News

Tour Rundown: A cup of Joe got the job done

Published

1 year ago

Mar 3, 2025

If you didn’t love golf this week, you’ll never love golf. Jake Knapp fired up the engine with a 12-under par 59 on Thursday, at the US PGA Tour. Dale Whitnell had a pair of aces in round two of the rain-shortened South African Open, and he wasn’t even low man on the day. Justin Suh ripped a 60 in round three of the Argentina Open on the Korn Ferry Tour. Of the three, only Suh was able to hold on for a victory, which meant that someones were playing interstellar golf. It’s beginning to feel like golf season now, at least in the professional ranks. Around the globe, the northern hemisphere salivates at the approaching warm weather. All those signs mean that it’s time for another Tour Rundown, so why keep you waiting?

PGA Tour @ Cognizant Classic: A cup of Joe got the job done in the Palm Beaches

While the world drooled at Jake Knapp’s moustache, languid swing, and massive distance, a guy named Joe snuck over the cut line, then into contention, then onto the top of the podium. Jake Knapp got our attention with a day-one 59 last week, and he held the lead with 18 holes to play. Sunday wasn’t as kind as he had hoped, and Knapp slipped away to a tie for sixth spot, four shots from victory.

Knapp’s struggles made room for a series of men with J as the first letter of the names. JJ Spaun took a run at the top, closing 67-66 on the weekend to tie for runner-up. With whom? Well, Jacob Bridgeman finished even better, with 67-64 over the final 36, for a best-ever finish on the big tour. They and the rest of the field could only marvel at the work of Joe Highsmith. Highsmith made a five-foot, sliding putt on his 36th green, to make the cut on the number. The Pepperdine alum turned a page and 13 birdies and an eagle on the weekend, against just one bogey. His 64-64 finish rocketed the former Wave golfer to his first tour title amid the most unlikely circumstances.

LPGA @ HSBC Women’s World: Yo, It’s Ko!

Dame Lydia Ko…that sounds regal. Damed by New Zealand this year, she is the youngest to receive the honor in history. We’ve known for over a decade how great she is, and 2024 put the final brush strokes on the masterpiece. Gold medal at the Olympics, Hall of Fame admission on the LPGA, and now, Lydia is simply coasting. This week, she held off generation next and claimed tour title number thirty-one in Singapore.

Ko held a one-shot advantage over Charley Hull through 54 holes, with Jeeno Thitikul next in line. On Sunday, Ko the Kiwi etched five birdies onto a minus-three scorecard. The day’s low was minus five, and it didn’t come from Hull. Elementary math tells us that Ko held on for victory. Closing well was Ayaka Furue, who posted 68 to tie Thitikul for second position. Both finished four shots behind the winner, at nine under par. 2025 looks to be a season in which the front-runner’s last name begins with the letter K and O. Lydia hopes that the conversation centers around her.

DP World Tour @ South African Open: Homebred Naidoo wins in playoff

Much like penalty kicks in soccer, the notion of a weather-shortened event is the bane for many in golf. This week in Durban, Nature spoke loudly on Sunday, and officials were forced to revert to Saturday’s standings for a resolution. South Africa’s Dylan Naidoo and the “It” guy from England, Laurie Canter, sat atop the leader’s board at 14-under par. One shot behind them was Marco Penge. The latter would look back at a missed birdie on the short 18th, but certainly could not be disappointed with solo third.

Away went Naidoo and Canter to that same golf hole, to settle matters, just past 3 p.m local time. Canter hoped to secure win number two on the year, while Naidoo sought a breakthrough victory. Resolution didn’t take long. Canter found the green, 15 feet from the hole, but could not convert for three. Naidoo massaged his approach to inside five feet, and calmly made birdie to win a first Tour title and one for the home fans.

Korn Ferry Tour @ Argentina Open: S’up, Suh?

