News

Tour Rundown: Kentucky kollision, Fox triumphs, Korda Slam

Published

7 years ago

Feb 18, 2019

Just as the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale is a once-a-year phenomenon, so too, is the World Super 6 Perth, a hybrid medal/match/pool play event on the European and Australasian tours. Unlike the stadium hole, we ought to see more Super 6 events across the globe. Here’s hoping that someone will import the format to the USA, Canada and continental Europe. Oh, the places we’d go! Lots of action to run down, from Australia to Los Angeles, and points in between. Buckle up, gear down, and enjoy the ride!

Kentucky Kollision at Genesis Open brings honors to Holmes

Sometimes golf fans anticipate that the tour can be all buttercups and cupcakes for the chosen greats. Justin Thomas would like the court to hear his testimony: it ain’t. After going over par on just four of his first 54 holes, Thomas made five bogeys and one double over the final 18 holes on Sunday. Paired with a long day (completion of round three in the morning) and feisty winds through Riviera’s canyon, the younger scion of the Bluegrass state finished runner-up to his elder, now five-time PGA tour champion JB Holmes.

The winner did nothing spectacular on day four, but he did make up five strokes on the 54-hole leader with a 1-under final round. Spectacular was Si Woo Kim’s 5 under, the low final 18. That brought him to solo third. For Holmes, the Genesis trophy was his first in four years, a much-needed affirmation of his ability. For Thomas, a reminder that a winning career on tour will bring as much heartache as happiness.

Sometimes all it takes is a combination of luck and skill, as Holmes showed earlier in the week.

Every shot matters.@JBHolmesGolf won the @GenesisOpen by 1 stroke.#MustSeeMoments pic.twitter.com/wtXsULHfJ9

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 18, 2019

Perth Super 6 is Fox’s first European Tour triumph

It’s hard to imagine which is more enchanting, the format or the golf. After three rounds of stroke play, 8 golfers are seeded into the 2nd round. 16 others move into the first round, for the right to battle those elite 8. From there, it goes 16>8>4>2>Champion. Why does every other, match-play event avoid something this thrilling? Fans get to see all the golfers for three days, then witness some mighty, head-to-head tilts the rest of the way. What seals the deal is the brevity of it all: each match is slated for 6 holes (hence, the name of the event) unless tied. In other words, you need to get after it early and hard, or you might go home, 4 holes in.

Ryan Fox is a long hitter from New Zealand. That almost counts as a home-island hero, but not quite. Fox danced with victory on numerous occasions prior to this week in Perth, but never came away with a hand on the trophy. His closest dalliance with the 2018 Irish Open, where he lost in a playoff to Russell Knox. After qualifying 8th this week on 8-under, the Kiwi dispatched Jazz Janewattananond, Kristoffer Reitan, Paul Dunne and (in the final) Adrian Otaegui. For those of you counting, that’s Thailand, Norway, Ireland and Spain. For Otaegui, Perth was a chance to make history, as his first 3 Euro Tour victories would all have been at match play. The Basque will have to wait until later this season for that opportunity, when the tour returns to Belgium for the Knockout event he won in 2018.

In the championship tilt, it was over before it began. The first 3 hole saw 2 bogeys from Otaegui and 2 birdies from Fox. This new math added to a 3-up lead with 3 to play. Par at the 4th closed the door on Otaegui and delivered the victory to Fox.

Ryan Fox is on fire ????

3 up, 3 to play. pic.twitter.com/7s8zWVkWZ1

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) February 17, 2019

Korda adds Australian Open to family album

Caution: if all that you watch from the Australian Open are the Nelly Korda highlights below, you’ll come away with these notions-long putts made are frequent; approach shots are easy to hit; and only the rough can grab your club head.

The 20-year old American golfer did all of these things on Sunday in Grange, and they merged to afford her a 2-shot win over Jin Young Ko. Jin did her best to chase Korda down, firing 8-under 64 on day four 4. For Korda, it may have been in the kards. Her sister, brother, and father had all won major golfing and tennis tournaments down under, so it was only a matter of time before little sis joined them.

Ironically, it almost wasn’t! Korda’s first three holes of the week were all bogeys, and she was staring a missed cut and a long flight home, squarely in the eyes. She made six birdies against two bogeys the rest of the way to finish under par on the day. The birdies returned each day (8, 7 and 7) but the bogeys reduced to two each day. If you followed Korda beyond the highlights, you saw very few pars. After gaining her first tour win last October, Korda wasted little time in getting the second on the shelf. Predictions on the third, anyone?

.@NellyKorda fired a final round 5-under 67 to win @WomensAusOpen by 2.

Watch her final round highlights ==> pic.twitter.com/paaJf7OgOJ

— LPGA (@LPGA) February 17, 2019

LECOM Suncoast to Hubbard by a pair of shots

One of the exciting elements of the early part of the Web.Com Tour season, is the instant rise in The 25 that a victory brings. The 25 is the season-long chase for a PGA Tour card. Getting there is challenging; remaining amid the elite quarter-century is excruciating. Mark Hubbard jumped from 78th to 4th this week, thanks to a two-shot win over Maverick McNealy in west Florida. The LECOM Suncoast was a true western shoot-out. If you posted 4 under, you went home. 139 made the cut, and the leaders fired mid- and low-60s, all week long. Average 67 on the week? You got fifth place by yourself (five for you, J.T. Griffin!) It took 262, an unthinkable 65.5 each day, to claim victory.

Hubbard made 28 birdies and one eagle on the week. That 30-under sequence offset the handful of bogeys he was forced to etch into scorecards. His bogey at the penultimate hole made things interesting. McNealy, a heralded golfer in his amateur days, opened the week with 29 over his first 9 holes. He had 128 after two rounds for the lead, but the weekend wrote a different story. On that 71st hole, where Hubbard bogeyed, McNealy had a chance to tie with a birdie. Alas, he also made bogey at the par three. One shot clear of the third-place tie, McNealy bounded up the list to seventh in pursuit of his big-tour card. For the guy with the best Twitter handle (@homelesshubbs) on tour, victory was as sweet as a big hug from mom.

Focus and determination. ????

Mark Hubbard (@HomelessHubbs) leads the LECOM Suncoast Classic by four shots.

14 holes to play. #WebTour pic.twitter.com/3KonSfDB80

— Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) February 17, 2019

Chubb Classic in hands of the most interesting man, errr, the Spafro, errr, Jimenez

You tell us the bigger story: that the tour bon vivant jumped up 14 places on Sunday to victory, or that Bernhard Langer failed to win the tournament! Miguel Angel Jimenez and the Langer had met before, down the stretch and in playoffs, and the result was sadly predictable. On this day, the pair were joined by Olin Browne at 13-under par, but the playoff was brief. Didn’t even take fireworks! Jimenez made a routine par on the 18th, while both Browne and Langer scored bogey. Just like that, the Spaniard had his seventh tour victory.

It might be the start of something bigger. Last July, the Iberian held Langer off at the Senior British Open by one shot. Has he discovered the secret to keeping Langer from matching Hale Irwin’s total of 45 senior titles? Perhaps, but Langer won’t rest until he hits 50. For today, Miguel Angel, the wine and cigar are yours. For Browne, the taste was sour. He made double-bogey at the last, including a chili-dip chunk of a pitch, to give away certain victory.

JIMENEZ WINS! @majimenez1964 pars the playoff to defeat Browne and Langer. @ChubbClassic pic.twitter.com/SxQ8kjCT6T

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) February 17, 2019

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

Published

2 days 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

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