News

Tour Rundown: Sometimes, it comes down to cacoethes

Published

4 months ago

May 5, 2025

Cacoethes is the urge to do something inadvisable. It is pronounced ka-kuh-WEE-theez and is the sort of word that might sound like a curse, an insult, or a sneeze. In other words, it’s a fun tool to have in the box.

Cacoethes is commonplace on the professional golf tours. Pro golfers are trained to believe in themselves, to trust their instinct, above all else. Even when they snatch a coveted caddie, as Collin Morikawa did with Joe Greiner, they still hear their own voice over others, and cacoethes rises.

This week, well, it depends on where you were. We had a bit here, and very little there. We’ll break down this week’s dose of cacoethes for you in Tour Rundown.

PGA Tour @ CJ Cup Byron Nelson: Scheffler is back!

What do you say about Scottie? The 2024 version was unstoppable, tallying wins nearly everywhere, despite the misfortune of fate in Louisville. One might say that the unfortunate encounter with the police department derailed the greatest season of all time. Scheffler was four wins in, plus one major, when his PGA Championship dreams were dashed. That’s a story for another time.

This year, the Scottie and Ted Show nearly repeated at Augusta, but it was Rory’s year. Scheffler looks as comfortable as ever, with Ted Scott as his caddie. His swing is dialed-in, repetitive, and the week always depends on the flat stick. After an opening 61, with an act-two tally of 63, the world once more dropped its jaw in astonishment at his brilliance. The Craig Ranch TPC was no match for the Garden-State-Turned-Texas lad. Scheffler piled on 66-63 over the weekend, posted 31-under 253, and had golf purists longing for the unpredictable nature of the days at Trinity Forest.

If you give these pros a predictable course, they will decimate it. Scheffler, your honor, is Exhibit A this week from McKinney, Texas. That 10-gallon hat that he received as winner is testimony to his complete subjugation of the Tom Weiskopf golf course.

LPGA @ Black Desert Championship: Ryemarkable Ryu runs away in Utah

There were no identifiable moments of inadvisable decision-making this week in the 45th state. Haeran Ryu took the lead on day one with an enviable 63, kept the spedometer below 70 the entire week, then closed with a 64 to put the competition fully behind. It was one of those “you’ll need 60 to beat me” moments, and there was no one up to the challenge.

Ryu was ryemarkable this week in Ivins. She tallied 24 birdies and 3 eagles over four days, sprinkling in four bogeys to remind us that she wasn’t entirely flawless. The only golfer within five shots of her by tournament’s end, was Germany’s Esther Henseleit. EH burst into our attention span with a silver medal last summer at the Olympic Games. She won the Magical Kenya Open twice on the Ladies European Tour before transitioning full-time to the USA. Henseleit and Ruoning Yin finished tied for second, five shots back of the leader.

Korn Ferry Tour @ Tulum Championship: Nimmer wins North American playoff

Bryson Nimmer (USA) defeated Stuart Macdonald (Canada) in Mexico. That’s as North American as you can get, right? Two trips up the 18th were required in overtime to resolve matters with Nimmer’s two pars just a bit better than Macdonald’s par-bogey. Both players made birdie at the final hole in regulation, to finish two shots clear of the trio in third place.

Davis Chatfield had stitched three 69s together through 54 holes, and a 71 would have done the job on Sunday. Unfortunately for him, the cacoethes came on the 10th hole. Chatfield posted nine consecutive pars on the front nine, but lost focus or patience at the tenth. His triple-bogey seven sent him down the wrong fairway, and he ultimately finished in a tie for 10th, five shots behind the lead.

“Feels good to win.”

Celebrate with Bryson Nimmer, the newest champion ? pic.twitter.com/HTz9bQh2Pi

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) May 4, 2025

PGA Tour Americas @ Peru Open: Wolcott wins in Lima

More cacoethes (cacoetes in Spanish) in the modern capital of the Incas. David Perkins came to the 17th tee at Los Inkas golf club at minus-20 on the week, but signed two holes later for minus-17. Playing partner Hunter Wolcott reached the penultimate hole at 16-deep, but found one last birdie at hole 72. Stunningly, that birdie at the last was enough to win outright in regulation by two shots. JM Butler and Brett White shot the rounds of the day, with 64 and 65, respectively. Neither was able to threaten the leaders, but each reached a tie for third with Taylor Funk.

Hunter Wolcott is a Champion in Peru ? pic.twitter.com/8K0aNslYEu

— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) May 4, 2025

PGA Tour Champions @ Insperity Invitational: Cink sinks to win

Retief Goosen and Mike Weir entered the final round in the Woodlands as co-leaders. While Goosen was able to fashion a 70, Weir lost his way with 75, tumbling all the way to a tie for 11th place. Goosen had birdies at 14 and 15 coming down the stretch, but was unable to craft one more over the last three holes. This mattered because Stewart Cink was on a run of his own.

Cink sandwiched his solitary, day-three bogey at 14, with birdies at 13 and 15. He made a final birdie at 17, and joined Goosen in a playoff for the trophy. The extra session was swift, as Cink made birdie at the 18th 18th to dispatch the South African champion.

PGA Professional Championship: Collett cruises

There was a time when the PGA Professional Championship took place in the fall, and the qualifiers had to wait nearly nine months to compete in the PGA Championship. Cooler heads prevailed and, when the PGA Championship moved to May, the PGAPC moved to late April.

This year’s event, at one of the PGA’s home resorts, saw a South Florida section professional run away with the title. Tyler Collett from Vero Beach posted 272 to win by 10 shots over Jesse Droemer of Houston and the Southern Texas section. Tied for third was Michael Block of California, the wunderkind from the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill. In all, 23 players finished tied for 20th or better, which meant that four golfers would go to a playoff for the final Club Professional team spot. Michael Kartrude prevailed against Brad Lardon, to join 19 others in qualifying for next week’s PGA Championship at Charlotte’s Quail Hollow Club.

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)