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Morning 9: Knox leads in Mexico while Niemann plays for something greater | LPGA: Charley Hull leads | Most memorable U.S. Women’s Opens

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5 years ago

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By Ben Alberstadt
Email me at ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com; and find me on Twitter and Instagram.
December 4, 2020
Good Friday morning, golf fans. .
1. Meanwhile, in Playa Del Carmen…
AP report…“Russell Knox shot a 6-under 65 on Thursday at breezy and wet El Camaleon Golf Club to take the first-round lead in the PGA TOUR’s Mayakoba Golf Classic presented by UNIFIN.”
  • “The 35-year-old Scot birdied five of the last six holes on his opening nine, then played the final nine in 1 under with a bogey on the par-4 second and birdies on the par-5 fifth and par-4 sixth.”
  • “…Chile’s Joaquin Niemann was a stroke back with Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo and American Tom Hoge. Niemann is donating his entire prize money and $5,000 for every birdie and $10,000 for an eagle to help pay for a drug for his 2-month-old relative in Chile.”
2. Euro: Sullivan stays on top
Reuters report…”England’s Andy Sullivan carded a second-round 66 on Thursday to lead by three shots at the halfway stage of the Golf in Dubai Championship at the Jumeirah Golf Estates.”
  • “Overnight leader Sullivan shot five birdies and an eagle on the seventh hole of the Fire Course after a blip on the third that resulted in his first bogey. He went 17-under for the tournament.”
3. LET standout Hull leads LPGA VOA
LPGA.com staff…”England’s Charley Hull shot a 3-under 68 on Thursday and holds a one-stroke lead heading into the second round of the 2020 Volunteers of America Classic at Old American Golf Club. With six birdies, four of which recorded on Nos. 2-7, Hull managed to record her career-best VOA Classic 18-hole score.”
  • “I was so cold out there,” said Hull in a beanie and red parka. “I played pretty solid. The golf course is playing so much different than it did last year. It’s playing a lot longer, which I prefer. I struggled swinging the last two holes, I just got so cold. Along that lake you just get like freezing,” said Hull of her finish with a bogey on the penultimate hole.
4. Where things stand for the Tour entering 2021
Larry Bonahnnon, syndicated in Golfweek…”Unfortunately for the PGA Tour, the West Coast swing is shaping up to look like most of the last seven months played during the COVID-19 pandemic. While hopes of a vaccine grow stronger every day, that vaccine won’t change much for PGA Tour events in January and February. Events will still be played without fans and under strong restrictions including testing for players, volunteers and staff. Normal still seems a long way away for the Tour and other sports.”
  • “Could things change by the end of the West Coast swing? Will April and the Masters mean fans on the golf course again? Or is it likely that things won’t return to normal until late in the summer when the vaccine has had a chance to reach more and more people. For all the promise of the vaccine, large gatherings don’t seem like they will happen for perhaps even another year.”
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5. Most memorable U.S. Women’s Opens
John Strege at Golf Digest runs ‘em down…
Here’s his inclusion in the No. 2 spot…Babe’s comeback from cancer (1954)…”Fifteen months after undergoing cancer surgery, Babe Zaharias, at 43, became the oldest player to win the Women’s Open, running away with the title by 12 strokes at Salem (Mass.) Country Club, her third Women’s Open victory. “My prayers have been answered,” said Zaharias, who had missed the 1953 Open due to the surgery. “I just told the Lord to let me play again, and I’d take care of the winning. Today, we sealed the bargain.” Indeed, her performance was described in Golf World magazine as “the greatest sustained golf ever in a women’s championship.” At year’s end, the Associated Press voted her the female athlete of the year for the sixth time. Zaharias would not have a chance to defend her title a year later, forced to miss the championship because of back surgery that revealed the cancer had returned. She died in September 1956, at 45.”
6. Annika Sorenstam Named New President of IGF
USGA report…”The International Golf Federation Board elected three-time U.S. Women’s Open champion Annika Sorenstam as IGF president, effective Jan. 1, 2021. The election took place during a virtual meeting yesterday focused on long-term strategic planning and progress toward next summer’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Sorenstam succeeds Peter Dawson, who notified the board that he would not seek reappointment when his current two-year term expires at the end of the year.”
7. The coolest thing about Tiger, according to Justin Thomas
Golf.com’s James Colgan, quoting JT…“Probably the coolest thing for me is seeing him spend time with Charlie, just seeing how much he loves being around him [and Woods’ daughter Sam] on the golf course,” Thomas said. “He is such a good dad and he loves being around his kids.”
  • “JT isn’t the first to notice the importance of Tiger’s family in this latest stretch of his career. Woods’ emotional embrace with his children and mother, Tida, was perhaps the most memorable scene from his 2019 Masters win.”
  • “Still, Thomas says, Woods’ dedication to his kids might come as a surprise to some.”
8. Fowler with a Goofy round…
Golf Digest’s Alex Myers: “That hole was the par-4 12th, his third of the day. Fowler arrived there off a birdie-birdie start, but made a quadruple bogey 8 to quickly fall back to two over.”
  • “I think prior to this, one of my best days with some big numbers … I mean, Augusta [first round in 2013], I doubled 1 and I doubled 10 and shot 68,” said Fowler, who also double bogeyed the par-4 third. “This has to be the lowest I’ve shot with a quad, though. That doesn’t happen a whole lot.”
  • “According to PGATour.com’s Sean Martin, this was the first time in 885 career PGA Tour rounds that Fowler has ever shot under par while making a double bogey and an “other.”
  • “Following the early quadruple, Fowler added two more birdies before making the turn. After the double bogey on No. 3, he closed with four birdies over his last six holes, including his final two to finish in red numbers.”
9. Golf in the snow? Intriguing…
CBC’s Desmond Brown…”GolfNorth says golfers who hit the winter links won’t be hitting off the tees. Instead, they should look for a stake and tee off from behind it…The greens will not be in play so people will not be putting on normal greens. There will be a flag stick in front of the green,” Garside said.
  • “Your teeing area will be in front of the normal teeing areas on the golf course.  “It’s just more of an outdoor activity where people can spend some time with their family, friends and go and have a good time — people getting some exercise, and get you out of the house during COVID.”

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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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Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)

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