News

2016 Masters Rd. 1: Spieth leads again, Day stumbles late

Published

10 years ago

Apr 7, 2016

Jordan Spieth might be forgiven for making people think they had called up the 2015 Masters on their DVR. The defending champion posted three birdies on each half of the Augusta National course and evaded bogey’s snare on Day 1 of the 2016 tournament. No other golfer could say the same at the end of the day, and Spieth stands atop the leaderboard on Thursday evening, two shots clear of Danny Lee and Shane Lowry.

Jordan Spieth doing Jordan Spieth things. https://t.co/iHyKFmYHoo

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 7, 2016

More Downs Than Ups

The most uneven round belonged to Rickie Fowler, who appeared to dash hopes with a first-hole double bogey, only to bounce back with three consecutive birdies to get into red figures. The Californian then fully crushed all pre-tournament expectations for a first major title by playing a wretched back nine of 44. Fowler’s implosion included an additional four bogeys, a double and a triple.

Of golfers still in contention, Angel “El Pato” Cabrera went birdie-quad-birdie on the stretch from holes 14-16, somehow finishing at one-over par 73. Scott Piercy was nearly as up and down as Fowler, but found a way to avoid the really big numbers. Piercy had an eagle and three birdies on his day, but gave them all back with three bogeys and a double. Cabrera, Piercy and Fowler, however, avoided the misfortune of being Ernie Els. Els began his day by six-putting the first green for a quintuple-bogey nine. The Big Easy had a par putt from three feet, missed it, then missed four more times before a final stab dropped the ball into the hole.

The Chasers

Behind Lee and Lowry was a host of familiar names, all of whom had successes and failures over the hills of the Augusta National course. The English trio of Paul Casey, Ian Poulter and Justin Rose stood three strokes behind the leader at minus-three. Casey had as many birdies (6) as the leader, but dropped shots on 11, 12 and 17 to finish at 69 on the day. Poulter and Rose matched their countryman’s six birdie-three bogey performance in a bizarre showing of coincidence.

Watch @TheSergioGarcia hit his second shot close for a birdie on No. 14, to move to 1-under par. #themasters https://t.co/sLcXijs95e

— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 7, 2016

Showing signs of rejuvenation and teasing his fans with a run at a first major was Spain’s Sergio Garcia. Competing in his 67th consecutive major championship (tops among active players) Garcia etched four consecutive birdies onto his scorecard to turn a banal performance into an admirable one. The great iron master was flawless from holes 13 through 16 as he moved onto the leaderboard’s first page. El Niño almost gave some back on eighteen with a drive into the woods, but a miraculous recovery from the right-side timber to the home hole’s green surrounds allowed him to sign for his own 69. Also at 69 was Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark, whose son set a standard for post-birdie celebration during the Par Three Contest, that his father has yet to emulate.

The Other Favorites

A hole that normally gives tidings of great joy, the par-5 hole No. 15, was a round-wrecker for some. Jason Day had reached five-under when he hit an off-target wedge to a distant part of the green. He three-putted for bogey, then followed with triple bogey and another bogey on the next two holes to drop to even-par 72 on the day. For Rory McIlroy, it wasn’t 15, but 16 that began the downfall. The world’s No. 3-ranked golfer had pushed his needle to four-under when he found previously-uncharted territory on the green at Redbud. The four-time major winner, just a green jacket away from a career grand slam, three-jacked to give one stroke back, then followed on the last with a bailed approach to a buried lie in a greenside bunker. Unable to get up and down for the par, McIlroy penciled in another bogey for a round of 70.

A day after his record-setting performance in the Par Three Contest, Jimmy Walker embarked on the difficult mission of winning the undercard and the main event in the same year. Walker got to two-under on three separate occasions, but was unable to go deeper, eventually settling for a 71 on the day. As for this year’s hot amateur, Bryson DeChambeau putted like one. The defending U.S. Amateur and NCAA Division 1 champion hit 13 of 18 greens in regulation, but made only one birdie on the day. Kudos to him for exhibiting patience, as his only miscue came on the suddenly stingy 15th hole, where he made bogey for 72.

What’s In Store For Round 2

Will Spieth be able to repeat his first-day magic act with a Friday afternoon tee time? Odds say no, as he will face windblown greens with footprints and other imperfections. Who can bounce back from a first-round triple bogey? If anyone can, it’s world No. 1 Jason Day. The 2015 PGA Champion will have an ideal, morning start time and needs to go into the mid-60s to make Spieth and the other contenders take notice. The same goes for Phil Mickelson, who played around all day in plus figures until he went Garcia on us for a time. Lefty got to one-under on 17, then gave the stroke back at the last to finish even on the day. Our prediction for biggest mover on day two is … Brandt Snedeker. The Nashville native has finished top-10 twice at Augusta and dipped to minus-three on Thursday through nine holes. Standing at minus-one after 18 holes, Snedeker has an ideal, 9:04 tee time, when greens should still be soft from overnight showers.

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

Published

8 hours 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

2026 The Memorial – Monday #1

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

News

Tour Tech Rundown: Heroic Henley

Published

18 hours 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