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Tour Rundown: McIlroy’s Canadian adventure, Lexi in AC, and more

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6 years ago

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It’s the week prior to a men’s major championship, so the top golfers in the world found themselves near Toronto, getting one more week of reps in advance of a trip west, to Pebble Beach. The coolest golf event of the year took place in trendy Portugal, while the LPGA had its annual #ShoreThing in Atlantic City. Familiar names topped some leader boards, while a few surprises came our way on June the 9th. Have a glance at our rundown below. The nice weather has finally arrived!

European Tour: GolfSixes sees an unexpected winner in Team Thailand

Six-hole tournaments, we’ve said before, need to have more of a presence on the world’s professional golf tours. They demand constant attention, as changes happen at a lightning pace. Tournament organizers see them as an opportunity to debut new elements to keep fans enthused and happy. At this week’s GolfSixes Cascais, in Portugal, golfers teed off over a swimming pool, played a course specifically designed for this event, grooved to a variety of music feeds, and played a format called “Greensomes.” The two-golfer format allowed for true team and country spirit, and the gentlemen from the kingdom of Thailand held high the event trophy after the final match.

16 teams entered group play, including two women’s teams from Germany and England. Modeled on FIFA World Cup structure, each squad played the others in its 4-team group, with the top 2 from each group moving into the knockout stage. Surprise losers in stage one were South Africa and Ireland, but that’s the beauty of the format. With golfers each hitting a team shot, selecting one, then playing alternate-shot the rest of the way, the Greensomes format demanded reliance on the other for true team success. No one did it better than veteran Thongchai Jaidee and his prodigy, Phachara Khongwhatmai, although Spain, Italy and England’s Men did their level best. In the final match, England had a chance to win on the 6th hole (the Pool hole) but missed a short putt for birdie. The 2 teams returned to the tee twice more in overtime, going to an all-or-nothing, closest to the pin decider. Khongwhatmai locked in to about 24 inches, and the deed was done.

PGA Tour: McIlroy’s Canadian adventure sauces the field at the Canadian Open-June Version

Combine a great date (June!) with a classic venue (Hamilton golf club, known locally as Ancaster) and the world’s 2nd-oldest, Open championship returns to the herald it merits. From a guy who lives on the NY/Ontario border, the Canadian way is well-known to me. From penalty boxes, to referees, to hockey sweaters, to a little bit of sauce, Canada presented itself impeccably this week. Harry Colt’s Hamilton masterpiece was on full display, and the players embraced the venue and the attendees. Given the intervening decades and the advances in golf equipment, it’s safe to say that Old Harry would be just fine with what one Rory McIlroy did on his golf course on Sunday.

McIlroy bogeyed the 16th and 18th holes. That’s the story. Not because those 2 faux pas cost him victory; he won comfortably by 7 shots over Shane Lowry and Webb Simpson. Those two bogeys cost McIlroy a 59. Without them, he was 11-under on the day. McIlroy had 5 birdies heading out, including a nearly-holed pitch for eagle at the first. He had birdies from 11-14 to seal the victory and signal the 59 watch. Birdie at the last would have done, as the NIrishman followed his first bogey at 16, with eagle at 17. Alas, he tried to hard and made another bogey. 60, 61, not much difference. Is McIlroy the favorite for Pebble? Not really, but he was absolutely sublime in his first trip to the land of Maple Leaf.

LPGA: Lexi walks the boardwalk in Atlantic City triumph

We’ll get to the finish in a moment. Know this: Seaview is the least-long course the LPGA plays. In an era of technological wonderment, that’s not a sought-after designation. Pair it with the winds that chastise the Jersey Shore, however, and you get a golf course that plays, well, quixotic. How else to explain these final-day numbers from the top two golfers: 5 birdies, 1 eagle & 3 bogies; 5 birdies & 4 bogies. If you can’t control the height of your flight at the Shoprite Classic, you’re not likely challenging come Sunday sunset.

Jeongeun Lee6 had herself quite a week. A win at the US Open, followed 7 days later by a win 2nd-place finish at Shoprite. Lee6 found herself 2 shots clear of the USA’s Ally McDonald at the end of play. Trouble was, Lexi Thompson eagled the 54th hole to edge Lee6 by 1 shot. Yes, you read that correctly, eagle. It was a fitting end to a back-and-forth final round, when no one else seemed to matter. Each made some birdies and a bogey on the way out, then Lee6 had a 3-hole bogey run to seemingly give up the ghost. The thing was, Lexi bogeyed 2 holes over the same run of holes, so not much changed. Lee6 finished birdie-par-birdie to reach -11, but Lexi did her one better, finishing birdie-par-eagle to reach 4-under on the day and 12 deep on the week.

PGA Tour Champions: McCarron masters Narita in Japan for 3rd Champions Tour title of 2019

We’re not ready to say that the era of Langer will give way to the time of McCarron, but a case could be made. No other Champions Tour golfer has the ability to separate from the pack like the Californian, so pay close attention as major-championship season arrives in the coming months on golf’s senior circuit. McCarron made tidy work of the Narita golf club with a 13-under par total. He limited daily damage to one bogey each day, never threatening a big number. His play forced golfers to come after him with a low-60s round, but none did. With daily medal scores never dipping below 65, the super-low 60 from last week never materialized.

McCarron blends power with precision. Eschewing the draw for the power fade, he is most likely to find the fairway and the green. Unlike Langer, the steeliest golfer of a generation, McCarron is possessed of distraction from time to time, but none of it was in evidence this week. Billy Andrade made a front-nine run on Sunday, going 4-under through 10 holes. His bogey at 11, paired with a 3-under inward half from the champion, put an end to the challenge. Kirk Triplett closed fast to match Andrade at -10, 3 back of the winner, in a tie for 2nd. Oh, if you’d like to see McCarron hit a rare draw, check out the clip below.

Web.Com Tour: 28th year in Greenville sees a Gibson victory at the end

If you’ve never been to Greenville, you should go. Smack in the middle of downtown, is a waterfall. Not the crashing, vertical type you find in Niagara, but a casual, gentle slider that reminds all of the Carolina way. Never hurry, never worry, enjoy the ride. The weather, however, got in the face of all that slow jam, shrinking the event to 54 holes this year. Golf ended early Saturday afternoon, but was unable to wedge 1.5 round in on Sunday. The Webbers did battle with the knowledge that round 3 would be it. Would Michael Miller, former amateur stalwart, hold on for a massive win, or would someone come from the way-back to take the title?

It was the latter. Miller played well enough to win some week, with -3 over the final 18. He reached -18 on the week, and had a clean card with 3 birdies and 0 bogies in round the final. Rhein Gibson schooled Miller in how one goes about securing a Web Win with a dirty, nasty 63 over the final 18. Gibson rode an eagle at the 5th to an outward 30. He added 3 birdies coming home (remember, that’s how many Miller had on the day) for 33 and a 3-shot edge at -21. To show the importance of victory, Gibson shot from 32 to 7 in The 25 PGA Tour card chase. Miller jumped from nowhere (188) to 49th, but oh how far would a win have taken him! All part of school, they say.

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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

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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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