News

Winners and Losers at The Open

Published

18 years ago

Jul 22, 2008

Now that everyone has had a chance to wind down after one of the most memorable final days of any Major, Bag Chatter takes a look at the winners and losers at The Open. Those who will look back fondly on 4 days of demanding golf and those who were washed, blown or scoured away.

The Winners

Padraig Harrington
Obviously, the winner of any major championship is going to walk away a happy man but for one of golf’s genuinely nice guys, the transition from major-winner to multiple-major-winner seemed like the most natural thing in the world. Also possessor of the shot of the championship with that 5 wood on the 17th to wrap up the event and make the 18th nothing more than an easy stroll.

Greg Norman
The Great White Shark showed that he still has the teeth for the game. At 53 years old and not even playing on a regular basis, he bottled lightning and for 3 and a half days electrified the field. That he couldn’t complete with the younger men down the home straight can not be held against him.

Ian Poulter
Coming second to Harrington means that he can no longer be seen as being ‘more mouth than trousers’ – tough to believe given the type of trousers normally worn by the Englishman – and helped silence those critics who took his "it’s only me and Tiger" comments the wrong way.

Anthony Kim
Two PGA titles this year heralded the emergence of a real talent but the way he played a tough Links course in true Links weather showed that this kid has a complete game. A little more polish on a true gem.

Chris Wood
The winner of the Silver medal. Royal Birkdale has a habit of producing amateurs that go on to become multiple winners on Tour. The pain that he would have earned almost £170,000 (about $340,000) had he been a professional will be lessened by the sure knowledge that when he does, that amount will be a drop in the ocean compared to his likely earnings on Tour.

Royal Birkdale
A real links course played in real links weather, even with the contentious 17th green. Here was an example of a course that was in perfect harmony with the elements and remained playable despite heavy rain and howling winds, showing that a course does not have to be hugely long or have glassy fast greens to be a true test for the world’s best. It demanded the full variety of shot-making skills and if you didn’t have them in the bag, you should have stayed at home.

The Losers

KJ Choi
Mister Consistency the first 3 days, Mister Inconsistency on the last day. Starting the last day only 2 off the lead, this US PGA stalwart had a nightmare start with 6 bogeys in the first 8 holes. A quadruple-bogey 8 at the last summed up the disappointment.

Phil Mickelson
While he never seems to do himself justice at The Open, this was a chance for this multiple major winner to take advantage of Tiger Woods’ absence but an opening 79 meant that he was never in the mix.

Sergio Garcia
The pre-event favourite for many. He was in handily placed at the start of the last round but his Sunday play let him down yet again as he limped in 51st place. Will this hugely talented Spaniard ever shake of the most unwanted tag in golf – ‘most talented never to win a major’?

Justin Rose
Where he sparkled as an amateur in 1998, Rose was a damp squib as a second round 82 halted any chance of a similar magical performance. Finished 66 places further down the field than when he played here as an amateur and came in 4th.

John Daley
Missed the cut at tied last. Many had hoped for much more from a previous winner of this event but the demons seem to be back in full force.

News

GolfWRX’s Father’s Day Gift Guide (2026)

Published

1 day 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.

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.