News

Five things we learned on Day 2 of the 2017 Masters

Published

9 years ago

Apr 7, 2017

Funny how golf is. The world No. 1 withdraws from the 81st playing of the Masters with a freak injury, and the tournament shapes up to be the best in a good while after 36 holes. Top golfers are in the mix, new faces stake a claim, and even a pair of amateurs stick around for the weekend. We learned five more things on Friday and we’d love to share them with you.

Bounce-back Friday followed Throwback Thursday

After the emotional farewell to Arnold Palmer on Thursday, Friday etched itself in memory as the day of the bounceback. Thomas Pieters bounced back from his dreadful back nine in Round 1 with a stellar 67 to share the halfway lead with three others. Jon Rahm doubled the 10th, then followed it with the first birdie of the day on the difficult 11th. And even Sergio Garcia, he of the eternal heartbreak, came back after making a silly 6 on the par-five 13th with birdies at Nos. 15 and 17 to join Pieters, Rickie Fowler and first-round leader Charley Hoffman atop the field at 4-under par.

Watch @TheSergioGarcia's second round in under three minutes. #themasters pic.twitter.com/1zkXVJqwzK

— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 7, 2017

Get used to the term “Ageless Wonder” at Augusta National

With no disrespect to Tom Watson’s run at the Open Championship in 2009 at Turnberry when he was 59 year old, Augusta National is where old dreams die hard. In 2016, Bernhard Langer made at run at his third Green Jacket at the age of 58. This year, the resurgent Fred Couples, on the 25th anniversary of his Masters victory, finds himself at 1-under, again in the mix. Will he win? Who knows and who cares! He’s Freddie, he’s ageless and the legacy of Bobby Jones continues to celebrate the wily veteran, despite all efforts to toughen the course each year.

Watch Fred Couples almost hole out from 171 yards on No. 18. #themasters pic.twitter.com/E0HCs6lWPj

— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 7, 2017

Adding to their wardrobe

Couples is the only Masters champion currently in the top-9, but on his heels circles a venue of vultures waiting for the proper moment to prey. Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth and Phil Mickelson are at even par, Charl Schwartzel at 2-over and … wait, that’s it? Looks like 2017 might be a year for another first-time winner. Augusta rarely recognizes three consecutive rookie winners. It happened from 2007-2009, but since then, your Lefty’s and your Bubba’s stopped back for seconds and thirds.

Watch @BrandenGrace hole out from 95 yards for the first eagle on No. 15. #themasters pic.twitter.com/97RrRzmWwB

— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 7, 2017

How ’bout them amateurs?

Five began play on Thursday and 40 percent are still around. The U.S. Amateur champion (and Asia-Pacific boss) Curtis Luck sneaked in at 6-over, right on the cut line. Luck bogeyed Nos. 16 and 18 on Day 2, but had enough in the tank to limp across the semi-finish line. Joining him is the curse-breaker, the first USGA Mid-Amateur champion to survive the 36-hole challenge along Rae’s Creek. Stewart Hagestad made it his business to learn the nuances of the National; he even quit his job to focus on amateur golf, which led him here. Hagestad toured the 36 holes in 3-over, closing with a stylish birdie on No. 18 to open a three-stroke advantage in the race for the low amateur medal.

Masters 2017: Curtis Luck | 15th Hole, Round 2 pic.twitter.com/MDGOsKRzWU

— Masters Highlights (@MastersMoments) April 7, 2017

Who won’t stick around?

Heartbreaker award to Billy Hurley III, who teed off on No. 18 at 5-over, one stroke inside the cut line, and holed out at 7-over; a double-bogey at the last to miss by one. Joining him on the couch is defending champion Danny Willett, who opened Round 2 with a Jordan-esque quadruple bogey and never really recovered. He, too, missed by one.

Top story: El #Golf es Humano @MastersMoments: ‘Masters 2017: Danny Willett | 1… pic.twitter.com/n75tGN3tkO, see more https://t.co/eIyKe8MPzM

— El golf es humano (@ElGolfesHumano) April 7, 2017

European Ryder Cuppers Rafael Cabrera-Bello and Henrik Stenson have also packed their bags, as neither was able to find comfort over the sloping, speedy greens. Three U.S. Ryder Cuppers (Zach Johnson, Patrick Reed and assistant captain Bubba Watson) will also watch the weekend’s events from behind the ropes.

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.