News

Morning 9: USO qualifying galore | WGHOF inductees

Published

7 years ago

Jun 4, 2019

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt ([email protected])

June 4, 2019

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans.

1. U.S. Open qualifiers

First, just the facts of who made it (ma’am), pulling from an excellent piece by Joel Beall at Golf Digest…

Walton Heath Golf Club (England)

Qualifiers: 1: Dean Burmester, Sam Horsfield, Marcus Fraser, Clement Sordet, Matthieu Pavon, Lee Slattery, Marcus Kinhult, Rhys Enoch, Adri Arnaus, Justin Walters, Daniel Hillier (a), Thomas Pieters, Merrick Bremner, Renato Paratore

Century Country Club & Old Oaks Country Club, Purchase, N.Y.

Qualifiers: Cameron Young (a), Matt Parziale (a), Andy Pope, Rob Oppenheim.

Streamsong Resort, Streamsong, Fla.

Qualifiers: Callum Tarren, Luis Gagne (a), Guillermo Pereira

Hawks Ridge Golf Club, Ball Ground, Ga.

Qualifiers: Ollie Schniederjans, Noah Norton, Chandler Eaton, Roberto Castro

Woodmont Country Club, Rockville, Md.

Qualifiers: Billy Hurley III, Joseph Bramlett, Ryan Sullivan

Brookside Golf & Country Club and Scioto Country Club, Columbus, Ohio

Qualifiers: Luke Guthrie, Anirban Lahiri, Sam Saunders, Jhonattan Vegas, Rory Sabbatini, Jason Dufner, Chesson Hadley, Erik Van Rooyen, Luke Donald, Aaron Baddeley, Brandon Wu (a), Ryan Fox, Collin Morikawa, Kyoung-Hoon Lee

Big Canyon Country Club/Newport Beach Country Club, Newport Beach, Calif.

Qualifiers: Chun An Yu (a), Haydn Shieh, Richard Lee, Stewart Hagestad (a), Andreas Halvorsen

Springfield Country Club, Springfield, Ohio.

Qualifiers: Zac Blair, Chip McDaniel, Brian Stuard, Nick Hardy, Brett Drewitt

Wine Valley Golf Club, Walla Walla, Wash.

Qualifiers: Eric Dietrich, Matthew Naumec, Spencer Tibbits (a)

Full piece.

Full leaderboards via the USGA

2. Dufner leads qualifiers…

The AP report on those punching their tickets to Pebble Beach begins with the Duf…

“Jason Dufner is going back to the U.S. Open for the 10th straight year, and this time, he had to play his way in through one of 10 qualifiers across three countries Monday in the longest day in golf.”

“Luke Guthrie took a detour from the Web.com Tour and led the 14 qualifiers out of Columbus, the strongest of all sectionals with so many PGA Tour players who stayed around after the Memorial. He returns to the U.S. Open for the first time in five years.”

“He arrived from the Web event in North Carolina at a little past midnight. He was headed to South Carolina on Tuesday morning to resume his Web schedule. And then he had to find a place to stay for the U.S. Open.”

“I told my wife, ‘It might cost us $1,000 a night.’ But it’s Pebble Beach. Who cares?” Guthrie said.

Full piece.

3. Shackelford’s report from Newport Beach

Shack conveyed plenty in his bit for Golfweek, here’s a morsel on medalist Chun An (Kevin) Yu…

“Medalist Chun An (Kevin) Yu may be the most conventional and even his story is spectacular. The son of a driving range pro in Taiwan, he’s been playing since five and just finished third in the NCAA’s.”

“A junior, Yu has one more year to go at Arizona State but has now been medalist at the U.S. Open’s California qualifying site two years in a row. After rounds 64-67 he heads to a Pebble Beach, a course he enjoyed playing en route to a round of 32 loss in last summer’s U.S. Amateur.”

Full piece.

4. Give Graeme a golden ticket

Speaking of qualifying…

Here’s a take on someone who will be notably absent from The Open Championship, via the Daily Mail’s Derek Lawrenson…

“No invitations. No golden tickets. All the four majors have their different entry criteria and that’s the one that singles out the Open. No special exemptions are handed out to high-profile names who have fallen through the cracks, and I have to admit it is something I’ve always admired.”

