News

Tour Rundown: Tale of two Nicks decides second stop in Hawaii

Published

1 year ago

Jan 13, 2025

Golf season begins not with a roar, but rather, a whisper. Led by the US PGA Tour, the world’s barnstorming circuits ramp up their presence each January, until five-plus events take place each weekend. In 2025, professional golf on a virtual stage was added to the fixture, offering yet another viewing alternative to the dedicated fan. This past week, events took place in Hawaii, the Middle East, and Florida, while a fourth began play on Sunday. Week two of the 2025 season offers a brief but enticing Tour Rundown, with much more to anticipate in the coming weeks.

TGL @ Day One: The Bay takes down New York Golf Club

No one knew what to expect from the first-ever, Tomorrow Golf League (TGL for short) golf match. We didn’t expect Rickie Fowler in glasses (a good look) and we didn’t expect the NYGC to go down five holes after the first four holes. Say what? Not a typo. The Bay played great team golf and benefitted from an ill-fated toss of The Hammer (a double-or-nothing proposition). Needing to mount a comeback, NYGC managed to three-jack the fifth green and go down six points to nil. At the final green of triples (the first format of the evening) NYGC salvaged some pride with a win, to reduce the deficit to five.

In addition to the team’s fine play, The Bay won the sartorial struggle with its mint tops. Most golfers already have the navy blue of the NYGC, but mint green is not a standard look in the golfer’s wardrobe. Doubtless the PGA Tour Superstore website was humming with TBGC swag purchases.

The technology of the event was easily the brightest star. The diverse playing surfaces impacted play as they were intended to do. The massive simulator screen gave the live and streaming audiences profound access to the virtual course and the shots. The touch screen that enabled golfers to select alignment and distance was a chef’s kiss. Critical to the experience was the alien nature of the course layout. None of the holes exists in nature as we know it, so there was no potential for comparison of the virtual with the real.

The match itself was over early, with TBGC past dormie. There was much to play for, despite the outcome. The tie-break for the playoffs is total holes won over the course of the season, and The Bay kept the gas pedal pushed hard. The final score was 9-2, in favor ot The Bay.

Strategizing over the @BestBuy Digital Caddie. pic.twitter.com/2b42slTDht

— TGL (@TGL) January 8, 2025

PGA Tour @ SONY Open in Hawaii: Tale of two Nicks decides second stop in Hawaii

Nick Taylor does not shy away from decisive, dramatic moments. Canadian fans will forever remember his two-province putt for eagle at the 2023 Canadian Open, to defeat Tommy Fleetwood in extra time and end the decades-long dearth of homegrown winners. This week in Hawaii, Taylor once again summoned greatness to gain access to a playoff at the SONY Open in Hawaii. To the best of our knowledge, Adam Hadwin exhibited great caution in staying away from the final green, in order to preserve his health.

Taylor and Nico Echavarria were paired in the third-from-last threesome, and signed for matching 65s, tied for the day’s low number. After Echavarria played a distant bunker shot from greenside front left to within two feet, Taylor took advantage of grandstand relief and chipped in for eagle. Behind them, both JJ Spaun and Stephen Jaeger were unable to make up ground at the last, and match the two Nicks at 16-under par. Echavarria and Taylor returned to the 18th tee to decide matters in extra holes. The first go-round decided nothing, as each made birdie four. The second trip along Waialae’s final fairway was a bit more adventurous. Taylor found fairway bunker off the tee, then left himself in a challenging spot in fairway right, with a valley of sin looming between him and the hole. His pitch was crisp, his ball setled within four feet of the hole, and he made another birdie to finally relegate his opponent to runner-up status.

A chip-in eagle to tie the lead!@NTaylorGolf59 comes up clutch at the last @SonyOpenHawaii. pic.twitter.com/tNeTa9xQKM

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 13, 2025

DP World Tour: GB&I side claims victory in Team Cup

It’s rare that a team competition takes place early in any season. Players may not be at their best, and some might still be on vacation. It’s a gamble, for certain, but one worth taking. The team cup in Abu-Dhabi featured four sessions this weekend. Play began Friday with a round of four-ball (also known as team better ball) and was followed by two Saturday segments of foursomes (aka alternate shot) format. Sunday presented all twenty players in ten singles matches, to decide the winning side.

These matches featured a team of Great Britain & Ireland golfers, pitted against a squad from continental Europe. From the outset, the Islanders took command of the lead and never seemed remotely interested in letting Europe back in. Friday saw a 3.5-1.5 advantage, thanks to initial wins from top point-getters Laurie Canter and Tommy Fleetwood. Each would amass four points on the week, totalling eight for the European side. Each partnered well with other golfers, and team Europe simply had no answer.

Europe’s captain, Francesco Molinari, had a rough weekend on course and in the strategy room. Molinari earned one-half point in four matches, and exhibited some interesting pairing decisions. He opted to pair experience with inexperience, rather than matching two strong to ensure a true run at a match point. Rather than pair brothers Niklas and Rasmus Hojgaard, the siblings were split during all four, partner matches, and none won a point. The bright side for Europe was the French alliance of Roman Langasque and Matthieu Pavon. The duo won all three of its matches, accounting for the only outright wins for the side in partner matches.

The final tally was a decisive 17-8 victory for GB&I. At the very least, Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald has a sense of who might feature on his side at Bethpage Black in the fall. Certainly, Langasque and Pavon deserve a look as captain’s picks, if they don’t make the team outright.

The approach and putt from @TommyFleetwood1‘s incredible eagle! ?#TeamCup pic.twitter.com/efSDVzt3kF

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) January 12, 2025

Korn Ferry Tour Teaser: How does 60 for openers sound?

I love the Bahamma breeze that opens each Korn Ferry tour season. Two events that run from Sunday to Wednesday, are just the sort of disruption that holds my attention. Just as other events are finishing up, the Bahammas events start their engines. Is it a sustainable way for professional golf? Not when you want fans to turn out on days off from work, on Saturday and Sunday. For early and late-season events, however, it’s a nice twist.

Speaking of twists, consider the Sunday that John VanDerLaan had. The former, Florida Southern student-athlete turned for home in minus-two, thanks to three birdies against one bogey. After par at the tenth, he followed with eagle at eleven, then six consecutive birdies. His par at the last gave him 28 on the inward half, for a round of 60 and a two-shot lead over Rick Lamb and Pierceson Coody

54 holes remain, so stay tuned!

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