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Tour Rundown: Third major for Chun | Xander | Harrington

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3 years ago

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As the golf season truncates, major events are played nearly every week. As greater support and visibility are offered across all genders and ages, the golfing public is compelled to keep its level of excitement at a fever pitch. This week, Merion; next week, Brookline. The following week, Congressional. And in July, the Old Course at St. Andrews. It simply doesn’t end. How fortunate are we who are able to follow these exciting pathways!

This week, the PGA Championship for women was held at Congressional Country Club, near the capital of the USA. The PGA Tour traveled across New England, from Brookline to Hartford. The DP World Tour celebrated an event in Germany, while the Korn Ferry Tour relocated to Maine. As for the USGA, it moved its staff from Massachusetts to Pennsylvania, to run the USGA Senior Open for men. The highways and byways were busy with travelers, but we are still able to run down the best of five tours. Please, join us!

USGA/LPGA: PGA Championship is Chun’s third major title

How much of a lead does one golfer have to establish, to post 75-75 on the weekend and still win the tournament? For In Gee Chun, the answer was somewhere around seven or eight strokes. The Korean champion surged ahead of her peers through 36 holes, then fell behind a surging Lexi Thompson. The finish was one for the ages, for good and bad reasons.

Thompson has been a hard-luck competitor over the years. She has surged in many a major, only to fall back and come oh-so-close. Sunday in June of 2022 was a replay of those crushing defeats. Thompson began the day with two birdies in three holes, to make a move as Chun faltered. Meanwhile, In Gee stood plus-four on the day through nine holes, and had fallen off the pace. Even when Thompson faltered with bogey at the seventh, she still held a lead as they turned for home.

It was then that Chun steadied herself. She played the inward half under par, which is what champions do. Thompson came home with the unsteady gate of a newborn pony. She posted four bogeys against two birdies, and finished one excruciating stroke behind Chun, in a tie for second with US Open champion Minjee Lee. The win was her third major, after previous triumphs at the Evian and the US Open.

USGA/PGA Tour Champions: USGA Senior Open nearly escapes Harrington

Padraig Harrington knows what it’s like to have a major title handed to him by an unfortunage opponent. On Sunday, he nearly bequeathed a similar gift to Steve Stricker. Harrington carried a sizable lead into round four at Saucon Valley, only to blow his advantage by the 11th green. Steve Stricker gathered six birdies from the 8th hole on, to reach nine under par with the day’s low round of 65. Just when all seemed lost, Harrington secured a birdie at the par-four 15th, then parred his way in for a one-shot margin of victory.

Harrington stood at eleven-under par through three rounds, and seemed in total control of the Senior Open. His game on Sunday was all about holding on and trusting that things would work out. With nothing to lose, Stricker played wth the opposite mentality. His putter was hot and his scorecard turned red with birdies. Unfortunately for the Wisconsin native and the 2019 champion of this event, his recovery would end one shot shy of a playoff. Harrington would convert a few clutch putts down the stretch, to earn a first USGA title.

PGA Tour: Travelers Championship to Schauffele

Eyes were on the final pairing of Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay as round four commenced near Hartford. By day’s end, a Massachusetts amateur nearly stole the show and the title. The pair who were invincible as a team at the most recent Ryder Cup, played mundane golf on Sunday at River Highlands. While Schaufele stumbled to a one-over front nine, Cantlay was erratic beyond words. Four bogeys, a double, and two birdies saw him to 39 and what would ultimately be an 11-spot drop, to 13th place.

As the cards were dealt, J.T. Poston and Sahith Seegala emerged as Schauffele’s challengers. Each would finish at 17-under par on the day. Would it be enough to catch the Olympic gold medalist? Also ringing bells was New England amateur Michael Thorbjornsen. The former US Junior champion parlayed four birdies and an eagle into a challenge of his own. Bogeys at 12 and 13 ended his charge, but the Stanford student and golfer would awaken memories of Francis Ouimet in his attempt at winning against the professionals.

In the end, it was Schauffele for a sixth PGA Tour win, at 19-under par. Is a major title in the offing? It’s the next step for the recently-married golfer who has nearly everything else. Thorbjornson’s fourth-place finish was also noteworthy, and the tour prepared to head to the middle of the continent, for the John Deere Classic.

 

DP World Tour: BMW International is Haotong’s third

On Sunday in Germany, Haotong Li fought against the reality of a first win in four years. He also fought against the memory of nearly giving up professional golf in 2021. Each time he had a run of birdies, a pair of bogeys would pedal him backward. Ryan Fox was the first to take a run at the leader, but fell a pair of shots shy at -20. Fox was three-under on the day through nine, but needed four-under on the back.

Next came Thomas Pieters. After trading two birdies and two bogeys over the first six holes, Pieters caught fire with five birdies over the next twelve holes, and reachedd 22-deep. Haotong Li fell two off Pieters’ pace, but rallied with birdies at 15 and 16 to catch Pieters. The two reached the par-five 18th in three during a brief playoff. Haotong buried a massive birdie effort, and Pieters was unable to match. The win was Hatotong’s first since the 2018 Dubai Desert Classic.

Korn Ferry Tour: Live and Work in Maine Open is work for Coody

Pierceson Coody was paired in the final round with home-state amateur Cole Anderson. More shades of Francis Ouimet; could a local, non-profesional win here? After the front nine finished on day four, who would win wasn’t the question. Instead, it was by how much, and could Coody shoot 59.

The recent NCAA team champion from UTexas caught fire in his third professional start, and posted five birdies and one eagle for 28 on the outward half. With the sub-60 watch in full form, Coody proceeded to make bogey at holes 10 and 11. Away went the notion of the record round, and out trotted concern for whether Coody would give back all of his fine work. Coody steadied, and posted seven consecutive pars for 66 and a 20-under par total. A slew of Korn Ferry Tour veterans had joined the chase, but one of them would need a 28 of his own on the back nine, to have a chance.

Jacob Bergeron matched Coody’s 66, and reached 15-below. Nelson Ledesma, Will Gordon, and Fabián Gómez finished one back of Bergeron in third. As for Anderson, birdies at 9 and 10 got him to red figures on the day, but late-round ups and downs brought him to plus-one on the day and his own spot in the third-place tie. Enviable work, but not what he had wanted at sun’s rise.

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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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