News

Morning 9: Chasing a trophy on blistered feet | Controversies of 2019 | DJ out of Hero

Published

7 years ago

Dec 2, 2019

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt

Email me at [email protected] and find me at @benalberstadt on Instagram and golfwrxEIC on Twitter.

December 2, 2019

Good Monday morning, golf fans. Hope y’all enjoyed Thanksgiving!

**We’re looking for advertisers for 2020. Drop me a line if you’d like to talk about getting your message in front of the M9 readership.**

1. Winning soothes blistered feet?

John Strege at Golf Digest with a tale of fluid-filled bubbles and triumph…”The Alfred Dunhill Championship was Pablo Larrazabal’s to lose on Sunday, and, hobbled by a painful blister, was in the process of doing so when he took a cue from Tiger Woods and limped to his first victory in more than four years.”

“The 36-year-old Spaniard had a three-stroke lead through 54 holes at Leopard Creek Country Club in Malelane, South Africa, when “a big blister on my right toe,” he said, threatened to derail him in the final round.”

“He went out in six-over 41, then clawed his way back into contention and birdied three of the final four holes for his fifth European Tour victory.”

Full piece.

2. Controversies of the decade!

…as rounded up by the Golfweek staff. Here’s a juicy one at No. 9!

“Tiger Woods, 2013 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship...On the fifth hole of the second round, Woods flared his drive to the right between the fairways of the fifth and sixth holes and into a scrubby plant in the sand. Woods asked playing competitor Martin Kaymer to confirm his ball was plugged and Kaymer agreed. Woods took what he believed was a free drop, chipped out sideways onto the fairway and made bogey.”

“Golfweek’s Alistair Tait questioned whether Woods was entitled to relief from an embedded ball in the sand. Tait took it up with rules official Miguel Vidor. Initially, he upheld that Tiger was entitled to the drop, but afterwards had second thoughts. He consulted with referee Andy McFee who agreed with Tait that relief wasn’t allowed in the sand, and Tiger was given a two-stroke penalty and missed the cut.”

Full piece.

3. Controversies of 2019!

And in case you hadn’t gotten your fill of controversy, the Golf Channel team rounded up the controversies of 2019…

“Here’s there bit on the theatrics of one Sergio Garcia…”In February, Garcia was disqualified from the Saudi International because of “serious misconduct.” He was accused by other competitors of purposefully hitting his clubs into the surface of the greens, causing damage. But it wasn’t just once; it was reportedly five times.”

“That wasn’t the first mishap of the week for Garcia, though. A day before, after hitting a bunker shot on to the green, Garcia took some frustrating swipes at the sand and then uttered an expletive-laden tirade in Spanish.”

Full piece.

4. DJ out of Hero

PGATour.com staff…”Dustin Johnson has withdrawn from next week’s Hero World Challenge but still plans on competing in this year’s Presidents Cup.”

“Johnson underwent arthroscopic surgery in September to repair cartilage damage in his left knee. He has not played since finishing last in the TOUR Championship.”

“Johnson wrote on Twitter that he made the decision to withdraw after “a lot of careful thought and consultation.”

“While my recovery from knee surgery is complete, I feel another week of physical therapy and practice will best prepare me for the Presidents Cup,” Johnson added. “I have informed Captain Woods of my decision, which he fully supports and understands.”

Full piece.

5. TV negotiations…are still being negotiated

Geoff Shackelford…”Thanksgiving came and went with no announcement. The PGA Tour and LPGA Tour’s television future is still only full of possibilities with no concrete answers.”

“The future of how golf will be broadcast could land moments after this story is published. Or not.”

‘The Tour’s current contracts with CBS, NBC and Golf Channel run through 2021. An international broadcasting arrangement with Discovery network is locked in much longer. What’s the fuss all about with plenty of time to sort this out?”

“Millions of dollars are at stake. Hundreds of jobs may be affected. The sports media world is eyeing the Tour’s decision. And some of the planet’s most powerful moguls are weighing whether to overpay as they unbundle cable into streaming networks that they will eventually rebundle all over again.”

Full piece.

6. Don’t cheer for Tiger!

…that’s the message from Adam Scott.

Golf Digest’s Joel Beall…”The Presidents Cup, compared to its biennial match counterpart, the Ryder Cup, has been a civil affair. In Adam Scott’s eyes, perhaps a bit too civil.”

“In an interview with the Herald Sun ahead of the American-International matchup at Royal Melbourne, Scott implored his countrymen not to root for the opposing squad.”

“Last time it was too friendly,” Scott told the Herald Sun, referring to the 2011 Presidents Cup in Melbourne. “Quite bluntly, we want the home-crowd advantage, and I’ll be disappointed if they are cheering enthusiastically for Tiger or anyone on the U.S. team.”

Full piece.

7. Equipment trends of the decade

The time for a backward glance at the past 10 years is upon us. Andrew Tursky at PGATour.com rounds up his top five equipment developments of the decade.

“Here’s what he had to say about the proliferation of launch monitors…”By the early 2010s, however, due to more affordability and portability, PGA TOUR players were using launch monitors in their personal practice sessions and club testing sessions to dial in their swing and golf clubs.”

“Now, if you’re not using a launch monitor, you’re at a severe disadvantage against whatever competitive field you’re in.”

“Launch monitor systems, with their abilities to identify ball speed, spin rate, launch, angle of attack, impact location, etc. have changed the way players think about and play the game, and how golf club and shaft companies make products. It’s likely that some of the products mentioned below would not have been instituted had launch monitors not been as available to the golfing public.”

Full piece.

8. England’s oldest course bans plastic tees

First they came for our straws… but really, good move here. With the bevy of biodegradable options available (if you don’t like wood), there’s no reason for plastic tees.

Via Golf Channel Digital…”Beginning Jan. 1, 2020, Royal North Devon Golf Club in Northam will ban plastic tees in an effort to keep local wildlife from eating and being harmed by them. The news was first reported by The Telegraph, which also stated that the club is believed to be the first to ban plastic tees.”

“The simple fact is that plastic tees are more likely to harm the birds and animals we share our wonderful course with,” the club said in a statement. “The greenskeepers will also tell you that they can do a great deal more harm to their equipment than a wooden tee. So from the start of the new decade we would like all golfers to only use wooden tees and the pro shop will only supply wooden tees. If you see a plastic tee (or a wooden one for that matter) that has been discarded please place it in one of the tee bins provided. There will soon be more of these for the other tee areas. Look after our environment and hopefully it will be there for many years to come.”

Full piece.

9. Mickelson on the sidelines

Digest’s Dave Shedloski…”For the first time since 1993, he is not playing in the Presidents Cup or the Ryder Cup, a streak almost as impressive as his run of 1,353 weeks ranked in the top 50 in the world that ended Nov. 3. Until this year, he had played in every Presidents Cup.

While disappointed to be omitted from this year’s team-and he candidly admitted that he didn’t deserve a captain’s pick from Woods after failing to make the team on points-he assessed his coming weekend at home in typical Mickelson fashion.”

“I’ve always thought this would be one of the most exciting events to watch,” he said. “No, I’m excited. I’m pulling for the guys. I want to see us get another win.”

Full piece.

News

Most birdies without breaking par – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

14 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

14 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

3 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.