Tag: Kyle Westmoreland

‘This is a joke,’ phones on fire, ‘this can never happen again’: Seven reactions to the PGA Tour-PIF agreement from PGA Tour pros

“Being part of the military, you can imagine where my thoughts fall on it.”

LOS ANGELES — A week has passed since the bombshell news that the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and PIF had reached an agreement to form a new commercial entity and end the litigation between the parties.

While few details are known as to how that will play out, it hasn’t stopped players from voicing their opinions and being asked questions to which they have few answers.

Kyle Westmoreland, a PGA Tour rookie, was competing in Canada last week and attended the player meeting with Tour commissioner Jay Monahan. Westmoreland, a captain in the U.S. Air Force Academy, put his dream of playing on the PGA Tour for five years on hold while he served his country. At the meeting with Monahan, Westmoreland spoke briefly but his words carried weight. “Real quick, Jay, being prior military this is a joke.”

“Being part of the military, you can imagine where my thoughts fall on it,” Westmoreland said in a phone interview with Golfweek.

“I’m a very small fish in this,” he added. “Typical business first, moral ethics second. Current leadership has to figure out how to take ownership and convince the players, the members, that this is the right thing going forward but I think it is an uphill battle.”

“I think it could’ve been handled potentially better,” he continued. “When change like this is sprung on people without any warning and is so opposite of what was said and preached in the past you are going to lose some faith in your leadership. I want to see how they respond to this.”

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Check out the list of golfers who missed the cut at the 2023 Mexico Open at Vidanta

Here’s a closer look at some of those not surviving the cut this week.

Not that anyone wants to miss the cut in a PGA Tour event, but if you did miss it this week at the 2023 Mexico Open at Vidanta, maybe you could console yourself with the thought there are worse places to be than near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Or maybe not. Like Kevin Kisner (not in the field this week) likes to say: “This ain’t no hobby” and no one wants to not get paid on the PGA Tour.

Tony Finau leads after 36 holes at 13 under. Erik van Rooyen and Brandon Wu are a shot back. World No. 1 Jon Rahm, easily the biggest name in the field, followed up his Thursday 67 with a Friday 68 and is at 7 under.

Wyndham Clark birdied three of his last seven holes, including making a 13-footer on 18, to make the cut on the number. He extended his consecutive cuts made streak to 15, tying Sahith Theegala for longest this season.

MEXICO OPEN: Leaderboard | Photos

Here’s a closer look at some of those not surviving the cut, which came in at 2 under, this week.

Kyle Westmoreland becomes first Air Force Academy graduate to earn a PGA Tour card

He was the first Air Force grad to play in one of the four men’s majors. Now he’s the first to earn a PGA Tour card.

Old rivalries die hard. Just ask Kyle Westmoreland, the first Air Force Academy graduate to earn his PGA Tour card.

“Go Air Force. Beat Army. Sink Navy. And we’re Tour bound, baby,” he said with the sun setting behind him and 24 others who made their dreams come true Sunday at Victoria National in Newburgh, Indiana.

Westmoreland, who saw his score inch up in the wrong direction each day this week, posted scores of 69-70-71-72 and finished 6 under, 15 shots back of Korn Ferry Tour Championship winner Justin Suh. But it was good enough for Westmoreland, the first Air Force grad to play in a U.S. Open, to earn his place on Tour for the 2022-23 season.

He was a senior in college at Air Force in 2014 and then served out his five-year commitment, reaching the rank of captain serving in the financial management division. But he never wavered on his goal of playing professional golf.

Westmoreland, 30, finished in the 25th and final spot in the points standings.

He was 13th in driving distance on the Korn Ferry Tour at 319 yards. He had three top-10s and made 14 cuts in 26 events during the season. He earned $122,575 in on-course winnings during the 2022 campaign.

The next PGA Tour season starts in Napa, California, at the Fortinet Championship, Sept. 15-18. Defending tournament champ Max Homa has committed to play. Others in the field include Rickie Fowler, Gary Woodland, Brandt Snedeker and past winner Cameron Champ.

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Carl Yuan holds off Peter Uihlein to win Korn Ferry Tour’s Chitimacha Louisiana Open in a playoff

Carl Yuan needed to survive a playoff to earn his first career win on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Carl Yuan drained a birdie putt from about eight feet away on the first playoff hole Sunday in the Chitimacha Louisiana Open.

