Tour News
Monday Tour Mash: Brooks’ breakout, Ko is new No. 1
For those of you who lost money on squares last night, consider picking an up-and-coming golfer in next season’s Waste Management Phoenix Open. The biggest party in golf also happens to identify the best talent in golf: J.B. Holmes, Mark Wilson, Kyle Stanley and Kevin Stadler made Scottsdale a coming-out party for wins.
Add the name Brooks Koepka to the list.
A 51-feet bomb for eagle on Sunday’s 15th hole propelled the former Florida State golfer to his second major victory in three months. In November, Koepka won the Turkish Airlines Open on the European Tour. Koepka eschewed the U.S. minor circuits for a continent-trotting time on the European tours.
[quote_box_center]“I didn’t think I would work my way up this quickly, but playing the Challenge and European tours led to this,” Koepka said. “And especially the failures I have had. I look at Frys two years ago. I can’t tell you how much I learned from that. The failures I think are what really held me.”[/quote_box_center]
After winning four times on the Challenge Tour, Koepka graduated to the main tour, where he triumphed in Turkey last Thanksgiving.
A stroke off the 15-under total of the victor were Hideki Matsuyama, Bubba Watson and Ryan Palmer. Each had their chances, but none of the three was able to match Koepka’s 3-under final nine.
Jon Rahm, a Spanish amateur by way of Arizona State’s varsity squad, made an effort at repeating Phil Mickelson’s 1991 victory on tour. With four back-nine birdies, Rahm reached 12-under and a tie for fifth.
Story of the Week: Let’s be candid. No one thought Tiger would challenge. Did we think he would shoot 82? No, but that’s not the story of the week. Brooks Koepka was the worst-kept secret in professional golf last year. All Europe knew how well he was playing, yet it was a challenge to procure a stateside sponsor’s exemption. Despite this being his first PGA Tour victory, Koepka was far from a long shot in Scottsdale.
NYCe, but not for Lydia (LPGA Tour)
For 70 holes of the inaugural Coates Golf Championship, Lydia Ko had victory and the world No. 1 ranking in her newly contact-lensed sights. Also awaiting her was the pithy cheer of her father, that she revealed on Friday.
[quote_box_center]”Dad, the only crowd voice I can hear is you saying like, ‘Nice, Lydia,”’ she said. “I can always spot it. It’s a voice I always hear.”[/quote_box_center]
One of them was not to be. An untimely double-bogey on the penultimate hole dropped her a stroke behind Na Yeon Choi (known on tour as NYC) into a tie for second. Victory No. 1 of the year, unlike Ko’s new No. 1 world ranking, will have to wait until next week.
Na Yeon played marvelous weekend golf, playing the final 36 holes in 10-under. Coates was her first triumph since her breakout season in 2012. For Na Yeon Choi, the win means she can keep her 4G.
[quote_box_center]“I was thinking [of getting my] cell phone changed to a 2G so I can’t check all my email, can’t check any internet,” she said. [/quote_box_center]
Evidently, the pressure put on her to win after a 2013 U.S. Open victory had increased to a breaking point. NYC will arrive on Paradise Island in the Bahammas in a much more relaxed state of mind for this week’s Pure Silk Classic.
Story of the Week: Despite Ko’s ascent to the top ranking, it is Choi’s admission that the pressures of her homeland nearly wore her down. Top 10? Not good enough. Second place? Not good enough. First or bust.
Breaking the Runner’s-Up Duck (European Tour)
Rory McIlroy hadn’t won a golf tournament since the 2014 PGA Championship, and he hadn’t ever played a sub-70, final round at Dubai. McIlroy couldn’t ensure the latter, but he did stop the quacking he had heard since the 2014 PGA Championship.
[quote_box_center]”I’d definitely like to break the runner’s up duck the right way than the wrong way,” McIlroy said. “We’ll see.”[/quote_box_center]
Par-saving putts on Nos. 12 and 17 moved the momentum forward and the world’s top-ranked golfer played conservative golf into the house to earn a three-stroke win over Alex Noren. Unfortunately for the lad from Northern Ireland, while the rest of the tour moves on to Malaysia for its National Open, the fun is over for a while for Rory, as he travels next week to Dublin to testify in his case against former manager Horizon Sports Management.
Let’s see, where would he rather be?Dublin…Malaysia…Dublin…definitely Malaysia.
Story of the Week: Alexander Noren’s return from injury to earn a second-place finish.
Goggin Clears Field in Panama Claro (Web.Com Tour)
Matthew Goggin didn’t fret when Harold Varner III took a one-stroke lead after nine holes of the final round in Panama. The Aussie knew what awaited the field, as evidenced by four previous Web.com victories and two on the equivalent circuit in Europe, the Challenge Tour.
While Varner gave the lead away with four bogeys on the inward nine, ultimately finishing in second place, Goggin played steady golf over the final nine holes, with one birdie enough for a four-stroke victory in the first event of the 2015 Web.com season.
Goggin began the day four shots back of Hao tong Li, the overnight leader. Li had earned a tour card with his first-place finish on last year’s PGA Tour China circuit. The young man from Hunan was unable to birdie a single hole on Sunday and his six bogeys dropped him from first to eleventh place.
The tour moves one country south, onto mainland South America, for this week’s Pacific Rubiales Colombia Championship, also presented by Claro (which, incidentally, means “clear” in Spanish.)
