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Ames, Woods, Wie All Wi

Steven Ames shot a 64 Sunday and found himself in a three way playoff with Justin Leonard and George McNeill. Two playoff holes later Mr. Ames was $828,000 richer and possessor of that interesting looking trophy. He’s also in need of a new itinerary for the yearly family vacation. Since he wasn’t planning on playing next year’s opening event, the family’s annual trip to Maui included a lot of beach time. Not so much any more, “I always tell Gary Player golf always gets in the way,” Ames said. “I don’t want to play golf. I want to sit on the beach and relax.” Now he’ll just have to stay a little longer.

Published

17 years ago

Nov 17, 2009

Eric Schuster

Steven Ames shot a 64 Sunday and found himself in a three way playoff with Justin Leonard and George McNeill. Two playoff holes later Mr. Ames was $828,000 richer and possessor of that interesting looking trophy. He's also in need of a new itinerary for the yearly family vacation. Since he wasn't planning on playing next year's opening event, the family's annual trip to Maui included a lot of beach time. Not so much any more, “I always tell Gary Player golf always gets in the way,” Ames said. “I don’t want to play golf. I want to sit on the beach and relax.” Now he'll just have to stay a little longer.

The rest of the field had their own pressure on the final day to claim full playing privileges for the upcoming 2010 season. David Duval missed the cut and lost his full status, as did Robert Garrigus. Jimmy Walker and Nicholas Thompson were the only players to begin the week outside the top 125 and move inside that number. Mr. Walker actually made it on the number. “It’s tough. You can’t do anything,” Walker said. “You just have to sit back and relax. Not relax, you can’t relax. But I did all I could do.” Sounds like a man whose wrung himself just a little tight, but when it's your livelihood on the line I give him credit for being able to speak as opposed to blubbering in the corner fighting off nervous tics. Rich Beem shot 68 Sunday for a ten under par total good enough for 122nd place after the dust settled. “I must say it was about as odd as I’ve ever felt thinking about it. I never expected myself to feel the way that I did,” Beem said. “When somebody tells you that you can’t do your job next year when you know you’re so close, that’s not such a good feeling.” Uh, Rich, there are a lot of folks right now only too aware of that feeling. At least you were the one who put yourself in that position with your play. Controlling your own destiny is, and has been beyond the reach of a lot of folks these days.

Tiger Woods won for the seventh time this year. Somehow my reaction to that seems so ho hum. Seven wins, one year, coming off reconstructive knee surgery. Is a BIG deal. And yet, so, um, common. As with greatness in anything, the expectation of victory dilutes the victory. Only when it doesn't happen does one take note, then only to wonder how that happened and what's wrong with the Hero. But that's for another time. He's now won on every continent where golf is played. “I’ve never won down here, so now I have won on every continent, except for Antarctica,” Woods said. “I haven’t played the Antarctica Four-Ball yet. But to have won on every playable continent, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. And now I’ve done that.” How interesting would it be to see Tiger Woods play in the Antarctica Four-Ball?

Mr. Woods received a $3 million appearance fee for playing in Australia, half of which was paid by the government. So was the investment worth the $1.5 mil? “He over-delivered,” said Ian Baker-Finch, the former British Open champion helping out with local TV analysis. If the numbers coming out of Victoria are even close those three words are perfect. The economic return has been estimated at $20 million. A couple of years with returns like that and my 401k would be back to 2006 levels. Even Adam Scott played reasonably well, finishing the week tied for sixth place and his second top ten finish in a row.

For the first time in six years, a span so full of ups and downs even Jerry Springer would be an emotional wreck, Michelle Wie won a golf tournament. Fitting that it was in Mexico at world number one Lorena Ochoa's Invitational. The entire tour let out a collective breathe as finally Ms. Wie won, at a time when star power is what the LPGA needs to thrive. New Commissioner Michael Whan has to like what he saw this past week. Brought in to pick up the pieces of the disaster created by former commissioner Carolyn Bivens, Mr. Whan can now hope that Ms. Wie begins to play and win more frequently. A warning is in order, keep those expectations low, the journey to this point has been a series of disasters followed by untold beat downs. Things are finally looking up for the tour as a whole with this victory and the return of the Shop Rite Classic to the schedule. It'll take time to clean up the mess Ms. Bivens made of things, but with the rise of Ms. Wie and some better play by the young American players the worst will be over.

I want to congratulate Ms.Wie for her victory. I've been hard on her over the years leading to this, well not so much her as she is just a kid, but her parents who where in charge of the entire dog and pony show atmosphere her career took on after she signed with Nike. Perhaps they didn't kill the spirit of their child completely, only time will tell. Hopefully more beer showers are in her future.

News

Most birdies without breaking par – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

18 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

Will Schube

In our forums, one user is wondering how many birdies other players have had in a round while still failing to break par. @Lalan45, unfortunately, asked the question after a unique experience of their own.

They wrote:

“Today I managed 8 birdies but still shot even par, could have been a round to remember! What’s the most birdies you’ve made in a round and still didn’t break par?”

Our members in the forum shared their own experiences with successful rounds that still resulted in a score over par. Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

kwcsports: “I’ve had 5 a few times, still shot 80+ haha.”
jda: “I played a course for the first time, had 8 birdies, 9 doubles and an eagle. The infamous no-par round. I kept the scorecard. Every shot had a creek that I did not know about, or I was within 8-10 feet for a birdie look. To this day, I have no idea if I should be really jacked up or mad about that performance.”
jvincent: “I think my record is either 5 or 6. Probably shot 75.”
Instron4204: “3 birdies and shot a 92…man I suck!”

