News

5 things we learned Thursday at the U.S. Women’s Open

Published

5 years ago

Dec 10, 2020

There shall be no overstating the chaos and pathos of 2020. In that strange fashion that tragedy has, we’ve also been offered a glimpse into the new and the different. In the world of golf, that meant a men’s U.S. Open in September, a Masters in November, and this week, a women’s open in December.

To get the putt rolling, two courses at Champions Golf Club in Houston are in play, the first time this has happened in tournament history. Lack of light compelled the USGA to add this facet to the tournament. Beyond that, it’s all about the players and their feats of strength #Festivus.

Let’s check in on some #WomenWorthWatching and let’s #WatchWomenWork this week at the USGA Women’s Open. Here are five things that we learned on Thursday of the 75th playing of this national championship.

1. Olson leads the pack, thanks to one sweet swing

Amy Olson, a former USGA girls junior champion, took a pass at a 140-yard shot, and it disappeared. Teeing off on the back nine, the Minnesota native stood a +1 through six holes, thanks to a bogey at the 11th, her second on the day. That discrepancy went away when she holed her tee ball at the Cypress Creek course’s 16th hole, and moved to one under. The ace was the only one on the day over both courses, and was quickly followed by a birdie at the the next. Olson added additional stroke-savers at the 1st and the 8th, on her inward half, and reached four-under par. Olson wasn’t the only one to get that low, but she was the only one to stay there. With a game built for USGA courses, expect Olson to stick around for a few more days.

2. Khang and Saso fired and fell back

Yuka Saso was the latest to challenge Olson. The golfer from the Phillipines reached 4 under after nine holes at the Cypress Creek layout, but gave two shots back on the inward half. Khan got even farther, reaching five-under par after her 10th hole, on the Jackrabbit trace. Like Saso, her trek homeward was less than memorable. Khan made a pair of bogeys, then finished off the day with an miserable double bogey at the 18th. The Champions Golf Club courses will afford opportunities to pick strokes up, but it will be the ones that can get away that will determine a champion.

3. Jutanugarn is biggest name near top of leader board

Moriya, that is. Not sister Ariya, the 2018 US Women’s Open champion, but her one year-older sibling. Moriya sits at 3-under par, tied for second spot with Hinako Shibuno of Japan and A Lim Kim of Korea. Well, maybe Shibuno deserves the bigger-name nod. After all, she won the 2019 British Open, out of nowhere. What we’re saying is, after day one, there is a shortage of wattage on the marquee. Sung Hyun Park, Jennifer Kupcho, and the aforementioned Ariya are closest, each at 1-under par, in a tie for 12th. We suspect that Friday, rather than Saturday, will be moving day at this year’s national championship.

4. Who really struggled?

Maria Fassi did battle with Jennifer Kupcho at the inaugural Augusta Women’s Amateur in 2019. Today, she posted +12. Georgia Hall, the 2018 British Open titleist, signed for +10. Angela Stanford, last week’s winner and a Fort Worth native, struggled to a +9 tally. The hottest golfer on the planet, Denmark’s Emily Kristine Pedersen, played her final ten holes in +5 to drop to +4 (might have been jet lag?) Three amateurs (Pauline Roussin, Amelia Garvey, and Maja Stark) all recorded one-under rounds of 70, making the struggles of some, inconceivable. The Women’s Open identifies a new champion as often as it recognizes a storied one. This week might be one of the former, unless a lot happens, and soon.

5. Who lays in wait?

Have a look at the even-par crowd. Inbee Park, Nasa Hataoka, Lydia Ko, and three talented Spaniards (Iturrioz, Ciganda, and Muñoz) along with top amateur Gabriela Ruffels, posted scores of 71 on Thursday. The winner could easily come from that septet. We’ll go out on a limb and pick Danielle Kang, one shot farther back, at one-over par. Kang is the world’s top-ranked player, and doesn’t suffer over-par rounds gladly. Expect a tidy 67 on Friday, as her competitors struggle to match her exploits.

Tour Photo Galleries

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

Published

6 hours 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

3 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