News

The 2008 Open – A Short Preview

Published

18 years ago

Jul 11, 2008

R Hetzel

The Open Championship returns to Royal Birkdale for the first time since 1998. The face of golf has certainly changed since then. In the 1998 Open, Mark O’Meara bested upstart Brian Watts in a playoff to win the Open. That was O’Meara’s second major win of 1998, he also donned the green jacket at Augusta. The late 1990s were a great run for Mark. After this big win, O’Meara pretty much faded into relative obscurity on the PGA Tour. He would never attain this level of dominance again. Other golfers within a handful of strokes in 1998 were a young Tiger Woods, Jesper Parnevik, Jim Furyk, amateur phenom Justin Rose (who then quickly disappeared for a bit after turning pro), and Davis Love III.

Things have certainly changed since then. Tiger Woods has been quite a dominant force in Open Championships since 1998. Tiger has won three Claret Jugs since the Open was last held at Royal Birkdale. And, if he didn’t win them, he seriously contended for them. This will not be the case in 2008. Tiger will be watching The Open Championship from his plasma screen television while wishing the constant throbbing in his leg would go away. There is an old saying that goes like this; when the cat is away, the mice will play. Sure, that is pure cliché, but it is so true for 2008. Everyone is all of a sudden playing to win, rather than for second place or a top ten finish. The field actually has a chance, on a course that will be fair for those who can drive the ball into the fairway. Aside from the oddity they have as a clubhouse, this course is one of the best in the Open rotation. Royal Birkdale was formed in the late 1800’s, so it is chock full of golf history. Royal Birkdale’s cup runneth over; they have hosted the Curtis, Walker and Ryder Cup events in the past.

Golf legend Tom Watson won his last major at Royal Birkdale, the talkative Lee Trevino won here and Ian Baker Finch won his one and only major here. So, stay tuned for the next installment of Open Championship golf at Royal BirkdaleThis is the place that Seve Ballesteros made his big splash in golf when he finished second. The Royal Birkdale Golf Club hails this course on their website as “quite simply, the best of all the great golf courses to have staged The Open Championship.” Wow, that is a hard statement to swallow because there are so many great Open venues for the Open Championship. I myself am partial to St. Andrews, but Royal Birkdale will be a fair, yet formidable test for all involved. Their stacked sod, deep bunkering will certainly wreck havoc on many golfers’ game for those who hit errant shots.

Now is the time for Colin Montgomerie to finally win his Open. Royal Birkdale is the only course in the Open Championship rotation to never have crowned a champion from the United Kingdom. Montgomerie has really played well the past few years; I would like to see him string four complete (and low) rounds together for the 2008 Open. Tiger will be back next year with a vengeance and ‘ol Monty may never have as pure a chance as he does this year. I am also watching Ernie Els, he could definitely win at Royal Birkdale as well. His clock is also ticking and he needs to get his game together right now and secure another major victory. Can Phil keep his aggressive course management under control and properly utilize his incredible short game to beat the field? I think if he listens less to Dave Pelz and just plays smartly, he could be a serious contender as well. Can a resurgent Lee Westwood follow up his third place at Torrey Pines? Sergio Garcia is the odds on favorite at 8-1 odds to win. I wouldn’t bet on it, not with his putting. Will dark horse frontrunner Andres Romero be able to post a similar repeat performance of the 2007 Open? Stay tuned because in a little more than a week the 2008 installment of the Open Championship begins and we’ll all find out.

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

1 day 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

1 day 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.