News

Morning 9: Masters ratings | DJ’s master plan | The unique pain of die-hard Rory fans

Published

6 years ago

Nov 18, 2020

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt

Email me at [email protected]; and find me on Twitter and Instagram.

November 18, 2020

Good Wednesday morning, golf fans.

1. Masters ratings are in

Michael McCarthy for Front Office Sports…”With golf’s greatest tournament competing head-to-head with NFL programming for the first time, the 2020 Masters plunged to new lows in TV ratings and audiences.”

“CBS Sports’ telecast of Sunday’s final round averaged a 3.4 TV rating and 5.59 million viewers, according to Sports Media Watch. That was down 51% in ratings and 48% in viewership from Tiger Woods’ epic victory in 2019.”

“Dustin Johnson’s first Masters win generated the lowest-rated Masters Sunday since the pre-Arnold Palmer days of 1957, and the least-watched final round since that number started being tracked in 1995.”

“CBS’ Sunday Masters coverage was still the highest-rated and most-watched golf event of the year thus far, beating the 3.3 rating and 5.15 million average viewers for the final round of the 2020 PGA Championship won by Collin Morikawa in August.”

Full piece.

2. The pain of being a diehard Rory fan

Shane Ryan on the unique varietal of misery…”the fact that the whole show played out again—filling us with hope after we nearly gave up in the wake of that ugly opening round 75—was half sad, half infuriating, half wearying. Yes, that’s three halves. With Rory, we need them all. At least when Jordan Spieth fades, he has the courtesy to really fade, so you can reasonably set your expectations. Not Rory. Since his torrid 2014 stretch that made many of us think he was on the path to being on the game’s ultra-goats, has simultaneously remained one of golf’s absolute best players while missing that extra ephemeral something that makes a major champion.”

“That’s the problem, of course. Not that he never had it, and not even that he had it and lost it. It’s that he had it, and only kinda lost it.”

“When you combine his former glory with his personality—the following words have been written so much that they’re practically a cliche, but Rory is very intelligent and introspective by golf standards—it makes this shadow phase of his career, in which he is neither superlative nor merely good, tough to bear. To vanish for a period of years, as Spieth has, or as Martin Kaymer or countless others have done, is understandable. Golf is a hard game, and a psychological game, and even its great players are prone to disappearances and burnouts. But to seemingly lose about 7% of what made you great, and for that 7% to starkly redefine your professional experience for six years and counting, has to be the sharpest form of frustration. It is for his fans, at least—clearly, we still hold a torch. But for every late charge, for every “Rory comin’!” .gif, there’s always that errant shot to scuttle the fantasy, always that Thursday 75 to make the gap just a little too large.”

Full piece.

3. DJ’s plan

Golf Channel’s Mercer Baggs…“And while sitting in his green jacket, in which he does look pretty good, while talking about his victory for at least the fourth occasion – giving him time to process any of those pesky emotions – Johnson was pretty practical about his plan for the future.”

“He’s got Johnny Miller career numbers now. If he maintains his drive and his health, it could be a Tom Watson-type career (39 Tour wins, seven majors).”

“I feel like I’m not going to dial anything back. I feel really good about everything that I’m doing. I feel really confident in the golf game,” Johnson said. “I want to – my goal is to play for about, I don’t know, keeps getting shorter, but eight, nine, maybe 10 years, and then hang out with my kids and [fiancé] Paulina [Gretzky].”

“So until then, I’m going to work my butt off to be as good as I can.”

Full piece.

4. How Dustin got it done

Dallas Webster of V1 Sports ran the breakdown on DJ’s Masters win…”long drives are useless if they don’t also translate to greens in regulation. Johnson took full advantage of his driving performance by hitting more greens than anyone else in the field. Johnson hit 60 out of 72 greens in regulation, four more than his closest competitor. This adds up to more birdie putts than everyone else in the field, but Johnson was not just hitting greens. He was hitting it close. He also led the field in proximity to the hole. V1 Game can also measure proximity to the hole, highlighting just how solid the performance was. From 175-200 yards, Johnson averaged just 29 feet from the hole.”

