News

Morning 9: Good news for golf participation | Players still want an off-season? | McGinley on Lanich

Published

7 years ago

Jul 2, 2019

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt ([email protected])

July 2, 2019

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans.

1. Big news for golf?

Janet Freund at Bloomberg…”The number of people in the U.S. who played at least one round of golf increased slightly in 2018 from the year earlier, the first year-over-year increase in 14 years, according to a new report from the National Golf Foundation. Off-course participation, like that of the popular Topgolf format, also saw a boost.”

“The latest data from the Foundation are “encouraging,” Compass Point’s Casey Alexander told clients in a note. The statistic may bode well for golf stocks, including Callaway Golf Co. and Acushnet Holdings Corp., both of which have outperformed the broader market since Tiger Woods’ historic Masters win back in April…”

Full piece.

2. Open qualifying

Golf Channel report…“Final Qualifying for the 148th Open will take place Tuesday at four sites….Twelve spots in the July 18-21 Open at Royal Portrush will be up for grabs, with three qualifiers from each of the four 36-hole qualifiers. The host courses are Fairmont St. Andrews in St. Andrews, Scotland, which will use 11 holes from the Kittocks Course and seven from the Torrance Course; Prince’s Golf Club in Sandwich, England; Notts Golf Club Hollinwell in Nottinghamshire, England; and St. Annes Old Links in Lancashire, England.”

GC does a good job of rounding up the notables here.

3. Preparing for an “out of nowhere win” his whole life

John Feinstein with a dose of perspective…“This is what they do, what they’ve trained to do, and what they’ve dreamed about. They all know what’s at stake, which is why it is so critical to-as the cliché goes-stay in the present.”

“If Lashley had started picturing himself with the trophy or hugging his sister or with the check for $1.314 million or teeing it up at the Masters next April, he surely would have started spraying shots all over the place. It happens to everyone at some point.”

“…Lashley was in the very unusual position of actually being able to let down a little on the 18th hole with that massive lead. As Jim Nantz pointed out during the CBS broadcast, “he needs a 9 here to win.” That was with Lashley’s tee shot already in the fairway. One swing and two putts later, he had joined the club of players who go from nonexempt to “having a job for the next two years,” as the players like to call the exemption that comes with a victory.”

Full piece.

4. New schedule, same pining for an offseason?

Golfweek’s Dan Kilbridge…”The early leg of the new schedule seemed like a success, with big events every month as the Players Championship moved to March and PGA Championship to May. That’s the biggest upside for now, while figuring out how to deal with the second half seems like the biggest challenge.”

“…If there’s a consistent complaint regarding the new schedule – or the old one, really – it’s the lack of a structured offseason. Some were led to believe there might be a longer break with the FedEx Cup Playoffs ending earlier, but the Tour has instead added more fall events and will begin the 2019-20 season Sept. 12-15 with the Military Tribute at the Greenbrier, two weeks after the 2018-19 Tour Championship.”

Full piece.

5. Rory = I don’t need a star caddie (I’ve got a Diamond)

RTE Sport report…”Day’s decision to hire Williams raised the question of whether other top players might follow suit, perhaps trying to lure someone such as Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay, who worked for Phil Mickelson for 25 years.”

“McIlroy has been using his lifelong friend Harry Diamond for nearly two years now, with the former world number one saying that he no longer needed an old hand on the bag.”

‘”Maybe back in the day when I wasn’t as experienced, but I’ve been on tour for 12 years,” McIlroy said.”

‘”Caddies don’t hit the shots. I want someone out there I’m comfortable with. That’s the big thing for me and that’s why I have Harry on the bag.”‘

Full piece.

6. Following in Billy Hurley III’s footsteps?

Yes, BH3 is Navy and Kyle Westmoreland is Air Force, but the point stands…

Golf Digest’s Joel Beall…”A native of Katy, Texas, Westmoreland is one of the most decorated golfers in Air Force Academy history. In college, he earned all-region honors as a senior and competed in the NCAA Regionals twice. As a senior, Westmoreland placed fourth at the 2014 Mountain West Conference Championship, the highest finish for an Air Force golfer since 1985, and was named the Academy’s most valuable male athlete.”

