News – GolfWRX

Tour Rundown: Surprise USWO winner | Sepp surges

Ronald Montesano — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 09:00:52 +0000

I know it’s not the tour, and I know it’s a shell of its 1912 US Open self, but a 59 in a legitimate tournament is a thing. The Erie County (NY) Amateur was played at the course where I learned the game, and a collegiate named Ryan Edholm posted 59 on Sunday, to win by eight shots. I was glued to the feed, and jumped up when I saw them finalize the score.

To the tours! The USGA celebrated its Women’s Open championship at storied Pebble Beach Golf Links this week, and the USA was treated to prime-time golf viewing for a second consecutive, national championship. Neither the competitors nor the golf course disappointed, and it is a pleasure to provide an extended look at the tournament. The PGA Tour visited TPC Deere Run in Illinois, while the DP World Tour found a home in Denmark. Let’s have a look at how each event concluded, with this week’s Tour Rundown.

USGA/LPGA: Corpuz arrives from nowhere to claim United States Open title

If you hurry up and check Allisen Corpuz’s wiki page, you’ll see the one professional win on her record is the Hawaii Women’s State Open. Venerable an event as it is, it’s not an LPGA-calibre title, nor even a Symetra Tour win. Even more important, she won that event when she was all of 16 years of age, so she wasn’t even a pro! After schooling at Southern Cal and a stint on the 2021 USA Curtis Cup side, Corpuz turned pro, and earned two top-three finishes in her first two years on tour.

Forgive us for a moment if we talk about that other wain who won her first tour event in her first tour start. Yup, Rose Zhang was at Pebble Beach, but she only finished one-over par and only tied for 9th position. What did Corpuz do? She won the whole thing, lock, stock and barrel. Corpuz began the week 69-70 to not only make the cut, but earn herself a final-pair spot with Bailey Tardy on Saturday. While Tardy struggled to a 75, AC held it together and posted a fine 71. Her reward was a second-consecutive day in the final duo, this time with the on-fire Nasa Hataoka. Hataoka delivered a 66, the only score below 70 on the day. That’s one hot round.

Hataoka had been here before. She finished runner-up in two other major championships, and was eager to shelve the mantel of almost and replace it with certain. Sunday was not her day, however, and she struggled to five bogeys and a birdie, a 76, and a tie for fourth with the aforementioned Bailey Tardy. Tardy came back from her 75 with a 73, earning a top-five major placement.

Back to Corpuz. The lass from Honolulu made six birdies on the day. She began with stroke-savers on holes one and three, then made bogeys at four and nine, along with another birdie at seven. She turned in one-under 35, and began to put distance between herself and the field. Then came Charley Hull, and things began to change.

Hull found the same flint that Hataoka encountered on day three. The English pro made birdie at four of her first five holes, and turned in 32. Three birdies against one bogey on the inward half gave her a 66, the low round of the day. Her reward was a tie for second spot with another Sunday Queen, Jiyai Shin of Korea. Shin signed for 68 and reached the same, 6-under par total as Hull. No one, on this day, would track Allisen down.

Corpuz put the doubters to bed with three birdies over the first seven holes on the vaunted, back nine at Pebble Beach. A meaningless bogey at 17 meant that her margin of victory was reduced to three strokes. After safely walking the final fairway, Corpuz was an LPGA tour winner, a major champion and, in all likelihood, a member of Team USA in Spain’s 2023 Solheim Cup matches.

What pressure?

Allisen Corpuz is putting on a historic performance at Pebble Beach

Watch now on NBC! pic.twitter.com/6fzRYGPVYa

— LPGA (@LPGA) July 9, 2023

PGA Tour: Straka survives double bogey at last for second tour title

Josef Straka (no intel on how he earned the nickname “Sepp”) had golf social media ablaze this afternoon. He turned for home in 28 shots, and still had more in the tank. His front-nine eagle and five birdies were followed by four consecutive chirps from 11 to 14. Folks were talking 60, 59, 58. All that the boy from Austria had to do, was dock the boat. Well, he didn’t, finding water on 18 and a double bogey. He finished four days in Silvia at 21-under par, and didn’t think for a moment, that it would hold up.

Until it did. Neither Brendan Todd nor Alex Smalley could close with anything spicey, and Ludvig Aberg started too far back for his 63 to give him a shot. Todd and Smalley tied for second at 19-under par, with the precocious Aberg another stroke back, tied for 4th with Adam Schenk. It was Straka in the end, whose final-round 62 held up. Now, it’s off to Scotland for many, as preparations begin for the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.

This man can not miss.@SeppStraka needs to shoot 1-under in his final four holes for a round below 60 @JDClassic. pic.twitter.com/5mYhLtu84e

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 9, 2023

DP World Tour: Second Chance for Højgaard in home country

Rasmus Højgaard did nothing right down the stretch of the Made in HimmerLand stop on the DPWT. He finished well ahead of the leaders, and began to applaud his home-country fans for their presence. Then, Nacho Elvira and Richie Ramsey forgot how to finish the tournament, and just like that, Højgaard found himself in a playoff with Elvira for the title. We’ll get to the playoff (all six holes of it) in a moment. How did we get there?

Højgaard had himself a weekend, to the tune of 65-64. For a time, he thought that his 129 over the final two days would earn him a top-three finish, until tires started falling off. Elvira played his final six holes in plus-one, with three bogeys against two birdies. Robert MacIntyre stood three-under on the day, when his tee shot on 14 nearly went OOB. Six shots later, he posted a triple bogey on his card, added another bogey, and missed overtime by two shots. For Richie Ramsay, the knife cut the deepest. He had quietly worked his way to the top spot, only to see all his day’s efforts undone with a watery double at the 72nd hole. He finished solo third.

So it was left to the astonished Højgaard and the Spanish Elvira, to settle matters on the 18th hole … and the 18th hole … and the 18th hole again. Six times they returned to the final teeing ground, and five times, each man made par. On the sixth go-round, Elvira cracked and Rasmus claimed his fourth DPWT title. Three have come in playoffs — Luke Donald, you paying attention?

Shots of the week from Made in HimmerLand ?#MIH23 | @DP_World pic.twitter.com/deVZZStyEI

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) July 9, 2023

Morning 9: Co-leaders at USWO | Blixt fires 62 | DQ at Pebble

Ben Alberstadt — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 13:13:16 +0000

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com

Good Friday morning, golf fans, as day two of the Women’s US Open and John Deere Classic get underway.

1. Joint leaders at Pebble

AP Report…”Pebble Beach was everything the best women golfers in the world imagined for the first U.S. Women’s Open with its raw beauty, marine layer and chill in the air.”

“For some of them, it was a sheer beast.”

“Xiyu Janet Lin and Hyo Joo Kim could soak up the scenery, each of them with a 4-under 68 on Thursday to share the lead after one round of a historic week on one of the most famous golf courses in America.”

“We’re part of the history. It’s really cool,” Lin said. “I kind of told myself no matter what, this is going to be a memorable week.”

Full piece.

2. Why it means so much

Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols…”The 78th U.S. Women’s Open is, first and foremost, a celebration. Historians might look back on this championship a century from now and consider it the most consequential in Women’s Open in history.”

“For starters, it’s being staged on a course many consider a national treasure. The greatest to ever play the game have won here – Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Tom Watson. Even Babe Didrikson Zaharias and Patty Berg won the Weathervane Transcontinental Women’s Open at Pebble Beach in 1950 and ’51, not long after the LPGA was formed. They’d be shocked to learn it took this long to get invited back.”

“Players in this week’s field likely never dreamed of playing a U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble when they were McKayla’s age because it had never been done before.”

“In fact, most of the top players in the women’s game had never played Pebble, even in a casual setting, prior to their preparations for this week. Lydia Ko came earlier this spring with her husband for their first peek. Nelly Korda saw every hole for the first time Monday. Michelle Wie West played nine holes for the first time at media day in May and the rest last week.”

Full piece.

3. Blixt fires 62

AP Report…”Jonas Blixt got hot on the back nine at TPC Deere Run on Thursday, playing his last six holes in 6 under for a 9-under 62 and a 2-shot lead over Grayson Murray in the first round of the John Deere Classic.”

“Murray was 8 under through 13 holes but stalled from there. He bogeyed his final hole and shot 64. Cameron Young, the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 19, also closed with a bogey and was part of a big group 3 shots back.”

Full piece.

4. USWO pay bump

Kent Paisley for Golf Digest…”The USGA announced Wednesday that the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open purse is going up to $11 million, a $1 million raise from 2022. It’s now double the size of the purse of the 2021 championship and the largest prize money payout in women’s golf.”

“Talking about 12 hours of network TV and playing for $11 million, some things are better than what you dream of,” said USGA CEO Mike Whan. “When you go back 10 or 15 years ago, those are pretty big moments, and I hope that all of us aren’t both so callused and in a hurry and iPhone-driven that we’ve missed that kind of breakthrough moment.”

“This week’s winner at Pebble Beach will earn $2 million, up from the $1.8 million prize money payout Minjee Lee claimed a year ago at Pine Needles.”

Full piece.

5. Coming to an airport near you…

Golf Digest’s Joel Beall…”LIV Golf has found a home for its Friday broadcast coverage. Although fans can’t be at their home to see it.”

“LIV announced Thursday morning that it reached an agreement with ReachTV, a streaming service that caters to airports. LIV Golf’s Friday coverage had previously only been available through the CW’s streaming app. According to a press release, the agreement begins this week with LIV Golf’s London event.”

“This partnership with ReachTV provides additional opportunities for fans on the move to follow LIV Golf’s supercharged action, including live coverage of Friday competition in bars and restaurants throughout North America,” said Will Staeger, LIV Golf’s chief media officer. “Our league is continually looking for innovative ways to connect the sport that we love with new audiences, and this partnership will give travelers more chances to catch many of golf’s biggest stars in action.”

Full piece.

6. Caitlin Clark tees off in John Deere pro-am

Dargen Southard of the Des Moines Register…”If the last year has hammered home anything regarding Caitlin Clark’s current celebrity status, it’s that crowds will show wherever No. 22 goes. Hoops doesn’t even have to be on the agenda.”

“Non-basketball appearances, inside the ballpark, on the golf course — doesn’t matter. Clark fans will flock from every corner to catch a glimpse of the Hawkeyes’ homegrown superstar doing anything ordinary or extraordinary. That proved true once again Wednesday at the John Deere Classic Pro-Am at TPC Deere Run.”

“With a robust gallery resembling what the leader’s group produces on championship Sunday at this well-respected PGA Tour event, Clark weaved her way through 18 holes while linking up with Iowa’s favorite golfing son, Zach Johnson, on the back nine. Throngs of black and gold lined the ropes at every hole just as they do outside the Carver-Hawkeye Arena tunnel. Many of the fans were young girls in Clark apparel yearning for even a brief moment with arguably America’s most popular female athlete. Autographs and photos were abundant.”

Full Piece.

7. Bubba thinks Gooch should get RC pick

Paul Higham for Golf Monthly…”Talor Gooch’s prolific winning form in the LIV Golf League should be enough to “definitely” make the USA Ryder Cup team, according to Bubba Watson.”

“Two-time Masters champion Watson is Gooch’s team captain with the Range Goats in LIV Golf, and he believes his fellow American is playing well enough to get one of Zach Johnson’s six picks for Rome.”

“Gooch is the only three-time LIV Golf tournament winner after claiming the trophy at Valderrama last week, and is again among the favourites for this week’s event at Centurion.”

Full Piece.

8. DQ at Pebble Beach

Brentley Romine for Golf Channel…”Natthakritta Vongtaveelap’s first U.S. Women’s Open is over after just five holes.”

“The 20-year-old Thai was disqualified after her caddie was found to have used a distance-measuring device “at least a couple times,” according to USGA rules official Kathryn Belanger. While the penalty for using a rangefinder once is two shots, multiple infractions result in disqualification.”

“Vongtaveelap was even par through five holes.”

“Rangefinders have been allowed at most LPGA events since mid-2021, but they remain prohibited at the U.S. Women’s Open.”

Full Piece.

9. John Deere Classic photos

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

Full Piece.

Morning 9: Wie West’s last hurrah | Garcia fails to qualify for Open | Block clarifies Rory comments

Ben Alberstadt — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 13:15:03 +0000

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com

Good Thursday morning, golf fans, as day one of the John Deere Classic gets underway.

1. Wie West officially retiring at Pebble

Golf Channel’s Mercer Baggs…”This is it. The last one, according to the 33-year-old. “I’m going to put my clubs in the darkest corner of my garage,” she said.”

“She’s been eyeing this event for some time now. Pine Needles, site of last year’s championship, would have been the perfect place to go out, so near to Pinehurst where she won her lone major.”

“But a Pebble Beach Open is the ultimate. And, for Wie West, this will be her ultimate event…”

“I really, really wanted to play longer. I really wanted to – especially after having Makenna and her being a girl, I really wanted to play longer,” Wie West said. “In an ideal world I wish I was still out on Tour and playing.

“Unfortunately, it’s just I had to make a hard decision with my body. It is hard. It is hard to be a mom out here. You have to make a lot of sacrifices. I just had to make a hard, medical body decision and also a personal decision.”

Full piece.

2. Sergio misses out on Open qualifying

An ESPN report…”Sergio Garcia’s quest to play in his 25th straight Open Championship ended Tuesday when he failed to qualify for the season’s fourth major.”

“Playing in a qualifier at West Lancashire Golf Club, Garcia shot a 5-under 67 in the morning round of the 36-hole competition. But after taking the lead at 8 under following three birdies in the first six holes of the second round, Garcia couldn’t keep up the pace.”

“Garcia, 43, hit his drive into the rough on the par-4 seventh hole and he wound up with a bogey on his way to a 71 and a cumulative 6-under par.”

“He finished tied for sixth after 36 holes, with only the top five finishers qualifying for The Open, which begins July 20 at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Merseyside, England.”

Full piece.

3. Cam Smith likes lighter schedule, says “team golf is here to say”

Cameron Jourdan for Golfweek…”Last year, LIV had eight events and moved to 14 this year. In addition to the reported signing-bonus money and boosted purses, a lighter schedule is why numerous pros said they left the Tour for LIV.”