Justin Suh, of the San Jose Suhs, claimed his second career Korn Ferry Tour title in Argentina. He did so in electrifying fashion, posting 60-65 on the weekend, to win by five over a trio of chasers. Suh stumbled three times this week, for bogey. He made a pair of eagles, and 22 birdies, reach 23 under par. He briefly lost the lead on Friday evening, as eventual co runner-up Cole Sherwood followed his 67 with 64 to gain a one-shot advantage. Also in the mix were S.H. Kim and Ryan Blaum, one behind Suh.

Saturday’s fireworks included eight birdies and an eagle from the California kid, as he surged past Sherwood, to the top. Sherwood must have felt pretty good about his day-three 64, until he saw Suh’s 60 scorecard. Sunday heard a bit of noise, as a few golfers reached three- and four-under par on the front nine, but no one made a move on the leader. After turning in minus-one, Suh chased down four more birdies coming home, to seal the deal and lift the trophy.

TGL @ Week Eight: Bay says Bye to Jupiter

We’ve learned that hometown advantage means nothing in indoor golf. Jupiter Links is on the outside of the playoff window, looking in. Tiger Woods and Kevin Kisner might have been strong additions a decade ago, but this season, they’ve struggled to find their form. In contrast, the two teams from California and the squad from Atlanta have taken to indoor golf like ducks do with H2O. Both the Bay and LA Golf Club, along with Atlanta, have qualified for the extended season. That means that NY, Boston, or Jupiter will be the fourth seed and, honestly, it’s hard to predict which will move on.

Last week, we watched in hilarity and astonishment as Tiger Woods hit a 199-yard shot…99 yards. And he hit it perfectly! Hearing incorrectly his caddie’s call, Woods grabbed a wedge when he needed more and came up a few clubs short. That miscue summed up the way the season has gone for some teams. The Bay preserved its undefeated record, moving to four and oh with a 6 to 3 triumph. The match was tight until the final team hole, when The Bay accepted the hammer and took three points to move ahead, by 5 to 1. Links won the first singles hole, but needed a miracle. With a lead, you don’t accept the hammer. Links closed to 3-5 on the penultimate hole, but Wyndham Clark brought home another point for Bay, giving the final tally.

News

5 Things we Learned: Thursday at the U.S.. Women’s Open

Published

3 hours ago

Jun 5, 2026

Ronald Montesano

Gone are the days when the U.S. Women’s Open was held at Scenic Hills or Churchill Valley. Fine courses that they are (or were, as Churchill Valley went bankrupt a decade ago) there is something to be said for the venue. Not all Women’s Open playings need to take place on Men’s Open venues, but some should. This week in Los Angeles, the Women’s Open visits Riviera Country Club for the first time. Down the road, we will visit Inverness, Oakmont, Interlachen, Oak Hill, Chicago Golf, and Merion. That is quite the murderer’s row (1927 Yankees reference) of golf clubs.

What can we expect from the 2026 tournament? Greatness and uncertainty. Unlike the PGA Tour, which visits Riviera each February, the LPGA does not, so the women will not have nearly the body of work over the George C. Thomas layout. Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe they’ll play #10 smarter than the men do. Maybe they’ll figure some things out that their male counterparts can not. For today, we’ll try to find five things to learn, and share them with you.

First, this ain’t your momma’s U.S. Open course

How do we know? Well, so far, only one previous champion currently sits inside the top thirty. That would be Minjee Lee, the 2022 winner at Southern (NC) Pines. Lee made par on her first nine holes, the inward side at Riviera. She dropped birdie putts on the first and ninth holes (ten and eighteen for her day) and tallied another seven pars, for 69. She sits three shots off Jennifer Kupcho’s opening 66. Don’t worry about Kupcho; we’ll get to her. After Lee, defending champion Maja Stark ranks T30 at even par, joined by three other, former winners.

What Minjee did, is the sort of thing that wins U.S. Open titles. She guided her ship safely past swells, and made a move when the waters calmed. The fewer the bogeys, the more likely Minjee figures in the outcome on Sunday evening in Pacific Palisades. Off the tee, Lee was unmatched. She hit 14 of 14 fairways. Her iron play was a bit loose in comparison. She putted for birdie on 12 of 18 holes, which meant that her recovery short game was on point. Lee was ten yards longer on measured driving holes than the field average, and was below the field average (a good thing) in putting.

