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Tour Rundown: 3M Open to the young, Paratore nearly perfect, Wu wobbles and McGreevy wins

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The European Tour began a six-week UK swing, at the Close House Golf Club. The PGA Tour rolled up on Minnesota, while the Korn Ferry Tour sashayed into Missouri. With the LPGA and Champions tours on the cusp of their own restarts next week, professional golf has made a cautious return to competition. Youth made a statement at two of our three events this week, while a heartwarming win for the grinders happened on the big circuit. Have a glance at this week’s Tour Rundown, the last one for July of 2020.

3M Open goes from the young to the older as Thompson succeeds Wolff as titleholder

A long time ago, Michael Thompson played golf at Tulane University, transferred to Alabama when Hurricane Katrina forced the closure of Tulane’s program, reached the number-one ranking in amateur golf, and was low amateur when Tiger Woods last won the U.S. Open. Since then, he has lived the life of a journeyman professional golfer. His first win came in 2013, at the Honda Classic—although he nearly won the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic. On Sunday, Thompson held off a slew of late chargers to capture win number two, at the ripe young age of 35.

Thompson and Richy Werenski walked in lock step all week. Never separated by more than a stroke over the first 54 holes, they held the third-round lead at 15-under par. On Sunday, each struggled for part of the front nine. Thompson was able to rebound from his third-hole bogey with two birdies closer to the turn. Werenski had the opposite result. He bounced back from his bogey at the third with a birdie at seven, but gave the stroke back immediately with bogeys at eight and nine. Werenski would play the inward half in minus three, and finish in a tie for third with eight other golfers.

The 2019 edition of the 3M Open was abuzz with Matthew Wolff’s out-of-nowhere win for the young’uns. Thompson contrasted perfectly with the young Californian. He had been on tours for well over a decade, with a modicum of success. Like Wolff, Thompson’s run at the title came out of the blue, and like Wolff, he was able to hold on down the stretch, as golfers made a run at the top. Charles Howell, Emiliano Grillo, and Robby Shelton each posted a Sunday round of 65 or lower but were only able to climb as high as the aforementioned third-place clump. Adam Long gave the best chase. He closed with 64, the second-lowest round of day four, to move to 17 under par. Playing six groups behind Thompson, Long had no margin for error. He amassed eight birdies on the day, but his lone miscue came late, at the 17th.

Long played his tee shot at the par 3 to the front of the green, where a back hole location was his goal. His birdie attempt raced 12 feet past, and he was unable to convert the par effort. In truth, he had to believe at that moment that he needed to make every putt, to have a chance at the title. The runner-up finish was his second of 2020. Thompson played error-free golf from the fourth hole on. He added birdies at 10, 16 and 18, and finished on 19-under par, after a Sunday 67. The victory gained him an exemption into the PGA Championship, in what will be his first major start since 2013.

Paratore nearly perfect in British Masters triumph

Renato Paratore earned a second European Tour victory this weekend at the Close House Golf Club, near Newcastle. The 23-year old Italian golfer featured for 62 holes before making his first bogey at the English course. So as not to let it be lonely, he made another two holes later, at the 11th. That was it, as the Rome native completed a three-shot victory over Rasmus Højgaard by playing one-under golf over the closing seven holes.

Paratore began the week a shot behind David Law, turning in an opening 65 over the Scott Macpherson layout. His Friday 66 brought him to the top, and there he was to remain through the trophy ceremony. Over the undulating layout, Paratore exhibited no weaknesses as he reached a total of minus-18 after round four. Even the runner-up, Højgaard, lost ground on Sunday to the man from the seven hills. Paratore was best in show for greens in regulation and, once on the shortest grass, made no mistakes.

British Masters 2020 was a masterful performance from a golfer who follows a lineage laid down by Costantino Rocca, and continued by the Molinari brothers. Without doubt, Paratore will be cast as the next can’t-miss prospect. If he can avoid such buffoonery, his career should be long and bear greater fruit.

A winner from back in the pack at the Price Cutter as Wu wobbles

Brandon Wu stockpiled 17 birdies and one eagle over three rounds at the Price Cutter Charity Championship. On Sunday, the magic left the wand and the former Stanford golfer faded away, to a 9th-place tie. His departure left the title chase wide open, and the run to the top was a busy one. Playing alongside Wu, José de Jesús Rodríguez sought his first Korn Ferry tour win since 2018, and he nearly played well enough to earn it. After a bogey at the par-five opener, where he slashed around the deep rough for a bit, Rodríguez stalked six birdies on the day. He finished at minus-five on Sunday, good for a total of 20-under par but, alas, runner-up in the event.

Runner-up to whom? Max McGreevy, of course, and why not? McGreevy played his college golf at Oklahoma, and earned a third-place tie earlier this year at the KF Tour’s Panama Championship. On Sunday in Springfield, Missouri, McGreevy roasted the Highland Springs country club course for six birdies and one eagle. He started six groups behind the leaders, but found his groove early and never stepped off the accelerator. McGreevy never looked as if bogey was in the picture; he hit 12 of 14 driving fairways, and 17 of 18 greens in round four. His closing 64 was the third-low round of the day, topped only by a 62 and a 63. The win was McGreevy’s first-ever in a four-round tournament.

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

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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

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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

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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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