News
5 things we learned on day one of the Presidents Cup 2019
The 2019 Presidents Cup, the 13th playing of the match between an international squad and one from the USA, began in precisely the manner that American playing captain Tiger Woods had desired. The first round of five matches closed exactly as International captain Ernie Els had hoped. The Royal Melbourne golf course, a composite layout that blends the best of the storied club’s East and West 18s, provided an unpredictable yet ideal stage for what all involved expect to be an unforgettable, four days of matches. Although we could write for hours on the shots, decisions, conditioning, and uniforms of the squads, we’ve distilled our thoughts to a succinct five things that we learned on Day One—Wednesday evening (USA time) and Thursday morning (Australia time)—of the 2019 Presidents Cup. Come join us.
1. The golf course matters
So often in team events, the golf course is sold to the highest bidder. If funding is needed, that’s the trade-off of modern, professional sport. The West course belongs to the wit of Alister MacKenzie, while the East fell under the mastery of Alex Russell and M.A Morcom, in the spirit of the master of the West course. The two meld seamlessly, allowing a composite course to host the club’s most important events. The course plays akin to a links, in an Australian Sandbelt manner. The fairways and greens are firm, fast, unforgiving yet welcoming. The bunkering is equal parts apparent and subdued. The entire course is at the mercy of capricious winds, and it is those putting surfaces, with their cant and roll, their spines and splines, that provide the culminating interest to each hole. If you’ve not been an architectural aficionado until now, sit back for the next three days and four rounds, and devour all that you can learn about exquisite, golf course design.
2. Captain Tiger came to play, and he may have found a partner
In days of yore, Severiano Ballesteros and José María Olazabal were an unbeatable partnership for team Europe in the Ryder Cup matches. Since then, as pundits are wont to do, anticipation and prediction for the next, unstoppable duo have been commonplace and unwelcome. No one has fallen under that looking glass with more frequency, than Tiger Woods. Say what you will about Seve and Olly; neither was in the conversation of the greatest player of all time. Such is the burden that Woods wears on his shoulders. In 2019, the latest partner in the firm is Justin Thomas. A major champion and multiple-times, tour winner himself, Thomas does not shrink from the bright light of fame. On Thursday, he and Woods began the event with a convincing, 4 & 3 victory over homebred Marc Leishman and ingenuo Joaquín Niemann of Chile. Woods made an impeccable birdie at the first: perfect drive, elegant pitch, conceded putt, and the duo was away with the sun. Their lead reached 3 up by the 5th, but the Internationals rallied to 1 down, with 2 consecutive, won holes at 6 and 7. Unmoved, the Americans won the 9th and the 11th to again reach 3 up. Back came the rest of the world at the 12th, but birdies at 14 and 15 concluded the day for the westerners.
One thing was learned from match one on day one: follow Tiger Woods. 12 holes were won outright in his pairing. If you want drama, excitement, back and forth, follow the Woods.
3. Fortunately for Els, Tiger can’t play in every match
Much has been made about the metrics that Ernie Els and his assistant captains utilized in the selection of numbers 9 through 12, and the subsequent pairings for practice and matches. When the gifts are wrapped and the planning concluded, the tell is the conduct of the golfers on course. Perhaps Marc Leishman’s sole job was to acclimate Niemann to the greatest pressure of the international stage; that much, and anything more, is unknown. What is known is this: the other four teams were unanticipated, and their performances, unknown. Sungjae Im and Adam Hadwin had the nervy task of following the opening match with Woods, and righting the international ship. Im’s unfathomable eagle pitch at the first found the bottom of the cup, and that lead held until the 6th. The Korean and the Canadian went 1 down with consecutive losses, but won the 9th to square the match once more. Even they stood until the difficult, par-four 16th, when Hadwin made a gutsy par as the other three went off into neverland, and the International side hung on for a 1-up victory. Others would follow.
