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Morning 9: More on the LPGA Q-Series rules controversy | Tiger Woods’ Greg Norman snub?

Published

6 years ago

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By Ben Alberstadt
Email me at ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com and find me at @benalberstadt on Instagram and golfwrxEIC on Twitter.

November 5, 2019

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans. 
 
**Just a reminder we’re looking for advertisers for 2020. Drop me a line if you’d like to talk about getting your message in front of the M9 readership.** 

 
1. Checking in with Christina Kim
Golf Digest’s Brian Wacker spoke with the infraction-reporter…“Kim, who did secure her card, says she feels horrible about that but remains resolute in her decision to report the violation.”
  • “A lot of people think it’s [bad] that I waited,” Kim said, “but I didn’t want to make an accusation if there was a chance it was going to be a false accusation.
  • “I was very surprised [they didn’t know the rule]. I don’t want to say I am disappointed in them as individuals, but I am disappointed in the fact that [the violation] was even a possibility, that people claim to have seen it thousands of times. What shocked me was their lack of knowledge of the rules. Does that suck? Royally. Is it excusable? Absolutely not.”
  • And this…”It’s tough, too, because I know the people involved. They’re good people, but mistakes happen. Those mistakes have severe consequences, but that’s not to say they can be excused. I’m not going to [ignore the violation], because then I’m complicit and all three of us would deserve to be disqualified. It was a tough decision to make in that I care about these people, but I also care about the 95 other players in field. The only thing I regret is people had to be affected by an honest mistake, and it was all avoidable. I feel sad about that.”

Full piece.

2. “Thousands of times”
An interesting sidebar to this particular episode of rules intrigue: Kendall Dye’s suggestion, in the midst of a larger admission of guilt and apology, that her infraction is an exceedingly common occurrence.
  • Per Golfweek’s Adam Woodard…”Monday morning on Golf Channel’s Morning Drive, Robert Damron shot down Dye’s “thousands of times” assertion.”
  • “The fact that she’s said she’s seen this thousands of times is a crazy statement,” said Damron, adding he’s never seen it happen once on a professional level. Maybe at a club, sure. “I think that she’s confusing the fact that a caddie may flash a number to a spotter or a cameraman or one of the on-course reporters what they’re hitting, but it’s no way directed at the other players. No way did one of the other players ask them, ‘Tell me what you just hit there.'”
  • “Golfweek’s Geoff Shackelford was also on set Monday morning and agreed...”Ultimately it really does come down to a really simple thing: This is not something that has happened thousands of times,” explained Shackelford, who wrote a column addressing the topic. “We’ve all enjoyed the fun of watching a player go over and look in (another player’s) bag and see what was hit. To simply ask, what’s next … are you going to ask for help for a read on a putt? That’s why the rule’s in place.”

Full piece.

3. Snubbing the shark?
Our Gianni Magliocco…”Greg Norman has revealed how he heard nothing back from Tiger Woods after reaching out to the 15-time major champion following his 2019 Masters win which has left the Australian pondering whether Woods dislikes the Australian.”
  • “Speaking to Men’s Health Australia, Norman detailed what happened when he decided to hand-deliver a congratulatory letter to Woods after his Masters win this year.”
  • “Very few people know this: when Tiger won the Masters this year, I wrote him a handwritten note and drove down my road, maybe a quarter of a mile, and hand-delivered it to his guard at his gate. I said, “Hey, this is Greg Norman here. I’ve got a note for Tiger – can you please hand-deliver it to him?” Well, I never heard a word back from the guy.”
  • “Norman mused to the publication how perhaps Woods dislikes him, after comparing the perceived snub to how Norman and Jack Nicklaus interacted following the Australian’s first major victory.”

Full piece.

4. What’s ailing Phil? Commitment to the target, apparently
Golf Channel’s Will Gray...”Mickelson reached 17th in the rankings following his win at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February, but he’s been in the midst of a pronounced slide ever since. He hasn’t cracked the top 25 since the Masters and told reporters this week in China that at age 49 his issues were as much mental as physical.”
  • “I just haven’t played well. Just had a lot of stuff going on, and I just haven’t been really focused and into the mental side,” Mickelson said. “I haven’t seen good, clear pictures. I haven’t been as committed and as connected to the target. I just haven’t been mentally as sharp the last six, eight months.”

