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Tour Mash: Inbee Park wins Olympic Gold in convincing fashion

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9 years ago

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Two shining weeks of Rio Olympic golf closed with the conclusion of the Women’s championship, while other events were contested in the Czech Republic, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Ontario. The PGA Tour qualified its final golfers into the Tour Championship series while the women looked toward their next major, the Evian Championshp in France. The amateur men crowned their U.S. national champion, and we retrieved our blender after a week off and came up with this tasty tour mash for you.

Inbee Park claims Olympic gold in women’s golf

The unique value of an Olympic medal was not lost on anyone on Saturday. Some golfers wanted it so much yet came up short. Others found the proper balance of emotion and execution. In the end, Korea’s Inbee Park triumphed by 5 strokes at 16-under par, with Lydia Ko of New Zealand claiming silver, and Shan-Shan Feng of China wearing bronze.

Park was never threatened on day four as she made a triumphant return to the winner’s podium. A thumb injury had reduced her from championship form to an afterthought, but Park’s total command of the Olympic course was a powerful reminder of the dominance she exerted on women’s golf over the past 5 years. Lydia Ko never quite connected her putting stroke to the Brazilian greens, but her effort was enough to secure a silver medal. On day four, Shan-Shan Feng surged just enough to edge a stroke beyond three other golfers and avoid a playoff for the bronze medal.

As for Team USA, well, Lexi Thompson took until round 4 to figure things out (T19), Gerina Piller cared too much in a closing 74 (dropped from 3rd to T11) and Stacy Lewis came up one inch short of a playoff for bronze, one of the trio at -9.

Si Woo wins in Greensboro while others qualify on

Si Woo Kim turned to the tenth hole on Sunday in 4-under par, 23 strokes deep for the tournament, but would later falter — maybe it was because he saw Mr. 58, Jim Furyk, in the rearview mirror. He bogeyed three of his first four holes on the inward nine, setting the gallery up for an exciting finish. A weather delay near the end of the round added to the drama, as well.

The young Korean golfer bounced immediately back with a 15th-hole birdie, and Furyk stumbled. Although Luke Donald would reach 16-under for second place, Kim closed with a punch worthy of Connor McGregor, birdieing the 18th for a five-stroke win. Hideki Matsuyama and Brandt Snedeker finished in a third-place tie, one behind Donald.

Kyle Stanley and Shawn Stefani moved inside the top-125 to advance to the FedEx Cup playoffs. For Stefani, the result was especially poignant, as the result secured his tour card for 2016-17. Dropping out of the playoffs were Matt Jones and Whee Kim, numbers 124 and 125 heading into the week.

Czech Masters title on European Tour in hands of Peterson

Every element of the 2016 Czech Masters pointed to Thomas Pieters defending his 2015 title. The Belgian had placed 4th at the Olympics and was on a course that suited his game. When he took the 3rd round lead, it seemed that the script was written. American Paul Peterson, however, was in charge of the rewrite and he gave the tournament a different ending.

Pieters has had trouble closing the deal this year. While his final-round 70 was a fine effort, it wasn’t enough to hold off the fast-charging Peterson. The Oregon State product had seven birdies on the day. More important, after each of his two bogeys, he bounced back with a birdie. Pieters bogeyed the par-five first hole, then played 3-under golf the rest of the way. Both he and Peterson birdied the closing hole. Pieters ended three strokes ahead of third-place finishers David Howell and Ryan Evans.

A lot of Luck at the U.S. Amateur 

The final match of the U.S. Amateur at Oakland Hills brought together two unique competitors; Brad Dalke of the University of Oklahoma matched up with Curtis Luck of Australia. Dalke committed to OU in 2010…when he was a seasoned human of 12 years of age. Talk about precocious! Luck, on his official Twitter account, describes himself as “growin’ beards,” specifically Mirin decent beards (whatever those might be!). After the morning round of 18 holes, the golfers were tied. Each finalist had won five holes in round one, setting the stage for a memorable afternoon.

