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Thursday on Tour: 5 things we learned
The magic of a returned PGA Tour moved to coastal South Carolina, with the playing of the first round of the RBC Heritage. A state and a half away, day two of the King and Bear Classic witnessed the continued, stellar play of a field of almost-there touring professionals.
With no fan attendance on either tour, the full focus continues to be on the players and their movement through a COVID-19 world. Testing continues, caution is evident across each venue, and the golf reaches new levels of excellence each week.
We’ve never written 5 Things We’ve Learned for 2 simultaneous tournaments, but if ever a time deserved a debut, this is it. Thank you for checking in to today’s installment of 5 Things We Learned on day 1 at the Heritage, and day 2 of the King and Bear.
RBC Heritage
5. Twitter presences tie for 1st-round lead
Whether it’s an up-close-and-groddy video of a COVID-19 nasal swab, or an interesting handle, Twitter comes through as a parallel universe for the first-round leaders at Harbor Town. Ian Poulter had seven birdies on Thursday, on a course that rewards his accurate play. The Ryder Cup hero was at home along the low-country fairways on Hilton Head Island, as he took a PGA Tour lead for the first time in 2020. Poulter’s last tour victory came in 2018, at Houston, on a course as different from this one as, say, Poulter is to Mark Hubbard. #HomelessHubbs was fire himself on Thursday, pairing a course of five birdies with an eagle appetizer, to join #Poults at the top. Hubbard last won in February 2019, at the Korn Ferry Tour’s LECOM Suncoast Classic. Hubbard came 2nd to Lanto Griffin at last fall’s Houston Open, and had notched 28 rounds in the 60s before the PGA Tour’s quarantine hiatus.
4. The two faces of Webb Simpson
The Demon Deacon stood at -6 through ten holes this afternoon. 8 pars later, he finished at the same number. Is the back nine more challenging than the front at Harbor Town? Depends on whom you ask. For Simpson, there was a golden opportunity to go super-deep on day one, and establish himself as solo leader. Simpson hit seven of eight greens in regulation, saving par at the 17th from three feet. The other seven greens saw him miss birdie opportunities from 10 to 30 feet. No better case of putter-goes-cold than Simpson’s today. No one complains of 65 for 2nd place, 2 shots behind the leaders, but Simpson can be forgiven for wanting a bit more out of a round that saw him essentially hit 16 of 18 greens.
3. Those young guys, again
Viktor Hovland tasted victory at the Puerto Rico Open in late February. He’s back for seconds, standing at 65 after round one. Sebastián Muñoz won last fall in Mississippi, and matched Hovland’s 65 on Thursday. It’s always difficult to delineate between young guys and kinda young guys and established young guys. Both Vik and Seb can add to their cachet by notching tour win number two this week, on a course not reserved for bombers. Win here, and you demonstrate patience, accuracy, and strategy.
2. Spieth Files
That old saw about watching car races for the crashes, comes to mind with Jordan Spieth. Half a decade ago, we thought that he might be the a guy to challenge the all-time greats in the majors. Spieth found a way to win three of them, then lost that way. Recently, when he finds himself in contention, a lack of confidence or focus (or perhaps, both) leads to a flameout. Last week, it was a four-putt green at Colonial. No one wants to see it happen to the young Texan, yet it lurks. On Thursday, Spieth had triple bogey on the day’s third hole, number twelve. It’s hard to determine which shot was the worst of the seven: the lost drive or the twitched 2nd putt. The 4-time major winner clawed back, with birdie at the next hole, then a front nine for the ages. 6 consecutive birdies came his way, from 2 through 7, followed by another at the 9th for 29 and 66. Is he a thrill ride? Yes. A spin-out? Sometimes. For all that, he is Jordan Spieth.
1. Predictions, please
Most likely to do just about anything: Do you have to ask?
Most likely to keep the ugly jacket in state: Matthew NeSmith. Played college golf at USC (the eastern one) but never won like we thought he might. Perhaps as a pro?
Most likely to say, Hello, USA: Matthew Fitzpatrick. It has been 7 years since his US Amateur triumph at The Country Club. Fitz has 5 wins on the Euro Tour, but none since 2018. Runner-up to Erik van Rooyen, tied with Fitz at 65.
The King and the Bear Classic
5. Let’s do it again
Vince India and Brett Coletta matched 63s on Wednesday. That was fun, so they matched 66s on Thursday, and stood for the halfway lead at 129. India bogeyed his final hole (#9), while Coletta made birdie at his (#18) and, in this case, the twains did meet. On Friday, India will play the course in proper order for the first time. Will this impact his performance? It might. Coletta will attempt to shake off Thursday’s lackluster front nine (2 birds and a bogey) and do some damage there in round three. Come to think of it, they might just match cards again in round three, and leave us in the dark until round 4.
4. Tour Guy Check In
Chris Kirk is more associated with the big tour, so his presence on the KFT begs the question, why isn’t he at Harbor Town? No matter, Kirk won four times on tour, from 2011 to 2015, but since then, it has been a mixed bag. The Georgian left the course bogey-free for the 2nd consecutive day. That sort of control might be the difference-maker come Saturday (sounds weird to write that, I know) and might be the ticket back to full-time PGA Tour status.
3. Z & D
Will Zalatoris made a name for himself at Wake Forest, before leaving the college ranks early. Davis Riley played four years at Alabama, then dipped his toes in the professional game. Zalatoris sits 2 behind the leaders, while Riley is a one shot farther back. They fit the profile of young guy wants to win now contestant, so you could do worse than back either one as we pass the halfway point.
2.Don’t you …
…forget about me. Mickey DeMorat and Justin Lower might wonder why we haven’t written about them yet. When you’re not a household name, you need to give us 36 holes before we make some noise. Or is it, you need to make some noise? No matter. DeMorat had 64 today, the 2nd-low score for round the 2nd. He led the Great Abaco after 36 holes this year, but found trouble on the weekend and posted a t47. Here’s to a better response this week. Lower tied for 11th at Great Exuma, and had a top-25 finish in the tour’s return last week. He matched yesterday’s 65, and who doesn’t love consistency? Four of those will win him the title, without doubt.
1. Prediction Time
Guys who might catch fire: Dawson Armstrong and Wes Roach. Both had 63 on Thursday, and if one or both can replicate on Friday, watch out!
Most likely to trend low: Ben Martin. Went from 68 to 64, and used to bet that guy, the one for whom much was predicted. Time to reclaim the skillset of the mid 2010s.
Most likely to prove me wrong: Taylor Pendrith. Still making bushels of birdies, but 2 bogeys and a double are hard to counter. I’m not selling just yet, but I’m close.
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...
Nick
Jun 18, 2020 at 7:40 pm
I’m pretty Spieth has only won 3 majors.