Story of the Week: Tie between Varne, an African-American golfer and Li, a legitimate golfing talent from China.
Kel Nagle Passes
Kel Nagle died last week at the age of 94. Nagle served five years in the Australian military, thus coming to professional golf a bit later than most. In 1960, Nagle stunned the golfing world by defeating Arnold Palmer at the British Open championship at St. Andrews.
Palmer had won the first two major titles of the year and was expected to head to the PGA Championship with a chance to win the Grand Slam.
Kel Nagle won three PGA Seniors championships and two World Cup (then called the Canada Cup) titles in partnership with countryman Peter Thompson. He counted the 1964 Canadian Open as his only other PGA Tour title.
In 2007, Nagle was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, one of only five Aussies to receive that recognition.
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 Players Championship
On the heels of Scottie Scheffler’s dominant victory at Bay Hill, the PGA Tour heads a little farther north in Florida to TPC Sawgrass this week for The Players Championship. And of course, GolfWRX is on site to get a look at what the players are playing.
We’ve already spotted a new Titleist mini driver this week, and there’s plenty more.
Check out our photos below!
Pullout Albums
- New Titleist 2 wood – 2024 The Players Championship
- Cam Young testing Titleist’s new 2-wood – 2024 THE PLAYERS Championship
- Hole Nos. 17 and 18 – 2024 THE PLAYERS Championship
- Toulon Small Batch Texas putter – 2024 The Players Championship
- Swag Golf custom headcovers – 2024 The Players Championship
- New Ping PLD staff bags – 2024 The Players Championship
- SuperStroke St. Patrick’s Day putter grip – 2024 The Players Championship
- Taylor Montgomery using PuttView X training goggles – 2024 The Players Championship
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
GolfWRX is on the ground in Orlando ahead of the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club & Lodge.
We’re assembling our usual collection of WITB photos, general galleries, and of course, gear inspired by the King himself.
We’ll continue to add to the photos below as more flow in from Florida.
General Albums
- 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational – Monday #1
- 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational – Monday #2
- 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational – Monday #3
- 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational – Tuesday #1
- 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational – Tuesday #2
- 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational – Tuesday #1 (thanks, bvmagic!)
- 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational – Tuesday #3 (bvmagic)
- 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational – Tuesday #2 (bvmagic)
WITB Albums
- Matt (LFG) Every – WITB – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Sahith Theegala – WITB – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Scottie Scheffler – WITB – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Luke List – WITB – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Adam Schenk – WITB – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Taylor Moore – WITB – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- David Ford – WITB – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Patrick Cantlay – WITB – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
Pullout Albums
- New Cameron putters (and new “LD” grip) – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- New Bettinardi MB & CB irons – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Custom Bettinardi API putter cover – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Custom Swag API covers – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- New Golf Pride Reverse Taper grips – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- New PXG putters – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Scottie Scheffler putter change – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Sepp Straka – shaft change to new Ventus blue – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Rickie Fowler’s new Cobra Darkspeed X driver and Denali shaft (and Radspeed 3-wood) – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
- Justin Rose testing Srixon Z Forged II irons – 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 Cognizant Classic
GolfWRX is on site this week at the Cognizant Classic —FKA the Honda Classic.
The first leg of the PGA Tour’s traditional “Florida swing,” the Cognizant Classic continues to be contested at PGA National’s Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, host course of the 1983 Ryder Cup and 1987 PGA Championship. The course is known for its famed “Bear Trap,” a three-hole stretch of holes that take their name from Jack “The Golden Bear” Nicklaus, who redesigned the course in 2002.
The Bear Trap includes No. 15 (a par 3), No. 16 (a par 4), and No. 17 (a par 4). All three holes involve water and have led to several big numbers from Tour players over the years.
Check out an assortment of general galleries, WITBs, and pullout albums below.
We’ll continue to update the galleries as more photos flow in from Florida!
General Albums
- 2024 Cognizant Classic – Monday #1
- 2024 Cognizant Classic – Monday #2
- 2024 Cognizant Classic – Monday #3
- 2024 Cognizant Classic – Monday #4
- 2024 Cognizant Classic – Tuesday #1
WITB Albums
- Brandt Snedeker – WITB – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Max Greyserman – WITB – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Eric Cole – WITB – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Carl Yuan – WITb – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Russell Henley – WITB – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Justin Suh – WITB – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Alex Noren – WITB – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Shane Lowry – WITB – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Taylor Montgomery – WITB – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Jake Knapp (KnappTime_ltd) – WITB – – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Sam Ryder – WITB – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Maverick McNealy – WITB – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Tua Tagovailoa mini WITB (NFL QB, Miami Dolphins) – 2024 Cognizant Classic
Pullout Albums
- New Super Stoke Pistol Lock 1.0 & 2.0 grips – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- LA Golf new insert putter – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- New Garsen Quad Tour 15 grip – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- New Swag covers – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Jacob Bridgeman’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Bud Cauley’s custom Cameron putters – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Ryo Hisatsune’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Chris Kirk – new black Callaway Apex CB irons and a few Odyssey putters
- Alejandro Tosti’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Cognizant Classic
- Joohyung Tom Kim’s “new” center-shafted Scotty Cameron putter – 2024 Cognizant Classic
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
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