News

Morning 9: Oakmont the U.S. Open anchor | U.S. Am medalist | OWGR changes

Published

5 years ago

Aug 12, 2021

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt

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August 12, 2021

Good Thursday morning, golf fans.

1. Anchor Oakmont

AP report…“Already identified by its U.S. Open heritage, Oakmont Country Club was named the second “anchor” course for the U.S. Open in an announcement Wednesday that includes bringing nine U.S. Opens for men and women to Pennsylvania.”

“Four of them will be at Merion, which was chosen to host the 2030 U.S. Open. That will be the 100-year anniversary of Bobby Jones completing the Grand Slam. The final piece of what was called the “impregnable quadrilateral” in 1930 was the U.S. Amateur at Merion”

Full piece.

2. U.S. Am medalist

Adam Woodard for Golfweek…“A day after celebrating his 23rd trip around the sun on Tuesday, Pennsylvania local Mark Goetz earned medalist honors at the 121st U.S. Amateur, finishing the two rounds of stroke play at Longue Vue Club and Oakmont Country Club at 8 under with rounds of 64 and 68, respectively.”

“The fifth-year senior at West Virginia made just one bogey over the 36 holes, and it came on Wednesday morning during the continuation of the second round after play was halted for four hours due to a weather delay and stopped due to darkness on Tuesday night.”

“It’s the most memorable two days of my career by a mile, there’s nothing that will even come close,” Goetz said on Tuesday. “This place can beat you to your core. It’s disgustingly hard. If you play scared out here, you’re a little bit tentative, man it’ll bite you in the butt so fast. So I really didn’t have any expectations this week, and it’s because of how difficult this place is.”

Full piece.

3. OWGR changes

Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…An overhaul of the Official World Golf Ranking that began in 2019 was announced Wednesday and will feature what officials call a modernized “field rating” calculation based on analytic techniques.”

“Under the new system, the field rating for each event in the ranking will be set by every player in the field, not just the top 200 players in the current ranking, and the minimum point levels and flagship events have been removed from the calculation.”

Full piece.

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The idea behind the Morning 9 is a roundup of the day’s most significant storylines presented in an easy-to-digest format. The Golfer’s Journal occupies the other end of the spectrum: long-form, photo rich essays from some of the best writers in golf discussing all elements of this beautiful, maddening game.

More a collection of essays than a magazine. More a coffee table book of first-rate photos than a glossy, ad-filled monthly — GJ is a must-have for true lovers of golf.

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4. Rose wins Payne Stewart Award

Helen Ross for PGATour.com…”Payne Stewart noticed a spindly 12-year-old waiting patiently outside the ropes at the Open Championship that day at Royal St. George’s and tossed him a golf ball.”

“Justin Rose, who is now 41, still remembers the feeling when he caught it.”

“That was a cool moment and made my day,” he said.

“So, imagine what it felt like on Monday when he hopped on a Zoom call to do some media interviews and the faces of Tracey Stewart and her son Aaron popped on the screen. Suddenly the cameras in the background made a little more sense.”

“Stewart’s widow and son were on the call to tell Rose that he was the 2021 winner of the Payne Stewart Award presented by Southern Company.”

Full piece.

5. Tight race on the Korn Ferry Tour

Via the Golf Channel Digital Team…”Entering the regular-season finale, the standings are excruciatingly close.”

“According to the Tour’s calculations, it appears as though the top 19 in the standings are safe to earn Tour cards. That’d mean the cutoff falls at Jared Wolfe, and it would take a wild sequence of events for No. 20 Nick Hardy to fall out, too.”

“After that, it gets interesting: Ben Kohles, Brett Drewitt, Curtis Thompson, Taylor Montgomery and Peter Uihlein occupy spots No. 21-25, respectively. Uihlein has only a seven-point lead over No. 26 Austin Smotherman, while 27th-ranked Roberto Diaz is eight points behind.”

“In all, spots No. 24-27 are separated by just 18 points.”

Full piece.

6. J.R. Smith is going back to school — and to play golf?

PGATour.com’s Helen Ross…”The 35-year-old is retired now and about to embark on a new adventure, enrolling at North Carolina A&T State University, one of the nation’s top HBCUs, to pursue a degree in liberal studies. Maybe those NBA scouts were right after all.”

“So, this is whenever,” said Smith, shortly before he split the fairway with his opening drive during the pro-am at the Wyndham Championship.

“The 6-foot-6, 200-pounder starts classes on Aug. 18. He is also waiting on the NCAA and to sort out his eligibility, and when it does, Smith, who plays to a 5 handicap, is looking to join the Aggies’ golf team.”

“It’s a big deal for A&T. It’s a big deal for him,” said Richard Watkins, who coaches both the men’s and women’s teams and was in Smith’s gallery on Wednesday. “It’s not very often that somebody in his position really has an opportunity to have a thought, a dream, an idea, and to be able to go ahead and move in that direction.”

Full piece.

7. Simpson on Zalatoris’ situation

Adam Schupak at Golfweek…”As a Special Temporary Member on the PGA Tour, Zalatoris was able to accept an unlimited number of sponsor invites this season. However, he has accumulated zero FedEx Cup points – unless he were to win this week. But here’s the thing: If he were eligible to earn FedEx Cup points he would rank 26th with 1,270 points.”

“It makes no sense. PGA Tour veteran Webb Simpson went so far as to suggest that there should be a player vote to let Zalatoris play.”

“I think I represent a lot of the players, I mean, that I’ve talked to that we all feel that he should be able to go to the Playoffs. Even if he’s ahead of me in the FedExCup Playoffs, I think he deserves to be in the Playoffs,” Simpson said.”

Full piece.

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8. Will Zalatoris’ putter switch

Our piece for PGATour.com…“When I get some time off, I think this could be a game changer.”

“That was Will Zalatoris’ first thought after rolling a few putts with a Scotty Cameron Phantom X 11 prototype putter in May. He got that time off, unfortunately, following a back injury that forced him out of The Open Championship and kept him on the sidelines until last week. “

“While resting and rehabbing at home following his early exit from Royal St. George’s, Zalatoris, who “hated every minute” of the downtime, decided to engage in some flatstick experimentation.”

“He found the Phantom X 11 prototype putter — with a black topline for added alignment — both rolled the ball a more predictable distance and gave him more feedback off the face.”

“I loved how immediately off the face … I just get immediate feedback,” Zalatoris said. “I was starting to lose that a little bit with my putter. … I can feel that ball exactly where it comes off on the face.”

Full piece.

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