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Club Junkies!

Published

19 years ago

Aug 28, 2007

Humans are naturally acquisitive creatures. We all have an inbuilt urge to collect things. Back in the dim and distant past, this was probably a smart survival strategy to get us through lean times. If you have all this ‘stuff’ then when it all goes pear shaped, you’ll be alright. If it breaks, you have a backup. If it stops working, you have a new one to hand. It simply makes sense to us, whether it’s food or building materials or anything else. Whatever we can own, two is always better than one.

Men in particular also have a fascination with the minutiae of things. If it’s not stamps (and for your sanity I hope it’s not!) then it’s cars or sports or stereo equipment or something where knowledge of the technical details marks you out as an expert – or a dangerous obsessive! A friend who says that he didn’t do well at school is still nevertheless able to remember the exact engine size the BMW M3, the effective frequency range of Bang & Olufsen speakers and the result of every football match involving Sheffield Wednesday since 1982 (this last one is easy for him as all they seem to do is lose). Why we find trivia like this fascinating is unknown but it seems to hold pretty much true for all men of all ages in all walks of life.

There is also the more general appreciation of well made and finely crafted object. Things are no longer just things when they have been made with such elegance that they become works of art, where just looking at them is an act of pleasure.

Now, wouldn’t it be terrible if there were a sport where the technical specifications of the equipment combined with the quality of construction had an almost direct effect on your performance. Where these pieces of equipment have been loving shaped and formed, forged and milled by craftsmen of the highest order into objects that almost demand to be cosseted and revered. To be displayed in cabinets (or in photo galleries on the web) almost the exclusion of their original mundane sporting purpose.

Golfers have the curse and blessing of playing a sport where all these urges and desires combine. Added to the fact that golfers tend to have a little bit more discretionary income than your average sports fan it leaves us pray to one of the great temptations of any man: the collective urge to ‘ho’. Women golfers seem to be a little less at risk of this condition, possibly due to their being distracted by shoes and handbags – but more probably because they are not quite so stupid.

Golf needn’t be an expensive sport. Perfectly good equipment can be had at a reasonable price, either in sales or second hand, and their durability means that years could go by without them needing replacement. Yet some people change their equipment with such regularity you could mistake the money they spend for the budget of a Forumula One racing team.

These people are club junkies. Also known more commonly as ‘club ho’s’

There are two main types of club ho’s. The first are the collectors. Their motto is ‘He who has the most toys wins!’ – providing that said toys are expensive, have limited availability, are preferably tour or prototype only and cost as much as a small house. Fanatics follows certain brands – most commonly putter manufacturers like Scotty Cameron or Bettinardi, and try to amass the definitive collection of that brand. These are people for whom golf equipment has passed from the everyday piece of sports kit and into the realm of art. For them, these creations are as valuable as any Damien Hirst or Banksy

Sometimes the anticipation of getting something can be greater than actually getting it. This is what drives the second type of club junkie, the one who believes in the dream that a particular new club will straighten their drives or improve their wedge play. These dreams are of course dashed when they actually buy it and they realise that what stops them being a great golfer is them and not the equipment. How else can you explain the unloading of almost brand new equipment on the BST boards so soon after a product launch?

‘To much club for me’, ‘Looking for something different’, ‘Clearout sale’, or even the honest ‘Bored with this’. These are the code words for someone who has let their dreams open their wallet and bought something (or more likely several things) that is either no better than what they already have or just wildly inappropriate for their ability or swing.

You even see people who admit to admiring a set of irons/driver on the BST boards which they consider buying until they realise that they have already bought and sold them before! While not madness, it must be maddening to those around them. There is even a thread on this site devoted to reforming/celebrating club ho’s – the GEAK (Golf Equipment Addicts Kounseling) Group. The posts in GEAK are a slightly tongue-in-cheek mix of acknowledgement that they spend too much money on golf equipment, a chance to tell others what’s in the bag (while promising not to buy anything else really!) and a sympathetic ear for those looking for justification of their purchases and their bizarre habit of spending more time on ebay than on the golf course.

