News

Tour Rundown: Open to Minjee, four other events decided

Published

4 years ago

Jun 6, 2022

June walked in with the first USGA Women’s Open with a presenting sponsor, and by all accounts, it was a big and special thing. The tournament was contested at Pine Needles for the fourth time, but the first since 2007. Pine Needles, located in Southern Pines, North Carolina, has become the iconic site for this championship. The winner it welcomed this year simply added to that lore. In addition to this national championship for women, four events took place around the globe for the men. Ohio, central North Carolina, Germany and Iowa celebrated tournaments with fine fields and enviable finishes. Let’s have a rundown of all five events in this week’s Tour Rundown.

USGA Women’s Open is second major for Minjee

There were two story threads that followed the 77th playing of the Women’s Open in North Carolina’s sandhills. Could She? became Mina Harigae’s tag line, after the 32-year old pro opened with 64. Harigae had been in contention before in a major, but had not found the context to contend to the end. Will she? was asked about Australia’s Minjee Lee, the 2021 Evian champion and a seven-time winner on the LPGA Tour. Lee had won on the LPGA as recently as May, while Harigae had yet to break into the the winner’s circle on the big tour.

The first-round lead weight heavy on the shoulders of all professional golfers. Few have welcomed the spotlight and questions for four consecutive days, while maintaining an advantage over the field. Harigae’s one shot advantage (64-65) over Swedish amateur Ingrid Lindblad vanished overnight, as Lee followed her opening 67 with 66, to reach 133 at the halway point. Harigae did well to post 69, and preserve a share of the lead. Golfers began to enter and depart the leader board, but in the end, this week was always a story about two golfers: Lee and Harigae.

In round three, Minjee stretched an advantage to three shots, with another 67. Harigae was under par for the third day, as well, but her 70 was eclipsed by Lee’s mastery. On pace to set a tournament scoring record, attention turned away from the first-round leader from California, and toward the leader from Perth. On Sunday, Minjee Lee fell from the 60s for the first time all week, but not by much. Her 71 was the third-lowest round on the day, bettered only by 69 from Jeongeun Lee6 and 70 from Hyejin Choi. Minjee gained one more stroke on Harigae, and set a 72-hole record for lowest number of strokes (271) in tournament history. Her score relative to par (-13) was bettered only by Juli Inkster’s -16 in 1999. Harigae held on to solo second by two shots, over the fast-closing Choi.

She opened with a pair of birdies and never looked back!@minjeegolf's record-setting #USWomensOpen is our @Lexus Top Performance of the Day. #LexusGolf pic.twitter.com/JdkZgOADDJ

— U.S. Women's Open (USGA) (@uswomensopen) June 6, 2022

PGA Tour: Horschel laps field at Memorial

Billy Horschel is a complicated figure in professional golf. His intensity is unmatched, as are his attention to detail and his pursuit of perfection. Horschel’s swing is as tight as a well-tuned drum, which leaves the only chance for error to the space between the ears. It’s not an uncommon theme, as many golfers on the world’s tours exhibit most of those characteristics. Horschel has struggled with family illness, yet is able to give back to golf as a tournament host for junior tournaments. On this weekend in June, his game was on full display.

Horschel lapped the field at Jack’s tournament, the Memorial. He posted 13-under par through three rounds, and held a five-shot advantage heading into Sunday. Day four was a blustery affair in central Ohio, as 69 was the lowest score that any of the 70 remaining golfers could summon. Scores went as high as 84 on Sunday, as Muirfield Village showed a lot of teeth. Through it all, Horschel preserved his calm. Despite scoring seven shots higher than Saturday’s 65, the lead was never fewer than two shots. It was Horschel’s tournament to win, and he did so with an impressive eagle at the 15th, to return to the five-shot separation. He would make bogey at 17 to only win by four, over runner-up Aaron Wise.

First eagle @MemorialGolf in 573 holes played. pic.twitter.com/A8UYfMbqtN

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 5, 2022

DP World Tour: Samooja secures European Open

Kalle Samooja made the charge of the weekend in Germany. He posted 64 on Sunday to zip past a host of competitors, including last week’s winner, Victor Perez of France. Samooja, a native of Finland, notched eight birdies on the day, including three of his final four holes. None of the others in contention could match his brilliance, and Samooja finished two shots clear of Wil Besseling of the Netherlands.

Not that the others didn’t try. Besseling closed with double-birdie-bogey-birdie, to arrive at the solo runner-up position. Richard Mansell recovered from a first-hole bogey on Sunday with three birdies, and in third position, one more shot back. It was Perez who was most unfortunate on Sunday. His shots went away slowly, with four bogeys against two birdies.

The victory was the first for Samooja, after playoff losses in 2019 and 2020. The win moved the 34-year old inside the top 25 on the year-long rankings.

The winning moment ?@KalleSamooja with soft hands at the last secured a birdie finish to win the #PEO2022. pic.twitter.com/z7POAL3kPW

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 5, 2022

Korn Ferry Tour: Rex Hospital nail-biter goes to Thompson

With the exception of Paul Haley II, golfers held position or moved up on Sunday at Wakefield Plantation. Haley fell from contention with 71, but managed a sixth-place finish for the week. The tournament drama was reserved for a trio of contenders, and they did their best to make the event’s finish a special one.

Davis Thompson held a one-shot advantage after 54 holes, with Haley, Andrew Yun, and Vincent Norman on his trail. The leader went out in minus-three, to open up an advantage on his pursuers. He would need it coming home. Thompson played the inward half in plus-one, but secured a critical birdie at the 15th. Yun and Norman charge home in minus-three and minus-one, respectively, but they would come up one shot shy of the winner. The victory was the first for Thompson on the KFT, and came on his 23rd birthday.

Final group is off ? @VincentNorrman @DavisT17 pic.twitter.com/h0yWz6GQcd

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) June 5, 2022

PGA Tour Champions: Principal Charity to Kelly over Kirk in playoff

Jerry Kelly had five birdies in regulation on Sunday at Des Moines, Iowa. That performance earned him a curtain call with Kirk Triplett. For fun, Kelly added a sixth birdie on the first extra hole. That maneuver garnered him a 9th PGA Tour Champions title, and elevated him eight spots in the year-long, Schwab Cup challenge.

Brett Quigley, Triplett, and 2022 poster child Steven Alker held the 36-hole lead on Saturday evening. Each fell away a bit on Sunday. Quigley posted 70 to finish in fifth position. Alker’s 69 dropped him into a third-place tie with Bernhard Langer. Triplett loaded up on birdies on Sunday, with seven on his card. It was the two, front-nine bogeys that kept him from winning the tournament outright. Sometimes, it’s your week, but not your week alone.

What a shot ?@jerrykelly13pga with a beauty off the tee on 17 for a share of the lead into the final hole @PCCTourney. pic.twitter.com/nClTdvvAUB

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) June 5, 2022

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