News
A disastrous morning leaves U.S. Ryder Cup team down 8-4
The United States team needed a strong morning showing in fourballs on Saturday, trailing 5-3 after Friday at the 2018 Ryder Cup. It didn’t happen. On the contrary, the U.S. team dug itself a deeper hole, falling to a 8-4 deficit.
Here’s how the matches went…
Sergio/Rory vs. Finau/Koepka

Sergio Garcia, who was a questionable captain’s pick coming into the event, has proven to still be a worthy Ryder Cup competitor picking up 2 points in the two matches he’s played in. The U.S. team, down 4 holes with 5 to play, was mounting a comeback winning three straight holes, but Sergio rolled in the dagger on 17.
Sergio hits a CLUTCH putt to win the match over Koepka/Finau. ????#RyderCup #TeamEurope pic.twitter.com/0bJk1w32d2
— PGA of America (@PGA) September 29, 2018
Although inconsistent throughout the match, Rory poured in four birdies of his own following a birdie-less Friday fourballs performance. In all, the Sergio/Rory pairing was 7-under through 17 holes of play.
Casey/Hatton vs. DJ/Rickie

DJ and Rickie were both essentially in their pocket on the first hole after Rickie hit his drive in the water and hit a terrible approach shot, and DJ hit his second shot in the water. A bounce-back birdie by Rickie on the second hole moved the match to all-square, but that was about the highlight for them in this match. Casey made 5 birdies in the first six holes, and the Casey-Hatton duo was 9-under as a team through 16 holes… that’s simply tough to beat.
Fleetwood/Molinari vs. Woods/Reed

Furyk decided to go back to the Reed-Tiger well on Saturday after the pairing lost their fourballs match to the same opponents yesterday. It did not go well. An uninspired Tiger and a flailing Reed both struggled to hit fairways, and thus, greens. Reed hit his tee ball in multiple hazards off the tee, hit one O.B. on 7, and he didn’t hit his first green in regulation until the 8th hole. This about sums it up:
I’m sure I’m missing something, but I just don’t recall anyone EVER playing as poorly as Patrick Reed just did in that Ryder Cup match with Tiger Woods. It was unspeakably awful.
— Jay Coffin (@JayCoffinGC) September 29, 2018
And this haymaker…
Captain America must have no passport! No sights of him in Paris! #rydercup @RyderCupEurope @EuropeanTour
— Edoardo Molinari (@DodoMolinari) September 29, 2018
Tiger didn’t play much better, low-lighted by a head-scratching approach shot on 13 with a wedge in his hand that found the water in a crucial moment of the match. Reed made a clutch 10-foot birdie putt to halve the 9th hole, and Tiger won two holes with birdies, but the match was awfully lopsided toward the Europeans, who played the 15 holes in 6-under.
Here was the one highlight from Tiger:
???? pic.twitter.com/RgMg3Fg7MI
— GolfWRX (@GolfWRX) September 29, 2018
Poulter/Rahm vs. Spieth/JT

This was the match of the morning by far. JT/Spieth jumped to an early 1 up lead ala Spieth’s long birdie putt on hole No. 2, but Rahm/Poulter moved to 1 up through 7. The U.S. then won 3 of the next 5 holes, but lost the 13th hole to a Rahm birdie.
Poulter, who expectedly holed a number of crucial putts, was chest-pounding all over the course.
It’s not a true European blow out until Ian Poulter is chest pounding all over the green pic.twitter.com/pjLTgey9bB
— GolfWRX (@GolfWRX) September 29, 2018
JT wasn’t holding back his own emotional celebrations in the closing holes. While Spieth mostly carried the team early with his flatstick, JT caught fire down the stretch holing a number of big putts, and birdie-ing 4 of the last 6 holes in the match. Here was the winning putt/reaction.
JT with the walk-off birdie to defeat Team Europe! ????????#RyderCup #GoUSA pic.twitter.com/kK2gPXycxv
— PGA of America (@PGA) September 29, 2018
So the United States team heads into the afternoon alternate shot matches down 8-4. Here are the pairings (with a highly questionable lack of adjustment by Captain Furyk following the Friday afternoon sweep, using mostly the same pairings aside from giving Tiger the nod to play with Bryson instead of Phil).

See what GolfWRX Members are saying about the Ryder Cup here.
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Most birdies without breaking par – GolfWRXers discuss
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!”
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Best current stock shaft 2026 – GolfWRXers discuss
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.”
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GolfWRX’s Father’s Day Gift Guide (2026)
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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Gary Valenti
Sep 29, 2018 at 6:36 pm
Something is not quite right with the US team. Everyone looks bored. They look like they don’t even care. When an entire team is acting this way, one must look at the leadership. I like Jim Furyk and have always rooted for him but something is awry.
Scheiss
Sep 29, 2018 at 6:58 pm
Well, they don’t. They really don’t give a S.
That interview with Eldrick tells the whole story. They don’t want to be playing there at all, at that course, in those cold and windy conditions, in front of that crowd. They’re on a French holiday, acting like royalty at Versailles. It was a trip for the WAGS, not for the players. Lets make America lose again