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Morning 9: Annika new ANGC member? | Morikawa’s putter shaft switch | More USGA champs for Pinehurst

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Wednesday morning, golf fans, as the PGA Tour takes a rare week off from action.

1. Annika an ANGC member?

Adam Schupak for Golfweek…”Annika Sorenstam, winner of 10 women’s majors and 72 LPGA Tour titles, was recently fitted for a green jacket.”

  • “According to multiple sources who spoke to Golfweek on the condition of anonymity, Sorenstam, 53, officially became a member at Augusta National Golf Club earlier this month when the club opened for the current season. A spokesperson for Augusta National Golf Club declined to comment. Mike McGee, Sorenstam’s husband and manager, also declined to comment.”
  • “Augusta National has traditionally cited membership as a private matter and gone to great lengths to keep its membership list, which is believed to be in the neighborhood of 300 and includes a group of some of the wealthiest and most powerful businessmen — and since 2012 women — private.”
Full piece.

2. Final 10 Grant Thornton Invitational teams announced

Via PGATour.com…”Tournament officials today announced the remaining 10 teams that will compete in the Grant Thornton Invitational set to debut Dec. 8-10, 2023, at the Tiburón Golf Club in Naples, Florida.”

  • Charley Hull and Justin Rose
  • Megan Khang and Denny McCarthy
  • Céline Boutier and Harris English
  • Andrea Lee and Billy Horschel
  • Mel Reid and Russell Henley
  • Cheyenne Knight and Tom Hoge
  • Madelene Sagström and Ludvig Åberg
  • Allisen Corpuz and Cameron Champ
  • Ruoning Yin and Nick Taylor
  • Leona Maguire and Lucas Glover
Full piece.

3. Jackson Van Paris breaks through at St. Andrews

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”Jackson Van Paris was a can’t miss junior player. Consistently in the mix in the biggest events, even as a 14-year-old at the 2019 U.S. Amateur, where he won a match to nearly break Bobby Jones’ record as the youngest to do so. Winner of two AJGA invitationals and the prestigious Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in 2020. In same breath as, and often ahead of, contemporaries such as Gordon Sargent, Preston Summerhays and David Ford.”

  • “College golf, though, hadn’t come nearly as easy for the Pinehurst, North Carolina, native – that is, until recently.”
  • “Now a junior at Vanderbilt, Van Paris notched his first college individual win Tuesday at the St. Andrews Links Collegiate. Van Paris carded just three bogeys over two rounds around St. Andrews’ Jubilee Course, a tough layout made more difficult by cold and windy conditions, and his 9-under total left him three shots clear of runner-up and Vanderbilt teammate Cole Sherwood.”
Full piece.

4. More USGA championships for Pinehurst

Golf Digest’s Joel Beall…”Six more USGA championships will be heading to Pinehurst in the near future, underlining the USGA’s commitment to making the North Carolina mecca one of the governing body’s anchor sites.”

  • “The USGA announced Tuesday that the 2027 U.S. Women’s Amateur, 2032 U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Girls’ Junior, 2038 U.S. Amateur, 2044 U.S. Women’s Amateur and a future U.S. Adaptive Open have been added to Pinehurst’s hosting slate.”
  • “Bringing more championships to a venue like Pinehurst is a testament to the USGA’s commitment to our long term partnership with the resort and our promise of expanding the presence of our organization in the area,” said John Bodenhamer, chief championships officer of the USGA. “Pinehurst’s rich golfing heritage and commitment to excellence make it the perfect setting for all of the USGA’s world-class events. Their commitment to our Open championships is incredible, and now we are able to shine a light on the amateur game here as well.”
Full piece.

5. Morikawa’s putter shaft switch

GolfWRX for PGATour.com…”Prior to Summer 2023, however, Morikawa and Sweeney noticed that the differential between the lightweight TP Soto blade putter head, and the heavy graphite shaft, could be affecting his feel. Morikawa didn’t want the stiffness of the shaft to change, though, because he liked the consistency it added to his stroke.”

