News

Is Tiger back?

Published

14 years ago

Feb 8, 2012

As Tiger Woods joins the PGA Tour for the first time in 2012 at the AT&T National at Pebble Beach this week, the speculation is coming fast and furious about how he will perform this year.

There are plenty of variables to consider, enough to fill a classroom blackboard. There’s the new swing, the new coach, the new caddy, the reconstructed (and destined to be replaced) knee. Usually gazing into a crystal ball is associated with seeing the future clearly; with Woods, it’s more like looking through a kaleidoscope and trying to choose from dozens of possible outcomes.

But the key factor is his mental state. Former Washington Redskins tight end and current broadcaster Rick “Doc” Walker played with and against some of the best players of all time. I asked him if his list of the best players he ever saw and the toughest players that he ever saw had any overlap.

“It’s virtually the same list,” he said. “The best players are almost always the toughest players.”

Walker believes that a tolerance for pain is essential for greatness in that sport. When that tolerance is diminished, you are no longer great.

For golfers, pain is seldom the obstacle that must be overcome. The great equalizer is nervousness, debilitating fear of what might happen. Some players simply hover at a performance level that never really brings them into the withering spotlight of major championship competition. Other golfers can overcome it for a round or two. But the greats thrived in the situations that turned their opponents’ knees to jelly.

There is a limit to how long this emotional cartilage can last. Bobby Jones quit in his prime because he couldn’t stand the nervousness anymore. Ditto Byron Nelson who reportedly said “got tired of throwing up every Saturday night”. Hogan and Snead were reduced from titans to mortals by the nerves that eventually robbed them of the ability to putt. When the ability to handle pressure changes, the golfer changes with it; it just remains to be seen how profound and how persistent the changes will be.

For the better part of 12 years, Woods built an internal castle of strength, resolve and confidence. From the rooftops of this mental fortress he rained down destruction and domination on his peers, amassing a record of success rivaled by only a few hallowed names in the history of the game. And in the 2008 U.S. Open, Woods won an 18-hole playoff while hobbling on a broken leg. That performance, along with Ben Hogan’s 1950 U.S. Open playoff win with his body still healing from a near fatal car crash, is proof positive that golfers are athletes.

No competition or competitor brought Woods down; ironically, the gates were opened by Tiger himself and the angry mob did not delay in storming the castle. The scathing criticism from the media, sponsors and the public created gaping cracks in Woods’ confidence. We saw Superman exposed to Kryptonite, and to most it was not a pretty sight.

Over the last two years, Woods has pieced his life and his game back together. He seems calmer and more content with being a father rather than an athletic icon. All of these were good and necessary things in the growth of the man. But the mental realignment that came with the public humiliation and private rehabilitation seems to have left a cottage where the castle used to stand. Sure, Tiger has three straight top-3 appearances. The swing that he has adopted under the tutelage of Sean Foley seems to be close to what they were envisioning in terms of ball-striking results. And while Tiger is nowhere near the longest player on the Tour, he and Foley seem to be developing a swing and a strategy that will produce a more controlled game and a controlled result. In fact, even Tiger’s on-course demeanor has been tweaked to limit out of bounds behavior in the same way that the swing has been modified to produce fewer out of bounds drives. But the spectacle of the greatest frontrunner in the history of the game losing to his playing partner on Sunday on multiple occasions gives one pause. The question arises: is Tiger’s current mindset one that makes him more stabile off of the course but less stabile on it? The difference between a mentality that produces Saturday leads and one that produces Sunday winners can be summed up in two names: Greg Norman and Tiger Woods.

All of the adjustments, combined with his legendary work ethic, will likely bring Tiger back to being one of the best players in the world. But if he is going to resume his place as one of the best players that has ever lived, he must have some form of the same fire and ice that got him there the first time. Woods is stepping into a familiar course this week that his been the scene of some of his greatest glory.

But with his game slightly diminished and a generation of young stars that have no institutional fear of him, it is also a brave new world for Tiger in 2012. Woods has never been content with simply competing. His interest lies only in winning, especially on the biggest stages. Starting with Pebble Beach, the world will be looking to see if Tiger is back. If he isn’t, will the world be satisfied with a mere Eldrick? More intriguingly, will he?

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

Published

1 day ago

Jun 1, 2026

Ben A

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

2 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