News

Morning 9: 2020 PGA Tour “super season” details | Rory McIlroy is a father | Pro-ams returning soon (fans next?)

Published

6 years ago

Sep 3, 2020

1. 2020-2021 PGA Tour “super season”

Via PGATour.com…“The PGA TOUR today announced the complete schedule for the 2020-21 PGA TOUR Season, featuring 50 official FedExCup tournaments – including 14 tournaments that were postponed or canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic – culminating with the crowning of the FedExCup champion Labor Day weekend in 2021.”

“The schedule, which reflects a net increase of one tournament over the original 2019-20 schedule, features the most tournaments in a season since 1975 (51). Three events postponed in 2020 – U.S. Open, Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship and Masters Tournament – will be played in the fall portion of the 2020-21 season and again in their traditional dates during the 2021 calendar year, along with 11 tournaments that were canceled and not rescheduled as a result of the pandemic, including THE PLAYERS Championship. In addition, with the postponement of the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020, the men’s Olympic Golf competition will take place July 26-August 1, 2021, as a standalone event for the first time.”

“We are excited to present the full 2020-21 PGA TOUR schedule – a ‘super season’ of 50 fully sponsored events and capped off by the 15th edition of the FedExCup Playoffs,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “If you’re a golf fan, this is a dream season with more significant events than ever before, including the Olympic Games. Building our schedule is always complicated, but never more so as over the past several months as we continue to navigate challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. We appreciate the extensive collaboration with our title sponsors, tournament organizations and golf’s governing bodies that has brought us here – to the exciting conclusion of an extraordinary 2019-20 season this week, and on the brink of a season of 50 events, beginning next week.”

Full piece.

2. Tour stepping up efforts to fight social injustice

Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…“On Wednesday at the FedExCup playoff finale at East Lake, Tour commissioner Jay Monahan was asked what specific measures the circuit planned to promote diversity and inclusion.”

“All of our tournaments are going to be identifying racial and social injustice causes in their local markets going forward,” Monahan said. “I think as you look out over the next 10 years, I think that we would project it to generate at least $100 million for those causes over the next 10 years, and that’s something that we’re going to hold ourselves accountable to.”

“Monahan also outlined a program which would give the top players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities access to Korn Ferry Tour qualifying via the Advocates Professional Golf Association Tour and the PGA Tour University program, as well as financial resources and access to TPC network facilities.”

Full piece.

3. Pro-Ams returning. Fans soon?

Golfweek’s Steve DiMeglio…”The new campaign begins next week with the Safeway Open in Napa, California. And then, two weeks later, pro-ams return to the PGA Tour for the first time since COVID-19 shut down the sport in March. The Korn Ferry Tour and the PGA Tour Champions have reinstituted pro-ams and the PGA Tour will follow suit at the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship at the Corales Golf Club in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.”

“We will start there,” Monahan said. “We will be reintroducing programs, essentially Phase II of our five-phase return starting this fall, and then I think as you look beyond the fall and into ’21, every tournament is starting to plan for multiple potential outcomes, and hopefully planning towards the return of what we know as normal, and that’s fans on-site.

“Given the consistently fluid nature of the virus and the way different communities are responding, each discussion is a different discussion. And so you may see different tournaments returning at different levels as we get into the end of the year and into ’21.”

Full piece.

4. 55!

Golf Channel’s Randall Mell…“Alexander Hughes is officially in the record book – the record book.”

“Hughes, a professional golfer who last year graduated from Central Oklahoma, tied the Guinness World Record for lowest 18-hole score, firing a 16-under 55 last Thursday at South Lakes Golf Course in Jenks, Oklahoma.”

Hughes’ 55 ties the world record first set by Australia’s Rhein Gibson, a current Korn Ferry Tour member who shot 55 back in 2012. Coincidentally, Gibson, who at the time played collegiately for Oklahoma Christian, also recorded the record number in Oklahoma, at River Oaks Golf Club in Edmond.”

Full piece.

5. Rory McIlroy is a father

Golf Channel’s Will Gray…“The former world No. 1 took to social media to announce the birth of the first child for he and his wife, Erica. Their daughter, Poppy Kennedy McIlroy was born at 12:15 p.m. on Aug. 31.”