“Smith agrees. He’s a fan of a lighter schedule.”

“Exactly like it is this year would be perfect for me, 14 and four majors, I’d take that for the rest of my career,” Smith said.

“Then Smith was asked about comments Nick Faldo made last week about whether LIV would survive in the future and remain part of the golf ecosystem. Safe to say he’s confident in the future of the league.”

“I really can’t see LIV Golf going away. I think team golf is here to stay, and if you asked every one of us out here, all the 48 guys, I think everyone has such a good time and everyone enjoys what they’re doing out here, they love the competition. That team element really brings three or four guys really close that perhaps weren’t before.

Full piece.

4. Block on McIlroy comments

Ben Fleming for Golf Monthly…”However, speaking exclusively to Golf Monthly at Dundonald Links this week ahead of Open Final Qualifying, Block was keen to clarify what he actually meant.”

“It was totally misconstrued, misconceived, the whole thing. I really feel like if you’re a real golfer, you kind of understood what I had meant,” he said.

“That was an incomprehensible thing where yeah, if I gained 60 yards, if I had a gap wedge into every green rather than a four iron into every green, would I be better? I’d be a whole hell of a lot better.

“Would I be better than Roy McIlroy? Absolutely not. Rory is an absolute stud and at no point, in any shape or form, was I ever trying to say anything about Rory or the tour professionals.

“I was just one hundred per cent saying, if I had an extra 60 yards off of every tee, every day of my life, would I be on tour? Probably. Guaranteed? Absolutely not.

“I know I can’t say I don’t care what people say or think – of course I do – but, at the same time, I understand what I meant, and I know for a fact, I didn’t mean to hurt anybody or say anything that would.

“It was taken completely out of context but is also my fault, I guess. I said it the wrong way. I did a couple of thousand interviews [after the tournament] but I guess I did say one thing wrong but it’s okay.”

Full piece.

5. Butch: Rickie’s win means the most

Our Matt Vincenzi…”Legendary swing coach Butch Harmon has coached Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson during the peaks of their careers, but none of their wins have meant more to him than Rickie Fowler’s win at the Rocket Mortgage Classic last week.”

“While appearing on PGA Tour Radio’s “Gravy and the Sleeze,” hosted by Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz, on Monday, Harmon reflected on the moment.”

“It was spectacular. I think my anxiety was probably the same level as his was when he was playing, just because I wanted it for him so bad,” Harmon said. “To come from 185th in the world all the way to 23rd in eight months is an incredible journey that he’s taken.”

“And guys I’ll be honest with ya,” Harmon continued. “I think this one meant more to me personally than a lot of the majors that I’ve won with different guys, just ’cause I know how far down Rickie was, and to watch him come back, it was a joy to watch.”

Full piece.

6. Migliaccio reporter-player at USWO

Golf Channel’s Mercer Baggs…”Migliaccio is not only competing this week, she’s working as an on-course reporter.”

“Tuesday, Lexi Thompson was part of her practice foursome. Thursday, she’ll be part of Migliaccio’s featured group coverage on Peacock.”

“Migliaccio will be on the course for Thompson, Nelly Korda and Jin Young Ko for their 8:50 a.m. PT start on the 10th hole.”

“She won’t be able to wrap up the group, however, as she tees off alongside Alice Hewson and Kana Mikashima at 1:18 p.m. off the first.”

“They’ll let me leave when I feel comfortable doing so and I’ll have a cart, so hopefully won’t have to walk too much. But it should be great,” she said. “I’m really excited to get to see, you know, three of the best players in the world play golf and just seeing how it’s playing for them, then getting to go out in the afternoon and getting to try to replicate that.”

Full Piece.

7. Tim Tucker back on Bryson’s bag for the week

Cameron Jourdan for Golfweek…”Two years ago this week, Tim Tucker quit working for his boss, Bryson DeChambeau, the night before the 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic, a tournament where DeChambeau was the defending champion.”

However, the tandem is back together this week.

Tucker is back on the bag for DeChambeau at this week’s LIV Golf event in London at Centurion Club, DeChambeau’s agent, Brett Falkoff, confirmed to Golfweek. Tucker caddied for DeChambeau in all eight of his PGA Tour victories and was on the bag for Kurt Kitayama’s first Tour win this spring at the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational.

DeChambeau’s caddie, Greg Bodine, is attending to a personal matter this week, which is why Tucker and DeChambeau are back together. No Laying Up first reported the pair joining up in London.

Full Piece.

8. Zach hints at Ryder Cup inclusion for LIV pros

John Turnbull for Bunkered…”US Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson has hinted that he will select LIV golfers for his team this September.”

“Before the PGA Championship, the 47-year-old admitted that the prospect of those players featuring in Rome was “not even a discussion item.””

“But Johnson has now acknowledged that LIV golfers are eligible to make his team of 12 for the biennial battle with Europe.”

“He said: “These guys that left the PGA TOUR that had status and left to play on that other tour, the LIV Tour, they’re still members of the PGA of America, so they are still able to garner points.”

“They’re able to play in the PGA Championship as a result, because that’s what the PGA of America runs.”

“(They) obviously, technically, can still be a part of Team USA.”

Full Piece.

9. John Deere Classic photos

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

Full Piece.

Photos from the 2023 John Deere Classic

GolfWRX Staff — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 14:50:28 +0000

GolfWRX got on its tractor and motored over to the John Deere Classic this week.

We have 19 WITBs for your viewing this week — including Grayson Murray and Jim Herman — as well as four general galleries from the grounds at TPC Deere Run.

In our pull-out galleries, we have looks at new Callaway Apex MB irons and Bettinardi’s G.I. Joe collab that you’ll want to check out.

See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.

Tour Rundown: Langer the all-time win leader | Fowler wins again

Ronald Montesano — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 09:43:18 +0000

Other than all those promises on Instagram, you don’t often find a six-pack just hanging around. That’s precisely what we have this first weekend in July of 2023. From The Belfry to Detroit Golf Club, with stops at Alberta and the Yucatan Peninsula, and side trips to Illinois and Wisconsin, the golf was plentiful leading into the USA’s Independence Day celebration. It’s more of a Tour Run-Run-Rundown this week, so let’s get ~~clap-clap-clapping~~, run-run-running!

Long time friend @Minwoo27Lee reacts to @_danielhillier posting the clubhouse lead at ?#BetfredBritishMasters pic.twitter.com/j2XKJMOWXl

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) July 2, 2023

USGA Senior Open @ Sentryworld: Langer becomes all-time win leader with 2nd US Senior Open title

Since he won his 45th senior title on the US Tour in February, Bernhard Langer has been on a worldwide watch. His next title would break his tie with Hale Irwin for all-time leader in Tour Champions victories. The time between the Chubb Classic in Florida and this week’s United States Golf Association’s Senior Open became a Celebration of Three Steves. Stricker, Ames, and Alker combined to win six events. Langer, meanwhile, made no additional dent in the all-time record.

The USGA brought its feature senior event to the SentryWorld course in Wisconsin, and two native sons fought for attention. Both Steve Stricker and Jerry Kelly would finish in the top five, but it was Langer who stole the show. The German champion closed strong on Saturday to carry a two-shot advantage into the final round. Any thoughts of nerves dissipated when Langer played Sunday’s first ten holes in four-under par figures. His lead reached six at one point, but bogey at each of the final three holes brought him back to a two-shot advantage. No matter; minus-seven over four days brought him to the top of the mountain, with his 46th career senior title.

A virtuoso performance from Bernhard Langer!#USSeniorOpen @SentryWorld pic.twitter.com/K2k7IYOWCP

— USGA (@USGA) July 2, 2023

PGA Tour @ RocketMortgage: Fowler finds freedom on extra hole

The golf world rose and fell with Rickie Fowler’s attempt at the US Open last month in Los Angeles. Never has a golf guy existed like Rickie. He could be a condescending, I’m-better-than-you sort of pro. Instead, he’s an I’m-on-your-side-and-you-earned-it guy. He was Dick Fowler, Private Eye, for goodness’ sake! On Sunday, Fowler fought back after losing a final-round, overnight lead. It would have been the first time, nor even the fifth, that this fate would have befallen him. With no eye on him (you know, that lousy television coverage thing) the California native watched as fellow Golden Stater Collin Morikawa posted 64 to reach 24-under par. Moments later, Fowler’s playing partner, Adam “Tackling Dummy” Hadwin signed for 67 and the same figure. Fortunately for Fowler, he had stuffed his approach to the 72nd green, then dropped a four-feet putt to make the extra-holes party a threesome.

The trio of titans returned to the same, closing par-four hole for its first salvo. Fowler found the green, some fifteen feet from the hole. In the video below, you can tell that he thinks it might not have enough gas. When the ball falls in the side of the hole, the four-year wait is over. Would the world love a Fowler win at Hoylake in three weeks? Sure would, especially since the man in orange finished co-runner up there in 2014, the last time that Royal Liverpool hosted the championship.

A champion once again ?

The winning moment for @RickieFowler @RocketClassic. pic.twitter.com/LEQ8f05gHN

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 2, 2023

DP World Tour @ British Masters: Hillier happens upon first title at Belfry

There were easily a dozen golfers within two shots of the top through 54 holes, including four at the top of the board. None of them was called Daniel Hillier, and none of them hailed from New Zealand. As the golf world knows, from multiple Ryder Cup matches, The Belfry can summon horrific collapses and heroic comebacks. Among the leaders, two shot plus-six on the final day this week, and another pair produced plus-three finales. On the flip side, a young Kiwi trotted out the round of his life, at a time when it mattered most.

Daniel Hillier had survived the cut with 72-71, then carded a 69 on Saturday, to move to minus-four on the week. His outward, Sunday nine of one-under par was a gentle bump, giving him thoughts of a top-ten finish. After a run of five pars to open the inward half, Hillier donned his magical cloak. From hole fifteen through hole seventeen, the two-time winner on the Challenge Tour delivered eagle-birdie-eagle to jump from five-deep to ten-under par. He flew past clubhouse leader Gunnar Wiebe and nested in a two-shot advantage. When the final groups could not remotely match his efforts, Hillier was off to Hoylake in Liverpool, site of the Open Championship, in three weeks’ time.

15th: Eagle
16: Birdie
17th: Eagle

Take a bow, @_danielhillier. Finishing in style! ?#BetfredBritishMasters pic.twitter.com/dP2BLqC8ht

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) July 2, 2023

Korn Ferry Tour @ Memorial Health: Barjon brings victory to France in Illinois

Paul Barjon won the 2022 PGA Tour Canada’s Order of Merit and the accompanying promotion to the Korn Ferry Tour. After his second 2023 win on the Korn Ferry Tour, Barjon will again uproot himself, as an elevation to the PGA Tour looms. Barjon closed with 65 on Sunday to reach 26-under par, but his win was far from a runaway victory. Tom Whitney closed with six consecutive birdies for 61 and 24-under par. He ultimately placed third for the week.

Even closer was Jackson Suber, who also stood ten-under on the day through 16 holes, thanks to six birdies, and eagles at 13 and 16. A misplayed tee shot on the par-three 17th resulted in bogey, and that was the stroke that kept Suber from a playoff. Barjon also made bogey at the same one-shotter, but he banged his approach on 18 off the flagstick, making par to seal win number two on the year.

No. 147 ?? No. 28! ?

With this winning moment @MHChampionship, @paul_barjon is one step closer to returning to the @PGATOUR. pic.twitter.com/C4aSdByma4

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) July 2, 2023

PGA Tour Canada @ ATB Classic:

Davis Lamb did something extraordinary on Sunday: he preserved his third-round lead and emerged victorious in the season’s third event. PGA Tour Canada runs through the middle of September, but Lamb has his eyes set already on a promotion for next season. While Lamb’s co-leader dropped five shots to par and fell to a tie for 9th place, Lamb posted 70 on day four and held off Eric McCardle by three shots.

Maintaining your calm and focus while those around you struggle is not easy. Eric Lilleboe began round four with birdie on two of his first three holes. From there, the train went off its track and Lilleboe posted zero birdies against four bogeys and a triple on the way home. Lamb, meanwhile, had two double bogeys on his outward nine, but rediscovered his game on the inward half. He followed a double at nine with an eagle at ten, and added three birdies coming home. McCardle could do nothing against the surge, and settled for a runner-up finish.

Lambo firing on all cylinders now ?

A birdie and fist pump on 17 to take a three shot lead to the 72nd hole pic.twitter.com/xWGQXFBU0t

— PGA TOUR Canada – Fortinet Cup (@PGATOURCanada) July 2, 2023

PGA Tour Latinoamérica @ BUPA Tour Championship:

Something about three-way playoffs this week. Alvaro Ortiz and Justin Doeden led the field at PGA Riviera Maya in Tulum after 54 holes, but neither was able to separate and win in regulation. Ortiz dropped to a fourth-place tie after seizing the lead with a three-under par 33 on Sunday. He came home in plus-three 39, missing the playoff by one agonizing shot. Doeden finished even closer. His 71st-hole birdie elevated him into a tie with countryman Chandler Blanchet of the USA, and Jeremy Gandon of France.

The trio set off for resolution in extra time. After all three scored par on the 18th hole, Gandon and Blanchet continued on with birdies, to Doeden’s par. The third go-round brought a par from Blanchet and a bogey from Gandon. The victory was the second of the campaign for the former UWest Florida golfer, and moved him into first place in the season-long TotalPlay Cup. Blanchet and nine others earned full playing privileges on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2024.

If his first win was any sort of predictor, Blanchet will enliven any event in which he tees it up. In March, Blanchet holed for eagle at the final hole to win his first @pgatourla event.

WOW! Con águila en el 18, Chandler Blanchet se quedó con la victoria en el #RDVMemorial100.

AMAZING! @Chan_Blanchet made EAGLE to win at Ranelagh Golf Club. pic.twitter.com/I6LFWvPgbL

— PGATOURLA (@PGATOURLA) March 26, 2023

Photos from the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic

GolfWRX Staff — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 14:08:25 +0000

GolfWRX was of course on-site this week for our hometown event, the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club.

