News

Morning 9: Kuchar’s caddie speaks | Putter troubles topple TW | The worth of a caddie’s work

Published

7 years ago

Feb 18, 2019

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt ([email protected])

February 18, 2019

Good Monday morning, golf fans.

1. Not the man from Kentucky you expected to be holding the trophy

Louisville, Kentucky native Justin Thomas began the final round of the Genesis Open with a four-stroke lead. He finished one stroke behind his fellow Bluegrass State denizen, J.B. Holmes.

AP Report…”Holmes closed with a 1-under 70, and that was enough to overcome Justin Thomas, who took 19 putts on the back nine at Riviera — three of them from 8 feet when he lost the lead for good — and shot 75.”

“They played 34 holes because of a seven-hour rain delay at the start of the tournament Thursday, and that wasn’t even the worst of it. The final day featured a wild shift in weather, from sunshine in the morning to complete 16 holes of the third round, brief rain when they teed off in the final round and wicked wind that made it tough to hole putts.”

Full piece.

Winning WITB

2. Korda Slam!

Golf Digest’s John Huggan on Nelly Korda’s victory Down Under and her unique celebratory gesture.

“The scissor-kick was familiar. Joining her father, Petr, her brother, Sebastian, and her older sister, Jessica, Nelly Korda can call herself an Australian Open champion. Dad and little brother won their titles at tennis (1998 and 2018); the sisters on the golf course (Jessica winning in 2012).”

“More specifically, 20-year-old Nelly completed the family Grand Slam with a final-round 67 on the West Course at The Grange Golf Club to clinch a two-shot victory over defending champion Jin-Young Ko of South Korea…”

Full piece.

Sister Jessica tweeted this collage of Korda-ian scissorkicks.

3. Meanwhile, in Perth…

Game story via EuropeanTour.com on the second non-traditional event in a row on the European circuit.

“Ryan Fox claimed a convincing 3&2 victory over Adrian Otaegui to win his first European Tour title at the ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth.”

“The New Zealander finished eight under after 54 holes of stroke play to earn a bye into the last 16 of the six hole knockout stages but he still had to come through 25 holes on Sunday to lift the trophy at Lake Karrinyup Country Club.”

“He needed three trips to the Shootout hole to beat Thai Jazz Janewattananond before claiming 1up triumphs over Norwegian Kristoffer Reitan and Ireland’s Paul Dunne”

Full piece.

4. Putter troubles topple Tiger

The thrills of Saturday gave way to the blahs of Sunday as the combination of fatigue and not being in contention added to a forgettable final-round performance for one Tiger Woods at chilly, blustery Riviera–a course that has been anything but “Tiger’s Alley.”

ESPN’s Bob Harig…”The effects of a long week, with cold, blustery conditions and delays due to bad weather and darkness finally caught up to him, Woods said, leading to a lackluster finish and a tie for 15th at Riviera Country Club — where he has now not won in 12 tries.”

“After getting to 3 under for his round through seven holes and to 10 under for the tournament, Woods could not manage another birdie the rest of the way, playing his last 11 holes in 4 over par and settling for a 1-over-par 72.”

“I got tired; there’s no doubt,” Woods said. “It was just a long week, and eventually I made a few bad swings. But to be honest with you, it was one of the worst weeks I’ve ever had on the greens. Six 3-putts is — I don’t think I’ve ever done that. And to have that many 3-putts and still shoot 6 under par — take away those 3-putts, I’m 12 under par. And if I make a few more putts, I’m right in the mix.”

Full piece.

5. You don’t know Matt!

That was, probably not surprisingly, the basic contention from Kuchar’s looper, John Wood.

The NY Post’s Mark W. Sanchez spotted Wood’s tweets Friday night.

“I don’t understand the need to tear down a guy who has spent his career trying to uphold the game and himself to some pretty high standards,” Wood wrote…”Nobody’s perfect. All we can do when a mistake is made is reconsider, apologize and make amends.”

…”Matt,his entire family and team have never been anything but generous,inclusive,respectful, and complimentary of me and the job I do for him…I wouldn’t work for someone I didn’t respect, or who didn’t value my opinion. To crucify for one mistake feels wrong.”

Full piece.

6. Baffled by altitude

Steve DiMeglio of USA Today and Golfweek, filing a report for the latter on the eternal mysteries of golfing at altitude as the Tour prepares to visit Club de Golf Chapultepec, some 7,800 feet above sea level, for the WGC Mexico.

“…”It took me until Sunday to get used to it,” reigning Players champion Webb Simpson said of his showing in last year’s event. After rounds of 72-70-73, Simpson came home in 68 to tie for 37th. “I feel like I have a good understanding now of what I need to do this year.”

“Other players agree, as experience is the 15th club in the bag. The tight, tree-lined Club de Golf Chapultepec is an 18-hole riddle that demands constant evaluation as players figure out how far the golf ball will carry at altitude.”

Full piece.

I’d be remiss not to call your attention to our Ryan Barath’s meditation on the same subject in conjunction with a discussion of a Tiger Woods 3-wood switch.

7. Not to be overlooked, a W for MAJ!

AP Report…”Miguel Angel Jimenez won the Chubb Classic on Sunday for his seventh PGA TOUR Champions title, beating Bernhard Langer and Olin Browne with a 5-foot par putt on the first hole of a playoff.”

The Spaniard delivered this gem…”I’m working hard and I practice and go to the gym, apart from smoking and drinking,” Jimenez said. “This is what I love to do. I love to play golf. To me, competing is my life. I go to any competition, I want to win. I working for that.”

Full piece.

8. The worth of a caddie’s work

Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch considers the subject–with help from Fluff!– in the wake of the Kuchar-El Tucan fiasco.

“The debacle surrounding Matt Kuchar’s pay dispute with David “El Tucan” Ortiz has ignited plenty of commentary on the values of Kuchar, but not so much on the value of caddies. Part-Sherpa, part-psychologist, their contributions are often intangible. Caddies occupy a decidedly gray area not easily measured in dollars.”

“For starters, you’re carrying the bag. They ain’t gotta carry their clubs,” said Mike “Fluff” Cowan, one of the few celebrity members of the caddie corps on the PGA Tour. “It’s a second set of eyes, it’s a second opinion. You’re not always right. If we were right every single time, we’d want a lot of money. I don’t think it can be dismissed. As long as you’re not costing your man any shots, you’re doing your job.”

Full piece.

9. J.B. Holmes does not play golf quickly

Golf.com’s Josh Berhow rounded up some lowlights and remarks concerning the…exceedingly deliberate…work of one J.B. Holmes, Sunday.

“At the par-3 4th, Holmes stalked a birdie putt for more than 80 seconds.”

“Here is J.B. Holmes, going through all the maps and scales and typography data that he can find,” said Jim Nantz, setting the stage.

“The issue I have with that is not that he’s doing that, it’s that he had plenty of time to do that while Justin was getting ready for his shot or Adam was getting ready for his shot,” said on-course reporter Peter Kostis. “And he waited until it was his turn to play to go through his whole routine.”

Full piece.

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.