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GolfWRX Morning 9: Kuchar’s working vacation | Golf’s costliest equipment switches | Golf’s most hyped

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By Ben Alberstadt ([email protected])

November 9, 2018

Good Friday morning, golf fans.
1. Heckuva working vacation
Golf’s quintessential dad brings the family to Mexico with good results so far…
  • AP Report…”Matt Kuchar decided at the last minute to play the Mayakoba Golf Classic and made it look like a smart move Thursday….Kuchar missed only two fairways at El Camaleon Golf Club and kept bogeys off his card for a 7-under 64 that gave him a share of the lead with Dominic Bozzelli and PGA Tour rookie Kramer Hickok.”
  • “Kuchar has gone more than four years since his last PGA Tour victory. His 64 was his lowest opening round on tour since a 64 in the 2017 Phoenix Open.”
  • “It’s a bit of a working vacation,” said Kuchar, who brought his family to the resort. “I had a good time at the office, as well.”
2. Meanwhile, in Phoenix…
AP Report…”Paul Goydos and Tim Petrovic shot 8-under 63 on Thursday to share the lead in the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, leaving points leader Bernhard Langer seven strokes back in the PGA Tour Champions’ season finale.”
  • “In sunny, 80-degree conditions at Phoenix Country Club, Langer parred the final nine holes for a 70. The 61-year-old German star opened with a chip-in eagle on the par-5 first, but had two front-nine bogeys.”
  • “Goydos also eagled the first and closed with a birdie on the par-5 18th. He won the 2016 event at Desert Mountain.”
3. And at Gary’s event…
The latest from South Africa…”Sergio Garcia saw his lead cut to three-shots midway through a low-scoring second day of the Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player.”
  • “A remarkable 64 on day one of the seventh Rolex Series event of the season handed the Spaniard a four-shot lead overnight and he turned in 33 in round two to get to 11 under.”
  • “England’s Ross Fisher was putting together a brilliant round and he picked up seven shots in 12 holes to emerge as the nearest challenger at Gary Player Country Club, two shots ahead of countryman Matt Wallace, local favourite Louis Oosthuizen and China’s Li Haotong” (EuropeanTour.com)
4. …and at the Blue Bay
LPGA.com report…”Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn shot a 3-under 68 in Thursday’s second round and holds the 36-hole lead at the 2018 Blue Bay LPGA. After consecutive bogeys at holes 5 and 6, Jutanugarn reeled off three straight birdies at holes 7-9, and twice nailed back-to-back birdies on her inward nine, including a 15-footer from off the green to close out her round at No. 18.”
  • “I feel great,” said Jutanugarn. “I felt like I made lots of birdies because this course so tough. That’s why I feel like I make a lot of birdies.”
  • “At 7-under 137, Jutanugarn, who already has three wins this season, holds a three-stroke advantage over a trio of players at 3-under 141 – her older sister Moriya Jutanugarn, AmericanJennifer Song and Mexico’s Gaby Lopez. First-round leader Thidapa Suwannapura shot a 3-over 75 on Thursday and is tied for sixth going into the third round.”
5. The costliest equipment switches
Superb stuff from Jaime Diaz, here (on the eve of Justin Rose’s presumptive switch to Honma).
A taste…”Payne Stewart had won the PGA and U.S. Open when he left Wilson to sign a $7 million dollar deal with Spalding in 1994. Forced to use game-improvement perimeter weighted irons for the first time — as well as as the two-piece Top Flite ball — Stewart lost much of his distance control and ability to shape shots. He went from sixth on the money list in 1993 to 123rd in 1994. In 1995, Spalding allowed him to switch to a forged blade, and played better. But when he won the 1999 U.S. Open, Stewart didn’t have a club contract and was playing a mixed bag that included Mizuno MP-14 irons.”
6. Schedule switcharoo already working?
On the subject of switches, Rex Hoggard offers this perspective on the already apparent beneficial effects of the PGA Tour’s schedule shakeup.
  • “Although the major changes to the Tour schedule are still months away – with the first piece of the overhaul coming in the form of The Players Championship’s return to March – Monahan can already point to the earliest ripples of change.”