And this week’s galleries don’t disappoint! We have 22 WITBs — including Hideki Matsuyama and Keegan Bradley — and four special galleries, in addition to a pair of collections of general imagery from the proceedings in D-Town.

Check out links to all our photos below and see what GolfWRXers are saying in the official discussion thread.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

Join the discussion in the forums.

Morning 9: Optimistic Phil | Morikawa’s frustration | Rocket Mortgage Classic photos

Ben Alberstadt — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 13:08:23 +0000

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com

Good Thursday morning, golf fans, as day one of the Rocket Mortgage Classic gets underway.

1. Optimistic Phil

Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior Writer…”In his first public comments since the PGA Tour’s stunning alliance with the DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund was announced June 6, six-time major champion Phil Mickelson said he’s happy the sides are working to bring the fractured sport back together.”

“During a news conference Wednesday ahead of this week’s LIV Golf League tournament in Spain, Mickelson told reporters that he thinks the plan to reshape the sport is ahead of schedule.”

“I would say I felt appreciation that we got to this point where we’re working together because it makes me confident with where the game of golf is headed in the future,” Mickelson said. “We felt like it was going to be about two years roughly before we got to that point. It took a year and a half or six months quicker than I thought it would be.”

Full piece.

2. Player meeting re: PIF (and a statement of their own)

AP report…“The PGA Tour sought to assure players Tuesday that they will have a say in the Tour’s new partnership with the Saudi funders of LIV Golf, with its policy board issuing a statement that noted players would have to approve any final agreement between the once-rival tours.”

“The statement was released after a meeting of the board, which includes five players: Patrick Cantlay, Rory McIlroy, Charley Hoffman, Peter Malnati and Webb Simpson…”

“Entering the framework agreement put an end to costly litigation. Management, with input from our player directors, has now begun a new phase of negotiations to determine if the Tour can reach a definitive agreement that is in the best interests of our players, fans, sponsors, partners, and the game overall,” the statement said.”

“If future negotiations lead to a proposed agreement, it would need approval by the Tour’s policy board, which includes player directors. In the meantime, we are all committed to the safeguards in the framework agreement that ensure the PGA Tour would lead and maintain control of this potential new commercial entity,” the statement continued.”

Full piece.

3. Friends again

Our Matt Vincenzi…”Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy were once close friends, but Garcia’s decision to join LIV Golf, the relationship deteriorated quickly.”

“At the U.S. Open earlier this month, the pair crossed paths. The Independent reported that when McIlroy walked past Garcia, he “put his right little finger to his mouth and his thumb to his ear”, indicating he would call the Spaniard. Apparently, the two eventually found each other and had a conversation at Los Angeles Country Club.”

“While speaking to the media ahead of this week’s LIV tournament, Sergio called the U.S. Open a “great event” due to the fact that he reconciled with the man who was an usher at his wedding in 2017.”

“More than anything, because I gained a friend back, a friend that I kind of felt like I lost in the last year or so.

“We talked and we had a great conversation, and I feel like I have that friend back, and that to me means a lot. That’s a very positive thing.”

Full piece.

4. The Match: Team Curry-Thompson’s golf origin story

Jeff Eisenband for PGATour.com…”Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have achieved more victories than most other athletes in their era, but one of their early losses still lingers in their minds.”

“Our first time playing golf as a two-man team, was it the Grand Canary Islands?” Curry begins. “We were playing on the 2014 Team USA together if memory serves me right. I think we got beat by Clyde Drexler and who was the other guy?”

“Dominique Wilkins,” Thompson adds, matter-of-factly.

“That’s right. And we were betting milkshakes at the time, no money.”

Full piece.

5. Koepka, DJ in no hurry to return to Tour?

Paul Higham for Golf Monthly…”Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson say they have no desire to return to the PGA Tour even if allowed under the big merger – saying LIV Golf will only get bigger and better.”

“…Johnson insists he’s happy to stay with LIV Golf, which he says will get better as a result of a deal between the PGA Tour and PIF – and certainly doesn’t want to play more golf.”

“I’m excited for the future,” said Johnson ahead of the LIV Golf tournament at Valderrama. “I think with this agreement, the only thing that’s going to happen is LIV is going to get even better than what it is now, which it’s already great. I’m happy exactly where I am, and I’m definitely not looking to play more golf than I’m playing now, that’s for sure.”

Full piece.

6. Morikawa’s frustration

Colby Powell for Golf Channel…”Frustrating.”

“That’s how Collin Morikawa characterized his season when asked about his play prior to this week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic.”

“After bursting on the scene with five PGA Tour wins – including two major championships – within a span of two years, Morikawa finds himself in a dry spell of nearly the same length.”

“His last Tour victory came at The Open Championship in 2021…”

“It’s been a while, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know how to [win], it’s still there,” Morikawa said. “You’ve got to put together some solid golf. … This year hasn’t been great, but I’m not giving up. We’re still right there, we’re 32nd FedExCup. A win puts us pretty high up so just focus on how to win.

“I think it’s just coming down to control the golf ball. Right now I brought in left on the golf course. That’s when I was playing my best, when I was winning, I could swing as hard as I’d want and the ball was never going left.”

Full Piece.

7. DJ Khaled, OBJ hit the links

8. JT credits wife for change in mentality

Jimmy Reinman for PGATour.com…”Thomas once took the TOUR Championship almost for granted, but now he’s grinding to secure a spot in the top 70 to qualify for the Playoffs. He’s playing this week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic with some positive momentum after a T9 at last week’s Travelers Championship, flipping the script after back-to-back missed cuts at the U.S. Open and the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, the first time Thomas missed the cut in consecutive events since July 2017.”

“So, what changed? He received a text last Wednesday night from his wife Jillian, which he received Thursday when he woke up. She gently nudged him to remember the spirit of why he loves this game.”

“With rounds of 70-64-62-67 at TPC River Highlands, his third-round 62 marking a season-low, it paid dividends.”

“It resonated to me and it really hit home better than anything I’ve heard,” Thomas said of his wife’s text. “Just basically said (to) remember why you love this game and why you play this game and why you’re out there, just enjoy that and kind of take it in. It hit home for me. So last week, any kind of challenge I faced, anything good that happened, anything bad that happened, I just kind of remembered this is why I play professional golf and that’s, it’s why I’m doing this.”

Full Piece.

9. Rocket Mortgage Classic photos

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

Full Piece.

Morning 9: Presidents Cup to Australia | DP World Tour’s ‘fake battle’? | Rocket Mortgage Photos

Ben Alberstadt — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 13:48:44 +0000

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com

Good Wednesday morning, golf fans, as we gear up for the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

1. Neither rain nor snow…

PGATour.com staff…”The storm closed the golf course to media on Monday, but did no damage to the course and left structures intact, Rocket Mortgage Classic Executive Director Jason Langwell said.”

“We’re in great shape,” Langwell said Monday amid the din of wood chippers and chainsaws. “We’ve got golfers, we’ve got a full driving range here, Max (Homa) and others out practicing. Players on the back nine getting their practice rounds in just like they always do on a Monday.”

“The cell came through at roughly 6:45 p.m. Sunday, said Rocket Mortgage Classic Chief Referee and PGA TOUR Senior Tournament Director Stephen Cox.”

“We got incredibly lucky,” Cox said. “The trees fell in the right direction. One fell on a car at the entrance to the club, and another fell in close proximity to the practice putting green and did some minor damage, but if it had fallen 4 or 5 feet to the right it would have been much worse.”

Full piece.

2. Big hitters only

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”In his two PGA Tour starts this season, both majors (Masters and U.S. Open), Sargent has averaged 323.9 yards off the tee and 125.6 clubhead speed. Those numbers would rank second and third, respectively, on the PGA Tour.”

“Sargent will tee it up in this week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic – and he might find it difficult to be the longest player not just in the field but in his group.”

“Brandon Matthews and Matti Schmid will be grouped with Sargent for each of the first two rounds at Detroit Golf Club, where they’ll tee off at 2:11 p.m. ET in Thursday’s first round. Matthews is second on Tour in driving distance (321.8 yards) while Schmid is fourth (315.8 yards). Matthews is also second in clubhead speed (126.38 mph), behind only Cameron Champ (126.5), and ball speed (189.55), also behind Champ (190.71).”

Full piece.

3. Presidents Cup headed to Kingston Heath in 2028

From a press release…”The PGA TOUR and the Presidents Cup today announced that the 2028 Presidents Cup will be contested at Kingston Heath Golf Club, one of the most iconic venues on the famed Melbourne Sandbelt. The 2028 Presidents Cup will mark the event’s fourth visit to Melbourne, with the TOUR having previously announced a long-term commitment with Visit Victoria to staging the Presidents Cup in Melbourne in 2028 and 2040.”

“Consistently ranked as one of the top courses in Australia and around the world, Kingston Heath was designed by Australia’s Dan Soutar and features a natural bunkering layout spearheaded by legendary architect Alister Mackenzie in 1926. Among the noteworthy championships held at Kingston Heath include the Australian Open, which has been hosted seven times and most recently in 2022 when it shared duties with Victoria Golf Club. It has also hosted the 2009 and 2012 Australian Masters, the 2008 Women’s Australian Open, and the 2016 World Cup of Golf.”

Full piece.

4. Zhang may need captain’s pick

ESPN report…“Zhang won the Mizuho Americas Open at Liberty National in her pro debut. Three weeks later, she was within one shot of the lead until a bogey on the 16th hole at Baltusrol in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. She tied for eighth.”

“Because of LPGA policy, Zhang does not get credit for her victory because she became a member after she won. That cost her 60 points toward the Solheim Cup. As it stands, she is 25th on the points list with at least five tournaments — two of them majors — before qualifying ends for the leading seven players.”

“The LPGA typically doesn’t change policy in the middle of a season. Along with losing out on Solheim Cup points, Zhang’s victory also did not count toward player of the year or rookie of the year.”

Full piece.

5. Taking another Trip

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”Trip Kuehne will make his first USGA championship appearance in 16 years at this week’s U.S. Senior Open.”

“The 51-year-old Kuehne hasn’t played in a USGA championship since winning the 2007 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Bandon Dunes. The following year, after competing in the 2008 Masters, Kuehne retired from competitive golf to focus on his son Will’s football development.”

Full piece.

6. Ryder Cup x Roc Nation?

Matt Cradock for Golf Monthly…”The Ryder Cup is arguably the biggest golf event on the planet, with the battle between Team Europe and Team USA watched globally by millions of people. Not only is it viewed by millions, but it also draws huge stars such as Michael Jordan and Niall Horan.”

“Now, for the 2023 edition of the Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, it has been announced that Roc Nation Sports International, a company founded by multiple-time Grammy award winner and rap legend, Jay-Z, will work in partnership with the Ryder Cup to show all the drama and action to new audiences this September.”

Full Piece.

7. Sergio and Rory friends again

Our Matt Vincenzi…”…While speaking to the media ahead of this week’s LIV tournament, Sergio called the U.S. Open a “great event” due to the fact that he reconciled with the man who was an usher at his wedding in 2017.”

“More than anything, because I gained a friend back, a friend that I kind of felt like I lost in the last year or so.

We talked and we had a great conversation, and I feel like I have that friend back, and that to me means a lot. That’s a very positive thing.”

Full Piece.

8. ‘Fake battle’?

Ben Parsons for Bunkered…”DP World Tour pro Mike Lorenzo-Vera believes his circuit is fighting a “fake battle” to eradicate its perennial slow play problems.”

“Speaking to bunkered at The Belfry ahead of the British Masters, the outspoken Frenchman voiced his anger at authorities over the glacial pace of play he experienced at last week’s BMW International Open.”

“Lorenzo-Vera unusually took to Twitter after taking over three hours to make it to the 12th tee during his nightmare second round in Munich.”

“The 38-year-old explained how he was forced to wait on “every single shot” – despite struggling around the course himself on a front nine that included two double bogeys and one treble.”

“And after posting a horrendous 84 on a marathon Friday, he claimed that big fines and penalty shots must be imposed immediately as an appropriate deterrent for consistent offenders.”

Full Piece.

9. Rocket Mortgage Photos

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

Full Piece.

Morning 9: Pro’s 8-hour drive for 20k event | Cantlay’s coup? | Garcia enters Open qualifying

Ben Alberstadt — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 13:46:00 +0000

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans, as we gear up for the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

1. PGA Tour pro makes 8-hour drive to play for $20K

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”Eric Cole isn’t in the field for this week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic. It will mark the first time in 12 weeks that the 35-year-old rookie hasn’t teed it up on the PGA Tour.”

So, how is Cole spending his off week? He’s playing a golf tournament.

Yes, after tying for 24th on Sunday at the Travelers Championship, Cole hopped in a car and drove eight hours to Pittsburgh for this week’s Frank B. Fuhrer Jr. Invitational, a 72-hole tournament at Pittsburgh Field Club.

The Fuhrer has been around for nearly four decades, dating to 1985 when Bob Ford won the inaugural title. The 40-player tournament is the brainchild of Pittsburgh businessman Frank B. Fuhrer Jr., who also was behind the Family House Invitational, a two-day competition for charity that for 14 years featured dozens of PGA Tour pros. Fuhrer died last year at age 96, but his invitational lived on with David Bradshaw winning for a record fourth time last year while claiming the $40,000 first-place prize.

Full piece.

2. Record mark at no. 1

ESPN report…”South Korea’s Jin Young Ko was ranked No. 1 in the world Monday for a record-setting 159th week, and rising star Rose Zhang is now in the top 50.”

“Ko remained atop the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings after a tie for 20th at this past week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, surpassing the 158 weeks spent at No. 1 by Lorena Ochoa of Mexico from 2007 to 2010. Ko, a 15-time winner on the LPGA Tour, has held the No. 1 spot five different times since April 2019. This is the 27-year-old’s sixth consecutive week there.”

Full piece.

3. Garcia enters Open qualifying

The Telegraph’s James Corrigan…”Sergio Garcia has entered next week’s final qualifying for the Open Championship. The record Ryder Cup points scorer will take his place alongside 287 other hopefuls — a mixture of starry-eyed amateurs and lowly-ranked pros — attempting to win one of the 16 berths on offer for Hoylake.”

