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Morning 9: Poulter, Hubbard day 1 leaders | Hull wins Rose Series | TW x Pebble Beach short course marches on

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5 years ago

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By Ben Alberstadt
June 19, 2020
Good Friday morning, golf fans.
1. Poulter, Hubbard ahead at Hilton Head
From showcasing the horror of the COVID-19 nasal swab to the top of the leaderboard! AP report…”Ian Poulter and Mark Hubbard set the pace for good scoring through a brief spell of rain at Hilton Head.”
  • “Jordan Spieth was pleasantly surprised to join the chase Thursday in the RBC Heritage.”
  • “Poulter holed a 30-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole and finished with a 5-iron to 4 feet for another birdie that capped a 7-under 64, a round without a bogey but not without flaws. Hubbard kept his 64 together with two par putts at the end.”
  • “They had a one-shot lead Viktor Hovland, Sebastian Munoz and Michael Thompson among the early starters.”
2. Spieth’s wild 66
Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…“Maybe Spieth has become immune to it, but even after starting his week 3 over through three holes, there was no panic.”
  • …”Whatever gear was missing last Sunday arrived in force on the back nine just four days later. Spieth birdied the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh holes to set a career record for consecutive birdies on Tour.”
  • “And this wasn’t the standard “Jordan” round that was built on a nonstop parade of lengthy putts. During that six-hole span he rolled in a total of 38 feet of putts. Put another way, it was one of Spieth’s best ball-striking rounds in some time and he was first in the field in approach shots. More importantly, it’s another step in what has become a long journey back to competitive relevance.”
  • “Spieth closed another eventful day with a 5-under 66 and an early share of sixth place…”
3. Hull wins first Rose Ladies Series event
Golf Channel’s Randall Mell…“Hull holed a 15-foot birdie to defeat Liz Young on the first playoff hole at Brockenhurst Manor in England. It was the first of the new eight-event series founded by 10-time PGA Tour winner Justin Rose and his wife, Kate.”
  • “I haven’t held a scorecard in my hand since January,” Hull, a four-time European Solheim Cup player, told The Telegraph. “It feels so good to be back.”
4. Kraken constrained
Steve DiMeglio for Golfweek…”After bashing Colonial Country Club into submission last week in the Charles Schwab Challenge with tons of tape-measure tee balls, Bryson DeChambeau got knocked for a loop in Thursday’s first round of the RBC Heritage.”
  • “Courtesy of Harbour Town Golf Links…The tight, tree-lined seaside course with daunting overhang limbs and menacing doglegs had the muscle-bound DeChambeau feeling like he was in a straightjacket. So much so that he couldn’t fully make use of his favorite weapon – his driver, which he has taken to comparing to a mythical sea monster.”
  • “Around the golf course, I couldn’t unleash the Kraken today,” said DeChambeau, who has startled his colleagues by gaining 40 pounds and 15-20 mph ball speed by devouring five protein shakes a day and pounding the weights on a regular basis. “There’s no way I could unleash it. It was just too tight out there. The wind was swirling all day, and I couldn’t feel comfortable to give it a good whack, but I was still able to manage keeping it mostly in the fairway.”
5. TW x Pebble Beach short course 
Our Gianni Magliocco…”On Thursday, Pebble Beach Company and Tiger Woods unveiled plans for a reimagined short course facility at Pebble Beach Golf Links which will include a nine-hole par-3 short course, and a putting course.”
“In a press release on Woods’ website, Pebble Beach Company and Tiger Woods, through his TGR Design firm, revealed that in addition, the new facility would also feature a 5,000-square-foot food and beverage venue.”
“Per the release, the plans outlined are:”
  • A short course comprised of nine par-3 holes ranging in length from 47 to 106 yards and measuring 670 yards in total;
  • A 20,000-square-foot putting course that can be set up in a variety of different hole and routing combinations; and
  • A 5,000-square-foot food and beverage venue featuring a full kitchen and bar, indoor seating, and the resort’s largest outdoor patio positioned for expansive views of the short course, putting course, Carmel Bay, and Point Lobos
6. “Classic U.S. Open Courses Awarded USGA Amateurs”
That’s the press release headline… Geoff Shackelford’s perspective: “The good-things-come-to-those-who-restore movement continues as longtime USGA favorites Oak Hill and Southern Hills were awarded future championships.”
  • “Oak Hill’s two courses where Andrew Green has undertaken an East Course restoration set for a big national stage return in the 2023 PGA, with the U.S. Amateur now coming in 2027.”
  • “In 2024 Southern Hills, fresh off a Hanse Design restoration, will host the U.S. Women’s Amateur. It hosts the Senior PGA next year and the 2030 PGA.”
7. No mic for BK: boom is enough
Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…”On Thursday at the RBC Heritage, world No. 4 Brooks Koepka was asked about the topic and landed squarely on Thomas’ side of the conversation.”
  • “I don’t understand why they want us to wear a mic when there’s a boom mic that stands 10 feet away from every shot that I hit,” said Koepka, following a first-round 67. “If the announcers would just shut up and listen, you could hear every word that we’re talking about. I don’t understand what the thing is.”
8. Hadlinks Golf Club!
Golfweek’s Todd Kelly…”Minor league baseball teams for years showed great ingenuity in an effort to draw fans to the ballpark.”
  • “The Portland Sea Dogs, the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, is using golf to lure people through the gates at Hadlock Field in Portland, Maine.”
  • “…The Sea Dogs’ stadium will have nine holes, with golfers teeing off from nine different platforms at the skybox level.”
  • “The longest hole will measure 160 yards and golfers can only use 7, 8 and 9-irons and wedges. So no, you will not be allowed to attempt a “home run” with your driver. But you will be allowed two shots per hole.”
9. A taste of his own medicine 
Mercer Baggs at Golf Channel…“There was a time when Davis Love III was the longest hitter on the PGA Tour…In 1986, Love, then 22 years old, was in his second year as a pro. He led the Tour in driving distance, at 285.7 yards.”
  • “On Thursday, now 56 years old, Love played alongside Bryson DeChambeau and got an up-close look at what all the recent Bryson rage has been about.”
  • “Well, now I know how I made some guys feel, I guess,” Love said after a 1-over 72. “He got me really good at 16. That’s when I realized, holy moly, because I hit a good drive at 16 and he just flew it over into the corner.”
  • “For the record, DeChambeau hit it 335 yards at the par-4 16th. Love hit it 282 yards.”
  • “I’m still at my number I was back in ’86,” Love said. “You know, I hit it 285. That’s no good anymore. I progressed, and then I regressed.”

 

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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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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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