News

Morning 9: New #1 this week? | Brandel rips Phil | Brooks needs knee replacement?

Published

4 years ago

Oct 18, 2022

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco and Matthew Vincenzi.

For comments: [email protected].

October 18, 2022

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans, as we gear up for the CJ Cup.

1. New No. 1 this week?

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…“The world No. 1 ranking is up for grabs this week at Congaree.”

“Rory McIlroy, who enters the CJ Cup ranked second in the Official World Golf Ranking, has a chance to unseat No. 1 Scottie Scheffler depending on how the two players finish in the limited-field event in Ridgeland, South Carolina.”

“According to Twitter’s resident OWGR guru, Nosferatu, McIlroy, who sits at 8.81 average points, needs a win or solo second and some “help” from Scheffler, at 9.39, to reach No. 1 for the first time since July 2020.”

Full piece.

2. Koepka will need knee replacement?

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…“The last two years haven’t been fun,” Koepka said. “It’s been a long road.”

“Koepka has said recently that he feels healthier than ever, but on Sunday, he offered some insight into his long-term health.”

“It’s been before LIV, when I blew my knee out and my foot was pointed that way, almost backwards and sideways,” Koepka said. “Credit to Dr. [Neal] ElAttrache; throw his name out there. I mean, eventually I’m going to have to have a knee replacement in a few years, but I wasn’t sure whether I could even move the same way and if I want to play if I could move the way I wanted.

“I’m fortunate [to] be in the spot that I’m in right now.”

Full piece.

3. Best round in PGA Tour Champions history?

Ryan Herrington for Golf Digest…“With a run of 12 birdies in his final 14 holes at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary, N.C., Couples posted his career-best 18-hole score en route to a six-shot rout over Steven Alker, shooting a 20-under 196 for the week. And to think Couples made a double-bogey 6 on the first hole to start the tournament on Friday?”

“To call this the most remarkable round in PGA Tour Champions history isn’t overstating things. Kevin Sutherland shot a 59 back in 2014, but it was in the second round of the Dick’s Sporting Goods Classic, and he didn’t even win the tournament. Couples’ 60 was the lowest final-round score by a PGA Tour Champions’ winner in the tour’s 43-year history. He broke his age by three shots. He was trailing by three shots on the fifth tee only to claim the title by six.”

“It’s easy to say because we’re standing here, but I think it’s the best round I’ve ever played,” Couples said. “I’ve shot 58 and 59 before, never in a tournament, but for a little bit of money and stuff, and you pay a lot of attention, but today I just was trying to stay two or three ahead of Jerry [Kelly] because I knew I could birdie at any given time.”

Full piece.

4. ‘Congratulations. You’ve been bought’ – Brandel Chamblee rips Phil Mickelson in latest attack

Our Jason Daniels…”Chamblee was out of the traps quickly, telling Golf Channel:”

“Have you ever heard such flatulant verbage?” asked Chamblee. “It wasn’t that long ago he was talking about the atrocities of his now employer and saying they were ‘scary mfers‘. Now he’s saying,‘I love the side that I’m on.’ He and Greg Norman, they both remind me so much of each other. At their best, they were capable of great athletic poety but they’ve both become writers of fiction.”

He continued, “I’ve watched them all year long wiggling in their press seats and trying to dissolve the difference between words and deeds.”

“Both of them have been compelled to confront the figure of Mohammed bin Salman, MBS, and neither of them have been able to rationalise their alliance with a murderer. So they throw their arms up in the air and say, ‘We’re not politicians.’ But every single chance they get, they are politicking their talking points.”

“It’s lost on them that they’re working for a dictator and dictators are notoriously good at manipulating people to the incremental change it takes to get to tyranny. Greg Norman and Phil Mickelson seem like they’ve formed this intense relationship that’s going to be durable because it’s based upon a company enemy, which is the truth.”

