News

Morning 9: Tiger’s knee surgery (and new normal) | POY award and what matters | Lee Elder

Published

7 years ago

Aug 28, 2019

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt ([email protected]; @benalberstadt on Instagram)

August 28, 2019

Good Wednesday morning, golf fans. While his back has rightfully been the focus of injury concerns, remembering Tiger Woods’ knees are a veritable Swiss cheese of arthroscopic entry and he’s had no shortage issues beneath his patellas is hardly encouraging.

1. Knee surgery for Tiger

Our Gianni Magliocco…”On Tuesday, Tiger Woods announced that he had “an arthroscopic last week on his knee to repair minor cartilage damage.”

“Within the statement posted to his social media, Woods’ doctor who performed the surgery, Dr. Vern Cooley, explained that he expects Woods “to make a full recovery” and that there was “no additional problems” post-surgery.”

“Woods is scheduled to play in the new Zozo Championship in Japan in October, and the 15-time major champion ended his statement by stressing that he fully expects to be ready to compete by then.”

“I’m walking now and hope to resume practice in the next few weeks. I look forward to traveling and playing in Japan in October.”

“The Zozo Championship will take place in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, from October 24-27.

2. Illustrating what matters

The AP’s Doug Ferguson says “It would be a shock if Koepka didn’t win” Player of the Year once player ballots are tallied…

“Rory McIlroy was asked before the Tour Championship began if he could build a case for himself if he were to win the FedEx Cup, and he did a reasonable job answering. He would have three victories, same as Brooks Koepka. He would have top-10 finishes in 74% of his PGA Tour starts (14 of 19). Yes, Koepka won a major at the PGA Championship and was runner-up in two others (along with a tie for fourth). But is player of the year about certain weeks or the entire season?…”

[After the Tour Championship McIlroy said] “I know it’s going to sting because he most likely will win the player of the year,” McIlroy said. “But he didn’t win the FedEx Cup, so I know it’s going to sting him for a bit. But I just wanted to tell him he’s playing so good. He’s the No. 1 player in the world and he’s had a great season.”

Full piece.

3. Falling out of love with the game

Sam Torrence, eight-time European Ryder Cupper, 44 times a winner as a professional has fallen out of love with the game.

Andy Roberts at GolfMagic: “…Torrance admits he has quit playing golf for the best part of two years now since last having played on the European Senior Tour.”

“I’ve kind of lost the love for it,” Torrance told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“I’m not very good. The hardest thing is I’m mediocre compared to what I was.

“I said to my manager, ‘tell me my scores over the last three years and my finishing positions’. She looked it up and she told me I was 200-over par and my best finish was 35th.

“So it was time. That was two years ago and I’ve not played since. It was tough to let go but I’m glad I did it when I did.

Full piece.

4. A costly finish for Cantlay

All the focus on the funny money players at the Tour Championship competed was directed at the top finishers, but how about the other side of the coin?

AP report…”Getting to East Lake meant a shot at the $15 million and a spot in the majors and World Golf Championships. But it was the wrong time for a bad week.”

“Cantlay, the Memorial winner with a pair of top 10s in the majors, began the PGA Tour’s postseason at No. 6. He tied for 12th at The Northern Trust and held his position. He was runner-up at the BMW Championship and moved to No. 2 in the FedEx Cup, starting the Tour Championship with a two-shot deficit.”

“Cantlay opened with a 70-71 and was six shots behind going into the weekend. But a 75-73 weekend at East Lake sent him to a three-way tie for 21st. Second place in the FedEx Cup is worth $5 million. With a tie for 21st, Cantlay received $478,000.”

Full piece.

5. Tiger’s new normal

Steve DiMeglio wrote this regarding the 15-time major champion (amid a larger look back at 2019)

“After delivering the season’s greatest triumph – heck, the decade’s greatest triumph – Tiger Woods showed golf fans what his future might hold. And it didn’t look good. At 43 and following eight surgeries to his left knee and back, Woods couldn’t practice, play and train enough to be competitive after he won his fifth green jacket and 15th major title at the Masters.”

“He played just 17 rounds and six tournaments after winning the Masters in April, and he didn’t earn a trip back to Atlanta to defend his title in The Tour Championship, where he capped his remarkable return to the game after spinal fusion with a victory in 2018.”

“His play was mostly listless after he looked so robust among the Georgia pines. He missed cuts in the PGA Championship and Open Championship, withdrew from the Northern Trust.”

