News

Minjee Lee marches to third major at 2025 Women’s PGA Championship

Published

2 months ago

Jun 23, 2025

Minjee Lee battled through the elements and the course conditions on Sunday, and earned a three-shot win over Auston Kim and Chanettee Wannasaen. The Women’s PGA championship was her third major championship. All have been unique, with the Evian and US Open championships preceeding it. Lee stood three shots over par through six holes on the final day, despite not hitting wayward shots. With doubt creeping into the minds of the viewers and fans, how did Lee manage to stay focussed?

I just stick to my processes

Thanks to ASAP Sports, we are able to get a sense of what mental imagery Lee used to remain in the moment, remain committed to a plan. Lee missed the third fairway by about a yard, but needed an excavator to extract the ball from the gnarly rough. She was able to manage about 100 yards’ movement, which left 190 yards to the green. Her approach found the fronting bunker, and she played a solid blast to 10 feet. Her par save hit the lip and spun out, leaving her with bogey. At five, her drive found the fairway but her approach leaked right, into another sand pit. Another blast, another missed par save, another bogey. At six, her approach hit the ramp to the green and checked. Her chip released firmly past the hole, and a third consecutive par save drifted away from the target.

You know, the putting was not really the issue. I was missing the green, and then it put pressure on my chipping and my putting. So I was like, let’s try and first hit the fairway and then hit the green.

So I just tried to be really simple out there. You know, it was just so tough with the wind, so just tried to take it one step at a time. You know, some of the drives that I hit were really terrible out there, but I was able to get up and down, make bogey, not have a score that was too large to come back from. I think I managed myself really well out there today.

I knew the 14th and 15th hole would be birdie opportunities, so just tried to stay patient and, you know, try not — just try to make pars until those holes. I think I did that pretty well.

At seven, Minjee steadied the course of her vessel. The winds whipped sideways on many holes, reducing approach shots to as much of a guess as a science. She balanced bogey at ten with birdie at nine, and reached the target holes still three over on the day.

Over the first dozen holes, Lee’s playing partners (Jeeno Thitikul and Hye-Jin Choi) each stood at plus-one, meaning that a pair of shots had been made up on the leader by both golfers. Simultaneously, Austin Kim and Chanettee Wannasaen were marching toward career-best finishes in majors. With so many potentialities coming down the stretch run of the tournament, something had to happen, and something had to give.

I just said, just stick to my game plan. I know, it’s a battle against myself pretty much, especially with how tough the conditions were this whole week, not just today; just amplified because it’s major Sunday.

Lee opted to remain aware of what was happening across the course, yet remain focused of one person: herself. Greens in regulation at eleven through thirteen led to calming par putts. The dam finally broke on fourteen, when three well-planned shots gave Lee a nine-feet run at birdie. The putter that she had worked so hard to master and control, came through. She extended her advantage to three shots, critical to her stretch run. At fifteen, where the playing deck had been moved up to inside 240 yards, Lee erred on the side of caution. Her tee ball nearly cut back to the green, and she was left with fifteen feet to reach the putting surface. Eschewing the chip shot, Lee played a true Texas wedge onto the green, six feet from the hole. She converted for a second consecutive birdie, and finally had the breathing room that she needed.

Lee flinched on a par-saving effort at sixteen, but continued to avoid the doubles and triples that had plagued her fellow competitors all week. Pars at seventeen and eighteen brought her home at four-under par. Her margin of victory was three shots over Auston Kim and Chanettee Wannasaen. The two runners-up had parlayed 68s on day four into eight-position elevations on day four. Jeen Thitikul, the truest pursuer all week, finished at three-over par on the day, one-over on the week, in a tie for fourth with Chisato Iwai. Hye-Jin Choi closed with 74, two shots farther back, in a tie for eighth.

Yeah, pretty much I saw every single leaderboard and knew exactly where I was pretty much all of today. I checked the scores and I then I just come back to each shot and try and execute it the best that I could.

So, yeah, just really played within myself today I think.

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)