News

Tour Rundown: KK for 2! Hello, Lottie!

Published

10 months ago

Jul 28, 2025

There’s something refreshing about the regular men’s major season ending in mid-July. Focus moves to other events on the world’s tours, and the beneficiaries are the Open championships of the ladies’ and senior men’s circuits. Events like the N5 and 3M, which honestly look something like binary code, also garner more eyes and ears. It also helps when the pros remind us how much better they are than us by dallying with scores in the 50s.

Did we have any of those this week? I’m not saying. You’ll have to read on, as we traverse six of the world’s tours, from LET/LPGA to Americas, from Champions to LIV, from PGA to KFT. Hop on the Tour Rundown train as it leaves the station. All aboard!

PGA Tour @ 3M Open: KK? KK! Kurt Kitayama wins 2nd tour title

There isn’t much to compare between Orlando and Minneapolis. For Kurt Kitayama, they both hold a special place. In 2023, KK won at the home of Arnold Palmer for his first PGA Tour title. This week in the land of 10K lakes, Kitayama rode a day-three 60 to a one-shot win over Sam Stevens.

Every time a player threatens the 50s, we look for stress fractures. For Kitayama, it happened on the penultimate hole on Saturday. Balanced atop 11 under par, after turning in 28, he needed par-birdie over the final 788 yards to gain immortality. He handled the 18th just fine, making birdie at the long par five. It was the 17th hole that got him. A wide-right tee shot found sand, and a bunker explosion could only reach 13 feet to hole. KK’s putt for par was brave, but wide of the mark. Still, 60 put him in a good spot, heading into Sunday.

On the day of reckoning, everyone was gobsmacked by the tumble that third-round leader Thorbjorn Olesen took. 73 dropped him 13 spots, to a 14th-place tie. There was something in that final group, as Akshay Bhatia also lost compass, closing with 75 for a 23-spot drop.

There would be no momentous climbs on day four. Kitayama began the day at 17-under par, tied with Sam Stevens. Kitayama and Stevens simply stole the spotlight from the final pairing. Out in 29, KK looked anything like a winner after shuffling home in 36. Despite that banal number, he held Stevens off, despite a homeward 31 from the runner-up.

PGA Tour Champions @ Senior Open: Make room for Paddy

Padraig Harrington won three majors on the regular tour, two Opens and a PGA. He now has three senior major titles, including two this year. Harrington traveled south to Sunningdale, in England, and added a senior Open to his two U.S. senior open titles. Just under a month after winning another USGA eagle in Colorado, Harrington held off Thomas Bjorn and Justin Leonard in Berkshire, UK.

Harrington’s first round of 67 proved pivotal. He was four shots back of leader Steven Alker, who scorched Harry Colt’s masterpiece with 63. Leonard posted 69 that same day, and that two-shot differential mattered. Both Harrington and Leonard dispatched the majority of the field with scores of 65 on Friday and again on Saturday. Neither was as effective on Sunday, and Denmark’s Bjorn entered the pursuit.

Harrington stuck to a plan on day four and posted another 67. His four rounds of 67-65-65-67 were not just feng shui; they compelled Leonard and Bjorn to post something like Alker did on day one. Neither was up to the task, and Harrington hoisted the elegant silver, granted to the winner of this august tournament.

LET/LPGA @ Scottish Open: Hello, Lottie!

This isn’t our first dance with Lottie Woad. We watched her brilliance at Augusta National in the spring of 2024. We saw her win as an amateur in Ireland on the Ladies European Tour earlier this month. What’s left for Lottie as she makes her professional debut? How about a victory?

Woad won her second national open of July. She followed her stunning triumph at Carton House, three weeks back, with a brilliant farewell to the amateur ranks. Woad stood tied with Leona Maguire on 67 after day one, but left the Irishwoman and everyone else behind, with 65 on day two. Eyes opened, conversations began, and everyone wondered if the lass from Surrey could win in her professional debut. Saturday welcomed another 67, along with a season challenger. Hyo Joo Kim had found a spark, and it was she who gave Woad the most trouble on Sunday.

Kim played magnificent golf on day four. She was able to climb up to a tie with Woad at the top, but she never found the birdie that would give her the physical and psychological solo lead. Cool and collected, Woad played her inward nine in 2 under par, and completed a three-shot triumph over Kim with a Sunday 68.

Korn Ferry Tour @ N5 Invitational: Keefer kloses late

Shout-out to the amateur from western New York and #Valpo. Anthony Delisanti, playing on a sponsor’s exemption, posted three rounds of 67, followed by 66 on Sunday, to finish T30 on the week. Way to make the most of an opportunity.