4. The others that followed
Byeong Hun “Ben” An and Adam Scott dispatched the length of Tony Finau, and the newly-expanded muscles of Bryson DeChambeau, by 2&1. Much like the 2nd match of the day, match 3 was a chess battle. Just 6 holes changed hands, and the International lead of 2 up stood from the 14th hole to the end. If an approach is to find the neighborhood of the hole, it won’t arrive with spin and back-up. Instead, it will trace a roundabout corridor along the ground, allowing it to complete its revolutions as it nears the flagstick. This golf is fun!
C.T. Pan and Hideki Matsuyama jumped out early, by 2 up after 4 holes. Webb Simpson and Patrick Reed did manage to win 3 holes on the day, but were never able to do so consecutively, to build momentum. As the sun seemed to finally shine on the American side, with Reed squaring the match at 16, Pan made birdie at the penultimate hole and reclaimed the lead for Chinese Taipei and Japan, and the pair held on for a 1-up win.
Depending on your taste, the final match was done before it began. Someone turned the heat too high on the panini maker, and Abraham Ancer (Mexico) and Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa) jumped out to a 4-up lead after 4 holes. Even thought Ancer on Louis’ shoulders matches Dustin Johnson in height, on this day, Gary Woodland and Johnson were outclassed. They attempted to fight back, as major champions do, but when your side wins a solitary hole on the day, that match ain’t going your way. Mercifully, it ended at the 15th green, a complete flip-flop from how the day began.
5. The Ins and Outs of day two
Who’s in and who’s out? Aussie Cameron Smith moves into the lineup, with C.T. Pan dropping out for the International squad. Interestingly, China’s Haotong Li will not make an appearance, meaning he might be on the slate for 36 holes on Saturday, followed by 18 more on Sunday. For the Red, White and Blue, Rickie Fowler and Matt Kuchar step up for roll call on day two, with Bryson and Tony taking a rest. What’s up with Li? Who knows. Here’s what’s important.
The captains are taking entirely opposite strategies for the Friday foursomes (alternate shot) competition. Captain Tiger will preserve 3 of his 5 pairings for the 2nd day of matches He and JT, Webb and Pat, and Xander/Cantlay will return as partners. Kucher will lead off with DJ, while Fowler will accompany Woodland in the day’s last dance. In complete contrast, Captain Ernie changed all five of his partnerships, in what could only be described as a series of amicable breakups. Scott and Louis will lead off, followed by Niemann and Hadwin. Ancer pairs with Leishman in the 3rd match, with Matsuyama joining An in the 4th. The closing duo will be Smith and Im, and let me tell you this: the final duo might birdie every hole on the course.
You need to watch this. You need to Tevo this (does anyone Tevo anymore?). The golf is spectacular, the venue is the best we will see this decade or next, and the players are motivated in the most positive of ways. Join us.
News
GolfWRX’s Father’s Day Gift Guide (2026)
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
- 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
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
WITB Albums
- Ryan Palmer – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Mahanth Chirravuri – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Josh Creel – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Phichaksn Maichon – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Brandon Berry – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Ryan Burnett – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- James Song – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Andrew McLauchlan – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Ian Gilligan – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Alvaro Ortiz – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Russell Knox – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Ian Holt – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Mitchell Meissner – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Travis Trace – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
- Bryce Lewis – WITB – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)
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
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.
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Henny Bogan
Dec 12, 2019 at 11:01 am
TiVo
Ronald Montesano
Dec 12, 2019 at 12:01 pm
tHaNkS
gonna watch a good old fashioned movie and chill with a friend. may work on my capitalization problem later 😉
rm
enoughtrumpspam
Dec 12, 2019 at 5:37 pm
Also work on your reading problem. You misspelled it as well.
Ronald Montesano
Dec 13, 2019 at 10:35 am
I misspelled “it”? Where did I do that?
Prime21
Dec 12, 2019 at 9:18 am
If the final duo makes 5 birdies it will be AMAZING. Please spare us the “birdie every hole on the course” stuff.
Ronald Montesano
Dec 12, 2019 at 12:06 pm
Prime21
Thank you for writing. I issue a gentleman’s wager that they will make 9 birdies, minimum. That’s ‘twixt Im and Smith.
#WontBackDown
rm