News

A disastrous morning leaves U.S. Ryder Cup team down 8-4

Published

8 years ago

Sep 29, 2018

The United States team needed a strong morning showing in fourballs on Saturday, trailing 5-3 after Friday at the 2018 Ryder Cup. It didn’t happen. On the contrary, the U.S. team dug itself a deeper hole, falling to a 8-4 deficit.

Here’s how the matches went…

Sergio/Rory vs. Finau/Koepka

Sergio Garcia, who was a questionable captain’s pick coming into the event, has proven to still be a worthy Ryder Cup competitor picking up 2 points in the two matches he’s played in. The U.S. team, down 4 holes with 5 to play, was mounting a comeback winning three straight holes, but Sergio rolled in the dagger on 17.

Sergio hits a CLUTCH putt to win the match over Koepka/Finau. ????#RyderCup #TeamEurope pic.twitter.com/0bJk1w32d2

— PGA of America (@PGA) September 29, 2018

Although inconsistent throughout the match, Rory poured in four birdies of his own following a birdie-less Friday fourballs performance. In all, the Sergio/Rory pairing was 7-under through 17 holes of play.

Casey/Hatton vs. DJ/Rickie

DJ and Rickie were both essentially in their pocket on the first hole after Rickie hit his drive in the water and hit a terrible approach shot, and DJ hit his second shot in the water. A bounce-back birdie by Rickie on the second hole moved the match to all-square, but that was about the highlight for them in this match. Casey made 5 birdies in the first six holes, and the Casey-Hatton duo was 9-under as a team through 16 holes… that’s simply tough to beat.

Fleetwood/Molinari vs. Woods/Reed

Furyk decided to go back to the Reed-Tiger well on Saturday after the pairing lost their fourballs match to the same opponents yesterday. It did not go well. An uninspired Tiger and a flailing Reed both struggled to hit fairways, and thus, greens. Reed hit his tee ball in multiple hazards off the tee, hit one O.B. on 7, and he didn’t hit his first green in regulation until the 8th hole. This about sums it up:

I’m sure I’m missing something, but I just don’t recall anyone EVER playing as poorly as Patrick Reed just did in that Ryder Cup match with Tiger Woods. It was unspeakably awful.

— Jay Coffin (@JayCoffinGC) September 29, 2018

And this haymaker…

Captain America must have no passport! No sights of him in Paris! #rydercup @RyderCupEurope @EuropeanTour

— Edoardo Molinari (@DodoMolinari) September 29, 2018

Tiger didn’t play much better, low-lighted by a head-scratching approach shot on 13 with a wedge in his hand that found the water in a crucial moment of the match. Reed made a clutch 10-foot birdie putt to halve the 9th hole, and Tiger won two holes with birdies, but the match was awfully lopsided toward the Europeans, who played the 15 holes in 6-under.

Here was the one highlight from Tiger:

???? pic.twitter.com/RgMg3Fg7MI

— GolfWRX (@GolfWRX) September 29, 2018

Poulter/Rahm vs. Spieth/JT

This was the match of the morning by far. JT/Spieth jumped to an early 1 up lead ala Spieth’s long birdie putt on hole No. 2, but Rahm/Poulter moved to 1 up through 7. The U.S. then won 3 of the next 5 holes, but lost the 13th hole to a Rahm birdie.

Poulter, who expectedly holed a number of crucial putts, was chest-pounding all over the course.

It’s not a true European blow out until Ian Poulter is chest pounding all over the green pic.twitter.com/pjLTgey9bB

— GolfWRX (@GolfWRX) September 29, 2018

JT wasn’t holding back his own emotional celebrations in the closing holes. While Spieth mostly carried the team early with his flatstick, JT caught fire down the stretch holing a number of big putts, and birdie-ing 4 of the last 6 holes in the match. Here was the winning putt/reaction.

JT with the walk-off birdie to defeat Team Europe! ????????#RyderCup #GoUSA pic.twitter.com/kK2gPXycxv

— PGA of America (@PGA) September 29, 2018

So the United States team heads into the afternoon alternate shot matches down 8-4. Here are the pairings (with a highly questionable lack of adjustment by Captain Furyk following the Friday afternoon sweep, using mostly the same pairings aside from giving Tiger the nod to play with Bryson instead of Phil).

See what GolfWRX Members are saying about the Ryder Cup here.

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

Published

6 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!

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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.

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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