News

Morning 9: Kim defends Shriners | Brooks wins Jeddah | Yin victorious in Shanghai

Published

3 years ago

Oct 16, 2023

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Monday morning, golf fans, as Tom Kim successfully defended his Shriners title over the weekend.

1. Kim wins Shriners

AP report…”Tom Kim now has something in common with Byron Nelson as the only players to have won the same PGA Tour event twice in the same season.”

“Kim successfully defended his title Sunday in the Shriners Children’s Open when he closed with a 5-under 66 to emerge from a pack of a dozen players who had a chance in the final hour. Kim wound up winning by one shot over Adam Hadwin, who birded the final hole for a 67.”

Full piece.

2. Angel Yin wins Buick Shanghai

Golf Digest’s Keely Levins…”The return of the Buick LPGA Shanghai, cancelled the last three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, did not disappoint. On Sunday afternoon at Qizhong Garden Golf Club, Angel Yin and Lilia Vu found themselves in a duel for the title that needed a playoff to decide the winner. It was a moment of déjà vu for the pair of Californians: In April, they were in a playoff at the Chevron Championship. There, Vu became a major champion. In Shanghai, it was Yin’s turn. After 159 LPGA starts, the 25-year-old LPGA veteran finally had her first tour win.”

Full piece.

3. Pavon takes Spanish Open

AP report…”Matthieu Pavon broke through with his first DP World Tour victory at a place close to home for him, fending off an early rally by Jon Rahm and a late charge by Marcel Siem to win the Spanish Open by four shots on Sunday.”

“The Frenchman closed with a 7-under 64 to finish at 23 under for the tournament in an emotional wire-to-wire victory in a country where his father used to play soccer professionally and in a city where his grandfather was born.”

Full piece.

4. Koepka wins LIV Jeddah

AP report…“Brooks Koepka held it together at the end for a 2-under 68 and defended his title at LIV Golf-Jeddah with a birdie on the second playoff hole to beat Talor Gooch…”

“Koepka had to birdie two of his last three holes to finish at 14-under 196 and tie with Gooch, who closed with a 62.

Full piece.

5. Gooch finishes second, wins $18 million

Golf.com’s Zephyr Melton…”Despite falling in a playoff to Brooks Koepka, Gooch’s runner-up finish in the Middle East put the finishing touches on a career year. For the 2023 season, the 31-year-old nabbed three wins and added a runner-up finish to boot, good enough to become the LIV Golf season-long individual champion.”

…”With the win in the individual season-long points race, Gooch takes home a massive payday of $18 million. That sum is nearly double his career earnings on the PGA Tour of $9,250,299.”

Full piece.

6. ICYMI: RIP, Andy Bean

Golf Digest’s Tod Leonard…”At 6-foot-4 and with a shock of red hair, Andy Bean cut an imposing figure on the PGA Tour for nearly three decades. His skills intimated fellow competitors, too. “He’s awesome long, he’s straight, and he can putt,” Masters and PGA champion Raymond Floyd once told Sports Illustrated.”

“Bean never won a major—he finished second three times—but the Florida Gator standout scored 11 victories on the PGA Tour in the era dominated by Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson and had another three wins on the senior circuit. He posted 103 top-10 results and finished runner-up 15 times on the regular circuit en route to career earnings of $10 million…”

“On Saturday, the PGA Tour confirmed that Bean died at 70 while fighting to recover from a double-lung transplant he underwent six weeks ago after his lungs were badly damaged in a battle with COVID-19.”

Full piece.

7. Winning WITB: Tom Kim WITB

Driver: Titleist TSR3 (9 degrees)

Shaft: Fujikura Atmos Tour Spec Black 6 X

3-wood: Titleist TSi3 (13.5 degrees)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro White 70 TX

Hybrid: Titleist TSR3 (19 degrees)

Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD AG04 Hybrid Prototype 9 X

Irons: Titleist T200 (3), Titleist T100 (4-9)

Shafts: Project X 5.5 (3), Project X 6.0

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (46-10F, 52.12F @53), Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks Proto (60-T @59)

Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Putter: Scotty Cameron TourType Timeless GSS tour prototype

Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 1.0

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Grips: Golf Pride MCC

Full WITB.

Tour Photo Galleries

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

Published

14 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