Tour News
Live from the Shriners Open: 4 Reasons why it may be Koepka’s week
GolfWRX’s photographer was live this week from the Shriners Hospitals for Children’s Open, just outside Las Vegas at TPC Summerlin, and I’m here covering the event live, as well.
Related: Photos from the Shriners Open
The field this week is unexpectedly super-sized after a mix-up between the PGA Tour and the tournament hosts, resulting in a 144-player field rather than 132. The smaller number had been requested because of the Shriner’s unusual November dates, pushed back from October on account of schedule complications in this Olympics year. Among those taking advantage of the 12 extra slots was fist-round leader Rod Pampling, who opened with a course-record 60 on Thursday. But after following Brooks Koepka’s group for the majority of the day on Thursday, I like his chances despite a 2-stroke deficit. Below are 4 reasons why.
1) Birdie Fest
Brooks Koepka opened with nine birdies on Thursday, leading to a 9-under 62. Koepka was tied for second at mid-day, as both he and John Huh were two back of Rod Pampling’s course-record 60 performance.
Koepka looked in absolute control for most of his round; he hit 10 of 14 fairways, 15 of 18 greens and was T3 in strokes-gained putting (3.057). And his awesomely athletic ball-striking? Yep, it definitely was that — awesome.
It wasn’t only those of us outside the ropes who were impressed, either. Playing partner Billy Horschel was moved to tease Koepka on the latter’s choice of 8-iron to fly it over the pin to the back fringe on the 197-yard par-3 fifth. Eight-iron! 197!
2) Saving Pars
Perhaps the most telling sign of just how dialed-in the world No. 22-ranked golfer is this week were the pair of scrambling pars he saved to keep his card bogey-free.
The first came at what was Koepka’s sixth hole — the course’s 15th — a driveable par-4. His pin-high tee shot strayed left, and rattled around a sloping patch of desert waste ground. When his ball finally came to rest, Koepka had his work cut out. Between him and the pin were a tree-topped grass mound, and a sand trap on the mound’s far slope. There appeared to be green to work with, but apparently not enough room for the shot to get airborne.
So Koepka lined up his second shot off toward his left, away from the pin, but also safely away from tree and trap, in the direction of the broad, back expanse of green. Turned out, however, that the real problem must have been the lie, because Koepka managed only a kind of dusty chunk that made it barely a couple of yards onto the edge of the green, on that indirect line he’d adopted. From there, Koepka chipped across the sloping green to the far fringe, 12 or so feet from the cup.
And drained it.
3) Saving More Pars
Koepka’s second scrambling par came on the sixth. Another perfect drive left only a wedge or short iron to the green from the center of the fairway. But here, too, Koepka strayed left, heading toward cart path and more scrub. Luckily, though, the errant ball clanged off a tall camera pole in the rough and shot back into the fairway, finishing some 40 yards from the stick. A short pitch rolled out to 20-25 feet, and from there Koepka stroked another dead-center one-putt.
That’s how you keep momentum going in a round.
4) Practice Sessions Paying Off
I was struck, earlier this week, by the hours of intensely focused practice Koepka put in on the range on Tuesday. After his sparkling Thursday round, he pointed to that work.
“Took Monday off, just kind of relaxed, took it easy, and then Tuesday got back to work,” he told the media. “Put in a good session, about five or six hours on the range, and it showed today.”
Indeed it did. And if it keeps showing, I for one wouldn’t bet against there being a Vegas payoff for Brooks Koepka come Sunday afternoon.
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 PGA Championship
GolfWRX is on site this week at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, for the PGA Championship.
While we see fewer equipment changes and new gear seeding at major championships, we get a look at custom gear and looks into the bags of players we rarely see, which is just as exciting. In the case of the PGA Championship, this means a look at the gear some of the PGA Professionals who qualified for the tournament will be gaming, and LIV players, such as Jon Rahm and Patrick Reed.
Check out links to all our albums from Valhalla below and check back throughout the week as we continue to update.