“You want to play in the greatest event? You earn your place. Now, I’m beginning to have doubts, and all because of what could unfold at this year’s magical edition at Royal Portrush. Right now, the event will take place without one of the town’s most famous sons, Graeme McDowell.”

“The R&A have confirmed that unless G-Mac meets one of the entry requirements still available, then he will not be standing on the first tee come the first round.”

Full piece.

5. Ratings recap

Geoff Shackelford conveys the details from Sports Business Journal report…

Tiger Woods in contention helped bump up the Memorial ratings 33% over last year, with a 1.7 overnight according to Sports Business Daily.

The U.S. Women’s Open’s overnight from CC of Charleston was a .6, up just a tiny bit over a similar .6 last year and continuing a trend of hovering around record lows since the move to Fox. This, despite being commercial free broadcasts.

Full piece.

6. Lexi to remain in claw’s grip

Thompson took 31 putts in the final round, after recording 32 each of the previous three days. She decided earlier this week, on the advice of her brother Curtis, to experiment with a claw grip on her putting stroke.

Thompson said she intends to stick with it, at least for now.

“Yeah, I think so. I mean, I’m in a five-week stretch right now. So it’s tough to actually grind and work on something, but I’ll work on it for the few practice rounds before New Jersey next week. Yeah, I’m going to stick [with it]. I do really like it. It’s a matter of getting a lot more comfortable with it.”

Full piece.

7. 2019 WGHOF class

…to be enshrined next week…

Our Gianni Magliocco…“Retief Goosen, Billy Payne, Jan Stephenson, Dennis Walters and the late Peggy Kirk Bell will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame on June 10 to kick off the U.S Open championship week.”

“South African, Retief Goosen, who was selected from the male competitor category, twice won the U.S. Open amongst 36 worldwide victories, while Jan Stephenson, who emerged from the female competitor category, won the LPGA Championship, U.S. Women’s Open and du Maurier Classic amongst her 16 LPGA Tour victories.”

“Peggy Kirk Bell is amongst three that will be honored from the lifetime achievement category. Bell, who passed away in 2016, was a major champion, and a leading figurehead of the women’s game.”

“Billy Payne, who was chairman of Augusta National from 2006 to 2017 is also to be inducted from the lifetime achievement category. Alongside the USGA and PGA of America, Payne originated Drive, Chip and Putt in 2013, and the former chairman of Augusta National also established the Asia-Pacific Amateur and Latin America Amateur Championships, each offering guaranteed Masters’ invitations to the winners.”

“Dennis Walters completes the lineup, who despite becoming paralyzed from the waist down at the age of 24 after an accident on a golf cart, went on to inspire many throughout the golfing world for both his amazing trick shot skills and his ability to overcome his tragic accident.”

Full piece

8. Top 200 modern courses

Golfweek’s Bill Speros…

“Welcome to Golfweek’s annual Best. Each spring, we publish the three lists that are the foundation of our course-ratings program: Golfweek’s Best Classic Courses, Golfweek’s Best Modern Courses (below) and Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play.”

“The members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them based on our 10 criteria. They also file a single, overall rating on each course.”

Here’s a little morsel of No. 2-5

2. Bandon Dunes (2) (Pacific Dunes)/td>Bandon, Ore.Tom Doak20018.84

3. Friar’s Head (3)Baiting Hollow, N.YBill Coore, Ben Crenshaw20038.60

4. Ballyneal (4)Holyoke, ColoTom Doak20068.47

5. Bandon Dunes (Old Macdonald) (5)Bandon, Ore.Tom Doak and Jim Urbina2010

For No. 1 (and 6-200), check out the full piece.

Full piece.

9. PSA: One of my favorite features…

…is Gianni Magliocco’s quick daily roundup of the best photos hashtagged #GolfWRX on Instagram. If you’re not a ‘grammer, it’s a nice little snack of some of the coolest equipment and course shots out there.

Check it out.

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.