No golfer is immune; we are all at risk of this urge. I first succumbed to it when a manufacturer offered to send me something after we had been chatting online (where else would this happen but golfwrx!). What it would be was not mentioned. All I knew was that this manufacturer only made top end kit so it was going to be something that you find in major winners bags, not just some ‘Joe Golfer’ improvement shovel. For about 3 weeks I was as giddy as a schoolgirl: waiting by the front door for the courier to arrive and drop off this gift, anticipating the moment I could rip open the box and find out what is so great about their equipment. That they turned out to be even better than I imagined seemed to trigger my inner ‘ho’. Suddenly it seemed that whenever I was able to, I sneaked a peak to see what was out there that would be an improvement on my setup. Loft, lies, COGs, MOIs, torque, carbon versus stainless, kickpoints, weights, flexes, compositions, 2 piece versus 3 piece, urethane/surlyn/rabalon, I could suddenly hold conversations that would normally be reserved for people who worked in the golf manufacturing industry. Friends would either be wary of bringing up the topic of golf equipment around me for fear of being bored to death or would actively ask my opinion as they realised that it was cheaper than buying a handful of magazines to find out what the latest and greatest on the market was. I would scour ebay and the BST boards of various forums looking for a bargain or that special something to make me a better golfer. Fortunately the urge to actually play golf rather than ‘buy golf’ reared its head strongly enough that I spend far more time on the course than looking for new equipment. At least for now…

Ultimately, as long as you are not spending the rent money on buying new equipment, the urge to ho is a harmless one, providing satisfaction and enjoyment even when not on the course. But remember, the most flaw-ridden, imperfect and unreliable thing in the game of golf is the person holding the club and if you really want to improve your game, minimize ebay, step away from the presentation case of putters, avert your eyes from the BST board and go and get some lesssons!

News

5 Things we Learned: Friday at the U.S. Women’s Open

Published

24 hours ago

Jun 6, 2026

Ronald Montesano

Dumbo flies again! There is certainly a half-generation of golf fans without the slightest idea of how well In-gee Chun, aka Dumbo, can golf her ball. The Korean was the It Girl from 2015 to 2018. She won three LPGA events, with two being major championships. She returned to Korea to cure her homesickness, but made the occasional foray back to the Americas. In 2022, she captured a fourth LPGA title and, guess what? It was a third, unique major title.

The halfway cut line was set at four over par. Those at plus-five and beyond had their stay in Tinseltown cut short, at least when it comes to working rounds of golf. Among the 87 who fell on the high side of the cut line, Lydia Ko stood out as the biggest name. Others given a two-day furlough were Lilia Vu, Megha Ganne, Chizzy Iwai, and Leona Maguire. Making the cut on the number are Lottie Woad, Celine Boutier, Mao Saigo, and amateur Asterisk Talley. If you follow world football, imagine the feeling of relegation on a weekly basis. That’s the 36-hole cut in professional golf.

We learned five things on Friday at Riviera Country Club, and we’d love to share them with you. Find a comfy place and brighten the screen on your device. It’s time for Five Things We Learned on day two at the US Women’s Open.

Part One: the biggest movers

A golfer’s feel appears or slips away overnight. Although Saturday is known collectively as Moving Day, it doesn’t come with as sudden and final a feeling as Friday. Move the wrong way on Friday and you’re down the road. Improve in the proper direction and you save your week. Both Mao Saigo and Rio Takeda opened with plus-five rounds of 76, then signed for 70 on day two, and made the cut on the number.

Moving the other way were Stephanie Kyriacou (70-78) and Ina Yoon (68-79). Their respective eight- and eleven-shot declines propelled them from title contention to tournament departure. Minjee Lee and Minji Kang (seven shots higher) along with Rose Zhang (five shots) made the cut, but saw their opportunity for victory take a serious body shot.

Part Two: the leaders

Allison Lee and Ruoning Yin took the conservative path to the 36-hole medal. Lee posted four birdies and a bogey for a total of 68 on day two. Yin had two birdies and sixteen pars for her second consecutive card of 69. Their 138 places them one shot clear of the aforementioned Dumbo Chun, who followed an opening 71 with 68. First-round leader Jennifer Kupcho added seven shots to her total, from an opening-day 66 to a follow-up 73, yet remained within the inner circle of leaders at -3, tied with Chun and four others. Four more golfers sit at minus-two, two shots behind the top duo. An even dozen of golfers sits within two shots of the lead.

