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Bag Chatter’s Masters Picks

Published

18 years ago

Apr 8, 2008

Azaleas in bloom, Magnolia Lane, Green Jackets… these are just a few of a golfer’s favorite things.

For much of the country battling snow, it seemed spring would never arrive. However, now that snow is melting we can focus on The Masters. The Bag Chatter Staff has diligently applied all their golfing insight into their tournament picks. Will Tiger continue his dominance? Can Augusta National play even tougher than last year?

D. Grannan

Winner: Tiger Woods has been the most dominant player on the planet recently and I don’t foresee anything different come April and Augusta. This golf course is tailor made for Tiger; if his putter cooperates he should win his 5th green jacket. His focus is to peak at he majors and he usually plays very, very well at them.

Runner Up: Who will come in second? That is where it gets a little tricky. I tend to go with players who are running hot into Augusta. Padraig Harrington is one of those players. Quoted as saying he peaks in the 3rd week of playing 3 weeks in a row, Augusta happens to be the third week in a row. Aside from a poor shot on the final hole at the Zurich, Harrington looked spot on for the week and should be in good form for Augusta. Another player who is playing very well right now is Andres Romero. Fresh off of his first PGA tour victory, and was in contention at last years Open until his late round collapse, could be poised to make a run.

Dark Horse: My dark horse is Stuart Appleby. He has had a solid year this year but has just failed to put it all together. Maybe he can manage to do that at Augusta.

Final Score: Winning score will be even to 2 over par. Last year, Zach Johnson won with a score of one over par. They have made some slight adjustments to the course, and with continued improvement on the equipment front, I see even to 2 over par winning the tournament.

A. Raehtz

Winner: I just can’t select anyone but Tiger Woods right now. He is definitely on a hot streak, and there are few courses more perfect for his game than Augusta. Let’s be honest, there are two tournaments that Tiger sets his schedule around: The Masters and The Open.

Runner Up: I think that Phil Mickelson has what it takes to win, but Tiger will hold him off down the stretch. There has been a little inconsistency with Phil as of late, and I think that might be trouble for him on Sunday.

Dark Horse: Freddie Couples is going to do well this year at Augusta. He has already proven that he can win, and he posted a 29 on his second nine Saturday at the Shell Houston Open. This guy knows how to go low, and his back seems to be doing well for the time being. I see him in the top ten and possibly making a run at the leaders.

Final Score: I see something around -5 being the winning score. The course should be hard and fast, and we will get a look at what they tournament committee had in mind with the changes.

T. Schoch

Winner: How can you pick against Tiger? He’s on such a roaring tear.

Runner Up: Instead of a Runner-up, I’ll pick Contenders down the stretch: Phil may or may not be there. If he starts well, I think he’ll be in the top five. I don’t see him winning when Tiger is in top form. Phil’s got the talent, but perhaps not the psychology. So, watch Geoff Oglivy. He’s red-hot, confident, and unflappable.

Dark Horse: I’m going with Steve Stricker. He’s a low-putt machine and if he can light his own fire, he’ll contend. Also, another dark horse waaay back in the stable might be Hunter Mahan. He didn’t play well at Shell, but man, he can go low. And if you’re going to cage a tiger, you need a hunter.

Final Score: I’ll take a stab at -13.

K. Vakamudi

Winner: Every thread of common sense I have wants to pick Tiger Woods. However, I can’t do it. Tiger began the year with a red hot putter – when it cooled just slightly he was dealt his first loss in six months. I just can’t see his incredible putting continuing. My pick is Geoff Ogilvy. Riding momentum of a great win at the CA Championship and a solid weekend finish in Houston, I see this as being the perfect opportunity for Ogilvy to validate his U.S. Open win.

Runner Up: This is where I think Tiger will finish. His record is perfect after holding the 54 hole lead, but not so great when coming from behind. I see Tiger finishing in second much like the U.S. Open.

Dark Horse: Aaron Baddeley, another young Australian is coming into form and has all the tools to win a major. He has ample length, excellent touch around the greens, and is a very consistent putter. Yes, I know no Australian has ever won The Masters, but no dome team had ever won the Super Bowl until the St. Louis Rams proved it could be done.