“However, Telegraph Sport has also learned that Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter — two other Ryder Cup legends who are members of the LIV Golf League — will not feature in the draw when it is released on Tuesday, with the veterans electing to skip the 36-hole shootout. This means that Westwood will miss his first Open in 28 years.”

Full piece.

4. Blair close to keeping his card

Jim McCabe for PGATour.com…”There were two scoreboards in play for Zac Blair during Sunday’s final round of the Travelers Championship.”

“The one that mattered the most – where he stood in his quest to pile up FedExCup points to fulfill his major medical extension – was one he had no control over and one that wouldn’t even come into focus until his round was long over. He needed a solo second to secure his card; a two-way T2 would move him to the precipice.”

“So Blair tried to push that out of his mind and focus on the leaderboards at every green. There, he saw his name prominently placed near the top and he was able to take deep breaths and feel a sense of achievement.”

“There was a time where I was way back,” said Blair, who began the day tied for 15th, nine behind 54-hole leader Keegan Bradley, who proceeded to win by three strokes over Blair and Brian Harman. “So I was just trying to play well and (the putts) kept going in.”

Full piece.

5. “Technology has passed this course by”

Our Matt Vincenzi…”Rory McIlroy, who finished at 18 under and tied for seventh place, spoke after the round about the golf course. The four-time major champion said that he believes “technology has passed the course by.””

“I don’t particularly like when a tournament is like this. Unfortunately, technology has passed this course by, right? It sort of has made it obsolete, especially as soft as it has been with a little bit of rain that we had.”

“So, again, like the conversations going back to, you know, limiting the golf ball and stuff like that, when we come to courses like this they just don’t present the challenge that they used to.”

Full piece.

6. Cantlay’s coup?

Our Jason Daniels…”Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch wrote a piece on Saturday that told of the huge pressures now facing PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan following June’s declaration of “an ill-defined but ignominious deal that promises a future in which the Tour will have to rationalize its proximity to [Saudi] regime atrocities.”

“According to Lynch, the Tour is now having to cope with rebellious players that previously kept quiet, for they now have “no prospects for the lucrative payday to which they feel entitled.”

“Whilst previously, LIV-jumpers were cast as the heinous group, now it seems the new objectors have nowhere positive to go.”

“Lynch is clear, though, “his [Cantlay’s] objections aren’t based on the morality of dealing with human rights abusers.” Rather it’s about money.”

Read Lynch’s full piece here

Full Piece.

7. Wolff returns to LIV

Matt Cradock for Golf Monthly…”At the end of May, it seemed that Matt Wolff was no longer part of Brooks Koepka’s Smash GC team in the LIV Golf League. However, just a month after the rumours broke, it appears that the American is back in the quartet, with Smash GC posting a picture of the four-man squad before LIV Golf Valderrama.”

“Captioned “VAMOS SMASH”, we see Wolff’s picture in the top left corner, with both Chase and Brooks Koepka in the middle and Jason Kokrak on the right hand side as the tournament gets underway from the 30th June to the 2nd July.”

Full Piece.

8. USGA admits mistake in Rory’s controversial drop

Bob Harig for SI…”It ultimately didn’t factor in the outcome, nor did Rory McIlroy take much advantage of the situation.”

“But the ruling he got on the 14th hole during the final round of the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club has still simmered some 10 days later, due in part to the oddity of the situation and his prominence in the game.”

“And a United States Golf Association executive told Sports Illustrated during an interview Monday that while McIlroy did nothing wrong, the spot from which he measured his point of relief from an embedded lie above a bunker was incorrect.”

“The nearest point of relief was mis-identified; it should have been directly behind the ball,” said Thomas Pagel, the USGA’s chief governance officer. “If there’s no area immediately behind the ball, you go to nearest point in the general area. But if you look at where the ball was embedded, there was a grassy area below and that should have been the starting point.”

Full Piece.

9. Framework sent to senators

Rex Hoggard for Golf Channel…”The “framework” agreement that united professional golf following the most tumultuous divide the game had seen in decades was, as officials have explained, a broad stroke.”

“PGA Tour officials turned the agreement over to lawmakers late Monday as part of a review of the deal by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.). A copy of the five-page agreement obtained by GolfChannel.com outlines the “long-term strategic partnership” between the Tour, the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia and the DP World Tour.”

“According to the agreement, the for-profit assets of the Tour, DP World Tour and the PIF (LIV Golf) will be combined into what is tentatively being called NewCo. After an evaluation of those assets, the PIF, which owns 93 percent of LIV Golf, will make a minority investment into the new entity.”

“Per the agreement, the Tour’s for-profit assets will include “contracts/agreements and equity interests” but do not include player retirement plans, corporate reserves or any of the circuit’s tax-exempt assets.”

Full Piece.

WOTW: Scott Vail’s Tudor Black Bay 58 Bronze (Keegan Bradley’s caddie)

Brian Knudson — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 09:54:01 +0000

We had another exciting week on tour with a star-studded leaderboard on Sunday. Keegan Bradley went out and shot 2 under to secure his sixth PGA Tour victory. While Keegan celebrated with his family, he went with the bare wrist. Thankfully his caddie, Scott Vail, was wearing a special Tudor Black Bay in bronze on his left wrist.

WOTW Specs:
Name: Tudor Black Bay 58 Bronze
Reference: M79012M-0001
Limited: No
Date: 2021 – Current
Case: Bronze
Bezel: Anodized Aluminum
Dial: Matte Brown-Bronze
Size: 39mm
Movement: Calibre MT5400, 27 Jewels
Power Reserve: 70 Hours
Glass: Domed Saphire Crystal
Waterproof: 200 Meters
Bracelet: Brown Fabric Strap
Price: $4,775 (~$5,000)

The Tudor name is far less known as Rolex, but the two are in the same family. Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of Rolex, started Tudor in 1946 as a less expensive option to his Rolex models. While being less expensive than a Rolex, Wilsdorf wanted to ensure that Tudor still have Rolex-like quality. When you look at a Tudor you can clearly see the Rolex influence on the case and caseback. Vail’s Black Bay 58 Bronze is an exclusive watch that is only sold at their boutique store locations. There was a similar 43mm Black Bay Bronze that was released in 2016, but that was had holes in the lugs and I can’t see those in any of the photos.

The Black Bay 58 Bronze was released in 2021 as a little bit of a shock to the watch world. There have been many watches made from bronze and it isn’t a new material for Tudor as then have done them before. The 39mm case is made from solid bronze, an alloy made of mostly of copper, about 15% tin, and some other metals like aluminum and nickel. The caseback is solid steel but finished with a PVD coating to match the case for a cleaner look. On the right side of the case is a matching bronze crown used for sewing the time on the watch and screws down to aid in the 200 meter waterproof rating. The bezel is made from matching bras with an aluminum insert that is anodized brown and features a diving scale on it. The dial is Brown-Bronze in color with round hour markers that go with the 3,6, and 9 numerals. They, along with the hands, are filled with a luminescent material for easy reading in low light. The entire set is covered with a domed sapphire crystal that is extremely scratch resistant.

Inside the Black Bay 58 is a Calibre MT5400 self-winding automatic movement. The MT5400 isn’t built in-house, but built by Kenissi who is partially owned by Tudor. A silicon balance spring resists magnetic forces influencing that timing and a tungsten rotor winds it. This movement exceeds the Swiss Certified (COSC) requirements of being -4 to +6 seconds per day, just like Rolex movements. The MT5400 also contains 27 jewels and a 70 hour power reserve. The strap on Scott’s Tudor is made of brown fabric with a bronze line through the center of it. A matching bronze pin buckle holds the strap together. The watch does come with a solid bronze bracelet as well, with a new claps that has 5 micro adjustments to dial in the perfect fit. Tudor has definitely benefited from the rise in luxury watch prices and you can expect to pay around $300 on top of the $4,775 retail price on the secondary market for your own Black Bay 58 Bronze.

Tour Rundown: Keegan’s Kareer Komeback | A Baltusrol win for Yin

Ronald Montesano — Mon, 26 Jun 2023 09:33:11 +0000

Let’s get right to it.

LPGA @ Women’s PGA Championship: A Baltusrol win for Yin

Leona Maguire had an opportunity to climb a new rung on the women’s professional golf ladder, but Sunday at Baltusrol was not her day. The 54-hole leader did not make a birdie until the 13th hole of round four. By that time, she had three bogeys and was about to add a fourth. Her 74 dropped her from seven under to four under par, and into an 11th-place tie. Her stumble revealed opportunity for ten other golfers to take a run at the 2023 PGA Championship.

Jenny Shin, who was paired with Maguire, could not capitalize on Maguire’s bad fortune, and dropped six spots into a tie for 8th. Surging into the same place were Rose Zhang (-4 for -5 overall) and Ayaka Furue (-5 for -5 overall.) A quintet of golfers tied for third spot at six-under par. Xiyu Lin had the best shot at the title, turning in five-under par on the day. The birdie well ran dry, and a final-hole bogey dropped Xiyu from seven-under to minus-six. Matching her total were Stephanie Meadow, Megan Khang, Anna Nordqvist, and Carlota Ciganda. Spain’s Ciganda had the low round of the day (64) but was unable to make birdie at either of the closing par-five holes.

Japan’s Yuka Saso found her momentum near the turn on day four. She posted five birdies from hole seven through fifteen, but a crushing bogey temporarily derailed her train at the 16th. Birdie at the last brought her to minus-seven, but it wasn’t enough to catch the champion. China’s Ruoning Yin, a recent winner of her first LPGA event, was the only golfer to avoid Old Lady Bogey over the final 18 holes. Ruoning paired four birdies with 14 pars for 67, reaching 8-under par for the tournament. Her birdie at the last hole separated her from Saso, and gave the 20-year old her first major championship.

Fist pump-worthy ?

Ruoning Yin with the HUGE birdie on 18 to take the lead at -8!!! pic.twitter.com/hVMEuClRBZ

— LPGA (@LPGA) June 25, 2023

PGA Tour @ Travelers Championship: Keegan’s Kareer Komeback Kontinues

For those with a bit of memory, Keegan Bradley was the golfer most identified with the USGA’s decision to eliminate the anchored putting form of rolling the rock. Although the long putter didn’t go away, its use was severely curtailed, and Keegan’s burgeoning win total (three in 2011-2012, including a major championship) halted for six years. In 2018, the New England native won for a fourth time during the playoff run. Since October of 2022, the Vermont-born Bradley has won twice. Beyond the 2011 PGA Championship in Atlanta, this week’s win in Connecticut certainly means the most.

It was Keegan’s week, to be sure. Denny McCarthy may have opened with a near-epic 60, coming up just shy of a rare descent into the 50s, but he wasn’t going to win. River Highlands was in pristine condition, and receptive greens meant that scores would be low all week. Bradley was on track for a fourth-consecutive round below 66, until a Sunday spate of bogeys gave hope to the chasers. Chez Reavie began the final round one slim shot behind Bradley, but lost his connection to the birdie network. His first one came at Sunday’s 14th hole, and it was also his last. A blase round of one-over par relegated Reavie to a tie for fourth, four back of the top spot.

On Sunday’s 13th tee, Bradley’s scorecard read five-under par on the day, 26-deep on the week. His lead was nearly double-digits, and he simply lost his way. His drive went right, into the water, and Bradley made bogey on a par-five hole that others devoured with eagle. On the 14th, he chunked his approach shot short of the green and made another bogey. At the par-three 16th, Bradley nearly dunked another tee shot. He found the right rough and again, failed to get up and down for par. At this juncture, the lead was three and folks had to wonder. Fortunately for all of New England, their homegrown hero righted the ship, closed with two pars, and brought the region a native winner.

What a shot from @Keegan_Bradley ?

He leads by FIVE with seven to play @TravelersChamp. pic.twitter.com/YmnvVsJL70

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 25, 2023

DP World Tour @ BMW International: Lawrence of South Africa edges Luiten

Thriston Lawrence of Neispruit, South Africa, is having himself quite a run. His first DP World Tour win came in 2021, in Johannesburg. His second came on the continent, at the European Masters in Switzerland. Win number three came in his country’s home Open championship last December. Now Lawrence has a fourth career title on one of the world’s premier tours, this time in Germany.

The final round at München Eichenried was a challenge for the remaining field. The mid- and low-60s scores of Saturday morphed into challenges of all sizes and shapes on Sunday. Overnight leader Joost Luiten, like Reavie in Connecticut, was able to find but one birdie over the final 17 holes. His plus-two score on day four dropped him to 12-undr par, a total that would ultimately come up one shy of a playoff. It was Lawrence who found glory over the closing 18 holes.

You might think that a fellow who inked five bogeys onto his scorecard would have little chance of a top-five finish, much less a victory. Lawrence also posted eight birdies along the closing trace. His birdies at 15 and 17, paired with Luiten’s bogey at the penultimate hole, brought Lawrence from two behind to one in front. Pars for both at the final hole put the final touch on a single-shot victory for South Africa.

The perfect time to make birdie!@ThristonL moves level with @joostluiten ?#BMWInternationalOpen pic.twitter.com/qB0q7iNr2u

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 25, 2023

Korn Ferry Tour @ Compliance Solutions: Stanger stays the course

With scores of 65, 64, and 63 posted at various times this week, one might think that Jimmy Stanger should have been a bit envious, if not outright anxious. The 2023 campaign has been a decent one, with a few, top-fifteen finishes for the UVA alumnus. That all changed this week in Oklahoma. Stanger posted rounds of 67-66-67-66 and stared veteran Rafael Campos down with birdie at the final hole. Campos was just off the green at the par-five closer, but his pitch was too strong, and his putt, too high. He settled for par. One group later, Stanger would secure the four that Campos lacked, and claim a life-changing KFT title by one shot.

Birdie ?? birdie. ??

Co-leader @jimmy_stanger is 3-under thru 8 @cschampgolf. pic.twitter.com/JzhwmsC7oF

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) June 25, 2023

PGA Tour Champions @ Dick’s Sporting Goods Open: Powerful Paddy powers home

If you’re following all the tours these days, you know that Ireland’s Padraig Harrington does double duty on the regular and senior circuits. Although he hasn’t won on the junior circuit since 2018 in Portugal, Harrington does more than show up, make a cut, and collect a check. As for the Tour Champions, the three-time major winner has five victories in little more than a year, including the USGA Senior Open in his debut appearance.