“She is the absolute love of our lives,” McIlroy wrote. “Mother and baby are doing great. Massive thank you to all the staff at Jupiter Medical Center and Dr. Sasha Melendy for their amazing care.”

Full piece.

6. Rahm on his Winged Foot scouting mission

Golf Channel’s Ryan Lavner…“Rahm wasn’t quite that effusive in his praise, but he expects Winged Foot to offer a stern test for the players, just as it did in 2006, when the winning score was 5 over par.”

“All I can say is it’s a heck of a golf course,” Rahm said Wednesday at the Tour Championship, where he enters the second finale as the No. 2 overall seed, two shots behind Dustin Johnson. “The greens gave me an Oakmont vibe: extremely difficult, extremely undulated. Sixteen of the 18 greens are sloped back to front. There’s always a run-up on the front. At least it seems a little more fair than Oakmont might look.

“It’s just a difficult course. It’s long. It’s narrow. It’s undulated. You just need to play really good golf.

“If it gets firm like some of the USGA guys told me they want it to be, I don’t see how any of us shoot under par. Or if we shoot under par, it would be somebody winning by a lot.”

Full piece.

7. Equipment storylines of 2020

Our Johnny Wunder writing for PGATour.com…

Here’s his bit on the primacy of TaylorMade SIM…“January is “launch season” in the equipment industry. Manufacturers show the masses what they have in store for metalwoods, and from a 35,000-foot view, this was one of, if not the, strongest offerings the market has ever seen.”

“Every year, there are one or two big sticks that typically shine above the rest. In 2017, it was Ping’s G400. The next year brought the Cobra F9 and the return of Cobra Golf. In 2019, it was a slugfest between TaylorMade’s M5 and Ping’s G410. There was one undeniable “best,” “longest,” “most popular,” and master of any other superlatives in 2020, however: the TaylorMade SIM.”

“SIM came with some trepidation early on. The technology and odd shape looked a little awkward. It has been the SIM show ever since TaylorMade staffers started putting it in their bag at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, however.”

“Performance-wise, it checked off every single box. Stable. Fast. Forgiving. And good-looking. Extreme TOUR validation and the wins helped, as well. Beyond Tiger, DJ, Rory, Rahm all putting it in play immediately, it was the free agents and staffers of competing brands having it in play that really nailed it home. Tommy Fleetwood, Patrick Reed, Paul Casey, Brooks Koepka, Billy Horschel, Justin Rose, Ryan Palmer, and Sergio Garcia are the big free agents who have had SIM in the bag. All but one still has it in play even today. That’s nuts.”

Full piece.

8. Phil thanks Tiger in a tweet plenty of folks are ready plenty into

No commentary from me (nor anyone else) just the tweet from Phil, ICYMI.

Dear Tiger,

Thank you for all that you’ve done for this great game of golf. No one has benefited more than me and I just wanted you to know I appreciate you and all you’ve done. That’s all. Thank you.

– Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) September 2, 2020

9. The recurring dream that crippled a club pro

Excellent stuff in Golf Digest…Curt Schnell, referred to as one of the best pros to never make it on Tour, had myriad difficulties, including a recurring dream (and associated anxiety) that forced him out of a major championship. All credit for Curt for telling his story!

“Not long after I qualified for the 1993 PGA Championship at Inverness, I started having a recurring nightmare: I was in a greenside bunker and couldn’t get out. I’d hit and hit, and groups would begin to pile up. Each night I woke up in a hot sweat.”

“Then the dream changed. Instead of a bunker, it was the first tee at Inverness. There’s out-of-bounds way right, and I’d keep pumping balls over. Five days before the tournament, I called and withdrew. My buddies said I was crazy. Who cares if you shoot a couple of 80s, they said. I was too embarrassed to admit the relief I felt. My spot went to alternate Michael Allen, who made the cut, so I felt good about that.”

“My doctor explained that I was having panic attacks. He prescribed medication for anxiety and depression. I told only my wife and parents about the diagnosis, and it was then I learned that my mother and grandmother had suffered from the same.”

Full piece.

Tour Photo Galleries

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

Published

15 mins ago

Jun 3, 2026

Ben A

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

2 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

Pullout Albums

News

Tour Tech Rundown: Heroic Henley

Published

2 days 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