joined fellow countrymen Sandy Lyle, Paul Lawrie, Martin Laird and Russell Knox.”

Full piece.

3. Charley’s eventful week

Kent Paisley for Golf Digest…”However, all of Hull’s professional accomplishments took a backseat to the attention she received for a seemingly innocuous moment at this week’s U.S. Women’s Open. A photo of the No. 8 player in the world signing an autograph at Lancaster Country Club while casually smoking went viral, drawing more eyeballs than most of her golfing career.”

“Just one cigarette, it lit up,” Hull joked

“Hull’s moment in the spotlight drew fans to her throughout the championship. Many shouted her name throughout the event, while one was bold enough to try and ask her out to dinner, going with the tried trope of “you dropped something” to hand Hull his number. Hull didn’t text him.”

Full piece.

4. Fill-in caddie

Kevin Prise for PGATour.com…”Paul Emerson doesn’t fancy himself a good golfer, but he’s a scratch “golf nut.” He attended Sunday’s final round as the RBC Canadian Open as a spectator, with an unexpected inside-the-ropes experience early in the day – two holes as a caddie.”

“Emerson, who hails from nearby Aurora, Ontario, was traversing the par-4 third hole at Hamilton Golf & Country Club when he realized that C.T. Pan’s caddie, Mike “Fluff” Cowan, had been injured and was unable to continue caddying. Pan’s playing partner Shane Lowry was carrying his own bag, and Lowry’s caddie Darren Reynolds was carrying Pan’s bag.”

“As Pan was walking Cowan over to a medic on the side of the fairway, Emerson asked Pan if he could lend a hand.”

Full piece.

5. Els wins on PGA Tour Champions

AP report…” Ernie Els won the Principal Charity Classic on Sunday for his fourth career PGA Tour Champions victory, closing with a 7-under 65 at Wakonda Club to beat defending champion Stephen Ames by two strokes.

“Tied with Rod Pampling for the second-round lead, Els eagled the par-5 15th and had five birdies in his bogey-free final round. The 54-year-old Hall of Famer from South Africa finished at 21-under 195 for his first victory since March 2023.”

“It’s very special,” Els said. “You know, I haven’t won for a while. I’ve had quite a few chances, but it gets tougher when you don’t get it over the line. So today was very, very competitive. A lot of players, a lot of great players. I just took my chance when it came.”

Full piece.

6. Winning WITB: Robert MacIntyre

Presented by 2nd Swing

Driver: Titleist TSR2 (9 degrees, D4 SureFit setting)

Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 7 X

3-wood: Cobra Aerojet LS (14.5 degrees)

Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 X

Hybrid: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Rescue (19 degrees)

Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 105 X

Irons: Titleist 620 CB (4-9)

Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (46-10F), SM9 (50-08F, 56-10S), WedgeWorks (60-08K)

Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 Onyx (46, 50), Dynamic Gold S400 Onyx (56, 60)

Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour

Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Pistol

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

Grips: Golf Pride Z-Grip Cord (woods), Grip Master (irons)

Full WITB.

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)