This week, Harrington and company were staring up at Joe Durant, who seemed ready to collect a fifth Senior title in Endicott, New York. Durant was cruising through twelve holes, enjoying seven birdies and a six-under round. Inexplicably, the Chenango River that flows through town reduced to a trickle for the Pensacola native. Durant came home with six consecutive pars and watched, helplessly, as Padraig surged.

Beginning at the par-five twelfth hole, Harrington pealed off four consecutive birdies. At the drivable par-four 16th, his tee shot found the left edge of the green, and his fifteen-feet putt for eagle caught enough empty space to tumble home. In the blink of an eye, Harrington was tied for the top spot. Another birdie at 17 gave him solo command of the ship, and Harrigton guided it home with par at the last. His closing 63 was the week’s low round, quite fitting for a champion of the world.

Launching to T1 ?@padraig_h eagles the par-4 16th to grab a share of the lead @dicksopengolf. pic.twitter.com/gFtRGvbUWC

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) June 25, 2023

Keegan Bradley’s winning WITB: 2023 Travelers Championship

GolfWRX Staff — Sun, 25 Jun 2023 22:00:45 +0000

Keegan Bradley what’s in the bag accurate as of the Travelers Championshop. More photos from the event here.

Driver: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X

3-wood: TaylorMade SIM 2 Max High Launch (16 degrees)
Shaft: Aldila Rogue White 130 MSI

Hybrid: Callaway Apex (19 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX 80 TX

Irons: Srixon ZX Mk II (3), Srixon ZX5 (4, 5), Srixon ZX7 (6-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore (52-10 Mid, 58-6 Low)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Odyssey Versa Jailbird
Grip: SuperStroke Traxion

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Tack

See the rest of Keegan Bradley’s WITB in the forums.

More Keegan Bradley WITBs

Morning 9: McCarthy’s near 59 | Pace leads Women’s PGA | All eyes on Rose

Ben Alberstadt — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 13:36:33 +0000

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com

Good Friday morning, golf fans, as day two of the Travelers Championship gets underway.

1. McCarthy’s near 59

AP Report…” Denny McCarthy came inches from shooting a 59, settling for a 10-under 60 on Thursday for the lowest round of his PGA Tour career, and Rory McIlroy made his first ace on tour on a day of low numbers at the Travelers Championship.”

“Keegan Bradley and Adam Scott also made runs at golf’s magic number — on a course where Jim Furyk set the PGA Tour record with a 58 in 2016 — but faltered late. Each shot 62.”

“Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world, finished with a 7-under 63.”

Full piece.

2. Pace leads Women’s PGA

AP Report…”Lee-Anne Pace isn’t playing a lot of competitive golf these days at 42-years-old and her practice habits have tailed off. She enjoys the game, and every once in a while, the South African really enjoys it.”

“The first round of the Women’s PGA Championship at historic Baltusrol on Thursday was one of them.”

“Pace made a two-putt birdie on the final hole in fading daylight to cap a bogey-free 5-under 66 and grab a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the second major of the year in women’s golf.”

“Honestly, I just came over because I like to come over every now and then for one or two events,” Pace said. “I honestly did not expect to be leading the tournament after day one. It’s a very, very difficult golf course. To be in my position, I’m just really happy that I had a good score.”

Full piece.

3. All eyes on Rose

Charlotte Gibson at ESPN…”And this week, she tees it up in her first major as a professional at the 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey. Zhang will be among the 156 women golfers competing for the major title and monumental purse (to be announced on Friday, June 23).”

“As the 20-year-old prepares for the only major she hasn’t competed in as an amateur, she faces pressure and expectations to make history again at a storied venue.”

…”Zhang understands the expectations put on her name. She feels responsible for growing the game and inspiring the next generation. She also knows questions like “Will the rise of Zhang determine the rise of women’s golf?” linger around her. But ultimately, she wants to focus on her game and stay patient.”

“This is how people work. If you’re playing well, and you’ve developed a platform, people expect much more out of you, and I recognize that,” adds Zhang. “I think that’s the first thing for me, just to be able to handle it the way I am. And the people around me, like my family and friends, [to] keep me really grounded.”

Full piece.

4. Mav out with injury

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”Maverick McNealy announced Wednesday afternoon that he is taking a break from competition for a few months to treat a left shoulder injury. He tore the anterior sterno-clavicular ligament in his left shoulder last February, and after a missed cut two weeks ago at the RBC Canadian Open, the 27-year-old Stanford product decided he needed to properly address what had become more than a nagging ailment.”

“After a brief period of improvement, it worsened in Canada to the point that I did not think it was a good idea to continue playing,” McNealy said.

“McNealy said the injury won’t require surgery, though the rehab will still be extensive.”

Full piece.

5. Ex-Disney exec to help navigate PIF-PGA Tour

Daniel Libit for Sportico…”Geoff Morrell, who recently served a short-lived stint as Disney’s top spokesperson, has been retained by the Saudi Public Investment Fund to help with media relations for the PIF’s partnership with the PGA Tour.”

“In a Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) filing this week, Morrell disclosed he would be providing “the foreign principal with communications and stakeholder consulting services.”

“Morrell’s time at Disney lasted less then four months, which were dominated by the company’s ongoing contention with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.”

Full piece.

6. “Wouldn’t be too hard to reheat the soup”

Paul Higham for Golf Monthly (quoting Xander Schauffele, initially)…“The sad part is I probably don’t even have a question they can answer,” said Schauffele. “There just isn’t a whole lot of information out just yet. Some sort of the agreement still needs to be written up or agreed on, I should say.

“Everyone wants transparency and I’m sure in their eyes they are being as transparent as they possible can be, and all of us players would like to think they are taking care of us, but if they’re not able to give us any answers, that means there aren’t any.”

…”He had a novel way of saying that temperatures could well flare up again though if the right answers weren’t found.”

“Probably wouldn’t be too hard to re-heat the soup,” said Schauffele. “But, yeah, guys, Tour pros typically are pretty good at compartmentalizing and blocking out stuff and getting ready for game day.

Full Piece.

7. Phil’s Twitter tips return

Our Matt Vincenzi…”Regardless of how one feels about Phil Mickelson, there’s no denying that he has one of the best short games of all time.”

“Yesterday, Phil posted a video to his Twitter account giving chipping advice.”

Check out the video below.

Full Piece.

8. Wyndham’s equipment adjustments

Our Andrew Tursky talked with Titleist’s J.J. Van Wezenbeeck about Wyndham Clark’s lie angle tweaks

“Andrew Tursky: I heard that Wyndham may have made a big lie angle change with the irons about a year ago? What impact have Clark’s lie angles played on his iron game?”

“J.J. Van Wezenbeeck, Titleist: Yeah. He and his caddie John spent a lot of time on their swing, and we decided to move lie angles – we actually moved them twice over the last year, moving things a little flatter from where they had them. [Wyndham and John] are really good at letting ball flight dictate lie angles, so they work a lot on start lines and hitting different golf shots.”

“When his swing gets too fade-biased, they hit hooks on the range. When it gets too neutral, they hit big cuts on the range, and they’ll use ball flight to help with lie angle.”

“Do you remember what the lie angle changes were, like, one degree upright to three degrees flat, or something like that?”

“J.J.: I don’t think it’s even that basic…it’s been a scenario where it’s a little here, and then a lot there. Every club wasn’t the same. It’s a one-by-one situation.”

“It’s not, ‘I’m a one flat guy.’”

“Each club has its own unique lie angle to promote the flight that they want.”

Full Piece.

9. Travelers Photos

Make sure to check out all of our galleries from this week’s event!

Full Piece.

Spotted: Lucas Herbert’s murdered-out TaylorMade TP Black Truss Bandon TM1 putter

Brian Knudson — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 13:51:46 +0000

Lucas Herbert was sporting some new TaylorMade MG4 wedges and a new putter, a TaylorMade TP Black Truss Bandon TM1. TaylorMade’s Truss putters have a reinforced hosel that from address looks like a standard plumbers neck but is a triangular design. The Truss hosel offers improved precision and stability without being distracting. The Bandon head shape offers the familiar look of twin fangs that run on the outside of the putter that offer higher MOI and stability.

Herbert’s putter is finished in all black, including the paintfill on the sole and rear cavity. The putter goes with a gloss black steel shaft and Herbert has a custom black alligator grip installed to finish off the stealth look. The only color on the putter is a single white siteline on the flange and the little bit of silver from the 17-gram weights installed on the sole.

Check out the rest of our photos from the 2023 Travelers Championship.

Morning 9: Nelly’s comeback | US Open ratings | Travelers Photos

Ben Alberstadt — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 13:17:48 +0000

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com

Good Thursday morning, golf fans, as day one of the Travelers Championship gets underway.

1. Your presence is requested on Capitol Hill…

Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) scheduling a hearing on July 11 to review the deal.

Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan and LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman have been requested to attend the hearing.

“To assist the subcommittee’s review, please be prepared to discuss the circumstances and terms of the planned agreement between PGA Tour and the PIF, how any new entities formed through the planned agreement will be structured, the expected impact on PGA Tour and LIV Golf players, and the anticipated role of the PIF in U.S. professional golf,” the letter to Monahan read…

“Our goal is to uncover the facts about what went into the PGA Tour’s deal with the Saudi Public Investment Fund and what the Saudi takeover means for the future of this cherished American institution and our national interest,” said Blumenthal, the chairman of the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. “Americans deserve to know what the structure and governance of this new entity will be. Major actors in the deal are best positioned to provide this information, and they owe Congress – and the American people – answers in a public setting.”

Full piece.

2. Women’s PGA: Nelly’s back

Christopher Powers for Golf Digest…”For a 24-year-old in the prime of her career, Nelly Korda has already dealt with one-too-many health scares. One was of the downright frightening variety, when Korda missed time early last season due to a blood clot in her arm. The other was of the typical golf injury variety: an ailing lower back that forced her to miss the last five weeks on the LPGA tour.”

“Fortunately, the former issue is behind her, but the latter is one that’s caused problems before.”

“Typically, that’s kind of what my back injury is,” Korda said Tuesday at Baltusrol Golf Club, site of this week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. “It’s just low back, yeah. There’s a lot of torque in the golf swing, so I feel like I’m not the only golfer that kind of struggles with the low back.”

Full piece.

3. U.S. Open ratings

Anthony Crupi for Sportico…”NBC’s coverage of the concluding round of the 123rd U.S. Open averaged 6.22 million viewers, a turnout which includes an average-minute audience of 304,000 Peacock streamers, good for a 15% improvement versus last year’s deliveries. (Matt Fitzpatrick’s 2022 win in Brookline, Mass., averaged 5.27 million TV viewers and another 148,000 streamers.) In fending off a determined Rory McIlroy, relative newcomer Wyndham Clark helped serve up the Open’s most-watched round since the fourth frame of the 2019 tourney at Pebble Beach (7.31 million viewers).”

Full piece.

4. Return to Riv

Doug Ferguson for the AP…”Los Angeles had to wait 75 years to get another U.S. Open and now it’s becoming a regular stop. The USGA is bringing the U.S. Open to Riviera Country Club in 2031.”

“The announcement Wednesday comes three days after Wyndham Clark won the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, just over 5 miles (8 km) away and across the 405 freeway from Riviera.”

Full piece.

5. Scott’s response

Golf Digest’s Joel Beall…”it’s fair to wonder how the Aussie is feeling following the surprise announcement that the PGA Tour and LIV Golf’s backer, the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, are planning to form a new entity together. Speaking to the media ahead of this week’s Travelers Championship, the former Masters champ calmly spoke about the “emotional” response some players had to the news.”

“I think as far as the deal goes, I’m happy to wait and see how the deal points are worked out and see whether that really suits as a whole,” Scott explained. “Of course I have some emotional—I’m caught up emotionally because I stayed on the PGA Tour and this looks, it was put to us that if we left we were never coming back, and it seems there is going to be pathways back. You know, eventually we’ll find out if that’s the best for the game and how we feel. So I have some emotions about that, but kind of time often plays a big part in these things so see how it advances.”

Full piece.

6. First LIV team sponsor

Our Matt Vincenzi…”This week, one of the LIV Golf teams has secured its first global sponsorship. The company OKX, which is a Crypto currency exchange, has invested in Majesticks GC. The team has European stars Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson and Lee Westwood.”

It’s unclear if this is a signal that more companies are open to dealing with LIV teams after the PGA Tour/LIV Golf deal was announced, or if this was a sponsorship they’d have acquired anyway.

The team will now wear OKX logos on their shirts and the deal is through 2024.

Full Piece.

7. MacIntyre cleans house

Ben Parsons for Bunkered…”Robert MacIntyre has split with both his coach and caddie ahead of a crucial run that will determine his chances of playing in the Ryder Cup.”

“MacIntyre has become disillusioned with his game this season and told The Scotsman that he made the drastic changes to his team in a bid to rediscover his enjoyment for golf.”

“The Scot has parted ways with coach Simon Shanks and looper Mike Thomson after falling outside the world’s top 100 during a frustrating slump.”

Full Piece.

8. Sergio down on his HOF chances

Doug Ferguson for Golf Channel…”The next ballot for the World Golf Hall of Fame will include three players born in 1980, all major champions with remarkably similar records in global golf. One of them is Sergio Garcia, who suspects he will be looked upon differently from Adam Scott and Justin Rose.”

“Garcia was asked who among those three would be considered the leading candidate to be elected for the 2026 class of inductees.”

“I went to LIV, so I’m probably a little behind,” Garcia said with a laugh.

“He thought for a few minutes about the trio and settled on Scott before adding, “If I didn’t go to LIV and everything that happened, probably me.”

Full Piece.

9. Travelers Photos

Make sure to check out all of our galleries from this week’s event!

Full Piece.

Photos from the 2023 Travelers Championship

GolfWRX Staff — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 17:34:43 +0000

GolfWRX was on site and under the umbrella at the Travelers Championship this week in Cromwell, Connecticut.

