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Tour Rundown: More May showers from England to Texas

Published

6 years ago

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The ladies of the LPGA and LET had the week off, so we’ll have to make due with the lads. No worries there, as 5 of the world’s major professional tours were in action. “Fairway Jesus,” as David Feherty likes to call Tommy Fleetwood, hosted the British Masters in Southport, England, while the Asia-Pacific Open was contested in Japan. Stateside, the Webbies were in Kansas City MO, while the Oldsters did battle in the first of back-to-back, major championships on PGA Tour Champions. Finally, the regular PGA Tour met in Dallas at the linksy Trinity Forest, where rain did its best to delay and detour. Ultimately, the players sneaked in 72 holes.

We find ourselves in the midst of a new major timetable. From April to July, on at least one tour each week, a major is to be contested. More attention for that tour, more of a chance for establishment (or redemption) of one’s career, is on the books. Pay close attention this week at Bethpage, when the PGA Championship debuts in May, or next week in Rochester, when the Senior PGA returns to Oak Hill. With no disrespect intended toward other professional tournaments, major titles are the ones that catch the attention of the lightweight golf fan, turning her or him into a passionate one, if only for a weekend. On, then, to this week’s Tour Rundown.

PGA Tour’s Byron Nelson Classic has one victor, but much gratitude

While Sung-hoon Kang left Trinity Forest with a trophy and a big check, a handful of other golfers left with confidence. Coming into the season of many majors, that’s just as valuable. Kang lost the lead on Saturday to Matt Every, then reclaimed it Sunday morning, during the 3rd round restart. The two golfers handed the top spot back and forth through the entirety of the final 18 holes. Every had 5 birdies (and one bogey) over the first 6 holes, then Kang made a run with birdies from 14 through 16. The only way to separate was to play perfect golf, and the winds, wetness and diversity at Trinity Forest didn’t allow that, not for anyone in the final round. Check that. Scott Piercy was perfect. He birdied 6 of his first 8 holes to reach -20. He needed to reach 9-under on the day, but only one more birdie awaited. He tied Every at -21, two behind the victor.

In addition to Every and Piercy, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Peter Uihlein, Rory Sabbatini, Matt Jones and Tyler Duncan also came away with top-five finishes. Knowing that they were a run of birdies away from a challenge will stand them well as they travel half a country north, to near Long Island. Bethpage Black could not differ more from this week’s venue, but don’t tell that to those who left Dallas with the greatest prize: their confidence.

European Tour witness to Kinhult’s first triumph

Host Tommy Fleetwood gave everything he had to the 2019 British Masters, but with 6 holes remaining, he ran out of gas in an effort to hand himself the trophy. Next came defending champion Eddie Pepperell, he of the enviable wit and golf game. Pepperell reached the clubhouse at -15, and with golfers falling to their apparent doom behind him, looked a solid bet to at least reach extra holes. Bobby MacIntyre of Scotland joined the defender at 15 below par, and the pair waited for the final group to conclude play. Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult, with no wins to his name, played solid golf through the 14th, as Matthew Wallace alongside failed to separate himself from the field. Still chuffed at being ignored for a Ryder Cup captain’s pick last fall, Wallace has played with a sizable chip on his shoulder ever since. Over the closing six holes, with a chance to seize victory, the Englishman made six unfortunate pars, finishing on -15 with the earlier pair. Kinhult played as expected, making consecutive bogeys at 15 and 16 to begin to fall away. Just as suddenly, when all was certainly lost, he returned birdies at 17 and 18 to reach 16-under and shock the tournament field. With the win, the Swede’s OWGR status of 210 will certainly change, as he moves close to the top 100. For Wallace, an opportunity lost. For Pepperell, a near-defense. For MacIntyre, validation.

Gellerman claims first Web win at KC Golf Classic

Did anyone win this week, who hadn’t won before? I don’t think so. Holy smokes! In truth, I had no idea who Michael Gellerman was before today. I found his profile on the Web.Com Tour page, and thought that he possessed a face that combined Chris Farley with a young Ron Howard. In other words, middle America. Before today, Gellerman ranked 75th on tour; this evening, he sits at #8. Good week, wouldn’t you say? For the majority of the weekend, I expected that Argentina’s Nelson Ledesma would break through for his first victory. The Platense had 65 on Saturday, but certainly didn’t expect a 17-par, 1-bogey Sunday. Despite the absence of fuel on day four, Ledesma finished one excruciating stroke behind, in a tie for 2nd with Harry Higgs. Unlike the PGA Tour this week, many players had to feel like they let this one slip away, beginning with Ledesma. Luke Guthrie and Jack Maguire were even on the day and finished 3 back. Kyle Reifers was +1 on the day and sat alongside, at -8. Gellerman’s winning round was opportunistic: he made a birdie here, than a bunch of pars. Another birdie, then a second string of pars. When he birdied the 13th, the game was on. No one would catch him, and season-long goals would need a review.

Asian Tour sees Asaji’s inaugural victory on home soil

It seems that a stellar young prospect emerges from Japan every decade or so. Ryo Ishikawa and Hideki Matsuyama have shown their skills in recent years, and the future seems bright for amateur Ren Yonezawa, who posted 2-under par this week at the Sobu country club. That number tied him with the USA’s Micah Lauren Shihn at the end of 72 holes, but the pair found itself staring up at Yosuke Asaji, who eclipsed them by one with -3 total. The victory was Asaji’s first on the Asian Tour, Asaji and Shin were the front-runners entering round four, but each struggle to a +1 score of 72 on the final day. In contrast, Yonezawa played brilliantly, tying for low round of the day with 68. For Asaji, the victory validated years of toil on practice ranges and putting greens; for the young Yonezawa, the almost-was signals an opportunity to ascend the WAGA rankings and perhaps make a career of professional golf one day.

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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.

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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

on

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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WITB

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