News

GolfWRX Morning 9: USGA nixes Bryson’s compass | Mid-season awards | What Tiger needs to tune

Published

8 years ago

Jul 6, 2018

Good morning, GolfWRX members. As most of you are signed up for our newsletters, you likely already know that I’ve been sending this little Morning 9 roundup of nine items of note.

In case you’ve missed it, or you prefer to read on site rather than in your email, we’re including it here. Check out today’s Morning 9 below.

If you’re not signed up for our newsletters, you can subscribe here.

By Ben Alberstadt ([email protected])

July 6, 2018

Good Friday morning, golf fans. I don’t know if it’s brutal or better when the lords of time and space put a holiday in the middle of the week, but here we are, having made it to the end of it.

1. Sorry, Bryson, no compass for you

Read it and weep, fans of drafting instruments. “The USGA has ruled that the use of a protractor (also known as a drawing compass) during a stipulated round is a violation of Rule 14-3a of the Rules of Golf,” read a statement from the governing body. “It is considered ‘unusual equipment that might assist him in making a stroke or in his play.'”

Golf Digest’s Joel Beall writes: “John Bodenhamer, USGA senior managing director of rules, competitions and equipment standards, told Golf Digest that he had a 45-minute conversation with DeChambeau on July 3 explaining the association’s decision-making process regarding the use of the compass. In the end, Bodenhamer said, it was determined that the compass had the potential to “compromise a player’s skill and judgement.”

“With some of these sorts of devices, it can be difficult lines to draw on what’s permissible and what is not permissible,” Bodenhamer said. “But here, we drew the line there with Rule 14-3 [that the compass did not conform].”

2. A 61 in his Webb

…sometimes, you just want to fire off an awful pun, right? No? OK. Well, Webb Simpson fired a 9-under-par 61 for a one-stroke lead over Whee Kim at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier.

He needed birdies on the par-5 17th and the par-3 18th for a 59, but parred both holes.

“I knew a 59 was in there, but it’s all right,” Simpson said. “Great start. Scores were good though, so you’ve got to keep the pedal down.”

…and on the LPGA Tour, Australia’s Katherine Kirk went lower but scored higher. Kirk carded a 10-under 62 to open the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic.

3. Latest Tiger ratings boost

With respect to PGA Tour viewership, the Tiger Woods Effect remains in effect. Not that this should be surprising at this point, but it’s always interesting to see the numbers.

Sports Media Watch reported 3.6 million people tuned in for the final round of the Quicken Loans National on CBS, a 2.3 rating. That’s an increase of 92 percent in ratings and 89 percent in viewership over last year.

Impressively, in the 20 rounds Woods has played on broadcast television, every round but one yielded an increase in both viewership and ratings (the lone exception: the tape-delayed final round of the Memorial).

4. Meanwhile, at Ballyliffin…

Dubai Duty Free Irish Open. What a name. A quick check on the action at Ballyliffin, c/o EuropeanTour.com.

“Joakim Lagergren, Peter Uihlein and Danny Willett all made early moves up the leaderboard as day two of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation got under way.

“Ballyliffin Golf Club was making its Irish Open debut at the fourth Rolex Series event of the season and while conditions were more overcast than they had been on day one, the northern coast of Ireland was still providing a stunning backdrop for links golf.”

“Swede Lagergren, American Uihlein and England’s Willett all picked up shots on the front nine to join overnight leader Ryan Fox at five under, a shot clear of fellow morning starters Dean Burmester, Russell Knox and Lee Westwood.”

Host Rory McIlroy was 2 under for the tournament through 10 holes at the time of this writing, three strokes back.

5. Mickleson gives Larry Fitzgerald a chipping masterclass

11-time NFL Pro Bowler Larry Fitzgerald was partnered with Phil Mickelson during Wednesday’s pro-am.

The Golf Channel’s Chantel McCabe caught Phil giving a 300-level tutorial on chipping to the famed wideout.

McCabe’s videos here.

6. Jack’s Shinnecock solution

In his most recent 19th Hole podcast, Michael Williams asked Jack Nicklaus for his thoughts on U.S. Open setups in general and what transpired at Shinnecock in particular.

