News

Five Things we Learned: Saturday at the U.S. Open

Published

2 months ago

Jun 15, 2025

Three rounds of the United States Golf Association’s open championship are recorded for posterity. The leader sits on a pillow of 4 under par. He is one shot clear of two golfers, three ahead of a third, and four beyond a fifth. Those would appear to be the truest contenders for the title of champion USA golfer of the year, but as we know, there is always more to the story. It was at Oakmont that Johnny Miller assembled the most glorious final round in this esteemed championship, back some fifty-two years. His 63 has been bested for tournament low round, but its importance might never be equalled.

In 1981, David Graham played a perfect final round at Merion. He hit all 18 greens in regulation and posted 67. Despite its quintessence, Graham’s score was still four blows higher than Miller’s ageless Sunday. It will take a second bolt of lightning this year for anyone to come from deeper than even par to win the title. There are plenty of candidates, but they will need to fire at flags early and often, make putts, play fiercely and fearlessly, and shoot 62 or 61.

For now, we’ll have a glance at five golfers that, based on their work this week, have a chance to win the 125th playing of the USGA’s open championship. We’ll explain why they ought to win, and suggest what might hold them back. Our gift for prognostication is marginal at best and should never be considered a legal and binding contract. Regardless, we’ll press on with predictions on this Saturday evening of the U.S. Open 2025.

1. Sam Burns

Burns is hailed as one of the top putters on tour. He’s in the Denny McCarthy-Russell Henley tier of flat stick magi. His expertise with the wand is equal parts distance control and interpretation of the subtleties of terrain. On Saturday in Pittsburgh, Burns was all over the course on the first three holes. He missed the first two fairways from the deck, then hit the adjacent fourth fairway from the third tee. Things got better after that, but he wasn’t Fairway Fred by any stretch of the imagination. Two bogeys and three birdies got him to the house with the lead. 69 won’t be enough to win on Sunday, so Burns needs to find something more for round four.

Playing Partner: Adam Scott. His swing is the equal of Tiger’s, but Scott’s major championship tally is but one ahead of Burns.

Why he might win: If the ball is on the green, it has a chance. We write that about everyone and, technically, it is true. The thing is, for Burns, it is statistically true. He makes lots of putts. If he gets one or two early, he’ll boost his confidence and potentially, ride that wave to victory.

Why he won’t win: The tee ball game held Burns back on Saturday. It’s funny to say that about a guy who posted 69, but Burns could be out front by four or five, if he had found the fairway more often. He’ll need to do just that, to take pressure off his entire game, on Sunday.

2. Adam Scott

Adam Scott is the owner of one green jacket and 19 other, top-ten finishes in major championships. On Saturday at Oakmont, he began play with a bogey five at the first hole, then played flawlessly to the end. Scott posted one birde on the front nine, then added three more on the inward half. He nearly caught Sam Burns, but missed a routine, 55-feet putt for birdie at the last. Why was he 55 feet away? We’ll get to that.

Playing Partner: Sam Burns. They will tee off in the final pairing of the day. No pressure, right?

Why he might win: Scott has more major championship experience than the other four golfers mentioned herein, combined. He could have and should have won at least five major titles. He hasn’t but he and his caddie are odds-on favorites to emerge victorious on Sunday.

Why he won’t win: His approach game has not been the equal of the other facets of his game. He needs to have looks from 20 feet, not 55 feet. There might also be some scar tissue from those 19 oh-so-close finishes at majors.

3. J.J. Spaun

J.J. Spaun has been at or near the top since the dawn of Oakmont’s Open. His round was identical to Burns’, in that he had three birdies and two bogeys. Spaun putted lights-out on Saturday, which made up for struggles off the tee and around the green.

Playing Partner: Viktor Hovland. If Hovie plays well, he’ll inspire Spaun, If Hovland struggles, he’ll fall into a malaise of despair, and that will force Spaun to go it alone.

Why he might win: Spaun has been around for this long, so perhaps he can tough it out for one more day. It will be a tough day, if they get to play. The weather forecast is rain late Saturday, rain early Sunday, then jousts with thunderstorms all day long. Monday is better, with cloudy skies but no rain.

Why he won’t win: Discomfort that comes from lack of experience. Knowing when the adrenaline is elevated, and one less club is required. Knowing when the safe play or the daring ploy is in demand. Spaun will draw on the experience he had in a playoff for this year’s Players Championship; will it be enough?

4. Viktor Hovland

Hovland is ready to win a major championship. Hovland is talented enough to win a major event. Hovland will need to settle his emotions, remain calm, and play in the moment of each shot’s demands. He began day three with two bogeys in his first three holes. Birdies at nine and ten drew him even on the day, and a birdie-bogey finish brought an even-par 70 his way. If those two early bogeys happen on day four, will he be able to rebound?

Playing Partner: JJ Spaun. If Spaun goes sideways, the mercurial Hovland might not be able to ignore the distraction.

Why he might win: Hovland has four, top-ten finishes in major events, as a professional. He tied for 12th at the US Open at Pebble Beach in 2019, and has had two more, top-twenty finishes since then. It’s not his favorite of the majors, but with the course wet and the greens soft, it’s one that he might win.

Why he won’t win: Hovland is so talented with a golf club not named driver. He has played his approach shots quite well, and his work around the greens is sublime. Putting has been good enough, but it’s the heavy timber that draws question marks at the end of the sentence. Choke up and find the fairway, Vik!

5. Carlos Ortiz

Ortiz is one of two LIV golfers in contention at Oakmont. The other is Tyrrell Hatton, and he is a single shot behind el rey on the leader board. As the week has progressed, Ortiz’ game has coalesced. On Thursday, he was all over the dart board, posting six bogies and five birdies. On Friday, he played two opposing nines, one of +5 and the other of -3. On Saturday, Ortiz controlled his game with four birdies until reaching the final hole. There, he went from right rough to left bunker to green, but missed a seven-foot putt for par.

Playing Partner: Tyrrell Hatton. We’ll see if the LIV connection compels one of the two to contention.

Why he might win: Ortiz ranked first in combined statistics, by a full point over Hatton and Marc Leishman. He is simply doing all the things well. If he preserves that mastery for another day, he might become Mexico’s first U.S. Open champion.

Why he won’t win: Like all LIV golfers, Ortiz has subconsciously grown accustomed to 54-hole tournaments. The two exceptions are DeChambeau and Koepka, and both won major titles before departing for LIV. In addition, Ortiz has little experience in the major championship pressure cooker. Ortiz hardly plays majors, let alone contends. His best U.S. Open finish was 52nd at Pebble Beach, six years ago. His only other major cut made was in 2021 at the PGA Championship.

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)