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Watching a Tour event
So what is it about a professional golfer that you notice first? Is it their smooth swings that launch the ball effortlessly down the centre of the fairway? Is it the phenomenal clubhead speed they generate when they do decide to hit the ball hard, leaving less a divot as a scorch mark? Is it the touch and soft hands they show executing escape shots that we wouldn’t dare to? Or are they just good golfers that got a lucky break?
The truth is, watching a professional competition close up and in the flesh is a humbling experience. These guys are just like you and me in every way (except probably in better shape and annoyingly better looking) and yet they regularly play the sort of golf shots that would have us screaming ‘Did you see that! DID YOU SEE THAT!’ at our playing partners. From the booming drive to the chip knocked stiff, this is bread and butter to the professional golfer.
Standing at the practise tee you can see players warming up, trying new or different equipment and practising the shots that they might need on the course. Warm ups are a series of perfect half and three-quarter irons, clipping the (brand new premium quality) ball off the turf. Not quite the machine-gunning of range rocks off astroturf that you see every day at your local range. Full shots suddenly show you why they are the best of the best. The trajectory a properly struck ball takes is an eye opener. The ball fires off the club face with a startling low trajectory but with so much spin it seems to fly like a small spherical frisbee, boring through the air into the distance.
The distance control is just as impressive. I watched someone that plays on both the US and European tours and is known for the accuracy of his iron play. Taking aim at a practise green 150 yards away, of the 10 shots he hit the furthest went 151 yards, the shortest went 147. Most were bang on the money and I would have taken every one if I had been playing.
While they stretch their limbs and send these shots lancing down the range, equipment reps try to tempt them with the very latest and greatest equipment. Lovingly built to their own exacting specifications, these clubs are of the sort that you and I will either never see in our local proshops or could never afford. To the equipment junkies among us, this may be the most heartbreaking things a grown man can witness – ‘You’d like this driver tipped? Why certainly. Just give me one moment to rip out and throw away this 1000 dollar shaft and put in a new one’. After all this effort, the pro might give it a couple of swishes and then turn it down! Frankly, I admire anybody that has the self-discipline to turn down a free pen let alone a free golf club. I’m fairly sure that if I were a in their (ergonomic and highly branded) shoes, I would be living in a house where clambering over golf clubs would be the only way to move from room to room and opening cupboards would be done at your own peril.
Out on the course, the difference between us and them is only more obvious. All of us know guys who can smash the ball 300+ yards from the tee box, but how many of them can do that into a landing area 15 yards wide with trouble either side. The iron shots are either low fizzers avoiding the wind or high floating shots that land softly and cuddle up to the hole, wafting left or right through the air. Pitches and chips are almost always knocked inside the leather. Not so much par saves as genuine attempts to get the ball in the hole from a distance that you and I would regard as ridiculous.
Then there’s the putting. Putting is a great leveller in golf. Providing you can grip a putter, there are no other physical attributes (apart from having at least one eye) that will help you get the ball into the hole. Looking at the sort of greens the pros have to putt on would give most of us the heebie-jeebies. The flat expanses that we are used to are replaced with tiered and sloping greens that would give anyone pause for thought. Then there’s the speed of the greens. Putts that would have barely travelled halfway on normal courses skate past the hole.
To give you an idea of how fast they are, I have to tell you a story of one of my friends who moonlights as an equipment rep for a putter company. He got a little carried away the first time he was on the practise green. Attempting to impress the surrounding pros with a cheeky little 6 footer he promptly managed to putt the ball 15 yards, clean off the practise green and much to the amusement of all. ‘Like putting on lino’ was how he described it.
Of course there’s also you and I and all our friends in the gallery. It can be nerve racking teeing up for the monthly medal when the only audience is the fourball due off after you and the starter. How much more nerve racking must it be to tee off in front of a gallery of hundreds, with television cameras (who may be broadcasting to millions) everywhere just in case you do top/shank/fat/thin/whiff it, when you are playing for your livelihood?
And not just the first tee either. For a player how is having a good round, word gets out and his gallery suddenly swells. Rather than playing in front of merely several dozen people, hundreds now stand watch over every move. This all comes to a climax at the 18th where huge grandstands of yet more hundreds watch those all important final shots that change a good round to a great one. What sort of mental strength is required to shut out the watching gallery, the millions that might be watching at home, the expectations of sponsors and your family and friends when you stand over a breaking 5 footer that if holed, wins you a championship or even possibly a major.
All this in competition with your fellow professionals, fighting to get the best score possible for the victory, the money, the ranking points. They are a breed apart.
‘Could I ever be a professional golfer?’ is a question that everyone who has ever picked up a golf club has asked themselves. The answer, unfortunately for all but a tiny minority, is no.
Would I want to be one?
Yes please.
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
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
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #1
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #2
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Chandler Phillips – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Davis Riley – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Scotty Kennon – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Austin Duncan – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Will Chandler – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kevin Roy – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ben Griffin – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Peter Malnati – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ryan Gerard – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Adam Schenk – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kurt Kitayama – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Camilo Villegas – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matti Schmid – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
Pullout Albums
- Denny McCarthy’s custom Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Swag Golf putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Karl Vilips TM MG5 wedges – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- New Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matt Fitzpatrick’s custom Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.
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)
‘Why would anybody want to change that swing?’ – Brandel Chamblee says PGA Tour star was wrong to change his swing
‘The stupidest freaking thing I’ve ever heard’ – Billy Horschel slams Open idea suggested by Padraig Harrington
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Golfer proudly posts photo of ball mark on iron, receives immediate roasting
WITB Time Machine: Matthew Wolff’s winning WITB, 2019 3M Open
Oakmont Country Club bans Wyndham Clark over locker incident; Reveals specific conditions to earn reinstatement
Adam Scott puts Callaway blades in the bag at Wyndham Championship
Report: LIV star fires caddie and coach in shock shake up
Rickie Fowler makes equipment change to ‘something that’s a little easier on the body’
The championship formula: How 3 key stats separate winners from the field
Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
Mike K.
Sep 4, 2007 at 7:19 am
On the money! I’ve been to several quality tour events over the past two years, and walk away each time numb. I think to myself “These guys aren’t playing the same game.”
Simply amazing – and that goes for the LPGA as well!