News

Morning 9: Rahmbo! | Hojgaard rising | Wu, Ernst | Tiger turns attention to Winged Foot

Published

6 years ago

Aug 31, 2020

1. Rahmbo!

If you didn’t catch these putts live or in highlight form in the social mediaverse, do yourself a favor watch ’em. DJ’s a must make. Rahm’s moonshot masterstroke…How many attempts do you think it’d take you to make both? 500?

Golfweek’s Todd Kelly…”Dustin Johnson drained a snaking 43-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole on Sunday to force a playoff in the BMW Championship with Jon Rahm.”

“But on the first playoff hole, Rahm poured in a 66-footer for birdie to win the tournament, his second of the year and fifth PGA Tour win.”

“Rahm overcame a first-round 75 and a third-round penalty to shoot 66-64 over the weekend. He led by two late Sunday, but Johnson birdied the 15th to make it a one-shot deficit. Johnson’s birdie on 18 forged a tie.”

Full piece.

2. Meanwhile, Hojgaard rising…

AP report…”Danish teenager Rasmus Hojgaard rallied from a five-shot deficit Sunday with a 7-under 65 and won the U.K. Championship at The Belfry on the second playoff hole against Justin Walters of South Africa.”

“The 19-year-old Hojgaard won for the second time this season, following his victory in the Mauritius Open late last year that made him the first European Tour winner born after 2000.”

“Walters closed with a 70 and ran out of crucial putts. He holed a 4-foot par putt on the 18th hole in regulation that caught the right edge of the cup and curled in. He holed a 10-footer for par on the first extra hole at the 18th to extend the playoff. But he was well right of the 18th green the next time, pitched to 15 feet and missed the par putt.”

Full piece.

3. Brandon Wu wins, earns U.S. Open berth

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…“Brandon Wu grew up in Scarsdale, New York, less than 10 minutes from Winged Foot. He’ll now get to spend a week at home, eating his dad’s homemade Chinese food, while he competes in his second straight U.S. Open.”

“The 23-year-old Wu, who qualified for and tied for 35th at last year’s national championship at Pebble Beach, won the Korn Ferry Tour Championship on Sunday at Victoria National in Newburgh, Indiana. It was his first victory on the developmental tour and thanks to some one-time eligibility changes by the USGA, it earned him a berth in next month’s U.S. Open.”

“It hasn’t even set in yet,” Wu said. “I’ve run through the scenarios so many times the past few days, you know, what it would feel like going home, getting to play and getting to tell my friends that I can play this year. It’s hard to believe. I’m just really happy.”

Full piece.

4. Austin Ernst finally follows up

AP report on Ernst’s first W since 2014/144 starts…“Austin Ernst rallied to win the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship on Sunday for her second LPGA Tour title, closing with an 8-under 63 for a two-stroke victory over Anna Nordqvist.”

“Four strokes behind Nordqvist entering the round, Ernst had the best score of the day, making 10 birdies and two bogeys at Pinnacle Country Club. She joined 2014 champion Stacy Lewis as the event’s only American winners.”

Full piece.

5. Playoff exit for Tiger, attention turns to Winged Foot

Golf Channel’s Will Gray…“Woods failed to factor for the second straight week, and as a result he won’t advance to the Tour Championship for the second straight year. Woods followed a T-58 finish at TPC Boston with another largely listless performance at the BMW Championship, failing to break par in any of his four rounds on the difficult North Course at Olympia Fields.”

“Needing a top-5 finish at the start of the week, Woods was outside the top 50 when he signed his final scorecard of the season.”

“I didn’t play as well as I wanted to the first couple days,” Woods said after a final-round 71, his best score of the week. “Today was nice. I hit the ball really well, and made only a couple putts. But today was more indicative of how I want to play in a couple weeks.”

Full piece.

6. British Am: A Brit winneth

Golfweek’s Julie Williams…“Joe Long became the first Englishman to collect the R&A’s British Amateur trophy since 2017. There were few there to see it Sunday at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England, thanks to pandemic protocols, but Long defeated good friend Joe Harvey in the scheduled 36-hole final to put his name in golf lore.”

Full piece.

7. …and on the women’s side…

AP report…”In another win for German golf, Aline Krauter rallied from an early deficit to win the Women’s Amateur Championship on Saturday with a 1-up victory over Annabell Fuller at West Lancashire.”

“The victory came a week after Sophia Popov won the Women’s Open at Royal Troon.”

“Krauter, a 20-year-old who plays at Stanford, was 3 down through four holes of the 18-hole championship match. He won six of the next eight holes to build a 3-up lead. Fuller closed to the deficit to one hole with a birdie on the 17th, but Fuller could only match pars with Krauter on the final hole.”

Full piece.

8. Tour Championship qualifiers/starting scores

Dustin Johnson -10

Jon Rahm -8

Justin Thomas -7

Webb Simpson -6

Collin Morikawa -5

Daniel Berger -4

Harris English -4

Bryson DeChambeau -4

Sungjae Im -4

Hideki Matsuyama – 4

Brendon Todd -3

Rory McIlroy -3

Patrick Reed -3

Xander Schauffele -3

Sebastian Munoz -3

Lanto Griffin -2

Scottie Scheffler -2

Joaquin Niemann -2

Tyrrell Hatton -2

Tony Finau -2

Kevin Kisner -1

Abraham Ancer -1

Ryan Palmer -1

Kevin Na -1

Marc Leishman -1

Cameron Smith E

Viktor Hovland E

Mackenzie Hughes E

Cameron Champ E

Billy Horschel E

9. Rahm’s winning WITB

Driver: TaylorMade SIM (10.5 degrees)

Shaft: Aldila Tour Green 75 TX

3-wood: TaylorMade SIM (15 degrees)

Shaft: Aldila Tour Green 75 TX

5-wood: TaylorMade SIM (19 degrees)

Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI (Black) 8 X

Irons: TaylorMade P750 (4-PW)

Shafts: Project X Rifle 6.5

Wedges: TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe (52), TaylorMade MG2 (56-12SB, 60)

Shafts: Project X Rifle 6.5

Putter: TaylorMade Spider X

Grips: Golf Pride MCC

Ball: TaylorMade TP5 (#10)

PICS

Tour Photo Galleries

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

Published

5 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