News

Deliberate Success – Crane Wins

Published

16 years ago

Feb 1, 2010

Methodical he may be, but in the big scheme of things it is hard to identify much fault in Ben Crane, whether you’re talking about his character or his ability to play golf. The 33-year-old Oregon native and all-around nice guy was completely focused Sunday as he won the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego.

Just how occupied was he with the task at hand? So much so that when he rolled in the final 3-foot putt to finish at 13 under par and win, he had no idea that the trophy was his for the taking. He had begun play on Sunday two shots back of the lead and did not seem to realize that his final-round score of 70 had been enough to earn him his third PGA Tour victory – his first in five years.

Ryuji Imada, the leader to start the day, faltered early in the final round and Crane quickly gained ground with the skill he is best known for, putting. The pursuer got off to a fast start on Sunday with a short birdie on the second hole followed by a 46 foot birdie bomb on the third. His 3rd birdie of the day, a 22 foot putt on the fifth hole, propelled him to a two-stroke lead that he would hold for the balance of the front nine.

The field came nipping on Crane’s heels early in the back nine but yet another lengthy birdie, this time one from 48 feet on the 11th hole, put his lead margin back to two strokes. That would drop to one after the 17th hole when he stumbled in missing a 3-foot par putt, creating a compelling situation on the final hole of the Torrey Pines South course.

There, on the dramatic par five closer, Crane drove the ball into the rough – effectively eliminating any chance of reaching the green in two to set up an easy birdie. At the same time Australian Michael Sim drove to the short grass and just 245 yards to the hole, creating a great scoring opportunity. Too much surprise he chose not to go for the green in two, ultimately leaving him with just a par and sharing second place with Marc Leishman and Brandt Snedeker. “…for me that is really stretching a three wood so I decided to lay up to a nice yardage,” said Sim when questioned why he did not go for the green on the 18th. “It would have been nice to have a putt at it for birdie to get to 13, but it wasn’t the case.”

Phil Mickelson, who will defend this week at the Northern Trust Open and was mired in a debate over his use of a non-confirming yet legal Ping wedge, got off to a terrible start at Torrey Pines and could not recover from a flurry of early round bogeys. “What we were talking about, my rhythm and timing were off,” Mickelson explained about his erratic final round play that dropped him to 19th place. “I wasn’t able to accelerate through the ball very well and hanging back a little bit. At least I know what it is that I need to work on and I have a couple days to do it”

Although Crane rejoiced at the thought of winning $954,000 and earning an invite to the 2010 Masters it seemed that the success had a higher meaning – that it was validation for all the effort he had put into developing a plan for success on the PGA Tour over the last few months. “…it’s certainly really cool to know that I’m going the right direction,” he stated with a genuine smile in the press room. “But in the past when I’ve played well, I think I’ve rested on it, and I think I have a better plan in place this year. It’s a nice by-product. But really the goal was to sit down with my team this November and talk about the plan that we put in place and reevaluate.

Crane referred to himself as sticking to “The Process” when interviewed immediately following the win and he explained more about it when prompted.

“Yeah, I sat down with my team. I have eight guys that kind of help me, a few therapists and then a mental coach, a guy named Lanny Bassham, Greg Rose my fitness guy, caddie. Anyway, we all sat down in a room and my manager, and we all just said, all right, what are the things we need to improve on, and what are the things we think we’re doing well. We pulled up every stat for the last nine years. It was kind of fun, and my manager ran this whole meeting, and basically what we came up with was a few things that I need to do.

One of the things is I need to play ready golf. I’ve been too slow in the past, and it’s bothered me. So I’m just — that’s one of the things I’m working on is being ready when it’s my turn to play. Anyway, so we just came up with a few things that I need to do in order to improve. And so we determined when we left that meeting, we all knew what I was doing so that when I finish a round, we talk differently about the round. We don’t talk directly about results, we talk about the process I went through before, during and after every shot and how that went. And to judge myself based on that as opposed to just the outcome. “

Crane will have another chance to test “The Process” this week when he plays in the Northern Trust Open at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California.

After more than few bungles by Crane’s chasers this week, something tells me a few of his fellow competitors might be spending their preparation time this week investigating a “Process” of their own.

—

This report provided to GolfWRX.com by Flagstick Golf Magazine (www.flagstick.com)

News

Most birdies without breaking par – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

4 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

4 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.