News

Morning 9: Casey leads suspended round 1 at soft ANGC | Tiger’s roaring start | Xander | What’s really in the Augusta sand

Published

6 years ago

Nov 13, 2020

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt

Email me at [email protected]; and find me on Twitter and Instagram.

November 13, 2020

Good Masters Friday morning, golf fans. Just a PSA that this is a Friday the 13th. Be warned (or don’t)!

1. Casey leads suspended round 1 at soft Augusta National

The dean of Hawaiian-shirted golf writers, Doug Ferguson at the AP…”Paul Casey still had no problem finding enough energy from the sheer mystique of the Masters on Thursday in an opening round that was delayed seven months by a pandemic and then nearly three hours by thunderstorms.”

“It carried him to a 7-under 65, matching his lowest score at Augusta National and giving him a two-shot lead among those fortunate enough to get in 18 holes before it was too dark to continue.”

“So many people like myself are just excited to play this,” Casey said. “This is a treat. It always has been and always will be a real treat.”

Full piece.

2. Tiger starts strong

John Steinbreder for Masters.com…”Of all the things Tiger Woods has done well at Augusta National, starting strong is not one of them.”

“He is a finisher, to be sure, having recorded nearly 30 under-par, weekend rounds in 22 Masters on his way to amassing five wins and a dozen top-5 finishes. But the 68 he shot on Thursday marked only the second time he has broken 70 to open the Tournament.”

“Woods said it was easy to account for his success.”

“I did everything well,” he said after signing for his 4-under. “I drove it well. I hit my irons well. And I putted well. The only bad shot I hit today was on 8. I had a perfect number with a 60-degree sand wedge and hit it on the wrong shelf. Other than that, I did everything well.”

Full piece.

3. Xander ready to figure again

Brian Mull for Golfweek…”On a day when conditions allowed low scoring at Augusta National, last year’s runner-up knew he could ill afford to fall too far behind.”

“His late charge to a 5-under-par 67 began in Amen Corner following a perfect drive on the 505-yard, par-4 11th that left him 184 yards to a hole location tucked behind the pond in the back left portion of the green. On a typical Masters day, that’s a dangerous flag to attack but greens softened by morning rain gave Schauffele the confidence to take dead aim and fire. His approach finished slightly left of the cup, six feet away and he drained the putt, the first of four birdies in his final eight holes.”

Full piece.

4. Bryson opens with 70

Hank Haney tweeted Bryson DeChambeau was one poor shot from his stated goal of making Augusta National a par 68. He’s not wrong.

Our Ron Montesano writes this…”After pars at his first three holes, DeChambeau hit his drive on 13 into Phil Mickelson’s back yard. Unlike Lefty, BBT maneuvered his approach into some topiary behind the green. One penalty drop and two chips later, he faced a brief attempt at bogey, which never threatened to invoke gravity. AND THEN, he began to play some golf. Bryson counted birdies at 15, 16, and 2 to reach red figures on the day. He fell to even par at the 7th, but coaxed birdie putts into the 8th and 9th cups, to finish at 70 on the day. The round was reminiscent of Tiger Woods in 1997; Bryson had every excuse to shoot himself out of the tournament, but he refused. 5 back on day one is nothing. No one will shoot 20-under at Augusta National this week, so our biggest, bangingest theory is in prime position to make a Friday move.”

Full piece.

5. New outlook pays dividends for Webb

Mercer Baggs for Golf Channel…”Webb Simpson spoke Thursday afternoon about giving Augusta National the respect it deserves. This was after Simpson posted a 5-under 67, the result of such an appreciative and respectful approach.”

“In eight previous Masters starts, Simpson has two top-20 finishes, both coming in his recent two appearances. His T-5 last year is his best finish in any major since he won the 2012 U.S. Open.”

Full piece.

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6. Plenty of firsts

Cameron Morfit for PGATour.com…”The rain was falling softly in the semi-darkness as Tiger Woods stood on the practice putting green awaiting his 7:55 a.m. tee time, while legends Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player were on the nearby first tee preparing to hit their ceremonial first tee shots.”

“Woods sensed something flying over his head. He looked up.”

“There was a drone flying over the putting green,” he said…

“Yes, CBS has added drones to the coverage. It was, all in all, a new kind of experience in the first round of the pandemic-delayed Masters at Augusta National. No patrons. No flowers. Strange plot twists.”

Full Piece

7. The special ingredient of those brilliant white sand traps at the Masters

ICYWW, check out this LA Times report…”For five decades, Augusta National Golf Club has filled its 44 bunkers with the brilliant white grains produced near the three-stoplight town of Spruce Pine, a four-hour drive to the north. The dramatic contrast of those immaculate bunkers, the bleached-white teeth of the course, and the verdant grass is a hallmark of the Masters golf tournament.

Full Piece

8. Schupak: Why the 2020 Masters could be the turning point in golf’s distance debate

A portion of an excellent piece by Golfweek’s Adam Schupak…”in many ways the Masters this week can serve as Exhibit A for why action is needed sooner rather than later.”

“It is central to the debate as the one major championship that returns to the same venue each year, where even the most casual golf fan knows that the 10th tee calls for a draw and that since the days of Ben Hogan the safe play at No. 11 always has been right of the green and don’t even think of aiming at the Sunday pin at No. 12. Nothing would serve as a greater wake-up call to the governing bodies more than seeing DeChambeau or one of the game’s other younger bombers turn 7,475-yard Augusta National into a par 68.”

“We have options, as I said, we can make changes, but not every golf course can. Having said that, it’s a balance because the next question is, obviously, or should be, well, you don’t want to make the game harder,” Ridley said. “On one hand, we want to say we want to grow the game, and on the other hand, we’re saying we’re worried about distance. I think everybody just has got to get their head together and figure it out.”

Full Piece

9. Golf clubs thriving amid the pandemic

Anecdotes to complement the abundance of data…National Club Golfer’s Steve Carroll: “…to celebrate success, to claim you’re actually thriving in the midst of so much misery, is awkward. Yet many golf clubs are doing well. As the sport experienced that unlikely boom after restrictions eased first time around, there are plenty much better equipped to handle what’s thrown at them now then they were back in March. “We’re in a stronger position than we were last time,” says Alan Key, director of Burstwick Country Golf in Hull. They gained scores of members in the summer and saw visitor revenues soar – up some 50 per cent year-on-year over a three-month period.”

Full Piece

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