News

Five Things We Learned: Saturday at The Open Championship

Published

3 years ago

Jul 22, 2023

Day three of the 151st Open Championship is etched in time. The rains came and the rains went. The course softened a bit, and the course dried out a bit more. Royal Liverpool gave and took on this day, and a remarkable segment of the tournament field positioned itself for a run at history on Sunday, July 23rd. As things currently stand, nine golfers are within eight shots of the leader. A nine-shot comeback is where we draw the line at miracles. Day four at the home of the Fab Four will be, well, fabulous. Before we watch another sunrise, let’s recap day three with Five Things We Learned.

Perfectly judged.

As the rain starts to fall, Shubhankar Sharma makes a move with an eagle. pic.twitter.com/ILDY3yXMkA

— The Open (@TheOpen) July 22, 2023

1. Jon Rahm

Eight birdies. Ten pars. From plus two to minus six in the blink of an eye. Well, if it takes 4.5 hours to blink, I guess. The current Masters champion blistered Hoylake in Game 15 of the third day of competition. A four at the par-five fifth ignited the fire in his belly, and consecutive birdies from nine through twelve added more leña to the fogata. Needing more juice, Rahm closed with another trio of birdies from 15 to 18. Only his 22-feet effort at the penultimate Little Eye stayed above ground. Rahm is the voice of a new generation, and his game will only improve after this week in Liverpool. He’ll play with Viktor Hovland in the penultimate game; could there be a more exciting duo?

History for Jon Rahm.

A Hoylake record 63 on moving day. pic.twitter.com/2BAvxiarFl

— The Open (@TheOpen) July 22, 2023

2. Those Fitzpatricks

Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick will forever be joined in the memory of golfers who watched the elder brother win the 2013 US Amateur at Brookline. The younger was his looper, and at the age of 14 years, summoned memories of Eddie Lowry on the bag of Francis Ouimet. We will add a second memory to that initial one, thanks to the play of both at Hoylake. Matt was exempt, thanks to his 2022 US Open championship victory. Alex qualified in, and came to Royal Liverpool for another rung of learning on the ladder of professional golf.

Things changed for both when each made the cut on Friday afternoon. Their perspectives evolved more when Alex posted 65, and Matt 67, on Saturday. Those performances brought them to T7 and T11, respectively, in advance of Sunday’s final round. Each had a back-nine bogey on the card, and each closed with birdies at 15, 17 and 18.

Alex Fitzpatrick is having some Open debut.

A 65 puts him in a great position for tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/GFwJRaBvyK

— The Open (@TheOpen) July 22, 2023

3. The gainers of experience

A number of the game’s top golfers played very good golf this week, but not remarkable enough to be in contention on Sunday. No matter what they’ve won prior, each ascent along the arc of greatness requires learning. Xander Schauffele has an Olympic gold medal. Scottie Scheffler has a Masters green jacket. Rickie Fowler has multiple tour wins, and Jordan Spieth aches to return to the echelon he occupied during the mid-201os.

Tom Kim is everyone’s buddy, but wins are what he needs. Nicolai Højgaard and his twin brother Rasmus are eager to earn Ryder Cup consideration. Min Woo Lee will have to wait until April to take a run at a major, but there’s no question that he’s capable. In the end, the love they take is equal to the love they make.

"A proper apology" from Xander Schauffele in the form of a signed glove. pic.twitter.com/UEkeKNOXc4

— The Open (@TheOpen) July 22, 2023

4. The final game

Game 38 will feature Brian Harman and Cameron Young. Harman was able to steady himself after two bogeys through Saturday’s first four holes. Birdies at five and nine, followed by another pair at 12 and 13, brought him a third round in the 60s, and preserved his five-shot advantage. His third-round companion, Tommy Fleetwood, played round the course in even par figures, and sits seven shots behind the leader, tied in a quintet of golfers at minus-five. Harman played the sort of golf that places him firmly as the favorite to claim the Champion Golfer of the Year moniker.

Joining him in the final game is last year’s runner-up, Cameron Young. In 2022, Young came from way back to scare the mullet out of eventual champion Cameron Smith. This year, Young will have the pairing he desires, and will have a chance to break through at a major after coming close twice in 2022. If Young puts pressure on early, he stands the greatest chance of spooking Harman and breaking through. Young played an exquisite round on day three, overwhelming a solitary bogey with six birdies.

Brian Harman is holding firm at the top.

This fantastic approach to the 9th helped.

He retains a four shot advantage. pic.twitter.com/yAnFtwKoHp

— The Open (@TheOpen) July 22, 2023

5. The Prediction

Only one gentleman will hoist the Claret Jug on Sunday evening, and we know that you are dying to know his name. The first revelation is that it will end in a playoff. Two golfers will match scores and be compelled to dance in overtime over the 1st, 17th, and 18th holes. The format requires four extra holes, so how the R and A will pull this off, will also conjure intrigue. The second revelation is that both golfers will be tied, headed to the final hole. One will make birdie in overtime, but the other will ensnare an eagle in the most dramatic of fashions: a holed bunker shot.

The runner-up? Jason Day. He’ll have another day, somewhere around 64, to leap over a multitude and score a reservation at the after party. Unfortunately, he won’t be able to add a second major title to his 2015 PGA Championship

The winner? Jon Rahm will claim his second major title of 2023. He will be amazed to see Straka chase him down, but he will prove himself to be the great champion of 2023, with two major titles.

Please remember that this writer is the worst prognosticator since Yesstrodamus, so please do not lay any bets, based on these predictions.

Just three back. @JDayGolf makes his move. pic.twitter.com/N8DXnXVbbH

— The Open (@TheOpen) July 22, 2023

Tour Photo Galleries

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

Published

16 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

3 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