News

Morning 9: Tiger’s return | Enter the Dahmen | Go for it at 10!

Published

3 years ago

Feb 16, 2023

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco and Matthew Vincenzi.

For comments: [email protected]

February 16, 2023

Good Thursday morning, golf fans, as Tiger Woods returns to action at Riviera!

1. Details: Tiger’s pro-am

Paolo Uggetti for Golf Digest…”Woods, who will play with Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy in the first two rounds of the tournament starting Thursday, arrived at Riviera Country Club Wednesday before sunrise and practiced at the range with lights before his 6:30 a.m. tee time. At the time Woods teed off, the sun was just peeking out over the horizon and the temperature was in the low 40s. It remained there throughout the front nine holes while the wind picked up significantly. Woods, wearing what appeared to be several layers, looked cold but comfortable swinging.”

“During the first part of his round Wednesday, Woods’ gait looked more normal than it has in the past, with no noticeable limp, though he did appear to take his time and care walking up and down steep slopes. By the back nine, he did look to be walking more gingerly, avoiding putting too much weight on his ankle. After picking up his ball on the 16th hole, Woods did not play the rest of the way and took his time walking back up the clubhouse. He did not take a cart.”

Full piece.

2. Enter the Dahmen

Josh Weinfuss for ESPN…”Except, there are parts of their lives that make them quite different. Dahmen is in his seventh PGA Tour season, has made more than $10 million in career earnings and, starting Wednesday, will have his pre-baby life shared on “Full Swing” to Netflix’s 231 million subscribers.”

“It doesn’t make any sense,” the 35-year-old told ESPN.

“Armed with the bravado of a sleep-deprived dad, Dahmen is going to try to take advantage of his 15 minutes — or 44, if you watch the entirety of Episode 4, which is Dahmen’s, titled “Imposter Syndrome” — of fame.”

“I wonder if Netflix will give me a free subscription now instead of me paying whatever it is, $6 a month for it?” he said. “I’m going to take that one and go see if they’ll give me a free month, at least.”

Full piece.

3. LIVing on a Pereira

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach…”Mito Pereira, who last year squandered a chance to become the first man from Chile to win a major championship and the first PGA Tour rookie to win one in 11 years, has officially joined the LIV Golf League.”

“Pereira, 27, and Sebastian Munoz, another PGA Tour member, were among four players on the Torque GC roster that was unveiled by LIV Golf on Wednesday. Captain Joaquin Niemann, who is from Chile, and former Arizona State star David Puig also are back.”

Full piece.

4. Looking forward to a dinner he’s not really looking forward to

Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch…”The Champions Dinner is the most mannered moment at golf’s most genteel event, a place where Woods has been honored five times as the returning champion. He understands the intent of the evening. “We as a whole need to honor Scottie, Scottie’s the winner, it’s his dinner,” he insisted. But he clearly grasps that the broader context in which the dinner is being held cannot and will not be ignored.”

“There may be LIV players present on that Tuesday in Augusta with whom Woods (and other outspoken Masters champs, like Fred Couples) can be civil. Like Dustin Johnson, who took the money, resigned his Tour membership and walked away without friction. It will be tougher to keep his food down while seated across from former colleagues — as distinct from peers — who have accused him in court filings of conspiring illegally with the PGA Tour and dispatched subpoena servers in his direction.”

“Realizing the nature of what has transpired and the people that have left, just where our situations are either legally, emotionally, there’s a lot there,” he said, leaving a distinct impression that if asked he might decline to pass the salt to Sergio or the silverware to Reed.

Full piece.

5. “Good but not great”

Golfweek’s Adam Schupak…

“Here’s my one-sentence review of Netflix’s golf documentary “Full Swing:” It’s good, not great…That probably isn’t going to make a billboard, but especially if you consider yourself a hardcore golf fan you might come away underwhelmed. The fact is, the golf fan isn’t the target audience; it’s geared toward welcoming a new audience to the game and I sincerely hope it succeeds to do for golf what “Drive to Survive” has done for Formula One.”

“Although I have my doubts…”

Full piece.

6. No laying up at 10!

Via the Golf Channel Digital team…“But the numbers have changed drastically in recent years. Just 49.5% of players went for the green at No. 10 in the 2014 Genesis. Since then, the percentages have steadily increased – to the point where nearly everyone is playing aggressively.”

…”But does going for the green lead to lower scores? The data is clear: yes, it does.”

“Here’s a look at scoring averages for those who went for the green and those who laid up, from 2015-20 at the Genesis (2021 and ’22 were excluded because the sample size of layups is too small). As you can see, players who went for the green, on average, score a quarter-stroke lower than those who didn’t.”

“These numbers hit across the entire field, from the top to the bottom. And, unsurprisingly, the top players in this week’s field have employed the aggressive go-for-it strategy at No. 10.”

Full Piece.

7. On Brooksy

From the Golf Digest staff’s Netflix Full Swing breakdown. Shane Ryan writes…”We have to talk about Brooksy. I don’t know if people are going to like him more after this—I suspect not—and I don’t even know if this presents an accurate picture of what his life is like on a day-to-day basis. But man, it was certainly a warts-and-all performance! You can tell he’s hooked on the idea of being a Jordan-esque (or Tiger-esque) badass, but the problem in golf is that nobody but Tiger ever stays on top for very long, and he simply can’t handle life in the middle. There’s a certain entitlement here, a certain neuroses, and a certain lack of perspective. You see a scene like the empty trophy case spots, and while it’s clear the vacancies are supposed to be inspiring, now the whole thing is just sad; not to get too ham-handed here, but it’s a pretty damn good metaphor for the emptiness he seems to feel at his core.”

“The great irony is that all his swashbuckling attitude works against him now that his prime is over. His decision to go to LIV is depicted here as an act of submission, like a dog showing its belly; he can’t go toe-to-toe with the Scottie Schefflers of the world anymore, so he’s surrendering. It’s not very Jordan-like, and Koepka may come looking at times like a bit of a whiner, but I also think he deserves credit for that level of openness with the cameras. I certainly didn’t expect him to admit that he was on a downward trajectory in his career, for one thing. This is one of those situations where I can’t wait to see what the general public says when the episode is released.”

Full Piece.

8. Tiger Woods WITB

Driver: TaylorMade Stealth Plus (9 degrees @7.5)

Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X

3-wood: TaylorMade SIM Titanium (15 degrees @14.25)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX

5-wood: TaylorMade M3 (19 degrees @18.25)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX

Irons: 2023 TaylorMade P770 (3-iron), TaylorMade P7TW (4-PW)

Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: TaylorMade MG3 Raw (56-12TW), TaylorMade MG3 Raw (60-11TW)

Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS prototype

Grip: Ping PP58

Ball: Bridgestone Tour B X

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord 58R

Full Piece.

9. Photos from Riv

Check out all of our galleries from this week’s event!

Full Piece.

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

Published

1 day ago

Jun 1, 2026

Ben A

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