News

Morning 9: McIlroy: Back not 100% | Meronk on Ryder Cup snub | Aberg winning WITB

Published

3 years ago

Sep 7, 2023

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Thursday morning, golf fans, as we continue coverage of the build up to a hotly anticipated Ryder Cup.

1. McIlroy: Back not 100%, but I’m ready for Ryder Cup

Golf Channel staff report…”After East Lake, McIlroy didn’t hit balls again for five days to rest, recover and receive treatment. He practiced last Saturday, before departing for London, and then hit balls again Tuesday ahead of the Irish Open. He said the injury was “not at all” like the problems he has endured in the past and is “totally fine.”

“I would say it’s at 90%, 95%,” McIlroy told reporters Wednesday at the K Club. “It’s not 100% better. I just happened to take care of it a little bit, but it’s not preventing me from doing anything I want to do. Just being a little mindful, I guess. I’m a bit limited in what I’ve done, but I sort of needed to rest it and take care of that as the priority.”

“It’s an important few weeks for McIlroy, who is returning to the K Club for the first time since his stirring home victory there in 2016. Next week he will scout Marco Simone with the rest of the European Ryder Cup team before heading back to London for the BMW PGA Championship, the DP World Tour’s flagship event. Then, after a bachelor party in Mykonos and a few days of practice, it’s time for the matches in Rome.”

Full piece.

2. Meronk on Ryder Cup snub

Golf Channel’s Ryan Lavner…”Someone had to be the odd man out, and this time, it was the 30-year-old from Poland.”

“To be honest, I was in shock,” Meronk told reporters Wednesday ahead of the Irish Open, where he is the defending champion. “I was expecting to have a decent chance to be on the team, but it was a quite shocking call, yeah.”

“When asked if Donald gave him a reason why he didn’t receive one of the six captain’s picks, Meronk said he wasn’t sure.”

“When he said I’m not going, I kind of stopped listening,” Meronk said. “It was a big shock, and I didn’t really focus after that.”

Full piece.

3. Westwood: Meronk should consider himself unlucky

Mike Hall for Golf Monthly…”Donald’s decision to omit Meronk has sparked plenty of debate on social media and elsewhere and Westwood has now offered his views on the subject.”

“The former World No.1 wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Just got in from playing golf at @CloseHouseGolf and catching up with all the ‘experts’ opinions on here. I’d just say that 3rd on the @DPWorldTour points list, 1st and 2nd in 2 outings at the RC venue. @AdrianMeronk should consider himself unlucky to not get picked.”

“Of Donald’s wildcard picks, Straka, Hojgaard and Aberg are all newcomers, and Westwood went on to explain that he thinks picking a fourth in Meronk would have been too risky.”

Full piece.

4. Lowry: You’ll see what I’m made of

BBC report…”The Irishman, who has not posted a top-10 finish since February, was picked by Europe captain Luke Donald on Monday.”

“LIV Golf player Richard Bland has said Poland’s Adrian Meronk deserved a pick ahead of Lowry, but the 36-year-old says he is “confident” in his ability.”

“Well, people have their opinion,” said 2019 Open champion Lowry. “Adrian has had a great year and obviously he’s unfortunate to miss out, but somebody has to miss out.

“I’m not going to sit here and disagree with Luke Donald. It was his decision at the end of the day, if he thinks that somebody else is better for this team than he [Meronk] was.”

Full piece.

5. Who Rickie wants to be paired with

From a conversation with Golfweek’s Adam Schupak…“I think I can pair with just about anyone. I play a lot with Patrick Cantlay at home. He and Xander are a token pairing, but maybe if they sit him for a session. I’d love to play with [Brian] Harman. I’ve always loved his game and respected what he’s accomplished. We go back to junior golf. Max [Homa] is someone that is easy to pair with. He just hits it straight and makes putts. But overall, I feel like I can go out and mesh with just about anyone.”

Full piece.

6. JT making changes

Our Matt Vincenzi…”As he prepares for Rome, Thomas has made a significant change in his team. The 30-year-old is no longer working with his putting coach, John Graham, whom he began working with in 2020.”

“According to Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis, JT wants to “own his swing”, and is working mostly by himself on both his swing and his putting. He is still working with his father, Mike Thomas, in a limited capacity, but is mostly on his own these days.”

“Lewis added that Thomas doesn’t seem to be interested in adding a new coach.”

“I have not heard any rumors or any actual facts that he is trying to work with anyone else whether it be on the greens or on the driving range.”

Full piece.

7. NBC to continue plentiful college golf coverage

Cameron Jourdan for Golfweek…”After a busy spring that saw nearly 150 hours of college golf coverage shown live by the NBC Sports family of networks, a similar schedule is coming this fall.”

“The company announced its fall coverage of college golf on TV and streaming will nearly double from last year. This week marked the first event, the Folds of Honor Collegiate, with coverage on Golf Channel and Peacock.”

“Then in October, there will be four events, including one at St. Andrews. First is the Blessings Collegiate in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Oct. 2-4 from 4:30-7:30 p.m. ET. The following week, it’s the Jackson T. Stephens Cup at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas with coverage Monday, Oct. 9 from 5-8 p.m. ET and Oct. 10-11 from 4-7 p.m. ET.”

“Coverage then heads across the pond for the St. Andrews Collegiate, where it will be on Golf Channel from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. ET on Oct. 23-25. Then, it’s the East Lake Cup, Oct. 30-Nov. 1, at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta from 3-6 p.m. ET.”

“The final event, the Showcase at Cedar Crest in Dallas, Nov. 13-15, from 2:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. ET.”

Full piece.

8. Nick Dunlap, Bobby Jones, and the Old Course

Garrett Morrison for the Fried Egg…”These challenges have always rubbed certain players the wrong way. On Sunday, UK Golf Guy overheard 19-year-old Nick Dunlap, the reigning U.S. Amateur champion, grumbling about “a course where good shots are penalized and bad shots are rewarded.” This is a common critique of the Old Course, typically leveled by golfers who have rigid notions of what constitutes a “good shot.”

“But I don’t want to judge Dunlap too harshly, at least at this point in his life. He’s the same age as Bobby Jones was at the 1921 Open, when Jones took four hacks to escape from the Hill bunker and tore up his scorecard.”
“Later, Jones would write, “I considered St. Andrews among the very worst courses I had ever seen, and I am afraid I was even disrespectful of its difficulties. The maddening part of the whole thing was that, while I was certain the course was easy, I simply could not make a good score. Self complacently, I excused myself by thinking the course was unfair, that the little mounds and undulations should not be there, and because my shots were deflected continually away from the hole, I regarded myself as unlucky.”

“The next year, Jones would participate in the first Walker Cup, held at National Golf Links, a course full of adoring tributes to the Scottish game. When he played the National’s 13th hole, an Eden template, maybe he took a moment to look at C.B. Macdonald’s version of the Hill bunker and reflect on his actions the previous summer. In 1926, Jones returned to St. Andrews. For the rest of his life, he loved the course more than any other.”

Full piece.

9. Death, taxes…

Tour Photo Galleries

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

Published

4 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