Connect with us

News

Morning 9: Furyk’s Ryder Cup role | USWO special exemption | Spieth WD

Published

on

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans, as we head towards the AT&T Byron Nelson.

1. Furyk Ryder Cup vice captain

Reuters report…”United States Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson, looking for leadership and experience, named Jim Furyk as one of his vice captains on Monday for this year’s event in Italy.”

  • “Furyk boasts a wealth of Ryder Cup experience having played in the biennial competition between the United States and Europe in nine consecutive editions from 1997 while serving as captain in 2018 and vice captain in 2016 and 2021.”
  • “Jim and I have been friends for more than 20 years. He’s an amazing leader, mentor and someone I trust,” said Johnson.
Full piece.

2. Wyndham Clark

Golf Digest’s Shane Ryan…”Clark’s journey in golf to date has been one of significant struggles. In 2013, shortly after starting his college golf career at Oklahoma State, his mother, Lisa, died at age 55 from breast cancer. It sent Wyndham into a spiral that led him to transfer to the University of Oregon and coach Casey Martin, but not before he contemplated quitting the game entirely.”

  • “There’s many times when I stormed off the golf course in qualifying or in tournaments and just drove as fast as I could, I didn’t know where I was going,” Clark said. “Just the pressure of golf and then not having my mom there and someone that I could call was really tough for me. And then professionally I’ve had multiple moments like that where you just, you miss multiple cuts in a row or you feel like your game is good and you’re not getting much out of it and you just contemplate doing it.”
  • Clark healed as a person and recovered his game at Oregon, but despite making the PGA Tour in 2018, he struggled to win and often failed to deliver under pressure. His closest call came at the Bermuda Championship in 2020, when he lost to Brian Gay in a playoff, and in the past three years his raw talent has repeatedly come up against a variable mental game.
Full piece.

3. More on the same theme

Via Cameron Morfit at PGATour.com…”So began a journey in which he went all-in on the mental side, which meant not only seeing a sports psychologist but diving into books like “The Obstacle is the Way” by Ryan Holiday and “The Energy Bus” by Jon Gordon. You could say it’s worked nicely.”

  • “After a nervous start in which Clark yanked his opening drive into the gallery, bogeyed the first hole and failed to birdie the par-5 seventh, Schauffele caught him and even took a one-stroke lead. Undeterred, Clark went 5 under in a 10-hole stretch to take a five-shot lead into 18.”
  • “The old him? He would have gotten emotional and found a way to beat himself.”
  • “I felt like today when I didn’t have the best start early on, I just told myself to relax, I have a lot more holes,” said Clark, whose first PGA TOUR win came in his 134th start and paid $3.6 million. “You can’t win the tournament after the first few holes on a Sunday – little things where in the past I would have gotten fast and quick and already my mind’s going forward.”
Full piece.

4. So Yeon Ryu gets USWO special exemption

Julia Pine for the USGA…”So Yeon Ryu, the 2011 champion from the Republic of Korea, has accepted a special exemption from the USGA into the field of the 78th U.S. Women’s Open Championship, to be contested July 6-9 at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links. Ryu, whose maiden major victory came in the U.S. Women’s Open at The Broadmoor (East Course) in Colorado Springs, Colo., will be making her 14th consecutive start in the championship.”

  • “I am excited and honored to accept this special exemption into the U.S. Women’s Open,” said Ryu. “This championship means so much to me, and to be able to compete in it again, and to do so at a place as special as Pebble Beach, is thrilling, and I am so grateful to the USGA for this opportunity. I look forward to teeing it up there in July.”
  • “Ryu’s U.S. Women’s Open victory came in a three-hole aggregate playoff victory over countrywoman Hee Kyung Seo that she won by three strokes (10-13) with two birdies and a par. It was her second start in the championship.”
Full piece.

5. Breakup via lawyer?

AP report…”A $30-million legal battle between Tiger Woods and his ex-girlfriend has escalated, with Erica Herman accusing the golf superstar of beginning their sexual relationship when she was his employee and threatening to fire her if she didn’t sign a nondisclosure agreement she now wants voided.”