For your viewing pleasure, we have five general galleries from TPC River Highlands, 15 WITB looks — including Rickie Fowler and Webb Simpson — and a number of special galleries. First in-hand looks at TaylorMade’s new MF4 wedges and Callaway’s possible new Apex CB irons are featured as well.

Check out links to all our photos below and join the discussion in the forums!

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

Join the discussion in the forums.

Spotted: TPT Nitro shaft

Brian Knudson — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 14:32:07 +0000

TPT has been making high-end, high-performance golf shafts their own way since 2017. TPT (Thin Ply Technology) is an expert and crafting different composite materials and has specialized in very high-performance applications like racing sailboats, airplanes, auto racing, and even watch cases.

Their process for making shafts is using an automated Continuous Fiber system instead of the industry standard of hand-rolling the shaft. TPT claims this Continuous Fiber process creates a more precise and more consistent shaft so the shaft you hit in your fitting plays exactly the same as the one you get in your driver. They are also able to fine-tune where the graphite layers are inserted through that system to ensure the shaft profile is consistent from shaft to shaft.

The new Nitro series of shafts looks to be lighter and lower torque compared to the Red Power Range of TPT shafts.

Check out the rest of our photos from the 2023 Travelers Championship

More “spotted” pieces

Morning 9: Rahm not dwelling on PIF deal | Zhang for Solheim Cup? | Travelers Photos

Ben Alberstadt — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 14:17:14 +0000

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com

Good Wednesday morning, golf fans, as we gear up for the Travelers Championship.

1. We’re the captain still

Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…”PGA Tour officials intend to tackle a growing narrative that the “framework” agreement the circuit signed with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia two weeks ago is not a takeover of professional golf.”

“According to a source familiar with the agreement, who requested anonymity, the deal has built-in safeguards that will ensure the Tour maintains leadership of both the new entity – which will be for-profit and is tentatively called NewCo in the agreement – as well as the PGA Tour.”

…”For the Tour, those for-profit assets would include any media rights, sponsorships, the TPC network and any licensing agreements. The board of directors of NewCo will include an executive committee of Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Jimmy Dunne and Ed Herlihy, who are members of the Tour’s policy board and forged the framework agreement with the PIF. The tax-exemption arm of the Tour, including anything “inside the ropes,” will remain autonomous.”

Full piece.

2. Rahm not dwelling on PGA Tour-LIV union

ESPN report…”Jon Rahm still doesn’t know much about the proposed partnership between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, but he knows this much — he’s not dwelling on it…”

“I didn’t really talk about [the union] much last week, and I guess I might know more in a few hours once we’re done with the player meeting tonight,” Rahm said. “I don’t think we’re going to get a lot of answers, but I’m going to at least get an idea of where the membership head is at. That’s all I can say. We don’t know anything. I don’t know if the people in charge know much more than we do.

“There are so many unanswered questions that at this point I wouldn’t want to waste time thinking about it because there is a lot of what-ifs and unknowns,” he added.

Full piece.

3. In Gee Chun’s internal battle

Nicole Gaddie for Golf Channel…“All my family and friends were in Korea. I felt lonely instead of thankful. I had to take depression medication while on tour,” said Chun.

…”She was feeling the effects of becoming a superstar.”

“When In Gee wins a big tournament and flies into the airport in Seoul, cameras flash everywhere,” said her coach, Dr. Won Park. “She has to do a lot of interviews at the airport, and she spends about two or three hours until she finally makes it to her car.”

“On the streets of Korea, Chun became accustomed to being recognized. As her rockstar status grew, her fans and the Korean media expected results. Chun felt pressure to deliver.”

“She grew up from a poor family and needed support from people around her. She knew how precious that help was. She feels all the time that she owes something to everyone,” said Park.

Full piece.

4. Lewis looking at Zhang for Solheim Cup?

Golf Channel’s Max Schreiber…”There was only one way Rose Zhang could become eligible for September’s Solheim Cup in Spain.”

“She needed an LPGA win before then, and in her first professional start three weeks ago at the Mizuho Americas Open, the 20-year-old emerged victorious, becoming the first woman to accomplish that feat since Beverly Hanson in 1951.”

“That caught the U.S. Solheim Cup captain’s eye.”

“I’ve texted with Rose a little bit since her win, just needed her to try some clothes on and stuff like that,” Stacy Lewis told GolfChannel.com at KPMG Women’s PGA media day, June 12. “I was letting her get over last week before I started bugging her. Yeah, the (assistant) captains and I already started talking about (Zhang making the team).”

Full piece.

5. Can your course host a successful modern day U.S. Open?

From Shane Ryan’s superb Golf Digest “guide”…

Who should I give all my tickets to?

“Bad: Corporate suits.”

“You can’t give your tickets to people who will sit in hospitality tents the whole time, never cheer, drink cocktails with names like “Mortimer’s teawhistle,” and miss all the golf action because they’re deep in conversation about the best way to monetize carbon monoxide poisoning. These people are not the heart and soul of the U.S. Open, and if you overload the place with elites, you’ll lose all your atmosphere.”

“Bad: Ordinary people.”

“Have you seen any ordinary people lately? They’re hooting, insensate morons who can only get a dopamine rush by drunkenly shouting the names of food items after a player hits a golf ball. The human animal is a gross, slobbering beast with a penchant for violence, whose elevated brain power has only led him to a rough kind of egotism that funnels toward collective destruction. You absolutely cannot let too many of these boors near the golfers, the same way you wouldn’t let your child inside a gorilla cage at the zoo.”

“Good: A mix, but heavily police the proletariat with propaganda and pinkertons.”

“The Masters has it right. Rule with an iron fist or invite anarchy. The USGA has been permissive for far too long, and if anyone from that organization is reading this, be in touch, because I have some interesting ideas.”

Full piece.

6. A tale of two post-major starts

Alex Myers for Golf Digest…”The PGA Tour has been jam-packed this season for top players, most notably with two of the new designated events falling the week after a major championship. Rahm drew praise for playing at Hilton Head in April just days after claiming the green jacket. But on Tuesday the only green on his mind were the bright shoes he wore as he got right back to work.”

“Oh, way easier, way easier,” Rahm said when asked to compare this week to the one at Harbour Town following his Masters win. “I was pretty drained on that Thursday still when I tee’d up at Harbour Town, and mainly because that week was unique in how demanding it was on the weekend with all the starts and stops and the tough whether. Every time I win it takes a little bit more out of you.”

“Rahm didn’t win at the U.S. Open, but he did finish strong with a Sunday 65 at LACC. That vaulted him into the top 10, but he acknowledged that not all high finishes are created equal.”

“For the better part of the weekend I was never in contention, so all that stress and intensity that comes with it wasn’t there,” Rahm continued. “Even though I finished great, my round was done at 3 p.m. and I was able to enjoy most of the broadcast like everybody else. That extra energy spent on battling Sunday afternoon at the Open, so energy-wise I’m much better.”

Full Piece.

7. Rahm to Clark: Make sure you celebrate

Paul Higham for Golf Monthly…”…Rahm says that Clark should just enjoy the celebrations that come with winning a first Major and not worry about how he plays this week, as he gave his advice to those who challenged at the US Open who are making the trip.”

“A lot of them are already plenty experienced, right? The only one that hasn’t been in that situation was Wyndham,” said Rahm. “After winning I’m pretty sure he doesn’t care how it goes this week.”

“It’s so personal. All I could tell him is to enjoy the win as much as possible. You know, if you want to focus and play this week, go ahead, but just take the time to enjoy those moments, just because, you know, they’re not easy to come by.”

“So to make sure you celebrate when something like that happens in the present instead of years after when you’ve already – not forgotten, but it’s already passed.”

Full Piece.

8. Harrington on potential Ryder Cup tension

Alex Perry for Bunkered…”It’s been one of the big talking points of the past two years, but Padraig Harrington believes the players will “get over it” should LIV golfers be allowed to make a return to the Ryder Cup fold.”

“For a week, you get over it,” he tells bunkered. “Myself and Sergio used to hug at the Ryder Cup. When you are playing you get over these things, and you work through it. You would be surprised – a bit of tension does help, and you want a bit of drive in there. Everything goes out the window at the Ryder Cup to make the best possible team.

“All teams have it. Look at the England football team. Most of the players are kicking the hell out of each other in matches two weeks previous, so I don’t see tension being an issue.

Full Piece.

9. Travelers Photos

Make sure to check out all of our galleries from this week’s event!

Full Piece.

WOTW: Wyndham Clark’s Rolex Datejust 41 Wimbledon Dial

Brian Knudson — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 13:55:07 +0000

The U.S. Open was another exciting weekend of golf with a leaderboard full of stars. After the dust settled, Wyndham Clark held off Rory McElroy to win his first major. Clark was all smiles, and some tears, as he hugged his family while celebrating and when he held that U.S. Open in the air he had his Rolex Datejust 41 Wimbledon on his wrist.

WOTW Specs:
Name: Rolex Datejust 41
Reference: 126334-0022
Limited: No
Date: 2018 – Present
Case: 904L Oystersteel
Bezel: 18kt White Gold
Dial: Slate Roman
Size: 41mm
Movement: Calibre 3225, 31 Jewels
Power Reserve: 70 Hours
Glass: Sapphire Crystal
Waterproof: 100 Meters
Bracelet: Jubilee, Oystersteel
Price: $10,500 (~$14,500)

To celebrate their 40th anniversary, Rolex introduced the Datejust, which has become one of the longest-standing models in their lineup. Originally designed as a timeless timepiece suitable for any occasion, the Datejust’s classic style has remained largely unchanged over the years. Looking at the original reference 4467, one can immediately recognize its unmistakable design. Initially crafted from solid 18kt yellow gold, two-toned versions of the Datejust became available in the 1950s.

In the current Rolex lineup, we have the Wyndham’s Datejust, which made its debut in 2018. This particular model features a 41mm case made from solid Oystersteel, a highly durable 904L stainless steel chosen by Rolex for its exceptional resistance to corrosion and ability to withstand harsh conditions during everyday wear. The caseback is threaded into the case and sealed with rubber, contributing to the Datejust’s impressive 100m waterproof rating. On the right side of the watch, there is a screw-down crown with Twinlock waterproof seals, used for setting the time and date. The watch is crowned with a fluted bezel, crafted from Rolex’s own 18k white gold alloy. Rolex established its own foundry in the early 2000s to produce their gold and platinum alloys, ensuring unparalleled quality and durability. Notably, Rolex’s white gold alloy retains its original luster without fading like other alloys.

A slate gray dial features a sunray finish that extends from the center to diffuse light for a more luxurious look. The hour markers are black Roman Numerals outlined in a bright green that resemble the famous Wimbledon tennis court. At 3 o’clock is the date window that changes the date over instantly at midnight. Some movements slowly start moving the date wheel as the time gets closer to midnight and Rolex did not approve of that. So they designed their dates to switch over so quickly that you won’t see it unless you are concentrating and watching for it. A sapphire crystal covers the entire dial and contains a cyclops lens over the date to magnify it for easier reading.

Inside Clark’s Datejust is a self-winding, automatic Calibre 3235 movement that was completely designed and built in-house. The 3235 is, like all Rolex movements, Swiss Certified (COSC), to be accurate in all temperatures and conditions. A blue Parachrom hairspring and Paraflex shock absorbers work to improve accuracy through drops and temperature changes. The 3235 is made up of 201 parts and it will offer the wearer around 70 hours of power reserve.

A Rolex Jubilee bracelet is attached and made from 5 solid links of Oystersteel. The 5 smaller links give the Datejust a little more of a dressy and falshier look compared to the available Oyster bracelet. The outer links are given a brushed finish while the inner links are polished for a contrasting look. Rolex’s folding Oysterclasp brings the bracelet together and contains the Easylink extension link for dialing in the perfect fit. This is one of the more sought after Datejust models and is very hard to source at your local dealer. If you are on good enough terms then you will pay $10,500 to put a steel Wimbledon on your writs. On the secondary market these demand a little higher price and a Wimbledon in great condition will run you about $14,500.

Spotted: TaylorMade Milled Grind 4 wedges

Brian Knudson — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 12:16:16 +0000

TaylorMade released the Milled Grind 3 wedges back in 2021, and we got a very good look at their replacement this week. Collin Morikawa and Lucas Herbert both had new MG4 wedges in the bag at the Travelers Championship.

The wedges in these tour bags looked to be fully raw steel, not just a raw face like the MG3 wedges have. We don’t know any technical details yet, nor do we know if we will get a full raw version at retail.

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Our own Andrew Tursky was at the Travelers this week and caught up with Lucas Herbet to talk about the new wedges and what he is seeing from them that got them in the bag.

“The faces feel like sandpaper, because they’re so grippy. You feel it straight away around the greens. You’re getting a lot more spin. Even like 80-yard pitch shots, I can see them spinning a lot more, as well.”

The new MG4 wedges keep the tradition of having a completely milled sole grind that ensures consistency from wedge to wedge since hand polishing allows for varying sole dimensions and angles. The faces look to be a little different on the new wedges with angled micro grooves in between the main grooves on the face. These angle grooves have been used on other wedges and are described as helping to control the direction of spin on open-faced shots.

Also new for these MG4 wedges looks to be the shape of the Tiger Woods version. The TW 56* and 60* have sole grinds that are built specifically for Tiger but his wedges look to also have a much more squared-off toe shape compared to the standard MG4 wedges.

Check out the rest of our photos from the 2023 Travelers Championship

Morning 9: Clark wins US Open | Atmosphere and course under fire | Bryson’s Ryder Cup hope

Ben Alberstadt — Mon, 19 Jun 2023 13:36:48 +0000

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com

Good Monday morning, golf fans, as Wyndham Clark held his nerve to win the US Open on an engrossing final day at LACC.

1. Clark wins first major

Mark Schlabach for ESPN…“Clark, who was ranked 293rd in the Official World Golf Ranking a year ago and had never finished better than a tie for 75th in a major championship, held off Rory McIlroy, world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler and Rickie Fowler in the final round to win the 123rd U.S. Open at the Los Angeles Country Club.”