Johnny Keefer can be forgiven for being stuck in a bit of a malaise for most of Sunday. His 61 on Saturday had certainly taken sumptuous amounts of energy, so perhaps the engine needed a bit more time on day four. Keefer pushed the ignition button at the proper time, and eased to a two-shot win over Jeffrey Kang. It wasn’t easy.

Neal Shipley posted 63 on Sunday to climb 22 spots to 23 under par, and a tie for third with Kensei Hirate and Davis Chatfield. Kang’s move was less spacious but more lethal. He elevated two spots with his 65, moving to 24-under par and solo second. Keefer bounced back from consecutive bogeys on the front nine, playing his final twelve holes in minus-three. The win was Keefer’s second of the season on the KFT.

TWICE AS NICE ??

Johnny Keefer is your 2x Korn Ferry Tour winner @NV5Invite! pic.twitter.com/j45jYY4mgB

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) July 27, 2025

PGA Tour Americas @ Ottawa Open: White wins

On Friday, Brett Roberts set a course record at Eagle Creek Golf Club near Canada’s capital. He posted 61. His record lasted 24 hours. Philip Barbaree, Jr. finished birdie-birdie-eagle on Saturday, with his wife on the bag, to lower that number by two shots. On Sunday, Brett White posted 28 on the inward nine, including an eagle of his own at 18, to match Barbaree’s 59. Despite those pyrotechnics, Ottawa demanded even more golf.

With White in the clubhouse at 26-deep, Danny Fisher made birdie on the closing triumvirate to reach that vaunted tally, but Ottawa wasn’t finished. After a five-hole, par streak, Nathan Franks also made birdie at the last, to make overtime a threesome. Franks bowed out with par at the first playoff hole, while Fisher failed to make birdie the second time around, and White lifted the trophy in Canada’s capital. Imagine telling your pals that you shot 13-under on Sunday, and still didn’t win…fortunately for White, he did.

20 Holes. 15-Under. ? @BWhitey08 earns his first career victory on the second playoff hole @OttawaOpenGolf! pic.twitter.com/UTtQRGEF0U

— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) July 27, 2025

LIV @ UK: Niemann by three over Watson

Joaquin Niemann won his fifth tournament of the 2025 season. The Chilean held a one-shot advantage after day one, but sizzled on Saturday with a 64, saving eight strokes on old man par. He moved to a sizable advantage through 36 holes. Bubba Watson, second after each day, made a mild charge on day three, but was unable to overtake Niemann.

Tour Photo Galleries

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

Published

6 hours 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

2 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

Pullout Albums

News

Tour Tech Rundown: Heroic Henley

Published

3 days ago

Jun 1, 2026

Ronald Montesano

Around the world, the golf wheel spun this final week in May of 2026. From New Jersey to Austria, with stops in Korea, Texas, and North Carolina (don’t let me route your next trip) the world’s finest put their golf games on display. There were three playoffs, some known commodities and some new talent. It was the sort of week that we hope to have at this point in the seasons. June and July afford double-digit major events, and perhaps, one of this week’s champions will use this success as a springboard to new heights. Time to run it all down, tech style, in this week’s Tour Tech Rundown.

Thanks to WITBHub, Today’s Golfer, GolfWRX, and Inside Tour Golf for initial research into equipment.

PGA Tour @ Charles Schwab Challenge: Heroic Henley denies Cole

Eric Cole did nearly everything that a fellow can do, to secure a first PGA Tour title. He stayed one shot clear of Ryder Cup player Ben Griffin. He kept US Open champion Gary Woodland and wunderkind Michael Brennan two shots distant. He posted 70 on day four to reach twelve under par. And then, Russell Henley revealed his Dr. Strange cloak. Henley made 47 feet of birdie putts on holes 16, 17, and 18, to jump from minus-nine to twelve-deep, and secured a spot in a playoff with Cole. The duo returned to the final tee, and put on a stripe show.

Both golfers found the fairway off the tee, and Henley improved on his regulation play with an approach to four feet. Cole did himself proud, tucking an iron to a dozen feet, but he was unable to convert the putt for three. Henley is one of the best putters on tour, and he proved it once more by draining a putt for a fourth consecutive birdie, and a sixth PGA Tour title. For Eric Cole, that first victory should come, and soon. He has done everything necessary to earn the chalice lift.

Henley’s Suitcase

Driver: Titleist TSi3 at 10 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 70g 6.5 TX
Metal: Titleist TS3 at 16.5 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist TSi2 at 21 degrees. Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT hybrid 100 TX
Iron: Titleist T250 4-iron. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
Irons: Titleist T100 5-6 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
Irons: Titleist T100 7-9 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 48 and 50 degrees. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 54 and 60 degrees. Shaft: rue Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue S400
Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron T5 Tour Prototype

LPGA @ Shoprite LPGA: Welcome back, Celine!