  • “You can see it on Thursday’s tee sheet at the Mayakoba Golf Classic, with the likes of Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler at an event that just a few years ago was very much an afterthought for the Tour’s best and brightest.”
  • “Real change doesn’t come to the fall portion of the Tour’s wraparound schedule until next year, when the lineup is expected to expand from eight events to as many as 11. But big changes in 2019 have prompted many, including Fowler and Spieth, to start exploring new options.”
  • “You are seeing right now at the first part of the season more top players playing and trying to get themselves in position as we flip the switch and get into the new year,” Monahan told GolfChannel.com. “It’s important not to be too far behind and to be in a solid position for the FedExCup.”
7. The Prince of Hype
Shane Ryan dusted off his hype-meter to determine who the hypiest of them all is (deciding between Cameron Champ and Bryson DeChambeau).
A taste…”To answer this important question, I’ve designed a hype-meter that pits the two against each other in various critical hype categories. Like DeChambeau, it’s scientific. Like Champ, it’s powerful. And like golf itself, the wearer of the princely crown shall be decided by the greatest format of all: match play.”
“Category 1: The Name…Bryson DeChambeau is an excellent name. It’s complicated, exotic and extravagant. It sounds a little like a masked medieval knight who wins a joust and then kills the evil king using chivalry. Translated from French, the surname means “of the fields,” which is apt for golf. It is, in most ways, good. But “Cam Champ”? Sorry Bryson, “Cam Champ” is iconic. It has echoes to short, legendary names like Babe Ruth and Tiger Woods, it works great in its longer form (Cameron Champ), and, well … it has the word “champ” in it. With its simple elegance, it makes “DeChambeau” look a little gaudy, like the name equivalent of Kramerdressing like a pimp….Score: CHAMP leads, 1 up”
8. Sybi steps in
PGATour.com’s Cameron Morfit…”Damon Green, caddie for Zach Johnson, went down with illness after 14 holes and could not continue in the first round of the Mayakoba Golf Classic.”
  • “Sybi Kuchar, wife of Johnson’s playing partner Matt (7-under 64), took the bag for the last four, during which Johnson made an eagle and went 2-under to salvage an even-par 71.”
  • “He hadn’t been feeling well the last few days,” Johnson said of Green. “I’m assuming he was dehydrated, but I don’t know. Matt saw Damon struggling, and I did, too. He didn’t look right. PGA TOUR staff brought him in. I’d like to say it was the first time, but it’s happened like four times at Maui, NORTHERN TRUST at Bethpage, and a couple other places.”
  • Green later confirmed he was suffering from dehydration and received an IV.
How about ZJ kicking the man while he’s down!
9. Ryder’s joggers
Love ’em or hate ’em? Sam Ryder donned a pair of slim black joggers for the final round of the Safeway Open (in which he shot 62).
  • Greg Monteforte with a little background on the jogger maker, Greyson…”Founded in 2015 by Charlie Schaefer, Greyson has quickly gained popularity with TOUR players thanks to Schaefer’s creative and thoughtful designs. First worn on TOUR by Morgan Hoffmann, the brand has attracted Luke Donald, Kelly Kraft, Fabian Gomez, and rookie Kramer Hickok to its wolfpack

Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. ogo

    Nov 9, 2018 at 11:02 pm

    Pro equipment changes reveals the difference between pro swing and the swing of 99.95% of the rest of golfers worldwide. If gearheads were able to ‘feel’ the pro swing they wouldn’t recognize what is happening. True muscleback blades are real golf clubs… not the rubbish being marketed nowadays.

  2. Bob

    Nov 9, 2018 at 10:19 am

    Just go all the way and put these cucks in yoga pants.

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Most birdies without breaking par – GolfWRXers discuss

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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!”

Entire Thread: “Most Birdies Without Breaking Par.”

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Best current stock shaft 2026 – GolfWRXers discuss

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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.”

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

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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.

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