News

The Good The Bad The Ugly

A quick summary of some of the good, bad and unfortunately ugly from the past year in golf.

Published

18 years ago

Dec 23, 2007

Unlike so many other parts of life and the sporting world there are a lot of "Good" to reflect on from the golfing year past.

Along with a lot of time to reflect on them particularly at this festive season; have you been inside a mall lately? Lots of lines, above average displays of animosity (which always surprises me during what is supposed to be a festive time of year) and a whole lot of trying not to get run over by a stampede of lemming like creatures attempting to exchange money for items certain to bring as much pleasure into the recipients life as hemorrhoids on a 15 hour car trip. I digress.

Just some of the "Good":

Steve Stricker returns to the winners circle for the first time since 2001. Good stuff for a good guy. Don’t let the dubious Comeback Player of the Year award for the second year in a row get in the way of what he accomplished this year.

Lorena Ochoa: should be golfer of the year for the entire world. Absolutely amazing what she has done with her game, for the game, and as a representative of her country. Keep some distance from her, a star this bright is likely to cause damaged eyes. Every time I see her play, the warnings about not looking directly at an eclipse of the sun play in my head using that "announcer guy voice" from the old newsreels.

The LPGA: nothing but upside here. If the Commissioner can figure out how to market the product. There is so much talent here you could fill a room with players capable of being know by one name only, and I don’t mean "Hey Lady".

Woody Austin: Who knew this guy could play this well more than once in a row? The most remarkable feat was not the "aquaman" routine, but closing with three birdies after attempting to catch dinner with his face. From June on I kept hearing Adam Sandler’s voice saying "Woody learned how to putt. UH-OH".

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson: Head to head at the top of the leaderboard, AFTER the majors no less. It gets no better ever. Hopefully we get to see more in the coming year.

I could go on and on but you get the idea, lots of "Good" to remember.

The Bad:

The poster boy for bad, Mr. Daly. Of the 25 events he entered the results show 10 missed cuts and 6 WD. Poor poor pitiful John. He keeps getting opportunities to play based on his ability to draw paying customers. But he plays badly and then behaves worse than he played by withdrawing. Bad play can be forgiven, it’s a hard game after all. Bad behavior is inexcusible always. The combination of the two will result in those opportunities to play becoming less and less frequent until Mr. Daly finds his bus up on blocks as broken as his life.

MIchelle Wie: No good has come from 2007, except her admission to Stanford. Professionally this year has been a complete train wreck. How bad you ask? Let’s just say the joker who decided it would be a good idea to bundle subprime mortgages and sell them as investments had a better year, and he hasn’t been seen in months. What effect this kind of year will have on the teenagers psyche remains to be seen. Hopefully her parental units will have taken some lessons from the year as well. Time alone will tell.

The USGA: Walter Driver told the professional staff at golf house that things were going great and how much he appreciated them for all the hard work they did for the organization. Then he chopped their benefits and reshuffled more power into the executive committee. As an attorney Mr. Driver ran an international firm of more than 800 lawyers so you would believe he might have been more direct with the folks at Golf House.

Carolyn Bivens: As commissioner of the LPGA she’s made a series of awful decisions resulting in resignations, disputes with the media ( and herself an ex-media services provider executive), and non existant marketing. Oh my bad, she did have the LPGA logo redesigned. I hear it’s increased ticket sales by 4 patrons per event. Given a product with so many things going for it she accomplished nothing of note this year except to stay out of the headlines. Here’s hoping she provides some direction this year or seeks employment elsewhere.

The Ugly

Rory Sabbatini: Shades of 2005 and the boorish behavior exhibited by both Mr. and Ms. Sabbatini returned when Mr. Sabbatini vanished from the final round of the Target World Challenge amid a swirl of conflicting statements. Host Tiger Woods woke to find Mr. Sabbitini had pulled a Robert Irsay and vanished in the dead of night. (For those too young to remember, Mr. Irsay, owner of the then Baltimore Colts NFL franchise, packed up lock, stock and barrel in the dead of night and plopped his team down in Indianapolis where they reside to this day) Ugly behavior by any standards. Hey Mr. S, what kind of weenie just up and leaves without a word to the host? Perhaps the logo on your wife’s shirt refers not to speed of play but the status of your spine. Maybe I’ll send her a new one with the logo "GROW ONE".

News

Most birdies without breaking par – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

6 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

7 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.