July 30, 2025 

Welcome to the eleventh edition of The Tee Sheet - your Wednesday read on what matters in the world of golf right now. We have one more week to get through until the FedEx Cup is here. Ryder Cup is around the corner after that. The majors might be over, but there’s more to come!

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Let’s dive in!

Official World Golf Ranking Tracker & Movers

• Big Movers Up: Kurt Kitayama moves up 58 spots to #39 after winning the 3M 

• Top 10: no changes to the OWGR Top 10

Note: Rising / Falling includes biggest movers in the OWGR Top 150

FedEx Cup Points Tracker

• Top 10 Movements: no changes to the FedEx Cup Top 10 this week 

• Bubble Watch: The playoffs start next week, with the Top 70 getting into the field at the St Jude’s… Below are some notable names hovering in the 60 - 80 range:

  • Tony Finau, Rickie Fowler, Erik van Rooyen, Nicolai Hojgaard, Davis Riley, Emiliano Grillo, Cam Davis, Byueong Hun An

PGA Tour Money List Tracker

• Top 10 Movements: no changes to the Top 10 in Money this week

Tourney Recap

2025 3M Open Recap:

Kurt Kitayama Wins in the Midwest

Kurt Kitayama didn’t just win the 3M Open - he played stellar golf all week for his second PGA Tour title, firing a final-round 65 to finish at ‑23 and beat Sam Stevens by one stroke. The weekend at TPC Twin Cities delivered its usual birdie-fest, but Kitayama’s clutch scoring and timing made the difference.

Kitayama was playing excellent golf all week - especially when he matched the course record on Saturday with his 11-under 60.

Kurt Kitayama’s breakthrough didn’t just cement his second PGA Tour victory (he also won the Arnold Palmer in 2023) - it officially punched his ticket into the FedExCup Playoffs. With his brother Daniel carrying his bag this week at TPC Twin Cities, the win had extra weight. After missing the playoffs last season, this was a big one (and a great statement).

Who Else Made Noise?

• Sam Stevens (2nd), David Lipsky and Matt Wallace (T3), Jake Knapp (T3), Chris Gotterup (T10), Wyndham Clark (T12)

3M Open Quick Stats:

• Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green Leaders

  1. Kurt Kitayama (+3.30)

  2. Ben Kohles (+2.53)

  3. David Lipsky (+1.97)

• Strokes Gained: Putting Leaders

  1. Alex Noren (+2.58)

  2. Kevin Kisner (+2.11)

  3. Sam Stevens (+1.94)

• Strokes Gained: Approach

  1. Kurt Kitayama (+2.29)

  2. Wyndham Clark (+1.99)

  3. Ben Kohles (+1.77)

      

Tourney Preview

2025 Wyndham Championship Preview

Final Regular-Season Fireworks at Sedgefield

We are headed to Greensboro, NC for the Wyndham Championship - the final regular-season event before the FedExCup Playoffs. The winner is able to grab 500 FedExCup points, his share of the $8.2M purse - and, most critically, the last shot for dozens of players to slip inside the Top 70 and secure their playoff berths.

This is the final grind of the season for “the middle of the pack”: careers to be saved, momentum seized, and every leaderboard move potentially career-altering.

Who’s Playing?

The field for this one is sneaky good - players want to be in the Top 70 to get into the Playoffs, and in the Top 50 to play in the BMW:

• Keegan Bradley, Tony Finau, Matt Fitzpatrick, Rickie Fowler, Ben Griffin, Max Homa, Sungjae Im, Robert MacIntyre, Hideki Matsuyama, and Jordan Spieth headline

Course Breakdown: Sedgefield CC

• A pure Donald Ross design opened in 1926 that has hosted the Wyndham since 2008

• Pure championship Bermuda greens that were redone in 2010 - look for true roll with tiered greens and fun challenges

• Past champs here are precision players, not bombers (see list in section below)

Tournament History

• The championship began in 1938, and Sam Snead won this event at age 52 (when it was the Great Greensboro Open) - still the oldest champion in PGA Tour history

• Legends like Hogan, Player, Seve, and more have their names on the Wyndham trophy

• For many, it’s their last chance of the year - a spot synonymous with heart, hustle, and hope

Wyndham Championship Quick Stats:

• Course: Sedgefield Country Club

• Par: 70

• Distance: 7,131 yards

• Purse: $8,200,000

• Recent Champs: Aaron Rai (2024), Lucas Glover (2023), Tom Kim (2022), Kevin Kisner (2021)

Picks & Players to Watch

• Top 40: Andrew Novak (+100), Jacob Bridgeman (+135)

• Top 20: Christiaan Bezuidenhout (+220), Lucas Glover (+160)

• Top 10: Jordan Spieth (+360)

Disclaimer: The picks and predictions in The Tee Sheet are for informational and entertainment purposes only.

Ryder Cup Rankings Tracker

Team USA: 

• Chris Gotterup moves into the Top 20 for points 

Team Europe:

The Weekly Rundown

Stories to Know This Week

🏆Niemann Wins Again

• Joaquin Niemann notches his fifth individual win of the 2025 LIV season, dominating at JCB Golf & CC finishing at 17-under, the win cementing his hold atop the LIV individual standings

• Niemann just keeps winning on LIV - will we get to see it translate to a major next year? We’ll have to continue to wait…

⚖️ LIV Resubmits OWGR Bid

• After nearly two years of missing out, LIV has refiled its application to be recognized under the OWGR system - still pending, but we’ll see if changes are made

💰 LAB Golf Receives Investment

• Specialty putter maker L.A.B. Golf received a majority investment from consumer private equity firm L Catterton

Author’s Note

That’s a wrap on the eleventh Tee Sheet.

The majors may be in the rearview, but the FedEx Cup Playoffs are right around the corner. The Ryder Cup is closer than it feels.

Appreciate you reading each week - see you next week with a preview of the FedEx Cup schedule!

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See you next Wednesday.