News

AT&T National Preview

The International may be gone, but it’s been replaced by the AT&T National, the new host is Tiger Woods, the course is Congressional, and the beneficiaries are the men and women of the United States Armed Forces. What could be better?

Published

18 years ago

Jul 4, 2007

D Grannan

With the return of Tiger, Phil, and a week dedicated to the support of the troops, this week’s PGA Tour event is shaping up to be a week to remember.

This week’s stop is at the PGA Tour’s newest event, the AT&T National, which happens to be hosted by the world’s number one golfer and recent father, Tiger Woods. The main focus of this week’s tournament, aside from the anticipated great golf tournament, will be to entertain, and honor the men and women of the United States Armed Forces. There will be many festivities and events surrounding the main event, events designed to honor, and show the continued support of the Armed Forces. Amid speculation of replacing the tour favorite, The International, the AT&T National will not just replace one of the former favorite stops, but will replace it with class, honor, and dignity.

One of the big events this week, for Tiger Woods anyhow, will be on the 4^th of July. The Earl Woods Memorial Pro-AM is slated to be played on this day. Earl Woods, who was a highly decorated Green Beret, Vietnam Veteran, and also a member of the Special Forces, is the honoree of this very special pro-am. Additional honors this week will include inaugural tee shots by Tiger Woods, and former president George W. Bush. This event holds a special meaning to Tiger as it gives him a chance to honor his father, and it also allows the PGA Tour as a whole, to show their support for the men and women of the armed forces. "It’s very important to me that this tournament honor the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces," Tiger Woods said. "They put their lives on the line so that we are able to enjoy our freedom, and we’d love for them to come out and enjoy a few days of relaxation." Not only is Tiger the best player in the universe, it also appears that his non-golf priorities are in check as well.

During the week there will be a plethora of events geared toward honoring and celebrating the United States Armed Forces. Most of these events are focused around golf, such as the pro-ams, clinics, various ceremonies and parties, caddying (done by selected military personnel), hospitality tents for wounded soldiers, concession discounts for the military (with valid military id), 30,000 complimentary tickets (given to active U.S. Military), and a few fortunate military personnel who were selected to give the first and tenth tee introductions. The PGA Tour has gone out of its way to make sure that this week is nothing short of special for the men and women of this country’s Armed Forces, who are able to attend.

After all of the pre-tournament revelry in support of the troops, the AT&T National will kick off on Thursday. The $6 million dollar purse and $1.08 million dollar winner’s check will be a superb payday for whoever happens to conquer the famous Congressional Country Club’s Blue Course. Located in Bethesda, MD Congressional Country Club is one of the finest golf courses in all of the United States. Consistently ranked in the top 100 courses in the country, Congressional has been host to five major championships, including two U.S. Opens, The PGA Championship, and the U.S. Senior Open. Congressional is also looking forward to hosting its third U.S. Open in 2001. Also, the former host course of the Kemper Open, from 1980-1986, Congressional was an annual stop for the PGA Tour. This Rees Jones design will measure in at 7,250 yards from the back tees, with a par of 70. Although Congressional will not be the longest golf course on the PGA Tour this year, it will provide a good test for the players. Even Tiger Woods appears to be a fan of the golf course, "It’s one of the great venues that we have in the United States. We’re very excited. We couldn’t have asked for a better start to our tournament." Pretty high praises coming from the world’s number one.

Be on the look out for some serious firepower at this new event. Tiger Woods, in his first week back since becoming a father, has committed to play in the event. Surprisingly, Phil Mickelson, recently getting the clearance to play after a serious wrist injury, appears to be at 100 percent. Mickelson spoke about his wrist injury last week, "Two specialists looked at it and agreed there were injuries in multiple joints but they’re much better now because of the rest. The cortisone shot helped with one of the joints and there’s no real structural damage. The doctors both feel I’m ready to go back and play at 100 percent effort." That is great news for the tour and for Phil Mickelson.

Jim Furyk and Adam Scott, the worlds number three and four players in the world respectively, have also stated their intent to play. Vijay Singh has also committed to play, but is having an MRI on his elbow, so his status is uncertain. This week’s field will include 15 players who have won on the tour this year, and 9 of the top 12 players on this years Fedex Cup point chase, and official money list. Also be on the lookout for many other top international and American players such as: Mike Weir, K.J. Choi, Justin Rose, Camilo Villegas, Fred Funk, Charles Howell III, Shaun Micheel, J.J. Henry, Chad Campbell, Lucas Glover, Bubba Watson and J.B. Holmes, who are all expected to tee it up this week in Bethesda. It is going to be a great week in Maryland. This week’s winner will have to beat a world class field, navigate around a super golf course, and pay a little tribute to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces. It is shaping up to be a superb week of golf, don’t miss it!

Notable past champions at the Congressional Country Club include: Ernie Els, Craig Stadler, Ken Venturi, Tom Weiskopf, Dave Stockton, Fred Couples, Greg Norman, and Sergio Garcia.

Television Schedule:

Thursday            7/5:      3-6 PM ET                  GOLF
Friday                  7/6:      3-6 PM ET                  GOLF
Saturday          7/7:      1-2:30 PM ET             GOLF
Saturday             7/7:      3-6 PM ET                  CBS
Sunday               7/8:      1-2:30 PM ET             GOLF
Sunday               7/8:      3-6:30 PM ET             CBS

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)