Connect with us

News

Tour Rundown: Molinari runs away with it; playoff decides Women’s PGA

Published

7 years ago

on

The end of June brought heartbreak for a few golfers. Leads were given away in the final swings at more than one event. In one instance, the end was immediate. In others, the loss was delayed a bit, but still gut-wrenching. This is competitive golf, played under the searing sun of summer, a sun that always burns hottest when the stakes are highest. It’s best to remember that, as we welcome the cauldron of important events, held each July and August. For this week, we’ve five events to feature in our Tour Rundown.

PGA TOUR: Molinari scampers off with Quicken Loans

Francesco Molinari makes certain of things these days. He has a rotten playoff record (0-3) on the European Tour, where he also has 5 victories. Last month’s European PGA was followed by his 1st stateside win, at the TPC at Avenel Farms. On Sunday, Molinari found himself paired with Mexico’s Abraham Ancer, a former Web.Com Tour darling. Ancer posted 62 on Saturday, but needed something similar to separate from Molinari and the field. The pro from Mexico struggled to 72 in round 4, but stood near to Molinari’s magnificent, 4th round  62. The 6 birdie, 1 eagle performance included a run of 6-under through five holes at the back nine’s opening.

I had predicted on Twitter that Tiger Woods would shoot 61 on Sunday and win his first event of 2018. I wasn’t far off, despite being far off. Woods did shoot 66 and move into a 4th-place tie with Ancer. Problem was, only Molinari shot 62 and no one could catch him. His 8-shot victory was the tour’s widest winning margin of this campaign, and certainly pencils him in as a candidate for both a major title this summer, and a spot on the European Ryder Cup team in the fall. Bravo, Francesco!

LPGA TOUR: 2-hole, 3-way playoff decides Women’s PGA

Ryu So-yeon made double bogey on  Sunday’s 2nd hole. The Korean golfer, twice a major champion in her young career, shook off the misstep with four birdies against a single bogey over the next 14 holes. With a 2-shot advantage coming to the par-3 17th hole, the Colonel again reared her devious head, and a 2nd double brought the leader back to the field. Unable to birdie the 18th, Ryu went into a playoff with Park Sung-hyun, another young Korean of immeasurable talent, and Japan’s Nasa Hataoka, author of five birdies and two eagles in her Sunday 64.

As a proper introduction to Independence Day in the USA, fireworks ensued in Illinois. Both Korean golfers birdied the 18th hole, eliminating Hataoka. Play moved to the 16th hole, where each remaining competitor reached the green in regulation. With impending birdie putts, bad weather moved in and forced a delay. When play resumed, Ryu missed her effort, but Park was unerring. Her second overtime birdie brought her a fourth LPGA Tour win and second major in as many seasons. In 2017, Park debuted with a marvelous performance at the US Open. She leaves Kemper Lakes golf club as owner of the two most coveted titles in the USA.

CHAMPIONS TOUR: USGA Senior Open a battle of survival

Not nearly as traumatic as the Ryu collapse, Jerry Kelly’s finish at The Broadmoor in Colorado was slower and more painful. The affable Wisconsinite held a two-shot advantage as the race turned down the home stretch. Miguel Angel Jimenez had lost his momentum, and no one else offered the guise of worthwhile challenger. Kelly made the tournament a tournament by challenging himself, with back-to-back bogeys at 11 and 12. Unable to summon a birdie on the road in, he watched as David Toms dropped a birdie at 16, moving to -3, alone at the top. Kelly finished tied for runner-up with Jimenez and Tim Petrovic at -2. Paired with the magnificent Spaniard on Sunday, Kelly watched helplessly as his putts failed to fall, and the Iberian sank 2 birdies of his own on the closing holes. As for Petrovic, he also birdied the final hole on Sunday, for his best-ever finish in a senior major championship.

EUROPEAN TOUR: French Open to Noren, unexpectedly

Remember the name Julian Suri. The USA-born product of Duke University may go down in professional golf history as a one-off winner. If that is the case, he will remember Sunday as the day his train derailed. Suri stood proudly at the 15th tee, owner of a three-shot lead on the field. Bogey there dropped him to a 2-shot margin. Closing quickly was Sweden’s Alex Noren. The certain Ryder Cup member for Europe birdied 16 and 17 to teach -7, one back of Suri as the American reached the final tee. He hooked his tee ball left, then dunked his approach in Lake Le Nacional, sinking his victory hopes with the little white orb. Suri finished in a 2nd-place tie with Scotland’s Russell Knox and England’s Chris Wood, one behind the two-time champion at Le Golf Nacional, site of this fall’s Ryder Cup matches.

In other, odd news, only Justin Thomas (t8) of the USA saw fit to play the course in competition. Are the Yanks overconfident? Are they over-scheduled? Do they see the French course as too similar to their own, and not worthy of a trial run? Don’t be surprised if Thomas is the USA’s shining light come September, and if the Red, White and Blue is unable to follow its 2016 triumph with a needed win on European soil.

WEB.COM TOUR: Lincoln Land Championship ablaze in birdies

When, if ever, did a golfer need to finish -20 to secure a spot IN THE TOP 10? It happened this weekend in the land of Lincoln, on the Web.Com tour. 19-under got you a tie for 11th and a decent check, but wow! Anders Albertson strung 66-66-64-63 together for -25 and a two-shot margin of victory over Adam Long and Kramer Hickok. Long had 63 of his own on day four, but pars at the last five holes must have felt like bogeys on a day when everyone went low. Hickok had the lead on Saturday evening, and didn’t play poorly on Sunday. His first dozen holes featured 1 birdie against all pars, as race car after race car sped past. Awakening at the next, he birdied four consecutive holes to move within a stroke of the leader. Needing more magic over the final 2 fairways, Hickok bogeyed the 17th to drop away from the chase. As the Web.Com Tour moves into my backyard this week at the LECOM Health Challenge, I hope that the supply of birdies has not been exhausted. We’re due for some 4th of July fireworks at the Peek’N Peak Resort.

Related Topics:

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.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

News

Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

on

Aug 4, 2025

By

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.

Continue Reading

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

Published

4 weeks ago

on

Jul 29, 2025

By

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.

 

Continue Reading

News

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

Published

4 weeks ago

on

Jul 28, 2025

By

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)

Continue Reading

WITB

Whats in the Bag3 weeks ago

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...
Whats in the Bag3 weeks ago

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...
Whats in the Bag4 weeks ago

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. ...
Whats in the Bag4 weeks ago

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...

Facebook

Trending