News

Morning 9: Tour board member resigns | PGA Tour COO’s op-ed | Birkdale to host Open

Published

2 years ago

Jul 11, 2023

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans, as we gear up for the Scottish Open.

1. Op-ed: Ron Price defends PIF deal

The PGA Tour COO in an op-ed for the Athletic…”Fundamentally, there are two reasons that the framework agreement with the PIF and DP World Tour marks not just a highly favorable outcome for the PGA Tour, but also the clear, best path forward for professional golf broadly. First, the agreement provides clear, explicit and permanent safeguards that ensure the PGA Tour will lead the decisions that shape our future, and that we’ll have control over our operations, strategy and continuity of our mission. Second, if we get a final agreement, it will allow us to further invest in the players who define our sport, and the events, venues, communities and technology that bring it to life. Working in partnership with the membership and Policy Board, we are stewards of the organization’s long-term health and leadership. Weighed against the prospect of a continued, unsustainable battle that threatened our very existence, given the safeguards that guarantee our self-determination and the possibilities afforded by new investments, “yes” was the clear answer to the framework agreement.”

“It’s also important to set the record straight: This is not a merger. The PGA Tour remains intact. The subsidiary — PGA Tour Enterprises — will include PIF as a non-controlling, minority investor, as they are in many other American businesses. PGA Tour Enterprises will be led by a board of directors. The majority of that board will be appointed by the PGA Tour and that entity will be run by a CEO. That CEO will be PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan. The PGA Tour’s controlling interest on that board of directors will remain constant going forward, regardless of the size of the PIF’s initial or any future incremental investments. The board of directors will also have the ability to decline any unwanted investment.”

Full piece.

2. Tour board member resigns

Golf Digest’s Joel Beall…”Randall Stephenson, a former AT&T executive and an influential voice in professional golf, resigned from his position on the PGA Tour’s policy board over the weekend, citing “serious concerns” with the tour’s proposed deal with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.”

“Stephenson’s resignation, which was first reported by the Washington Post, has been confirmed by Golf Digest.”

“Stephenson had been a part of the tour’s policy board for more than a decade. In a letter to the board, Stephenson pointed to Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, writing the partnership with the kingdom is “not one that I can objectively evaluate or in good conscience support.” Additionally, Stephenson advocated in the letter that the tour and its board reconsider how it runs its operations and makes decisions.”

Full piece.

3. ICYMI: Shy kids don’t get sweets

Elliott Heath for Golf Monthly…”Charley Hull’s fearless attitude was in full display on the 72nd hole of the US Women’s Open, where she took on a fairway wood shot in an attempt to chase down leader, and eventual winner, Allisen Corpuz.”

“Hull found herself in the fairway on the 18th at Pebble Beach but hampered by an overhanging tree where many may have laid up. Instead, the two-time LPGA Tour winner decided to attempt to reach the par 5 green in two to try and make eagle or birdie to close the gap.”

“The shot was proceeded by an epic conversation with her caddie, with Hull asking: “You know the saying ‘Shy kids don’t get sweets?’ Like if we lay up, when we’re three behind, do you think we might as well go for it?”

“She struck a beautiful fairway wood shot but it just over-drew and ended in the bunker lining the hole down the left. Had it stayed straight, she may have got her ‘sweets’ and set up an eagle chance to put pressure on Corpuz.”

Full piece.

4. LIV championship moving to Doral

Mark Schlabach for ESPN…”The LIV Golf League’s season-ending team championship will be played at Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami for the second straight year.”

“LIV Golf League officials announced Monday that the $50 million team championship will be played Oct. 20-22 at Trump National Doral, which is owned by former U.S. President Donald Trump.”

“The three-day team championship was originally scheduled to be played Nov. 3-5 at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. LIV Golf League officials have been working to move it back to Trump National Doral, where it was staged in the league’s inaugural season in 2022. The Jeddah event, now scheduled for Oct. 13-15, will be the final regular-season tournament.”

Full piece.

5. Caught by the AirTag

Golfweek’s Todd Kelly…”General manager Phil Stika at Briarwood Golf Club in Sun City West, Arizona, grew tired of having his course getting hit by thieves so he decided to try a clever trick.”

“Stika’s plan involved sticking a couple of Apple AirTags inside two golf bags. Anyone who has ever lost luggage with an AirTag in it knows how valuable the keychain-sized electronic device can be.”

“According to 3TV/CBS 5 in Phoenix, Stika’s plan worked, as the next time it happened, he was able to track down the stolen clubs to a neighborhood.”

“I was looking for cars that had golf clubs stacked in a pickup truck or something,” Stika told the TV station. “When I looked inside the window and found the member’s name on the bag and the logo of the club, I actually giggled.”

“He then followed the clubs to a nearby casino and that’s where the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department got involved, arresting a man and a woman, and they are now facing felony charges.”

Full piece.

6. Some DP World Tour pros not happy

Ben Parsons for Bunkered…”Jordan Smith expects the proposed return of LIV golfers to boost the DP World Tour – but knows the rebels will be not be welcomed back with open arms to his circuit.”

“Smith, a two-time DP World Tour winner, told bunkered.co.uk that he snubbed the Saudi-backed series last year amidst the threat of being blacklisted from the main tours.”

“But a tour ban will no longer be enacted for LIV players under the “framework agreement” that has seen the PGA and DP World Tours join forces with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia.”

“There’s a few players that have p***** off a lot of people here,” Smith admitted.”

“…But a few guys will be a bit annoyed with a select few that would be coming back. It hasn’t affected the tour massively but when those few guys do come back it will hopefully boost the tournaments and crowds.”

Full Piece.

7. Royal Birkdale to host 2026 Open

Rex Hoggard for Golf Channel…”The 2026 Open Championship will be played at Royal Birkdale, the R&A announced Tuesday. It will be the 11th time the English course has hosted the game’s oldest major.”

“The course hosted the 2017 championship, which was won by Jordan Spieth, and the list of Open winners at Royal Birkdale includes Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, Lee Trevino and Johnny Miller.”

“Royal Birkdale is a world class championship venue and its outstanding links will once again provide the world’s best men’s professional golfers with a tough but fair test of their talents and capabilities as they compete for the Claret Jug,” R&A CEO Martin Slumbers said in a statement.”

Full Piece.

8. Members Choice voting is live

Get voting in our forums now!

Full Piece.

News

Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

Aug 4, 2025

Ronald Montesano

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.

Card III and Bacha both miss their birdie tries on the first playoff hole.

We’ll play 18 again @OspreyOpen. pic.twitter.com/vNpHTdkHDg

— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) August 3, 2025

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

Published

4 weeks ago

Jul 29, 2025

GolfWRX Staff

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.

News

BK’s Breakdowns: Kurt Kitayama’s Winning WITB, 3M Open

Published

4 weeks ago

Jul 28, 2025

Brian Knudson

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)