“It’s a shocking contradiction. MBS claims to be this man of reform but in the same breath, he’s ordering the murder, the jailing and the torture of people who are fighting for reform. That is the person who controls the fund, who funds the tour, that Phil Mickelson says ‘he loves the side he’s on’.

Chamblee concludes, “Congratulations. You’ve been bought.”

Full piece.

5. What Phil is doing (according to Michael Bamberger)

Michael Bamberger of the Firepit Collective…”But just as Phil can parse his off-the-pine-needles second shot on the 13th hole on Sunday at the 2010 Masters, any of his press-conference comments can be parsed too, including those three sentences.”

“Mickelson is not denying that he talked to Shipnuck, my longtime colleague and friend. He’s not denying that he said disparaging things about other Saudis—not the LIV guys!—like the scary motherfuckers who ordered and carried out the killing of the dissident newspaper columnist Jamal Khashoggi.”

“But what Mickelson said is to me an obvious effort to confuse the broad sports-following public, not those of us in its weeds. Normal people don’t have the time to try to understand the nuance of what Phil said. He must know that some people will take his comment to mean he didn’t talk to Shipnuck at all.”

Full piece.

6. In Gee Chun remains sidelined

Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols…”In Gee Chun won’t tee it up at home this week in South Korea at the BMW Ladies Championship. The three-time major champion took a four-week break from her golf clubs after an MRI and X-ray tests showed inflammation in the shoulder area and a diagnosis of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, according to her longtime coach Won Park.”

“Chun, 28, last competed on the LPGA in August at the CP Women’s Open in Canada. Her last start came in mid-September at the KB Financial Group Star Championship on the KLPGA. In addition to this week’s BMW, Chun missed the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America and Mediheal Championship as a result of injury.”

Full piece.

7. Carts burst into flames

Mark H. Bickel for Fort Myers News-Press…“Thick black smoke could be seen billowing from Sanibel Island on Sunday as recovery efforts continued there from the damage caused by Hurricane Ian.”

“The smoke, which could be seen around Sanibel and from the mainland, was caused by golf carts that caught on fire at The Dunes Golf & Tennis Club.”

“Mike Dopslaff, the PGA club professional at The Dunes, explained what he thought caused the fire.”

“I believe it was another reaction to the salt water and the Lithium battery (in the golf carts),” Dopslaff said.

Full Piece.

8. Rory most marketable golfer

Jamie Hall for Bunkered…”Rory McIlroy is officially the most marketable golfer in the world – at least, according to a new study.”

“SportsPro has revealed its top 50 Most Marketable (50MM) athletes for 2022, with four-time major winner McIlroy making it onto the list. However, the Northern Irishman is the only golfer listed.”

“He is ranked 48th on the list, a long way back of footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, who was named the most marketable athlete in the world. McIlroy only just made the top 50 despite winning the FedEx Cup, contending at the majors and repeatedly speaking out in the LIV Golf/PGA Tour row.”

Full Piece.

9. Bakshi sisters hoping to be next Kordas

Giles Goford for BBC Sport…”Spending too much time in a bunker isn’t normally conducive to a starting a golf career, but for sisters Jahanvi and Hitaashee Bakshi, it was the perfect beginning.”

“I played in the sand for two years when I started going to the golf course” says 18-year-old Hitaashee, “but then, I was only six years old.”

“The Indian professionals were introduced to golf by their parents, in a country, where before 2005, there was no avenue for women to earn money from the game.”

“At first, I was fascinated by the birds and the squirrels at the course”, says 19-year-old Jahanvi, winner of four titles on the domestic Women’s Professional Golf Tour in India. “Then, once you win a tournament, there is no going back. My ultimate ambition is to earn a place in the LPGA Hall of Fame”.

“Hitaashee, who also has four domestic tour wins, and Jahanvi will be among 30 Indian players competing in this week’s Women’s Indian Open on the Ladies European Tour (LET) in Delhi – it’s a crucial event for the development of homegrown talent, and has been sorely missed on the schedule following cancellations because of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021.”

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