News

More Than Bubba Wins At Farmers Insurance Open

Published

15 years ago

Jan 30, 2011

By Scott MacLeod via www.flagstick.com

Bubba Watson (71-65-69-67-272) may have earned his way on to the trophy at the Farmer’s Insurance Open on Sunday but it was the PGA Tour, and golf in general, that was the biggest beneficiary of the tournament.

With Tiger Woods’ on-course struggles following on the heels of his fall from grace the future of the sport that he had driven to unprecedented levels was easily in question. Sunday showed that there is enough material for the PGA Tour to work with even if the greatest player of an era is not part of the real drama. Watson’s victory almost immediately sent him into the top ten trending topics on Twitter, where he has found a loyal fan base and added a personal touch to how 70,000 golf aficionados interact with their hero.

Hyped early in the week as the season debut of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, only half of that pair was part of the story as the final holes played out at Torrey Pines, and even Phil only served up a sliver of the excitement.

Bubba Watson jarred a final birdie of the week to win his second PGA Tour title and his curling downhiller simply capped a series of events that likely kept most golf fans right to the very end. That hole out proved necessary as Phil Mickelson charged with a birdie on the 17^th hole and then failed to hole out a grinding attempt to hole out a 72-yard shot for a tie on the 18^th. Phil, in his usual style, did add some flair to the attempt though with a walk-up to check out the shot, caddy Jim McKay tending the pin and a strike that landed just beyond the hole but failed to spin back closer than four feet. His conversion of that putt did secure him second place and likely put him back into the top 5 of the World Rankings.

Additional flair to the compelling tale was added by rookie Jhonnatan Vegas who rinsed his approach on the last in his attempt to reach the surface in two. An eagle would have tied him with Watson but he had to settle for a share of third place with Dustin Johnson who also contended to the end. The Watson, Mickelson, Vegas, and Johnson line-up made it one of the best four-way battles that did not include Tiger that has been seen for years. It’s something that has to make Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem very happy as they look to take the weight of the PGA Tour marketing off the shoulders of a certain star that is still grinding to regain not only his game, but also his appeal to the sports’ followers.

Of course, having an extrovert with as much talent and flashy appeal as Bubba Watson come out on top never hurts. Watson has never apologized for being an emotional player who takes on the game in his own way and that shone through in La Jolla.

Few would criticize the tears he shed after closing out the victory nor the emotional first pump that punctuated the fall of his last putt with Mickelson close on his heels.

“It means a lot,” Watson said of the win when interviewed immediately after Mickelson finished up one back to make the win official. “Every win is special because you don’t know if you are going to have them,” he said through a waterfall of emotion.

Watson said Saturday he has worked hard on staying patient this year and that seemed to pay off on Sunday. Even with his errant attempt to reach the final green in two landing in the bunker, he settled down and worked hard on getting up and down. He had little choice, especially with a star-studded group nipping at his heels.

“It’s hard every time you look at it,” he said of winning on the PGA Tour with so many good players in contention. “Any bad step and they can catch you. I just put my head day all day and just played my game.”

With so much sizzle this week it is hard to imagine what awaits next at the Waste Management Open in Scottsdale; but with all the top players from this week in the field its sure to be another home run for the PGA Tour.

It’s a streak they’d like to continue all year long. That might be an impossible task but with every successful week in the books the future of the Tour looks more promising than it has in a long time

This report provided to GolfWRX.com by Canada's Flagstick Golf Magazine (www.flagstick.com)

News

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

Published

1 day 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.