News

Morning 9: Spieth still searching | TW the eternal box office draw? | Senior LPGA fiasco

Published

7 years ago

Oct 16, 2019

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt

Email me at [email protected] and find me at @benalberstadt on Instagram and golfwrxEIC on Twitter.

October 16, 2019

Good Wednesday morning, golf fans.

1. Tiger’s memoir

Our Gianni Magliocco on Tiger Woods’ forthcoming (and cleverly-titled) autobiographical effort…

“Back” will be the first-ever memoir authored by Tiger Woods, and according to a statement published on the 15-time-major champion’s website, the memoir is “a candid and intimate narrative of an outsize American life.”

“The first and only account directly from Woods, with the full cooperation of his friends, family, and inner circle, “Back” covers Woods’ life from his growing up a celebrated golf prodigy through to his stunning 2019 Masters victory.”

“Speaking on the upcoming release of his memoir, Woods stated… “I’ve been in the spotlight for a long time, and because of that, there have been books and articles and TV shows about me, most filled with errors, speculative and wrong. This book is my definitive story.”

“It’s in my words and expresses my thoughts. It describes how I feel and what’s happened in my life. I’ve been working at it steadily, and I’m looking forward to continuing the process and creating a book that people will want to read.”

Full piece.

2. Inkster leads Senior LPGA

Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols…“It was that kind of start for Inkster at the Senior LPGA Championship, where she stood 4 over after the first eight holes.”

“But if there was ever a place to grind – and that could be the LPGA Hall of Famer’s middle name – it’s here at French Lick, where Inkster said it’s sometimes better to miss big than a little bit.”

“The seven-time major winner has played the last 27 holes in 7 under to lead a field of familiar faces by two strokes.”

Full piece.

3. Spieth still searching

Steve Dimeglio for Golfweek on the state of the Spieth...”But his victory at Royal Birkdale in 2017 was the most recent of his 11 victories on the PGA Tour. Shortly after winning the Open, Spieth didn’t go into freefall – he has had chances to win, but not nearly enough to what he was accustomed to. No, the downward was as surprising as it was relentless.”

“Spieth was elite – and then he wasn’t. At times his putting, especially from short distance, was his nemesis. Other times his driver was awry, or his iron play was amiss, or his setup no matter what club was in hand was askew.”

“One thing, however, remained constant – his steadfast manner to fix the problem…”I know what I need to take care of, what parts of my game I need to take care of, to have those opportunities to contend each week and I’ve been trying to address those,” Spieth said. “Each part of my game at different points in my career has been towards the top of the PGA Tour at different times and sometimes at the same time. I know that I’m capable of doing it, it’s just a matter of the normal ups and downs of the game and addressing them and quickly turning the downs to ups and then maintaining when those parts of the game are on top.”

Full piece.

4. Penalty for not taking a mulligan?

Our Gianni Magliocco on some real weirdness that befell Jesper Parnevik…

“The incident occurred on the third hole of Parnevik’s final round, where according to Reuters, the Swede horseshoed a short bogey putt which came back and struck his foot. The veteran then tapped in for what he thought was a double-bogey, unaware that because the ball had accidentally struck him, he was required to take a mulligan.”

“Speaking to Reuters, rules official, Brian Claar said…”When a ball on the putting green accidentally hits any person, animal or immovable obstruction, this stroke does not count and the ball must be replaced on its original spot.”

“Jesper tapped it in. In that situation he’s played from the wrong place. Unfortunately he gets a two-stroke penalty for playing from the wrong place, and the one where he tapped in counts but the original stroke does not count.”

“According to Claar, when he called the USGA for assistance, the governing body asked him “Did that really happen out there?”, before adding that they had never heard of an incident like it occurring before in tournament play”

Full piece.

5. Lanto’s gear

PGATour.com’s Andrew Tursky chatted with the most recent PGA Tour winner about, among other things, his wedge stamping.

PGATOUR.COM: What about the wedges? Are those stampings something you helped come up with?

GRIFFIN: “Jim Ohlsen came up to the range on Tuesday and he was watching me hit some balls, and I said, “Man, you must be busy.” He was like, “Actually, I got everything done for the day, so I’m just hanging out watching you hit a few shots.”