The day’s biggest move of gravitas came from Nelly Korda. After a disappointing 73 on Thursday, the world number one improved six shots, thanks to a five-birdie round of 67. Korda slid inside the top ten with her recovery, and certainly reclaimed her place as most frightening chaser at Riviera. No one is likely to shoot in the low 60s at Riviera, but Korda just might post a mid-sixties score on Saturday, to seize the lead on Sunday morning.

Part Three: Ams verse Champs

Five current amateur golfers were among the 68 golfers to reach the weekend. Kiara Romero posted the best non-pro score on Friday, a one-under 70, to move from plus-two to plus-one figures. She is joined there by Aphrodite Deng, who reversed those numbers for her two rounds. Maria Jose Marin (143), Farah O’Keefe (145), and Asteriks Talley (146) joined the #WeDidIt brigade to earn a spot for the final two rounds.

Six former US Open champions, led by In-gee Chun(2015), also punched a ticket for round three. Allison Corpuz (2023), Maja Stark (2025), Ariya Jutanugarn (2018), A Lim Kim (2020), and Minjee Lee (2022) preserved their dream of a second US Open trophy for the mantle. Nineteen amateurs failed to earn a post for the final 36-holes, while five former champions joined them on the sidelines. Yuka Saso, twice a winner in this event in the past half-decade, missed the cut by five shots. 24 amateurs against eleven former titleists suggests that it is easier for the young to qualify, but harder for them to find success.

Part Four: the golf course

Scoring went up by .6 shots per player, from round one to round two. Statistically speaking, it became harder to make the cut as the day wore on. Birdies dropped by 50, while pars remained constant. Both bogeys and doubles increased markedly. The first and the sixth holes played under par on the front nine, while the second and ninth were nearly tied for most difficult traces on the road to the turn.

Coming home, holes ten, twelve, fifteen, and eighteen played as an impregnable quadrilateral. Odds are, you gave a shot back on each of them. Despite number seventeen’s accessibility for birdie, no one got out of the back nine alive. If conditions continue toward the extreme, Riviera will extract a pound of flesh from the contenders over the weekend.

Part Five: what to expect

From my vantage point, the tee times to watch are the 4:55 EST and the 5:05 slots. Nelly Korda pegs her ball in the sixth-last pairing with Sora Kamiya. The little-known Kamiya will get an up close and personal look at the crowds that follow the best in the world. Korda will need to ignore Kamiya’s expected struggles and golf her own ball. Ten minutes later, Lauren Coughlin begins play with Casandra Alexander at her side. It’s a similar situation, with the experienced Coughlin alongside an unseasoned partner.

Both Sei Yong Kim and Gaby Lopez have turned in strong performances, and their 5:15 pairing might produce some explosive numbers. From back in the pack, the tasty duo of Brooke Henderson and Jeeno Thitikul at 4:20, might see double digits in birdies. The unexpected at unknown Riviera is likely, so your guess is as good as mine.

News

5 Things we Learned: Thursday at the U.S.. Women’s Open

Published

2 days ago

Jun 5, 2026

Ronald Montesano

Gone are the days when the U.S. Women’s Open was held at Scenic Hills or Churchill Valley. Fine courses that they are (or were, as Churchill Valley went bankrupt a decade ago) there is something to be said for the venue. Not all Women’s Open playings need to take place on Men’s Open venues, but some should. This week in Los Angeles, the Women’s Open visits Riviera Country Club for the first time. Down the road, we will visit Inverness, Oakmont, Interlachen, Oak Hill, Chicago Golf, and Merion. That is quite the murderer’s row (1927 Yankees reference) of golf clubs.

What can we expect from the 2026 tournament? Greatness and uncertainty. Unlike the PGA Tour, which visits Riviera each February, the LPGA does not, so the women will not have nearly the body of work over the George C. Thomas layout. Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe they’ll play #10 smarter than the men do. Maybe they’ll figure some things out that their male counterparts can not. For today, we’ll try to find five things to learn, and share them with you.

First, this ain’t your momma’s U.S. Open course

How do we know? Well, so far, only one previous champion currently sits inside the top thirty. That would be Minjee Lee, the 2022 winner at Southern (NC) Pines. Lee made par on her first nine holes, the inward side at Riviera. She dropped birdie putts on the first and ninth holes (ten and eighteen for her day) and tallied another seven pars, for 69. She sits three shots off Jennifer Kupcho’s opening 66. Don’t worry about Kupcho; we’ll get to her. After Lee, defending champion Maja Stark ranks T30 at even par, joined by three other, former winners.

