News

GolfWRX Morning 9: Pro-am (and lack thereof) key for Woods, McIlroy | Golf’s winningest putter returns | Titleist TS

Published

8 years ago

Sep 7, 2018

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt ([email protected])

September 7, 2018

Good Friday morning, golf fans. Remember: All that golf isn’t going to play itself this weekend.

1. Tiger! (and Rory, too!)

Returning to his Scotty Cameron Newport 2, Tiger Woods was firing on all cylinders during the first round at Aronimink. Ditto, Rory McIlroy.

AP Report…”Tiger Woods had his lowest round since his last victory more than five years ago, an 8-under 62 with birdie chances on all but two greens and only one bad swing all day. All it got him at the BMW Championship was a tie for the lead Thursday with Rory McIlroy.”

“It was one of those days where it was out there,” McIlroy said.

Woods “had failed to break par in the opening round at 10 of his last 11 tournaments. This was a big exception.”

“Woods returned to the same putter he has used to win 13 of his 14 majors — his third different putter in as many weeks — and saw some familiar results. He opened with a 20-foot birdie putt at No. 10, shot 29 on the back nine, and then rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 1 to reach 7 under through 10 holes.”

2. A tale of two pro-ams

Here’s a (potentially) interesting note: Rory McIlroy was lights out in the BMW Championship pro-am. He shot 62 in the opening round. Tiger Woods skipped the BMW Championship pro-am (the first time in his career he’s skipped one). He shot 62 as well.

“Golf Channel’s Ryan Lavner…”Rory McIlroy joked that his pro-am scoring average is probably 75.7 – “I just don’t try,” he shrugged – but Wednesday’s spin around Aronimink certainly caught his attention.”

“On his second nine (the front side), he made seven birdies in a row and then added a birdie on the ninth hole for a 27. In Thursday’s opening round, when his score actually counted, he played his first 14 holes in 9 under par.”

“So, including the pro-am, he played a 23-hole stretch in 17 under…”That’s pretty good,” he said.”

3. The return of Excalibur

As you saw during the first round of the BMW Championship, Tiger Woods and his beloved flatstick have ended their separation and are once again an item. The putter, which Woods has used for 13 of his 14 major championship victories, had been on the shelf since the Quicken Loans National in June.

We hinted this was a possibility earlier this week after spotting Woods practicing with both his famed Newport 2 and a TaylorMade Juno. Woods arrived at Aronomink without the TaylorMade Ardmore 3 he’s been using for five events prior to last week’s Dell Technologies Championship.

Woods used the Juno at TPC Boston to less than satisfying results: Woods was 36th in the field in strokes gained putting and was particularly poor during the final round when he needed 33 putts and lost 1.352 strokes to the field on the greens.

After the round, Woods said: “It felt good. My body remembered the feel of that putter and how it swings. I was just letting it rip on the greens.”

Our Gianni Magliocco wrote…”Having come into this week battling issues with the flat-stick over his previous two events, Woods will have been delighted with his performance today with his Scotty Cameron Newport 2. Woods gained over two strokes on the field on the bentgrass greens, taking just one round to validate his decision to return to the putter that won him 13 of his 14 major championships.”

4. X trying to make travel plans

Golf Channel’s Nick Menta...”The reigning Rookie of the Year and would-be defending champ at East Lake opened with a 7-under 63 Thursday at the BMW Championship, leaving him one off the pace set by co-leaders Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.”

“Schauffele entered this week 41st in FedExCup points, with the top 30 advancing in two weeks to the Tour Championship. Following the PGA Championship, he missed out on automatic qualifying for the U.S. Ryder Cup team when he finished 12th on that points list. And he admitted Thursday that the pressure of trying to qualify for the team has hampered his play following his runner-up finish at The Open.”

“Tony Finau is the consensus front-runner to nab the 12th and final spot on the team, but captain Jim Furyk was clear Tuesday night that a few guys remain in the mix.”

“I feel like I need a win,” Schauffele said Thursday. “Might not be enough. Tony is an ATM or top-10 machine, you know. He’s been killing it and playing great golf. I feel like if I were Jim right now, I would pick him, to be completely honest. I could win and he could finish in second or third and, you know, I’d be happy with my win and wouldn’t be disappointed with the year.”

Tony is an ATM!

5. Meanwhile, in Europe…

A round one update from the European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre.

EuropeanTour.com…”Maximilian Kieffer fired his lowest opening round for five years to take the lead after day one of the Omega European Masters.”