General Albums
WITB Albums
- Michael Block – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Patrick Reed – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Cam Smith – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Brooks Koepka – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Josh Speight – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Takumi Kanaya – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Kyle Mendoza – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Adrian Meronk – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jordan Smith – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jeremy Wells – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jared Jones – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- John Somers – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Larkin Gross – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Tracy Phillips – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jon Rahm – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Keita Nakajima – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Kazuma Kobori – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- David Puig – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Ryan Van Velzen – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Brad Marek – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Chris Gotterup – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Rich Beem WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Phil Mickelson – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Matt Dobyns – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Lucas Herbert – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Jason Dufner – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- John Daly – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Taylor Gooch – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Dean Burmester – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Joaquin Niemann – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
- Dustin Johnson – WITB – 2024 PGA Championship
Pullout Albums
- Ping putter covers – 2024 PGA Championship
- Bettinardi covers – 2024 PGA Championship
- Cameron putter covers – 2024 PGA Championship
- Max Homa – Titleist 2 wood – 2024 PGA Championship
- Scotty Cameron experimental putter shaft by UST – 2024 PGA Championship
- Joaquin Niemann – new Ping putter – 2024 PGA Championship
- Brooks Koepka’s new Cameron putter – 2024 PGA Championship
- Rickie Fowler’s Cobra bag and Aerojet driver – 2024 PGA Championship
- Super Stroke grip – 2024 PGA Championship
- Tiger Woods – 2024 PGA Championship
- Michael Block’s new TaylorMade “Proto” 7-iron, from address – 2024 PGA Championship
- Odyssey putter covers – 2024 PGA Championship
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News
Photos from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
GolfWRX is live this week at the Wells Fargo Championship as a field of the world’s best golfers descend upon Charlotte, North Carolina, hoping to tame the beast that is Quail Hollow Club in this Signature Event — only Scottie Scheffler, who is home awaiting the birth of his first child, is absent.
From the grounds at Quail Hollow, we have our usual assortment of general galleries and WITBs — including a look at left-hander Akshay Bhatia’s setup. Among the pullout albums, we have a look inside Cobra’s impressive new tour truck for you to check out. Also featured is a special look at Quail Hollow king, Rory McIlroy.
Be sure to check back throughout the week as we add more galleries.
General Albums
- 2024 Wells Fargo Championship – Monday #1
- 2024 Wells Fargo Championship – Tuesday #1
- 2024 Wells Fargo Championship – Tuesday #2
WITB Albums
- Akshay Bhatia – WITB – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Matthieu Pavon – WITB – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Keegan Bradley – WITB – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Webb Simpson – WITB – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Emiliano Grillo – WITB – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Taylor Pendrith – WITB – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Kevin Tway – WITB – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
Pullout Albums
- New Cobra equipment truck – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Rory McIlroy – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- New Cobra equipment truck – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Eric Cole’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Custom Cameron putter – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Matt Kuchar’s custom Bettinardi – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Justin Thomas – driver change – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Rickie Fowler – putter change – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Rickie Fowler’s new custom Odyssey Jailbird 380 putter – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Tommy Fleetwood testing a TaylorMade Spider Tour X (with custom neck) – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- Cobra Darkspeed Volition driver – 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
See what GolfWRXers are saying about our Wells Fargo Championship photos in the forums.
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
GolfWRX is on site this week in McKinney, Texas, at the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson (FKA the AT&T Byron Nelson).
Last year at TPC Craig Ranch, Jason Day ended a five-year winless streak. J-Day is in the field again, as are Jordan Spieth, Tom Kim, and Will Zalatoris.
We have our usual assortment of general galleries, WITBs, and pullout albums for your perusal. As always, we’ll continue to add links to additional albums as they make their way to us from the Lone Star State.
Check out links to all our photos below.
General Albums
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Monday #1
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Monday #2
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #1
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #2
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Pierceson Coody – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Kris Kim – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- David Nyfjall – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Adrien Dumont de Chassart – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Jarred Jetter – North Texas PGA Section Champ – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Richy Werenski – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Wesley Bryan – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Parker Coody – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Peter Kuest – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Blaine Hale, Jr. – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Kelly Kraft – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Rico Hoey – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Pullout Albums
- Adam Scott’s 2 new custom L.A.B. Golf putters – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Scotty Cameron putters – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Ben Griffin playing Maxfli golf ball
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
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