Second, the amateurs beat a loud drum

Three of the world’s top amateur golfer posted 70, placing them four off the lead, in a tie for 14th place. Canada’s Aphrodite Deng, Spain’s Paula Francisco Llaño, and Colombia’s Maria José Marin, showed the professional world that their game is strong. Both Deng and Francisco Llaño collected five birdies on the day. Should they match that output on day two, and minimize the foozles, they’ll be the topic of conversation on Saturday morning. Marin, the 2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion and an NCAA team semifinalist last week, played a game similar to Minjee Lee: few mistakes and few taken risks.

The last amateur to post the low medal score for 72 holes was Jenny Chuasiriporn in 1998. She lost a playoff to Se Ri Pak, who matched her plus-six effort at Blackwolf Run. The last amateur to win the U.S. Women’s Open was Catherine Lacoste in 1967. The amateurs are stronger than they’ve ever been, but the professionals have not allowed them to close the gap. A victory by one of the college set would be a cannon shot heard round the world. Could it happen? Absolutely. Is it likely? Not at all.

Third, let’s talk Kupcho

Jennifer Kupcho won the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur. She won three times on tour in 2022, including the Chevron, a major title. She won a fourth event in 2025, but has not established the winning credentials projected on her after 2022’s marvelous coming-out.

Kupcho hails from Colorado, and spent four years in the Carolina Piedmont, at Wake Forest Universtiy. Neither of those locales cries out I’ll be at home at Riviera, but here we are, after a seven-birdie performance. Kupcho posted birdie on each of her first three holes, and added four more (against two bogeys) to assume a one-shot advantage over Korea’s Sei Young Kim.

Kupcho drove the ball decently, approached moderately well, but putted lights out on Thursday. Her 26 putts were tied for best in show on day one. There might just be something about the putting surfaces at Riviera that aligns with Kupcho’s vibe. If that is the case, just get the ball on the green, anywhere, and let the flatstick do the lifting.

Fourth, how young is Sei Young?

Sei (pronounced “So”) Young Kim won a dozen times from 2015 to 2020. She took time off from winning until 2025, shen she captured a thirteenth LPGA title. Like Kupcho, Kim has hardware from one major event, the 2020 Women’s PGA Championship. How to explain the five years away from victory? No idea. When Sei Young was in contention during the prime of her career, the outcome was a foregone conclusion.

What to expect over the next three days at Riviera? Anyone’s guess. It might be the 2015-2020 Sei Young, or it could be the 2021-2025 version. Kim began her day with birdies at 10 and 11, then settled into a stretch of pars before her solitary bogey at the 4th (her 13th) hole. Kim regained her composure and reeled in three birdies to close the front nine. Her four-under performance trails Kupcho alone, and there is a real chance that Sei Young will produce a second score in the 60s and take a bit of control of the tournament.

Fifth, we’re giddy for Gaby

Although I cannot place my finger on why, it seems that each year, Gaby Lopez pops up on the U.S. Open leaderboard. She hasn’t figure out how to remain in contention, but here we are, in 2026, and Lopez is once again in the mix. The three-time champion on the LPGA circuit had a stunning first nine holes, turning in minus-five. She reached six deep at her tenth hole, but then gave three shots back coming home. Which Gaby will show up on Friday, and for how long? If back-nine Gaby can somehow channel front-nine Gaby, all outcomes are within reach. If the loose play continues, Lopez’ wiki page will add one more T41 to her majors column.

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open

Published

2 days ago

Jun 3, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX Tour Photographer made the trip from the Memorial Tournament across the country to the U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera. Check out links to all the photos below!

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

Published

4 days ago

Jun 1, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX is on site this week at the Memorial Tournament, with both Alistair Cameron and Tour Photographer Greg Moore on the ground in Dublin, Ohio, where a strong field is assembled to pay homage to the Golden Bear.

In addition to WITB galleries, we’ve already been treated to an in-hand look at Tommy Fleetwood’s new TaylorMade Spider putters.

Check out links to all our photos below.

General Albums

WITB Albums