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Tour Rundown: Aberg, Wannasaen, Walker Cup

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2 years ago

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The PGA Tour has completed its 2022-2023 season, and the Korn Ferry Tour is on a two-week hiatus. Despite those noticeable absences, there’s plenty of golf to report this week. The DP World Tour played its final tournament, prior to the announcement of the six captain’s selections for the European Ryder Cup side. AUTHOR’S NOTE: I am a terrible prognosticator.

The LPGA found itself in Portland, Oregon, while the PGA Tour Canada pitched a south-of-the-border yurt in Minnesota. Finally, the finest amateur golfers from Great Britain/Ireland and the USA took to match play at St. Andrews in the Walker Cup. Can’t get much cooler, so let’s run it all down in this week’s Tour Rundown: September edition.

DP World Tour @ European Masters: Aberg makes strong case for inclusion with win at Crans

The great mountain event of the European Tour turned into a coming-out party for the name on everyone’s lips for Ryder Cup selection. Ludvig Aberg, a tall, lengthy hitter from Sweden, has caught the attention and piqued the curiosity of the golf world this year. Many bombers come along in their youth, but only a select few have the other necessary components for success.

At Crans-sur-Sierre in Montana, Switzerland, Aberg showed the complete package that has European team captain Luke Donald champing at the bit to announce his name this week. Aberg began play with a 64, one shot off the lead held by three golfers. He moved into first position on Friday, with 67. Nothing was secure, as a 61 from Guido Migliozzi also turned a number of heads. On Saturday, Aberg posted 66, moving to 13 under on the week, fixed solidly in contention.

Sunday saw a three-way duel take shape, with Aberg joined by countryman Alexander Bjork and England’s Matt Fitzpatrick. The battle stretched into the wee holes of the inward nine, and it was at the 14th hole where things reached the boiling point. All three golfers made birdie at the par-5 hole, but Aberg followed his with another at the par-5 15th. Bjork could only par, and Fitzpatrick suffered the first of three closing bogeys that would shockingly remove him from contention, into a tie for third position. Aberg added birdies at 16 and 17, with Bjork staying close with two more at 17 and 18. With par at the last, Ludvig Aberg earned a first championship on the DP World Tour and certain selection to the European Ryder Cup side.

LPGA @ Portland Classic: Wannasaen dives deep to 63 for 1st LPGA title

That saying, go low or go home, was never more appropriate than Sunday in Portland. Megan Khang had a lead through three rounds, but a Sunday 71 waited in the shadows. At Columbia Edgewater, that number would not hold up. Five golfers shot past the American on day four, as her run to a second-consecutive win was hampered by too many pars and bogeys, and a smidgen of birdies.

Finishing in a tie for third spot were Ruoning Yin of China, Gina Kim of the USA, and Carlota Ciganda of Spain. Each posted 66 or 67 to jump to 20-under par, one ahead of Khang. Second place belonged to Xiyu Lin, also of China. She surged to 64 on Sunday and reached 22-deep. In first place, seemingly out of nowhere, Chanettee Wannasaen of Thailand, on the heels of a blistering round of 63.

The story began on Monday, when the 19-year old qualified for the event. Given that performance, we should have known that this would be her week. The young champion scorched holes three through seven with four birdies and an eagle, precisely as Khang was wobbling. Two more birdies coming home gave Wannasaen a four-shot separation from second position, and an inaugural tour title.

PGA Tour Canada @ CRMC Championship: Say “Cao” by eight shots

Yi Cao (pronounced tsay-oh) seemed to have access to intel that his competitors lacked, this week in Brainerd, Minnesota. The 33-year-old from China opened with 66, which placed him at the top amid a handful of contestants. It was his opening nine on Friday that turned heads. Three birdies plus one eagle turned in 30 shots, and the rout was on. A 32 coming home gave him 62 on the day. Cao followed that masterful performance with matching scores of 65 over the weekend and took up residence at 22-under par over 72 holes.

Jeffrey Kang placed second on the week, finishing at 14-under par. He moved from 26th to 11th in the year-long, Fortinet Cup race. Cao moved from 55th to 9th. Both players will have work to do, beginning September 7th, if they hope to earn Korn Ferry Tour cards for the next campaign. The top 10 finishers earn cards, and there will be plenty of shuffling and scoreboard-watching at Country Hills in Calgary, site of this week’s Tour Championship.

USGA @ Walker Cup: USA Side dominates Sunday to retain Walker Cup

There was great celebration on Saturday evening in the auld toon of St. Andrews. The Great Britain and Ireland side had jumped out to a 7.5-4.5 advantage, thanks to dominance in fourball (better ball in the States) and eight-man singles. Sunday would bring foursomes (alternate-shot in the States) and 10-man singles, and Team GBI had to like its chances just a bit. It needed but 5 out of 14 Sunday points to take the cup back from the Red White & Blue. Let’s be honest: foursomes/alternate shot is not something the American side plays with any frequency.

And yet, there we were, after those Sunday morning foursomes, with Team USA snatching 3 of 4 points and making a match of it. In international team play, every point and half point matters, and this opportunity for the host side had sailed out to sea. Now, Great Britain and Ireland would have to claim the equivalent of 4 of 10 individual match wins. It was possible, edging toward probable, but the visitors had other plans.

Leading the afternoon charge for Team USA were Gordon Sargent, the top-ranked amateur in the world, and Caleb Surratt. Sargent won his PM singles to claim a fourth point in four matches. After an opening-morning loss in Fourball, Surratt went on a tear, winning his next three points. The most important match of the early ones, however, was Nick Dunlap vs. Barclay Brown. Holding a three-up lead with four holes to play, the unfortunate Englishman went bogey-double-bogey-par (with par at the last feeling like a bogey) to halve his match with Dunlap. It seemed that momentum shifted with that half-point loss. Team USA proceeded to win six matches, halve two, and claim the cup by a 14.5-11.5 margin.

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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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