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Tour Rundown: Full hand for Scottie | Where’d that Strom come from?

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1 year ago

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The week prior to a major championship is typically replete with anticipation … for the coming event. Not so for the first full week of June, 2024. Golfers gathered to pay homage to history’s greatest major champion, to Wisconsin’s greatest champion, and to each other. The DP World Tour held its annual, no-gender championship in Sweden, while the LPGA traveled to coastal New Jersey for an old-school face-off. If you held a pair of Linn’s in your hand this weekend, you hit the jackpot. If none of that seems to connect, don’t worry. We have the pen, so here go the dots, in this week’s Tour Rundown.

PGA Tour @ he Memorial: Full hand for Scottie

What do they say about scar tissue? The more you lose to a certain player, the more difficult it is to beat that player. Scar tissue is building up across the PGA Tour, thanks to the wizardry of the young Texan, Scottie Scheffler. We’ll reserve judgment until after Pinehurst, but as things currently stand, all that can stop his caravan of triumph is a misunderstanding.

I recall when our son used to play fullback in soccer. He often let opposing players get past him, for the sheer joy of chasing them down. Scottie Scheffler may not have that odd move in his gameplay, but he doesn’t run away with tournaments. He usually finds a way to let golfers back in, although I suspect he does not do so with purpose. At the Memorial, Scheffler held a four-shot advantage through 54 holes, but he didn’t run off on Sunday and leave the opposition playing for second. His play on Sunday was more survival than celebrity, and he nearly went to a playoff.

Collin Morikawa fought bravely back, but didn’t have the requisite skills to break through the scar tissue. Morikawa has been in the mix a few times this season and has yet to find a way to come homeward with his best game. The same happened again on Sunday. As Scheffler played the final twelve holes in two-over par, Morikawa gained five shots on the leader, only to give a crucial one back on 17. Muirfield Village has become a 1970s-throwback course of late, adding length and super-thick rough as protection. As a result, the excitement comes from bogey avoidance down the stretch. Collin was close, but Scheffler found victory number five on the year, in the nick of time.

LPGA @ ShopRite: Where’d that Strom come from?

Forgive the pundits if they transpose the “s” and the “r” for an easy headline. A storm called Strom blew in off the Atlantic and took over the Wilson/Ross course at Seaview Resort. Linnea Strom did just about everything right on Sunday. She posted nine birdies and one eagle (coming at the par-5 ninth hole) and ignored the prospect of bogey or worse, throughout the entirety of the round. Her win came by a single shot, with a quintet of golfers passing through astonishment, to gob-smackery, to outright dumbfoundment.

Imagine being any one of the following: Ayaka Furue @ 65; Megan Kang @ 66; Atthaya Thitikul @ 65; Morgane Metraux @ 66; or home-state girls Marina Alex @ 64. That fivesome played as well as they might have hoped, yet none was able to wrest the tournament’s trophy from the unlikely hands of Linnea Strom. Inconceivably, the victory was her first on the LPGA circuit. What a way to get the job done.

DP World Tour @ Scandinavian Mixed: Linn’s request is Grant-ed

Low-hanging fruit is what they call that headline. Linn Grant went into Sunday with eyes set on a nice finish to a nice week. The Scandinavian Mixed pits all genders in one field, and has seen some terrific wins by women and men, during its brief history. Sebastian Soderberg had the tournament wrapped up on Saturday. Somehow, on day four, the bow dissolved and Soderberg melted to a score of 77. Keep in mind that he had posted 63-66-66 over the first 54 holes. Golf is baffling.

Linn Grant went out on day four and ran off four birdies for 31 on the front side. She kept her head coming home, added two more for 65 and a total of 17-under par. She edged past Calum Hill, who closed with 69 for minus-16. All of that should have been pleasantry, except for the goings-on in the final pairing. Soderberg was never on his game over the course of the final day. He had a pair of birdies, but more than his share of bogies. On the final hole, from the middle of the fairway, he missed the green in the right side bunker, then splashed to 24 feet. His putt for the outright win missed by 15 inches. His putt for the playoff missed by one inch. In the blink of an eye, a careless close had awarded the trophy to Grant.

Tour Champions @ American Family: Big ChEasy in Wisconsin

Ernie Els really had no shot on Sunday in Madison. Steve Stricker was at home, comfortable, and trending. The former Ryder Cup captain was three-under on the day through 13, two ahead of Els, closing the deal. When Els made a third consecutive birdie at 14, Stricker posted bogey. In a moment’s hesitation, the game was afoot. Each added one more birdie coming home, and finished in a tie at minus-twelve, three clear of Cameron Percy.

There would be another, moment’s hesitation, and it would spell the unimaginable end of the home-state lad. After Els tapped in for par on the first playoff hole, Stricker addressed a wee, three-feet putt to match … and missed. A stunned Els was a winner for a second consecutive week, and his affection for the American midwest grew large.

Korn Ferry Tour @ BMW Championship: Gerard goes off

Ryan Gerard had compiled a sizable lead through 54 holes in the Palmetto state of South Carolina. With, or despite, the knowledge that his inspirational father was en route to the tournament site, Gerard remained focused and closed in proper fashion. He posted 66 on day four, and finished off a six-shot triumph over Seth Reeves. The win was Gerard’s first, important professional victory, and closed a circle of father-son-golf.

There was never a time at the Thornblade Club, that Gerard seemed anywhere other than in charge and control. He began the week with 64, followed with 66, then ignited on Saturday with 63. Knowing the potential for concentration loss, Gerard kept his vision focused on each shot, and no other. After that opening 64, which featured two eagles, a bunch of birdies, and a handful of bogeys, Gerard settled down to a mere two bogeys over the final 54 holes.

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Ronald Montesano writes for GolfWRX.com from western New York. He dabbles in coaching golf and teaching Spanish, in addition to scribbling columns on all aspects of golf, from apparel to architecture, from equipment to travel. Follow Ronald on Twitter at @buffalogolfer.

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Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

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Aug 4, 2025

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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.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

Published

4 weeks ago

on

Jul 29, 2025

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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.

 

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News

BK’s Breakdowns: Kurt Kitayama’s Winning WITB, 3M Open

Published

4 weeks ago

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Jul 28, 2025

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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)

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WITB

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