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Tales of Turnberry

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By: JB Audi , GolfWRX.com 
 

If history repeats itself, we are in for an exciting weekend at Turnberry, site of this week’s Open Championship.  The three previous winners, Tom Watson, Greg Norman, and Nick Price, were all ranked #1 when they claimed the Claret Jug at the famed Ailsa track.  Turnberry has not hosted the Open since 1994 and has had to make alterations to toughen a golf course that had become perfect for guests of the five-star resort but not worthy of “rotation” status for the Open Championship.  They claim that this mission has been accomplished by extending the length of several holes and tinkering with the design of others. That being said, we can still expect plenty of birdies down the stretch, assuming the wind allows.  Based on history (and recent play) Tiger figures to be in the hunt.  The question is, who will join him? 

 

The Veterans

 
 Padraig Harrington – Has there ever been less media attention for a proven player attempting to three-peat as Open Champion?  The golf world needs to accept the fact that this guy is nails under pressure and deserves respect for being one the best players in the world.

Tale of the tape: Despite winning Irish PGA event this week he previously missed five cuts in a row.  The streak ends. 
 

Kenny Perry – Masters gag may actually help this viable vet if his long, straight driving can lead to red numbers.  Being long enough to fly the fairway bunkers at Turnberry is a key factor.

Tale of the Tape:  The golf gods do not approve of players that do not commit to crossing the pond on regular basis – no chance. 
 

V.J. Singh – Why hasn’t this guy ever contended for the Claret Jug? 

Tale of the tape: Have you ever seen him hit a low stinger?  Me neither.  Hitting a high ball leads to many “high balls” next to a cozy fire after a long round at the Open Championship. 
 

Jim Furyk – He is in contention at too many majors not to add more wins to his resume.

Tale of the tape: Alley dog will grind his way to leader board on Sunday but lack of birdies will again prevent him from victory. 
 

Henrik Stenson – smooth Swede was money down the stretch at the Players and is due for first major win.

Tale of the tape: Can and will contend. 
 

Geoff Ogilvy – Unflappable Aussie has the game and mental fortitude to add a second major to his list of accomplishments.

Tale of the tape: See below

 

Young Guns

 
 Paul Casey – Has finally shown that he can close for big tournament victories but has not contended on Sunday in a major to date.

Tale of the tape: Has the ability to go low on any venue and should be in the mix but lack of mental fortitude will keep him from delighting the locals (those that actually like England, that is). 
 

Anthony Kim – Finally making some noise after a slow start due to off-season injuries.  Has the game and fearlessness to win.

Tale of the tape: Should be on the board come Sunday if he can avoid the occasional hook off the tee. 
 

Rory McIlroy – A victory for this phenom would be a great way to inject some much-needed excitement to an otherwise dull first half of golf season.  Has the game and seems to expect success when he steps between the ropes.

Tale of the tape: Would not be a surprise if he comes away with victory. 
 

Camillo Villegas – Streaky player with enough success to feel comfortable near the lead on Sunday.

Tale of the tape: Can he sink putts when he needs to? 
 

Hunter Mahan – Could have won Open with a few decent bounces.  This guy has loads of talent with few weaknesses.

Tale of the tape: Should be in contention. 
 

Tiger is the clear favorite to win his fourth Claret Jug.  Turnberry is the most “Americanized” of the Open venues with smooth, well-manicured greens.  This will bode well for Tiger as the rest of his game is in good form.  Needs to be closer to the lead after two rounds than he has managed in first two majors. 
 

J.B.’s pick – Geoff Ogilvy.  Has great variety in his shot making.  Can hit it low, high, far, fade, draw, and with touch, if necessary.  Also has mental fortitude to “block out” presence of Tiger should they be paired along the way. 

