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Nifty Fifty: Phil Mickelson makes Kiawah his sixth major title

Published

5 years ago

May 23, 2021

On absolutely no one’s radar screen but his own at the beginning of the third week of May, Phil Mickelson defied all odds and overcame all challenges to claim the 2021 PGA Championship. Mickelson first won the PGA in 2005 at Baltusrol in New Jersey. He also owns three Masters titles and the 2013 British Open title. Have I mentioned that Mickelson turned 50 last June and became the oldest winner of any major championship in history?

The week began as most major weeks commence: an unproven young’un atop the leader board. This time, it was Corey Conners, a product of Canada and Kent State University. Conners marked six birdies on his scorecard that day and finished ahead by two at minus-5. He began Friday as poorly as he did well on Thursday, finishing with 75 and ultimately placing 17th. Mickelson nearly played himself out of South Carolina on opening day. He stood plus-4 after six holes but rebounded on the tougher stretch of the course with six birdies and posted 70.

Day two saw Lefty reverse his fortunes. He teed off on the back nine and posted 38. He came alive on the front nine, posting five birdies for another 31, and a 69 on the day. Mickelson’s 139 total was matched by South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen, also a British Open champion (2010). Oosthuizen followed a 71 with 68, to earn a spot in the final pairing with the lefthander.

Day three witnessed a near runaway by he of the aged vintage. Mickelson again played the front nine in exquisite fashion. He posted four birdies for 32 on his way out and added a fifth at the 10th hole, to reach 10 strokes under par. Two holes later, he made his first bogey of the round and followed it with a double at 13. He would finish the day at 7-under par, one shot ahead of two-time PGA champion Brooks Koepka.

It’s rare that a golf course ages into technology, but the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island improves in just that fashion. Unlike the TPC course in Sawgrass, that has undergone myriad renovations and alterations over the years, the Ocean Course remains exactly as it was when it held the 1991 Ryder Cup, in its first year of play. With its combination of forced carries, ocean breezes, and flexible setup — and its length, the Ocean Course stands firm against the advances of human strength and technology.

Koepka and Mickelson teed off in Sunday’s final pairing and Mickelson immediately surrendered his one-stroke advantage. Koepka opened with a textbook birdie, while Mickelson showed all the nerves of a teenager on a first date and scribbled bogey on his card. One hole later, fortune again reversed its course. Koepka had owned the Ocean Course par-5 holes all week but would toss away his chance at victory with a double and a bogey on the first two long holes on Sunday. Koepka is normally one of the game’s great drivers of the ball, but he was tentative on Sunday, turning his fade into a tug. The tug did him in on holes two and seven.

What was most enervating for the big Florida man was, his wretched 7 and 6 each followed a birdie. Who can explain that? It was that sort of day on the spit of land called Kiawah Island. Mickelson was having a topsy-turvy start of his own. He didn’t make a par until the fourth, following his opening bogey with birdie-bogey. He then went birdie-bogey-birdie for the five through seven stretch, and expanded his advantage! When he made his fourth birdie of the day, at the tenth hole, he held a five-shot advantage, and ignited the mask-free crowds into a frenzy of adulation and fandom.

Mickelson’s sixth major title was his first with younger brother Tim on the bag. As the pair marched toward destiny’s embrace, it was easy to see the same emotion spread across each brother’s face. The younger one wanting to serve the older one with accurate numbers and proper support; the older one wanting to execute the strategy planned out with the younger one’s help.

As the holes waned, Louis Oosthuizen reached minus-4 and closed to within two of Mickelson’s lead. The South African golfer needed at least one birdie on the closing pair, but was unable to do better than pars. Koepka had birdies at 15 and 16 and, like Louis, needed one more to make Phil think and squeeze harder, but it was not to be. Mickelson made safe bogey at 17 and safe par at 18, and won by two.

It’s ironic that Mickelson reclaimed his place at the top of the game as well as a likely spot on the USA Ryder Cup side in Wisconsin, in the year that Tiger Woods once again racked himself up with self-inflicted injury. If anything will motivate the great one to rebound, it’s a Mickelson victory. So cheers to you, Mr. Mickelson. You’ve given us a wonderful May and an even better 2021 and 2022 to come.

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.

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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