News

Five things we learned on Day 2 of the 2017 Masters

Published

9 years ago

Apr 7, 2017

Funny how golf is. The world No. 1 withdraws from the 81st playing of the Masters with a freak injury, and the tournament shapes up to be the best in a good while after 36 holes. Top golfers are in the mix, new faces stake a claim, and even a pair of amateurs stick around for the weekend. We learned five more things on Friday and we’d love to share them with you.

Bounce-back Friday followed Throwback Thursday

After the emotional farewell to Arnold Palmer on Thursday, Friday etched itself in memory as the day of the bounceback. Thomas Pieters bounced back from his dreadful back nine in Round 1 with a stellar 67 to share the halfway lead with three others. Jon Rahm doubled the 10th, then followed it with the first birdie of the day on the difficult 11th. And even Sergio Garcia, he of the eternal heartbreak, came back after making a silly 6 on the par-five 13th with birdies at Nos. 15 and 17 to join Pieters, Rickie Fowler and first-round leader Charley Hoffman atop the field at 4-under par.

Watch @TheSergioGarcia's second round in under three minutes. #themasters pic.twitter.com/1zkXVJqwzK

— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 7, 2017

Get used to the term “Ageless Wonder” at Augusta National

With no disrespect to Tom Watson’s run at the Open Championship in 2009 at Turnberry when he was 59 year old, Augusta National is where old dreams die hard. In 2016, Bernhard Langer made at run at his third Green Jacket at the age of 58. This year, the resurgent Fred Couples, on the 25th anniversary of his Masters victory, finds himself at 1-under, again in the mix. Will he win? Who knows and who cares! He’s Freddie, he’s ageless and the legacy of Bobby Jones continues to celebrate the wily veteran, despite all efforts to toughen the course each year.

Watch Fred Couples almost hole out from 171 yards on No. 18. #themasters pic.twitter.com/E0HCs6lWPj

— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 7, 2017

Adding to their wardrobe

Couples is the only Masters champion currently in the top-9, but on his heels circles a venue of vultures waiting for the proper moment to prey. Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth and Phil Mickelson are at even par, Charl Schwartzel at 2-over and … wait, that’s it? Looks like 2017 might be a year for another first-time winner. Augusta rarely recognizes three consecutive rookie winners. It happened from 2007-2009, but since then, your Lefty’s and your Bubba’s stopped back for seconds and thirds.

Watch @BrandenGrace hole out from 95 yards for the first eagle on No. 15. #themasters pic.twitter.com/97RrRzmWwB

— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 7, 2017

How ’bout them amateurs?

Five began play on Thursday and 40 percent are still around. The U.S. Amateur champion (and Asia-Pacific boss) Curtis Luck sneaked in at 6-over, right on the cut line. Luck bogeyed Nos. 16 and 18 on Day 2, but had enough in the tank to limp across the semi-finish line. Joining him is the curse-breaker, the first USGA Mid-Amateur champion to survive the 36-hole challenge along Rae’s Creek. Stewart Hagestad made it his business to learn the nuances of the National; he even quit his job to focus on amateur golf, which led him here. Hagestad toured the 36 holes in 3-over, closing with a stylish birdie on No. 18 to open a three-stroke advantage in the race for the low amateur medal.

Masters 2017: Curtis Luck | 15th Hole, Round 2 pic.twitter.com/MDGOsKRzWU

— Masters Highlights (@MastersMoments) April 7, 2017

Who won’t stick around?

Heartbreaker award to Billy Hurley III, who teed off on No. 18 at 5-over, one stroke inside the cut line, and holed out at 7-over; a double-bogey at the last to miss by one. Joining him on the couch is defending champion Danny Willett, who opened Round 2 with a Jordan-esque quadruple bogey and never really recovered. He, too, missed by one.

Top story: El #Golf es Humano @MastersMoments: ‘Masters 2017: Danny Willett | 1… pic.twitter.com/n75tGN3tkO, see more https://t.co/eIyKe8MPzM

— El golf es humano (@ElGolfesHumano) April 7, 2017

European Ryder Cuppers Rafael Cabrera-Bello and Henrik Stenson have also packed their bags, as neither was able to find comfort over the sloping, speedy greens. Three U.S. Ryder Cuppers (Zach Johnson, Patrick Reed and assistant captain Bubba Watson) will also watch the weekend’s events from behind the ropes.

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

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