News

Morning 9: Whataberger! | Is the Spieth half empty or half full? | Winning WITB

Published

5 years ago

Feb 15, 2021

GolfWRX Staff

By Ben Alberstadt

For comments—or if you’re looking for a fourth—email me at [email protected].

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February 15, 2021

Good Monday morning, golf fans.

1. Whataberger

The AP’s game story king, Doug Ferguson…”Daniel Berger got into the mix quickly with an eagle and finished it off with one even better, holing a 30-foot putt on the par-5 18th for a 7-under 65 and a two-shot victory Sunday in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.”

“Berger won for the second time since the PGA Tour returned to golf from the COVID-19 pandemic, starting with a playoff victory at Colonial last June.”

…”Spieth birdied the last two holes for a 70 to tie for third with Patrick Cantlay (68).”

“Maverick McNealy…made five birdies over his last eight holes for a 66 and was tied for the lead after his eagle putt on the 18th stopped inches away.”

Full piece.

2. Spieth’s B game nearly gets it done

That’s the glass-half-full reading of Jordan Spieth’s failure to hoist a trophy at Pebble Beach after sleeping on the 54-hole lead, at least…

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”What would Jordan Spieth have said that Friday night after missing the cut at Torrey Pines if someone would’ve told him that he’d follow with two straight weeks as the 54-hole leader?”

“I would have said you’re crazy, to be honest,” Spieth said. “I was not in a great head space.”

“I’m legitimately going around with maybe my B-game, and I know that stepping on the first tee,” Spieth said. “And being in the lead by two, you can look at it both ways. It’s pretty awesome that I feel that I’m still significantly far off of where I want to be and am able to be leading the tournament through 54. But at the same time, it’s very difficult to go out knowing that you don’t have your best stuff and to go out there with my own expectation that I’m going to win today.”

Full piece.

3. Lynch: Appreciating Spieth

Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch…”Even in the effervescence of his youth, Spieth’s appeal lay in his imperfections: his antsiness over the ball, his shocking waywardness off the tee, his astonishing ability to get the ball in the hole when prettier swings couldn’t, his fascinating transparency in voicing aloud the internal agonies and ecstasies of elite competitive golf that made viewers feel like they were eavesdropping on a therapy session. Spieth is proof that vanilla can be both popular and flavorful, a blond-haired, blue-eyed Texan who married his high school sweetheart, who never puts a foot wrong in public, who treats people (and the rulebook) with respect, who can’t even cuss with gusto when he has to reload.”

“The novelist James Lane Allen wrote that adversity does not build character but rather reveals it. The last few years have revealed a great deal about Spieth’s character in how he responded when the seemingly ever-upward trajectory of his career—three majors, 11 PGA Tour wins, a FedEx Cup—stalled and then spiraled. Whatever whining there was remained behind closed doors, or between him and his caddie. With every crushing disappointment, he stoically fielded questions and avoided blame games. He just put his head down and continued to plow the lonely furrow that is the life of a professional golfer.”

Full piece.

4. Mav’s perspective

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”And though he ended up making birdie and finishing two shots back of winner Daniel Berger, the 25-year-old Stanford grad proved yet again that he is mature beyond his years.”

“I’ve always been a guy that has to earn my own confidence,” said McNealy, who is projected to climb to No. 126 in the world rankings after his best career finish on Tour. “I can’t stand there and just tell myself I’m good at something or I’m doing something right. I have to earn it with myself too. I feel like I earned a lot of confidence this week.”

Full piece.

5. Why this year’s turnout a Pebble Beach is even worse than your thought

Larry Bohannon of the Desert Sun makes the point…”The AT&T and the American Express are the last events on the PGA Tour to have amateurs playing side by side with the professionals in rounds of golf that count for the tournament title. One theory on why the American Express field was stronger last month than in recent years was that the pro-am wasn’t played and pros felt more comfortable playing without the amateurs. Pebble Beach’s pro-am that is played over three courses often has led to six-hour rounds of golf, but with no amateurs playing this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, you might have expected a stronger field. It didn’t happen for the tournament. If the ams return next year, there’s no reason to think the field will get stronger.”

Full piece.

6. A love letter to golf

Chris Garrett, special to USA Today Network..”Like all types of love, this love can deliver the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Often minutes apart. And usually played out in front of an audience of strangers or, even worse, close friends.”

“So rewarding one minute, so humbling the next.”

“Yet, good or bad, strangely, it’s best when shared.”

“Each encounter very different than the previous one, filled with new sights and sounds, challenges and obstacles (literally), hard truths and wonderful exaggerations.”

Full piece.

7. ICYMI: Kang, Dahmen were paired together

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”“My friends told me I should push you off a cliff,” Kang reportedly joked on the opening tee box.”

“Bonnalie added: “Joel laughed. It was all good.”

“It was a far cry from three Julys ago when Dahmen and Kang argued for nearly a half-hour after Kang hooked his second shot into a hazard during the final round at TPC Potomac and then took a drop some 170 yards closer to the hole than where Dahmen believed the ball last crossed into the hazard.”

“Kang cheated,” Dahmen later tweeted. “He took a bad drop from a hazard. I argued until I was blue. I lost.”

Full piece.

8. The story of Nickent Golf

Good one here from our Ryan Barath looking back at the rise and fall of a company that seemed poised to break into the tour equipment space…”The keys to any club’s performance starts with a great design ( shocking right?), and Nickent had a little secret weapon up its sleeve—John Hoeflich. I realize this name is unknown to many people, but John is an industry veteran and was the person behind the second most famous iron of all time: the Tommy Armour 845 (with number one being the Ping Eye2). John was also the designer behind another extremely popular iron, the TaylorMade RAC LT.”

“John was brought aboard by Michael Lee, the founder, and owner of Nickent. The smaller team allowed them to be nimble in the market and also kept the cost low, which was passed down to the consumer. They had a small tour presence which helped to create buzz; Jim Furyk was among the early adopters, but beyond that, it was print media and word of mouth through retail channels that helped Nickent quickly grow.“

Full piece.

9. Daniel Berger’s winning WITB

Driver: TaylorMade SIM (9 degrees)

Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X

3-wood: TaylorMade M6 (15 degrees)

Shaft: UST Mamiya Elements Chrome 8F5

Irons: Callaway Apex Forged ’16 (3), TaylorMade TP MC ’11 (4-PW)

Shafts: Project X 6.5

Wedges: Callaway Mack Daddy Forged (50-10, 56-10), Callaway Mack Daddy 4 (60-12C)

Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour (Chalk)

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Wrap

Full piece.

News

Most birdies without breaking par – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

2 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

2 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.