News

Morning 9: Give Berger his due | Willie Mack III’s story | The case for the AT&T No-Am

Published

5 years ago

Feb 16, 2021

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt

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February 16, 2021

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans.

1. Time to give Berger his due

Daniel Rapaport for Golf Digest…”Berger has been golf’s Forgotten Man—the guy who couldn’t get a Masters invite despite being a top-15 player in the world. The first man out from the high school Class of 2011 discussion, not quite on the Thomas-Spieth-Schauffele-DeChambeau tier.”

“Maybe it’s because Berger doesn’t say much, or because he’s not the front-man for a giant equipment company, or because his sui generis swing and low fade aren’t exactly instruction-book material.”

…”For Berger, perhaps this is the week that finally get him his due. His win at the Charles Schwab Challenge last June didn’t quite do the trick, despite a field featuring seven of the top 10 players in the world. There were no top-10 players in the field this week, but Sunday’s final round stumbled upon one helluva leader board.”

Full piece.

2. Willie Mack III’s story (Recipient of the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption for the Genesis)

Golf Channel’s Ryan Lavner…”Having long suffered from pro golf’s version of PTSD, Mack, 32, had been grinding alone for so long that he forgot how to ask for help. If he’d needed something – money, clothes, clubs, respect – he won. He was competing to live.”

“That’s shaped who he is,” Bentley says, “and made him feel like it’s him against the world.”

“Implored to go deeper this year, Mack finally opened up about his turbulent decade.”

“How he won prolifically at a historically Black college and on the mini-tours but still was largely ignored by corporate America.”

“How he was homeless for almost two years but never quit.”

“How he nearly died when his car exploded in 2018, just as his career was on the upswing.”

Full piece.

3. Chamblee on Fowler, Finau, and more

Good stuff from Golfweek’s Adam Schupak chatting with the game’s pre-eminent analyst…

“Golfweek: What’s holding back Tony Finau from winning?”

“Brandel Chamblee: I get your question. I’m not sure I’ve ever encountered a player quite like Tony Finau. How can a player be world class if he doesn’t have victories on his resume? But everything on his resume is world class. It makes no sense. To see a guy play that well and that often and not come away with victories, you keep thinking it’s going to be like David Duval and at some point the windfall is going to happen.”

“Unlike David Duval, Tony’s not a great putter and unlike Duval he doesn’t drive it really straight. He’s long and a bit crooked. If you think about the greatest closers of all time, they all have great transitions to their golf swing bridging the backswing to the downswing. Tony’s quick. Pressure makes you quick, especially if you’re inclined to be quick anyway. Tom Watson famously said he never got over trouble on Sundays until he learned to slow things down. Finau has a short, quick golf swing. The most successful short, quick swing I can think of is Doug Sanders, who won a lot but never a major. It didn’t endure into his 50s. Finau is still young. It wouldn’t surprise me if he won three times this year. It wouldn’t surprise me if he won 5-6 times in his career. Again, he needs to find some way to be a better putter and a better player on Sunday. You look at his scoring average on Sundays and he’s a different guy.”

Full piece.

4. Remembering record-setting Riviera playoff

The team from PGATour.com…”It remains the largest playoff to end a 72-hole PGA TOUR event, another bit of history created at the iconic Riviera Country Club.”

“There also was a six-man playoff at the 1994 Byron Nelson but that tournament was just two rounds because of persistent rain. Seven years later, six men braved the elements to decide a champion at Riviera in the tournament now known as the Genesis Invitational.”

“It rained so hard that a delay never seemed far away. The 18th hole, reachable with short-irons earlier in the week, now required players to use fairway woods for their approach shots. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of this unique finish, PGATOUR.COM caught up with some of the participants to hear their recollections.”

“On the broadcast, Jim Nantz tried to draw a connection to CBS’ Sunday night movie, The Mask of Zorro, by declaring “it would take a little swash-buckling birdie here to win this tournament.” Riviera’s finishing hole had allowed just one all day but then Robert Allenby delivered a shot that one competitor called “the greatest shot I’ve ever seen.”

