News

GolfWRX Morning 9: Top pros’ cash flows | Farewell, Johnny | USGA green-reading book Decision details

Published

8 years ago

Oct 16, 2018

1 Johnny Miller to retire

The speculated stepping away of Johnny Miller will come to pass, and a man with a similar brand will sit in his chair.

ESPN’s Bob Harig…”Longtime golf analyst Johnny Miller is set to retire from his lead analyst role at NBC Sports and be replaced by Paul Azinger, a source told ESPN.com.”

“Golfweek first reported the news and Golf Digest confirmed that Miller is stepping down following the Waste Management Phoenix Open in February.”

“It just seemed like a nice round number,’‘ Miller told Golf Digest on Monday. “I’ve been on to 50 years with no break. I had my 24th grandchild yesterday. All my friends were retiring and it got to the point where I was like, ‘Hey, how come I’m not retiring?’ It’s been a great run. I’ve done everything I can do announcing wise.”

2. Limits for green-reading materials set

The review period is over the USGA and R&A’s new interpretation of Rule 4.3 as it pertains to green-reading materials is finalized.

Starting Jan. 1, 2019, the governing bodies have agreed to limit the size and scale of putting green maps. However, one of the most contentious elements of the original proposal, which would have allowed only depictions of slope greater than four percent, isn’t included in the final decision.

Per the official USGA release, yardage books may not include

Any image of a putting green must be limited to a scale of 3/8 inch to 5 yards (1:480) or smaller (the “scale limit”).
Any book or other paper containing a map or image of a putting green must not be larger than 4 ¼ inches x 7 inches (the “size limit”), although a “hole location sheet” that displays nine or more holes on a single sheet of paper may be larger, provided that any image of a single putting green meets the scale limit.
No magnification of putting-green information is allowed other than a player’s normal wearing of prescription glasses or lenses.
Hand-drawn or written information about a putting green is only allowed if contained in a book or paper meeting the size limit and written by the player and/or his or her caddie.

3. Money in, money out

Jessica Marksbury at Golf.com rounded up answers to one of the most intriguing questions regarding pro golf: Beyond prize money, how much are these guys taking in…and paying out? Marksbury spoke with a top agent on the condition of anonymity.

A taste…

His Hat – $250,000-$500,000

“The front of the hat is your No. 1 real estate. On the high end, this deal generally includes other inventory-bag, equipment-as well. If you’re a Top 30 player, you’re definitely making seven figures on this. For a Top 10 guy, you’re looking north of $3 million and getting close to eight figures for the most marketable players in the world. For this deal, a player will be obligated to, on average, commit to giving a company three to four appearance/promotional days per year.”

Full piece.

4. Feinstein wonders whether Tour scores are too low

He writes…“Mark Leishman won the CIMB Classic in Malaysia on Sunday by shooting a seven-under-par 65 for a four-day total of 26-under-par 262. Leishman played superbly, running away to a five-stroke victory. But it is worth noting that he was one of nine players who shot 20 under par or better. In fact, a score of 10 under par was “good” for only a tie for 39th place.”

“This sort of scoring is not atypical on the PGA Tour. The average winning score in 46 individual stroke-play events during the 2017-’18 season was 16.56 under par. Twelve of those events were won with at least 20 under par and 41 were won with a double-digit total. The three-way playoff at the Safeway Open Napa to start the 2018-’19 season was at a mere 14 under. Additionally, the cut line on Fridays is often somewhere under par. Last January at the CareerBuilder Challenge, the 54-hole cut came at eight under par. In other words, if you averaged 69.7 for three rounds on the desert courses, you were home on Sunday.”

“Yes, these guys are good. But are they really that good? Or, has the tour, in its zeal to prove week in and week out how good they are, gone too far with sometimes laughably easy course setups?”

#LiveUnderPar, John.

Fulll piece.

5. A new Ping putter…that’s also a ball retriever…

Ping’s new Sigma2 putter line includes the usual assortments of blades and mallets…one of which is also a ball retriever. Really.

Behold the Sigma2 Fetch (above).

Full line details, here.

6. Hall of Fame or mausoleum?

Eamon Lynch poses the question in an excellent piece looking at the “misguided” World Golf Hall of Fame.

“When the World Golf Hall of Fame announced its “Class of ’19,” the inclusion of Peggy Kirk Bell illustrated much of what’s wrong with that noble but misbegotten institution.”

“It’s not that she isn’t worthy of induction. Quite the opposite: She deserved it years ago. Bell lived 95 years, but the Hall waited until two years after her passing to bestow its grace.

“Thus can an intended honor seem like a clumsy insult. She deserved better.”

“One can debate the merits of those awarded lockers in the Hall before Bell, including administrators, two U.S. presidents, an agent, a few writers and a TV producer. It’s tougher to reconcile her not making it ahead of the 10 men inducted over the last dozen years despite being long dead.”

“Is it a Hall of Fame or a mausoleum?...Tom Weiskopf is 75 years old. Is he too going to be given a crypt in St. Augustine rather than his due as an inductee?”

Full piece

7. Golf ball bandit busted

Golf Digest’s Alex Myers…”Joseph Kolenda, 58, turned himself into police after a search warrant executed at his home in August turned up more than 2,500 golf balls, according to Fairfield Citizen Online. Kolenda is currently out on $10,000 bail, which, ironically, is about the value of the golf balls he’s stolen since 2017.”

‘A police report says Kolenda stole 20,800 golf balls from the Patterson Club in Fairfield. And no, he didn’t just horde them in his home. Kolenda sold the golf balls to a nearby driving range for 73 cents a pop.”

“Kolenda, who is expected to appear in court on Oct. 23, was caught when a Patterson Club member saw golf balls with the club’s logo on them at the driving range. And after a detective investigated by buying a bucket of balls at the range – sounds like a fun assignment – it was easy to obtain where the range had purchased the balls.’

“Kolenda was also charged with stealing golf balls in two other Connecticut areas (Stamford and Brookfield) as far back as 2001. So yeah, we weren’t kidding about the whole serial golf thief thing.”

8. Trial date set for suspected Barquin-Arozamena killer

Golf Digest’s Joel Beall…”The trial for the man charged with killing amateur golfer Celia Barquin Arozamena last month in Iowa has been scheduled for Jan. 15, District Judge Bethany Currie ruled on Monday.”

“Collin Richards, a 22-year-old drifter who investigators say attacked the reigning European Ladies Amateur champ while she played a round at Coldwater Links Golf Course in Ames, Iowa, on Sept. 17, entered a written plea of not guilty on Monday morning and waived his right to a speedy trial. He is charged with first-degree murder.”

9. Woods-Mickelson a ripoff?

Golf Channel’s Randall Mell isn’t exactly looking ahead to the Thanksgiving showdown with any great expectations…

“Usually, you have to buy something before you feel like you were ripped off…The wonder in the marketing of Tiger vs. Phil and “The Match” is how it is making so many people feel as if they are getting ripped off before they’ve shelled out a single penny for the product.”

“Phil Mickelson gets credit for this miscue…Apparently, the smartest guy in the room isn’t the smartest marketing guy.”

“He was a little bit like that telemarketer who teases you into thinking you’ve won a free weekend getaway, only to lead you into the discovery that there’s a shady catch, with fine print and a price tag…There was something as slippery as snake oil in the original pitch.”

His full rant.

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

Published

21 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

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

News

Tour Tech Rundown: Heroic Henley

Published

1 day 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