Entire Thread: “Most Birdies Without Breaking Par.”

News

Best current stock shaft 2026 – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

18 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

Will Schube

In our forums, one user is asking for thoughts on the best stock shafts offered in 2026. Stock shafts are the shafts included with a club when it’s purchased from retailers or OEMs.

@DTorres asked:

The last couple years has seen a lot of updates and additions to no upcharge stock shafts, which do you think is the best offering in 2026?

Im a bit of a shaft nerd and recently during my Members Testing with the Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond I found the updated Project X Denali Frost Black to be a fantastic stock shaft. I absolutely did not mesh well with the original Denali. Just curious what other people think are the current best Stock shaft offerings out with new models and stock Ventus options and LinQ options popping up here and there.

We were given the option for any stock shafts for our members review. I went with the 70g Black Frost 6.5 because it’s a shaft I don’t have, it’s an updated version of the original Denali and hear little about. I typically use a Diamana WB, GD VF or a HOF Raptor. I’m not saying it was neck and neck with any of those but it was a pleasant surprise I’m not accustomed to in stock shaft offerings.

Our members in the forum have been offering up their own thoughts on the best stock shafts available in 2026. Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

rsballer10: “IMO – MCA Ka’ili White Darkwave, Tensei 1k Black/white, UST Lin-Q White. People are free to spend their money however they see fit, but for me personally the shaft catalogs these days have enough options that I don’t see the value of a $400 upcharge. I have never had a problem finding a no upcharge shaft that fits the bend profile and weight that I need. Whether the paint job is good enough or not is above my pay scale.”
bcflyguy1: “Project X Titan Black. I’ve had one in 60TX in my Quantum TD Max for several weeks now. Have to give Titlieist their flowers for finding a way to make it available as a featured option; very shrewd bit of business and one that I suspect will be duplicated by the other companies. TT/PX have a certified banger on their hands with Titan.”
CTG77: “Undoubtedly, it’s the Tensei 1K RIP shafts from Titleist. The Tensei line gives about 98% of the performance of a Ventus VeloCore+ shaft at a tiny fraction of the cost if you’re looking for a blue or red profile. The white is not an exact match for Ventus Black, but it’s closer to it than the non-VeloCore+ Ventus shafts that come from Callaway or formerly came from TaylorMade.”

Entire Thread: “Best current stock shaft 2026.”

News

GolfWRX’s Father’s Day Gift Guide (2026)

Published

3 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

A reminder from your friends at GolfWRX: Father’s Day is June 21. And as we do every year, we’re rounding up the best gifts for dad.

As we say every year, there’s no better golf-related Father’s Day gift than a round of golf with pops. Be it a country club or your favorite muni, take the time to get together to play 18 if you can.

Let’s get to the gifts.

Ghost Golf Qualifier Diamond Polo

We like the new polos that Ghost is offering, as the fabric and fit are so good. These new Qualifier Collection polos breathe well, are lightweight, stretch with your swing, and of course look great. You can wear them on the course, in the office, or just out at a casual event and they will fit right in.

Buy here.

STR8-Strip Grip Tape Remover

If your dad is an equipment aficionado and tinkers with his clubs, this tool works wonders. Removing grip tape has never been easier, just put a little head on the tape and the STR8-Strip peals it right off the shaft without any damage.

Buy here.

Why Golf: Putting Thing

When it comes to practice, it is good to have a purpose. This “Putting Thing” sure does it. We know from personal experience how challenging it can be and how rewarding it is on the practice green. This also provides some competition for your kiddo to see who will unload the dishwasher or do the next chore around the house.

Buy here.

OluKai Lae‘ahi Men’s Breathable Slip-On Shoes

Riding to and from the course in style and comfort is always a good thing. If you’re in a hurry, it’s a nice feature to slide into your shoes and get to the tee time. For the post-game shoe, at your locker or while putting your clubs away in the car. Nice to slide into a shoe that looks good anywhere. Pair that with meeting the family for dinner, no need to change!

Buy here.

Therabody Theragun Relief

A little wellness goes a long way. Keeping loose is a good way to go when it comes to the weekend game or treatment during the week. If there is a little ache or pain, the Theragun is there to help out. Help loosen up the back for a pre-game warm-up or cool-down.

Buy here.

World Cup golf apparel

Something for the soccer dads. Embrace the World Cup fever this summer on the course with custom gear to support the nation of your choice.

Buy here.

FootJoy Pro SL spikeless golf shoes

Give the old man a break and save his feet with the Footjoy Pro SL Men’s Spikeless Golf Shoes for some added comfort on the course.

Buy here.

Bushnell Wingman 2 GPS speaker

Combine all the hits as well as some game improvement with the Wingman 2 Golf GPS Speaker by getting audible distance readings from 38,000+ courses worldwide through the Wingman 2 remote or speaker.

Buy here.

Personalized Titleist Pro V1 golf balls

The No. 1 ball in golf is a safe bet, and the Pro V1 fits the largest chunk of the bell curve if you don’t know what ball pops plays. Add personalization for a, well, personal touch!

Buy here.