News

Morning 9: Captain Weir | Homa’s LIV trolling | Norman-Tiger: History of the feud

Published

4 years ago

Dec 1, 2022

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco and Matthew Vincenzi.

For comments: [email protected]. On Twitter: @benalberstadt

December 1, 2022

Good Thursday morning, golf fans, as day one of the Hero gets underway at Albany and December is upon us.

1. Captain Weir, officially

Golfweek’s Adam Schupak…“To no surprise, Canadian Mike Weir was officially named captain of the International Team on Tuesday for the 2024 Presidents Cup, which will return to Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, for the first time since 2007.”

“Presidents Cup has become such a big part of my career, so to be here in this moment announced as captain of the 2024 International Team is surreal,” said Weir.”

Full piece.

2. Homa’s LIV troll

Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…“Homa was asked Wednesday at the Hero World Challenge if he was offended by the lack of rumors that have linked him to LIV Golf.”

“Yeah, yeah, huge insult,” he joked. “No, I guess it would have been cool to be a part of that so I could live the life of, you know, it felt like a reality TV series for a bit.”

“Homa went on to explain that, as a joke, he tried to have his name linked to LIV Golf, which has wooed some of the game’s top players away from the PGA Tour with guaranteed contracts and a limited schedule, by tinkering with his Twitter profile.”

“Brooks [Koepka] changed his bio and everyone figured out he was going [to LIV],” Homa laughed. “I was like, oh, I’m going to get in on this and see if people catch on, but didn’t realize that my Twitter bio doesn’t get a ton of traction.

Full piece.

3. New LIV location details

Mark Schlabach for ESPN…”The LIV Golf League will play tournaments in Australia, Mexico, Singapore and Spain as part of its 14-event schedule in 2023.”

“LIV Golf announced Wednesday that it will stage events at Mayakoba’s El Camaleon Golf Course (Feb. 24-26), Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore (April 28-30) and Real Club Valderrama in Spain (June 30-July 2). LIV Golf had previously announced it would play at The Grange Golf Club in Australia (April 21-23).”

“LIV Golf is also expected to return to The Centurion Club outside London, which was the site of its inaugural event in June.”

Full piece.

4. History of Norman-Woods

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”In many senses, a friendship of sorts had formed between the two players, who are 21 years apart. But whatever bond there was, it was broken by the latter half of 1996.”

“That September, Woods listed Norman’s Shark Shootout on the remainder of his playing schedule, but tournament reps quickly responded, saying that Woods had yet to be invited. When a formal invitation did come, Woods declined it, opting instead to compete the following week in the Australian Open, which Norman also played.”

“Woods shot 79 to open that first start Down Under and ended up tied for fifth. Norman then told reporters, “We play very difficult courses here. He got a shock when he shot 79. Perhaps he will appreciate why Australians play so well when they leave home.”

“Two years later, at the 1998 Presidents Cup, Woods requested to play Norman in singles.”

Full piece.

5. How is Tiger playing?

Our Jason Daniels…”Although likely to appear in the remaining two events on his 2022 schedule, it’s of massive interest to discover how Tiger was playing before the breaking news of his latest injury?”

In an interview with Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis, the five-time Masters champion revealed the answer to be ‘pretty well, thank you!’

“I was playing at home quite a bit, playing 18 holes shooting 65s and 64s, and walked one nine holes and shot 5-under, I was playing well,”

However, as many have feared, the pressure and toil of a four-day competition might be too much:

“But it’s the added load, the back-to-back days, in a tournament situation of four days in a row. My planner just didn’t like it. The only thing I can do for it is to rest it. Obviously scrape it, ice it, stretch it, it just takes time.”

Full piece.

6. Cam fumes at opening Australian Open round

Damien Ractliffe for the Sydney Morning Herald…“Cameron Smith went straight from his post-round press conference to the practise range after a “pretty shitty” first round at the Australian Open, where he finished with a one-over 71.

Smith described his round at Victoria was “as bad as I’ve played in a long time”, but said he simply needed to get back to work after a whirlwind two weeks which left him under-prepared for the feature event.

“I don’t think it was a mixed bag, I think it was all rubbish to be honest,” Smith said post-round.

“That is as bad as I’ve played in a long time. It was pretty shitty. I think the course was pretty difficult, the conditions were pretty difficult, but I need to be better than that.

“Maybe some delayed tiredness, maybe. I did feel a little bit foggy out there at times, but it’s not really an excuse, it’s my job to do all that stuff.”

Full piece.

7. Rahm on Tiger: He can’t walk any faster

Rex Hoggard for Golf Channel…”Tiger Woods has delicately made his way around Albany this week with a focus on hosting the Hero World Challenge after a bout with plantar fasciitis in his right foot led him to withdraw from the competition. The late WD put the 46-year-old’s season in perspective.

“Following multiple procedures on his right leg as he continues to recover from a 2021 car crash, Woods returned to competition this year with mixed results. He managed to play just three events – the Masters, PGA Championship and Open Championship – with the highwater mark coming in his 47th-place finish at Augusta National.”

“Woods was paired with Jon Rahm during the final round at this year’s Masters, but it wasn’t the 15-time major champion’s play that stood out for the Spaniard.”

“I think the fact that we got put on the clock on [hole No.] 7 and he was somehow trying to speed up, we all looked at the official, like, he can’t walk any faster, let’s be honest. Like he was already doing an amazing job trying to move up and down those hills,” Rahm said Wednesday at the Hero. “We all joked around with the official and then when he turned around, Tiger takes off and I’m looking at my caddie, like, well, this is incredible.”

Full piece.

8. All quiet on the western front

9. Hero World Challenge photos

Check out our photos from Albany.

Full Piece.

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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.