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Buick Invitational Belongs to Watney

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Nick Watney started the day 5 shots behind leader John Rollins, he ended the day with a three foot birdie putt and the trophy.  Mr. Rollins began the day with a 3 shot lead over Camilo Villegas.  He proceeded to bogey the first two holes and saw his lead reduced to a single shot by the 6th hole.  Mr. Villegas had a 10 foot birdie putt to tie for the lead which he just missed.  While he lined up the short par putt the television cameras showed viewers a ground level picture and commentator David Faherty remarked about his improved putting promptly drawing the attention of the golf gremlins who leapt onto the toe of his putter causing it to lag behind and push the putt right of the hole.  Mr. Rollin’s lead was back to two shots.  A hole later it was four shots.  Five more holes and the lead was a single shot again.

Between Mr. Feherty, Gary McCord, and Peter Oosterhaus they also tried to jinx Mr. Watney by drawing attention to his not three putting all week as he stood over a 10 footer for a par.  I was thinking, these guys should know better than to do that the superstitious dolts. 

Then came the 13th and Mr. Rollins calmly rolled in a 20 foot eagle putt to restore his three shot lead.  By the 16th hole the lead was gone.  Holy Roller Coaster Batman.  What a ride. 

 

 

At the 17th hole Mr. Villegas missed the fairway left, not recommended when trailing by one with two holes to play.  His 8 iron shot flew the green and led to a bogey leaving him 2 shots behind heading into the par 5 18th.  His second into 18 cleared the water in front of the green by the smallest of margins and came to rest short and right of the pin.  With the putt for eagle he still had a chance to tie for the lead.  As happened a surprising number of times all day, his putt looked into the hole and stayed out, leaving a tap in for birdie and a round of 72 tied for third with Lucas Glover. 

I can’t remember a round where a player missed so many putts by such small margins. The remarkable thing to me was Mr. Villegas’s attitude stayed upbeat and assured.  It reminded me of what happens when you realize how good you are and accept that golf is not a fair game.  As long as you keep hitting quality putts you’ ll end up making your share.  I see many high finishes in the future for this talented young man.

Mr. Glover started the day seven shots back of the lead and was one behind after the 16th hole.  A bogey on the 17th finished him off. 

In the 18th fairway Mr Watney and Mr. Rollins were only several yards apart.  Mr. Watney’s hybrid from 235 yards found the back of the green 60 some feet from the hole.  Mr. Rollins also hit a hybrid, but pulled it left and into the sand from which his could only get to 12 feet for his birdie try. 

“It’s unfortunate that I came in with a three-shot lead and couldn’t get the victory,” Rollins said. “But as I said yesterday, if somebody came out and played a great round of golf and came out on top, then my hat’s off to him. And that’s exactly what Nick did.”  Classy stuff on a tough tough day. 

Entertaining golf.  I found one of the commercials run by Buick featuring one of their VP’s to be interesting.  She stated that Buick was one of GM’s core products and that they intended to be around for another 100 years.  Brave talk on that front from a company which has been hemorrhaging cash for a while now.  She stated they were committed to sponsoring tour events which, given the political climate may be hard to justify.  After all,  when every big public expenditure is scrutinized by the media this may be an advertising platform that the automobile industry will find hard to stand up and defend with any gusto.   Which leaves some tough questions for the Tour itself in terms of possible sponsor replacement.  Time will tell. 

A note on the broadcast, I loved the exchange between Mr. McCord and Mr. Feherty about the latter’s bicycle riding.  Mr. McCord asked if Mr. Feherty had gotten up and gone riding at 4:30am in the rain.  Mr. Feherty pled guilty and offered he rode 30 miles.  When asked which direction his answer was "forward". 

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Camilo

    Feb 14, 2009 at 3:39 pm

    Mr. Schuster:
    Great article but your unsincere addressing (Mr.) is very distracting. Many have pointed this to you before. I hope you listen to your intended audience.

    Sincerely,
    Mr. Villegas fan

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Most birdies without breaking par – GolfWRXers discuss

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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.”

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Best current stock shaft 2026 – GolfWRXers discuss

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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.”

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

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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.

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