News

Tour Rundown: Casey, Pendrith, Walker Cup, and WLD

Published

7 years ago

Sep 9, 2019

How about a mixed bag of tricks for this week’s Tour Rundown? For starters, we watched a European Tour event in Germany, a Canadian event in Montreal, a Walker Cup in England, and a World Long Drive championship in Oklahoma. Football may be back, but GOLF NEVER LEFT! You’ll need a speedy pair of kicks to touch down in all these spots, and we’ve got just the slorps do get the job done.

Casey’s mom has got it going on…at European Open in Germany

It’s just Paul Casey, but, you know, that song thing… Paul Casey showed the young’uns how its done at the European Tour’s European Open in Germany. What started out as a potential coronation for either Bernd Ritthammer (home-country hero) or Robert MacIntyre (media darling of 2019) finished as a reminder of how good Paul Casey can be. Casey tossed 3 birdies on each side at the competition, resulting in no-bogey 66 and a 1-stroke win over Bernd, Bobby, and Mattias Schwab.

In truth, Schwab was never “in it,” as he needed a 72nd-hole eagle to reach 13 deep. Both Ritthammer and MacIntyre arrived at the 18th green on Sunday with putts to tie Casey. MacIntyre was 45 feet below the hole for eagle … and left it short, dead in the jaws. Ritthammer stood 20 feet above the hole for birdie … and left it short, dead in the jaws. As they say, don’t fall in love with the line and forget to hit it. But you can fall in love with Casey’s mom’s son, and his 14th Euro Tour title, first since 2014.

Pendrith angling for the big stage

This writer first saw Taylor Pendrith punish a golf ball at the 2013 Porter Cup. This week, on the Mackenzie PGA Tour Canada, Pendrith put his entire game on display. Pendrith offset his bogies with eagles (4 of the former against 2 soaring birds) on the week, and chipped in 28 birdies over the remaining 68 holes. He began Sunday with a 5-shot cushion, thanks to consecutive 62 in the middle rounds. Sunday wasn’t nearly as explosive, as the Ontario native signed for 67. Playing partner Kyle Mueller knew the odds were long as round 4 began. His 2-under 70 was enough to hold off David Pastore (67 for -19) and secure 2nd place at 20 under par.

The victory moved Pendrith into 2nd spot on the tour’s Order of Merit, heading into next week’s Canada Life Championship in London, Ontario. He needs a little more than $5G differential to overtake leader Paul Barjon. The top 5 members of the Order of Merit receive the coolest promotional item on record: a hockey sweater (not called a jersey up here!) and receive Korn Ferry Tour cards. Hayden Buckley has a $28K lead over Dawson Armstrong for the 5th card, but that $40Large first prize will go a long way toward closing that gap for 6 potential upstarts.

Walker Cup shimmies back to states after Sunday near-sweep

Tyros will look at Sunday’s 8-2 singles dusting of the GB&I squad by Team USA, and consider that set the exigent one of the 2019 matches. In truth, it looks good, but it came about because of Saturday and Sunday mornings. Eschewing four-ball for two braces of foursomes, the strategy backfired on the host country at Hoylake, when Team USA more than held its own in the alternate-shot format. On day one, the colonists tied Team Brexit, 2-2. On day the second, they went a wee bit better, winning 2 and tying 1 for a 2.5-1.5 advantage. Ryder Cup aficionados know exactly how badly the professional team plays, well, team formats. Perhaps they could learn a bit from their amateur counterparts, except for the Sunday pants part.

Brandon Wu and John Smalley each went 3-1 for team USA. Wu and John Pak were the heroes that only history and this writer will remember. On Saturday, as the Brits and Celts were handing the USA its collective sombrero in singles, Wu got out front early, and Pak came through late. Although the Americans lost that round by a total of 3-5, it should have been 1-7. Only John Augenstein, US Amateur runner-up, was in control of his match the entire day. In 2021, the Walker Cup returns to the shores of America, where it will be held in the springtime, due to fabled Seminole’s role as host club. Note to my editor: I plan to be there. Save up for my plane ticket.

Samson wins World Long Drive championship, refuses to cut hair

You can keep your Matthew Wolff; I’ll take a Kyle Berkshire swing, at least this week, anyway. The shifting sands of Berkshire, who rocks forward with a right-foot lift, backward with a left-foot rise, then unleashes a perfect swing, found a way to beat the odds, as the man to beat. He won his 1st-round match on his VERY LAST SWING, having gone 0 for 7, against Tommy Hug. So that you know, it’s not like Hug was 290 off the tee, and Berky needed a hybrid to beat him. Hug ripped it 413, but He of the Flowing Locks annihilated that effort with a 420-plus bomb. Phil, you think you hit bombs? Lefty, por favor. After sneaking past Hug, Berkshire dispatched Texan Mark Costello, then sent England’s Jordan Brooks home with a 423-yard effort. In the finals, Berkshire’s rise to #1 in the world was validated beyond any doubt. He overcame former champion and 2nd seed Tim Burke of Florida, thanks to a 2nd-ball launch of 407 yards.

The women’s bracket featured a bit of an upset. Crowd favorites Troy Mullins and Alexis Belton were sent packing by New Zealand’s Phillis Meti, the world number one, and South Africa’s Chloe Garner. Meti had won the belt 2 of the past 3 years, but Garner connected on a 347-yard rocket to upset the reigning champion.

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