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Morning 9: Keegan puts it together | U.S. Open coverage enhancements | Read this skin cancer PSA!

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7 years ago

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By Ben Alberstadt ([email protected])

June 7, 2019

Good Friday morning, golf fans.
1. Keegan to the front
Golf Channel’s WIll Gray on Bradley’s opening-round 63…
  • “With his driver cooperating and his irons on point, Keegan Bradley tried not to let the frustration get to him after starting the RBC Canadian Open with six straight pars.”
  • “I had a couple brutal lip-outs,” Bradley told reporters. “I just kept telling myself to keep going.”
  • “Good that he did, since Bradley turned a frustrating start into one of his best rounds of the year. The veteran reeled off five straight birdies on Nos. 7-11, and he ultimately carded a 7-under 63 that gave him a one-shot lead after the morning wave at Hamilton Golf & Country Club.”
  • “Bradley has long been a solid ball-striker, but his putter has been uncooperative at best. Even amid a solid season he is ranked 206th on Tour in strokes gained putting, as it remains a weak spot in his otherwise stout game. But Thursday Bradley had it rolling on the greens, making four putts over 7 feet across his final 12 holes to take an early lead.”

Full piece.

2. Bathroom DQ?
Our Gianni Magliocco…
  • “A bathroom break at a US Open sectional qualifier led to a disqualification after Skyler Fox was deemed to have not delivered his scorecard in a prompt manner after completing his first round.”
  • “According to GolfWeek’s Andy Kostka, the 16-year-old began suffering from a headache around the 12th hole of his opening round at Woodmont Country Club, and after finishing his round of six-over par, darted to the bathroom to take medicine for the issue. On returning from the bathroom to submit his card, Fox learned that officials had already put an “NC” next to his name, indicating that he had failed to turn in a scorecard.”
  • “Per the report, when Fx returned to the scorer’s area, his swing coach, Sean Swidzinski, and father, Joe, were seen arguing with a tournament official.”
  • “Speaking on the DQ, Fox stated”
  • “They told me I was disqualified because I didn’t get to the scoring table in time, which made no sense. I was pretty upset. I mean, there was a good chance I wasn’t going to make it (to the US Open). I was going to have to shoot really low. But I wanted to go out there and put a respectable score up.”
3. Wolff, Hovland to debut together
Todd Kelly for Golfweek…”Matthew Wolff and Viktor Hovland, the killer 1-2 combo from Oklahoma State, will make their pro debuts together in two weeks the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Connecticut.”
  • “Wolff is fresh off winning the 2019 Haskins Award and just prior to that, the NCAA Championship.”
  • “Hovland is the reigning U.S. Amateur champ and was the top amateur at the Masters in April.”
4. The drones cometh
The Forecaddie on additions to U.S. Open coverage…
  • “Nine holes will be equipped to show us a “standard ball-trace over live video, with enhanced club and ball data.” The remaining nine will have the now-industry standard (thanks to Fox) FlightTrack, with a live trace over a graphic of the golf hole.”
  • “The next leap in tracer technology will be seen at the 14th green where, instead of a camera remaining set in place and following the shot into the green, new innovations will allow for Toptracer to show the incoming shot’s trajectory while the camera is free to pan, tilt and zoom. Fox producer Mark Loomis and team are still tinkering with how to make it best for viewers, but The Forecaddie is easily swayed by any effort to advance the use of tracers – it’s what the kids want!”
5. Remembering a departed friend
Our Michael Williams penned a touching remembrance of his friend Mark Parsinen.
  • “Golf has always elevated course architects to exalted status. From Mackenzie, Ross and Tillinghast to Fazio, Jones (Robert Jr. and Rees), Hanse and Coore-Crenshaw, golf’s version of rock stars make their name in the dirt and are lauded by writers and players worldwide.”
  • “Similarly, patrons of the game like Johnny Morris have ascended in the industry as they have translated their financial fortunes and love of golf to facilitate the creation of destinations like Big Cedar Lodge; they are the Medicis of golf’s new Golden Age. But I can only think of only a few who combine the skill and sensibility of a great designer with the vision and passion of a great patron. One who is well-known is Mike Keiser. Although lesser-known, Mark Parsinen was another.”
  • “I was introduced to Mark Parsinen by another good friend, Robert Trent Jones Jr. Bobby had worked with Mark at Granite Bay; he knew that Mark was in Washington, DC for a family event and thought that we should meet. I met Mark in the lobby of his hotel along with his wife Dede, his daughter Jenny and a bunch of their friends, including the actor Taye Diggs. Someone wanted to get a picture of the family and I moved over to the side to make way. As they were forming up, Mark called to me, “Hey Michael, come join the picture!”
  • “I had known him for all of five minutes and he insisted that I be a part of a shared memory. That was our friendship. That was Mark Parsinen.”

