News
Kelly Kraft takes aim at John Peterson on social media
Returning home from the CJ Cup, Chesson Hadley took to social media for some light venting after a plane at his gate caused him to miss a connecting flight from Denver to Raleigh. The mild-mannered Hadley probably didn’t expect much to come from the post, but after former PGA Tour professional, John Peterson, chimed in on the subject, and things got interesting.
Peterson, who officially retired from the professional golf in September after failing to keep conditional status on Tour having missed the cut at the Web.com Tour Championship, replied to Hadley’s post in typical forthright fashion.
Hey man, the money ain’t always worth it. I saw my family today, and yesterday, and the day before that, and that, and that, and that, and that. #fam
— John Peterson (@JohnPetersonFW) October 23, 2018
Hadley responded to Peterson’s post, telling the 29-year-old that although he agreed that his last tournament wasn’t worth it, “the one before that was”, referring to his T2 finish at the CIMB Classic which netted him over half a million dollars in prize money.
The curt reply from Hadley appeared to end the affair, until Kelly Kraft came to the table, indignant at Peterson’s remark.
Don’t knock us on the @PGATOUR for living our dream of playing golf at the highest level. Especially when you know damn well you would be too if you didn’t lose your status. We still see our families, You can take as many off weeks as you want if you work hard and are good enough
— Kelly Kraft (@kkraft11) October 23, 2018
Kraft, who is currently ranked 157th in the world, clearly felt Peterson’s opinion represented resentment at his failure to secure his playing rights for the 2019 season. Despite his assertions that he’s all good with Peterson but feels that “he’s out of bounds with this one,” the dispute is not the first on social media between the two.
Earlier this year, Kraft called Peterson “so bitter it’s unreal,” and after the latter posted news of his application for reinstatement for amateur status, Kraft asked Peterson: “So you still want to travel around and play golf, but now you just don’t want to make any money doing it?”
After Kraft’s recent scolding of Peterson, the former PGA Tour professional simply stated “Here we go” in response. With these two involved, it’s safe to say that this particular difference in opinion isn’t over yet.
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...
Geoffrey Holland
Oct 24, 2018 at 7:08 pm
I’m confused. Based on the hair the face and shirt I’m thinking Kelly Kraft plays on the LPGA?
hrfdez
Oct 24, 2018 at 7:43 pm
Awesome!
Smith
Oct 24, 2018 at 9:24 pm
Wow, calling out someone as a woman because of a pink shirt? You’re a couple decades behind the times, my man.
Geoffrey Holland
Oct 25, 2018 at 2:04 am
As I clearly had stated, based on the hair the face and the shirt.
And speaking of being behind the times I’m not your man. Nobody actually says “my man” anymore and they haven’t for at least three decades.
art Williams
Oct 24, 2018 at 7:07 pm
C’mon. The only fighting between members of professional sports should be on the ice or in the ring or cage. It’s not becoming for PGA Tour members to be exchanging such messages on social media. As an aside, I read some months ago that Phil is the leader in the clubhouse on tipping so that question is not up for debate!
JJVas
Oct 24, 2018 at 3:17 pm
Ugh… come on. Maybe the next article can be about which golfer tips the best in restaurants.
Mike Honcho
Oct 24, 2018 at 7:17 am
Hey Gianni,Inside Edition called. They’re looking for a weekly golf gossip segment host.
Evan
Oct 24, 2018 at 4:40 pm
You read it and commented on it.
Brandon
Oct 23, 2018 at 7:56 pm
This website really needs to get rid of all its millennial “journalists”.
DJ
Oct 24, 2018 at 4:42 pm
“Millennial”. What a dig!
Mike Honcho
Oct 25, 2018 at 7:12 am
Ergo what Evan??? I have stop and explain the whole concept of read and comment to try and dissuade future stories like this on the site? We want golf news not golf drama/gossip. I’m surprised you took time out from watching Bravo to comment on my comment.
Derek S
Oct 26, 2018 at 7:57 pm
Clearly you’re not getting enough Bravo. You’re totally in rage. You read it and even commented on it. Were you expecting an article about a new Taylormade driver that would allow you to fo from 190 yards to 250? Here’s a tip, DVR some shows on E channel as well.
Jamie
Oct 23, 2018 at 4:28 pm
Faux journalism. This is a worm looking for blood. Too many of those around. Don’t. Just don’t.
Wasn't Raised in a Country Club
Oct 23, 2018 at 4:21 pm
Why is pro golfers timing their trip home even a thing? I think his first post was somewhat a joke, but the fact that I’ve seen multiple pros do this leads me to believe they probably complain about it a good bit. Ask a veteran how long it takes to get home from deployment. Just a complete disconnect with the actual world.
carl
Oct 23, 2018 at 3:49 pm
Gianni can you find some real news to write about?
TLW
Oct 25, 2018 at 1:31 pm
No, he cannot. I cringe everything I see his or click bait Ben’s picture.
A. Commoner
Oct 23, 2018 at 2:16 pm
Who in the devil are these guys (golfers)? Also after several attempts, the writer should find something else to do.
Lee
Oct 23, 2018 at 1:14 pm
Worst article ever written. This is not journalism, it is reading some dumb tweets and then re-posting them as an even more worthless story
Evan
Oct 24, 2018 at 4:44 pm
You read it and commented on it. You sure it’s the worst?
Lee
Oct 24, 2018 at 6:22 pm
GolfWRX was an independent equipment blog with good content. Now owned by a media company, and they post stories about unknown players tweeting each other. I am just angry that this website now sucks and content standards are a total joke!
Aaron
Oct 23, 2018 at 12:29 pm
Peterson’s out of line on this one. I don’t blame The Snapper or Krafty for putting him back in his place.