News

5 things we learned Thursday at The Players Championship

Published

6 years ago

Mar 12, 2020

As school districts closed in Ohio, and New York shut down major events across the state, the band played on at Sawgrass. The season’s first nearly-a-major teed off early, under delightful skies and little wind. It’s a shame, really, that major-championship golf is an all-or-nothing proposal.

The Players deserves better, but it doesn’t deserve major status. It lies on the wrong side of history, as it was born three generations too late. Let it be said, however, that it will identify a champion of the highest quality, and its champion will value the title as career-defining. With that Janus-faced lead-in, let’s have a look at the five things we learned on Thursday at The Players Championship.

5. As Hideki putts, so Hideki goes

Your first-round leader, Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, made 8 birdies and an eagle on day one. Never mind that he bogeyed the easiest hole (16) on the course; the number that mattered most was his strokes-gained: putting tally: 4.25 on the field. As Hideki putts, so Hideki scores. Matsuyama is easily the most talented golfer on the planet with putting woes. Week in and out, fans hold their breath as he takes the flat stick back. No putt, of any length, is ever safe. On this day, Matsuyama was stellar. Should he maintain that stature, the tournament is over.

4. Si Woo Kim asks, “Remember me?”

In 2017, the young Korean posted a marvelous 69 on Sunday to outdistance Louis Oosthuizen and Ian Poulter by 3 strokes. Since that magical day, his victory total has yet to advance. On Thursday, Kim overcame a bogey at the 6th with 6 birdies and an eagle. He sits in a 2nd-place tie with Harris English and Christian Bezuidenhout, two strokes back of Matsuyama. What Kim did best on Thursday, was scramble. He missed 7 greens, but got up and down for par or better on 6 of them. He certainly would take a few more GIR the next few days, and let his putter go head to head with Matsuyama’s flat stick.

3. He shot what?

No expected the following numbers from the following golfers:

78 from Tommy Fleetwood
76 from Rickie Fowler and Francesco Molinari
73 from Patrick Reed
72 from Rory McIlroy (to his credit, he birdied the final three.)

The reality of all those numbers is, they are at least 9 strokes behind the leader. We know that Matsuyama won’t back up his 63 with another low number. If he does, power to him. These golfers, and anyone else at par or higher, are effectively out of the running for the baubles and accolades that will accompany the title of 2020 Players champion. Now, if Matsuyama were to putt like Matsuyama, things would certainly change in a hurry.

2. Bezuidenhout the perfect

Only the South African navigated the swamp with zero bogeys. After 16 composed holes, Bezuidenhout nearly came undone at the final two. He missed both greens in regulation, but was able to scramble for par at both holes. No matter what happens this week, the European-Tour winner will learn a lot from the pressure at TPC. What he won’t learn, is how heavy the trophy is. Put him in the same spot on Sunday, and his tee balls at 17 and 18 will both find the wet stuff.

1. The band plays on, but the fans stay home

Beginning on Friday’s round two, the PGA Tour will play without fans for 15 rounds. The final three days at Sawgrass, followed by the Valspar, the WGC Match Play and Corales, and the Texas Open, will see golfers play with no sounds from outside the ropes—indeed, there will be no need for gallery ropes at all.

News

GolfWRX’s Father’s Day Gift Guide (2026)

Published

1 day 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.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 OccuNet Classic

Published

1 day ago

Jun 9, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

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

2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT) – Monday #1

WITB Albums

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

Published

1 day ago

Jun 9, 2026

Will Schube

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.