News

Morning 9: McIlroy questions Euro pros who stayed home | Tour tests COVID-19 free again | Diversity in golf | Does Rory have a “Sunday problem?”

Published

6 years ago

Jun 18, 2020

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt

Email me at [email protected]

June 18, 2020

Good Thursday morning, golf fans.

I’m thrilled to announce GolfWRX’s partnership with Golf Avenue. A great place for new equipment with top-trade in value, I particularly love the best-in-the-business selection of pre-owned equipment-some deep cuts from the past and great values. Check out the partnership details here.

1. McIlroy: Players who care about their careers should be here

BBC report…”Rory McIlroy says the European players who opted not to travel to the United States for the PGA Tour’s restart last week should not complain about losing out on world ranking points.”

…”I mean if you really care about your career and care about moving forward you should be here,” said McIlroy.

…”Look, personally, if I were in their shoes and I was asked to come over to the States and shelter in place or quarantine for two weeks before these tournaments, I would have done that,” said McIlroy, 31.”

“I get there’s different variables and families and stuff involved, but we all have the means to rent a very nice house in a gated community in Florida and… you know, it’s not a hardship for two weeks to come over and quarantine.”

Full piece.

2. No positive tests on PGA Tour

Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…”The Tour administered 369 on-site tests this week at the RBC Heritage and 98 tests following the third round of the Charles Schwab Challenge for players and caddies scheduled to travel to this week’s event on the circuit’s charter flight.”

“Also for the second consecutive week there were positive tests on the Korn Ferry Tour. There were 408 on-site tests issued this week at the event in St. Augustine, Fla., with two positives from caddies. Last week there were four positive tests, three caddies and a player, at TPC Sawgrass.”

Full piece.

3. DL3 on captains picks: “Let’s just take the top 12 and be done with it”

Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…”Stricker seemed to embrace the chance to pick half his team, the move isn’t for everyone.”

“No. I was in the Jack Nicklaus category. Let’s just take the top 12 and be done with it,” said two-time captain Davis Love III, when asked if he would have wanted six picks.

“Love explained that the captain’s picks are the toughest part of the job and adding two more selections to the process will only intensify the decision.”

…”It’s the guys you don’t pick. You have to call them, and I’ve seen Bubba Watson, talked to him three times already this week, about this year’s Ryder Cup,” Love said. “It’s still awkward with guys that you didn’t pick or that you did pick and felt like they didn’t help. So it’s terrible.”

Full piece.

4. How to speed up diversity?

Cameron Morfit at PGATour.com talking with former PGA Tour pro, Adrian Stills…”From my perspective there has been some progress,” says Stills, who is now is the General Manager and teaching pro at Osceola. “The unfortunate part of it all is it’s just been so slow.”

…”Stills hopes we’re moving beyond the era when he was mysteriously denied entry into an elite junior tournament that still exists. Later, his almost entirely black golf team at South Carolina State was denied entry at certain hotels. Still, the struggle continues.”

“I’ve stopped using the word change,” Stills says, “but I’m emphasizing the word grow. People have to learn to grow. You may not change, but you should never stop growing. You should be able to process and come to different conclusions. And even if you don’t, you should at least have some opportunity to interact with people you don’t know. Golf is a good catalyst for that.”

Full piece.

5. APGA’s seven-tournament schedule

PGATour.com staff report…”The Advocates Professional Golf Association (APGA), professional golf’s newly-prominent tour promoting diversity in the sport, will launch a seven-tournament schedule in June highlighted by events in the major markets of Atlanta, Chicago, and Los Angeles.”

“The APGA burst into the pro sports spotlight in January when the Farmers Insurance Open hosted a tournament during the annual PGA TOUR stop at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, California, including the APGA Tour players and officials in operations, hospitality, and media operations throughout the week.”

“The 27-hole APGA Tour at the Farmers Insurance Open competition, organized in collaboration with the PGA TOUR, Farmers and The Century Club of San Diego, took place on the Torrey Pines North golf course while the best players in the world were competing in the third round of the Open on Torrey Pines South. The exposure resulted in major print, digital, and TV media coverage about the 11-year-old tour and its mission of bringing diversity to the highest levels of professional golf in conjunction with the PGA TOUR, Farmers Insurance, Lexus and other supporting organizations.”

Full piece.

6. McIlroy on Bryson’s distance: “Holy sh*t”

Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…”The 31-year-old has always ranked among the Tour’s longest players off the tee, but even he was impressed with Bryson DeChambeau’s performance last week at the Charles Schwab Challenge.”

“He hit a couple drives on Sunday that [caddie Harry Diamond] and I just looked at each other, and we’re like, holy sh*t, that was unbelievable,” said McIlroy, who was paired with DeChambeau on Sunday at Colonial. “He hit one into the wind on 11. I hit a really good one and probably hit it like 315, 320. He must have flew my ball by 40 yards. He hit it like 370, 375 into the wind. It was crazy. It was nuts. It’s unbelievable.”

Full piece.

7. U.S. Am adjustments

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…“The field for the U.S. Amateur, usually 312 competitors deep, will be reduced to 264 for the Aug. 10-16 championship at Bandon Dunes, which will still utilize two courses for stroke play, Bandon Dunes and Bandon Trails. The U.S. Women’s Amateur, set for Aug. 3-9 at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Maryland, will now have a 132-player field instead of 156 players.”

…”For the U.S. Amateur, all match-play qualifiers from the 2019 championship at Pinehurst will be eligible to compete, as will winners/runner(s)-up of this summer’s Western Amateur, North and South Amateur, Sunnehanna Amateur and Southern Amateur. The field will also include several top performers from the U.S. Mid-Amateur, U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Senior Amateur: last four champions, last two runners-up and, for all but the senior event, last year’s quarterfinalists…The top 225 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking as of June 24 will also be exempt.”

…As for the U.S. Women’s Amateur, the exemption changes are similar, though it will only exempt the Round of 32 qualifiers from last year’s championship while taking fewer exempt players via the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, U.S. Girls’ Junior and U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur. While the past four winners and past two runners-up from all three events are eligible, only last year’s Girls’ Junior Round of 16 qualifiers and last year’s Mid-Amateur semifinalists will also be extended invites.”

Full piece.

8. How tour life has changed

Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard polled the pros for the most substantial changes to their workdays in the COVID-19 era…

…The absence of fans has been the most-talked-about difference since the Tour returned from a 91-day hiatus, and those who found themselves in quiet contention last week certainly felt the difference.

…For many players, it’s the simple things that have changed because of the COVID-19 restrictions, like how you interact with your caddie.

…For most players, traveling from city to city has become second nature and routines have been refined over the years – what hotel to stay at, where to eat, what airport to fly into. There are now designated and “highly suggested” places to stay and attend.

Full piece.

9. Rory’s “Sunday problem”

The NY Post’s Mark Cannizzaro…”when Rory McIlroy, the No. 1-ranked player in the world, is at or near the top of a leaderboard in the final round of a golf tournament, there are expectations. And those expectations are that he should win the tournament.”

“…McIlroy entered the final round of last week’s Charles Schwab Challenge three shots out of the lead held by Xander Schauffele at Colonial Country Club.”
“And on Sunday, while most of the players around him either made a charge up the leaderboard or at least kept within touch of the lead, McIlroy went backward, shooting an eye-opening 6-over-par 41 on the front nine and finishing with a 74 that left him in a tie for 32nd.”

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.