“Clark, from Denver, carded an even-par 70 on Sunday. His 10-under total of 270 was 1 stroke ahead of McIlroy, who failed to end a nearly nine-year major championship drought.”

“I feel like I belong on this stage, and even two, three years ago when people didn’t know who I was, I felt like I could still play and compete against the best players in the world,” Clark said. “I felt like I’ve shown that this year.”

Full piece.

2. Not loving the late tee times

Josh Peter for USA Today…”Clark, who teed off last with Fowler at 3:40 p.m. local time (6:40 p.m. ET) and finished at 7:56 p.m. (10:56 p.m. ET) Saturday at Los Angeles Country Club, blamed darkness on his making a bogey at No. 17 and Fowler making a bogey at No. 18.”

“I mean, it’s a little ridiculous we teed off that late,” Clark said. “I would say right around hole 15 or 16 it started getting to where you couldn’t see that well. I mean, I don’t personally understand why we teed off — we played twilight golf.

“So it’s kind of tough and it’s crazy to think that we’re doing that on the last two holes of a major when we could have teed off two hours earlier. Hopefully tomorrow we don’t have that issue.”

Full piece.

3. Fitzpatrick criticizes USO atmosphere, course

Jackson Fuller for Golf Channel…”…Fitzpatrick launched some criticism toward the Los Angeles faithful – or lack, thereof – in attendance.”

“Very poor … It’s disappointing on the USGA side,” Fitzpatrick told Barstool and Sports Illustrated about the U.S. Open atmosphere.

“They want a great tournament—from what I’ve heard a lot of members bought tickets and that’s why there’s so many less people. Hopefully, it’s not the same for other U.S. Opens going forward.”

“Fitzpatrick also had some choice words for the course itself, calling LACC “interesting, to be polite.”

“There’s just too many holes for me where you’ve got blind tee shots and then you’ve got fairways that don’t hold the ball. There’s too much slope,” he said. “Some of the tee shots are just — I think they’re a little bit unfair. You hit a good tee shot and end up in the rough by a foot and then you’re hacking it out.”

Full piece.

4. Bryson hoping to make Ryder Cup team

Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…”For the second consecutive major Bryson DeChambeau will begin the final round with an outside chance at winning. He hopes that opportunity translates into an outside chance of making this year’s U.S. Ryder Cup team…”

“I think [the door] is open a lot more,” said DeChambeau, who was tied for 10th place when he finished his round. “I hope that [U.S. captain Zach Johnson] picks the best players from the country. That’s the most important thing is playing for the country.”

“DeChambeau said he spoke with Johnson briefly on Sunday at last month’s PGA Championship, where he tied for fourth, and he was optimistic the U.S. captain would do what’s best for the team.”

“I think Brooks [Koepka] is already qualified and I think he’s already on the team,” DeChambeau said. “If my game continues to improve and I play well in another major and play well in some LIV events I hope [Johnson] considers some of those guys. It’d be nice to consider me.”

Full piece.

5. More player reactions to LACC

Golfweek’s Adam Schupak…“The chorus of complaints for LACC grew on Saturday with Viktor Hovland saying, “You know what, I’m not a big fan of this golf course, to be honest. I think there’s some good holes. I don’t think there’s any great holes. I think there’s a few bad holes. I think No. 9 is probably the best hole out here in my opinion.”

“Hovland wasn’t the only one to share their distaste for the George Thomas Jr. design from the 1920s, which received a renovation in 2010 from Gil Hanse, his partner Jim Wagner and architecture critic and golf blogger Geoff Shackelford.”

“I just think the golf course is interesting, to be polite, I think. There’s just too many holes for me where you’ve got blind tee shots and then you’ve got fairways that don’t hold the ball. There’s too much slope,” Matt Fitzpatrick, the defending U.S. Open champion said. “I think the greens certainly play better when they’re firmer. I definitely think that’s the case. They’re rolling really, really well. Some of the tee shots are just – I think they’re a little bit unfair. You hit a good tee shot and end up in the rough by a foot and then you’re hacking it out. Meanwhile, someone has hit it miles offline the other way and they’ve got a shot. Yeah, not my cup of tea.”

Full piece.

6. Meanwhile, on the LPGA Tour…

LPGA communications…”It was crowded leaderboard through four days at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, with Tour winners, major champions and players looking for their elusive first title all aiming to rise the trophy Sunday in Belmont, Mich. But it was a final-round 64 by Leona Maguire that secured the Irishwoman above all the second Tour title of her career by two shots at -21, as she became the 11th different winner this season through 13 events.”

“Maguire stayed in the mix throughout the week finishing all four rounds in the 60s, the first time she has accomplished that feat this season, before putting on one of her most dominant displays of golf in her final round. Tied for fifth to start the day, Maguire kept pace through her front-nine, still in contention with birdies on Nos. 5 and 7. But it was a birdie and eagle on Nos. 13 and 14, respectively, where Maguire took a share of the lead at -18 and never looked back, carding three-straight birdies coming in to cement her place as the winner at Blythefield Country Club by day’s end.”

Full Piece.

7. Low am, weird putt

Jackson Fuller for Golf Channel…”Gordon Sargent finished off a terrific first appearance at the U.S. Open with the honor of low amateur, but his week at Los Angeles Country Club might be remembered for a 20-inch putt on the 72nd hole.”

“Actually, a missed 20-inch putt.”

“With good pace and a straight line, Sargent’s second-to-last stroke of the championship hit the back of the cup, only to bounce out and leave him with a tap-in bogey. Social media immediately burst aflame, wondering how that type of robbery could happen at a U.S. Open.”

Full Piece.

8. Et in Arcadia Ego

9. Winning WITB: Wyndham Clark

Driver: Titleist TSi3 (9 degrees)

Shaft: Accra TZ Six ST 60 M5

3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)

Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX 80 TX

Irons: Titleist T200 (3), Titleist 620 CB (4-9)

Shafts: Mitsubishi Tensei AV Raw White 100HY X (3), True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (46-10F, 52-12F, 56-10S), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (60-A)

Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Odyssey Jailbird Versa

Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 3.0 17”

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord

Full WITB.

To live and die in LA: Wyndham Clark emerges with US Open title

Ronald Montesano — Mon, 19 Jun 2023 13:22:59 +0000

A glance at Sunday’s final two pairings would probably have elicited the following ranking: Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler, followed by Rickie Fowler, followed by Wyndham Clark. Both McIlroy and Scheffler hold major titles, while Fowler had oh-so-close finishes throughout his career. Before Sunday, Clark’s T75 finish at the 2021 PGA Championship was his best major performance, barely edging out his T76 at the 2022 Open Championship. In Tinseltown, anything can happen, and some dreams actually become reality. On June 18th, Wyndham Clark posted an even-par round of 70, edging Rory McIlroy by one shot for the 123rd United States Open Championship. As the least likely to triumph among the final four, how exactly did Wyndham Clark defy our odds and claim an entirely-unanticipated title? Let’s try to break it down.

The moment @Wyndham_Clark became a major champion. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/TIlB87G3o3

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 19, 2023

The Surface Numbers

Wyndham Clark scored worse each day. That sounds bad, doesn’t it? When your worst score is even par, however, it’s not. Clark opened with 64, just two shots higher than those record-breaking 62s from Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele. On Friday, he added three shots to his total for 67, and followed it with 69 on Saturday. A pair of late bogeys on Sunday made the finish more compelling, and took Clark out of the 60s for the first time all week.

Over the course of the week, Wyndham Clark tallied one eagle, nineteen birdies, and eleven bogies. His total of 270 strokes over four days represents the second-lowest total in US Open history. Only McIlroy’s 268 in 2011 exceeded this year’s winning score. Clark tied for second in total birdies this week; only Fowler’s 23 surpassed his number.

As often happens with champions, Clark avoided big numbers this week. There weren’t a lot of double and triple bogies at Los Angeles country club’s North course this week, but it was easy to get on a bogey express and ride it for a distance. Only twice did Clark etch consecutive bogeys on his scorecard, and until Sunday’s late struggle, had no more than three bogeys in one round.

Three. Shot. Lead. @Wyndham_Clark widens his lead after a stellar second shot into No. 14 leads to birdie #USOpen pic.twitter.com/eoEPd6yzsh

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 19, 2023

A Deeper Dive

As might be expected, Clark did nothing poorly this week, and only one or two things in an average manner. Over the 72 holes of the tournament, Clark tied for 3rd in putting, and ranked 4th in strokes gained putting. His driving distance was seventh-best, and he ranked 2nd in strokes gained off the tee. Finally, Clark also ranked in the top ten for strokes gained short game and greens in regulation. The only categories that saw average performance from the Colorado native were strokes gained approach (43rd) and fairways hit (24th.) How do you finish 9th in GIR, yet 43rd in SGA? That’s the mystery of statistics.

How did McIlroy not claim a second US Open title? Putting. The Northern Irishman was 1st on the week for strokes gained off the tee, and also for greens in regulation. His putting was not up to the same standard. The 2011 champion was 33rd in strokes gained putting, and tied for 42nd in total putts. Subtract just two putts from his total, and McIlroy raises Victoria.

A similar tale of woe befell third-place finisher Scottie Scheffler. Not as strong from tee to green as the aforementioned two, Scheffler needed to be THE guy on the greens. He wasn’t able to surpass Clark, and finished three back, at seven under par.

As for Fowler, Sunday saw his approach and putting games disappear. Both had been strong all week, elevating him to a tie for first with Clark, through 54 holes. On Saturday, Clark ripped an iron into the 18th hole for a near tap-in birdie. Fowler had a power lip-out from four feet, and made bogey. The two-shot swing was a portent of Sunday’s conclusion. Fowler tallied 18 birdies over the first two days, more than enough to offset his bogey total. On the weekend, the birdie engine blew a gasket, falling to five over the final two days.

Nipped it ?

Big par save from @Wyndham_Clark at No. 11. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/ap1VRUERcP

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 19, 2023

What’s next?

What sort of US Open champion will Wyndham Clark be? Will he be a one-and-done major champion, or will he retire with one? Clark’s first PGA Tour title came earlier this year, in May in Charlotte. The Quail Hollow Club has hosted PGA Championships before, and stands as an austere test each spring. Pair that victory with a win at LA North, and we begin to see a pattern. Clark performs well on the sort of courses that make host appearances for half the major titles. Can he translate these performances to Augusta National, or to the links courses of the British Isles? It will be fun to watch.

Calm, cool and collected. #USOpen champion @Wyndham_Clark's unflappable final round is the @Lexus Top Performance of the Day. #LexusGolf pic.twitter.com/x5YGcIt0pf

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 19, 2023

Five Things We Learned: Saturday at the US Open

Ronald Montesano — Sun, 18 Jun 2023 13:05:03 +0000

For the fan in me, Moving Day always arrives with a sense of expectation, and departs with a sense of sadness. There is mild grief for not just the players who fall from contention. There is also the angst with knowing that just one day remains, in what began as three practice rounds, prior to four days of competition. It is inevitable that this come to pass, just as it is inevitable that a competitor will eventually raise Victoria in triumph.

On Saturday, the true diversity of the LaLaLand experience came to the fore. It was intimated by a reliable source, that a somewhat-sinister plot was hatched to reduce the number of golf fans in attendance. Next, a golf ball landed, from over three hundred yards away, in the golf ball holder of a television announcer’s cart. Finally, the shortest golf hole in US Open championship history was played and, at a mere 80 yards, did play under par.

Thanks to statistics provided by the host USGA, we know that it is likely that the winner will come from somewhere between five-under par and ten-under. In the last 49 years, no player has pulled a Johnny Miller, and come back from more than a five-shot, third-round deficit. The last player to do so, was Miller himself, fifty years ago at Oakmont.

The USGA has the course where it wants it. Inspired by decades of Hollywood thrillers, tees will sequence in a manner that tests the psyche, while holes will be situated in a manner that tests the steady hand. Falter but once, and much will be needed to recover. On that somber note, welcome to Sunday, and five things that we learned on Saturday, at the US Open.

Rickie Fowler lips out his par attempt on No. 18 to drop into a share of the lead through 54 holes. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/0IbQ8EzKIE

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 18, 2023

1. Front Nine-Back Nine starring in remake of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

On Saturday, Tom Kim took a wee 29 shots to complete the first nine holes of the North course at Los Angeles country club. Only five players have done this in the entirety of US Open history; none since 2015. Six birdies and three pars did the trick, and a seventh birdie at the 10th hole lit the hearts and souls of all fandom. The North course simply shrugged, and said Welcome to the back nine. It is there that more dreams are dashed than a Hollywood lot.

Next up for Kim was a series of holes whose distances defy conception. The second of two massive par-three holes, and a closing sequence of plus-size par four holes, wrapped around the aforementioned, tiny one-shotter. Kim had no more birdies in the bag, but three bogeys jumped up out of the rough and reduced his round from minus-seven to minus-four. Kim moved inside the top ten, but outside of that five-stroke margin that predicts winners.

2??9??

Tom Kim is making a big move at LACC. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/gS36nB0Y8h

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 17, 2023

2. Snakes are everywhere

Not the kind that take advantage of new arrivals in Tinseltown, nor the ones that lurk in the high rough that edges the fairways at LA North. The putting surfaces at the George Thomas masterpiece are conducive to the reading of long putts, and that bodes well for golfers in search of an on-course comeback. They are the ones most likely to take a run at long putts, and they are the ones most likely to be rewarded. There’s one exception: Rickie Fowler. Anyone who has watched the Cali Kid-turned OSU Cowboy since his amateur days, knows that Fowler putts all putts with confident abandon. He is trying to make all of them, and he believes that he can. Some hit the edge and spin away (see opening paragraph) while others tumble in from unbelievable distances. If the putter shows up and the nerves hold up, Sunday might be a great day for Fowler.

From 69 feet away??@RickieFowler rolls in a lengthy birdie at No. 13. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/75FCIgUNjf

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 18, 2023

3. Whirls and Twirls

Like a lot of generational things, the club twirl is lost on folks above a certain age. Even when Tiger started to do it, none of us born prior to 1975 cared all that much. For those born after, it was an era-defining expression of golf swagger. Look closely at Wyndham Clark below, and you can see the effort he puts into the club twirl. It’s as if his trainer had moved him from leg day, to arm day, to twirl day, in preparation for this event.

