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Morning 9: Tiger “feeling better” | Slowww playyy | Reed’s golf ball tweak pays | Byrd’s plea

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7 years ago

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By Ben Alberstadt ([email protected]; @benalberstadt on Instagram)

 

August 14, 2019

Good Wednesday morning, golf fans.
1. “Feeling better”
If you saw any of the video of Tiger arriving at Medinah, you saw USA Today’s Steve Dimeglio was basically there to greet him in the players’ parking lot. Who better than DiMeglio to turn to for the present State of the Tiger then? (image above via DiMeglio)
  • “Tiger Woods flew in from Florida on Tuesday and drove into a massive parking lot at 1:20 p.m. local time at Medinah Country Club, home to this week’s BMW Championship, the second of three events in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
  • Now he has to get to the first tee for Thursday’s first round.
  • At 43 and following four surgeries to his back – as well as four to his left knee – Woods has spoken often this summer that some days he feels stiff, other days he feels fine. It’s the day-to-day unknown that leaves his start in the BMW Championship in question, no matter his intent to play.
  • Woods said he decided to try and play in the tournament Tuesday morning.
  • “I feel good,” Woods said as he got out of the courtesy vehicle. “Feel a lot better than I felt last week. Felt good this morning so I thought I’d give it a go.”

Full piece.

2. Reed’s ball change pays dividends
Good stuff from PGATour.com’s Andrew Tursky on Patrick Reed’s projectile switch…”While Reed has switched golf balls multiple times throughout 2019, he had settled into a Titleist Pro V1 “left dot” prototype. Fordie Pitts, Titleist’s Golf Ball R&D rep, once explained to PGATOUR.COM that the TOUR-only, left-dot prototype golf ball spins “a little bit less and aerodynamically it flies a little lower.” For Reed, it was spinning too little and flying too low, thus causing control issues coming into the greens.”
  • “According to Reed, Simpson suggested that Reed switch into a higher-spinning and higher-launching 2017 Pro V1 golf ball, instead of the “left dot” prototype.”
  • “Reed said that Simpson gave him a dozen of the golf balls to use for the weekend at the Wyndham Championship. While Reed didn’t switch on Saturday, he said he put the 2017 Pro V1 golf ball in play on Sunday.”
  • “After sitting in 55th place heading into the final round, Reed shot 7-under using the golf ball on Sunday, vaulting him into a T22 finish.”

Full piece.

3. Shackelford’s slow play take
“Until last weekend’s social media fueled outrage over Bryson DeChambeau taking his sweet time, there have been few seminal moments to point to as evidence that we’ve lost the plot.  Now the sport has one, it’s just a shame that Bryson is the poster child as he’s a good-hearted soul who genuinely loves the game. While spectacularly immodest at times, he’s also incredibly sensitive to the health and perception of the sport more than most professional golfers.”
  • “…the bickering will continue, ShotLink will be leveraged and pro tours will stall on the most pressing issue in the sport, the real concern should be about fans both in person and watching at home.  I haven’t heard much concern for them, only what would happen to a golf professional’s bank account if we were to penalize them.”
  • “If the professional’s livelihood continues to be the focus, the insular world of professional golf will quickly lose fans for not adapting quickly to the times.”

Full piece.

4. Thanks to video?
The AP’s game story master flexes his editorial muscles in a column on slow play pointing out that if, indeed, we are at some sort of a slow play tipping point, the Tour’s expanded video coverage will have played a key role
  • “…Oddly enough, it was an older form of technology that brought searing attention to a sore subject: a television camera.”
  • “Fans get a Twitter vote on which of two groups they would rather see in streaming coverage, and the winner Friday at The Northern Trust was Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Thomas and Tommy Fleetwood. Without them being seen, there would be no video of DeChambeau taking 2 minutes, 6 seconds on an 8-foot putt.”
5. Staggered scoring coming into focus
Golf Channel’s Will Gray…“The shift from points to starting strokes is beginning to hit home on the eve of the penultimate event, especially for those whose starting total at East Lake could shift by a stroke or two with each birdie or bogey this week at Medinah Country Club. One of the best statistical seasons of Rory McIlroy’s career has him in third place heading into the BMW, a position that would equate to a 7-under starting total next week. If the standings hold, he’d tee off three shots behind Brooks Koepka and one shot behind Patrick Reed, a winner last week at the first playoff event.”
  • “I want to be 10 under par standing on that first tee in Atlanta next week,” McIlroy said. “It’s hard enough to win golf tournaments when you’re all starting on a level playing field. But whenever it’s staggered like that, it’s a tough proposition if someone like Brooks Koepka or Patrick Reed or whatever is starting two or three shots ahead of you.
  • “Obviously 72 holes is a lot of golf to play, and things can happen. But I think it all evens out over the course of the week, and to spot guys of that caliber a few shots at the start of the week is pretty tough.”

