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Five Things We Learned: Saturday at the Masters

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3 years ago

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Consider Saturday to be the first act of a two-act thriller. The winds continued to gust at Bobby Jones’ place in Augusta, Georgia. With their currents came indecision, uncertainty, a bit of brilliance, and a plenitude of flown greens, missed putts, and deep sighs. The annals of golf journalism are filled with first-hand accounts of the importance of patience and equilibrium. At no other golf journey are those traits more valued than the Augusta National 18.

Scottie Scheffler and his fellow competitors were made aware of all this and more on the second Saturday in April. Amen Corner stretched to Amen Everywhere, as prayer was commonplace along the fairways of the former nursery and tree farm. Sunday promises to deliver more of the same, so if you count yourself among the faint of heart, be warned. With that optimism in mind, learn the five things we gathered on the third day of the book of Augusta.

1. There are victories that do not end in trophies

Tiger Woods was not expected to compete in the Masters this year. Tiger Woods was hardly expected to overcome the physical demands of the hills that define the fairways of Augusta. Tiger Woods most certainly would not survive the 36-hole cut, given that he had not competed for 14 months. When he achieved each of these things, we dared to dream. We thought that, if anyone could, he would. Saturday showed that the greatest golfer of all time was still human at the core.

As he did each of the first two days, Woods made bogey at the first. He followed it with a birdie at the second, but dropped two shots to par at the demanding fifth. Woods added bogeys at 10 and 11, but rebounded with birdies at 12 and 13. He held steady until the closing triumvirate of holes, when disaster or fatigue or physical weakness returned. The bogey-bogey-double finish was disheartening.

Is this week about winning? No. In fact, we suggest that this and the next two majors are all about preparation for the one grand title that Woods truly believes he can win: The Open at St. Andrews. We’ll see him tomorrow, and in May at Southern Hills, and in June at Brookline. And it will all build to a week in July, in the Kingdom of Fife, Scotland.

2. Golfers have layers

Shrek the cartoon figure told us that, like onions, ogres have layers. When golfers have layers of sweaters, vests, and long-sleeve tees, they don’t like it. The amount of outerwear in evidence in round three was astounding. These sorts of conditions are expected at Open Championships, or Pebble Beach in February, but not in Georgia in April. The cool temperatures, united with the aforementioned winds, blended with the extended tee decks of certain holes, made for an unwanted cocktail on day three at Augusta.

Check out Collin Morikawa’s ensemble for a bit more evidence.

3. The round of the day

Cameron Smith stood second to Im Sing-jae after Thursday’s first round. He struggled on Friday and lost three shots to Old Man Par. As we know, the spunky Aussie has little quit in him. If anyone was to match wits with Mother Nature on Saturday, it was he. Smith made six birdies on the day and lost but two shots to Sir Bogey. Those came at the third and 16th holes, but neither could be deemed catastrophic. Smith stands at six-under par after three tours round the course, and will tee off in the final pairing on Sunday. Remember what was written about patience and equilibrium? Watch Smith address any shot, and you’ll understand what each traits looks like.

4. The drop of the day

We haven’t seen anyone in the left trees on 18 since Jordan Spieth in…when was that again, 2018? Scottie Scheffler found them when he least expected to do so. Coming off a stout birdie at the 17th, Scheffler tugged his tee shot left and early. The ball was found, the unplayable lie penalty was taken, and Scheffler stood some 230 yards from the green in two. For those who rarely use the penalty, it’s beneficial. It saves strokes and injuries. Did you notice the drop? Twice it went outside the two-club limit, and thus he placed the ball. It’s true that the approach bounded over the putting surface, but Scheffler putted down to two feet and holed for bogey. No disaster, and a three-shot advantage over Smith heading into round four.

5. What goes down on Sunday?

It’s time for bullet points, so get ready for a line-by-line countdown of what we see in our crystal ball.

  • Tiger Woods posts three-under 69, including an eagle;
  • Scottie Scheffler leans on Ted Scott’s two Masters caddy wins and breaks par;
  • Cameron Smith plays so well that the expression Party In The Front, Party In The Rear takes the golf world by storm;
  • Someone defies all logic, global meteorological turmoil, and common sense, by holing out twice from the fairway for eagle. He signs for 62 to ultimately win in a playoff. Trouble is, the crystal ball got murky and we cannot read the signature. Alas…

Don’t believe us? Tune in tomorrow and become a believer.

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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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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

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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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