Final Score: With great conditions in the forecast until Saturday I can see the score going a little lower than last year’s massacre. My prediction is a winner at -6.

M. Anderson

Winner: Choosing anybody but Tiger is always going to be long odds. Augusta is all about the short game and Tiger has the best in the business. Few can match him with a wedge in hand and nobody but nobody drains clutch putts like he does.

Runner Up: Justin Rose. He really established himself last year winning the European Order of Merit and has the game to do well around Augusta. He led after the first round last year and was only one shot off the lead with 2 holes to go before a poor drive and an unlucky bounce knocked him out of contention. Philly Mick should do well but I’m not sure that the mental side of his game is at its strongest right now.

Dark Horse: Possibly a bit of euro bias but I pick Sergio. He’s just too talented to not do well but, like always, it depends on his putting. He appears to be carrying a little bit of damaged confidence after the playoff at The Open but if he gets the flat stick going AND keeps it together on a Sunday then maybe we can finally see him win a major. Admittedly that a pretty big IF and AND but he can’t keep falling at the last hurdle, can he?

Final Score: -4. Last year the scores were at the mercy of the conditions when in freezing conditions the third round became ‘the cold day in hell’. While the same is unlikely to happen this year, the likelihood of a some rain and wind means that the teeth of Augusta are going to be just that little bit sharper than they otherwise would be and keep the score a little closer to even par.

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

Published

1 day ago

Jun 1, 2026

Ben A

GolfWRX is on site this week at the Memorial Tournament, with both Alistair Cameron and Tour Photographer Greg Moore on the ground in Dublin, Ohio, where a strong field is assembled to pay homage to the Golden Bear.

In addition to WITB galleries, we’ve already been treated to an in-hand look at Tommy Fleetwood’s new TaylorMade Spider putters.

Check out links to all our photos below.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

News

Tour Tech Rundown: Heroic Henley

Published

1 day ago

Jun 1, 2026

Ronald Montesano

Around the world, the golf wheel spun this final week in May of 2026. From New Jersey to Austria, with stops in Korea, Texas, and North Carolina (don’t let me route your next trip) the world’s finest put their golf games on display. There were three playoffs, some known commodities and some new talent. It was the sort of week that we hope to have at this point in the seasons. June and July afford double-digit major events, and perhaps, one of this week’s champions will use this success as a springboard to new heights. Time to run it all down, tech style, in this week’s Tour Tech Rundown.

Thanks to WITBHub, Today’s Golfer, GolfWRX, and Inside Tour Golf for initial research into equipment.

PGA Tour @ Charles Schwab Challenge: Heroic Henley denies Cole

Eric Cole did nearly everything that a fellow can do, to secure a first PGA Tour title. He stayed one shot clear of Ryder Cup player Ben Griffin. He kept US Open champion Gary Woodland and wunderkind Michael Brennan two shots distant. He posted 70 on day four to reach twelve under par. And then, Russell Henley revealed his Dr. Strange cloak. Henley made 47 feet of birdie putts on holes 16, 17, and 18, to jump from minus-nine to twelve-deep, and secured a spot in a playoff with Cole. The duo returned to the final tee, and put on a stripe show.

Both golfers found the fairway off the tee, and Henley improved on his regulation play with an approach to four feet. Cole did himself proud, tucking an iron to a dozen feet, but he was unable to convert the putt for three. Henley is one of the best putters on tour, and he proved it once more by draining a putt for a fourth consecutive birdie, and a sixth PGA Tour title. For Eric Cole, that first victory should come, and soon. He has done everything necessary to earn the chalice lift.

Henley’s Suitcase

Driver: Titleist TSi3 at 10 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 70g 6.5 TX
Metal: Titleist TS3 at 16.5 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist TSi2 at 21 degrees. Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT hybrid 100 TX
Iron: Titleist T250 4-iron. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
Irons: Titleist T100 5-6 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
Irons: Titleist T100 7-9 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 48 and 50 degrees. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 54 and 60 degrees. Shaft: rue Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue S400
Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron T5 Tour Prototype

LPGA @ Shoprite LPGA: Welcome back, Celine!