  • “So, Morikawa – and Sweeney – wanted an extra stiff putter shaft, but with an ultra-lightweight construction to better match with his TP Soto blade putter head.”
  • “The products that Morikawa tested included a Mitsubishi Diamana P-135 shaft, which uses the same weave and materials that the company uses in its flagship products, and the shaft is designed to reduce torque and increase stability throughout the stroke.”
  • “He liked it, but the shaft was still too heavy.”
  • “That’s when Mitsubishi got into re-design mode and built Morikawa a 1-of-1 prototype. According to the company, its designers were able to retain the same stiffness as the heavier model, while reducing the weight of the shaft to 105 grams.”
Full piece.

6. Nelly still searching

Kent Paisley for Golf Digest…”Oddly enough, this season, Korda doesn’t have a win of her own, but has posted seven top 10s in 15 starts, has been the No. 1 player in the world twice, and has represented the U.S. in both the International Crown and Solheim Cup. With four events remaining, Korda is staring down the possibility of a winless year during a non-COVID impacted season for the first time since her rookie season in 2017.”

  • “I think the season has been up and down,” Korda explained. “There have been really good finishes. At the beginning of the year golf felt really easy. Just was top-10-ing, and then I got injured and the momentum of my season really shifted. So kind of a little bit disappointing obviously, but that’s golf, right? You kind of have to ride the wave of it. You got to put your head down and sometimes work.
  • “I’ve been doing that, and I’m hoping for a momentum shift going into this week and then the last two in Florida as well. But, yeah, definitely a bit of an up and down year, which, you know, they’re sports, so I feel like athletes are always kind of in a spotlight, so when we have bad days they’re really magnified too. So unfortunately I’ve definitely had a few of those this year, but hoping to change that momentum.”
Full piece.

7. LIV said no?

Our Matt Vincenzi…”According to DP World Tour player Eddie Pepperell, LIV Golf rejected a potential deal with Jon Rahm prior to the 2023 season due to the Spaniard’s asking price being astronomical.”

  • “While speaking on “The Chipping Forecast” podcast, Pepperell said LIV approached about fifteen players asking what their prospective price would be to leave their current tour to join LIV.”
  • “I heard that Jon Rahm… I heard that LIV had approached 15 players this year asking them for a rough figure as to what would get them across and I was told that Rahm’s figure was so prohibitively large that LIV rejected it. So, make of that what you want.”
  • There has been some speculation that the reigning Masters champion would be open to joining LIV over the past few years. Rahm has defended his fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia’s decision to join LIV and said he believes the 43-year-old should be included in the Ryder Cup in the future and called Garcia’s ban “stupid”.
Full Piece.

8. Bubba on the up?

Eric J. Wallace for the Palm Beach Post…”Bubba Watson may not have been able to catch Bryson DeChambeau and Crushers GC at the LIV Golf team championship on Sunday, but a stellar final-round performance at Trump Doral Miami proved he’s still got the game to be a star in the future of the Saudi-backed league.”

  • “Watson shot 67 and his team, the pink-clad Range Goats, finished 9-under and two shots away from the team championship behind DeChambeau’s victorious Crushers GC.”
  • “I’m excited. I went bogey-free on the Blue Monster,” Watson said. “The whole goal was to play solid golf and help the team. And I did.
  • “What a year. The Range Goats came out of nowhere. We played great and just have to improve a little bit.”
Full Piece.

9. Brooks: People are afraid to be honest

Mike Hall for Golf Monthly…”Brooks Koepka has admitted that he choked during the final round of The Masters to finish runner-up with fellow LIV Golf player Phil Mickelson as Jon Rahm closed out the Augusta National title.”

  • “The 33-year-old made the admission in an interview with Golf Monthly, saying: “I don’t care what other people think. People are afraid to be honest. Nowadays, we try to put it softly so it doesn’t sound too bad, but you can’t tell me that’s not what I did.”
Full Piece.

Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

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Tour Photo Galleries

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

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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!

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Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

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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.

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Tour Tech Rundown: Heroic Henley

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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

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

  • Driver: Ping 440 LST
  • Metal: Ping G440 Max at 15 degrees
  • Metal: Ping G425 Max at 21 degrees
  • Hybrid: Ping G430 at 25 degrees
  • Irons: Ping Blueprint S 5 through PW
  • Wedges: Ping S159 at 52, 56, and 60 degrees
  • Putter: Ping PLD Anser

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