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Five Things We Learned: Thursday at The Open Championship

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In one of my tweets earlier in the week, I screamed “It’s Scotland.” Fortunately, no one called me on the carpet for that error. Make no mistake: we are near Liverpool, the land of the Beatles, football, and the Mersey river. Royal Liverpool is called Hoylake among the golf-knowledgeable, and it is a proper golf links. It has a wonderful history of winners, including Rory and Tiger as its previous two, champion golfers of the year. Royal Liverpool saw a fair bit of precipitation in the weeks leading up to this year’s playing, so  even with the quick-dry nature of a sand base, it’s still a bit soft. The fairways are narrow, and the new 17th hole has everyone abuzz. We’re abuzz, as well, over the five things we learned today, after morning coffee and watering the shrubbery. Let’s have a look.

1. An amateur posted five-under par on day one

Christo Lamprecht is a tallish South African youth, who selected Georgia Tech for his university studies and golf seasons. He negotiated the Royal Liverpool links as if he had some sort of insider information. The six feet-eight inch Yellowjacket posted three birdies on the outward half, then added a fourth at the tenth hole. At eleven, he missed the fairway, then overshot the green with his second. His pitch left him eight feet, but his putt for par was off the mark. At the par-four 16th hole, Lamprecht again missed the fairway, and was compelled to chop out to the short grass. His pitch from 30 yards left him a dozen feet for par, but again, the putt erred.

Fortunately for Lamprecht, those two bogies were offset by three birdies, including a five-feet make on the final green. Lamprecht won The Amateur Championship in late June, securing his position in this championship. He defeated Ronan Kleu of Switzerland, by a healthy margin.

And please, discount what the clip says below. Lamprecht drove his ball into the greenside bunker at four, so the recovery was his second, not his third, swing. He took two putts from 26 feet for par.

2. The US Open champion is in the hunt

Wyndham Clark, the most recent major champion and newly-minted champion of the United States Open, found his way to a scorecard that totaled four birdies against a solitary bogey … more on Mr. Bogey later. After nine pars to open his round, Clark set to work with birdies at the 10th and 11th holes. A 200-yard approach to the green at number ten, left him a wee effort for three of 2.5 feet. On eleven, Clark escaped the rough from 90 yards, and faced another putt for three, of just less than eight feet. He converted.

Clark’s only moment of trouble (see below) came at the 14th hole. A drive into the right rough necessitated a mighty thwack with a wedge, to return to safety. Clark’s first swing moved the ball one meter. His second effort (third of the hole) crossed the fairway, into deeper rough. Another massive swipe brought the ball to a rest, 18 feet from the hole. With mental and mathematical elements on the line, Clark holed for bogey, and saved his round. Two birdies coming home brought him within two of the day-one lead.

3. Two professionals join Lamprecht at top

Neither Emiliano Grillo nor Christo Lamprecht was expected to ride the lead horse after 18 holes, but local lad Tommy Fleetwood certainly was at the top of everyone’s list to figure in this event. Both Grillo and Fleetwood followed the lead trail carved by Lamprecht, and each did it in a different wave. Fleetwood was out in game 18 of 54, while Grillo worked his magic from the 37th game.

Fleetwood sandwich his lone bogey betwee n birdies at five and seven. He awakened on the inward half, posting four birdies from the 11th tee to the 16th green. He looked to be in some trouble on 18, but recovered nicely on two occasions. First, the Englishman pitched out of a rotten lie in the rough with his second, which allowed him to reach the green with his third. Then, Fleetwood navigated a curving, 45-feet putt to near perfection, holing in par.

All things being equal, Grillo should fade away over the next 54 holes, alongside Lamprecht, while Fleetwood should remain in the hunt until the last putt is holed. In major-championship golf, over a links, all things are unequal. A stout heart and head are required to navigate the turbulent trace of Royal Liverpool.

4. Those who went away

Forget that I had Rasmus Højgaard in a pool, and forget that he opened with a quadruple bogey, ultimately posting 78. The ones that caught everyone’s eye are Justin Thomas (+6 for T130) and Joaquín Niemann (+7 for T143). Niemann has spent the last year on the LIV series, and seems out of touch with 72-hole, championship golf. He began the day with birdies on holes one and three, but that pair represented the last strokes he would gain on Hoylake. His run of four bogeys and a triple, from eight through twelve, took him from minus-two to plus-five. Niemann lost another two strokes to Old Man Par in his run to the clubhouse.

Justin Thomas, frankly, is lost. His game has left him. Until the 18th hole, it was a series of small cuts that sapped his resolve. A bogey here, another one there, and but two birdies on the day. It all came undone on the 18th. Thomas went OOB to the right, reached the greenside bunker in four, left a shot or three in the sands and rough ’round the green, and signed for nine. 82 was his day-long tally, with only an 83 between him and the basement.

Another who struggled, was Sahith Thegala. His play in the states has brought him close to an inaugural tour victory. His play at Hoylake reminds us all of the difference between golf architecture and climate. Consecutive doubles at holes three and four dropped the man from California to plus-five, and his round had barely begun. One birdie was suffocated by three more bogies, and Thegala finished at plus-eight on the day.

5. Guys that held it together

Neither Scottie Scheffler nor Rory McIlroy had their best games on Thursday. What each was able to do, was hold the moving parts together, and stanch the bleeding when it came. Scheffler putted horribly and didn’t drive the ball much better, but he found the manner of getting around in 70 strokes, just four behind the lead. McIlroy was one shot worse, which may be attributed to his struggles in the greenside pot on the 18th. As with Scottie, Rory remained patient all day, and remained in the hunt for the Claret Jug.

Joining the pair around par were Viktor Hovland, 2023 PGA Champion Brooks Koepka, Patrick Cantlay, and Tyrrell Hatton. Regardless of what the leading trio does, these chasers will need to find a 67 or a 66 on Friday, to avoid losing more ground.

 

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.

3 Comments

3 Comments

  1. Mikey

    Jul 21, 2023 at 10:11 am

    American TV commentators using “level” instead of “even” because this is the open is both hilarious and aggravating. I keep expecting Mike Tirico to use a British accent at any moment. Time for a drinking game.

  2. W

    Jul 20, 2023 at 10:34 pm

    I love how nobody wants to mention Stewart Cink lol
    The guy is 50 years old and he’s up there on the leaderboard but nah we won’t say anything because he stole it from Tom Watson lmao

  3. N

    Jul 20, 2023 at 6:22 pm

    “Niemann has spent the last year on the LIV series, and seems out of touch with 72-hole, championship golf“
    You’re a d1ck for saying this, completely clueless and deserve to get shot
    He’s a professional like everybody else. And yet here you also lump him together with Thomas who has only been playing those exact 72 hole events all year and his whole career, a major winner with a nepotistic family past and he can’t get it together so what are you trying to say???
    The intensity of LIV is way higher than the PGA Tour. On the PGA Tour if you mess up and miss the cut after 36 you get to leave and go home. At LIV even if you’re dead last you have to show up all 3 days to the end to help support your team.
    Just shut up and quit journalism, you’re not a writer or a reporter, you’re just a hooligan

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Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

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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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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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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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