News

Tour Rundown: Burns defends, Carl’s choice

Published

4 years ago

Mar 20, 2022

In two of three events this week, the gods of golf were not kind to the overnight leader. No matter how hard you try to delude yourself into being the chaser, and not the leader, you are still the leader. Davis Riley and Peter Uihlein learned a few lessons on Sunday, while Shaun Norris stood apart as the exception to this notion. Our last three-event week for a while featured events in South Africa, Florida, and Louisiana, so take a break with us as we run down a trio of tour trips this week.

PGA Tour: Valspar Championship defended by Burns

Sam Burns takes nothing for granted. He stood on the 17th tee with a two-shot advantage over playing partner Justin Thomas. They were the penultimate pair, and after JT yanked his tee ball left, SB yanked his lefter and shorter. He did well to make bogey from the far bunker, and lost half his lead to Thomas’ par. As they made their way up the 18th fairway, both Davis Riley (overnight leader) and Matthew NeSmith (overnight follower) made birdie at the daunting 17th, to enter the fray.

Burns narrowly missed his birdie try at 18 for the outright win, then held his breath as Riley missed an even shorter try. They returned to the final tee for the first extra hole, and each made par. On the 16th hole, their second overtime trace, Burns drained a thirty-feet putt from the left fringe to defend his 2021 victory at Innisbrook. To Riley’s credit, a day after posting 62, he held his game together enough to tie for the top spot. Victory for the former UAlabama golfer should come soon enough.

He BURIES it??

Unbelievable putt from @SamBurns66. pic.twitter.com/CbWOptcjLW

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 20, 2022

Korn Ferry Tour: Louisiana Open is Carl’s Choice in extra holes

Yechun Yuan, aka Carl, is a 24-year old professional golfer from Dallan, China, and the University of Washington. His experience is far-ranging, from PGA Tour China to the 2020 Olympics to the Korn Ferry Tour. Prior to today, Yuan had a trio of runner-up finishes on the feeder tour. Now, he is a KF Champion and one step closer to a stint on the PGA Tour.

Yuan trailed overnight leader Peter Uihlein by five shots when he began round four. After a bogey at the third erased his birdie at the first, Yuan fired off four birdies in five holes to jump up the leaderboard. Uihlein’s round was one of frustrating pars: he made 15 of them on the day. Yuan added two more birdies on the inward half to reach 14-under par. Uihlein was force to earn a birdie of his own, at the 17th, to tie. Both golfers finished one shot ahead of José de Jesús Rodríguez and Trevor Werbylo, who tied for oh-so-close third position.

The playoff lasted all of one hole. Yuan snuck his approach in close for birdie to dispatch Uihlein. In his post-round interview, he revealed that the win came on his birthday, and that he could not envision a greater gift to his own self. Happy Birthday, Yuan. Welcome to the winner’s circle. Oh, and thanks for the warm-up drill that we can all practice below.

"Basically, a simpler version of how you shank it."

Carl Yuan explains the 'hosel drill,' part of his standard warm-up routine.

NOTE: Not recommended for amateurs. ? pic.twitter.com/kJu1GYBaeB

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) September 26, 2019

DP World Tour: Steyn City Championship sees a first-time Tour winner in Norris

It would take a sleuth of legendary skill to uncover an event with more of a topsy-turvy conclusion than this one. Shaun Norris took a handful-of-strokes advantage into the final round in his home town. Any seasoned competitor will tell you that such a scenario is not usually advantageous. Norris did his best to prove that hypothesis correct on the outward half. Bogey at holes two and four dropped him out of the lead, as fellow South African pro Dean Burmester gained five strokes with a three-under effort heading to the turn. Burmester added birdies at 10 and 11, and assumed control of the tournament.

As if someone flipped an electrical breaker, Norris suddenly found his game while Burmester went into hibernation. Norris uncovered four birdies on holes 11 through 18, while Burmester played the same stretch in two-over par. It was a crushing double bogey at the penultimate green that undid all of Burmester’s fine work on the afternoon. He would finish in solo second position, three behind Norris.

For the champion, the win at Steyn City was his first on the DP World Tour, after numerous triumphs on the South African and Asian tours. Norris had his brother on his bag this week, making the victory more special than ever.

That ??????? moment ??

?????@shaun_pj #SteynCityChampionship #SunshineTour #GreatnessBeginsHere pic.twitter.com/x8obEvLuPt

— Sunshine Tour (@Sunshine_Tour) March 20, 2022

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