News

Morning 9: HV3, JT, Rickie | DJ surges in Saudi Arabia | A theft at the WMPO

Published

7 years ago

Feb 1, 2019

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt ([email protected])

February 1, 2019

Good Friday morning, golf fans.

1. HV3 (and JT and Rickie)

Harold Varner III overcame an early bogey with three straight birdies, moving himself in position to tie for the lead.

He got it with a long putt and a dab on the loudest hole in golf.

Varner snaked in a long birdie putt on the par-3 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale on Thursday, capping off a 7-under 64 to tie Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas for the first-round lead at the Phoenix Open.

Varner set off the rowdiest roars of the afternoon with his 31-foot putt at the hole turned into a stadium, celebrating with the dab toward the sky.

“I love entertaining people and what better hole to do it,” Varner said.

Varner, who missed the cut at Torrey Pines last week, blew his first putt past the hole on the par-4 second hole for a three-putt bogey, but bounced back with three straight birdies on the front nine. He had a two-putt birdie on the par-15 13th and got up-and-down from a greenside bunker at the other back-nine par 5, the 15th.

Full piece.

2. Wolff!

Oklahoma State sophomore Matthew Wolff, another iconoclast who in his TOUR debut settled his nerves and shot a 4-under 67 in the first round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

“It was awesome,” Wolff said after going 1 over for his first five holes before making five birdies the rest of the way. “It’s probably more than I hoped for, especially at this tournament, which is unlike any other tournament. … I was really nervous at first but settled in and played nice.”

Wolff has made a lot of noise in amateur circles of late. He won the Phil Mickelson Award as the nation’s top freshman while leading OSU to the NCAA title last season. This season, in the fall, he reeled off wins in three straight tournaments, joining Scott Verplank as the only OSU golfers to accomplish that feat.

All of this with a funky move in which Wolff does a little shimmy to trigger his swing, picks the club straight up off the ground, points his left toe, and then hits every angle seemingly just right as he comes through the hitting area with eye-popping speed.

Full piece.

If you haven’t seen Wolff’s unique action, check it out here.

3. DJ surges in Saudi Arabia

EuropeanTour.com report… “Dustin Johnson laid down a daunting marker for the rest of the field as he soared into a three-stroke lead at the Saudi International powered by SBIA.”

“The World Number Three produced a flawless second round of nine under par after taking advantage of calmer conditions on Friday morning to move ahead at the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club.”

“Johnson rolled in seven birdies and a terrific eagle to get to 11 under for the tournament, with Zander Lombard three shots adrift alongside China’s Li Haotong”

Full piece.

4. Theft at the WMPO pro-am

Golfweek Staff report…”On Wednesday at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, Bradley’s day started off like any other. In fact, probably better than most.”

“Bradley finished fourth in the pro-am, while being caddied by his dad who sported a matching beard and a similarly vibrant Hawaiian shirt. His group beat out Patrick Peterson and Michael Phelps among others stars. He beat his own manager, Torey Lovullo, who spoke highly of Bradley while meeting with the media that morning. He got to hold the Phoenix Open gopher.”

“By all accounts, he seemed to have a blast….But the day took a devastating turn, when Bradley realized he couldn’t find his golf bag. The momentary panic of misplacing it quickly gave way to a darker possibility: Bradley believed his bag to be stolen.”

Full piece.

5. Criteria change: 2020 USWO exemptions

Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols…”The main takeaway: Beginning next year, exemptions will be given off the Rolex Rankings rather than money lists from various tours. In 2012, a similar change was made for the men’s U.S. Open.”

“Exemption modifications for the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open:

* Removes top 75 off the money list from the previous year

* Removes top 5 from the LET, Korea LPGA and Japan LPGA money lists from previous year

* Removes top 3 from China LPGA money list

* Increases Rolex Rankings qualifiers from top 50 to 75 at close of entries

* Increases Rolex Rankings qualifiers from top 50 to 75 prior to current year’s championship

* Adds a new exemption category for top 30 from the CME Globe points list as of the Monday prior to the previous year’s CME Group Tour Championship”

Full piece.

6. Electromagnetic pulses!

Golf Digest’s Coleman Bentley…”If you even know how to spell “golf,” chances are you’ve seen the now-viral video of Bryson DeChambeau’s Bill Nye-approved shot process at the Dubai Desert Classic last weekend. The 30 For 30 short, which finds Bryson and his caddie analyzing air density and adjusted distance for an agonizing 74 seconds before hitting a 126-yard approach, has generated Flamin’ Hot Cheeto takes from around the golf world, including Brooks “Don’t Think Too Much” Koepka and now Matt Kuchar, who unleashed this expert troll job of the Artist Formerly Known as the Mad Scientist at the Phoenix Open on Thursday morning. Watch your necks out there, kids.”

“Of course, Kuchar has recently been the subject of his own controversy, but in this case, we’ll leave his glass house intact because, well, it’s just that funny. Going full deadpan, Kuchar cites “electromagnetic pulses” for his ball’s spin, nailing Bryson square between the eyes without even having to check the barometric pressure first.”

Full piece.

7. TM/PXG settle patent infringement suit

If you recall, PXG accused TaylorMade of infringing on several patents when the company launched its P790 irons…

Here’s the announcement…”Parsons Xtreme Golf (PXG) and TaylorMade Golf Company jointly announced today that they have reached a settlement of the pending patent litigation and related patent disputes between the parties. Under the terms of the agreement, each company will have specified rights to make club products under patent cross-licenses.”

“David Abeles, TaylorMade Golf’s CEO, said, “I’m pleased that we were able to reach an acceptable and amicable resolution to put this this case behind us so we can continue focusing on bringing industry leading equipment innovations to the golfer.”

“Bob Parsons, PXG’s CEO, said, “As a golf equipment innovator, PXG will continue to pursue research and development and obtain patents for our novel club designs in the iron technology space. We will not hesitate to assert those patents in the future.”

Details of the settlement are confidential.

8. Hot List

While I’m loathe to include it from a direct competition standpoint, I’m obligated, given the mission of this newsletter (calling attention to stories of note in the golf mediaspace) to mention that the Golf Digest Hot List is now live.

Check it out, here (and you’re welcome, GD)

9. Knudson & Barath’s deep dive

Just wanted to call y’all’s attention to Ryan Barath and Brian Knudson’s work breaking down new equipment releases. These gentlemen know their stuff, and if you want to get really granular, you’ll want to hear what they have to say.

Check out their breakdown of the new Ping G410 series of woods, hybrids, and irons.

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

Published

9 hours 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

2026 The Memorial – Monday #1

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

News

Tour Tech Rundown: Heroic Henley

Published

20 hours 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