News

Tour Rundown: KoFecta & Keegan

Published

12 months ago

Aug 26, 2024

The final full week of August 2024 brought some keen memories to preserve. The final major championship of the season was celebrated by the ladies in Scotland. The second of three playoff events took place on the PGA Tour, while the first of four was celebrated on the Korn Ferry Tour. The DP World Tour and the PGA Tour Champions moved toward the conclusions of their respective seasons. Captain America made an appearance in Colorado, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Put on your lap belt and charge up for another Tour Rundown.

Women’s Open @ St. Andrews

It is often written about potential talents, that the first victory opens the floodgates, and many others follow. For Lydia Ko, chapter two of her career centered around winning the last tournament needed to earn LPGA Hall of Fame qualification. When she completed the KoFecta at Paris in the Olympics, many surmised that the floodgates had opened for a second time. They were proven right today.

Lydia Ko did not find the 60s at The Old Course at St. Andrews until Sunday. That’s right. Her latest major championship came at none other than the birthplace of golf as we know it. As leaders tumbled deeper into the 70s, Ko moved up the leader board. She was closing with birdie at the time that Nelly Korda was making bogey at the 17th.

Ko won by two shots over four golfers. Jiyai Shin, the 54-hole leader, struggled on day four. Defending champion Lilia Vu made a valiant effort at defense, but came up just shy. Korda made double at Long and bogey at Road, and fell down from the top rung. Finally, Ruoning Yin made a run of her own, but could not find enough birdies down the stretch to challenge Ko.

The Open represents a fourth checked box in the major championship column. After wins at Evian, Chevron, Olympics, and now, Open, only the US Open and the Women’s PGA remain. Bet on Ko to take down both of those championships, and become the seventh to win the career grand slam, and the latest since Annika Sorenstam, in 2003.

BMW Championship @ Castle Pines

The golf world was electrified when Keegan Bradley was named captain of the USA side for the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. As of July 22nd, Bradley was the 26th-ranked player on the USA list, and some intimated that he might make a run at the team on valor. After this week at Castle Pines, those intimations became much more realistic.

Keegan Bradley found a way to edge past Sam Burns, Ludvig Aberg, and Adam Scott, to earn his seventh PGA Tour victory. Burns closed furiously with 65, posting eight birdies along the way. Only a bogey at the par-five 14th hole disrupted his march to victory. Scott did his best Bradley impression for much of the tournament, hoping to be the old-guy-breaks-through story at the BMW, but four bogies on the inward half derailed his express train. Finally, young Ludvig Aberg sought a second PGA Tour win, for validation. Like Adam Scott, Aberg had his trials on the inward half, posting a trio of bogeys to fall short of the victory robe.

As for Bradley, his birdie at 17 gave him a two-shot cushion. He used up half of it, surrendering a stroke to par at the last. His 72 was enough to slide into victory’s DMs, and give everyone pause on the topic of Ryder Cup 2025.

Boise Open @ Hillcrest

Matt McCarty played his college golf at Santa Clara. This year, McCarty has played like a Bronco on the Korn Ferry Tour. In July, he won his first tour title in Missouri. In early August, he won again, this time in Nebraska. On Sunday, McCarty claimed a third victory in a third unique state. The longest-tenured event on tour, dating to the inaugural season in 1990, takes place in Idaho, and McCarty used it as the site of his battlefield promotion to the PGA Tour.

Round one saw a 62 from Kevin Roy take the lead, but McCarty was just one stroke in arrears. He would post 64 on day two, to seize the lead from Roy, a lead that he would not relinquish. Roy ultimately earned solo second on the week, and moved to tenth spot on the year-long points list. As for McCarty, he close with 67-69, good for a two-shot margin of victory. Despite bogeys at 14 and 15, the champion closed with birdie-par-par to seal his third title of 2024.

Danish Championship @ Lübker

2024 may go down as the year of French golf, if you assess it properly. Last week, David Ravetto trimuped on the DP World Tour, and this week, he nearly repeated. Ravetto finished on nine under par, one shot out of a tie for 2nd with Lucas Bjerregaard and Romain Langasque (also a Frenchman.) Atop the leader board was, you guessed it, France’s Frederic LaCroix, four shots clear of the chasers.

Bjerregaard had the upper hand through 54 holes, but three bogeys and a double through the turn lost him three shots to old man Par. LaCroix made up six shots with a tidy 33, and came home in identical fashion, for a round of 66. LaCroix began the week with an eagle three at the first, and that rare bird served as a harbinger for Sunday. Langasque matched two birdies with two bogies on Sunday, and was unable to catch his country mate. After his stumble on the outward nine, Bjerregaard recovered with a one-under 35 coming home, and salvaged the runner-up tie with Langasque.

Ally Challenge @ Warwick Hills

Three golfers had posted opening round pairs in the 60s. David Branshaw and Bob Estes aren’t household names, but Stewart Cink is. Both Branshaw and Estes faded on Sunday, into the seventies and a top-ten finish. As for Cink, he stayed in the 60s and reached 17-under par. Cink turned in three-under par 33, and finished up with another nine of the same number. That performance meant that the field had to double down on birdies, and no one could get close enough to frighten Cink.

The battle for second spot was won by K. J. Choi. In late July, Choi won his first major title ever, at the Senior Open. In Michigan, Choi was able to navigate Warwick Hills in 68 strokes, just enough to keep him ahead of Mike Weir’s 64 for -11. The Tour Champions moves on to St. Louis after Labor Day, for the Ascension.

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)