Full piece.

5. LET’s 2021 schedule

From a press release…”The Ladies European Tour announce a record-breaking 2021 schedule featuring 27 events in 19 different countries, the Solheim Cup and the Summer Olympics, with players competing for a combined prize fund of more than €19 million: an increase of €2 million on the proposed pre-COVID-19 announcement for the 2020 season and €6 million on 2019.”

“A year on from the monumental Joint Venture between the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and the LET and after a year disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 season is set to not only recapture the momentum of Spring 2020 but welcomes the addition of as many as nine new fully sanctioned tournaments.”

Full piece.

6. Puig chasing Mickelson

Jeff Metcalfe for the Arizona Republic…”Pooj might sound like a dance craze at a Barcelona club, but it’s actually the way to pronounce Arizona State golf David Puig’s last name.”

“That’s important because Puig, a sophomore from Spain, could accomplish something prestigious Monday-Wednesday at The Prestige tournament at PGA West in La Quinta, California.”

“If Puig wins a third consecutive tournament outright, he will become the first Sun Devil to do so since Phil Mickelson was a junior in 1991.”

“Puig is as much of a revelation as anyone with a No. 15 World Amateur ranking can be.”

Full piece.

7. Your Collegiate Showcase winner…

Todd Kelly for Golfweek…”It took three playoff holes, but Angus Flanagan punched his ticket to the Genesis Invitational with some playoff magic.”

“Flanagan, who’s from England and plays for the University of Minnesota, birdied the third playoff hole to edge Tim Widing of the University of San Francisco and earn the final spot in the PGA Tour’s annual visit to Riviera Country Club, which starts on Thursday.”

Full piece.

8. AT&T No-Am

Our Ron Montesano argues against the return of amateurs to Pebble Beach…”We don’t love golf for the antics of the celebrities, and we don’t need to see corporate types who clearly have enough time to get their games in shape to play well on a big stage. It’s cool for them to receive an invitation, but the return for golf is not equitable.”

“The celebrities slow up the process in three ways: fan interaction, in-round interviews, and bad play. Fan interaction is nice but can be encouraged in ways beyond dancing elderly ladies into bunkers. In-round interviews are insightful, but always incite slow play, which makes rounds drag on, and opportunities at victory ebb away. Bad play? No justification to televise that. No one wants to see bad golf anywhere other than a viewer-controlled YouTube video. Subject us to hours on end, and we’ll turn our attention elsewhere.”

“Why might the amateurs stay? Some would point to the origin of the event, as the Bing Crosby clambake. That event went through an evolution, from a few friends in the California desert to a move to the coast, to a short stay in North Carolina (without the PGA Tour, of course) when AT&T took over the title on tour. It’s the last event that folks from past generations associate with a celebrity host (not even the Hope is remembered thus); not the Genesis (Glen Campbell), nor the American Express (Bob Hope), nor the Farmers (Andy Williams), nor the Honda (Jackie Gleason) have had that staying power.”

“The AT&T has an opportunity to re-imagine its event. Fingers and toes are crossed that it makes the bold decision to eliminate the Am portion of the event for good. The courses of the Monterey Peninsula tell a wonderful story.”

Full piece.

9. A distinction Spieth would rather not have

Our Gianni Magliocco…”Jordan Spieth failed to convert his two-shot 54-hole lead on Sunday at Pebble Beach, but the signs are good for the Texan who has climbed 20 places in the Official World Golf Ranking (up to 62nd) to begin the year.”

“However, after having a share of the 54-hole lead at Phoenix last week, and a two-stroke 54-hole lead at Pebble and failing to win either event, the 27-year-old joined a club you really don’t want to be in.”

“Per journalist Justin Ray, Spieth is the first man in 8 years to hold a share of the 54-hole lead in back-to-back weeks on the PGA Tour and not win either tournament.”

Full piece.

Tour Photo Galleries

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

Published

15 mins ago

Jun 3, 2026

Ben A

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

2 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