News

Morning 9: Rory’s mentality | Zalatoris earning degree | PIF chief to attend Open

Published

3 years ago

Jul 19, 2023

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Wednesday morning, golf fans, as we gear up for the final major of 2023.

1. Rory’s mentality now

Golf Channel’s Ryan Lavner…”McIlroy told Golf Channel on Tuesday that he’s in a wildly different place mentally than just two months ago, at the PGA Championship, where he admitted a few swing faults (he still tied for eighth) and expressed fatigue at being at the forefront of the PGA Tour-LIV war. His attitude is more positive now, after some off-the-course reflection, and he’s made a few conscious choices to return the focus to his performance. He has distanced himself from the ongoing drama. He has cut down on some of his media availabilities, as evidenced here at Hoylake. And he has adopted a more carefree mentality between the ropes.”

“I think it’s easier when you feel like you’re in control of everything, you’re not searching for things,” McIlroy said. “When everything feels in a good spot, I think then you can be a little more free and it flows a little more.

“It’s the really the chicken or the egg of what comes first, but when you get that technical stuff right and in control of that, it just makes everything else easier.”

Full piece.

2. “Fantastic job”

Golf Digest’s John Huggan…”Then it was into the politics. Last week Jordan Spieth and Xander Schauffele discussed players’ trust issues with PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan. Rahm’s feelings on the subject of the deal struck with the Saudi Public Investment Fund was always going to come up.”

“There has obviously been big changes for all of us,” Rahm said. “I did get a text from Jay, but I haven’t been able to speak to him. He has behaved so professionally and so well with me and my family. In that sense, he’s a really good man. As to what he’s been doing for us and the PGA Tour, I think he’s done a fantastic job. It was unexpected what happened, but I still think he’s been doing a great job. Right now, I think it’s fair to give them time to work things out. I still think they have the best interest of the players at heart. All we have right now is a framework agreement. It’s an agreement to have an agreement. We really don’t have anything right now that allows us to judge what they’ve done.”

Full piece.

3. BK and ZJ

Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…”Koepka, whose chances to earn Ryder Cup points has been limited to majors because of his status on LIV Golf, is third on the U.S. points list and he can lock up his spot on this year’s team with a solid week at The Open, otherwise, he would need to be one of Johnson’s six picks.”

“Koepka called the conversation “interesting” and didn’t seem concerned about his status on this year’s team.”

“It was just hearing his perspective and all the stuff he’s got to do. The PGA of America does a really good job in easing it for him, and just kind of talking about the preparation for it, what our team is going to do, where are we going to be, and just a little bit more about the shuffle of guys and the stuff they have kind of behind the scenes, stats, stuff like that,” Koepka said. “It’s quite interesting just hearing about it all. I guess when you look at the standings, where guys are, versus I guess some events don’t count at the end of last year. If you just equate all that as equal, where everybody would stand.”

Full piece.

4. “Koepka world” again

Yahoo’s Jay Busbee…”Koepka sat down for his Tuesday morning British Open press conference looking like a man with the world at his feet. Sporting a snow-white Nike ballcap and form-fitting pullover — the better to show off his very un-golfer-like guns — Koepka radiated the kind of easy jock confidence that was completely missing from his Netflix episode.”

“And why not? It’s been nothing but blue skies since those dark days of last spring. Koepka has signed with LIV and banked millions — perhaps tens of millions, perhaps more — while also finding his game again, dueling Jon Rahm on Masters Sunday and capturing the PGA Championship, his fifth major, in May.”

“That run brought back memories of 2018 and 2019, when Koepka was all but untouchable. During that run, he won three of the seven majors in which he played, and finished in the top four in three more. Asked if he felt like he was maintaining his major-winning form from earlier this year, Koepka responded in his laconic-gunfighter style.”

Full piece.

5. Zalatoris finishing degree during recovery

Max Schreiber for Golf Channel…”So what has he been up to?”

“I’m graduating right now, finishing up my degree from Wake Forest,” Zalatoris said Monday on the “Chris Vernon Show”. “Now, I’m starting to be able to do stuff, it’s great. Because the first eight weeks where I wasn’t able to do anything … I ordered every book I could possibly find and I’m not much of a reader. I’m like signing up for classes. I’m finding stuff to do just because I knew I was going to go insane.”

“The 26-year-old, who forwent his final semester at Wake Forest in 2017 to turn professional, claimed his maiden PGA Tour victory last year at the FedEx St. Jude Championship amid a season of many close calls. However, less than a week later, Zalatoris suffered two herniated disks during a tee shot at the BMW Championship, causing him to shelve his clubs for the rest of 2022.”

Full piece.

6. “Call it whatever the hell you want”

Michael Weston for Golf Monthly…”Former Open champion Collin Morikawa has weighed in on the great ‘What should you call The Open’ debate, saying when you’ve won golf’s oldest Major Championship, you can “Call it whatever the hell you like”.”

Full Piece.

7. Can you blame him?

Golf Digest’s Joel Beall…”For the better part of two years, in the void of true, public-facing leadership in the PGA Tour’s battle against an existential threat, McIlroy stepped into the role and took a stand for what he believed was right. “Every chance I get, I’m trying to defend what I feel is the best place to play elite professional golf in the world,” McIlroy said last fall on why he was so vocal against the schism caused by LIV Golf. “If you believe in something, you have to speak up, and I believe very strongly about this. I really do. I hate what it’s doing to the game of golf.” By putting himself on the line, he put his performances on the line, and there’s no questioning the gumption it takes to have conviction in both while displaying constant grace through the struggle.”

“There’s an invisible weight that comes with great responsibility, however, a cost McIlroy did not fully realize until this spring. The sport and its civil war and their demands consumed him. McIlroy needed a “reset” after a missed cut at the Masters, realizing he was holding on too tight. “I’ve always thought I’ve had a good handle on the perspective on things and sort of where golf fits within my life, and trying to find purpose outside of golf in some way,” McIlroy said in May. “But I think over the last 12 months, I sort of lost sight of that. I’d lost sight of the fact that there’s more to life than the golf world and this little silly squabble that’s going on between tours, and all sorts of stuff.”

Full Piece.

8. Al-Rumayyan to attend Open

James Corrigan for the Telegraph…”Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the £500 billion Saudi sovereign wealth fund and also the chairman of LIV Golf, is due to attend the 151st Open at Hoylake this week as a guest of one of the R&A’s main sponsors.”

“His expected presence at the weekend will highlight the game’s radically changed landscape after last month’s shock announcement of the merger between the Public Investment Fund and the PGA and DP World Tours.”

“Al-Rumayyan, who is also the chairman of Newcastle United, is establishing himself among the sport’s establishment despite the United States department of justice investigating the alliance. Amanda Staveley, a key associate and co-investor during the purchase of Newcastle, is believed to be joining Al-Rumayyan.”

Full Piece.

9. Photos from the Barracuda Championship

Check out our galleries from this week’s event.

Full Piece.

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

Published

6 hours 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

2026 The Memorial – Monday #1

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

News

Tour Tech Rundown: Heroic Henley

Published

17 hours 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