News

5 Things we Learned: Saturday at The PGA Championship

Published

4 weeks ago

May 16, 2026

There is precedence for an Alex Smalley triumph on Sunday at Aronimink. The Shaun Micheels, the Fuzzy Zoellers, the Lou Grahams, the Ben Curtis of the world all won major championships in the most unlikely, unheralded of fashions. The way that Alex Smalley disproved my third point (see below) was the stuff of unexpected brilliance. If someone repeats what Smalley did, on Sunday, he will most likely find himself liftening heavy Wannamaker Trophy with a notoriously-loose top. If Smalley gets the job done, I’ll serve myself a hearty portion of crow in this column on Sunday evening.

Until we know the denouement of the 2026 PGA Championship, an unbridled success in every aspect of its execution, we can subsist on the five things that we learned this day, in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. Join us at the table, please.

First, what makes a proper course and tournament?
At his Friday press conference, Rory McIlroy said something along the lines of a major championship course should give the chance to establish a big lead, and that is why he did not view this week. Layout through that Lenz. Rory better count his lucky stars, because after being out of it on Thursday, he sits just three strokes off the lead after three rounds. If there’s one thing we love about the Ulsterman, he speaks his mind. He isn’t always correct and he isn’t always accurate, but he is sincere. Don’t fret, Rory. There’s magic yet to come. Just ask Hideki.

Second, the drivable par four hole

Other than the masters, which does not have a drivable par four and does not seek to establish one, every major championship should genuflect at the altar of Mike Davis, the USGA man who brought the idea back to U.S. Open championships. We see them now at the Open championship and the PGA as well, and they are wonderful changes of pace. They provide excitement, supply drama, and toast with effervescence. With luck, we will see number 13 play forward again on Sunday.

Third, the northern Green Mile

Quail Hollow has a northern cousin when it comes to the difficult, fabled, green mile of closing holes. The final stretch at this week‘s venue have sorted any opportunity to establish that big lead that Rory McIlroy mentioned in point number one. Despite number 15 as a Power, five being about as long as number 16 as a Power, four, very few golfers play the closing stretch in subpar figures. If someone near the lead does so on Sunday, he might be setting the menu for next year‘s champions dinner.

Fourth, Ben Kern, the one in twenty

Let’s take a minute to recognize Ben Kern, the 5% man. 20 PGA professionals qualified into this week‘s tournament, but Coene was the only one to survive the 36 whole cut. Among his brother, Kern is one of the best. He routinely finishes near the top of the PGA professional championship, and was runner-up this year. Take a quick peek at all of the great touring professionals that did not make the cut this week, and then understand what a feet it was for Kern to shoot three underpar on Friday to slip inside the cut line. On Saturday, Kern returned to the ranks of the mortals with a 77, but he’ll tee it up again on Sunday, and complete all 72 holes of one of the four major chmpionships.

And your winner-to-be is…
It’s time to make a selection for the winner of this year’s PGA championship. One of my favorite writers was a golf Weak guy named Ron Balicki. They used to call him wrong Ron, because he never failed to pick the wrong person to win a tournament. I miss Ron, and in his honor, I’m going to keep my true selection to myself. I don’t wish to jinx the lad. I’m going to go with a different golfer, one that we all know, and one that will give us two legs up on this year‘s grand slam. Shinae Koch just got a lot more difficult for Rory McIlroy, because he wins a PGA championship tomorrow, for his third wanna make a trophy.

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.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 OccuNet Classic

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

With the PGA Tour across the border in Canada this week, GolfWRX Tour Photographer Greg Moore stayed stateside and headed to the OccuNet Classic presented by Amarillo National Bank in Amarillo, Texas.

It’s always interesting to see what the guys are playing on the KFT, and this week certainly hasn’t disappointed so far, with some incredible wedge stamping on display.

Check out links to all our albums below.

General Albums

2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT) – Monday #1

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

Luke Potter’s custom Cameron putter – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)

News

From the GolfWRX Classifieds: Scotty Cameron GOLO 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

Will Schube

At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @HuskerFlyer is sharing a Scotty Cameron GOLO with a BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition shaft. While the putter is certainly enviable, the Augusta-inspired shaft is equally noteworthy.

From the listing:

Scotty Cameron Golo 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition Scotty Headcover 34″ $375

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules.