News

Morning 9: Incredible win, winner at Women’s Open | Dominant DJ | TW finishes strong, misses fans

Published

6 years ago

Aug 24, 2020

1 Popov triumphs for shock Women’s Open win

Only in the field thanks to a T9 finish at the Marathon Classic…which she only earned a spot in because so many players were sitting out due to COVID-19 concerns…

AP report…”The first professional victory of Sophia Popov’s career came at a major championship on Sunday when the 304th-ranked German won the Women’s Open at Royal Troon.”

“Popov recovered from a bogey on the first hole by making five birdies for a 3-under 68 in the final round, leaving her 7 under par overall and two strokes clear of Jasmine Suwannapura of Thailand (67).”

“Wiping tears from her eyes, Popov tapped in a bogey putt at the last to complete one of the most unlikely wins in the tournament’s history”

Full piece.

2. From LGPA card loser, Lyme Disease sufferer to Women’s Open winner

Some context for Popov’s surprise win from Golf Digest’s Keely Levins…”A battle with Lyme disease that went undiagnosed for three years and resulted in a 25-pound weight loss, and a game that wasn’t up to the standards she knew she was capable of left the 27-year-old German questioning whether she should continue on as a professional golfer. But Popov instead pushed forward into the 2020 season, believing that this is what she was meant to do…”

“In 2019, Popov lost her LPGA card, sending her back to the tour’s Q Series. But that didn’t go well. She missed getting her LPGA card by a shot, landing her on the Symetra Tour. At a time when she wanted to be moving forward with her career, it was a step backward. Then the global pandemic hit, and the shortened Symetra and LPGA schedules resulted in the tour carrying over players’ 2020 status into 2021. Popov was suddenly looking at two seasons on Symetra. Unless, that is, something seemingly impossible happened, and she was able to win a major-one of only two ways to get from Symetra to LPGA for 2021.”

Plenty more worth reading in the full piece.

Full piece.

3. DJ: Winner by 11, World No. 1 again

AP report…”Johnson played the final two holes in near darkness after a late storm delay and finished with a birdie for an 8-under 63 and an 11-shot victory over Harris English.”

“It was the 22nd victory of his PGA TOUR career, and he never made it look easier. Johnson won his fifth FedExCup Playoffs event — tied with Rory McIlroy for most — and now leads the FedExCup standings and also returned to No. 1 in the world. He finished at 30-under 254.”

“Staked to a five-shot lead over Harris English going into the final round, Johnson sent a towering 7-iron over the water to a front pin on the par-5 second, the ball settling 8 feet next to the pin for an eagle. Two holes later, his 3-wood was placed perfectly in front of the fourth green for a simple up-and-down for birdie.”

Full piece.

4. TW: Final-round 66…T58 finish

PGATour.com’s Jim McCabe writes…“Today,” said Woods, “was good all the way around.”

“Indeed, the numbers support that, as he hit 10 of 14 fairways, 16 of 18 greens, and while he would have preferred to have taken fewer than 31 putts, he did make 100 feet of them. That was a vast improvement from Friday (68 feet) and Saturday (45 feet) when he scored poorly, rounds of 71 and 73 digging a massive hole that left him a whopping 21 strokes behind Dustin Johnson through three rounds.”

“Not that a round of 66 was going to be called an instant classic, because in this week of deep red numbers, a 5 under effort was ordinary. Indeed, three pairings later, Kevin Na matched the 66, then came a 65 by Troy Merritt and 63 by Robby Shelton.”

“In other words, the 66 wasn’t going to open much room for Woods, who started the day 67th and was still tied for 55th after signing for 6-under 278. More to his concern, he knew he was going to lose ground in the FedExCup standings.”

Full piece.

5. …missing the fans

Nick Pietruszkiewicz for ESPN.com quoting the GOAT…“Obviously the energy is not anywhere near the same,” said Woods, who finished at 6 under for the event, near the bottom among those made the cut. “There isn’t the same amount of anxiety and pressure and people yelling at you and trying to grab your shirt, a hat off you. This is a very different world we live in.

“You hit good shots and you get on nice little runs, we don’t have the same energy … the same fan energy. It is different. Normally you may have like a Thursday or Friday morning round when there’s no one out here. By the time you get around the turn, people start coming around. But it’s been like that from the word go. And yeah, it is very different.”

“In fact, with the absence of fans, Woods revealed he likely has lost a bit of an edge that he held over much of the field. The usual swarm of people on every tee, fairway and green when he’s on the course doesn’t currently exist. Long have playing partners — those alongside him and those playing in front or behind him — had to deal with the commotion that comes with thousands of people following his every move.”

Full piece.

6. Romain!

AP report…Romain Langasque captured his first European Tour title after shooting a bogey-free, 6-under 65 to win the Wales Open on Sunday.

“It tied the lowest round of the week at Celtic Manor and saw him finish on 8 under par overall and two strokes ahead of Sami Valimaki of Finland, who shot 69.”

“Sebastian Soderberg, who started the day tied for the lead with Connor Syme, went to the par-5 18th needing a birdie to take Langasque to a playoff.”

Full piece.

7. Lynch: PGA Tour Champions needs Phil

Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch…”His presence in Missouri will boost the profile of a circuit that, for all of the fine players peddling their wares out there, thrives most when legends come along. Legends aren’t real plentiful, of course, especially among the generation now graduating to the Champions Tour that had their résumés impoverished by Tiger Woods. Mickelson says he’ll play only a few senior events each year, a listless embrace similar to that of Greg Norman and Nick Faldo, but better than Johnny Miller’s no-show.”

“The PGA Tour Champions needs more, because the next superstar in its queue doesn’t turn 50 until December of 2025, and a man with young kids, a healthy portfolio and an unhealthy body isn’t a good bet to be pegging it against a 68-year-old Bernhard Langer every week.”

“It also deserves more. Sure, it may be littered with guys who couldn’t get your pulse racing if they were clapping you with a defibrillator, but the Champions Tour still brings big-time golf to small-town America and permits Cinderella stories worth rooting for. Exhibit ‘A’: Scott Parel.”

Full piece.

8. Curtis Luck: KFT winner

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…“When Curtis Luck stepped on the first tee Sunday afternoon at Ohio State University’s Scarlet Course in Columbus, Ohio, he and playing competitor Cameron Young, just a shot off of Luck’s lead entering the day, shared a common aim: Let’s put on a good show.”

“…If Luck’s even-par 71 lacked the type of fireworks accustomed on the Korn Ferry Tour, it made up for it in grit. Luck’s clutch up-and-down par on the 72nd hole earned the 24-year-old Australian his first victory as a professional, a one-shot triumph over Young (71), Theo Humphrey (67) and Taylor Montgomery (68) at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship.”

Full piece.

9. Today in freak injuries on the PGA Tour…

“Nick Pietruszkiewicz at ESPN.com…PGA Tour rookie Scottie Scheffler’s wild week took another turn Sunday in the final round of The Northern Trust, when his caddie, Scott McGuinness, went down in the ninth fairway with a leg injury and had to be carted off the golf course.”

“Eric Ledbetter, one of the assistant golf professionals at TPC Boston, was soon handed the caddie bib and took over on the bag on a day when temperatures hovered in the high 80s. Ledbetter, wearing pants while the rest of the caddies had on shorts, grabbed a bottle of water and headed off to join Scheffler on the 10th tee.”

“Scheffler said he thinks McGuinness will be OK.”

Full piece.

9b. DJ’s winning WITB

Driver: TaylorMade SIM (10.5 @10 degrees)

Shaft: Fujikura Speeder 661 X

Fairway woods: TaylorMade SIM Max (15 degrees, 21 degrees)

Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X, Fujikura Ventus Black 105 proto

Irons: TaylorMade P730 DJ Proto (3-PW)

Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: TaylorMade MG2 (52-09, 60-10 @ 62 degrees)

Shafts: KBS Tour Custom Black 120 S

Putter: TaylorMade Spider Limited Itsy Bitsy

Grip: SuperStroke Traxion Pistol GT 1.0

Ball: TaylorMade TP5X

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

News

Most birdies without breaking par – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

9 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

10 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.