Clark earned the right to twirl his club with this approach. Few anticipated that Clark would be tied for the lead through 54 holes, and paired again with Fowler in the final group. The Colorado native played an unspectacular front nine of minus-two, which kept him near the top. Bogey at 11 and 12 were stage direction for his exit, but he then did an unexpected thing. He made birdie at 13, then followed a bogey stumble at 17 with the shot you see below. The bell might toll for Clark on Sunday, but he’ll have some odds to do yet another, unpredicted thing: win.

A closing birdie to tie the #USOpen lead for @Wyndham_Clark. ? pic.twitter.com/kPgLzXzSUZ

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 18, 2023

4. Who needs putter?

Scottie Scheffler had quietly gone about his business at Wilshire Boulevard’s lovely layout. He stood one-over on the day through 16 holes, and four-under on the week. It looked to be another close-but-no-cigar for the 2022 Masters champion, and then the Texan made an unprecedented move. Scheffler drew a distant iron shot in toward the 17th green, and watched as the ball released along the green of the course’s toughest par-four hole. He did not have a proper vantage point from which to see it finish, but he knew from the roar that the only place it could lie, was four inches below the putting surface, nestled in the hole. The eagle brought him to six-under, and a closing birdie staked him to a penultimate pairing with Rory McIlroy.

In my mind, this is the pairing to watch. Scheffler is McIlroy of a decade ago. He wants more than one major title on his resume; he wants many, and he does not wish to miss out in 2023. McIlroy is the almost-aging, former-firework who shined bright early, but has cooled in the ensuing decade. He knows that one major win can ignite a celebrated, second act to his career. One more close call can add another layer of scar tissue that makes winning again, more difficult.

? SCOTTIE EAGLE ?

Scottie Scheffler holes out from the fairway on No. 17! #USOpen pic.twitter.com/MIgpxtWxMU

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 18, 2023

5. Oh, those Hollywood Nights

There’s the Bob Seger song, and there’s also the Newbomb Turk movie, that bookend the tragedy and hilarity of the West Coast. Sunday will give us a winner. If it doesn’t get done in regulation, it will happen in a two-hole playoff. In anticipation of a playoff and in assurance of a prime-time, East coast finish. Rickie and Wyndham will tee off a full seventy minutes earlier than they did on Saturday. We know the following:

*Someone will shoot 30 or better on the front nine;

*Someone unexpected will rise (and the opposite);

*Someone unexpected will falter (and the opposite);

*After a week away from the PGA Tour, we will talk about the merger again on Monday;

*Odds favor a first-time major champion, as six of the nine within five strokes, have no majors on their dossier;

One thing that we do know, is that no one will repeat the magnificence of Cameron Young, who decided to liven things up with a tee shot for the ages, on Saturday’s tenth hole. Despite never visiting the fairway, Young made par. How he did it, is the stuff of Hollywood minds and cameras.

"Nobody will believe this."

Cameron Young's tee shot ended up in a spot made for a ball. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/rGVYnSTGVj

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 17, 2023

Five Things We Learned: Friday at the US Open

Ronald Montesano — Sat, 17 Jun 2023 12:51:27 +0000

Like death and taxes, the halfway cut at a major championship is a certainty. There is no avoiding its blade, and stories abound about who coulda and shoulda, who didn’t, and who did. Layered on top of the close calls are the runaways, the golfers who made or missed by a mile. Los Angeles Country Club’s North course welcomed 65 golfers to the weekend, and sent the remaining 91 home.

The cut fell at two-over par 142, one shot lower than the 143 of 2022, at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. 17 competitors made the cut on the number, including three of the four surviving amateurs. Among that group were three former major winners. Missing by one shot were 14 more golfers, including Jordan Spieth and Phil Mickelson. France’s Paul Barjon gave back nine shots overnight (67 to 76) to miss by one, while Sam Stevens (75 to 67) and Sahith Theegala (74 to 66) improved the most, to sneak inside the cut and reserve a seat at Saturday’s table.

A quintet of elements stood out most on day two at LA North, and it’s time to share that quantum with you.

Finish with a ?@XSchauffele will head into the weekend two shots off the lead. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/GGSbktkHPp

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 17, 2023

1. A US Open test reveals itself by the numbers

As a savvy tournament committee knows, you don’t display all your attributes on day one. Los Angeles North may have seemed like an unworthy admission to the US Open canon of courses after Thursday’s low numbers. Upon completion of play on Friday, those complaints and heckles went away with the cut line. The committee moved the tee blocks as far back as possible, pushing the real yardage to the scorecard figures. Combined with a morning Marine layer and some all-day breezes, the enhanced yardage added club numbers to approach shots, and changed strategy from the tee deck. The results were statistically telling: a 71.38 average score on Thursday climbed to 72.22 on Friday.

37 players signed a scorecard under the par of 70 on day one. Only 10 of those golfers followed up with another round in the 60s. We’ll look at those 10 golfers as we continue our trek, and determine which has the greatest chance of hoisting Victoria, aka the trophy without a name, on Sunday. The winged goddess of victory stands atop the silver chalice, so that’s as good a name as any.

With no more yardage left to add, anticipate a movement toward psychological warfare on the putting surfaces. Hole locations will move toward fingers and corners of greens, and slide toward transitional shelves on the frog hair.

High-quality stuff from Cameron Smith. ? #USOpen pic.twitter.com/2BaVMvrELs

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 16, 2023

2. Members of an exclusive club

Rickie Fowler and Wyndham Clark will shake hands on Saturday afternoon. Gone are the split tees of 1 and 10, as well as the threesomes. Their 3:40 tee time west coast tee time is the final one of the day, and will finish up well past 11 on the other coast. Their tribute comes later; there are eight other golfers who joined them in the Double 60s club, and we shall look at that octet herein.

Rory Mcilroy (65-67), Harris English (67-66), Min Woo Lee (69-65), Sam Bennett (67-68), Scottie Scheffler (67-68), Cameron Smith (69-67), Tony Finau (68-69) and Justin Suh (69-69) are the other eight players in possession of under-par scorecards from both days of competition. They are joined by others in the top eighteen, but their achievements merit some attention. History suggests that McIlroy should be watched closely, but history also suggests that a nine-year gap in major-championship victories is hard to overcome. Scheffler and Smith each won a major in 2022, and each would like to establish a yearly tradition of at least one major title on the resume.

The other five golfers are complete unknowns in the major arena, yet each adds a tantalizing spice that screams, in the words of Donkey, pick me, pick me! Our thinking is that the 2023 champion is likely to come from this group of 10 golfers, as a weekend comeback is a difficult thing at a US Open.

Making a big move ? the board. @Minwoo27Lee is -4 at LACC. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/QIAJU0URwU

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 16, 2023

3. The amateurs

We saw the aforementioned Sam Bennett make quite a statement (16th-place tie) as an amateur at The Masters in April. He is now a professional, but a quartet of his former compatriots in the non-professional company stood tall through 36 holes at the North course. Leading the way is Vanderbilt’s Gordon Sargent, the newly-minted world number one among the amateurs, and the owner of what may be the world’s quickest hip rotation through the ball. Anchor Down followed an opening 69 with 71, to sit in a tie for 30th at even par. Joining Sargent on the weekend are Ben Carr and Maxwell Moldovan of the USA, and Aldrich Potgieter of South Africa. That triumvirate sneaked across the cut line on the number, at the two-over par figure of 142. The presence of Bobby Jones returns each year at the majors, and the four-time champion of this event, as an amateur, suggests that we pay attention to his golf descendants.

Of the foursome, Sargent should perform the best over the final 36 holes. He is among the collegiate elite who lack only seasoning on their way to join the list of professional winners. As for the others, the USGA medals that will come their way on Sunday are prize enough.

Gordon Sargent is making the most of his major start. ?@VandyMGolf #USOpen pic.twitter.com/h9bzk08rnT

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 16, 2023

4. Wyndham Clark caught our attention

The Colorado native has the sort of name that suggests he has been around the tours for decades. Maybe that’s just us. Clark played four years at Oklahoma State, then transferred to Oregon for his final collegiate season. He moved from the Korn Ferry Tour to the PGA Tour in 2018, and has remained a fixture. In April, Clark won his first tour title at Quail Hollow in Charlotte. On Thursday, Clark joined the birdie fest with a round of 64. He overcame three bogeys that day, with eight mighty birdies. On Friday, a more patient Clark counted half that many birdies on his card, but he sliced two bogeys off his round’s tally. Alongside Clark as a great unknown, is how difficult Los Angeles North will play over the next 48 hours.

Clark’s driving distance average dropped nearly 40 yards from round one to round two. Did he play conservatively off the tee on Friday? If so, that’s a good thing. Clark hit nearly 70% of fairways and greens both days, which placed him right around 50th spot in the field. What he did best, was make putts. His putting average of 1.25 putts per green is best in the field. When it comes to rolling the ball, he has no equal this week. That statistic needs to continue, for Clark to find success on Saturday, and glory on Sunday.

Making birdie the hard way! @Wyndham_Clark ties the lead at -8. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/9KeWnh5c8t

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 16, 2023

5. Rickie Fowler has his chance

The mid 2010s were the period when we thought that we would see the California native surpass his renown as Dick Fowler, Private Eye in commercials, and seize a major title. He came close (top-five finishes in all four 2014 majors) but never crossed the finish line. Would he be the most popular major champion in quite some time? Absolutely. Fowler extracted 18 birdies from George Thomas’ masterpiece over the first two days. If he does the same over the weekend, he will win. Fowler’s driving has always been his Achilles’ Heel; if he keeps the ball in the fairway, off the tee, he will do just fine. Remember that firm greens also mean firm fairways, so drive won’t be necessary off the majority of tees. Fowler has been the world’s most confident putter since his amateur days. If the flat stick cooperates, his chance at finally claiming a major trophy increases.

Another record-setting day for @RickieFowler!

His Friday 68 is the @Lexus Top Performance of the Day. #LexusGolf pic.twitter.com/xO4X30e64C

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 17, 2023

Photos from the 2023 U.S. Open

GolfWRX Staff — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 13:38:48 +0000

GolfWRX was live this week from the third major of the season, the U.S. Open at famed Los Angeles Country Club.

We have more photos than stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for your viewing pleasure this week. Six general galleries. More than 30 WITBs, including Cam Smith and Sergio Garcia. 11 special galleries, including limited-edition U.S. Open bags and putter covers.

News – GolfWRX

Tour Rundown: Surprise USWO winner | Sepp surges

Morning 9: Co-leaders at USWO | Blixt fires 62 | DQ at Pebble

1. Joint leaders at Pebble

2. Why it means so much

3. Blixt fires 62

4. USWO pay bump

5. Coming to an airport near you…

6. Caitlin Clark tees off in John Deere pro-am

7. Bubba thinks Gooch should get RC pick

8. DQ at Pebble Beach

9. John Deere Classic photos

Morning 9: Wie West’s last hurrah | Garcia fails to qualify for Open | Block clarifies Rory comments

1. Wie West officially retiring at Pebble

2. Sergio misses out on Open qualifying

3. Cam Smith likes lighter schedule, says “team golf is here to say”

4. Block on McIlroy comments

5. Butch: Rickie’s win means the most

6. Migliaccio reporter-player at USWO

7. Tim Tucker back on Bryson’s bag for the week

8. Zach hints at Ryder Cup inclusion for LIV pros

9. John Deere Classic photos

Photos from the 2023 John Deere Classic

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

Tour Rundown: Langer the all-time win leader | Fowler wins again

Photos from the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

More from the Rocket Mortgage Classic

Morning 9: Optimistic Phil | Morikawa’s frustration | Rocket Mortgage Classic photos

1. Optimistic Phil

2. Player meeting re: PIF (and a statement of their own)

3. Friends again

4. The Match: Team Curry-Thompson’s golf origin story

5. Koepka, DJ in no hurry to return to Tour?

6. Morikawa’s frustration

7. DJ Khaled, OBJ hit the links

8. JT credits wife for change in mentality

9. Rocket Mortgage Classic photos

Morning 9: Presidents Cup to Australia | DP World Tour’s ‘fake battle’? | Rocket Mortgage Photos

1. Neither rain nor snow…

2. Big hitters only

3. Presidents Cup headed to Kingston Heath in 2028

4. Zhang may need captain’s pick

5. Taking another Trip

6. Ryder Cup x Roc Nation?

7. Sergio and Rory friends again

8. ‘Fake battle’?

9. Rocket Mortgage Photos

Morning 9: Pro’s 8-hour drive for 20k event | Cantlay’s coup? | Garcia enters Open qualifying

1. PGA Tour pro makes 8-hour drive to play for $20K

2. Record mark at no. 1

3. Garcia enters Open qualifying

4. Blair close to keeping his card

5. “Technology has passed this course by”

6. Cantlay’s coup?

7. Wolff returns to LIV

8. USGA admits mistake in Rory’s controversial drop

9. Framework sent to senators

WOTW: Scott Vail’s Tudor Black Bay 58 Bronze (Keegan Bradley’s caddie)

Tour Rundown: Keegan’s Kareer Komeback | A Baltusrol win for Yin

Keegan Bradley’s winning WITB: 2023 Travelers Championship

More Keegan Bradley WITBs

Morning 9: McCarthy’s near 59 | Pace leads Women’s PGA | All eyes on Rose

1. McCarthy’s near 59

2. Pace leads Women’s PGA

3. All eyes on Rose

4. Mav out with injury

5. Ex-Disney exec to help navigate PIF-PGA Tour

6. “Wouldn’t be too hard to reheat the soup”

7. Phil’s Twitter tips return

8. Wyndham’s equipment adjustments

9. Travelers Photos

Spotted: Lucas Herbert’s murdered-out TaylorMade TP Black Truss Bandon TM1 putter

Morning 9: Nelly’s comeback | US Open ratings | Travelers Photos

1. Your presence is requested on Capitol Hill…

2. Women’s PGA: Nelly’s back