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Tour Rundown: Maybe a tattoo

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5 months ago

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April, come she will. And when she does, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, she will bring glorious golf and renewal for many. Even this writer isn’t immune. While in a golf dome in Buffalo, I stumbled into a breakthrough in my swing. How many years on, and the game still reveals itself?

This was a week for the women. The Augusta National Women’s Amateur was celebrated along the Carolina-Georgia line, while the greatest golf around, match play, took center stage on the LPGA. The men humbly took care of business in Texas, Florida, Georgia, and Brazil. With the green jacket tourney on the near horizon, it’s time to get golf-giddy with this week’s Tour Rundown.

Amateur @ Augusta National Women’s Amateur: Maybe a tattoo

Carla Bernat Escuder, from those twin hotbeds of golf, of Valencia, Spain, and Kansas State, rolled three 68s this weekend in the southeast. She didn’t post the low round at venerable Augusta National on Saturday (that 66 came from Eila Galitsky of Thailand). Among the leaders from Champion’s Retreat (site for rounds one and two of the tournament), she was the cream of the crop.

CBE jumped out to minus-five through 16 holes on day three, gaining a two-shot advantage over Punctuation (aka Asterisk Talley) before a bogey at 17 made things exciting. Bernat Escuder was able to coax a four-foot, downhill putt for four and the win into the hole. Talley made matters oh-so-close, with birdies at 16 and 17, to turn a victory stroll for Bernat into a march. When asked how she would celebrate her victory, the Spaniard mused over a tattoo, perhaps the flower of Augusta National.

LPGA @ T-Mobile Match Play: Don’t trust the seeds

Whoever set the seeds this week in Vegas (NLV, to be precise) had to be scratching someone’s head. From the quarterfinals on, it was more likely that the underdog would emerge victorious. That’s match play, where a missed shot is but a hole, but a miracle play might result in a change of momentum.

The final match, if possible, was even more topsy-turvy than the preceding rounds. Lauren Coughlin, the surprise of 2024, went four down through six holes, agains Madelene Sagstrom. The seventh and ninth holes are par-five straits, and Sagstrom played them in a combined score of plus-three. She lost both holes to halve her lead, then handed the entirety back with a bogey-double-bogey run from ten through twelve. Exhaustion was evident, as plus scores (ten) doubled the tally of birdies and eagles (five).

At the par-five 16th, it was Coughlin’s turn to stumble, as her double-bogey 7th was surpassed by Sagstrom’s par. Matching pars at 17 sent the tilt to the 18th tee. Despite a dalliance with disaster, Sagstrom made par and closed out Coughlin.

PGA Tour @ Texas Open: Harman holds on

It’s nearly impossible to imagine a scenario in which a tournament is won by a player who shoots 75 in the final round. Odds increase when the two playing partners, and closest rivals, each posts 76. Brian Harman, the 2023 Open champion, turned Sunday in 39 strokes, made bogey at two of his final four holes, and still won by a comfortable three shots over Ryan Gerard. Gerard posted 69 on Sunday, moving 15 spots up the board for a career-best, runner-up finish.

In the final threesome with Harman, neither Tom Hoge nor Andrew Novak could muster a semblance of a challenge to the left-handed leader. The winds were up and the temps were down in Alamo Town, contributing to the loss of efficiency for both Hoge and Novak. Harman, meanwhile, did enough lifting to earn a fourth PGA Tour victory.

Korn Ferry Tour @ Club Car Championship: Playoff chooses Gandon

As PGA Tour experience failed Russell Knox, third-round co-leader Jeremy Gandon held firm in the final round of Korn Ferry Tour action on Sunday. Facing challenges from Cole Sherwood (64) and Garrick Higo and Rick Lamb (67), Gandon made birdie at three of his final five holes, to reach 17 under par. Higo, Sherwood, and Knox tied at -16, one agonizing shot away. It was Rick Lamb who surged just enough to join Gandon atop the table. Lamb went eagle-birdie at holes 14 and 15, but was unable to secure one more birdie on the way home, for an outright victory.

Lamb and Gandon returned to the 18th tee, where playoff jitters won out. Gandon found the rough, while Lamb nestled in a fairway bunker. Gandon was able to access a greenside bunker with his second, from which he got the ball up and down for birdie. Lamb went from sand to thick rough and was unable to flip his pitch close enough for a tying birdie. The win was a career-first for the Frenchman Gandon.

PGA Tour Americas @ Brasil Open: Moldovan musters magic at Olympic course

The course that made Gil Hanse a household name in golf course architecture took center stage this week on PGA Tour Americas. Benefitting from the minimalist design was the USA’s Max Moldovan. Two shots out of the lead at daybreak, Moldovan had a near, front-row seat to the struggles of overnight leader Chris Francouer. The final trio had scores of 76-74-72 on Sunday, propping the barn door three tractors wide for would-be chasers. The day’s top round was 65 from Joey Vrzich, but his efforts were good enough only for a top-fifteen finish.

In the end, it was the opening-day leaders, Moldovan and George Markham, who did battle down the stretch. The pair shared top honors on Thursday with 63, and took differing routes to the final fairways. After birdie at 16, Moldovan ripped an eagle out of the earth at the last, to reach 18-under par. Markham did fine detail work at the end, signing for birdie at three of the final four holes. He was helpless to watch as Moldovan’s 72nd-hole eagle won the week.

PGA Tour Champions @ James Hardie: El Pato quacks

Much like what we saw on the PGA Tour, the senior circuit, front-runner benefited from the lack of performance of his group mates on Sunday. Angel Cabrera posted a mundane 71 at Broken Sound. As Alex Cejka and Miguel Angel Jimenez went above par with their scores, Cabrera’s task was made much easier. Through 16 holes, the Argentine had two birdies and two bogeys on the day, but put the match away with a final birdie at the 17th. He won by two over K.J. Choi, but it wasn’t easy.

Atop the 17th tee deck, Cabrera and Choi were tied at minus ten strokes. The Argentine champion posted the aforementioned birdie to take a one-shot advantage to the final deck. Pressing for birdie and a playoff or outright victory, the Korean stalwart stumbled at the last, posting bogey. Cabrera coaxed his ball into the cup for par and a first PGA Tour Champions title.

LIV @ Doral: DeChambeau stumbles, opens door for Leishman

In the land of the retired snowbird, two of the older members of the Saudi Arabian circuit put on a Sunday show. Bryson DeChambeau took a lead into day three, but the 2024 US Open champion was unable to sign on the dotted line. His final-round 75 relegated him to fifth place. Easing on past were Charl Schwartzel (2nd) and Marc Leishman (1st). The title was the first since leaving the PGA Tour for Leishman.

The Doral course, site of PGA Tour events for many years, put up much more defense on Sunday. Both Schwartzel and Carlos Ortiz (4th) posted aberrative 66s, while many in the field struggled to eclipse par. LIV takes a three-week break now, resuming the fourth week of April in Mexico City.

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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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