“That success conferred Westmoreland options. Instead of a 12-year service commitment, he had the chance to take a five-year term, allowing him the opportunity to make a run at professional golf while he was still in his athletic prime. It was a path already taken by fellow servicemen Billy Hurley III (an economics teacher and electronic division officer for the Navy) and Tom Whitney (a nuclear missile operator from Air Force) in their pursuit of the PGA Tour.”

“To see what those guys did and how they did it was inspirational,” Westmoreland says. “It gave me the confidence that, as tough as this would be, I could ultimately achieve my goal.”

Full piece.

7. What happens when a terrible golfer plays TPC Southwind?

…not surprisingly, not good golf… Mark Giannotto of Mempis’ Commercial Appeal, syndicated in Golfweek, writes of his participation in the 3M Open’s pro-am…

No. 12…”Monday’s shotgun start meant our group of four began the morning at the par-4 12th, where – surprise, surprise – water runs along the entire right side of the fairway. It’s a scramble format in which the best shot amongst the group is used. A few years back, when I played in one of these events as part of ACC Football media day, not one of my shots was used by the group. Not even a putt.”

“So I was nervous stepping into the tee box. You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”

“My first tee shot couldn’t have gone more than 200 yards, but stayed dry. I chunked the ensuing approach shot, though, creating a divot the size of my shoe.”

No. 13…”My tee shot veers way right into a mass of long, brown fescue. This will become a theme. I briefly wade into the mud to try to find my ball, but quickly realize this is actually a graveyard for golf balls.”

Full piece.

8. McGinley on Lahinch

Geoff Shackelford chatted with Irish Open host Paul McGinley about the selection of a singular venue

“GS: How did Lahinch’s selection happen?”

“Paul McGinley: In the South of Ireland, we’ve always played Lahinch historically. So we’re all very familiar with it and we’ve all won around there. The irony is, the only guy of all the Irish guys on tour, other than [Shane] Lowry, that hasn’t won there is Rory. All the rest of us have won around Lahinch. So we’re all very familiar with it growing up. And the second thing is, everybody seems to love Lahinch. The fact that the 18th and the golf course goes right up to town with the town nestling around it and you’ve got the ocean framing the other side. So when I was asked to host by Rory you know when I take over the hosting role, I went away and I thought okay, now where are we going to go what venue are we going to? Knowing that The Open was going to be at Portrush and knowing that the commercial market as well as the spectator market was going to be very much gravitated towards golf and anyone from Dublin, the top half of the country was going to gravitate towards the Open Championship.”

“So we started looking around at potential venues and I thought, “you know what, the one outstanding one here is Lahinch.” It haven’t been held before and I think that’s a golf course certainly worthy of hosting. We could make it a par 70, instead of 72, and then the other box that we ticked is of course the people of Lahinch. And there’s three people there that I’ve known very well for a long period of time, Padraig Slattery former captain who was very successful in the PR world, John Gleeson who is a retired oil trader and very successful, and Paddy Keane who is the director of golf there.”

“I’ve known these guys personnel for a number of years and I thought wow, the personnel combined with the golf course, combined with the opening of the new commercial market is a package that I believe would work best. Then it was a question of presenting that to the European Tour and the sponsors, Dubai Duty Free, and I became convinced that this is the right place.”

Full piece.

9. Latest in The Woods Jupiter bartender’s death

Bill Speros at Golfweek…”Nicholas F. Immesberger, the bartender who worked at Tiger Woods’ restaurant in Jupiter, Fla., was “excessively intoxicated” by marijuana in addition to alcohol before his fatal crash last December, according to papers filed by Woods’ attorneys.”

“The parents of Immesberger sued Woods, his girlfriend Erica Herman, and the restaurant in May but dropped Woods from the suit in June.”

“…According to a series of answers provided by Herman and The Woods through their attorneys to Immesberger’s team on Monday in Palm Beach County, Fla., Nicholas Immesberger had a Delta-9-THC level of 13.3 ng/mL at the time of his death, which was more than five times the reporting limit.”

Full piece.

News

Most birdies without breaking par – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

10 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.