Peter Uihlein then missed his from about six feet out, ironically at the exact moment that Davis Riley missed his playoff extending chip in the Valspar Championship some 800 miles away in Palm Harbor, Florida.

Two final-round playoff nail-biters, one first-time champion, as Yuan claims his maiden win on the Korn Ferry Tour. (Sam Burns prevailed in the Valspar for his third PGA Tour win).

Yuan, who in 2018 delayed turning pro so he could represent China in the Asian Games, previously had a tie for second and a tie third this season.

Now he has his breakthrough victory. It came after he tracked down Trevor Werbylo, who was leading for a good part of the final round at Le Triomphe Country Club in Broussard, Louisiana.

But Werbylo stumbled down the stretch with a double bogey on the 13th hole. Yuan, playing a few holes ahead, was then tied for the lead at 14 under. Werbylo closed with a bogey on the 18th hole, keeping him out of a potential playoff with Yuan, who had seven birdies on the day, and Uihlein.

Uihlein had 15 pars Sunday, eight of them on his back nine. His birdie on the par-4 17th was the key to making the playoff.

Both playoff participants stuffed their approach shots tight on the first extra hole but Uihlein’s burned the right edge, curling a bit around the right edge but staying out of the hole.

Werbylo and José de Jesús Rodríguez finished tied for third at 13 under. Seven golfers tied for fifth at 12 under.

Augusto Núñez, who finished T-12, matched Werbylo’s second-round 64 for low 18-hole score of the week.

Kyle Westmoreland, who became the first Air Force Academy graduate to earn a spot in the U.S. Open last summer, was among six golfers who finished T-15. Westmoreland has missed three cuts in five KFT events this season but his tie for 15th is now his career best finish.

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Air Force captain Kyle Westmoreland looking to take flight at Waste Management Phoenix Open

Kyle Westmoreland earned all-region honors and a fourth-place finish in the 2014 Mountain West Conference Championship his senior year.

Kyle Westmoreland took a moment on the 18th hole to take in the surroundings. In doing so, the Air Force veteran noticed the Patriots’ Outpost, a viewing area exclusive to military personnel and their guests, overlooking the final hole.

It was then that Tim Woods, tournament chairman of the 2020 Waste Management Phoenix Open, came up and shook Westmoreland’s hand. Westmoreland, who served more than five years as an Air Force captain, expressed his interest in the Patriots’ Outpost.

“We walked right past it (the outpost),” Woods said, “and (Kyle) said, ‘That is awesome; I want to get up there.’ So I will get Captain Westmoreland up in the Patriots’ Outpost.”

The area provides food and beverage — in addition to superb views — to active duty, emergency services and veteran personnel and their guests. Patriots’ Outpost, which had a helicopter land on its surface outside the viewing area, is open through Sunday.

But as much as Westmoreland wants to experience the Patriots’ Outpost, he’s thrilled with his vantage point for the tournament.

Kyle Westmoreland at the 2020 Coors Light Pro-Am at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Photo by Sean Logan/The Arizona Republic

Westmoreland, who attended the Air Force Academy, played in the Coors Light Pro-Am on Monday at TPC Scottsdale and received a sponsor exemption to participate in the Phoenix Open, the latest step for the decorated NCAA golfer trying to make his way as a professional.

“This is an event that everyone wants to be a part of,” Westmoreland said. “It’s one of the marquee events on tour. I didn’t expect it but I’ve played golf in Arizona and I love the community and the atmosphere.”

At Air Force, Westmoreland earned all-region honors and a fourth-place finish in the 2014 Mountain West Conference Championship his senior year, the highest finish for an Air Force player since 1985.

Earning a spot on the Korn Ferry Tour, Westmoreland has continued his pursuit of getting on the PGA Tour and earned an exemption to play on the PGA Tour’s A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier.

Now, Westmoreland hopes to take flight at the Phoenix Open.

“I love the style of golf and it’s a real honor to be a part of a tournament with such great military support,” Westmoreland said. “I’m excited to get to prove my talent and abilities to this crowd. It’s all I could ever ask for.”

Westmoreland said he still has a passion for serving but that he and his wife, Erin, settled on him pursuing a dream of playing golf at the highest level. The veteran, who left active duty in September, said going oversees helped him gain perspective.

“Golf is great,” Westmoreland said, “… but there are more important things.”

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