News

GolfWRX Morning 9: New PGA CEO…paving the way for a megadeal? | #InviteHER | Steve Williams: Tiger believer

Published

8 years ago

Aug 29, 2018

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt ([email protected])

August 29, 2018

Good Wednesday morning, golf fans.

1. New PGA CEO

Per Golf Channel Digital…”Former Deutsche Bank Americas CEO Seth Waugh has been named Chief Executive Officer of the PGA of America, replacing Pete Bevacqua who announced his departure from the organization last month.”

“Waugh is currently completing a three-year term as an independent director on the PGA of America’s board of directors. As PGA CEO he will also remain a senior advisor for the investment group Silver Lake, where he has worked since 2017.”

“It is an honor and a privilege to lead this remarkable Association into its second century,” Waugh said in a release. “Like so many, I share a passion for the game that has given so much to me, and in the process, has somehow become a huge influence in my life. The opportunity to work with nearly 29,000 PGA professionals and others in the game to give back and to help our beautiful sport is a true gift.”

“Waugh, 60, spent 13 years at Deutsche Bank and was instrumental in working with the PGA Tour to create the Deutsche Bank Championship in 2003. The tournament, now known as the Dell Technologies Championship, will be played at TPC Boston this week for the final time before it is contracted with the shortening of the FedExCup playoffs beginning in 2019.”

2. #inviteHER

A few facts: 29% of non-golfing women reported they had an interest in playing golf in the immediate future. 74% of these women said that “they’d try the sport if there were a free-golf morning event they could attend with a group of friends.”

How do we increase women’s participation in the game? Well, here’s a new idea that’s brilliant in its simplicity: #inviteHER.

From a joint press release…””Powered by theLPGA Women’s Network and WE ARE GOLF’s Women’s Task Force, golfers – men and women alike – are encouraged to bring friends, colleagues and family to join them on the course through online resources and social media assets. The #inviteHER movement seeks to create an enjoyable, welcoming experience for those interested in trying the game or picking it back up – whether through a group lesson, complimentary clinic, driving range session or on-course experience.”

#inviteHER’s primary objective is to grow awareness and participation among women and girls through the power of an invitation from one of the 24 million American golfers. The game should more closely mirror U.S. demographics as only 24 percent of the current golf population is female.

“Women want to be invited to the game and it’s our duty to give them that opportunity at one of our nation’s 15,000 local facilities,” says Jane Geddes, Executive Director of the LPGA Amateur Golf Association and Chair of WE ARE GOLF’s Women’s Task Force. “We are committed to promoting an environment that makes all females feel more comfortable on the course so they develop into lifetime golfers.”

3. Megadeal cometh?

Geoff Shackelford writes that Seth Waugh’s appointment to the head of the PGA could have some significant future ramifications.

Shack floats the idea that a PGA Tour/PGA merger could happen.

“Consider what currently sits before the PGA of America: an expiring television contract for the PGA Championship and a possible headquarters move to Frisco, Texas. Those are big ticket items that will shape the organization for decades to come and left by Pete Bevacqua for the next CEO when he moved to NBC Sports. Does Seth Waugh really take the PGA job to quibble with a Mark Lazarus or Sean McManus over commercial breaks-per-hour and then have a celebratory dinner when the deal is done? When he could be playing Cypress Point or Seminole or National Golf Links?”

“…But here’s where a merger makes sense: power, money and branding….Rights to PGA of America’s PGA Championship expire for CBS in 2019. The PGA Tour’s rights expire in 2021 with the networks and Golf Channel. It is no secret that the PGA Tour would like its own channel or an ownership stake in NBC’s Golf Channel. They passed up that opportunity when the current deal was negotiated but these two entities begin a new streaming partnership in 2019 for PGA Tour Live.”

“Currently, two major media corporations have shown a love of golf and content: Comcast and AT&T, headed by two CEO’s–Brian Roberts of Comcast and Randal Stephenson of AT&T–are both Augusta National members who sign big checks in golf and are lodged in megadeal madness to expand their companies.”

Full piece.

4. Romo.Web.com?

Our Gianni Magliocco with the details...”Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and current NFL analyst, Tony Romo, is ready to take a crack at earning a Web.com Tour Card. The 38-year-old will tee it up this Wednesday at the Web.com Tour Q-school pre-qualifier at Lantana Golf Club in Texas. Romo will compete as an amateur under a plus-0.4 handicap. The Californian will be the first former professional athlete to attempt the feat since ex-tennis pro, Mardy Fish, attempted to do so back in 2014.”

“Earlier in 2018, Romo made his PGA Tour debut at the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship on a sponsor exemption and then competed in a local U.S. Open qualifier. On both occasions, he failed to break 77.”

“Romo tees it up in the pre-qualifying section on Wednesday morning at 9.45 ET. The former Pro Bowl quarterback will be hoping to claim one of the 228 spots on offer for pre-qualifiers to advance to the first qualifying stage which begins on September 25th.”

