News

Tour Rundown: Unexpected winners abound

Published

4 months ago

Apr 28, 2025

The final week of professional golf in April of 2025 brought out some first-time winners. On the LPGA, a maiden major titleist was welcomed in Houston. Two rookie champions hauled in the two-man Zurich Classic on the PGA Tour, while a bunch of no-names and dreamers made the most of opportunity on the DP World Tour, PGA Tour Americas, and Korn Ferry. Only the PGA Tour Champions victor is a household name but, let’s be honest, but that stage in their lives, we’ve probably heard of them!

It’s time for another Tour Rundown. Pop some corn, pour some soda, and settle into a seat for six different summaries from the week in tournament golf.

LPGA @ Chevron Championship: Saigo grinds out first tour and major win

Mao Saigo is no stranger to the pressures of major championship golf. The Japanese champion had previous, top-ten finishes in the Open, the Women’s PGA, and the Evian. Saigo held the 54-hole lead on Saturday evening, and met the pressure of bringing home a win from the front on Sunday. She held the rudder steady over the front nine, turning in even par and maintaining her lead. The back nine brought choppy seas, to the tune of +3 through eight holes. With her lead gone, Saigo found one last birdie, on the 72nd hole. That number returned her to seven-under par and a five-way tie at the top.

Saigo was off to a playoff with Hyo Joo Kim, Lindy Duncan, Ruoning Yin, and Ariya Jutanugarn. Kim, Yin, and Jutanugarn all have a major championship title on their resumes. Duncan has but a runner-up finish in a 2018 LPGA event to her credit. Duncan and Yin each made birdie on the 72nd hole, to join the quintet for extra time. It was Jutanugarn who suffered the cruelest end in regulation. A bogey at the closing par five was her fate, when par would have won a first tour title in four years.

Duncan posted bogey on the first playoff hole, to end her hopes of an initial tour title. Yin, Kim, and Ariya all made par, but it would not be enough. Gathering herself, Mao Saigo was able to complete the only playoff hole in four shots, securing a playoff victory, initial LPGA title, and major championship in one moment.

PGA Tour @ Zurich Classic: Novak and Griffin match for first wins

Between them, Andrew Novak and Ben Griffin had a Korn Ferry and Tour Canada between them, prior to this weekend. Now, each is a PGA Tour winner, thanks to the other. Novak and Griffin partnered on Sunday for a 71 in foursomes (alternate shot) to reach 28-under par. They were able to hold off the twins team of Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard by one shot, which is as close as any of us wishes to get.

Over the course of the front nine, the winners had three each of pars, birdies, and bogeys. The inward half was boring, and not in so bad a way. The pair posted sevin consecutive pars before finding a birdie at the 17th hole. Novak found the par-three green with his tee ball, and Griffin drained a cross-country putt from 35 feet to retake the lead. Par at the last was enough to hold off the Hojgaards’ closing birdie.

DP World Tour @ Hainan Classic: Marco? ~~Polo!~~ Penge!

It was the best of days, and the worst of day, as Hainan came to resolution. Some of the leaders faltered, and some of the trailers rose up to do battle. In the end, the third-round co-leader proved himself the best of the field, and deserving of a first DP World Tour title.

Bowen Xiao hoped to follow in the footsteps of countryman Ashun Wu, last week’s winner of the China Open. Instead of continuing his 2nd-3rd round form of birdie runs, Xiao regressed to the birdie-bogey march of round one. He closed with 73, dropping from a first-place tie to a sixth-place finish.

Sean Crocker of the USA and Kristoffer Reitan of Norway closed with 66 and 67, respectively, to surge up the board. Both moved from outside the top five through 54 holes, to a second-place tie after 72. The winner, however, was neither. England’s Marco Penge also closed with 67, creating a three-shot margin of victory over the runners-up pair. Penge posted seven birdies against two bogeys. When it looked as if he might stumble, with bogey at the 11th, he triple-bounced back with three consecutive birdies to create the victory margin.

DP WORL TOUR HAINAN CLASSIC pic.twitter.com/x1ciDEYbRw

— LE QUERE Jean-François (@jefflequere) April 25, 2025

Korn Ferry Tour @ Veritex Bank: Here’s Johnny!

There were five scores of 61 this week at the Texas Rangers golf club, and one card with only 60 shots on it. Forget the 62s and 63s; there were too many to count. The field threw darts at the flags over four days, and it took a minus-thirty total to claim the trophy.

Blades Brown, the wunderkind who eschewed college golf for the tour life, had one of those rounds of 61. He also had a 63, but could only reach 27-under par. He tied with four other golfers for second place, his best finish as a professional. Zach James, also at 27-deep, began the week with an twelve-birdie round of 60. If not for a bogey at the short 15th, James might have joined the fabled 59 society. Also among the quintet of runners-up were Julian Surl, Tyson Alexander, and Joshua Creel.

It was Johnny Keefer, former Baylor athlete, who harvested three birdies out of the final four holes, to pull away from the log-jam and claim victory. Keefer opened with 63-61, survived a 66 on Saturday, and closed wih 64.

PGA Tour Americas @ Kia Classic: Third is the word in Ecuador

Inclement weather is always in the picture during spring golf season. This week in Quito, La madre naturaleza brought Thursday and Friday rains to the Quito Club, abbreviating the tournament to 54 holes. On Sunday, a quick glance at the leader’s board saw Jay Card III finish a shot ahead of Ricardo Celia and Jake Staiano. Card nearly derailed his round with a triple bogey at Sunday’s sixth hole. He recovered with three birdies on the inward half, and reached minus-sixteen through 54 holes. Celia struggled to a bogey at the 54th hole, while Staiano had two doubles coming home.

Card III walked on at High Point University, but was never a name player in the amateur golf world. His is a cinderella story, filled with grit and determination. He worked jobs at various clubs after college, to feed his golf dreams. With his victory in Ecuador, Card III is now exempt on the PGA Tour Americas, and has his sight set on the next step up in professional golf.

“When you’re standing there at 180 yards and you’re just like ‘yeah, it’s just a comfortable pitching wedge.” ? pic.twitter.com/mFaO03vr3d

— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) April 23, 2025

PGA Tour Champions @ Mitsubishi Electric: Kelly’s corner

Jerry Kelly and Ernie Els went into the final round of this year’s Mitsubishi in a tie at 129 strokes. While Els is a thoroughbred, of the tall, strong, and major title-laden sort, Kelly is a bulldog. Kelly hit his stride on the Tour Champions, after three wins on the PGA Tour. He came into this week with eleven senior titles, and now has an even dozen in his wiki. Kelly made birdies at 15 and 17, to take a two-shot advantage into the last hole.

On the eighteenth, Els struck two brawny shots to reach the par-five green in two. He took two putts for birdie and 19-under par on the week. Kelly played serenely, laying up from trouble, then hitting wedge to the green. His two putts brought a par, and minus-twenty for three days’ work. Also in the mix were Steven Alker in third at -16, Angel Cabrera at -15, and Vijay Singh at -13.

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)