Full piece.
5. Poulter and Westwood won’t be voting Labour! 
David Wilcock for the Daily Mail…”Top golf stars have torn into Jeremy Corbyn’s tax plans after he blasted the super-rich.”
  • “English fairway stars Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood both criticised the Labour leader after he teed up an attack on Britain’s wealthy elite.”
  • “The millionaires lashed out online after Mr Corbyn said that ‘in a fair society there would be no billionaires and no one would live in poverty’. “
  • “Flamboyant Ryder Cup winner Mr Poulter, 43, who has spent time living abroad to minimise his UK taxes, branded the Labour leader a ‘complete buffoon’.”

Full piece.

6. Gary Player 
Interesting remarks from Mr. Player, via Sport24…”At a press conference on Saturday morning, Player pointed out that previous sports minister Tokozile Xasa had not shown any interest in golf.”
  • “If young people will only realise playing golf will help you in the business and it’s played everywhere in the world, and people in South Africa are reluctant to understand,” said the 84-year-old.
  • “Our previous minister of sport doesn’t ever include golf in their talks. They’re so naive because golf gets more publicity and coverage than any other sport because there’s a golf tournament almost every year and we have many South Africans playing, and gaining great publicity and good behaviour for our country.”

Full piece.

7. The nice guy roundtable
The gents at PGATour.com discussed Golf Digest’s “Nice Guy” list…
  • “MIKE McALLISTER: OK, Golf Digest’s list is out. What’s your reaction? Any surprises?”
  • “SEAN MARTIN: I want to know why ties weren’t resolved. Charles Howell III and Peter Malnati should have to duke it out for 19th and 20th place. A nice-off.”
  • “CAMERON MORFIT: Most glaring omission is Ben Crane, who is the only player I ever interviewed who insisted on making me lunch. He also wanted to play tennis after.”
  • “BEN EVERILL: It’s brilliant to see Gary Woodland get a place on this list [at No. 2]. He’s a quiet guy who has been through a lot but those close to him have always known he’s a class act. The world saw more of it with his relationship with Amy Bockerstette. Also, I’m proud to see four Aussies on the list — even though I could make a case for a few more!”

Full piece.

8. Joe Namath takes his shot
Broadway Joe! An excellent Golf Digest “My Shot” selection…
  • “I started playing golf when I was at the University of Alabama. Coach [Bear] Bryant might actually have introduced me to it. He loved the game and didn’t mind us playing. He was a blast to play with because the game kind of got the better of him. When he hit a bad shot, he’d get mad but couldn’t show it-pride, Southern manners and all that. But when he hit one crooked he’d growl under his breath just like a bear. You could hear the rumbles across the fairway. I thought it was hilarious, and I had to turn my head so he couldn’t see me laugh. On the football field he was the undisputed boss, but on the course, golf was the boss of him.”
  • “I got to playing so bad awhile back I was ready to quit. You’d never believe from the way I was hitting it that I once carried an 8-handicap. I went to see Matt Doyle, the head pro here at Turtle Creek. He’s a heck of a teacher, and he had me hitting it so good I was positive I was fixed. Within a few days, I was back hitting it sideways, with no recollection of what Matt had told me. The game is beating the heck out of me right now.”

Full piece.

9. Middle seat in coach! 
Daniel Rapaport for Golf Digest...”Brendon Todd has reason to celebrate. After a multi-year slump that saw Todd miss 37 of 40 cuts, drop outside the top 2,000 and consider quitting the game, the 34-year-old shot 62 on Sunday to win the Bermuda Championship.”
“…Time to pop bottles in first class, right? Wrong. Double wrong. According to a tweet from Golf Channel analyst Jim Galllagher Jr., Todd sat in a middle seat on his voyage back to the U.S.”

Related Topics:

Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

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Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

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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.

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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.

 

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News

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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