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Tour Rundown: McIlroy sizzles with 62 | Grant on another planet in Scandinavian Mixed

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3 years ago

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June is a curious month, with weather patterns that defy predictability and logic. The skies sweat, flash bolts of anger and blow hearty winds. In the next moment, all around is calm. It’s also a month that typically features a major championship or two, and at times, an international team event. We’ve covered the Curtis Cup extensively in its own space, but have plenty of tour results left over to fill your reading minutes. Join in as we detail the efforts of the five champions who hoisted trophies across the professional golf world in this week’s Tour Rundown.

PGA Tour: McIlroy sizzles with 62 to defend in Canada

At times, it’s the children we have that clarify what legacy truly means. As a husband and a father, Rory McIlroy understands the opportunity he possesses to leave a legacy on the game of golf and on the world. McIlroy was compared, far too often, to Tiger Woods in his early days. Some wins came, while others slipped away. Now in his 30s, the Northern Irishman has found a home in Canada, at least when it comes to that country’s national championship.

The 2022 playing of the Canadian Open was its first since 2019. COVID had forced the cancellation of the storied championship, and it was quite fitting that it returned on one of the great, golden-age courses of Stanley Thompson. St. George’s is a brilliant piece of golfing land, similar in ways to Merion, the host of this week’s Curtis Cup. It is not a typical Tour course, and as such, can be susceptible to low scores. That’s fine, because these lads don’t play it every week, so it should not be retrofitted to their games.

McIlroy averaged a shade above 65 for his four rounds across the Etobicocke track. His final-round 62 was a thing of beauty, and he needed to shave every shot he could. Lifelong pal Tony Finau was on his heels all of Sunday, and recent PGA champion Justin Thomas wasn’t far behind. Rory was eight under on the day when he stepped to the 13th tee. He made a bad swing and signed for his first bogey of the afternoon. Three holes later, he did the same and another par three humbled him with another bogey. Meanwhile, playing partner Finau simply played error-free golf, and posted six birdies on the day for 64.

McIlroy was able to level the ship. He followed his second bogey with two closing birdies to keep Finau at bay. With the U.S. Open at Brookline this week, so many top players are trending toward potential glory, we can hardly sit still. If the fans at The Country Club can merely approach the love of game and tradition that Canada shows each year without fail, they will do well. We’ll leave you with a bit of them.

DP World Tour: Grant on another planet in Scandinavian Mixed

Once upon a time, a couple of Swedes had a grand idea. Bring the best female and male golfers together, play them from appropriate tee decks, and see how they would match up. In 2022, the Scandinavian Mixed saw one of those golfer, Henrik Stenson, post 15-under par and tie for second, with Marc Warren of Scotland. Just a few shots ahead of them, at 24-under par, was Stenson’s countrywoman, Linn Grant. In a dominating performance not likely to be repeated this year, Grant averaged 66 on the week, including a closing 64. Her swing never wavered, and her demeanor and composure were steady.

On the week, Grant had four bogeys, and she was done with that silliness on Friday evening. She would play a flawless weekend, with the weight of many eyes and opinions on her carriage. On Saturday, four birdies and an eagle brought her to 66. On Sunday, eight birdies in the first fourteen holes allowed her to cruise to the final green with pars for 64. Much as those in attendance at Merion discovered the glory of Amari Avery’s swing, those with eyes on Tylösand witnessed a swing without flaw. Congratulations, Linn. Congratulations to all.

LPGA: Henderson outlasts W-W in Jersey playoff

The hard part about being a young phenom is the parlay into old phenom. It’s not easy to continue to shock and dominate the golf world. Brook Henderson was that golfer, but then the USGA told her she could not swing her 48-inch driver shaft any more. She’s had eleven wins on tour, but hadn’t closed one out since L.A. in April of 2021. This week, near Atlantic City, Henderson pulled off out one of her patented, final-round comebacks. This time it was good enough to secure a spot in a playoff.

Matching wits and game with the Canadian was Lindsay Weaver-Wright. W-W hung around for 2.5 rounds, then finished with four birdies in six holes to equal Henderson’s minus-twelve total. The pair returned to the 18th tee, where both had signed for birdie four in regulation. This time through, Henderson went even lower. Her eagle clinched her first win of 2022, and perhaps gave her the confidence to return to the top strata for which she was headed before Covid. Want eight minutes of Brooke? We’ll oblige!

Korn Ferry Tour: It’s Robby in another playoff finale

Robby Shelton was one of those UAlabama guys who seemed to win everything in the mid 2010s. He played on the USA side in the 2015 Walker Cup, alongside Justin Thomas. Shelton found that professional golf would require more of a grind. He appeared poised to break out in 2020, after two Korn Ferry wins in 2019. Covid hit, and Shelton’s quest was delayed.

This week in South Carolina, 2019 Shelton vintage returned, but not without drama. After posting 61 on Saturday to take the lead at the BMW Charity Pro-Am, the Mobile native needed par at the last to win outright on Sunday. He made bogey, and fell into a tie with Ben Griffin. The duo returned twice to the final tee, and both times, Shelton made the par that eluded him during regulation time. In the second overtime, Griffin wavered to a bogey, and Shelton had his third Korn Ferry tour title, and a leg up on a spot on the PGA Tour in 2022-2023.

PGA Tour Champions: Thongchai  breaks through on Senior Circuit

Thongchai Jaidee won 13 times on the Asian Tour, and on eight occasions on the European Tour, during his younger days. During his even-younger days, he was a paratrooper in the Royal Thai army. Jaidee made occasional forays onto the US PGA Tour, but was never able to secure a victory. At the age of 52, Jaidee made a 53rd hole birdie, on the heels of a bogey-six at the 52nd hole, to hold off Tom Pernice, jr. for his first stateside win.

Over the course of three days at University Ridge, Jaidee showed us a little bit of everything. Day one was a mish-mash of bogeys and birdies accompanied by a holed approach shot for eagle on the par-4 15th hole. Day two was a brilliant one, with seven birdies and 11 pars hogging space on the scorecard. With the lead, Jaidee drew on his years of competitive experience and made six birdies against two bogeys and had enough chute to land safely and avoid a playoff.

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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

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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

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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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