News

Morning 9: A singular champion amid a singular stretch for a singular season | JT peaking for major stretch | Inside the LPGA Tour bubble

Published

6 years ago

Sep 8, 2020

1. DJ adds the FedEx Cup to his trophy case in a singular season

PGATour.com’s Sean Martin...”Johnson is the champion of a season unlike any other. He did it with a month that reminded us of how easy he can make the game look.”

“This season was anything but. Johnson had surgery on his left knee less than two weeks after last year’s TOUR Championship and didn’t play until the Presidents Cup in December. He made just four starts before the season was shut down by the coronavirus pandemic. Even after his first win of the season, he shot back-to-back 80s at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide.”

…”After beating just one player at the Memorial and withdrawing from his next start because of a back injury, Johnson put on an impressive performance over his final four starts.”

“He closed the season with two wins and two runners-up. He was the 54-hole leader in all four events. Only two 64s – from Collin Morikawa at the PGA and Jon Rahm at the BMW Championship – and two of the season’s most incredible shots could stop Johnson during that closing stretch.”

Full piece.

2. About that 80-80 at the Memorial…

ESPN’s Bob Harig…“The thing about DJ is you never know,” said Thomas, who by sharing second with Schauffele earned $4.5 million. “Hats off to him. I don’t know if he’ll talk about it, but I played with him at the Memorial, and I’ve never seen him as lost, anywhere remotely close to that lost.

“He was grinding his [butt] off. He was putting so bad and playing so bad. But he never gave up. He wasn’t quitting. He was just trying to figure it out there and he couldn’t find it again the next week, and then next you know, he’s the FedEx Cup champion and running away.

“That’s all you need to know about golf right there.”

“And that’s all you need to know about Johnson, who seemingly has the ability to shed disappointment without much energy spent.”

Full piece.

3. When $25K was a big payday

Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…“All total Dustin Johnson made $20.8 million in winnings and FedExCup bonuses for the 2019-20 season. To put that context that’s more than all but 77 players have made in their entire PGA Tour careers.”

“For Johnson the more telling comparison is the earliest years of his career just as he was earning his way onto the Tour.”

“When I went through all three stages of [2007] Q-School and got my Tour card I think they gave me like a $25,000 check,” he said following his three-stroke victory at the Tour Championship which was worth $15 million. “I thought I was rich because I didn’t have but a couple hundred bucks in my bank account probably.”

Full piece.

4. JT feels he’s peaking

Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…“Normally the Tour Championship conclusion is a chance for players to exhale after a long season, but because of the pandemic and dramatically rearranged schedule the end of the season marks the start of a busy fall.”

“The U.S. Open will be held in two weeks at Winged Foot, followed by the Masters in November, which leaves little time for players to rest. But for those who are playing well, it’s a chance to keep the momentum going.”

“I always take a couple days off after a tournament anyway, but I’m excited. I’m really excited how I’m playing, how I feel about my game, how my body feels,” said Justin Thomas, who tied for second place at the finale. “I’m feeling like I’m starting to play some of my best golf of the year, and getting to a pretty important stretch, so hopefully we’ll be able to continue it into next week and then October and November.”

Full piece.

5. …and Jimmy Johnson will be back on the bag

Golf Channel’s (resident content machine) Rex Hoggard…“Along with a game that appears to be peaking at the right time, Thomas will also have a familiar face on his golf bag at Winged Foot. He confirmed on Monday at East Lake that Jimmy Johnson will be back on the bag at the U.S. Open.”

“Johnson has been recovering at home since the Memorial with health issues and Thomas had Jim “Bones” Mackay step in for the remainder of the 2019-20 season.”

Full piece.

6. LPGA bubble

Larry Bohannon breaks down the LPGA bubble...”This year, it also takes two negative COVID-19 tests, a color-coded wrist band and a pledge not to dine out during tournament week.”

“Since the LPGA returned to play in July after a five-month stoppage because of the coronavirus pandemic, the tour has tried to build a so-called bubble around each tournament. The bubble is intended to isolate players and other tournament personnel from the outside world, limiting the chances of contacting or spreading the virus.”

“But no two bubbles, even the one being crafted at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California, for the ANA Inspiration this week, have been exactly the same.”

“We’ve had to deal with local regulations everywhere we have gone,” said Christina Lance, senior manager of tour media for the LPGA. “Every place is different.”

Full piece.

7. GolfWRX’s shots from the Safeway

GolfWRX is live from Napa Valley at the Silverado Resort and Spa for the Safeway Open.

“The par-72, 7,166-yard track saw Cameron Champ emerge victorious in the most recent contesting. This year, Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth, and Sergio Garcia are all teeing it up, as well as Matt Kuchar, Kevin Streelman, and Erik van Rooyen, to name a few in the 144-man field.”

“A tune-up event for the U.S. Open for the first (and almost certainly last) time in its history, the Safeway Open-first event of the 2020-2021 PGA Tour season-is an interesting one from an equipment standpoint. Not only are the new Titleist woods seeding (as well as other equipment, potentially) but players looking for an edge will be motivated to change up their bags ahead of the 2020-2021 campaign, as will 2021 equipment free agents and players who could potentially be facing sponsorship switches.”

Check out our galleries from Napa

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