“The German birdied three of his last five holes at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club on the way to a 64 that left him at six under, a shot clear of Frenchman Julien Guerrier, Dane Søren Kjeldsen, England’s Andy Sullivan and Japanese Hideto Tanihara.”

“Scot David Drysdale, Spaniard Nacho Elvira and South African pair Erik van Rooyen and Justin Walters were then two shots off the lead.”

A glance at the leaderboard: With Kieffer yet to tee off in round two, Tanihara has moved into the lead at 9 under.

6. Casey the leader?

Paul Casey, never at the forefront of European golf, not thought of as a particularly commanding presence, and not often on Ryder Cup squads, is prepared to step up in Paris.

Writes Alistair Tait…”Casey makes his return to the competition following a 10-year absence after being handed a wild-card pick from European captain Thomas Bjorn. The 41-year-old Casey is ready to chaperone the five rookies around Le Golf National in Paris to help Europe win back the Ryder Cup. He already has some experience of that from helping Bjorn’s European team win the EurAsia Cup in January.”

“Having tasted that experience in Malaysia with Thomas at the helm has given me a sense of the role I can play on and off the golf course,” Casey said. “To play sort of the role that I did in the EurAsia Cup along with Henrik (Stenson), a senior role, is one I’ve obviously never done before. It was great to sample it and get some exposure to it and kind of test myself in that role. I’m relishing that opportunity.”

“It’s very satisfying, actually, because I didn’t have that ability in the past. One, I wasn’t old enough and experienced enough. Two, I didn’t need to play that role because we had such great leaders in the team room for the teams I played.”

7. TS launch

In case you missed it, Titleist officially launched the TS drivers and fairway woods yesterday. The artillery as been a minor sensation on Tour, with the majority of staffers having already made the switch-if you recall, for Justin Thomas, TS stands for the s**t.

A few morsels from WRX’s pieces introducing the clubs…”To summarize, the TS2 and TS3 drivers have a 20 percent thinner titanium crown than the 917 drivers, allowing weight to be placed lower and deeper for lower CG (center of gravity) and higher MOI (moment of inertia, a measure of forgiveness). The faces also use variable thickness for faster ball speeds across the face, and this year, the faces have been made 6 grams lighter.”

“According to Titleist, the faces are so thin now that the scoring lines have to be lasered onto the faces instead of etched, as with previous generations. With the combination of weight savings from the face and crown, Titleist says these drivers have the lowest CG ever for a Titleist driver, and MOI is 12 percent higher than the 917 drivers.”

“Additionally, for more club head speed, Titleist says that enhanced aerodynamic shaping of the club heads that reduces drag by up to 20 percent.”

“The “Titleist Speed” fairway woods, each measuring 175cc, are made for faster ball speeds with higher launch, lower spin rates and increased MOI (moment of inertia, a measure of forgiveness), according to Titleist

“To achieve those results, Titleist designed the crowns of the new fairways to be 27 percent thinner than the previous 917 fairways, thus allowing engineers to move weight lower and deeper in the club heads. Also, a new variable thickness face helped to save weight from the face, and helps to deliver faster ball speeds across the face. With the weight savings from the crown and face, Titleist says MOI is up 11 percent compared to its 917 predecessors.”

“While Titleist took the Active Recoil Channel out of the driver, the company put a new Active Recoil Channel in the TS2 and TS3 fairways, made to launch the ball higher; Titleist says since fairways need to hit the ball off the turf, and thus, lower on the face, the Active Recoil Channel remains a “crucial technology.” The new channel in the fairways is designed to be “higher” for more face flexibility to increase ball speeds.”

Full articles here and here.

8. A (tenuous) Burt Reynolds golf connection

Credit to Golfweek’s Bill Speros for unearthing this gem featuring the recently departed Burt Reynolds.

He writes…”ESPN used Burt Reynolds as the Almighty Himself in a spot promoting the-then Senior PGA Tour back in 2009. In this spot, “God” explains why he used his divine powers to create the every man, cigar-smoking pro golfer Larry Laoretti. This clip was part of a campaign promoting the Senior Tour as “Heaven on Earth.”

See the spot here.

RIP, Mr. Reynolds.

9. Coach K and the Cuppers

The U.S. Ryder Cup squad went out for dinner Wednesday in Philadelphia. Duke men’s basketball coach Mike Kzrzyewski was photographed with 11 of 12 team members, Jim Furyk, and his vice captains. Presumably, Coach K had some words of wisdom for the team, reprising the motivational role he played ahead of the U.S. Cup win in 2016.

As a former Philly resident, I’m keen to know where they dined. Anyone heard anything?

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.