Full piece.

6. On breaklessness

Christopher O’Day at Fansided writes…”Even if you take a look at golfers 71-125, those that didn’t make it to the BMW Championship, they will still only get one month off. Likely, they are going to jump on some of these early tournaments to try and score some easier FedEx Cup points for the upcoming season and enhance their chances of making it to the 2019-20 playoffs.”

“Give them a break. Golf is a demanding sport. Playing 72 holes in four days isn’t always easy, and it isn’t easy on your body either. Now do this 30-35 times a year, with never longer than a one month break.”

“I can’t imagine putting this kind of stress on my body and mind. For those guys who are young and single, I can see how it would give them a leg up on the competition, and that it wouldn’t bother them too badly.”

Full piece.

Here’s why, Chris: The PGA Tour exists to create playing opportunities for its members before it exists as entertainment for fans. Maximizing those opportunities, both in terms of tournaments per year and purse/bonus money is a top priority. There are 52 weeks in a year. In a sense, then, it’s surprising there isn’t a tournament every week. If nobody’s playing for weeks or months, players aren’t making money. The Tour isn’t responsible for individual player schedules, pacing, or breaks. I don’t believe this is a bad thing, and unlike many in the media, I’m not pining for an extended offseason.

7. Lee Elder speaks

The Great Lee Elder’s My Shot (with Guy Yocom) is must-read stuff…

A taste…”I’m best known for being the first black man to compete in the Masters, back in 1975. The victory that got me into the Masters was the Monsanto Open in late April 1974. I beat Peter Oosterhuis in a playoff. After I holed out, the PGA Tour’s tournament director, Jack Tuthill, directed me to a police car. That surprised me, because I expected the trophy presentation would be outdoors. I said, “What’s going on, Jack?” Jack, a former FBI man, explained that death threats had been coming in all morning and that it would be safer if the presentation was indoors, back at the clubhouse. Jack said driving there in a police car would be safer than a golf cart. I agreed and understood the situation. It wasn’t the first time a black athlete had received death threats, and it wasn’t the last. But I was thrilled to win.”

Full piece.

8. Zuback reflects

Good stuff from Michael Shamburger (Bamberger? no Shamburger) at Golf Channel chatting with the famed long driver.

“When it comes to long-drive champions, Jason Zuback’s name is at the top of the list, right next to Sandra Carlborg (Women’s Division). Over the course of his career, Zuback won a total of five long-drive titles, with four of those coming in succession between 1996-99…It is by far the most dominating run in long-drive history, as there is no other male long-drive competitor with more than three titles to their name.”
“”When I started, you’d see maybe a little bit on TV and stuff in magazines,” said Zuback. “I’ve always gravitated to the power element of sports, whether it be sprinting, hitting home-runs, or hitting a hockey puck as hard as I could. I always loved to take a rip at it and try and it hit hard.”…That mentality served the Canadian well when he entered his first long-drive competition.”
“I was playing in a Monday qualifier for an event on the Canadian Tour, the Alberta Open,” said Zuback. “I got paired up with a couple of guys and one of them mentioned that there was a qualifier for this big long-drive event, and that I should give it a try because he had never seen anyone hit it as far as I did. There were close to 100 guys that were trying to get through the local [qualifier], and I think I ended up winning by around 50 yards.”

Full piece.

9. Best drivers

(In case you missed it yesterday…last time I’ll mention, I swear)…I’m proud of the best driver piece we put together, so I want to call your attention to it in case you might not have seen it.

I wrote on Instagram: We believe in fitting foremost-especially if you’re going to invest hundreds of dollars in a driver. We believe the best driver for you will depend on a number of factors, not the least of which are your swing speed and (the other half of the battle) the shaft. Accordingly, we surveyed 13 of the best fitters around to see which drivers they were fitting players in three swing speed categories into, as well as their recommendation for the most forgiving driver overall. In short, what’s presented in this graphic is the shortlist of what we believe to be the best options in each category. If you don’t have access to a fitter, we don’t believe you’ll go wrong picking from the list. However, the BEST way to select the BEST DRIVER for you is to test the short-listed drivers in multiple configurations with multiple shafts under the eye of a reputable fitter on a launch monitor. Don’t settle for what works for a robot, what wins a gold medal, or what your buddy says is great.

See the piece here.

News

Most birdies without breaking par – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

10 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

Will Schube

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.”

News

Best current stock shaft 2026 – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

11 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

Will Schube

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.”

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.