News

Tour Rundown: Tale of two Nicks decides second stop in Hawaii

Published

7 months ago

Jan 13, 2025

Golf season begins not with a roar, but rather, a whisper. Led by the US PGA Tour, the world’s barnstorming circuits ramp up their presence each January, until five-plus events take place each weekend. In 2025, professional golf on a virtual stage was added to the fixture, offering yet another viewing alternative to the dedicated fan. This past week, events took place in Hawaii, the Middle East, and Florida, while a fourth began play on Sunday. Week two of the 2025 season offers a brief but enticing Tour Rundown, with much more to anticipate in the coming weeks.

TGL @ Day One: The Bay takes down New York Golf Club

No one knew what to expect from the first-ever, Tomorrow Golf League (TGL for short) golf match. We didn’t expect Rickie Fowler in glasses (a good look) and we didn’t expect the NYGC to go down five holes after the first four holes. Say what? Not a typo. The Bay played great team golf and benefitted from an ill-fated toss of The Hammer (a double-or-nothing proposition). Needing to mount a comeback, NYGC managed to three-jack the fifth green and go down six points to nil. At the final green of triples (the first format of the evening) NYGC salvaged some pride with a win, to reduce the deficit to five.

In addition to the team’s fine play, The Bay won the sartorial struggle with its mint tops. Most golfers already have the navy blue of the NYGC, but mint green is not a standard look in the golfer’s wardrobe. Doubtless the PGA Tour Superstore website was humming with TBGC swag purchases.

The technology of the event was easily the brightest star. The diverse playing surfaces impacted play as they were intended to do. The massive simulator screen gave the live and streaming audiences profound access to the virtual course and the shots. The touch screen that enabled golfers to select alignment and distance was a chef’s kiss. Critical to the experience was the alien nature of the course layout. None of the holes exists in nature as we know it, so there was no potential for comparison of the virtual with the real.

The match itself was over early, with TBGC past dormie. There was much to play for, despite the outcome. The tie-break for the playoffs is total holes won over the course of the season, and The Bay kept the gas pedal pushed hard. The final score was 9-2, in favor ot The Bay.

Strategizing over the @BestBuy Digital Caddie. pic.twitter.com/2b42slTDht

— TGL (@TGL) January 8, 2025

PGA Tour @ SONY Open in Hawaii: Tale of two Nicks decides second stop in Hawaii

Nick Taylor does not shy away from decisive, dramatic moments. Canadian fans will forever remember his two-province putt for eagle at the 2023 Canadian Open, to defeat Tommy Fleetwood in extra time and end the decades-long dearth of homegrown winners. This week in Hawaii, Taylor once again summoned greatness to gain access to a playoff at the SONY Open in Hawaii. To the best of our knowledge, Adam Hadwin exhibited great caution in staying away from the final green, in order to preserve his health.

Taylor and Nico Echavarria were paired in the third-from-last threesome, and signed for matching 65s, tied for the day’s low number. After Echavarria played a distant bunker shot from greenside front left to within two feet, Taylor took advantage of grandstand relief and chipped in for eagle. Behind them, both JJ Spaun and Stephen Jaeger were unable to make up ground at the last, and match the two Nicks at 16-under par. Echavarria and Taylor returned to the 18th tee to decide matters in extra holes. The first go-round decided nothing, as each made birdie four. The second trip along Waialae’s final fairway was a bit more adventurous. Taylor found fairway bunker off the tee, then left himself in a challenging spot in fairway right, with a valley of sin looming between him and the hole. His pitch was crisp, his ball setled within four feet of the hole, and he made another birdie to finally relegate his opponent to runner-up status.

A chip-in eagle to tie the lead!@NTaylorGolf59 comes up clutch at the last @SonyOpenHawaii. pic.twitter.com/tNeTa9xQKM

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 13, 2025

DP World Tour: GB&I side claims victory in Team Cup

It’s rare that a team competition takes place early in any season. Players may not be at their best, and some might still be on vacation. It’s a gamble, for certain, but one worth taking. The team cup in Abu-Dhabi featured four sessions this weekend. Play began Friday with a round of four-ball (also known as team better ball) and was followed by two Saturday segments of foursomes (aka alternate shot) format. Sunday presented all twenty players in ten singles matches, to decide the winning side.

These matches featured a team of Great Britain & Ireland golfers, pitted against a squad from continental Europe. From the outset, the Islanders took command of the lead and never seemed remotely interested in letting Europe back in. Friday saw a 3.5-1.5 advantage, thanks to initial wins from top point-getters Laurie Canter and Tommy Fleetwood. Each would amass four points on the week, totalling eight for the European side. Each partnered well with other golfers, and team Europe simply had no answer.

Europe’s captain, Francesco Molinari, had a rough weekend on course and in the strategy room. Molinari earned one-half point in four matches, and exhibited some interesting pairing decisions. He opted to pair experience with inexperience, rather than matching two strong to ensure a true run at a match point. Rather than pair brothers Niklas and Rasmus Hojgaard, the siblings were split during all four, partner matches, and none won a point. The bright side for Europe was the French alliance of Roman Langasque and Matthieu Pavon. The duo won all three of its matches, accounting for the only outright wins for the side in partner matches.

The final tally was a decisive 17-8 victory for GB&I. At the very least, Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald has a sense of who might feature on his side at Bethpage Black in the fall. Certainly, Langasque and Pavon deserve a look as captain’s picks, if they don’t make the team outright.

The approach and putt from @TommyFleetwood1‘s incredible eagle! ?#TeamCup pic.twitter.com/efSDVzt3kF

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) January 12, 2025

Korn Ferry Tour Teaser: How does 60 for openers sound?

I love the Bahamma breeze that opens each Korn Ferry tour season. Two events that run from Sunday to Wednesday, are just the sort of disruption that holds my attention. Just as other events are finishing up, the Bahammas events start their engines. Is it a sustainable way for professional golf? Not when you want fans to turn out on days off from work, on Saturday and Sunday. For early and late-season events, however, it’s a nice twist.

Speaking of twists, consider the Sunday that John VanDerLaan had. The former, Florida Southern student-athlete turned for home in minus-two, thanks to three birdies against one bogey. After par at the tenth, he followed with eagle at eleven, then six consecutive birdies. His par at the last gave him 28 on the inward half, for a round of 60 and a two-shot lead over Rick Lamb and Pierceson Coody

54 holes remain, so stay tuned!

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)