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Tour Rundown: DJ, Drewitt, and more
Feel like you’re watching a movie with a convoluted plot structure? That’s 2020—and yesterday was Labor Day. The U.S. Open takes place in two weeks, and the Tour Championship concluded…yesterday. The Mackenzie Tour (PGA Tour Canada) finishes an abbreviated, four-tournament schedule next week, one month after it began. The Korn Ferry Tour Championship took place last week, yet there are five events scheduled after it. The only way to cap this season would be to play the Old Course at St. Andrews in reverse. Actually, that would cap any season. Haven’t seen the clockwise routing in years.
This week’s Tour Rundown brings names like Pistorius, Catlin, and Drewitt to the headlines, and wonders aloud, can Dustin Johnson dominate the playoffs? With more golf to be played this fall, culminating in a November Masters in Augusta, we’ve much to anticipate this week and beyond, so let’s run it all down.
Tour Championship and FedEx Cup title to Mr. DJ
It’s implausible that Dustin Johnson continue to receive the Rodney Dangerfield treatment of No Respect after the 2020 golf season. He has won at least once in every full season since he turned professional, in late 2007. The Palmetto Powerhouse has 23 victories and a U.S. Open title to his name. Johnson is now one behind Gary Player and two back of Johnny Miller. This week, DJ added another laurel to his list of achievements, by nabbing the FedEx title that Rory McIlroy stole from him, this time last year.
Johnson began championship week as the number one seed, a position that saw him begin at 10-under par. Behind him was Jon Rahm at minus-nine. The Spaniard had a rotten day two, and try as he might, could only return to 4th spot, after 66s in rounds three and four. Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele tied for second behind the tall timber, with Schauffele posting the best four-round score of the week (265.) Johnson played the type of controlled golf that wins big events. His play this week makes him one of the favorites at both Winged Foot and Augusta National, sites of the year’s final two major events. Johnson is easily deserving of multiple major titles but, as Greg Norman and others might say, deserving and possessing are two different species.
Lincoln Land Championship to Drewitt by one
Brett Drewitt might be cautiously thrilled that the Korn Ferry Tour will play beyond the Tour Championship this season. The Aussie has embodied the moniker of journeyman since he turned professional some seven years back. He has seen the locker rooms of the world’s major tours, and been promoted and demoted with regularity. This week, he took a step in the proper direction by holding off three golfers by a single stroke, to claim the Lincoln Land Championship.
Charlie Saxon began the week with a 61, and held his lead through 54 holes. A closing 73 dropped him to a tie for 7th spot. Anders Albertson emulated Saxon in round two, signing for a 62. He entered the final round in 2nd place, but also wilted on day four. His 71 caused him to soar from 2nd to 5th position. The top four finishers all made a move of at least one place, with Drewitt moving from 3rd slot overnight. The closing holes were a challenge for all, and England’s Harry Hall came to the last in a tie with Drewitt. He made bogey there, to tumble into a tie for the runner-up spot. Joining him on the podium’s second level were two USA golfers, Ben Kohles and Austin Treslow. The tour continues on to the Evans Scholars Invitational, near Chicago, next week.
Andalucia Masters: Catlin claims first Euro title
2020 represents the highs and lows of golf for John Catlin. In August, he and his caddie were defaulted from the English Championship after they patronized a local restaurant. They had violated the European Tour’s Covid-19 Bubble protocol. Four weeks later, Catlin found himself atop the Andalucia Masters leader board through 54 holes, tasked with holding off Martin Kaymer if he wished to secure an inaugural, European Tour win. Piece of quarantined cake, right?
Kaymer is familiar with pressure. He has won two major titles and played on numerous international squads. Catlin boasts neither of those credentials. They and the rest of the field met a compounded task: Valderrama at its toughest. The site of the 1997 Ryder Cup gave golfers fits all week. Until Lee Westwood (out of contention) posted 67 in round four, no one had gone lower than minus-three all week long. That 67, by the way, lifted Lee 51 spots into a tenth-place tie.
Sunday revealed itself to be a battle of the bogies. Catlin made 4 of them, to go with his 14 pars. Incredibly, he won. Challengers Lorenzo Gagli and Jamie Donaldson posted 78s, and dropped into Westwood territory. Kaymer was a game opponent all day long, until he stumbled with three bogies over the final six holes. His five at the last was the gut-wrenching nail in the coffin. Catlin was able to par the closing quartet of holes, a stretch that moved him from one behind to one in front, of the great German champion. The European Tour plays on next week, moving westward to Portugal for that country’s Open championship.
CLS at TPC Toronto to Pistorius by one
Albert Pistorius must be thrilled that the Canada Life Series will close the tour season with its championship … on precisely the same course where the South African held off three challengers to win his first event of the ever-so-short season. Pistorius snagged the lead on Saturday with a seven-under par 64, then threatened to run away with the TPC Toronto event by making eagle-par-birdie to open up a commanding lead at ten under par. Just like that, the magic went partly away, and Pistorius struggle with four bogeys the rest of the way. A pair of back-nine birdies allowed him to return minus-eight. His 205 through 54 holes was enough to hold off Andrew Funk and Callum Davison of the host country. As suggested above, the Canada Life Series will end its run this week, as it again challenges the field with the Osprey course at TPC Toronto, in suburban Caledon.
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...