Full piece.

6. U.S. Open tee times
CBS Sports Kyle Porter…
“Big Cat gets Jordan Spieth and Justin Rose as his group for the first two rounds of this year’s U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. That group will tee off at 5:09 p.m. ET on Thursday before going to a more reasonable 11:24 a.m. on Friday morning.”
“Jon Rahm, Marc Leishman and Rory McIlroy will play together over the first two days. So will Si Woo Kim, Rickie Fowler and Jason Day. Phil Mickelson gets two golfers who were at the heart of the last U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in 2010 — Dustin Johnson and Graeme McDowell — while last year’s champion Brooks Koepka will play with Francesco Molinari and U.S. Amateur champ, Viktor Hovland.”
7. 57!
Alex Ross of Davidson carded a 50-freaking-7 at the Dogwood Invitational…
  • Golfweek’s Brenley Romine…”The Davidson junior turned in the incredible round on Druid Hills Golf Club, carding 13 birdies and an eagle. He shot 9-under 27 on the back nine. The par-72 layout was played at 6,836 yards.”
  • “A native of Atlanta played in all 11 tournaments for the Wildcats as a sophomore, recording four top-10s and a 73.03 scoring average. He was a first-team All-Atlantic 10 Conference selection.”

Full piece.

8. Keegan’s changes
Steve Dimeglio for Golfweek…
“Keegan Bradley started working with a sports psychologist the week before the PGA Championship, put an old putter back in his golf bag ahead of last week’s Memorial and decided at the last minute to play this week’s RBC Canadian Open.”

Full piece.

9. PSA: Skin cancer for golfers (read it!) 
Digest’s David Owen mixes his personal skin cancer with science and shocking statistics. Read it!
“Skin cancer is the commonest type of cancer: There are more new cases each year than there are of all other cancers combined. The principal cause is exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun, with the usual contributions from genetic bad luck. Basal cell carcinoma is the most widespread and least-frightening variety. It almost never metastasizes, and, if the tumor is superficial and small, it can sometimes even be obliterated non-surgically, with repeated applications of a topical cream or with a particular kind of light therapy. Next in severity is squamous cell carcinoma, the treatment for which is trickier but usually also straightforward unless the cancer has spread. The worst kind-and, fortunately, a relatively uncommon one, although its incidence is increasing-is melanoma. If melanoma isn’t caught early, it can metastasize rapidly to distant parts of the body, and once that happens it’s often fatal. Invasive melanoma accounts for a tiny percentage of all skin-cancer cases but for the majority of skin-cancer deaths.”
“Golfers have always been at greater risk of developing skin cancer than people who never go outside or visit tanning parlors, but even among nongolfers the incidence has been rising for years, worldwide. Studies cited by the Skin Cancer Foundation have shown that, in the United States, cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer increased by 77 percent from 1994 to 2014, and that there will be 7.7 percent more melanoma cases this year than there were in 2018. (Whales are also affected. They’re exposed to the sun when they surface, and the skin damage they suffer appears similar to the skin damage suffered by humans.) The main cause for the increases is the depletion of the earth’s ozone layer, which is a part of the stratosphere that begins about nine miles up and absorbs ultraviolet radiation that would otherwise broil us. It’s like sunscreen for the entire planet.”

Related Topics:

Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

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

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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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Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

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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.

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Tour Tech Rundown: Heroic Henley

Published

3 days ago

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Jun 1, 2026

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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

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

  • Driver: Ping 440 LST
  • Metal: Ping G440 Max at 15 degrees
  • Metal: Ping G425 Max at 21 degrees
  • Hybrid: Ping G430 at 25 degrees
  • Irons: Ping Blueprint S 5 through PW
  • Wedges: Ping S159 at 52, 56, and 60 degrees
  • Putter: Ping PLD Anser

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