News

Open Championship Round 1 Recap

Conditions were very mild during the first round and scoring was low. Sergio Garcia putted incredibly on his way to a first round Carnoustie record and Tiger Woods is only four shots back.

Published

19 years ago

Jul 20, 2007

K Vakamudi

The old adage of, "you can’t win a major championship in the first round but you certainly can lose it" seems to be a universal truth. How did it play out at Carnoustie in the first round of the Open Championship?

Although the players were greeted with cool temperatures and light rain, the major factor – Scottish wind was for the most part absent and several players were able to take advantage and produce some impressive low scores. In fact, in the seven Open Championships hosted at Carnoustie, never has the first round scoring been so low. The previous first round scoring record of 68 set by Peter Oosterhaus in 1978 was shatter today by Sergio Garcia’s 66 and several other players including Paul McGinley and Michael Campbell also recorded low scores.

The biggest story of the first round was without a doubt, the revitalized Sergio Garcia who had his best putting round in many years paired with another of his fantastic ball striking performance on his way to a score of 65. Garcia switched to a belly putter for the first time and from the fist hole on, he exuded confidence as he putted marvelously throughout his round. In the past, Garcia’s biggest hurdle has been his performance with the putter, which seemed hesitant and nervous, especially compared to his fearless, smooth full swing. However, the belly putter appears to have cured Garcia’s putting woes. He seemed to release the putter smoothly and controlled his speed on the greens far better, especially on long putts. "With the short putter it seems to be very highs and lows. So I wanted to be a bit more of a flat line. I wanted to be a bit more consistent. It still feels like I can make a lot of putts with the belly," said Garcia.

Just three shots behind Garcia, 18 year old amateur Rory McIlroy shot an impressive bogey free 68 in his first major championship ever. Hailing from Ireland, McIlroy is no stranger to competitive golf. He left school at 16 and has been playing amateur golf full time, including competing in professional events and plans to turn pro this fall after competing in the Ryder Cup. McIlroy said, "I think because I pretty much grew up on playing links golf, it is probably a bit of an advantage. In the winter I play Royal County Down and played Portrush, and I think that stands me in good stead."

However, the leader board is a crowded place, Angel Cabrera, the most recent U.S. Open champion, and ‘05 U.S. Open Champion Michael Campbell are both tied with McIlroy at 68, and Irishman Paul McGinley is just two shots off the lead. Tiger Woods’s bid for a third consecutive Claret Jug began promisingly. Woods is four shots behind. The highlight of his round today was a text book eagle at the par 5 6th hole which consisted of driver, seven iron, and a putt for eagle. Woods made the turn at 33, but struggled a bit on the back nine, coming in with a score of 36.

With a tightly packed leader board and the looming presence of Scotland weather none of the players are likely to be resting comfortably tonight. At the drop of a hat, forty mile an hour winds and icy temperatures could easily turn the leader board upside down.

News

GolfWRX’s Father’s Day Gift Guide (2026)

Published

1 day 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.