“Johnson was long off the tee and accurate into the green, yet he still had to make putts and that’s an advantage he has never really taken during his career so far. Augusta’s putting surfaces are undulating and typically lightening fast. Bringing even the best putters in the world to their knees. Johnson has always been a streaky putter but his performance at Augusta was sensational. For the week, he had just a single three putt. He made all of his putts of six feet or less. He gained strokes putting for all distances less than 15 feet.”

Full piece.

5. The final word on Tiger’s Masters (and unfortunately that word is “pogostick”)

Daniel Rapaport at Golf Digest…”Woods still has the game to win majors. By that I mean: He can still hit all the shots. Watch him on the range, or in a practice round (when it’s warm out). He’ll even throw in little spurts like the one on Sunday, when he played Augusta’s last six holes in five under for the first time ever. The raw materials are there.”

“But having the raw materials isn’t enough. So much needs to go right for Woods to win these days. The course needs to be right. He needs to be on the right side of the draw. He needs to have four good body days in a row, which is far from a guarantee. And he simply cannot afford to have a disruption like the thunderstorm that delayed play on Thursday morning. With the shortage of daylight in mid-November, that three-hour delay meant Woods was going to have to play more than 18 holes on Saturday. The way it worked out timing-wise was awful: He had roughly an hour break between the last eight holes of his second round and the first hole of his third round—too much time to keep the foot on the gas, not enough time to do a full reset and restart the multi-hour process he needs to warm his body up.”

“Woods emerged from the clubhouse looking stiff as an old rusty pogostick, and that was that.”

Full piece.

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6. No. 1 Am in the world teeing it up at RSM

Davis Thompson will put a peg in the ground at Sea Island…Golfweek’s Julie Williams with a bit of background…”Thompson played the RSM Classic, the Tour stop at Sea Island Resort near his home in St. Simons Island, Georgia, in 2019. He finished 23rd that week. Traditionally, the winner of the prestigious Jones Cup gets the nod this week, but Thompson played the 2019 RSM despite finishing runner-up to Akshay Bhatia in a weather-shortened event that ended in a playoff. Since Bhatia had turned professional by the time the opportunity rolled around, the tournament committee reached out to Thompson, offering him an opportunity to play in the event as an amateur.”

“This year’s exemption came off a runaway, nine-shot victory at the 2020 Jones Cup. Things could not feel more familiar around this place, which Thompson said he has played 50 to 100 times.”

Full Piece

7. Cabot to build B.C. resort

Bob Weeks for TSN…“Cabot, the golf resort operator best known for its Links and Cliffs courses in Cape Breton, N.S., is set to announce a new Canadian course and resort in Revelstoke, B.C. The new facility, named Cabot Revelstoke, will be set in the Monashee and Selkirk Mountain ranges, known as a hotbed for skiing, especially heli-skiing. It will include world-class golf, resort hospitality and luxury real estate.”

Full Piece

8. (Way too) early look at 2021 Masters odds

This arrived in my inbox and, well, if you’re looking to lock in your 2021 Masters futures as early…c/o the oddsmakers at BetUS.com.pa…

Dustin Johnson +600
Rory McIlroy +850
Bryson DeChambeau +850
Justin Thomas +900
Jon Rahm +900
Brooks Koepka +1300
Xander Schauffele +1500
Patrick Reed +2300
Patrick Cantlay +2300
Collin Morikawa +2800
Hideki Matsuyama +2800
Tony Finau +2900
Bubba Watson +2900
Tyrrell Hatton +2900
Webb Simpson +3000
Matthew Wolff +3500
Jason Day +3500
Daniel Berger +3500
Tiger Woods +4000

Place your bets!

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

9 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.