News

Morning 9: Women’s Open heading to Muirfield | Koepka’s season over | Year of the short hitter? | Feinstein on Herman

Published

6 years ago

Aug 20, 2020

1. Women’s Open headed to Muirfield

Golf Channel’s Randall Mell…“The R&A made big news Wednesday, announcing that Muirfield will host the AIG Women’s Open for the first time in 2022.”

“…Martin Slumbers, the R&A’s chief executive, laid out the AIG Women’s Open venues for the next five years, a lineup that includes a return to St. Andrews in 2024. Carnoustie will stage the event in 2021, Walton Heath in ’23 and Royal Porthcawl in 2025.”

“Muirfield voted just last year to allow women as members for the first time. The club has hosted the men’s Open 16 times.”

Full piece.

2. Koepka withdraws, ending season

Golf Channel’s Will Gray…“Brooks Koepka has withdrawn from The Northern Trust because of injury, a decision that means his 2019-20 PGA Tour season is over.”

“Koepka was expected to make his seventh start in as many weeks at TPC Boston, and at No. 97 in points he likely needed at least a top-20 finish to have any chance of advancing to the 70-man BMW Championship. Instead, he pulled out on the eve of the opening round, citing knee and hip issues.”

Full piece.

3. “Year of the ‘short’ hitter”

PGATour.com’s Cameron Morfit…”Jim Herman, who ranks 188th in driving distance (but seventh in accuracy), won the Wyndham Championship last weekend. Granted, it’s that type of course. Everyone in the field can reach Sedgefield Country Club’s two par 5s in two, and it’s about placement, not power.”

“But Herman’s surprise win is also part of a trend. Of the four players with multiple victories this season – Collin Morikawa, Webb Simpson, Justin Thomas and Brendon Todd – only FedExCup leader Thomas is in the top 100 on TOUR in driving distance. (Todd is a distant 205th, ranking ahead of just six players) And get this: The longest guy in the foursome has actually throttled back in order to gain control.”

“No, I’m glad you brought it up,” Thomas said from THE NORTHERN TRUST at TPC Boston, where the FedExCup Playoffs begin this week. “… I dialed back in distance with a driver and a shaft just to hit a couple more fairways a round. I carry it probably five, eight yards shorter than I did maybe one or two years ago, but I have a little bit more spin so I can control my ball flight a little bit more and I’m just trying to play from the fairway more.

Full piece.

4. Seven ams added to U.S. Open field

Golf Channel’s Will Gray…“Seven amateurs have been added to the field for next month’s U.S. Open, bringing the total number of amateurs expected to compete at Winged Foot to 13.”

“With the COVID-19 pandemic causing the USGA to opt for an all-exempt field this year, seven spots were set aside for the top-ranking players (not otherwise exempt) in the World Amateur Golf Rankings following the U.S. Amateur. Those spots went to Nos. 1-7 in the Aug. 19 rankings: Takumi Kanaya, Ricky Castillo, Chun An Yu, Davis Thompson, Eduard Rousaud, Sandy Scott and John Pak.”

Full piece.

5. Tiger commits to next week’s BMW Championship

PGATour.com staff report…”Tiger Woods has committed to next week’s BMW Championship at Olympia Fields in Chicago, which will mark the first time he’s played in back-to-back weeks on the PGA TOUR in a year.”

“Woods is 49th in the FedExCup as he prepares for THE NORTHERN TRUST at TPC Boston this week. He last made back-to-back TOUR starts at THE NORTHERN TRUST and BMW last season. He is no stranger to Chicago-area golf as a five-time winner of the BMW Championship, and finished T20 at the 2003 U.S. Open at Olympia Fields.”

Full piece.

6. No hospitality venues at 2021 WMPO

Via the Arizona Republic…”The Waste Management Phoenix Open is more than five months away, but already the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted “The Greenest Show on Grass.”

“Tournament chairman Scott Jenkins announced on Wednesday that most of the hospitality venues that normally make up the infrastructure of the grounds at TPC Scottsdale will not be constructed for the 2021 edition of the PGA Tour’s annual stop in the Phoenix area.”

“Due to continued health challenges surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the landscape at the Waste Management Phoenix Open will unfortunately look different this year,” Jenkins said in a statement. “This week, we notified our suite holders that most of the hospitality venues that create our event’s incredible tournament atmosphere will not be constructed. In light of the fact that we usually start building our venues in late September/early October, it is just not prudent to do so under the current circumstances.”

Full piece.

7. Adam Scott reflects

Golfweek’s David Dusek…”If Adam Scott could give his younger self some advice, what would it be?”

“I liked a lot of the things that that guy did at the time. He was on a good path,” Scott said with a smile after some thought. “I was kind of on that rise up, being a young pro, but then once you kind of get near the top 10 in the world, it’s a real different level to maintain and push all the way up there.”

“Scott briefly attended UNLV and was coached by Butch Harmon as a young pro. At that time, Harmon also coached Tiger Woods.”

“I think, you know, looking back on it now, it’s hard to remember exactly the influence and attention and intimidation that Tiger drew to golf tournaments, but it was significant to every player who was out here,” Scott said. “I think if anyone was playing at that time, and they were being honest, there’s no doubt he made a big difference. I think I would have told myself to kind of come up with a strategy to block out exactly what Tiger was doing in making us all feel slightly inferior to him.”

Full piece.

8. Feinstein: “A likable tour pro’s win reminds us when political differences shouldn’t matter”

John Feinstein writes…”Herman once worked for President Donald Trump at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J. He has played frequently with Trump-both before and after he became president-and talks often about how much Trump has encouraged him about his golf career through the years.”

“Herman is very much a Trump supporter. I am, if you haven’t already guessed, very much not.”

“And yet Herman and I get along very well. I remember a lengthy locker-room conversation with him shortly after he won for the first time on tour, in Houston in the spring of 2016. He was my kind of story: a grinder who had won for the first time at age 38 and had come a long way from giving lessons at Trump National. He was bright, funny, clearly devoted to his family. The kind of player I’d like to write about and have a beer with.”

“In many ways, Herman is a perfect example in these polarized times of not being defined by politics. This is a lesson I’ve learned through the years covering golf: We can all put politics aside, even now.”

Full piece.

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open

Published

3 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