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GolfWRX is the world's largest and best online golf community. Expert editorial reviews, breaking golf tour and industry news, what to play, how to play and where to play. GolfWRX surrounds consumers throughout the buying, learning and enrichment process from original photographic and video content, to peer to peer advice and camaraderie, to technical how-tos, and more. As the largest online golf community we continue to protect the purity of our members opinions and the platform to voice them. We want to protect the interests of golfers by providing an unbiased platform to feel proud to contribute to for years to come. You can follow GolfWRX on Twitter @GolfWRX and on Facebook.

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Photos from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship

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GolfWRX is live this week at the Wells Fargo Championship as a field of the world’s best golfers descend upon Charlotte, North Carolina, hoping to tame the beast that is Quail Hollow Club in this Signature Event — only Scottie Scheffler, who is home awaiting the birth of his first child, is absent.

From the grounds at Quail Hollow, we have our usual assortment of general galleries and WITBs — including a look at left-hander Akshay Bhatia’s setup. Among the pullout albums, we have a look inside Cobra’s impressive new tour truck for you to check out. Also featured is a special look at Quail Hollow king, Rory McIlroy.

Be sure to check back throughout the week as we add more galleries.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying about our Wells Fargo Championship photos in the forums.

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SuperStroke acquires Lamkin Grips

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SuperStroke announced today its purchase of 100-year-old grip maker Lamkin Grips, citing the company’s “heritage of innovation and quality.”

“It is with pride and great gratitude that we announce Lamkin, a golf club grip brand with a 100-year history of breakthrough design and trusted products, is now a part of the SuperStroke brand,” says SuperStroke CEO Dean Dingman. “We have always had the utmost respect for how the Lamkin family has put the needs and benefits of the golfer first in their grip designs. If there is a grip company that is most aligned with SuperStroke’s commitment to uncompromised research, design, and development to put the most useful performance tools in the hands of golfers, Lamkin has been that brand. It is an honor to bring Lamkin’s wealth of product innovation into the SuperStroke family.”

Elver B. Lamkin founded the company in 1925 and produced golf’s first leather grips. The company had been family-owned and operated since that point, producing a wide array of styles, such as the iconic Crossline.

According to a press release, “The acquisition of Lamkin grows and diversifies SuperStroke’s proven and popular array of grip offerings with technology grounded in providing golfers optimal feel and performance through cutting-edge design and use of materials, surface texture and shape.”

CEO Bob Lamkin will stay on as a board member and will continue to be involved with the company.

“SuperStroke has become one of the most proven, well-operated, and pioneering brands in golf grips and we could not be more confident that the Lamkin legacy, brand, and technology is in the best of hands to continue to innovate and lead under the guidance of Dean Dingman and his remarkably capable team,” Lamkin said.

Related: Check out our 2014 conversation with Bob Lamkin, here: Bob Lamkin on the wrap grip reborn, 90 years of history

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Tour Rundown: Pendrith, Otaegui, Longbella, and Dunlap soar

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Take it from a fellow who coaches high school golf in metro Toronto: there’s plenty of great golf played in the land of the maple leaf. All the greats have designed courses over the USA border: Colt, Whitman, Ross, Coore, Mackenzie, Doak, as well as the greatest of the land, Stanley Thompson. I’m partial to him, because he wore my middle name with grandeur. Enough about the architecture, because this week’s Tour Rundown begins with a newly-minted, Canadian champion on the PGA Tour. Something else that the great white north is known for, is weather. It impacted play on three of the world’s tours, forcing final-round cancellations on two of them.

It was an odd week in the golf world. The LPGA and the Korn Ferry were on a break, and only 13/15 of the rounds slated, were played. In the end, we have four champions to recognize, so let’s not delay any longer with minutiae about the game that we love. Let’s run it all down with this week’s Tour Rundown.

PGA Tour: TP takes TS at Byron’s place

The 1980s was a decade when a Canadian emergence was anticipated on the PGA Tour. It failed to materialize, but a path was carved for the next generation. Mike Weir captured the Masters in 2003, but no other countrymen joined him in his quest for PGA Tour conquest. 2024 may herald the long-awaited arrival of a Canadian squad of tour winners. Over the past few years, we’ve seen Nick Taylor break the fifty-plus year dearth of homebred champions at the Canadian Open, and players like Adam Hadwin, Corey Conners, Adam Svennson, and Mackenzie Hughes have etched their names into the PGA Tour’s annals of winners.

