News

Tour Rundown: Finau claims consecutive wins | Stunning 62 lifts Furue to title

Published

4 years ago

Aug 1, 2022

The big news in a short week came from…well, let’s explain short week first. Three major tours were in action this week, with linksland golf in Dundonald, heathland golf in St Andrews, and good, old Scottish transplant golf in Detroit. The LPGA/Ladies European Tour joined forces at the Scottish Open, while the DP World Tour played at the Fairmont above St. Andrews linksland. Finally, the US PGA tour returend to the Detroit Golf Club, designed by Dornoch native Donald Ross.

In anticipated news (aka, this morning) Luke Donald’s concomitant sincerity has pushed him to the top of the selection list to replace the former captain of the European Ryder Cup squad. A formal announcement should come while you are reading this Tour Rundown. As an added bonus, we have a report from the USGA boys National Junior for a pair of reasons. We shall detail those at the end of this Tour Rundown installment

PGA Tour: Finau claims consecutive wins with heliacal performance

If Tony Finau had a better sense of timing, he’d have turned in a unique straight over the course of four rounds in Detroit, Rock City. Finau posted 64-66-65-67 in Motown to shuffle to a five-shot win. Roundmate Taylor Pendrith of Canada had a shot at the straight, standing even with Finau after 64-65-66 of his own. Unfortunately for Pendrith, Sunday brought three birdies, three bogies, and twelve pars. He tumbled a bit to a tie with Cameron Young and Patrick Cantlay for second position.

When things that for so long were obscured, become obvious, we wonder how we never noticed them before. Such is the case with Finau’s penchant for winning golf tournaments. Despite appearances on Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup sides for Team USA, Finau’s first win came in 2016. It would be half a decade before he won again, in 2021. Now he has won in consecutive weeks, and we wonder if he will run the table on 2021-2022.

On Sunday, Finau had three birdies in the first ten holes, to expel Pendrith from the equation and set his sights on the finish line. A bogey at eleven gave him pause, but he regrouped and added three more stroke-savers over the concluding stretch. Cantlay juped up three slots with his 66 and Young moved up from third with his own 67. The week and the day, however, belonged to the man from Utah. Time to Dougie.

Double Ws.

Time to Dougie ? pic.twitter.com/jvGZVZcF1f

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 31, 2022

LPGA/Ladies European Tour: Stunning 62 lifts Furue to title

We are fortunate to witness rounds of brilliance on a few occasions each calendar season. When they take place on the final day, their magic is more palpable and obvious than on other days. Ayaka Furue of Japan had never won on the big stage prior to this week. After opening with rounds of 69-68-68, she sat four shots behind a confident Celine Boutier, who looked like nothing less than a winner after 65-69-67 of her own.

Then came Sunday, a day that changed Furue’s career arc. Ten birdies outnumbered eight pars on her card, and the she calmly shot past all challengers to summit the leader board. This ataraxy was evident throughout her course tour, as Furue ran off consecutive birdies at six holes to round the turn. She closed with three in her final four holes to clip Boutier by three shots.

The French golfers was left to wonder what more she might have done. Her 69 was a solid score from the lead, and left groupmate Lydia Ko (71) in the dust. Alas, such are the whims of the gods of golf. On to Muirfield, where the venerable links will host the women’s British Open for the first time.

Course record ?

Tournament record ?

First LPGA Tour win ?

Watch highlights from Ayaka Furue's winning Sunday 62 at the @Womens_Scottish! pic.twitter.com/XW3w0obkw8

— LPGA (@LPGA) July 31, 2022

DP World Tour: Crocker a hero at Hero Open

As if the Furue and Finau shows weren’t compelling enough, we present the following bit of evidence to the jury. Consider a Zimbabwean-turned-Californian named Sean Crocker. After a collegiate career at USC (the Cali version) Crocker embarked on a professional career. He has never played the US PGA tour, preferring to ply his trade overseas. For five seasons, the worldy linksman learned the ways of the tours, until a glorious Sunday in July, in St. Andrews.

No, not Cameron Smith. He’s Australian. Zimbabwe, we said. Crocker took a lead into the final round of the HERO open in St. Andrews, and showed grit and guile as he posted 68 on day four. Crocker placed five birdies against a solitary bogey in the final round, then held his breath as the ebullient Eddie Pepperell, a massive voice of humor and reason, nearly chased him down.

The resurgent Pepperell signed for 65 after eight birdies of his own. Did the ninth-hole bogey cost him? Mathematically, yes. Logically, no. Pepperell was nowhere close at the day’s dawn, but blitzed his way into contention, and nearly to the apex. This story, however, is about Crocker, and it’s about time that he claimed a victory of his own. With a gutsy, six-feet putt at the last, Crocker made it happen.

Winning your first Tour title in St Andrews ???????

A moment that will live with Sean Crocker for a lifetime.#HeroOpen pic.twitter.com/QJrtef7Nna

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) July 31, 2022

USGA: Ding holds off Surratt to claim USGA title for China

How big of a lead is enough, is a question often posed to average golfers. Could you achieve victory on tour with a 15-shot advantage. The answer is always “No,” because average golfers are average in every capacity. Wenyi Ding is not an average golfer. He is quite talented. We know this because he reached the final of the boys junior championship at Bandon Dunes. Ding face off against Caleb Surratt, a south Charlotte golfer who had enjoyed an excellent run of championship golf in 2022. The final promised to be epic, and it was.

Ding was down by two after three holes, but clawed back to take a three-hole lead into the midway lunch of the planned 36-hole final. After ten holes of the afternoon session, oddsmakers would have laid against the match reaching the twelfth tee. Ding added five holes to his lead, and stood dormie-eight as the pair reached the 11th tee.

Surratt was not finished. He won one-two-three-four-five holes in succession, to chop the legs out from under Ding. With so much momentum on his side, the recovery seemed plausible and achievable. Alas, it was not to be. Neither Surratt nor Ding provided any sparks on the 33rd hole of the day, and when they halved in par fours, the week, day, and match were finished. Ding had become the first male golfer from China to secure a USGA title.

Brilliance at Bandon!

Wenyi Ding made 11 birdies and an eagle in the #USJuniorAm final. His 3-and-2 victory over Caleb Surratt is our Lexus Top Performance of the Day. #LexusGolf pic.twitter.com/zpO4g913He

— USGA (@USGA) July 31, 2022

Tour Photo Galleries

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

Published

3 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.

General Albums

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