News

Long Time Running: The PGA Tour Arrives In L.A.

Published

15 years ago

Feb 16, 2011

By Scott MacLeod, via Flagstick Golf Magazine (www.flagstick.com)

When “Lighthouse” Harry Cooper beat out George Von Elm by three strokes for the first place prize of $3,500 at the first L.A. Open in 1926, few could have likely imagined that the event would be still being played 85 years into the future.

But that is definitely the case as the fourth oldest event on the PGA Tour, now the Northern Trust Open, kicks off this week at the Rivera Country Club in Pacific Palisades. Only this time, the winner will earn a substantially higher reward for his success, to the tune of $1.17 million.

Famed Riviera has been the permanent host of the tournament since 1973 and that has become an integral reason why so many top tour players look to the play the event. The George C. Thomas, Jr. / William Bell P. Bell design is much beloved as it is fair, puts emphasis on accuracy and old school shot-making. Add in a mix of old Hollywood styling and the legacy of Ben Hogan victories at the course and you have a pretty intoxicating event.

Defending this week is Steve Stricker, who rode a hot putter to a sixteen under par total. He will be trying to be the third back-to-back winner in the last ten years, following the standard set by Mike Weir in 2003/2004 and Phil Mickelson in 2007/2008. Six players have accomplished the feat in the full history of the tournament.

Stricker is still a strong contender for many reasons. Ahead of last year’s victory he took second place in 2009 and so far this year he has two top ten finishes and has not recorded a round over par. His consecutive cut streak, at 25 events, is the current standard on the Tour.

Other veteran players of note in the field include Jim Furyk, making his 15^th appearance at the event, Phil Mickelson, and two-time winner of the 2011 Tour, Mark Wilson.

Leading the charge for the younger set will be Dustin Johnson, Jhonnatan Vegas, Rickie Fowler, Ryo Ishikawa and 2010 British Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen.

It is the first PGA Tour start of the year for Oosthuizen and just his third start ever in a non-major or World Golf Championship event. He missed the cut at the 2008 Shell Houston open and finished tied for 64^th at the 2009 Arnold Palmer Invitational.

PGA Tour rookie Joseph Bramlett received the Northern Trust Open Exemption. The exemption was started in 2009 to promote diversity in the game of golf. Bramlett has just made one cut so far this season in three events played. He finished in a tie for 68^th at the Sony Open in Hawaii.

Fast Facts

Dates: February 14-20, 2011

Where: Riviera Country Club; Pacific Palisades, CA

Par/Yards: 35-36—71/7,325

Field: 144

FedExCup points: 500

Format: 72-hole stroke play

Purse: $6,500,000; Winner’s Share: $1,170,000

2010 Champion: Steve Stricker, 268 (-16)

www.northerntrustopen.com

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

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.

GolfWRX may earn a commission for purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you.

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.