News

Tour Rundown: JT in 73, all in with Ingrid, and more

Published

1 year ago

Apr 21, 2025

With the Masters behind us and the apparent fullness of spring’s arrival to the northern hemisphere, golf season is truly here. We have major champions in the women’s and men’s games, and we have slates of four, five, and six tournaments each week. We see shots like the one below with greater frequency, and the sense of rebirth is once again upon us.

There’s nothing quite like golf. It can’t really be played indoors, as other sports can. It demands that its practitioners demonstrate patience,as the Earth orbits into position for another season. We here at Tour Rundown are grateful to bring golf’s results to you, and we hope that you get to play with increasing frequency. Let’s share this moment and run down four events in this week’s edition of TR.

PGA Tour @ RBC Heritage: Thomas tops Novak on 73rd hole

Justin Thomas had not won a golf tournament since the PGA Championship in 2022. He had gotten married and become a father, and maybe those two, life moves, had changed him as a golfer. Maybe not. This week, on Hilton Head Island, Thomas took the first-round lead with 61, never left the 60s, gave the lead away, then retrieved it on day four. As often happens, he didn’t do anything spectacular over the final 18 holes, but he didn’t lose the event, as others did.

Andrew Novak hasn’t performed particularly well in major events during his brief career as a professional. Reaching a playoff was glorious enough, but the Charleston native wanted more. He wanted a win in his home state, and he nearly grabbed a plum one. Novak found himself in Sunday’s final pairing, with Si Woo Kim. While the Korean stumbled to 74 and a tie for eighth, Novak posted 68 to reach 17-under par. He had putts of 16 feet at 17 and 35 feet at 18, to win in regulation, but could not coax either into the hole.

Thomas and Novak returned to the coastal 18th to decide matters. Each reached the green in regulation two shots, but Novak faltered on a 34-foot putt for three. Thomas was true in his effort from 21 feet and secured a 16th career title on the PGA Tour.

LPGA @ LA Championship: All in with Ingrid

About two hours before the lead group made the turn, Nasa Hataoka signed for 63, posting a clubhouse lead of 18 under par on the week. No one thought that the number would hold up, but…nah. An hour later, Olympic silver medalist Esther Henseleit rocked a 64 of her own, to eclipse Hataoka’s 18-deep by one. Among the final two groups, Ingrid Lindblad had opened up a lead with an outward nine of 33. Her pursuers took note and stepped up their games.

First came Akie Iwai of Japan, followed by the USA’s Lauren Coughlin. At the same time that the duo began to surge, the birdie faucet ran dry for Lindblad. She posted just one birdie coming home, against eight pars. Turns out that solitary birdie was just enough. Coughlin arrived at the final tee on 20 under par. Needing birdie, she pressed and made bogey. She would end in a tie with Henseleit and Miyu Yamashita for third post. After reaching 21 under to match Lindblad, Iwai posted bogey at the last and fell to solo second. With the win, Lindblad joined the illustrious group of first-time LPGA champions.

DP World Tour @ China Open: WuChat comes back in Shanghai

While Eugenio Chacarra looked to win for the second time in a month, China’s hopes rested on a trio of its finest, young golfers. Haotong Li, Zechen Dou, and Wenyi Ding all range from 20 to 29 years of age, and each held the promise of a powerful nation, on the rise in the world of golf. By Sunday’s end, a native son had won the 2025 edition of the national open championship, but it was none of the aforementioned three.

Instead of rising in the moment, Li, Dou, and Ding each had trouble over the path of the final 18 holes. Another shining light, from a half generation older, found his way to the top step of the ladder. Ashun Wu, all of 39 years old, posted a seven-under par round of 65 on day four. He climbed from eighth place to the winner’s parking space, hoisting the Chinese Open title for the second time. Nearly ten years to the day since he won the same event for a first DP World Tour title, Wu came home in 31 strokes to ease past Jordan Smith of England, winning by one shot.

Haotong Li needed an eagle-eagle finish to catch Wu, and he nearly pulled it off. Li spanked a fairway metal onto the green of the par-four 17th hole, then holed the putt for a two. On 18, his approach nearly found the green, before descending into a pond fronting the green. Li finished three shots back of the winner.

Korn Ferry Tour: Shipley wins big in overtime

In 2023, Neal Shipley rose to the top of the amateur golf world. He found his way to the final of the US Amateur championship. Although he was unable to topple the top-ranked Nick Dunlap, Shipley gained spots in the subsequent Masters and US Open tournaments. He made the cut in each, finishing as a two-time, low amateur, before turning professional.

As of today, Shipley is a winner in the professional ranks. He summitted the Suncoast Classic field at Lakewood National, finishing in a tie for first at 18-under par. KFT verteran Hank Lebioda nearly caught Shipley and Seungtaek Lee, posting 17-under par for solo third place. Shipley and Lee returned to the 18th tee, where Shipley missed the green and could not get up and down for par. Normally, matters would have concluded there, but Lee took three putts on the green, matching Shipley’s bogey. Six more pars from the duo brought them back to the tee for a fifth time in extra holes.

With the calm of a veteran, Shipley banged a thirty-feet putt up to, then in, the hole. Lee was unable to match and Shipley took a step toward earning a PGA Tour card.

“I mean, the kid’s got it.”

Neal Shipley’s caddie expects big things the rest of the season. pic.twitter.com/T086q4mPCP

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) April 20, 2025

PGA Tour @ Puntacana Championship: Move along, please

With competitive golf comes the potential for crushing defeat. It was that way for Joel Dahmen in the second PGA Tour event of the weekend. None of the leaders on Sunday did much of anything. None of them broke par, allowing Alejandro Tosti to creep eleven spots into a tie for 2nd, with a round of 68. Dahmen stood even par for the day, on the 13th tee. The wheels, as they say, simply came off. Dahmen took three putts on the green for bogey, then proceeded to close the week with consecutive bogeys from 16 through 18.

At 16, Dahmen missed the green from the fairway. At 17, he again erred on his approach, and did so again at the last. The result was a spot in the second-place quintet, one shot back of Garrick Higgo, a young South African itinerant golfer. Higgo did half of what Dahmen did. He made bogey at 13 and 17, but saved par the rest of the way. Higgo had previously won on the PGA Tour in 2021 at the Palmetto Classic. He was able to survive a battle of the fittest, edging out Tosti, Dahmen, Keith Mitchell, Jeremy Paul, and Michael Thorbjornsen by a single shot.

The thrill of victory ?

The moment Garrick Higgo became a champion once again. pic.twitter.com/Kp5yo57BEX

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 20, 2025

Tour Photo Galleries

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

Published

7 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