5. LA Golf Shafts news day

It was a big news day for upstart LA Golf Shafts–on GolfWRX, at least.

First, LA hired former Aldila head of engineering John Oldenburg to lead product development.

Full story here.

Then, the company announced it has partnered with Bryson DeChambeau–an excellent choice given the business model of collaboration between player and designer.

Full story here.

“I love the science behind the game, so the concept of actively participating in the development of my own shafts is very appealing,” said DeChambeau. “I’m excited to partner with a design innovator such as John Oldenburg, to not only improve my game, but bring those same solutions to recreational golfers everywhere.”

6. Jenkins returns

Golf Digest has an excerpt of the legendary golf writer’s 23rd book.

Here’s a brief bit where Jenkins discusses covering the Masters…”I started in the old press tent in 1951. It overflowed with grown men in fedoras bumping into each other, or their folding chairs and Smith-Coronas. A few 40-watt bulbs dangled from the ceiling. There was a din of phones ringing and bells pinging on wire machines. The place was dense with cigarette smoke. I knew this was where I belonged.”

“Western Union operators were clacking on their whining contraptions in a cramped alcove sending out urgent pieces about Ben Hogan and Sam Snead, the only two golfers of interest in those days. Sports editors back in the offices in New York, Chicago, even Fort Worth, took a dim view of their writers filing stories on golfers they’d never heard of.”

“…The writers were still dressing in coats and ties at golf tournaments. I suppose it was because Grantland Rice did. I was excited to see the nattily attired Rice at my first Masters. This saintly gent in a shirt, tie, sweater, checkered jacket and light-gray hat. I saw him across the crowded tent. But I was too shy to introduce myself to the gentleman who, along with bringing dignity to my profession, had given the Masters its name. Three years later, he passed away.”

Full excerpt here.

7. DeChambeau the worker

An unbylined AP column rightly points out that in our fixation on Bryson DeChambeau’s methods, we forget that he’s not merely sticking his nose in books and making advanced calculations: he works hard.

“The scientist is always working, always searching, rarely satisfied….Video captured him so frustrated on the range at the British Open that at one point he crouched and put both hands over his face. That doesn’t make him different. It makes him a golfer. He had another long range session on the eve of The Northern Trust. And he worked as long as light would allow Saturday after a 63.”

“It’s half of what I do in my off weeks,” DeChambeau said. “People don’t realize how hard I work to try and get a better understanding of my biomechanics. I’ve never really been super talented. People would disagree with that, but I’ve always had to work twice as hard as everybody growing up. I was never as good as a junior. Right around 14, 15, I started working really hard and that’s kind of what changed my game.”

“I wasn’t great at reading and writing,” DeChambeau said. “But I certainly worked my butt off to be an A student. And I’ll never forget the first time I got a B in high school. I was mortified because I had worked so hard, and I just wasn’t good enough in writing. … That’s been me my whole life. I’ve had to grind and work it out and figure it out on my own.”

8. Year of the Tiger ahead?

In a piece for the Players Voice, Woods ex-caddie Steve Williams suggested that next year we’ll see Tiger Woods win again.

“It’s set to be an epic year and the golfing world will watch with huge interest….If [Woods] can win at Augusta – and he’s proven he can compete there even when he’s not at his peak – who knows what could occur on these iconic venues of the type he loves playing.”

He also offered this interesting tidbit

“Back when we were working together, we’d often have this conversation about how many majors he wanted to win. I believed that when he got to the target he wanted he would rack the cue – it’s just that we were always unclear on what that number would be…Initially it was 20 and then he said one day, ‘No, Stevie, your favourite number is 21 and we’ll get to that’. I came back with: ‘No, you’re a great Michael Jordan fan, so why don’t we go for 23?’.'”

9. A new PGA Tour video game has arrived

…bet its got nothing on Tiger Woods PGA Tour ’99, glorious time waster of my youth that it was.

From the Golf Channel Grill Room staff...”After promises from developer HB Studios that “The Golf Club 2019″ would be made available for download before the end of the month, the game launched Tuesday with a surprise – it’s been published by 2K Sports.”

“The PGA Tour announced in May that it was liscensing its branding and six TPC courses (Sawgrass, Scottsdale, Boston, Deere Run, Summerlin and Southwind) to HB for the third edition of its “Golf Club” game. The Tour had previously maintained a longtime relationship with EA Sports, which produced the now-defunct “Tiger Woods PGA Tour” franchise.”

“The Golf Club 2019” allows players to progress from the Web.com Tour to a full 32-event season through its PGA Tour career mode. The game fills a void left by the discontinuation of the EA series, which came to an end follow the release of “Rory McIlroy PGA Tour” in 2015. It also brings back its custom course creator in addition to revamped gameplay, graphics, commentary and online multiplayer features.”

News

Most birdies without breaking par – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

15 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

16 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

3 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.