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Tour Rundown: Kirk survives 72nd-hole snafu | Vu claims inaugural tour title in Thailand

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2 years ago

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Last spring, I was fortunate to play the PGA National Championship course that hosts this week’s Honda Classic, on the PGA Tour. It’s beautiful, challenging, interesting, and never, ever, easy. That’s no big reveal for any of this week’s competitors, but it’s always an awakening for the amateur golfer who wonders just how difficult it can be. Every other playing surface in sport is standardized; it’s the human opponents that make the game professional. In golf, it’s not just the opposition, but the extreme demands of the tour-quality, championship course. Here’s hoping that this course continues to feature on the PGA Tour, for years to come.

The Putt That Didn’t Win

It was a light week for legitimate professional events, as February eases into March. We all know what’s coming in the third month of 2023, but this final week of tournaments left us much to remember. Let’s do our weekly Tour Rundown in three, two, one, and GO!

PGA Tour: Kirk survives 72nd hole snafu to claim fifth tour title

You wouldn’t be alone if you asked Chris Kirk why he hit three-metal into the 18th hole in regulation. His answer might run along the lines of I can draw that club whenever I want or There was plenty of room left. No matter the response, the ball didn’t draw and finished its time in golf in Davy Jones locker. The ensuing bogey dropped the leader into a tie with Eric Cole, and the duo returned to the par-five’s tee for some overtime.

Eric Cole was beyond thrilled to be in this position. His 2022-2023 campaign been solid, with seven made cut in 14 events. Before Sunday, he had $363K in the FedEx Cup bank, and was looking to add to that figure in Florida. His bookend rounds of 67-66-66-67 brought him farther along than he had dreamed. Despite the missed birdie putt on playoff hole one (see above) Cole earned over $900K for his runner-up finish. Many boxes are now checked for the 34-year old journeyman, and perhaps it’s time to win.

As for Chris Kirk, the 73rd-hole birdie was the culmination of eight years of the grind. His fourth victory came at Colonial in 2015. It took him twice as many years to earn the next one. There were close calls along the way, but Honda 2023 will be remembered for his electric 62 on Friday, and his legal but inconceivable free drop on Saturday. Cheers to another win for the Knoxville native.

LPGA: Vu claims inaugural tour title in Thailand

Lilia Vu was as decorated as they come, when she emerged from the amateur ranks to test the professional waters. Unfortunately for her, she turned pro as the golf world began to navigate the worldwide pandemic. A limited number of LPGA starts in 2019 took her to the Symetra Tour for the next two years. She won three times in the minors in 2021, earning herself a promotion to the big tour for 2022.

2023 has commenced with great promise for the young Californian. Imagine being in the mix for a title with Lydia Ko, Jin Young Ko, Maja Stark, Atthaya Thitikul, and a young golfer from the host country who didn’t know that she wasn’t supposed to do these things. That’s what Vu was up against, and that’s what she overcame. Natthakritta Vongtaveelap had blitzed the Chonburi course with 67-65-64. As it turned out, another round in the 60s would have done the deed, but Sunday’s front nine was an adventure for the young Thai. NatVong made one par on her way to the turn. Four birdies, three bogies and a double added up to some shots lost to Vu, who parlayed four birdies into a five-shot swing.

On the inward half, Vu was just as resolute. Four more birdies against zero bogies gave her 64 on the day. Vongtaveelap made three birdies of her own coming home, but a bogey at the 11th, and a run of four pars to close, kept her inches away from matching Vu. With an life-changing birdie at the drivable 15th, Vu reached 22-deep and locked the door on her first LPGA victory.

DP World Tour: German pair battles to end at Delhi

Yanik Paul has played the best golf of his life over the last fortnight. The 28-year old from Frankfurt finished runner-up last week in Thailand, and held the 36-hole lead this week in India. Had Paul preserved a semblance of his two-day form, he might have earned a four-shot win as Olesen did last week. Instead, Paul went into grinder mode on the weekend, and closed with 71-70. This allowed countryman Marcel Siem to enter the picture.

Siem with 69-70, but closed with the all-important 67-68, making up a number of shots on the leader. Paul’s sole tour win came last October in a playoff, but Siem counted four titles to his credit, over a near-twenty year career. When your last win came in 2014, however, you might forget the feeling. Siem was gutsy all day. He posted four birdies through twelve holes on Sunday, then recovered a lost stroke at 13, with a critical birdie at 15.

Yannik Paul did nothing wrong on day four, but not enough right came his way. His two birdies on the day accompanied 16 pars, and left him one shot shy of his older countryman. Some years ago, Siem converted to the long putter, emulating the great German champion, Bernhard Langer. At the age of 42, Marcel Siem had his fifth DP World Tour title, and a new lease on his career.

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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

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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