News

Tour Mash: Spieth wins by 8, makes history

Published

10 years ago

Jan 11, 2016

Professional golf is back! And Jordan Spieth wasted no time getting right back into the winner’s circle at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, recording the seventh PGA Tour win of his career — joining Tiger Woods and Horton Smith as the only golfers to win seven times before their 23rd birthday. He just won’t stop making history, will he?

It appears that Spieth’s historic year of 2015 was no fluke, and he’s proving to be the real deal. That’s good news for the PGA Tour and golf fans aching for an heir to Tigerdom… and terrible news for the competition. He absolutely blitzed the field at the TOC in Hawaii, the first event of 2016. His 30-under-par total of 262 was one stroke shy of Ernie Els’ tournament record, and eight strokes clear of runner-up Patrick Reed.

Spieth demonstrated that intangible, unteachable ability to drive a stake through his pursuers’ hearts at the precise moment they believe they have a chance. On Saturday, the 2015 Masters and U.S. Open champion drilled a three-iron approach to six feet on eighteen (nearly making double-eagle) and dropped the putt for eagle to restore a five-stroke lead. On Sunday, after his bogey on eight offered a bit of light to the chasers, Spieth played the final ten holes in five-under par. This is quite reminiscent of the dawn of the Tiger era, so Rory, Jason, Rickie, Dustin and the others will need to step up in 2016, or they risk getting left in Spieth’s proverbial dust.

Brandon Stone wins his Open Championship

It’s official. 22 year old @BrandonMStone is the 2016 #BMWSAOpen champion. ???????????? https://t.co/IkkrbXvYbU

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) January 10, 2016

Ask Mike Weir how hard it is to win your country’s Open championship. He has a Masters jacket, but no Canadian Open hardware. Somewhere along the front nine on Sunday, Brandon Stone realized what he was doing at the Glendower golf club and caught a case of dry throat. The one-year-and-done, former University of Texas golfer coughed up six bogeys over a seven-hole stretch to tumble out of the lead at the BMW South Africa Open, a co-sponsored event among the European and Sunshine Tours.

Stone didn’t make many pars on Sunday: five, to be precise. His other seven holes were birdies, and his 1-under score in round four of the weather-beaten event earned him a two-stroke win for a second Sunshine and first European Tour victory. His countryman, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, came close to a second victory at Glendower, where he won on the 2015 Big Easy Tour, South Africa’s developmental circuit. His fourth-round 67 overtook five other golfers and moved him into the runner-up spot.

Bezuidenhout fortunate to compete

A second-place finish for Christiaan Bezuidenhout will have both monetary and points value, but the young South African probably considers just being there to be the most valuable asset. In 2014, Bezuidenhout was his country’s top-ranked amateur and had worked to overcome a severe stutter. Problem was, the prescribed beta blockers he took to manage the stutter were in violation of professional sport’s anti-doping policies. Bezuidenhout was suspended for two years, then had the sentence reduced to nine months. He returned to competitive golf in 2015, won twice on his country’s junior circuit, and here he is.

One of the greats passes

Christy O’Connor Jr. never won a major championship. Truth be told, he wasn’t even a junior, as his uncle was Christy O’Connor. What he was, in simple terms, was a decent human being who engaged and enchanted those he met. He suffered the unimaginable pain of losing a son at a young age, yet he bore that suffering with grace. American golf fans remember him for the 2-iron dagger he drove into the hopes of a young Fred Couples on the hole No. 18 of the Belfry, a magical shot that sealed a victory and a Ryder Cup win for the European side in 1989. With his passing at the age of 67, a link to the days of wooden-head clubs and honest smiles is lost to the mists of time.

News

Best current stock shaft 2026 – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

27 mins 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.

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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.