What Minjee did, is the sort of thing that wins U.S. Open titles. She guided her ship safely past swells, and made a move when the waters calmed. The fewer the bogeys, the more likely Minjee figures in the outcome on Sunday evening in Pacific Palisades. Off the tee, Lee was unmatched. She hit 14 of 14 fairways. Her iron play was a bit loose in comparison. She putted for birdie on 12 of 18 holes, which meant that her recovery short game was on point. Lee was ten yards longer on measured driving holes than the field average, and was below the field average (a good thing) in putting.

Second, the amateurs beat a loud drum

Three of the world’s top amateur golfer posted 70, placing them four off the lead, in a tie for 14th place. Canada’s Aphrodite Deng, Spain’s Paula Francisco Llaño, and Colombia’s Maria José Marin, showed the professional world that their game is strong. Both Deng and Francisco Llaño collected five birdies on the day. Should they match that output on day two, and minimize the foozles, they’ll be the topic of conversation on Saturday morning. Marin, the 2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion and an NCAA team semifinalist last week, played a game similar to Minjee Lee: few mistakes and few taken risks.

The last amateur to post the low medal score for 72 holes was Jenny Chuasiriporn in 1998. She lost a playoff to Se Ri Pak, who matched her plus-six effort at Blackwolf Run. The last amateur to win the U.S. Women’s Open was Catherine Lacoste in 1967. The amateurs are stronger than they’ve ever been, but the professionals have not allowed them to close the gap. A victory by one of the college set would be a cannon shot heard round the world. Could it happen? Absolutely. Is it likely? Not at all.

Third, let’s talk Kupcho

Jennifer Kupcho won the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur. She won three times on tour in 2022, including the Chevron, a major title. She won a fourth event in 2025, but has not established the winning credentials projected on her after 2022’s marvelous coming-out.

Kupcho hails from Colorado, and spent four years in the Carolina Piedmont, at Wake Forest Universtiy. Neither of those locales cries out I’ll be at home at Riviera, but here we are, after a seven-birdie performance. Kupcho posted birdie on each of her first three holes, and added four more (against two bogeys) to assume a one-shot advantage over Korea’s Sei Young Kim.

Kupcho drove the ball decently, approached moderately well, but putted lights out on Thursday. Her 26 putts were tied for best in show on day one. There might just be something about the putting surfaces at Riviera that aligns with Kupcho’s vibe. If that is the case, just get the ball on the green, anywhere, and let the flatstick do the lifting.

Fourth, how young is Sei Young?

Sei (pronounced “So”) Young Kim won a dozen times from 2015 to 2020. She took time off from winning until 2025, shen she captured a thirteenth LPGA title. Like Kupcho, Kim has hardware from one major event, the 2020 Women’s PGA Championship. How to explain the five years away from victory? No idea. When Sei Young was in contention during the prime of her career, the outcome was a foregone conclusion.

What to expect over the next three days at Riviera? Anyone’s guess. It might be the 2015-2020 Sei Young, or it could be the 2021-2025 version. Kim began her day with birdies at 10 and 11, then settled into a stretch of pars before her solitary bogey at the 4th (her 13th) hole. Kim regained her composure and reeled in three birdies to close the front nine. Her four-under performance trails Kupcho alone, and there is a real chance that Sei Young will produce a second score in the 60s and take a bit of control of the tournament.

Fifth, we’re giddy for Gaby

Although I cannot place my finger on why, it seems that each year, Gaby Lopez pops up on the U.S. Open leaderboard. She hasn’t figure out how to remain in contention, but here we are, in 2026, and Lopez is once again in the mix. The three-time champion on the LPGA circuit had a stunning first nine holes, turning in minus-five. She reached six deep at her tenth hole, but then gave three shots back coming home. Which Gaby will show up on Friday, and for how long? If back-nine Gaby can somehow channel front-nine Gaby, all outcomes are within reach. If the loose play continues, Lopez’ wiki page will add one more T41 to her majors column.

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Photos from the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open

Published

4 days ago

Jun 3, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX Tour Photographer made the trip from the Memorial Tournament across the country to the U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera. Check out links to all the photos below!

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