“Now, did they set up Shinnecock poorly? No. I don’t think they set it up poorly at all. I think Mike Davis did a pretty darn good job of it. I just think that because course conditioning has changed so much, and they have courses just on the edge…the setup lends itself-you saw scores on Saturday and Sunday in the mid 60s in the morning and the mid 70s in the afternoon…I don’t think they really wanted that.”

“I think if you back to Shinnecock again, I think the wise thing would be to redo the greens…not change them…but there’s nothing under those greens other than what nature had there….but with the way they do things today, that lends itself to not being able to be controlled. And they could redo those greens exactly as they are now and control the moisture level on those greens, then the setup that they had would work fine, and work fine in the morning and the afternoon.”

Listen to the pod here.

7. Shane Ryan’s awards

“Slaying the Tiger” author Shane Ryan is back for another round of partially tongue-in-cheek awards.

The “Comeback Player of the Year, Star Division” Award…This goes to Bubba Watson, and it’s not a hard call. Bubba had his worst year in more than a decade in 2017, and judging by his age (39) and his seeming level of disinterest and frustration, smart money banked on him spending the bulk of 2018 behind the counter of his candy store in Pensacola ordering Ted Scott to re-stock the Sour Patch kids. Instead, Watson beat his ennui and the medical issues that cost him 20 pounds, and came back to win at Riviera, the WGC-Match Play and the Travelers. That’s three wins (and counting?), the highest total of his career. All this on the doorstep of his 40th birthday, and a year spent wondering if he’d ever win again. Not bad!

The Rory McIlroy “Existential Crisis That We Would Really Like to See Resolved Very Soon” Award…Please come back, Jordan Spieth. To quote Harry Nilsson, I can’t live if living is without you.

The rest of the awards here.

8. How about Joaquin Niemann?

Let’s take a moment and appreciate how good has this guy been.

Niemann, 19, (19!) had his lowest score in nine PGA Tour starts this season. His boom-or-bust pattern has been incredible: three top-10 finishes, four missed cuts.

The young Chilean played the Greenbrier a year ago as an amateur, shot 64 in the final round and tied for 29th place. He fired a 7 under in Thursday’s opening round.

“I’m one of the youngest out here so I feel like I’ve got nothing to lose,” Niemann said. “My game was feeling really good and my putter was good. So all my game was good today.”

It’s as easy as that.

9. What Tiger needs to tune for Carnoustie

Perspective from Bob Harig, because two weeks out is high time to discuss TW’s prospects at the season’s third major. But really, with Woods done competing until Carnoustie, it’s time for the speculation to begin.

“Carnoustie? It has caused its share of fits to all in the two times Woods has played The Open there, and Woods was not exempt. He tied for seventh in 1999 and for 12th in 2007. He was not a final-round contender at either tournament.

What Woods said he’s working on: “”Basically, just trying to get efficient hitting the golf ball both ways and then getting comfortable hitting the ball down,” Woods said of what he has to do to prepare. “Carnoustie is an unbelievable driving golf course. You have to drive the ball well there, but also not your traditional in-out [links] golf course. It’s a lot of different angles, so a lot of different crosswinds. I have to be able to maneuver the golf ball both ways there efficiently. You just have to hit the golf ball well there.”

Harig on Woods’ putting: “This has been the big subject of late. Woods made the decision at the Quicken Loans National to put his trusted Scotty Cameron on the shelf in favor of a TaylorMade mallet-like putter that he says feels better to him at the moment. He all but confirmed he’ll be using it at The Open. He said the grooves on the face help get the ball moving a bit faster, a common problem for him on slower greens.”

“At TPC Potomac during the Quicken Loans National, the results were mixed. He was seventh in the field in strokes gained putting, a nice improvement from his struggles of late. That was mostly due to him making a good number of longer-range putts, an important factor that had gone missing. But he had some head-scratching misses as well, making just 9 of 16 putts from 4 to 8 feet and missing 13 for the week inside of 10 feet.”

News

Most birdies without breaking par – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

8 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

Will Schube

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.”

News

Best current stock shaft 2026 – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

8 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

Will Schube

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.”

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.