Full piece. 

6. Rory remembers
Golf Channel’s Will Gray…“McIlroy admitted that he hopes a bit of the “good vibes” from that week will aid him at this week’s 69-man event, where he will tee off behind only Brooks Koepka and last week’s winner, Patrick Reed, in the points race.”
  • “McIlroy’s frantic commute to Medinah seven years ago ended up having ripple effects in his off-course life as well. The car was driven by his future wife, Erica Stoll, who was working the week as part of the transportation team. The two began dating shortly thereafter and got married in 2017.”
  • “”Erica that week was always the one that was checking us in and out. She was there at transportation, so she was always in the car park over there (by the clubhouse),” McIlroy said. “But yeah, it’s still cool to look around and think about that week, and obviously everything that’s happened since then. It’s pretty cool.”

Full piece.

7. Byrd appeals for a kidney for mother
Golf Digest’s Brian Wacker…”Social media can be a powerful tool-see the recent firestorm over slow play and it leading to the PGA Tour saying it will review its pace-of-play policy. On a far more important note, PGA Tour veteran Jonathan Byrd is hoping the power of social media can help his ailing mother.”
  • “The 41-year-old five-time tour winner took to Twitter and Instagram on Monday night seeking an organ donor for his mother, Jo, who is fighting kidney disease.”
See Byrd’s full post here…and FYI the optimal donor would have “O positive or O negative blood”
8. First time in 32 years…
“…Padraig Harrington claims to have gone 32 years before losing his clubs on a flight … Until this week.”
  • “Harrington tweeted Monday was the “first time in 32 years of traveling that [his] clubs failed to arrive on the way to a tournament,” as he was headed to the Czech Masters at Albatross Golf Resort.”
  • “Harrington tweeted…”1st time in 32 years of traveling that my clubs have failed to arrive on the way to a tournament. Strange as it was a direct flight and I checked in 3 hours early. How lucky am I @EuropeanTour”

Full piece.

9. “Idiotic”
An element of all the pace-of-play/slow play talk: green-reading books. Phil Mickelson, for one, doesn’t think they dial back the pace of the game at all.
  • Golfweek’s Bill Spreos…“But the green-reading books have a big-time supporter in five-time major champion Phil Mickelson. A 44-time winner on the PGA Tour, Mickelson carries a bit more course cred than some others when it comes to this issue. Slow play is rarely a concern when Lefty lines up a shot.”
  • “The greens book allows me to do 80% of my read before I even get to the green. For anyone to say they slow up play is flat out idiotic,” Mickelson posted on Twitter in support of a tweet from Rickie Fowler’s caddie.”
  • “Lefty continued in an another post: “Let me add the countless hours and many days it saves me preparing for tournaments throughout the year. The book gives me info on where I can/can’t miss it and still get up and down as well as best approach shot into the green without having to play multiple practice rounds.”

Related Topics:

Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. liam

    Aug 15, 2019 at 9:13 am

    isn’t the simple solution to greens books is to just not allow them on competition days. the players could use them on any practice day and away from the course…as phil seems to love to study them. just don’t use them during a competitive round.

    how tiring is it to see a player stare at their book, then miss a 8 footer, and get the book back our for another look before hitting the 4 foot comeback putt.

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Tour Tech Rundown: Heroic Henley

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3 days ago

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Jun 1, 2026

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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

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

  • Driver: Ping 440 LST
  • Metal: Ping G440 Max at 15 degrees
  • Metal: Ping G425 Max at 21 degrees
  • Hybrid: Ping G430 at 25 degrees
  • Irons: Ping Blueprint S 5 through PW
  • Wedges: Ping S159 at 52, 56, and 60 degrees
  • Putter: Ping PLD Anser

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