  • “Herman, in court documents filed late Friday, also accused Woods of having his lawyer break up with her at an airport in October after falsely telling her they were going on a weekend trip. The lawyer then evicted her from Woods’ $54 million mansion north of Palm Beach.”
  • “The documents were filed in advance of a scheduled Tuesday hearing where Woods’ attorneys are expected to ask Circuit Judge Elizabeth Metzger to halt Herman’s lawsuit against their billionaire client. They say the former couple’s nondisclosure agreement requires all disputes be settled privately by an arbitrator, not in court.”
Full piece.

6. “Welcome to the major club”

A quote from Collin Morikawa in a Golfweek PGA Championship preview piece…“I would not place myself in the same category quite yet. Winning one major is a hard target in itself, but having won two and hopefully, many more to come, remains a challenge. It is only a small category of people and that you are able to compare to, and to be able to talk within the same category. I remember two weeks after winning my first major, Tiger came up to me and said ‘Welcome to the Major Club,’ and I got chills just from hearing that.

  • “Then winning another major, the Open Championship in 2021, it places you in another club, and being part of this shared history, and the names that you will be associated with for the rest of your life is so special. It cannot be taken away from you as you earned that trophy through hard work. It is really hard to describe.”
Full piece.

7. Welcome to penalty hell

Our Jason Daniels…”DP World Tour player Julien Brun had a day to forget at the third round of the Italian Open last weekend.

  • “The TCU alumnus has had a solid start to his 2023 campaign, with just seven starts showing a yield of a top-5, seventh place, 12th and two top-25 finishes. He was probably expecting to add to those and improve his top-20 ranking on the season-long Race To Dubai Rankings, especially after an opening two days left him on 1-under and in 25th place.”
  • “The card will show a 12-over 83, with six bogeys and four doubles being the worst of his career, but it doesn’t tell the full tale.”
  • “Due to conditions, the DPWT had permitted lift, clean and place for the first two rounds, but sent out a memo saying these allowances had been removed for the third round. Only Brun and his caddy missed it.”
  • “On his very first hole, he received a penalty stroke for breaking the amended ruling, but then repeated his error again on the 6th. Down and out on the Marco Simone course – this year’s Ryder Cup venue – he compounded his errors with lost balls on numbers 11, 12 and 14 to add seven more shots onto his card. The shot-tracker available on the DPWT site makes ugly reading.”
Full piece.

8. WITB Time Machine: Bowdo at the 2015 AT&T Byron Nelson

Driver: TaylorMade AeroBurner TP (9 degrees)

Shaft: Fujikura Pro 63 Tour Spec X

3-wood: TaylorMade JetSpeed (15 degrees)

Shaft: Fujikura Motore Speeder 8.2 TS X

Hybrid: Adams Pro Mini (18 degrees)

Shaft: Fujikura Motore Speeder 9.8

Irons: Mizuno MP-4 (4-PW)

Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Cleveland 588 Precision Forged (50, 54, 60)

Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro WV 125 (50), Project X 7.0 (54, 60)

Putter: Bettinardi Queen B Model 6 prototype

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Full piece.

9. Spieth out of Byron Nelson

Patricia Duffy for Golf Channel…”Jordan Spieth withdrew from this week’s AT&T Byron Nelson on Monday, citing a left wrist injury that has him “week-to-week.”

  • “Over the weekend, I had severe pain in my left wrist and had doctors confirm an injury that requires rest and limited movement,” Spieth said in a statement he shared on Twitter.”
  • “The AT&T Byron Nelson means the absolute world to me and I’m disappointed to miss it this week. Playing in front of family & friends in Dallas is one of the highlights of my year, and the tournament staff and volunteers are second to none. I look forward to being back next year and many years after.”
  • “I’m focused on healing as quickly as possible and will have to evaluate my recovery week to week. Sincere thanks to the medical professionals who have supported me over the weekend.”
Full Piece.

Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. G

    May 9, 2023 at 9:41 am

    Eldrick’s kids will be in therapy for the rest of their lives after figuring out that their idiot father could never keep it in his pants, nor their grandad.
    Hopefully they disown him and take his money and run

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

Most birdies without breaking par – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

on

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.”

Continue Reading

News

Best current stock shaft 2026 – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

on

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.”

Continue Reading

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

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