News

GolfWRX Morning 9: Mickelson’s incredible streak | The Match viewership data is in | The perils of streaming sports

Published

8 years ago

Nov 27, 2018

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt ([email protected])

November 27, 2018

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans. A reader suggested that this morning greeting was inappropriate as I hadn’t “earned the relationship” and readers “don’t know me from Adam.” If you would prefer no greeting, please let me know; I’m always happy to reconsider. With respect to the relationship, this has never been a one-way street. My email is listed above, and y’all have always been encouraged to use it (I answer all emails).

1. An incredible streak

Phil Mickelson has now been inside of the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking for 25 years.

25 years!

Phil first landed inside the top 50 on November 28, 1993, after finishing second at the Casio World Open in Japan.

He was in danger of sliding outside the top 50 in 2018, falling to No. 49 after the Farmers Insurance Open. However, Lefty got it in gear, tallying four top-10 finishes in a row and winning the WGC-Mexico Championship.

2. Match ratings are in

Our Gianni Magliocco…”It may not have been the best of Thanksgiving Friday’s for Bleacher Report Live, whose system suffered a glitch, allowing the pay-per-view match featuring Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson to be viewed online for free.”

“But despite the multi-million dollar costing system error, Turner President David Levy has said how he is delighted with how the contest between two of golfs biggest superstars performed. Turner received 750,000 unique video views and 55 million minutes consumed on B/R Live for The Match, which led Levy to state “We don’t have all the facts and figures, but based on early indications, the total audience for the match surpassed expectations across all of our platforms.”

“The glitch is said to have cost Turner in the region of $10 million in revenue, and it’s an error that Levy has put down to the insufficient memory in the system, caused by Black Friday shoppers.”

“This all boils down to really insufficient memory, server capacity that was required, and the high volume of consumer access requests in a condensed amount of time. Try to do this during Black Friday with Amazon’s cloud with everybody online ordering stuff.”

“As for whether or not we could see another PPV golf event in the future, Levy claimed that there is an excellent possibility, believing the demand to be there. However, golf isn’t the only sport which the Turner president believes can thrive in this capacity, who is fully committed to the format created.”

Full piece.

3. Silliest complaints

While there has been plenty of criticism of The Match, some judgments just don’t hold water. Alex Myers at Golf Digest rounds up some of the silliest criticisms.

“They didn’t play well!”…It’s true, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson didn’t have their A (or even B) games, but they’re not machines. You can’t just flip a switch – especially during the off-season – and expect them to play their best. There’s a reason “That’s why they play the game” is a saying. You never know how things are going to turn out in a sporting event, let alone a round of golf. Remember that NCAA men’s basketball final between UConn and Butler a few years ago? That was absolutely brutal to watch, but hey, it happens. Move on.

“It took away from the World Cup of Golf!”…If you are a golf purist and enjoyed watching the World Cup more because of the Metropolitan Club’s fantastic bunkering, that’s totally understandable (seriously, that bunkering looks glorious). However, complaining that The Match took away from that event is absurd. The World Cup was played in a different hemisphere so even with The Match going long, it didn’t overlap with Golf Channel’s coverage. And Tiger or Phil haven’t played in it in nearly two decades, meaning they wouldn’t have been in Australia even if they weren’t in Vegas. So pipe down from Down Under.

“The money is obscene!”…Playing a round of golf for $9 million seems ridiculous. And regardless of who won, both guys were probably guaranteed to make more for four hours of work than the average person will make in his/her lifetime. But it’s not like Tiger and Phil forced Turner Sports, Capital One or any other of The Match’s sponsors to put up the money. And we’d like to see someone else turn down a payday that big. Also, appearance fees in golf aren’t exactly a new phenomenon. Golfers get fat checks to show up at certain tournaments and plenty of other outings all the time. You think people played in Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf for free?

Full pieces.

4. Streaming stresses

Gerry Smith at Bloomberg looked beyond the streaming issues of B/R Live and The Match in particular at the general difficulty of streaming live events.

A morsel…”Perhaps the biggest example came in 2017, when Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor met for a highly publicized boxing fight that cost $100 for a high-definition stream. NeuLion, which was UFC’s streaming partner, experienced technical difficulties that led to many buyers being unable to see the bout.”

