Connect with us

News

5 things we learned Thursday at the PGA Championship

Published

on

The Schefflers and the Schauffeles, the Kaymers, Koepkas, and Cauleys. It’s a dream leader board for an audiologists, this round one tally of the scores from Harding Park and the 102nd playing of the PGA Championship. Only once before has the PGA been the season’s first major championship. That was in 1971, when the event was held in February, at PGA National. With a west-coast, host course, the PGA finishes each night from eight to ten pm in all the other USA time zones. Chances are, you’re reading this quite late in the evening. No matter, it won’t put you to sleep. We learned five things today at TPC-Harding Park, and we are happy to share them with you.

1. Day and Todd share the round-one lead

Jason Day and Brendon Todd have a share of the opening-day lead at five under par. They aren’t clear by much; a mixed bag of nine golfers lurks one shot back, at minus four. Day is a former PGA champion (2015 at Whistling Straits) while Todd has been one of the hot golf stories of the wraparound season. He has two wins to his credit, and could have twice that many, with more luck and grit on his side. Day made the most of his day, with five birdies against zero bogies. Todd had seven birdies on the day, but a pair of late bogeys kept him from the solo lead. Day will see the course in the afternoon on day two, while Todd will tee it up early. As greens get bumpier by the minute, smart money is on Todd to remain near the lead. Day will need putting fortune on his side in the Friday PM.

2. Stars collide on leader board

Horses for tournaments might be the mixed metaphor of day one. Brooks Koepka, the defending champion, and Martin Kaymer, the 2010 PGA winner (also at Whistling Straits), sit in the nonagon at four deep. Major champions Justin Rose and Zach Johnson join them, along with a quintet of untested aspirants. Of the pentagon, the most interesting story is William “Bud” Cauley. An amateur contemporary of Rickie Fowler and Dustin Johnson (and their teammate on the 2009 USA Walker Cup side) Cauley suffered through injuries while his mates established their careers. Finally healthy, Cauley would be an even bigger, comeback story than the recently-injured Jason Day.

3. Bryson, of course

It figures that the fellow who avails himself best of the 2019 rules changes, would be the first visible beneficiary of the I broke my club and I can replace it change. Indeed, the large man of Physics #BigBangTheory leaned the wrong way on his driver and snapped the shaft off at the hosel. Thanks to the largesse of the USGA and R&A, Bryson is now able to replace the club mid-round. He reached minus-four twice on the back nine, before bogeys at 14 and 15 dropped him to minus-two.

4. Tiger’s day: a little of this and a little of that

El Tigre made five birdies on the day. That’s a good sign. He also made three bogeys. That’s a bad sign. TPC-Harding Park does not look like the type of course where a few under par will win the Wannamaker Trophy, so the recovering cat will need to get that oft-cited A Game back and quick. If anyone can, it is he. With four prior wins in the PGA, it is kinda-sorta his tournament, when he wants it to be. It has been 13 years since he won back-to-back titles, and a home-state course might be the thing that moves his needle.

5. What happened, Justin?

Last week’s winner, and current World Number One, Justin Thomas, had two double bogeys on the front nine, and fired a bumpy 71, one over par. If JT doesn’t reach deep and go low on Friday, he’ll have the weekend off. He’s not alone in the black figures, among top golfers. Last week’s other winner, Richy Werenski, also signed for 71. Webb Simpson, Tyrrell Hatton, Phil Mickelson and Patrick Cantlay joined them in the struggle zone. The constellation is large, but it doesn’t include all the stars. Stay tuned on Friday.

 

 

 

Ronald Montesano writes for GolfWRX.com from western New York. He dabbles in coaching golf and teaching Spanish, in addition to scribbling columns on all aspects of golf, from apparel to architecture, from equipment to travel. Follow Ronald on Twitter at @buffalogolfer.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

News

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

Published

on

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.

 

  • GolfWRX may earn a commission for purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you.

Continue Reading

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 OccuNet Classic

Published

on

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

Pullout Albums

Luke Potter’s custom Cameron putter – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)

Continue Reading

News

From the GolfWRX Classifieds: Scotty Cameron GOLO 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

Announcement

Our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use have been updated as of January 29th, 2026. Please review the updated policies here Privacy Policy | Terms of Use. By continuing to use our site after January 29th, 2026, you agree to the changes.

WITB

Facebook

Trending