News

GolfWRX Morning 9: LPGA players pressured to withdraw? | Pete Dye’s final chapter | BK + DJ + badminton

Published

8 years ago

Oct 24, 2018

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt ([email protected])

October 24, 2018

Good Wednesday morning, golf fans. If I may say so: Go Sox! I was lucky enough to attend Game 6 of the ALCS in 2013, and I’m not ashamed to say, Victorino’s 7th-inning grand slam remains the ecstatic pinnacle of my life.

1. No choking for Zinger

AP Report…”Paul Azinger used to say for years that the only thing that made a player choke was cash or prestige. So he’s not afraid to use the word “choke.”

“Just don’t expect to hear it when he takes over for Johnny Miller on NBC Sports next year. Azinger has pledged to call the shots the way he sees them — that’s the advice Miller has given him — but he has a different perspective when it comes to his vocabulary.”

“I’m not afraid to use that word, but I’m not going to stick it on somebody because I don’t think that’s fair,” Azinger said during a conference call to announce his hiring by NBC. “It’s irresponsible as a broadcaster to do that. I want to help build their brand, not tear them down, and I want to do it in the way that I do it.”

Build their brand!

2. Pressured to withdraw?

Golf Channel’s Randall Mell…”China’s Shanshan Feng and Yu Liu withdrew from this week’s Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship after being told by someone “high up” in China to skip the event, according to Reuters.”

“The withdrawals come amid growing political tension with China ramping up pressure to assert its sovereignty over Taiwan…The LPGA confirmed that Feng and Liu withdrew, with Celine Boutier and Gaby Lopez replacing them as alternates. Feng and Liu were on the published field list as late as Monday.”

“Ruby Chen, the Shanghai-based agent for Feng and Liu, told Reuters there wasn’t any pressure put on the players to withdraw but the news service said Chen declined to comment on why they were withdrawing, except to say it was a scheduling decision.”

3. Pete Dye’s final chapter

Sam Weinman visits with Alice and Pete Dye, files a touching, sad report for Digest.

A morsel…”How can this not end on a sad note? This entire situation is sad, even tragic. Iconic golf-course designer Pete Dye, author of TPC Sawgrass, Crooked Stick, the Ocean Course at Kiawah, Whistling Straits and many others, a genuine genius at his craft, member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, Alice’s husband of 68 years, the love of her life, sits in a rocker some 10 feet from us, seemingly oblivious to our presence.”

“He looks healthy, maybe a bit puffy in the face, remarkably good for nearly 93 years old. But time has robbed him of his verve. He’s now almost childlike, his attention not on us, but on a rerun of “Gunsmoke” on television. In the good old days, 30 years ago or three, I couldn’t have had a conversation with Alice without Pete jumping in. Likewise, if I’d ask Pete a question, Alice would invariably cut him off with the answer.”

Full story.

4. Badminton diplomacy

Martin Dempster at the Scotsman…”The only feathers flying were those in a shuttlecock as Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson put their reported differences during the Ryder Cup behind them to join forces on the same side of the net in a badminton match in China. Organised as part of the build up to this week’s WGC-HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai, the pair put on a united front as they joined Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy and Francesco Molinari in trying their hand at one of China’s biggest sports.

“This is the first event that Koepka and Johnson – known as the “Bash Brothers” due to their similar big-hitting styles – have both played in since claims that they were involved in two separate bust-ups around the time of the Ryder Cup…”

5. 10 yards a world of difference makes

Perhaps overlooked/not mentioned enough in assessing Champion Golfer of the Year, Francesco Molinari’s strong 2018 season: he gained 10 yards off the tee this past year.

Sean Martin at PGATour.com...”Molinari and his longtime swing coach, Denis Pugh, started the search for extra yards several years ago. There were some obvious ways for Molinari to hit it farther, but such a change doesn’t come without risk. Several players have lost their way in the quest for extra yardage.

“Molinari changed his swing, his equipment and strategy….”My swing was very compact and very simple so it was probably easier for me than some other guys to find ways to get more swing speed and ball speed,” Molinari said. “It’s a very delicate work.”

“He also hit the gym…”I was more of a couch guy a few years ago,” he said.”

A couch guy! Full story.

6. How good do you need to be at golf to earn a college scholarship?

Our resident college golf guru, Brendan Ryan, looks at the scoring average and scoring differential at the various tiers.

For DI…”Division I Men’s Golf, the No. 1 team in Golfstat Cup finished with a scoring average of 69.99. The last team to make regionals (Michigan State) had an average score for their top four of 72.86. The 125th team at the end of the year last year was UC Riverside. The best player on the team averaged 73.93 for the year, while the fourth player averaged 77.51. Dartmouth was the 200th team had three players average better than 75 with the fourth player averaging 76.74.”

“In Division I Women’s, the No. 1 team in Golfstat Cup was Alabama which boasted an average of 70.93 among their top four. The last team to make regionals on the women’s side was Missouri. For the season, Missouri had a stroke average of 295.4. The 100th best team was Georgetown, with a scoring average of 303.64 (75.91 per player). The 200th best team in women’s golf was Appalachian State women’s golf. They had a team average of 312 (78 per player).”

Full story.

7. Bye, bye, Sky?

The folks at Bunkered connect the dots...”The current broadcast deal between the PGA Tour and Sky Sports ends in 2022 and the chances of a new deal being struck for beyond then appears to be getting slimmer.”

“That’s because golf’s most lucrative circuit announced yesterday that it was launching an international on-demand streaming service next year, with it scheduled to be available in the UK from, you guessed it, 2022.”

8. Mark Wilson: announcer

Injuries have plagued the 43-year-old over the past couple of years, forcing him to rely on sponsor’s exemptions and play off his past champion exempt status on the PGA Tour over the past couple of seasons and making some Web.com Tour starts, where he’s enjoyed limited success. Wilson announced on Tuesday that he will make his broadcasting debut on Golf Channel’s Morning Drive during the week of the OHL Classic at Mayakoba, the site of one of Wilson’s five tour wins.

“We came to the realization that I’m not going to play professional golf full time anymore,” Wilsontold Wisconsin.Golf’s Gary D’Amato earlier this month. “I’m thinking there’s going to be less nights where I wake up in the middle of the night thinking, ‘What if I change my grip just a little bit that way?'” Wilson said. “I can go to the golf course and have a little more fun at it instead of always be thinking about preparation for my next golf tournament.” (Golf Digest)

9. Yodi the chihuahua

Helen Ross talked with Jonathan Randolph about, among other things, his well-traveled canine.

“There are days when an excited Yodi entertains her humans by running circles around the hotel room. And she’s happy to help Randolph when he practices putting on the carpet, picking up golf balls and bringing them back to him.”

“Yodi is still getting used to the new addition to the family, though. When Lacy picks Boyd up, for example, Yodi clamors to be in her arms as well.”

“She’s definitely gotten jealous, but also shows off like crazy when she knows he’s watching and she’s playing,” Randolph says. “She’ll start high stepping around and doing stuff to make him happy, which is pretty awesome.”

Full story.

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.

GolfWRX may earn a commission for purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you.

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.