News

FedEx Cup Round One: The Barclays

Published

19 years ago

Aug 22, 2007

Amidst all of the controversy and confusion surrounding the initiation of the playoffs, the world number one opting out of the first event of the playoffs, the FedEx Cup is starting this week.

The first tournament site is Westchester Country Club in Rye, New York, and they will play host to The Barclays. At 6,839 yards and par 71, Westchester is one of the shortest courses on the 2007 PGA tour. Despite its lack of length, Westchester is a fantastic challenge and one of the favorite stops on the tour.

Tiger Woods recently withdrew from the first of four events in the FedEx Cup citing exhaustion, "My body is spent and I need a short break, major championships are grueling experiences and usually necessitate recovery time." This is a major blow to the inaugural event designed to spice up the end of the golf season for the PGA Tour, but Tiger Woods is still dedicated to the FedEx Cup and the remainder of the playoffs. "This is in no way a knock on Barclays, their new event or the new FedExCup series, which I fully support”, said Woods. “I just hope this extra week of rest will rejuvenate me for the final three Playoff events and The Presidents Cup.” Ty Votaw, the PGA Tour’s executive vice president for Communications and International Affairs said in support of Woods, "We’re disappointed that Tiger will not be playing The Barclays next week, it’s clear from Tiger’s statement he remains focused on winning the FedEx Cup. Whether he can do it will be one of the many exciting things our fans will be following over the next four weeks." This is just another twist and turn that will continue to unfold in this interesting and compelling year end event.

With Woods withdrawal from this event, the top prize is now up for grabs. Many of the top players will now have a great chance to capture this inaugural event. Look for players like Ernie Els, and Vijay Singh to step up and possibly take a lead in the playoffs. Vijay could potentially have the best chance entering in as the number two seed, defending champion at The Barclay’s, and winning on three of the four host sites. Adam Scott who is in 10^th place entering the playoffs has won at two of the four sites. Also keep a look out for the latest winner on the tour Brandt Snedeker, who has called the four week playoff a “four-week lottery ticket”. There have been many computer models generated and most say that you need to be in the top 30 or top 15 to have a chance to win the playoffs, but only time will confirm if that turns out to be the case.

That may be the most intriguing element of the playoffs, the uncertainty. The PGA Tour has never done something like this and it will be interesting for the fans, as well as interesting and frustrating for the players. "I think it’s a great thing," said Vijay Singh, "You know, it’s warming up to a big finale and that’s what Tim Finchem wanted, that’s what the Tour wants, that’s what the sponsors want, obviously. I think once you start off with the last four events, it’s going to heat up I think to a great finale." It is not often you get to witness something that is new, fresh, and exciting, but over the next four weeks, starting this week at The Barclay’s, you now have that opportunity.

This week’s field will be 144 players, who have qualified through a year long point’s race. At the conclusion of this week’s event, 50,000 points will be distributed and the number of players will be shortened to 120 for the Deutsche Bank Championship, then distributing another 50,000 points and cutting to 70 for the BMW Championship, and then distributing another 50,000 points and setting the field at 30 for the Tour Championship, where there will be a total of $35 million dollars in bonus money up for grabs. This week’s purse is $7 million dollars, with the winner receiving $1.26 million.

Television Times

Thursday 8/23 3-6 PM Golf Channel

Friday 8/24 3-6 PM Golf Channel

Saturday 8/25 3-6 PM CBS

Sunday 8/26 3-6 PM CBS

Tournament Website

www.pgatour.com/playoffs/tournaments

News

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

Published

11 hours 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.

Tour Photo Galleries

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

Published

2 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!

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

Published

4 days ago

Jun 1, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

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