News

Morning 9: Are Koepka’s best days behind him? | Bryson bashes TPC Summerlin…inspired by Happy Gilmore? | Another freak tree-related PGA pro death

Published

6 years ago

Oct 9, 2020

1 Lincicome, Kelly Tran share lead at Womens PGA

AP report…”Brittany Lincicome brought 15-month-old daughter Emery to a recent practice round at Aronimink Golf Club and let her run around the course and plop down on mom’s pink golf bag.”

“Back home with dad, the TV was on for the family to watch Brittany do what she does best, as one of the tour’s bigger hitters regularly found the greens she needed to emerge as a contender for another major victory.”

“Lincicome and Kelly Tan each shot 3-under 67 on Thursday in windy conditions at challenging Aronimink to share the lead in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.”

Full piece.

2. Bryson bashes Summerlin

Golfweek’s Steve DiMeglio…“Big bad Bryson DeChambeau continued his assault on golf courses the country over by bashing TPC Summerlin into submission in Thursday’s first round of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.”

“But he was far from the only one that battered the desert layout…A day after he shot 59 on his own ball during the pro-am – and missed an 8-footer for a 58 on the last hole – DeChambeau putted for eagle five times, made a career-best five consecutive birdies and matched his lowest round on the PGA Tour with a bogey-free 9-under-par 62 to grab the lead.”

Full piece.

3. Second freak tree-related PGA pro death this year…

Awful stuff in the wake of the death of PGA pro Justin Riegel a few months ago who was killed by a tree falling on the clubhouse.

Bill Doyle of the Worcester Telegram….“A violent storm blew through Wyantenuck Country Club, located in Great Barrington in Massachusetts’ Berkshire Mountains, late Wednesday afternoon and Sullivan, the head golf professional, drove throughout the course to make sure everyone had left safely after he sounded the weather warning horn.”

“As Sullivan drove his golf cart down an access road, a tree fell and killed him. A neighbor called police after seeing a tree had fallen on the cart. Two police officers found Sullivan on the ground near the cart, which was covered by several fallen trees and branches, but they couldn’t revive him, Great Barrington Police Chief William R. Walsh Jr. told the Berkshire Eagle.”

Full piece.

4. Loving and hoping

Our Johnny Wunder…

I LOVE that we are getting PGA Tour action for two straight weeks in Vegas. 1) Because it is seeding season for the OEMs so glimpses of new equipment, potential free agent testing, and the like are all included. 2) We will get two totally different golf tournaments. Shriners will be a low scoring shoot out with a number of players (young and veterans) with a shot to win. ZOZO will be a star-studded potential shoot out OR a tough high scoring affair depending on how they set it up. Shadow can play very tough if they tuck the pins and speed the greens up. Trust me, I saw Tiger/Phil #1, and neither player was any threat to rip it to shreds…and that was an “exhibition”

I HOPE Tiger shows up huge at ZOZO and at the CJ Cup. I believe he needs two REALLY solid tournaments if he has a chance in hell at Augusta. Yes, I said it. He hasn’t played poorly so to speak but he has yet to put it all together for 72 holes. If we get what 99.9% of us want at Augusta he needs 2 top 10’s and maybe even a win in those two.

5. BWM PGA Championship round 1

AP report…”Tyrrell Hatton remembers walking outside the ropes as a wide-eyed 5-year-old and watching his heroes at the BMW PGA Championship, the tournament which inspired him to become a professional golfer.”

“Now he’s leading the European Tour’s signature event at Wentworth, although there are no spectators to see it.”

“After almost nine months in the United States – during which he won his first PGA Tour title at the Arnold Palmer Invitational – Hatton is back in Europe and continued his strong form with a 6-under 66 to help set the first-round pace Thursday at a tournament he knows so well.”

“He was tied for the lead with Justin Harding of South Africa and Adri Arnaus of Spain, neither of whom dropped a shot around the West Course on an overcast day.”

Full piece.

6. Quietly chasing senior glory

JuliaKate E. Culpepper for Golfweek…“The 50-year-old Furyk is having a rookie season to remember on the senior circuit.”

“The 17-time winner on the PGA Tour won his Champions debut in August at the Ally Challenge in Grand Blanc, Michigan, followed by another win in September in his second start at the PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach.”

“While he still plans to play occasionally on the PGA Tour, the former FedEx Cup Champion said the Champions Tour is calling his name a little louder these days.”

“I think this is going to be my home and just excited to play some golf,” Furyk said Thursday.

Full piece.

7. Happy Gilmore “re-inspires” Bryson

Eric Patterson for the Score…“DeChambeau’s inspiration to somehow chase even more distance comes from a surprising source, though. “You know, I watched ‘Happy Gilmore’ a little while ago and just re-inspired me to try and hit it as far as possible,” DeChambeau said on Wednesday at the Shriners Hospitals for Charity Open. And though he may not be willing to incorporate the patented Happy Gilmore swing into his game, DeChambeau is still committed to pushing the limits of driver length.”

Full piece.

8. Is the best of Brooks Koepka behind him?

An interesting proposition… Here are a few passages from John Hawkins piece postulating we’ve seen the best from the straight-shooting Floridian…

“…It’s an interesting worldview from a guy who now is the it kid, or was until he injured his left knee at a Tour event in South Korea almost a year ago. Koepka actually had missed the cut as the star attraction of a thin field in Las Vegas two weeks earlier, his first MC in 14½ months. No big deal, but when he returned to action in January and looked nothing like his previous self, then factored just twice after the COVID-19 suspension before ending his season after another MC in North Carolina, the meteor of 2017 had begun to resemble a falling star.”

“How hurt was/is he? Koepka made it a point to say his knee was fine at various times in 2020, then play poorly and suggest that maybe it wasn’t. Did he return to competition too early and repeatedly aggravate the situation? If so, there is no best-case scenario here. When you’re one of the world’s best golfers, there’s really no such thing as a minor knee injury. It’s a bit like saying someone had a mild heart attack.”

“…The real-world assessment of Koepka and his future might look something like this: he’s too injured to perform at his best but not injured enough to undergo a full-blown surgical procedure. Resting the leg hasn’t worked, so we’re looking at a guy with four really cool trophies standing at the crossroads, his career bumping against a certain amount of long-term peril.”

Full piece.

9. Nelly Korda WD

Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols on the best American golfing woman bowing out...”Nelly Korda has withdrawn from the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. The World No. 2 opened the tournament with a 1-over 71 at Aronimink and trailed early leaders Kelly Tan and Brittany Lincicome by four strokes.”

“Korda cited discomfort in her back as the reason on her Instagram post, noting that she planned to see a specialist.”

Full piece.

Tour Photo Galleries

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

Published

1 hour 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

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