…I told him he had free reign to stamp whatever he wanted.

“So he took my four wedges and he came back about an hour later. He threw two quotes from Talladega Nights on there. Then we had an inside joke throughout the year with Dino and Nathan and Brad from Titleist, that every time I’d ask for some help, or ask to borrow a Trackman, they’d say, “Yeah, we’ll be right over. We’re working with so-and-so.”
“As an inside joke, I’d ask them, “Well, where is he on the money list?” Just being sarcastic and joking with them. That was when I was first or second on the money list, so at the end of the season, I asked Dino one time, I was said, “Can I borrow a Trackman for a couple minutes?” And he said, “Sorry, someone’s using it right now and he’s a little higher on the money list than you (laughs).”

Full piece.

6. Q-School to CJ Cup

Golf Channel’s Will Gray on BK’s brother’s wild ride…”In two weeks, Chase Koepka will go from one extreme in professional golf to the other…Last week the 25-year-old was on the ground floor in St. George, Utah, trying to navigate through the first of three stages of Korn Ferry Tour Q-School. He advanced, shooting a four-round total of 14 under, but still has a ways to go before securing status for the 2020 season.”

“This week, however, he’ll live like the other half when he plays in the PGA Tour’s limited-field CJ Cup in South Korea on an unrestricted sponsor exemption. The tournament’s other two exemptions went to Whee Kim, a Korean player who made 27 PGA Tour starts last season, and Yongjun Bae.”

Full piece.

7. Woods the box office draw

Steve Dimeglio discusses, with Tiger Woods’ next made-for-TV match on the horizon, the history of TW’s box office appeal.

“The first Monday Night event came in 1999 and was billed as the Showdown at Sherwood in California, where Woods met David Duval in a match between the top two players of the time. Woods won 2 and 1 to collect $1.1 million. The event drew a 6.9 Nielsen rating, making the TV execs at ABC ecstatic.”

“The event shifted to the mountains of the Palm Springs area in California the following year, and Sergio Garcia was Woods’ opponent.”

“Billed as the Battle at Bighorn in Palm Desert, Woods won 1 up. The Nielsen rating was a whopping 7.6.”

“The second Battle at Bighorn brought a change of format, as Woods was paired with Annika Sorenstam and David Duval was paired with Karrie Webb. Woods and Sorenstam won with a par on the first playoff hole.”

Full piece.

8. Russell Knox: World traveler

PGATour.com’s Helen Ross on the globetrotting Russel Knox.

Knox’s…”wife Andrea had a pretty good back-up plan just in case Russell was available. She had arranged a trip for the couple, along with fellow PGA TOUR pro Brian Stuard and his girlfriend, to Peru.”

“The highlight of the vacation was a trip to Machu Picchu, a 15th century Inca citadel painstakingly constructed 7,970 feet in the air on the top of a mountain ridge, then abandoned a century later. Knox calls it the crème de la crème of Peru.”

“The ancient fortress was built using a technique called “ashlar,” where the stones are cut to fit together without mortar. And those stones either pushed up the mountain or chiseled out of it – no wheeled carts were used to transport them.”

Full piece.

9. Head-scratching stuff

Geoff Shackelford wonders why the Senior LPGA is being contested at French Lick Resort’s Dye course…

“Any golfer who tuned in to the first two rounds of the Senior LPGA, they would have been treated to the silliness that is legends and other former LPGA greats trying to navigate a mountaintop mess in rural Indiana. On top of French Lick Resort’s “intense” Dye course, the overall look would make no one want to play this distance-fueled iteration of the game: a dearth of spectators, players taking carts kept on the paths, caddies sending them off with a couple of clubs (because who needs broken ankle?), and no shortage of ridiculous sidehill stances leading to drop-kick hybrids. There was even defending champion Laura Davies taking a tumble in round two…”

“Here’s the worst part: the resort features a charming, lovingly restored Donald Ross course that would seem more fitting than the 8,102 yard (80.0 Course rating/148 Slope) Dye course that was built in hopes of attracting a modern-game major…Why aren’t these LPGA greats playing the walkable Ross?”

Full piece.

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

Published

5 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

2026 The Memorial – Monday #1

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

News

Tour Tech Rundown: Heroic Henley

Published

15 hours 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