News

Playoff! Career Grand Slam! Finally, it’s Rory

Published

4 months ago

Apr 13, 2025

There’s no way to proclaim which Masters tournament was the greatest ever. For every solid opinion, there is an equally sustainable one. One can certainly submit the 2025 playing as a candidate for this impossible quest. A golfer who had finished in the top ten SEVEN times since 2014, without winning, took the lead into the final round, after what looked like a give-away in round one. Another golfer, loser of a playoff for the title in 2017, led through 36 holes but appeared to give the tournament away himself on Saturday. Despite the presence of the 2024 U.S. Open champion in the final pairing, despite the threat of a half-dozen younglings looking to break through the major-championship ceiling, those two aforementioned golfers met in a playoff to decide the 2025 tournament.

Was that an elusive-enough, mysterious-enough introduction for you? Same here. For sure, the headline gave it away, but if not, let’s get down to facts. Rory McIlroy began day four with a two-shot advantage over Bryson DeChambeau, the man who ripped the 2024 U.S. Open from the Northern Irishman’s hands. Keep in mind that McIlroy had not won a major since 2014, when he won two of the four. Since that year, he has had five top-ten finishes in the Open, three in the PGA, and seven in the U.S. Open. That’s a total of 22 nearlies without a victory. If DeChambeau were to snatch another slam event from Rors, especially this one, it would perhaps have been the final nail.

Why this one? It’s the major that Rory needed to win the career Grand Slam. He longed to join Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods as winners of the men’s four contemporaneous major titles. Rather than focus solely on his quest, McIlroy stepped intentionally into the fray that is golf’s division since 2021. He saw the health of the PGA Tour as critical for historical and future purposes. If that doesn’t wear a man down, not much else will.

His opponent in the playoff was Justin Rose. Rosie lost a playoff to Sergio Garcia in 2017, four years after he won his only major title at Merion’s 2013 U.S. Open. Rose is one of the great guys, a player deserving of everything that golf can offer. He and his wife support every possible charity and cause, and he turned down an offer to break from the PGA and DP World tours to join LIV. He was Rory Lite, standing guard over golf’s history, flawed though it may be.

How did these two golfers get to this point? What had transpired over the previous eight hours? Let’s begin with Rose. He began the day at five-under par, reeling from a third-round 75. He was an afterthought, replaced by younger, brawnier players. Rose ripped a drive into the first fairway, hit an approach eight feet past the hole, and drained the putt for the first of ten birdies on the day. That’s right…Rose made four bogeys over his final 18 holes, including consecutive ones at four and five. He let none of them bother him. On the back nine, he made par but at the 1oth. He rose to birdies across Amen Corner, posted bogeys at 14 and 17, but added three more avians at 15, 16, and 18. He put a number on the board and made those behind him take notice.

What happened next? Well, DeChambeau was the first to falter, as he made bogeys at three and four, then rinsed his approach on eleven, resulting in a double. He went deep on twelve, protecting on another visit to Rae’s Creek, and could not get up and down from the bunker. The two-time US Open champion made bounce-back birdies at 13 and 16, but a final bogey at 17 relegated him to seven-under par and a tie for fifth.

For a time, it appeared the 2024 runner-up Ludvig Aberg might sneak in and steal a new blazer and a clubhouse trophy. Aberg reached ten-under par through the fifteenth green, thanks to five birdies against one bogey. Feeling that he might need another birdie to put a scare into McIlroy, he pressed. The result was horrific. Approach to the wrong side of the 17th green, followed by a too-strong first putt, resulting in bogey. Drive on 18 into the first of two fairway bunkers, and second shot left in the bunker, resulting in triple bogey. Aberg is young and should shake off the scar tissue.

After one hole on Sunday, it appeared this would be the eighth time in eleven years that McIlroy had an opportunity and could not collect on it. He opened with six on the par four, and the nay-sayers were a-clutter in the coop. Seriously, you should see my group chat. It got better, then worse, then better again, then worse. Despite par at the second, McIlroy found his rudder with birdies at three and four. He was back to even on the day, and would gain two more shots back, at seven and eight, before another bogey found his card, at the ninth.

At thirteen, the site of so many catastrophic Masters moments, McIlroy appeared to add another. He rinsed his second and made double bogey. He followed that with another bogey at fourteen, and was back to ten-under par. With Rose in the clubhouse at 11-deep, things were grim. Forever will the 15th hole be inscribed upon Rory’s heart. It nearly undid him on Thursday, where his brashness cost him a seven. Over the next three days, he played it in four-under par, and no birdie was ever more needed, nor more buoyant, than the one he made on April 13th, 2025. McIlory stuffed an approach to 24 inches on 17, and had the lead once more. And when you thought it was over, it wasn’t.

The 18th hole is long, uphill, and curvy. It has trouble everywhere, and it caught McIlroy. He made bogey, and he and Rose were off to sudden-death and sudden-life. Both hit marvelous approach shots into the hole, but Rose was unable to bring his back off the hill. His fifteen-foot putt for three was game, but wavered. With three feet left to glory, Rory came through, and the wait was finally over.

So raise a glass of your favorite libation to the haberdasher’s newest friend. At long last, Rory Daniel McIlroy has a lifetime invitation to play the Masters Tournament each April. He moves to the Elysian rank of 15th, which is where golfers with five major titles reside. With the final monkey off his back, who knows what we might see from him in 2025? He loves Quail Hollow in Charlotte, which is the site of the PGA in May. Although he missed the cut at Oakmont in 2016’s US Open, with two majors in his pocket, the juice might be in his veins. Can you imagine the calamity if he arrives at Royal Portrush in July, needing only the Open championship to win the yearly grand slam? My goodness!

*featured image via the PGA Tour

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)