Connect with us

News

Memorial Tournament Preview

The furrowed bunkers are back, that can mean only one thing it’s time for Jack Nicklaus’s Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

Published

on

Memorial TournamentBorn thirty-two years ago out of Jack Nicklaus’s desire to bring a Masters caliber tournament to his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, the Memorial has quickly become one of the most popular tournaments on the PGA Tour. The 105 player invitational field is one of the strongest of the year with all top ten in the World Golf Rankings participating. However the strong field is not the only topic of discussion on the Memorial.  The infamous furrowed bunkers are also returning to Memorial as Jack tries to make bunkers true hazards again.

Last year much of the talk about the Memorial centered around the improvised bunker rakes Jack brought in for the tournament. The specially devised rakes have tines every two inches, with every other tine missing. This creates furrows in the bunkers where the ball can nestle down in in the sand making clean contact a dicey proposition. Last year the announcement of the new bunkers rankled many of the players in the field. Defending champion Carl Pettersson commented, "The bunkers were very difficult. If you missed it on the short side, it was almost impossible to get it close." However, overall the 2006 sand save statistics didn’t bear much difference when compared with other tournaments. This year they have created a new term for the furrows, now officially dubbed "rough-raking." Along with a change in title, minor modifications have also been made to the rakes to make the conditions more consistent, Jack Nicklaus said, "This year we’re consistent with the size, and we really — I don’t think the players are going to find it to be a big hazard. . . It puts a little ripple in the sand. Can you get a bad lie? Yeah, you’d be pretty hard pressed, though."

Bunker Rake

With Phil Mickelson’s convincing win at The PLAYERS Championship combined with his move to swing coach Butch Harmon he is riding quite a bit of momentum into the tournament and is a heavy favorite. Although Tiger Woods has not played up to his high standards recently, his three wins at the Memorial (1999, 2000, 2001) combined with his pension for playing well in difficult tournaments means we can likely expect his name near the top of the leaderboard on Sunday. Last year Carl Pettersson won the event by two shots, and has taken a realistic method towards preparing for his title defense, "I’m going to try to approach it just like I would any other tournament, try to go in there and do as well as I can and see what happens." A bit of a dark horse candidate for this week is Masters champion Zach Johnson. Johnson was runner up here last year and has won twice already on Tour this year including the AT&T Classic two weeks ago. In 12 starts this year, Johnson has not missed a single cut.

You can catch TV coverage of the Memorial at the following times:
Thursday: 3:00-6:00 PM EST Golf Channel
Friday: 3:00-6:00 PM EST Golf Channel
Saturday: 12:30-2:30 EST Golf Channel / 3:00-6:00 EST CBS
Sunday: 12:00-239 EST Golf Channel / 2:30-6:00 EST CBS 

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

News

Most birdies without breaking par – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

on

In our forums, one user is wondering how many birdies other players have had in a round while still failing to break par. @Lalan45, unfortunately, asked the question after a unique experience of their own.

They wrote:

“Today I managed 8 birdies but still shot even par, could have been a round to remember! What’s the most birdies you’ve made in a round and still didn’t break par?”

Our members in the forum shared their own experiences with successful rounds that still resulted in a score over par. Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

  • kwcsports: “I’ve had 5 a few times, still shot 80+ haha.”
  • jda: “I played a course for the first time, had 8 birdies, 9 doubles and an eagle. The infamous no-par round. I kept the scorecard. Every shot had a creek that I did not know about, or I was within 8-10 feet for a birdie look. To this day, I have no idea if I should be really jacked up or mad about that performance.”
  • jvincent: “I think my record is either 5 or 6. Probably shot 75.”
  • Instron4204: “3 birdies and shot a 92…man I suck!”

Entire Thread: “Most Birdies Without Breaking Par.”

Continue Reading

News

Best current stock shaft 2026 – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

on

In our forums, one user is asking for thoughts on the best stock shafts offered in 2026. Stock shafts are the shafts included with a club when it’s purchased from retailers or OEMs.

@DTorres asked:

The last couple years has seen a lot of updates and additions to no upcharge stock shafts, which do you think is the best offering in 2026?

Im a bit of a shaft nerd and recently during my Members Testing with the Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond I found the updated Project X Denali Frost Black to be a fantastic stock shaft. I absolutely did not mesh well with the original Denali. Just curious what other people think are the current best Stock shaft offerings out with new models and stock Ventus options and LinQ options popping up here and there.

We were given the option for any stock shafts for our members review. I went with the 70g Black Frost 6.5 because it’s a shaft I don’t have, it’s an updated version of the original Denali and hear little about. I typically use a Diamana WB, GD VF or a HOF Raptor. I’m not saying it was neck and neck with any of those but it was a pleasant surprise I’m not accustomed to in stock shaft offerings.

Our members in the forum have been offering up their own thoughts on the best stock shafts available in 2026. Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

  • rsballer10: “IMO – MCA Ka’ili White Darkwave, Tensei 1k Black/white, UST Lin-Q White. People are free to spend their money however they see fit, but for me personally the shaft catalogs these days have enough options that I don’t see the value of a $400 upcharge. I have never had a problem finding a no upcharge shaft that fits the bend profile and weight that I need. Whether the paint job is good enough or not is above my pay scale.”
  • bcflyguy1: “Project X Titan Black. I’ve had one in 60TX in my Quantum TD Max for several weeks now. Have to give Titlieist their flowers for finding a way to make it available as a featured option; very shrewd bit of business and one that I suspect will be duplicated by the other companies. TT/PX have a certified banger on their hands with Titan.”
  • CTG77: “Undoubtedly, it’s the Tensei 1K RIP shafts from Titleist. The Tensei line gives about 98% of the performance of a Ventus VeloCore+ shaft at a tiny fraction of the cost if you’re looking for a blue or red profile. The white is not an exact match for Ventus Black, but it’s closer to it than the non-VeloCore+ Ventus shafts that come from Callaway or formerly came from TaylorMade.”

Entire Thread: “Best current stock shaft 2026.”

Continue Reading

News

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

Published

on

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.

 

  • GolfWRX may earn a commission for purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you.

Continue Reading

Announcement

Our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use have been updated as of January 29th, 2026. Please review the updated policies here Privacy Policy | Terms of Use. By continuing to use our site after January 29th, 2026, you agree to the changes.

WITB

Facebook

Trending