News

Ben Crane Captures Farmers Insurance Open

No, he didn’t win a baby for finishing atop a leaderboard for the first time in five years, but he did learn to play a little quicker. Ben Crane, for those who don’t remember, is the guy who ticked Rory Sabbatini off during the Milwaukee tournament in 2005 with his glacial rate of play. Mrs. Sabbatini even wore a charming black tee shirt with the words “Keep Up” stenciled in bold white letters. Accurate commentary despite the tackiness. At the time I felt like I needed to shave after every hole Mr. Crane played. Not so anymore. While still deliberate, unlike Rickie Fowler who takes about twelve seconds to pull a club, hit a shot, and return club to the bag, Mr. Crane hit one less shot than all his competitors.

Published

16 years ago

Feb 1, 2010

Eric Schuster

No, he didn't win a baby for finishing atop a leaderboard for the first time in five years, but he did learn to play a little quicker. Ben Crane, for those who don't remember, is the guy who ticked Rory Sabbatini off during the Milwaukee tournament in 2005 with his glacial rate of play. Mrs. Sabbatini even wore a charming black tee shirt with the words "Keep Up" stenciled in bold white letters. Accurate commentary despite the tackiness. At the time I felt like I needed to shave after every hole Mr. Crane played. Not so anymore. While still deliberate, unlike Rickie Fowler who takes about twelve seconds to pull a club, hit a shot, and return club to the bag, Mr. Crane hit one less shot than all his competitors.

For anyone who watched the final hole, those new grooves sure made a big difference in the result. Mr. Crane had 82 yards to the hole while Michael Sim had 88 yards left after a cautious layup. Without the new, smaller grooves Mr. Sim would have spun his shot back into the pond fronting the green (maybe), instead his shot would up spinning back into the grass at the top of the bank. Mr. Crane's wedge spun back past the hole but was lodged up against the collar of the green. I'll grant that both shots were from the fairway so the groove change has minimal effect, but if it hadn't been for the cheater charges against Phil Mickelson earlier in the week I wouldn't have paid much attention.

If you missed it, Mr. Mickelson used a pre 1990 set of Ping Eye-2 wedges (as did six other pros) which are entirely legal according to the new rules and was accused of cheating by Scott McCarron. If the tour leaves a loophole a rule complete with flashing lights and multiple direction arrows, how can anyone choosing to drive through be accused of cheating? Those complaints are misdirected when aimed at Mr. Mickelson, he's playing by the rule book as written. So quit asking him stupid questions about his wedges and start lobbing those complaints at the bozos who wrote the rule. I'm not a big fan of Mr. Mickelson at all, but this is way out of line. To attack one of the game's true stars (and the biggest one still playing today for cripes sake) accuse him of cheating is as classless as Mrs Sabbatini's shirt. The PGA Tour and Mr. McCarron needs to apologize publicly to Mr. Mickelson quickly and loudly so as to end this non issue. While they're at it, someone needs to slap Mr. McCarron upside the head for stupidity, I'm a firm believer in stupid should hurt and this bone head qualifies for a series of head slaps.

OK deep breath and I'll step off my soap box now. Mr. Crane began two shots back of leader Ryuji Imada but got those back in the first three holes. By the end of the 11th hole the lead was three shots, thanks to two 45 foot bombs and a 20 footer that found the center of the hole. After that point it got a lot dicier, as putts from 6, 4 and inside 3 feet on the final through the 17th hole. That set up the drama on the 18th where Mr. Crane's par was good enough to win.

On a final note, Mr. Fowler the 21 year old phenom must have been feeling sentimental when he selected his wardrobe for the final round, Blindingly bright orange pants, and a white Puma hat with bright orange highlights left me thinking he was back at Oklahoma State. I found it amusing that the TV cameras had a difficult time toning down those shout out loud pants. Even had he hit the ball into some of more interesting hazards getting lost was never going to be an issue. Doug Sanders would have been envious.

Why does Brandt Snedecker fear barbers?

News

GolfWRX’s Father’s Day Gift Guide (2026)

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

A reminder from your friends at GolfWRX: Father’s Day is June 21. And as we do every year, we’re rounding up the best gifts for dad.

As we say every year, there’s no better golf-related Father’s Day gift than a round of golf with pops. Be it a country club or your favorite muni, take the time to get together to play 18 if you can.

Let’s get to the gifts.

Ghost Golf Qualifier Diamond Polo

We like the new polos that Ghost is offering, as the fabric and fit are so good. These new Qualifier Collection polos breathe well, are lightweight, stretch with your swing, and of course look great. You can wear them on the course, in the office, or just out at a casual event and they will fit right in.

Buy here.

STR8-Strip Grip Tape Remover

If your dad is an equipment aficionado and tinkers with his clubs, this tool works wonders. Removing grip tape has never been easier, just put a little head on the tape and the STR8-Strip peals it right off the shaft without any damage.

Buy here.

Why Golf: Putting Thing

When it comes to practice, it is good to have a purpose. This “Putting Thing” sure does it. We know from personal experience how challenging it can be and how rewarding it is on the practice green. This also provides some competition for your kiddo to see who will unload the dishwasher or do the next chore around the house.

Buy here.

OluKai Lae‘ahi Men’s Breathable Slip-On Shoes

Riding to and from the course in style and comfort is always a good thing. If you’re in a hurry, it’s a nice feature to slide into your shoes and get to the tee time. For the post-game shoe, at your locker or while putting your clubs away in the car. Nice to slide into a shoe that looks good anywhere. Pair that with meeting the family for dinner, no need to change!

Buy here.

Therabody Theragun Relief

A little wellness goes a long way. Keeping loose is a good way to go when it comes to the weekend game or treatment during the week. If there is a little ache or pain, the Theragun is there to help out. Help loosen up the back for a pre-game warm-up or cool-down.

Buy here.

World Cup golf apparel

Something for the soccer dads. Embrace the World Cup fever this summer on the course with custom gear to support the nation of your choice.

Buy here.

FootJoy Pro SL spikeless golf shoes

Give the old man a break and save his feet with the Footjoy Pro SL Men’s Spikeless Golf Shoes for some added comfort on the course.

Buy here.

Bushnell Wingman 2 GPS speaker

Combine all the hits as well as some game improvement with the Wingman 2 Golf GPS Speaker by getting audible distance readings from 38,000+ courses worldwide through the Wingman 2 remote or speaker.

Buy here.

Personalized Titleist Pro V1 golf balls

The No. 1 ball in golf is a safe bet, and the Pro V1 fits the largest chunk of the bell curve if you don’t know what ball pops plays. Add personalization for a, well, personal touch!

Buy here.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 OccuNet Classic

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

With the PGA Tour across the border in Canada this week, GolfWRX Tour Photographer Greg Moore stayed stateside and headed to the OccuNet Classic presented by Amarillo National Bank in Amarillo, Texas.

It’s always interesting to see what the guys are playing on the KFT, and this week certainly hasn’t disappointed so far, with some incredible wedge stamping on display.

Check out links to all our albums below.

General Albums

2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT) – Monday #1

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

Luke Potter’s custom Cameron putter – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)

News

From the GolfWRX Classifieds: Scotty Cameron GOLO 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

Will Schube

At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @HuskerFlyer is sharing a Scotty Cameron GOLO with a BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition shaft. While the putter is certainly enviable, the Augusta-inspired shaft is equally noteworthy.

From the listing:

Scotty Cameron Golo 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition Scotty Headcover 34″ $375

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules.