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Tour Rundown: Burns saves best for last at WGC-Dell | Boutier wins third

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2 years ago

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I’ve come up with a new sort of parlay for the betting golf fan. Choose a winner between consecutive tee times, or any two tee times on the sheet. Guess on which time I’ll never lay money? You’ve got it: the final group. Way too much pressure. My first field notes come from South Africa, where the 9:05 time on Sunday posted 14-under par. Contrast that with the 9:15 time (the three leaders) and its 5-under par total. That’s three shots separation per golfer. How did this catch my attention? You’ll have to read Tour Rundown this week to find out. Hint: data comes alive in the DP World Tour section. Enjoy!

PGA Tour Match Play: Burns saves best for last at WGC Dell

Cameron Young had to like his chances, heading into the final match of the Dell Match Play. He had just made birdie on three of his final four holes, including the 19th, to stun Rory McIlroy in their semifinal match. His final match opponent, Sam Burns, would be extended to 21 holes against Scottie Scheffler, giving Young a bit of time to rest and prepare for the final tilt.

The final match began well for Young. His birdie at the second hole gave him a one-up advantage, and his two at the fourth would have given him another win, except that Burns matched his birdie. Burns’ bogey at the second was his last mistake of the day. He notched consecutive birdies from the fourth to the sixth to go from one-down to two-up. He added five birdies in six holes, from eight to thirteen, to post seven-under through those holes. Burns’ 6 & 5 victory in the final match was one-sided because of his brilliance, not for Young’s flaws. Young was two under through the 13 holes, but was no match for Burns.

The victory was the fifth in three years for Burns. Once the finest collegiate player in the land, Burns spent four years learning the professional way of winning, before bursting out in 2021. Expect to see both Burns and Young on Team USA in the fall, for Italy’s first Ryder Cup. They seem to have what it takes to win at head-to-head play, as does Scottie Scheffler, who lost to Rory McIlroy in the third-place match. Hopefully, match play will be back on the PGA Tour in 2024.

LPGA Drive On Championship: Boutier wins playoff for third LPGA victory

Low scores at Superstition Mountain were the rule of the day, as first established by Japan’s Ayaka Furue. She had seven birdies on the day, posted 65, and moved all the way from 19th to 3rd position. One more birdie would have brought the unthinkable at day’s start: a spot at the playoff table. As it was, the European duo of Celine Boutier (France) and Georgia Hall (England) reached 20-under par with scores of 68 and 65, respectively. Boutier began the day with the lead, but was the only one of the top three to hold position. Hae Ran Ryu and Moriya Jutanugarn held 2nd position together, but each shot 71 and dropped to a seventh-place tie.

In the playoff, Boutier drew on the recent memory of the last-hole, ten-feet birdie putt that she drained in regulation, to force her way into overtime. Despite a birdie of her own at the closer, that put the bow on a back-nine 30, Georgia Hall was unable to match, and Boutier lifted the Drive On trophy above her head.

DP World Tour JW Open: 64 is magic number for Bachem at Steyn City

Alexander Knappe began day four with a one-shot advantage over a trio of golfers. Knappe’s rounds of 68-66-65 had moved him ahead of the consistent (Gavin Green with 66-67-67) and the explosive (Joakim Lagergren at 65-73-63.) Knappe stood three under through nine on day four, and found himself in a battle with others who were lighting up The Club at Steyn City. Principle among them was Germany’s Nick Bachem, the third member of the trailing trio. Bachem showed no sign of easing off the accelerator.

Bachem caught countryman Knappe by the ninth hole, thanks to an outward 32. He followed that demonstration with a twin 32 on the inward half, to reach 24-under on the week. Knappe fell away with a double bogey at the par-three 12th hole. By then, Bachem had added two more birdies and Knappe sensed urgency in his purpose. Two bogeys coming home dropped him to 13th place on the week.

As for Bachem, he and his 9:05 partners (Gavin Green with 70 for t6 and Ewen Ferguson with 68 for t4) were the spotlight group in the afternoon. Hennie du Plessis (68) and Zander Lombard (65) of the host country of South Africa reached 20-under to share the runner-up position. After just ten starts in the 2023 season, Nick Bachem can now call himself a DP World Tour champion.

PGA Tour Corales: Wallace claims first PGA Tour title in Dominican Republic

England’s Matt Wallace rode a four-birdie streak over the closing holes to a one-shot win over Denmark’s Nikolai Højgaard. Højgaard began the final round in a tie at the top with the USA’s Sam Stevens, but opened the final round with bogey. He steadied his horse with three birdies in four holes, then ran into a dry stretch of seven consecutive pars. By the time he rebounded with two birdies over the closing four holes, matters had changed atop the standings.

Wallace was also out in two-under par, then caught fire at the par-four 14th hole. His birdie there was followed by three more, elevating him to 19-under par. Needing eagle at the last. Højgaard was able to edge past Tyler Duncan and Stevens into solo second, thanks to his closing birdie three. Duncan reached 17-under at the 13th hole, but lost steam with six consecutive pars to the finish. Stevens posted three-under on the day but needed more birdies against a tightly-packed, energetic leaderboard.

Wallace was seen as England’s next big thing in 2018, when he won three times on the DP World Tour. He hit a four-year dry spell, partly due to being too hard on himself. Now, in his early 30s, he might attain the success that many had advanced his way.

PGA Tour Champions Galleri Classic: David Toms opens and closes March with victories

There was a moment when Retief Goosen had birdied 75% of his holes on the day, on the thirteenth tee, when I thought he might find a way to win the whole thing, from nearly 25 places from the top. Goosen stood nine-under on the day, and 13-under for the week. Unfortunately for the South African, his tank was on empty. The final six holes brought him four pars and two bogeys. He finished at 11 under on the week, good for solo third.

David Toms is a cool customer. He knew that there were plenty of birdies across the Dinah Shore course at Mission Hills, and he wasn’t the least bit fazed by Goosen’s torrid start. Toms, the leader after each of the first two rounds, had three birdies and a bogey going out on Sunday. Coming home, he added four birdies for 65 and a 16-under total. His efforts brought him a four-shot win over Stephen Alker, who closed with 67 to slide past Goosen by one into second spot.

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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

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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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