This week, Taylor Pendrith joined his mates with a one-shot win at TPC Craig Ranch, the home of the Byron Nelson Classic. Pendrith took a lead into the final round and, while the USA’s Jake Knapp faltered, held on for the slimmest of victories. Sweden’s Alex Noren posted six-under 65 on Sunday to move into third position, at 21-under par. Ben Kohles, a Texan, looked to break through for his first win in his home state. He took the lead from Pendrith at the 71st hole, on the strength of a second-consecutive birdie.

With victory in site, Kohles found a way to make bogey at the last, without submerging in the fronting water. His second shot was greenside, but he could not move his third to the putting surface. His fourth was five feet from par and a playoff, but his fifth failed to drop. Meanwhile, Pendrith was on the froghair in two, and calmly took two putts from 40 feet, for birdie. When Kohles missed for par, Pendrith had, at last, a PGA Tour title.

DP World Tour: China Open in Otaegui’s hands after canceled day four

It wasn’t the fourth round that was canceled in Shenzhen, but the third. Rains came on Saturday to Hidden Grace Golf Club, ensuring that momentum would cease. Sunday would instead be akin to a motorsports restart, with no sense of who might claim victory. Sebastian Soderberg, the hottest golfer on the Asian Swing, held the lead, but he would slip to a 72 on Sunday, and tie for third with Paul Waring and Joel Girrbach. Italy’s Guido Migliozzi completed play in 67 strokes on day three, moving one shot past the triumvirate, to 17-under par.

It was Spain’s Adrian Otaegui who persevered the best and played the purest. Otaegui was clean on the day, with seven birdies for 65. Even when Migliozzi ceased the lead at the 10th, Otaegui remained calm. With everything on the line, Migliozzi made bogey at the par-five 17th, as his principal competitor finished in birdie. To the Italian’s credit, he bounced back with birdie at the last, to claim solo second. The victory was Otaegui’s fifth on the DP World Tour, and first since October of 2022.

PGA Tour Americas: Quito’s rains gift title to Longbella

Across the world, superintendents and their staffs will do anything to prepare a course for play. Even after fierce, nightime rains, the Quito TG Club greeted the first four groups on Sunday. The rains worsened after 7 am, however, and the tour was forced to abort the final round of play. With scores reverting to Saturday’s numbers, Thomas Longbella’s one-shot advantage over Gunn Yang turned into a Tour Americas victory.

64 held the opening-day lead, and Longbella was not far off, with 66. Yang jumped to the top on day two, following a67 with 66. He posted 68 on day three, and anticipated a fierce, final-round duel for the title. As for Longbella, he fought off a ninth-hole bogey on Saturday with six birdies and a 17th-hole eagle. That rare bird proved to be the winning stroke, allowing Longbella to edge past Yang, and secure ultimate victory.

PGA Tour Champions: Dunlap survives Saturday stumble for win

Scott Dunlap did not finish Saturday as well as he might have liked. After beginning play near Houston with 65, Dunlap made two bogeys in his final found holes on day two, to finish at nine-under par. Hot on his heels was Joe Durant, owner of a March 2024 win on PGA Tour Champions. Just behind Durant was Stuart Appleby, perhaps vibing from his Sunday 59 at Greenbrier on this day in 2010. Neither would have a chance to track Dunlap down.

The rains that have forced emergency responders into action, to save hundreds of lives in the metro Houston area, ended hopes for a third day of play at The Woodlands. Dunlap had won once previously on Tour Champions, in 2014 in Washington state. Ten years later, Dunlap was the fortunate recipient of a canceled final round, and his two days of play were enough to earn him TC victory number two.

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