“Live streaming sports is harder than streaming TV shows and movies — like Netflix Inc. does. That’s mainly because live sports is only available for a few hours, making it vulnerable to crashes when many people watch at the same time. It’s also more complicated. It involves taking a feed, ensuring it works on devices such as Xbox or Roku, encrypting it, inserting ads, then handing it off to a third party for delivery to an internet provider — all in real time. A crash means viewers can miss a thrilling touchdown, buzzer-beater or a missed putt.”

“That hasn’t stopped tech companies from pushing deeper into sports. Amazon now hosts Thursday Night Football and is reportedly bidding on regional sports networks.”

Full piece.

5. Race to Dubai adjustments

Golfweek’s Alistair Tait writes that the “minnows” of the European Tour could have a better lot going forward.

“Players at the bottom of the European Tour food chain have had a tough time retaining full cards because of prize fund differentials. Qualifying School graduates have been especially hard hit. Just seven of last year’s 33 Q-School grads kept cards during the 2018 season. Only three manged to do so in 2017.’

“The European Tour has taken steps to make it more fair for players down the pecking order to hang onto full playing rights by dividing tournaments into categories based on prize funds.”

“Previously, points on the tour’s order of merit, the Race to Dubai, were determined on the basis of one dollar being equal to one point. It created a disparity of approximately 12-1 between bigger and smaller tournaments. For example, the U.S. Open’s $12 million prize fund meant winner Brooks Koepka, had he been a Euro Tour member, would have picked up 2,160,000 points compared to Chris Paisley’s 165,425 point for winning the $1 million BMW SA Open.”

Full piece.

6. Mickelson the pitchman

Golfweek’s Dan Kilbridge looks at Phil Mickelson and the pitchman part he played ahead of The Match.

“Mickelson always knows how and when to hedge his bets off the course. Once talks for “The Match” were already in the works, Mickelson played a practice round with Woods at Augusta National ahead of the Masters. Knowing how many eyeballs that attracts, he donned a new long-sleeve dress shirt from Mizzen+Main, a company in which he has a stake and for which he later danced in a commercial designed to go viral.”

“That’s Mickelson in a nutshell. Everything is so over the top it’s hard not to laugh along with him while he dances all the way to the bank.”

“It’s also, at times, hard to know how much he actually believes the things he’s saying, like during the HBO “24/7” documentary show leading up to “The Match” when he was in true showman mode and said he wasn’t done winning majors.”

Full piece.

7. Clairvoyant Collins

Little known fact: ESPN’s Michael Collins can see the future. Here’s a bit of what he sees in his crystal ball for the a year ahead.

“Tiger Woods wins four times…Tiger being “back” means Torrey Pines (Farmers Insurance Open), Bay Hill (Arnold Palmer Invitational), Muirfield Village (Memorial) and East Lake (Tour Championship) are again titles that belong to him.”

“Tiger Woods wins zero majors…I know, I know. Tiger’s major-less streak is as confusing as Rickie Fowler’s major-less career. Brooks Koepka is heading for another big year.”

“Brooks Koepka wins two majors…We may have finally found “that” dominant force we’ve been looking for.”

Brooks Koepka finishes 2019 as world No. 1

Full piece.

8. A small Masters again?

Golf World’s Ryan Herrington…”With just 87 players competing this past April, the Masters had its smallest field since 1997. As officials at Augusta National Golf Club prepare to send out their initial invitations for 2019 in the next few weeks-cue the social-media posts from tour pros overjoyed with what just came in their mailboxes-the upcoming tournament could wind up being a similarly small affair.”

“Through the end of the PGA Tour’s fall schedule, 66 players have earned their way into the field under the Masters’ various qualifying categories (subtracting 13 past champions who no longer compete in the tournament). Spots remain for anyone in the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking at the end of 2018 who has not already qualified. Using the most recent ranking, 13 players would be added to the invite list. That number could increase depending on movement over the next five weeks-Six players from No. 51 to 60 in the World Ranking, including Brian Harman and Daniel Berger, are on the outside looking in-but using 13 for our purposes here, that gets the field to 79.”

Full piece.

9. When was the last time…

…you saw a professional golfer (a tournament winner, no less) with iron covers? The only thing missing from Hong Kong Open winner Aaron Rai’s bag is a ball retriever. But seriously, all credit to Mr. Rai, not only for the win, but for being true to his iron cover-loving self.

News

Most birdies without breaking par – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

9 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

10 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.