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US 19.5 Internationals 14.5

The Presidents Cup was about as laid back an event as it’s US team captain Fred Couples. No talk of hatred of one side from the other. No earbuds stuck in the captains ear. The only thing over the top involved assistant captain Michael Jordan smoking a cigar on the course leading to the threat of a fine. Only in San Francisco would smoking outdoors be considered hazardous to anyone but the smoker, though l will grant that Mr. Jordan’s cigars might be confused for a coal fired plant smokestack. Ridiculous I say. I have to confess I did not pay a lot of attention to the Sunday singles, after all the Vikings were playing and priorities are rearranged at this time of year(especially when they can go 5-0 with a win). But the matches earlier in the week were highly entertaining. When the top three players in the world, all Americans, combine to go 13-1-1, that’s something that gets my attention. Tiger Woods going 5-0, winning four times with new BFF Steve Stricker, was a highlight comparable to Phil Mickleson going 4-0-1 with three different partners. There must be something about the glow of the “goofy Mickleson grin” that rubs off on young guys. Some kind of pixie dust thing perhaps. Mr. Woods is still the worlds best and showed it Saturday, rolling in a 22 foot birdie putt on the 17th hole and following that up with a 229 yard 3 iron to three feet on the 18th hole to preserve the win. Amazing.

Published

17 years ago

Oct 12, 2009

Eric Schuster

Only in San Francisco would smoking outdoors be considered hazardous to anyone but the smoker, though l will grant that Mr. Jordan’s cigars might be confused for a coal fired plant smokestack. Ridiculous I say. I have to confess I did not pay a lot of attention to the Sunday singles, after all the Vikings were playing and priorities are rearranged at this time of year(especially when they can go 5-0 with a win). But the matches earlier in the week were highly entertaining. When the top three players in the world, all Americans, combine to go 13-1-1, that’s something that gets my attention.

Tiger Woods going 5-0, winning four times with new BFF Steve Stricker, was a highlight comparable to Phil Mickleson going 4-0-1 with three different partners. There must be something about the glow of the "goofy Mickleson grin" that rubs off on young guys. Some kind of pixie dust thing perhaps. Mr. Woods is still the worlds best and showed it Saturday, rolling in a 22 foot birdie putt on the 17th hole and following that up with a 229 yard 3 iron to three feet on the 18th hole to preserve the win. Amazing.

Even Justin Leonard channeled the Joker after missing a tiny putt to give the Internationals a draw and some hope. Mr. Leonard stormed into the players room, stalked up to the bar and slammed back five shots and chugged a beer. Concern spread throughout the team room as this unfolded. Funny thing was the shot glasses contained water, conviently set out by Fluff Cowan, Jim Furyk’s caddy. Pretty good from a guy who will never be compared to George Lopez( and not because Mr. Leonard is not Mexican ok all you literalists).

The Internationals reflected the woes of captain Greg Norman in much the same way the US team matched Mr. Couples. Mr. Norman had shoulder surgery last week, his new marriage appears to have run into difficulty, and his captains pick of Adam Scott proved a dismal failure. Tough on you sir, hopefully it’ll end soon. Even the magic of Tim Clark sweeping in putts from everywhere with the broom handled putter was not enough in an event where two others, Retief Goosen and Camilo Villegas, combined for zero points. Even the aforementioned Mr. Scott managed one point, a noteworthy acheivement considering he’s been reminding me of David Duval all year. Ryo Ishikawa was 3-2 for Mr. Norman’s team. Considering he is only 18 years old, the object of a horde of Japanese photographers and writers made that a very worthy performance. One thing amazed me, if anyone from the International team wanted to be sure of getting their picture in the papers, they only had to sidle up to Mr. Ishikawa as gigabytes worth of photos were taken of the young star on a daily basis. Tell me that wouldn’t play with your head.

An entertaining event, if you rooted for the Americans, not so much if you are an International fan. As the worlds best players pack their game away for the year, going off to do whatever it is they do when not playing tournaments, I salute a season that was quite satisfying. In a year that brought a lot of challenges to a lot of folks, the PGA and golf in general provided a small respite from those issues. Now off to the World Series and the NFL season.

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

Published

2 days 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.

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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