News

Tour Mash: Pat Perez wins his third, Hatton goes back-to-back

Published

9 years ago

Oct 16, 2017

If tournament golf provides a brief respite from the floods and fires that have ravaged much of our world, it has served its purpose. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by these disasters. With that in mind, we offer you this week’s Tour Mash.

PGA Tour: CIMB Classic is Perez’s third career victory

Pat Perez won for the second consecutive fall, this time in Malaysia. The resurgent Perez kept his card in the 60s all four days, reaching 24-under par in the end. His margin of victory was four strokes over countryman Keegan Bradley, and lifted him to second position in the very early stages of the 2018 FedEx Cup chase.

How he won:

The long look is the successful shoulder surgery and bye-Callaway-hello-PXG equipment shift that took place in 2016 and 2017. The short look is the 23 birdies (against 2 bogies) of the first 54 holes. Perez improved more than anyone else over those three days, then opened Sunday with three birdies in his first four holes. Against that type of performance, what can you do? Yep, just clap your hands.

See the clubs Pat Perez used to win the 2017 CIMB Classic

How they didn’t:

Xander Schauffele and Sung Kang might have put pressure on Perez with a low-60s round on day four, but neither one had the juice to pull it off. They finished tied for 3rd at 17-under. Cameron Smith had the best first and fouth rounds in the CIMB Classic (both 64s) but did the opposite of Perez, struggling in rounds 2 and 3. Smith tied for fifth with Hideki Matsuyama, who followed a 63 with a closing 71.

Pat Perez has no intentions of taking his foot off the pedal.

He has a chance to set the 72-hole course record today. pic.twitter.com/zhp4dWeNVG

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 15, 2017

European Tour: Italian Open

No doubt that the home crowd was pulling for back-to-back wins by Francesco Molinari, the 2016 champion. Well, they have their back-to-back winner, but it’s not Molinari. Instead, Tyrrell Hatton, last week’s victor in Scotland, claimed another European Tour title, this time on the 72nd hole.

How he won:

If last week’s win was one of elegance, this week was one of guts. Hatton had virtually nothing going through eleven holes, then came the fireworks. Four consecutive birdies from holes 12-15, then the coupe de grace, the 20-feet putt for another birdie, to reach the magic, 21-under par total. Left as co-runners up were Ross Fisher and Kiradech Aphibarnrat, at 20-under.

How they missed out:

Overnight leader Matt Wallace did nothing wrong through 13 holes, then a wretched bogey at the par-5 14th did him in. He had birdie at the 17th and a fine putt to save par at 18, to collect solo fourth place. Fisher faltered at the last green for the second consecutive week. In Scotland, he had a tiny putt for 60 at the Old Course, but missed. This week, well in advance of the final group, Fisher just missed a putt for 62. Aphibarnrat was the man in charge through 15 holes, until a sloppy double bogey dropped him out of the lead. He rallied with birdie at the next, but could not make three at the last, finding himself even with Fisher.

BACK-TO-BACK!@TyrrellHatton wins the #ItalianOpen pic.twitter.com/6EaAkpExL2

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) October 15, 2017

LPGA Tour: Hana Bank Championship is all about Ko

The golf world met Ko Jin-young in 2015, when she miserably lost a three-shot advantage over the British Open’s final 9 holes, falling into a runner-up position behind Inbee Park. Ko made a bit of amends this week, holding off Sung Hyun Park by two strokes, for her first career LPGA Tour title.

How she won:

Sometimes it’s better to finish strong than start with a flurry. Sunday offered a slow start for Ko, with bogeys on holes 2 and 3. After that, it was pedal to the metal, with six birdies and a 4th-round 68. Ko reached 19-under, out of reach for Park. As important as the birdies was the absence of bogeys over the same stretch.

How they came close:

In contrast to Ko, Park started her round in hyperdrive, with birdies on three of the first five greens. She added another on the 11th and seemed game for a stretch battle with her Korean mate. Bogeys on 14 and 16 did her in, offering the final margin of victory. In Gee Chun made a scant three bogies on the week, half of what the two golfers ahead of her penciled in. Unfortunately for Chun, she was unable to ride the birdie train as long as Park and Ko, and came third at 16-under.

KOR #jinyoungko #EvianChamp @LPGATourTweets @LETgolf #ladieseuropeantour #lpgatour #golf #golfswing pic.twitter.com/7gSVAElLjS

— Pro Golf Swings (@progolfswings_) September 12, 2015

PGA Tour Champions: SAS Championship

“W” is the last letter in “low,” but low is the key to the W, when W means Win. No matter the tour, Sunday is the new moving day most weeks, and the SAS saw everyone move past third-round leaders Phillip Price and Jerry Kelly. So many birdies, so little time! Here goes nothing.

How he won:

Colin Montgomerie has finished runner-up in the season-long Schwab Cup for three consecutive seasons, to the same Bernhard Langer. Monty is a bit behind his previous years’ pace, but never say never to the chipper Scotsman. Montgomerie shined brightest on Sunday at the Prestonwood Country Club outside Raleigh, earning his second victory of 2017. His final round of 64 was low on the day, and enabled him to surge past all challengers.

How they lost:

The Saturday night leader board was tightly packed, with three co-leaders at 136, four more at 137, and four at 138. Vijay Singh’s third-hole double bogey was too much to overcome, despite six birdies and an eagle. Defending champion Doug Garwood has five birdies, an eagle and one bogey on the day, good enough to tie Singh for the runner-up spot. As for Monty’s 36-hole co-leaders, Kelly and Price totaled seven bogeys between them and dropped to sixth and T11, respectively.

When you're on, you're on.

Monty flirts with an albatross on the 17th. He's your leader at the @SASChampionship. pic.twitter.com/AfWVpVOLpf

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) October 15, 2017

Tour Photo Galleries

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

Published

4 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