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Morning 9: PGA Tour looks to Nascar | NGF: Only 4 states’ courses remain closed | Pros want testing

Published

5 years ago

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1. All PGA Tour eyes on Nascar restart? 
Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard...”Nascar engines will be roaring again May 17 in South Carolina. Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard writes the gaze of PGA Tour will be fixed on Darlington Raceway.”
  • “Similar to NASCAR, the Tour has been touted as an example of a sport with built-in social distancing, and during a recent conference call with circuit officials there was a high degree of confidence play could restart next month at Colonial.”
  • “NASCAR’s primary footprint will be its best advantage in blazing a trail back to competition. Like the first four Tour events, races will be run without fans and teams will be limited to 16 members including the driver, owner, spotter and crew chief. That adds up to 640 essential personnel not including league officials, media and the television broadcast crew.”
  • “Compared to the 288 Tour players and caddies (144-player field), an estimated 500 to 600 volunteers and a to-be-determined number of officials and media that will be needed to hold the first event at Colonial, the potential risk is exponentially higher for the Tour.”
2. Pros want testing in place
Golf Digest’s Ryan Herrington conveys the survey, as it were. Question: “Which of the following describes your attitude about returning to competition”
  • 51 percent of pros selected…” C) I am only willing to compete if there is a comprehensive testing plan in place at every event.”
  • “D) I am not willing to compete until a vaccine or major medical development is in place…Eighteen of the 35 players (51.4 percent) said they most closely identified with Answer C, which stipulated the need for comprehensive testing at every tournament.”
  • “Players, who were told they could answer anonymously, were also asked to elaborate further regarding their thinking. Some chose to go on the record while others asked for anonymity, but their responses help frame the issues many within golf are weighing as they contemplate a return to competition.”
3. NGF: Only four states remain closed to golf
Golfweek’s Jason Lusk…”The National Golf Foundation reported Friday that soon there will be only four states remaining that bar golf during the coronavirus pandemic.”
  • “Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont are the foursome where golf courses have been mandated to remain shut indefinitely during the pandemic. Alaska’s courses are closed because of seasonality.”
  • “Courses in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Nevada, New Mexico and Maine were allowed to reopen Friday, May 1. New Jersey plans to allow its courses to open May 2 and Washington’s courses can open May 5.”
  • “The NGF reported earlier this week that 58 percent of the courses in the U.S. were open as of April 26, many with social distancing restrictions and other precautions such as only online payment and making walking required to prevent the spread of the disease that has killed more than 64,000 Americans and more than 236,000 around the globe.”
4. Harding Park reopens
Via the Golf Channel Digital team…“The site of this year’s PGA Championship is set to reopen Monday….TPC Harding Park in San Francisco had been closed since March 16, when a shelter-in-place was put into effect for six Bay Area counties. While the order has since been extended, a recent addendum was made to allow golf courses to resume operations under social-distancing guidelines.
  • “We’re pleased to announce that we will be open to the public for golf beginning on Monday,” read an announcement on TPC Harding Park’s official Twitter page.”
5. Tour pipeline: clogged
Golf Channel’s Ryan Lavner…Though understandable, the 2020-21 mega-season is a frustrating scenario for the Korn Ferry Tour elite. Even in limited action, players like Davis Riley have shown they’re ready to make the leap but now will have to wait as various hangers-on get another year of Tour eligibility. If the Korn Ferry Tour players are able to restart June 11, in a new event at TPC Sawgrass’ Dye’s Valley Course, they’re expected to play 11 more events, with no breaks and seemingly no immediate reward. Instead of the top 25 graduating to the big leagues, only the top 10 will receive limited access to the 2020-21 PGA Tour (through opposite-field events and perhaps a few other weaker tournaments), and they’ll all have to wait another year for a full promotion. There is also the unsettling scenario that a player could be in position for a full card after 2020, only to hit a rough patch next year and fail to be one of the top 25 graduates. 
  • “…If the PGA Tour isn’t promoting or relegating players after this current season, then it’s reasonable to assume that the Korn Ferry Tour won’t, either. Which means that the other feeder tours in Latin America and Canada and China would have to be at a standstill, too…With Korn Ferry Tour Q-School already canceled for this year, the pipeline is clogged.”
6. Teed off
Bill Doyle, Worcester Telegram…”Gov. Charlie Baker has closed golf courses in Massachusetts as nonessential businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, but courses in neighboring Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine and New York are open.”
  • “Golf course owners in Massachusetts are teed off. Not only that, Baker signed an executive order on Friday that makes wearing face masks in public mandatory.”
  • “Heritage is located less than 10 miles from the Connecticut border and Plante said some of Heritage’s regular golfers are traveling south to play.”
  • “It’s not only frustrating,” said Bill Plante, owner of Heritage CC in Charlton, “but can someone tell me, ‘Is the air different in Connecticut than it is here?’ Because that’s what we’re treating it like.”
  • …”Plante said he hasn’t heard about anyone contracting the coronavirus by playing golf in Connecticut. He pointed out that the golf season in Massachusetts usually lasts only six months so courses will take a huge financial hit by closing for a month or two. Losing golf outings and weddings will hurt as well.”

 

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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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News

Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

on

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

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

on

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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