News

Tour Rundown: Bezuidenhout ends year with a double | LPGA Volunteers of America goes to Stanford | Hovland’s second W

Published

5 years ago

Dec 7, 2020

The European Tour monopolized the spotlight this weekend, with two events on two ends of a transcontinental region known as Afro-Eurasia. At the southern tip, the South African Open took place at Gary Player country club. Farther to the northwest, in Dubai, the eponymous Dubai Championship was held at the Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Fire course. Around the world, in North America, two more events took place. The LPGA played its run-up-to-the-Open event in Texas, while the PGA Tour journeyed to Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula for the final, official event of calendar year 2020. With year-end holidays around the corner, golf takes a hiatus for a few weeks, before resuming full-speed in January.

Welcome to the final Tour Rundown of 2020, and thanks for following along.

Bezuidenhout ends year with a double

Christiaan Bezuidenhout has found his form, there is no doubt. Last week, the South African pro won at the Dunhill, and this week, he followed up with a five-shot margin of victory over Welshman Jamie Donaldson. After a stumble early in his professional career, the 26-year old has started to fulfill the promise that many predicted during his amateur days.

Bezuidenhout and Donaldson were tied for first after 36 holes. The Afrikaaner had arrived with a pair of 67s, while Donaldson followed an opening 71 with a dazzling 63 (ten birdies and one bogey.) It was Bezuidenhout’s consistency that won day three (and ultimately, the week.) While Donaldson regressed to a 72, a third consecutive 67 would find its way to Bezuidenhout’s scorecard.

Donaldson made up four shots on Sunday’s opening nine, but Bezuidenhout was resolute on the inward half. With his margin trimmed, the three-time Euro Tour winner shot a clean 32 coming home, thanks to four birdies, to reestablish his comfortable cushion. After a few lean years, Donaldson has enjoyed a resurgent run in 2020, capped by this podium finish.

Rozner emerges from curtain to claim inaugural title

For all the week, it looked like Andy Sullivan’s tournament. For all the week, no one outside of Kansas City and Paris had a blip called Antoine Rozner on their radar. Yet, here we are, wondering how Sullivan’s birdie caravan (25 on the week, plus one eagle) wasn’t enough to secure the title. Even more indescribable is how the Parisian pulled a rabbit out of a hat and tossed a Sunday 64, for a two-shot win over Mike Lorenzo-Vera (who sound Italian, but isn’t) and Francesco Laporta (who also sounds Italian, and is.)

Here’s the 120-second breakdown: Rozner opened with a 63, that few noticed. He was only two back of Sully’s magical 61 after day one. Rozner had 69 on day two, lost ground, but had 67 on day three to actually win a shot back. On day four, Rozner was five-deep through 12, then made his second eagle of the week at the 13th, to take control. On 14, he did what all winless golfers do: he made bogey. Then, like all golfers who finally break through do, he made birdie at 15 and 18 to reach 25-under par on the week.

Meanwhile, Sully and the Englishmen (Matt Wallace and Ross Fisher included) were doing the very thing that they need not attempt: play safe, or, not go low enough. They were 70, 68, and 70, respectively, on day four. Those are wondrous scores for a major or a high-tier event, but at Dubai, where birdies win the day, not so much. By the way, if you wondered about the Kansas City and Paris references earlier, Rozner grew up in the City of Lights, and attended college at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where he played a little golf.

The European Tour remains in Dubai for the Race To Dubai championship, to be contested on the Jumeirah Estates’ Earth course.

LPGA Volunteers of America event goes to Stanford

You could tell that this was no ordinary Texas tournament. Scores were high, and players had to grind for every possible, saved stroke. In fact, the VOA played precisely how a run-up event to a major should play. If the Jackrabbit and Cypress Creek courses at Champions Golf Club in Houston measure up to the standard set at The Colony, the world’s greatest female golfers will be in for a second straight week of endurance and grit.

Endurance and grit are Angela Stanford’s middle names. The 43-year old, with one major title to her name, played a game with which her competitors were not familiar on Sunday. Stanford counted seven birdies among her 18 holes, and left the field behind in the Texas dust. True, her margin of victory was just two strokes So Yeon Ryu, Inbee Park, and Yealimi Noh, but it might have felt like ten. It actually took a closing bogey from Stanford, and closing birdies from two of the three runners-up, to make the margin as narrow as it was.

Back in 2003, Stanford and Kelly Robbins lost an 18-hole playoff to Hillary Lunke for the US Women’s Open title. That one-shot loss, after playing 72 holes dead even, might just get repaid next week. After all, there’s nothing that a Fort Worth pro likes more than a quick jaunt over to Houston for a US Open championship.

PGA at Mayakoba is Hovland’s second tour title

Viktor Hovland is certainly at home where Spanish is spoken, despite growing up in the decidedly-nonHispanic country of Norway. Barely 10 months removed from his first tour win in Puerto Rico, Hovland chased down Emilian Grillo, held off Aaron Wise, and won in Mexico for victory la segunda. Hovland piled 16 birdies over two bogeys on the weekend, moving from 6-under to 20-deep in the process. Grillo, who led from his Friday 63 until part way through the fourth round, could not find second gear on Sunday. His three bogey-two birdie performance dropped him from 1st to a tie for 8th.

For most of the final day, the story being written came from the pen of Aaron Wise. The former Oregon Duck is two years removed from his lone tour title, at the Byron Nelson in 2018. Three birdies and an eagle stood him at five-under through seven, then three successive birdies at 13 through 15 elevated him to 19 below par. Finishing two groups ahead of Hovland, Wise could not secure one last birdie to reach the winning score.

Golf aficionados also got a first glimpse at yet another future Stillwater star. Austin Eckroat, a senior at Oklahoma State and former roommate of Hovland, posted 14-under par to secure a tie for 12th. When the professional ranks beckon in 2021, Eckroat will be ready.

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

Published

1 day 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

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

News

Tour Tech Rundown: Heroic Henley

Published

1 day 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