Dalke burst from the lunchroom gate with a birdie to take a one-up lead. Unmoved, Luck went on one of the all-time great tears, winning 8 consecutive holes. His ridiculous run was highlighted by an eagle 3 on hole 2, birdies on 5 and 7, and pars on the rest. It’s not the Dalke played poorly, he just didn’t play well enough to win a single hole during the stretch. To his credit, Dalke made consecutive pars on holes 10 and 11 to cut the deficit to 5 holes. Luck returned to form, finishing birdie-par-par over the final three holes of the match to win the title, 6 and 4. Both golfers earned return trips to the 2017 Amateur, along with expected invitations to next year’s Masters and U.S. Open tournaments.

J.J. Spaun surges to back-nine win at News Sentinel Open

After nine holes on Sunday, Sam Ryder had increased his lead over J.J. Spaun by one stroke. Both golfers were in search of their first 2016 wins on the Web.Com Tour, although for Ryder, the stakes were higher. While Spaun held down the 5th spot on the Tour money list, Ryder was farther back, in 55th place. Ryder’s back nine turned out to be an acceptable one, three birdies against two bogeys. Unfortunately for him, Spaun awakened.

Spaun graduated from PGA Tour Canada to the Web.Com Tour, winning once last season. He used that experience over Fox Den’s final nine holes, marking five birdies against no bogeys on his card, to surge past Ryder by one slim stroke. Both golfers laid up on the par-five 18th hole, facing birdie putts of 12 feet for Spaun and 8 feet for Ryder.

As they say in golf, first in wins, and Spaun made certain that his putt dropped for birdie. Ryder could not counter and the victory was Spaun’s. With the victory, Spaun moved inside the top three on the money list. Although he didn’t win, Ryder’s runner-up finish was enough to move him inside The 25 who earn a PGA Tour card at the end of the regular season.

Mackenzie Tour-PGA Canada’s National Capital Open lasts 8 extra holes

Manav Shah and Jonathan Khan found out what pressure feels like in the final round of the National Capital Open. After lighting up the Hylands Golf Club in Ottawa for three rounds, they collapsed to 77 and 78, respectively, and tumbled down the leader board. Eager to exploit the opening was a trio of competitors.

Samuel Del Val and Adam Cornelson avoided the big numbers on Sunday, each posting 1-under on the day. Brock Mackenzie, inspired by the tour that bears his name, went deeper, reaching 3-under for the final 18. The result was three golfers at 15-under par, one stroke ahead of a quartet of pretenders. Off to the par four 18th went the trio, twice! After six pars, the playoff moved to the par-three third hole. Both Mackenzie and Del Val made birdie, but Cornelson stumbled to bogey and was eliminated.

It took two more visits to each hole (18 and 3) before Mackenzie was able to strike for another birdie and seize victory. Both Mackenzie and Cornelson firmed their grasp on their spots in The Five — the golfers who earn a Web.Com Tour card at season’s end. Del Val has a way to go, but moved inside the top-20 on the Order of Merit with his runner-up finish.

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Ronald Montesano writes for GolfWRX.com from western New York. He dabbles in coaching golf and teaching Spanish, in addition to scribbling columns on all aspects of golf, from apparel to architecture, from equipment to travel. Follow Ronald on Twitter at @buffalogolfer.

2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Rob

    Aug 22, 2016 at 1:00 pm

    Inbee Park a swing no one copies YET…….

    Reply Report comment

    • Steve

      Sep 28, 2016 at 4:46 pm

      Love that swing, prove positive how hand eye coordination trumps swing mechanics every time…..Inbee lets us all know when you have the talent you can do it your way…

      Reply Report comment

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Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

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Aug 4, 2025

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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.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

Published

4 weeks ago

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Jul 29, 2025

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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.

 

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BK’s Breakdowns: Kurt Kitayama’s Winning WITB, 3M Open

Published

4 weeks ago

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Jul 28, 2025

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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)

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