Key Takeaways
- It was a wild weekend in golf, with Padraig Harrington making history in the ISPS HANDA Senior Open, while Kurt Kitayama found his breakthrough at the 3M Open.
- Elsewhere, 20-year-old Lottie Woad grabbed her maiden victory on the LPGA Tour in Scotland.
- RG's Brendon Elliott breaks it all down in the latest instalment of “The Starter”.
Kurt Kitayama (Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)
In this week's “The Starter,” PGA professional Brendon Elliott, a three-decade industry veteran, breaks down Padraig Harrington's senior major championship mastery at Sunningdale, Lottie Woad's maiden LPGA victory in Scotland, and Kurt Kitayama's weekend surge delivers second PGA Tour title.
Padraig Harrington doesn't just win senior majors anymore — the guy collects them with the methodical precision of someone who has cracked the code for success at golf's highest level for players over 50.
At the ISPS HANDA Senior Open at Sunningdale's Old Course, the 53-year-old Irishman delivered another masterclass in major championship golf, closing with a 3-under 67 to win by three strokes over Thomas Bjørn and Justin Leonard. The eagle on his opening hole Sunday set the tone for what would become a coronation rather than a competition.
Joining Golf's Most Exclusive Club
Following his U.S. Senior Open triumph at The Broadmoor in June, this victory at Sunningdale represents Harrington's second senior major of 2025. This back-to-back major win feat has elevated him into rarified air—he becomes just the fifth player in history to win both The Open Championship and the Senior Open, joining Bob Charles, Gary Player, Tom Watson, and Darren Clarke.
With 11 victories in just 59 starts on the PGA Tour Champions, Harrington's winning percentage of 18.64% ranks second all-time among players with 10 or more wins in Champions Tour history. If that wasn't enough, he's also the only player on the senior circuit with multiple wins each season since 2022.
For a guy who had finished second at this event in both 2022 and 2023, his victory at Sunningdale was particularly satisfying. Persistence certainly paid off for Padraig this week.
When Youth Steps up: Woad's Breakthrough in Scotland
While Harrington was adding to his senior major collection, Lottie Woad was busy writing the first chapter of her LPGA story. The 20-year-old Englishwoman's wire-to-wire victory at the ISPS HANDA Women's Scottish Open at Dundonald Links wasn't just a maiden professional victory—it was a statement.
Woad's final-round 68 for a 21-under total of 267 gave her a three-stroke victory over South Korea's Hyo Joo Kim, but the margin doesn't capture how impressively she handled the pressure of leading a professional tournament for the first time.
Here's what makes Woad's win so remarkable: she didn't just beat a weak field. Major champions and seasoned LPGA veterans filled the leaderboard, including world No. 1 Nelly Korda, who could only manage a fifth-place finish. While most 20-year-olds would buckle under that kind of pressure, Woad looked like she belonged out there from the first tee to the final putt.
Sure, the €255,554 winner's check is nice, but the real prize is what comes with it. Woad just punched her ticket to full LPGA Tour membership—no more Monday qualifiers, no more worrying about status. She's got job security and a platform to build something special. The Scottish Open has launched plenty of careers over the years, and judging by how Woad handled herself this week, she's got the goods to make the most of this opportunity.
From The Depths of Despair: Kitayama's Weekend Delivers 3M Glory
Kurt Kitayama looked dead in the water after two rounds at the 3M Open. Tied for 44th. Another weekend that felt like it was heading nowhere fast for a guy who'd already missed seven cuts this season.
Here's a 32-year-old who should be hitting his prime, but 2025 has been kicking his butt. Just two top-10s all year. The kind of season that makes you wonder if you've still got it, or if the tour is passing you by.
Then Saturday happened. A career-best 60 that tied the tournament record. Sunday? He backed it up with 65. One stroke better than Sam Stevens when the dust settled, and suddenly Kurt Kitayama had his second PGA Tour win.
Sometimes golf doesn't make sense. Sometimes that's exactly what makes it beautiful.
Historic Weekend Numbers
The weekend transformation was nothing short of remarkable. Kitayama's 20 birdies over the final two rounds represented the most birdies made on a weekend by a PGA Tour winner since 2003. His front-nine scoring of 28-29 over the weekend made him just the third player since 2003 to post consecutive sub-30 scores on the same nine in a tournament.
Those aren't just good numbers—they're historically good numbers.
Family on The Bag
Having your big brother caddie for you? That's special. Daniel Kitayama was on Kurt's bag for just the second time this season, and it showed. While other players were feeling the heat, Kurt stayed cool.
"He helped me stay calm out there, make good decisions," Kitayama said. "It just helps having family on the bag."
This win changed everything for Kitayama. Those 500 FedExCup points shot him from 110th to 53rd in the standings—and more importantly, into the playoffs. After missing seven cuts this year, the timing was perfect.
Sam Stevens? The guy just keeps knocking on the door. Another second-place finish, another back-nine charge (shot 31 coming home). His first win is coming soon.
From The UK to The Twin Cities: Why This Week Delivered
This week reminded us exactly why we love this game. Harrington's senior dominance showed what happens when experience meets opportunity. Woad's breakthrough proved that talent finds a way, regardless of age. Kitayama's comeback demonstrated that sometimes the best stories come from the most unexpected places.
Three different tournaments, three different champions, but they all had one thing in common: they delivered when it counted most.