Soo Bin Joo had her eyes on a maiden LPGA title. She held the lead after two rounds, then hit a red light at the intersection of can-I and how-To. Joo posted plus-two on day three in New Jersey, and dropped to a T4 finish, which was still a career-best for the young Korean golfer. Instead of a new face, a familiar face returned to the top of the podium.

Celine Boutier was the It Girl in 2023. She collected four victories, including a major title at Evian. Boutier reached world number one status, then simply faded into the background. No wins came her way over the next 30 months. On Sunday, she collected LPGA victory number seven, at the same trace as LPGA victory number two.

Day three saw Boutier manage the windswept Seaview Bay course with six birdies and a bogey. She was challenged in the end by Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol, who signed for a 66 of her own. Yubol came up one shot shy of the top ladder rung. Finishing in third place at -7, two back of the winner, was Ireland’s Lauren Walsh.

Celine’s Suitcase

Driver: PXG 0311 Black Ops Tour-1 at 9 degrees. Shaft: Graphite Design AD IZ-5
Hybrid: PXG 0311 Black Ops at 19 and 22 degrees. Shaft: KBS Hybrid Prototype
Hybrid: PXG 0311 Gen5.
Iron: PXG 0311 P Gen 4 5-9 irons
Wedge: PXG 0311 T Gen 4 PW
Wedges: PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy II at 50, 54, 58 degrees
Putter: Bettinardi Studio Stock 3 DASS

DP World Tour @ Austrian Alpine: KK? KK!

Kota Kaneko has a rhythmic name. It has strong vowels and a run of voiceless stops in its crunchy K sounds. On Sunday in Austria, Kaneko put a stop to a challenge from Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia and everyone else, and claimed a first-ever title on the DP World Tour. Gouveia did well to reach 16-under par over four days, but Kaneko held firm, two shots in the clear.

Davis Bryant of the USA also forged a strong challenge for the win. He ended in a tie with Gouveia for second place. Kaneko began and finished his final round in a bit of a malaise, but he caught fire midway through. Birdies at 10, 12, and 13 provided the necessary cushion to cruise to the finish line without breaking a serious sweat.

Kaneko’s Suitcase

Driver: Ping Max G440
Metals: TaylorMade Qi4D at 15, 16.5, 21, and 24 degrees
Irons: TaylorMade P760 5 and 6 irons
Irons: TaylorMade P7TW 7-9 irons
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design at 46, 52, 56, and 60 degrees
Putter: Odyssey Ai-One Cruiser Arm Lock #7

Korn Ferry Tour @ UNC Health Championship: Improbably Alvaro

Alvaro Ortiz may have had a bit of scare on the outward nine on Sunday, but he came through in clutch fashion in the end. Ortiz began the day bogey-double, and added another double bogey at the 11th hole. He was mired in a downward trend, spiraling away from the top of the leader’s board. Ortiz found hope at the 14th, where his first birdie of the day tumbled home. Inspired, he closed with birdies and 17 and 18 to catch Ross Steelman at 10-under par, and the duo returned to the 18th deck for overtime.

The extra session concluded in brief time. Ortiz, buoyed by his newly-retrieved confidence, hit the fairway with driver, then approached to six feet and drained the putt. Gobsmacked, Steelman could do little more than smile and applaud, as his run at the top came to a close. The victory was the first for Ortiz on the KFT, and will implant him squarely in the chase for a PGA Tour promotion.

Alvaro’s Suitcase

Driver: Ping G430 MAX driver at 9 degrees loft
Metal: Ping G430 MAX 3W
Iron: Ping iDi Driving Iron
Irons: Ping Blueprint S irons
Wedges
Putter: Scottsdale TR Piper C

A party on the green!

Alvaro’s time comes in Raleigh with his first win @UNCHealthChamp ? pic.twitter.com/2dmtZdbSzk

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) May 31, 2026

LIV @ Korea: Me llamo Joaquin

Chile’s Joaquin Niemann had been away from the LIV winner’s circle throughout all of 2026. This week in Korea, he reminded us that he is still a force to consider. Niemann chased down Taylor Gooch over the closing holes at Asiad Country Club, then claimed victory with a hole-one birdie in extra time. Bryson DeChambeau claimed solo third, one shot in arrears at minus-eleven. Dustin Johnson finished on fourth, one putt farther back.

Niemann’s Suitcase