Soo Bin Joo had her eyes on a maiden LPGA title. She held the lead after two rounds, then hit a red light at the intersection of can-I and how-To. Joo posted plus-two on day three in New Jersey, and dropped to a T4 finish, which was still a career-best for the young Korean golfer. Instead of a new face, a familiar face returned to the top of the podium.

Celine Boutier was the It Girl in 2023. She collected four victories, including a major title at Evian. Boutier reached world number one status, then simply faded into the background. No wins came her way over the next 30 months. On Sunday, she collected LPGA victory number seven, at the same trace as LPGA victory number two.

Day three saw Boutier manage the windswept Seaview Bay course with six birdies and a bogey. She was challenged in the end by Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol, who signed for a 66 of her own. Yubol came up one shot shy of the top ladder rung. Finishing in third place at -7, two back of the winner, was Ireland’s Lauren Walsh.

Celine’s Suitcase

Driver: PXG 0311 Black Ops Tour-1 at 9 degrees. Shaft: Graphite Design AD IZ-5
Hybrid: PXG 0311 Black Ops at 19 and 22 degrees. Shaft: KBS Hybrid Prototype
Hybrid: PXG 0311 Gen5.
Iron: PXG 0311 P Gen 4 5-9 irons
Wedge: PXG 0311 T Gen 4 PW
Wedges: PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy II at 50, 54, 58 degrees
Putter: Bettinardi Studio Stock 3 DASS

DP World Tour @ Austrian Alpine: KK? KK!

Kota Kaneko has a rhythmic name. It has strong vowels and a run of voiceless stops in its crunchy K sounds. On Sunday in Austria, Kaneko put a stop to a challenge from Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia and everyone else, and claimed a first-ever title on the DP World Tour. Gouveia did well to reach 16-under par over four days, but Kaneko held firm, two shots in the clear.

Davis Bryant of the USA also forged a strong challenge for the win. He ended in a tie with Gouveia for second place. Kaneko began and finished his final round in a bit of a malaise, but he caught fire midway through. Birdies at 10, 12, and 13 provided the necessary cushion to cruise to the finish line without breaking a serious sweat.

Kaneko’s Suitcase

Driver: Ping Max G440
Metals: TaylorMade Qi4D at 15, 16.5, 21, and 24 degrees
Irons: TaylorMade P760 5 and 6 irons
Irons: TaylorMade P7TW 7-9 irons
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design at 46, 52, 56, and 60 degrees
Putter: Odyssey Ai-One Cruiser Arm Lock #7

Korn Ferry Tour @ UNC Health Championship: Improbably Alvaro

Alvaro Ortiz may have had a bit of scare on the outward nine on Sunday, but he came through in clutch fashion in the end. Ortiz began the day bogey-double, and added another double bogey at the 11th hole. He was mired in a downward trend, spiraling away from the top of the leader’s board. Ortiz found hope at the 14th, where his first birdie of the day tumbled home. Inspired, he closed with birdies and 17 and 18 to catch Ross Steelman at 10-under par, and the duo returned to the 18th deck for overtime.

The extra session concluded in brief time. Ortiz, buoyed by his newly-retrieved confidence, hit the fairway with driver, then approached to six feet and drained the putt. Gobsmacked, Steelman could do little more than smile and applaud, as his run at the top came to a close. The victory was the first for Ortiz on the KFT, and will implant him squarely in the chase for a PGA Tour promotion.

Alvaro’s Suitcase

Driver: Ping G430 MAX driver at 9 degrees loft
Metal: Ping G430 MAX 3W
Iron: Ping iDi Driving Iron
Irons: Ping Blueprint S irons
Wedges
Putter: Scottsdale TR Piper C

A party on the green!

Alvaro’s time comes in Raleigh with his first win @UNCHealthChamp ? pic.twitter.com/2dmtZdbSzk

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) May 31, 2026

LIV @ Korea: Me llamo Joaquin

Chile’s Joaquin Niemann had been away from the LIV winner’s circle throughout all of 2026. This week in Korea, he reminded us that he is still a force to consider. Niemann chased down Taylor Gooch over the closing holes at Asiad Country Club, then claimed victory with a hole-one birdie in extra time. Bryson DeChambeau claimed solo third, one shot in arrears at minus-eleven. Dustin Johnson finished on fourth, one putt farther back.

Niemann’s Suitcase