News

U.S. Open Second Round Recap

After a relatively easy first day, Oakmont proved why it is known as one of the toughest courses in the world in the second round.

Published

19 years ago

Jun 16, 2007

K Vakamudi

Oakmont Church Pews After the first day of play, many golfers were on the verge of calling Oakmont "easy". On the second day, Oakmont decided to fight back. With the minor exception of Paul Casey’s round of 66, Oakmont stole the headlines and story away from the players as the thick rough, and hardened greens frustrated the best players in the world.

Now that second round play has closed, the spotlight has focused squarely on the USGA’s ability to keep the course in check and avoid a repeat of the 2004 U.S. Open at Shinnecock where some of the greens became so hard and fast that stopping any shot became an impossible task. When Tiger Woods was asked if he thought the USGA was allowing Oakmont’s conditions to get away from them, he replied, "It’s close. It’s right on the edge, I think. The first green, that was — thank God I have spikes on, because I think it would have slipped right off the back."

However, Woods was not the only player voicing his concerns about the USGA’s course conditions. After finishing his second round at +7, Phil Mickelson walked off the course frustrated, with a painful injured wrist and addressed the media. To the surprise of many, he was upset with the USGA allowing a course to play so difficult it presented risk to players, "Well, it’s disappointing to dream as a kid about winning the U.S. Open and spend all this time getting ready for it and have the course setup, injury, you know? To think that the end of this tournament — you’re trying to win and hit great shots but you’re also trying to not end your career on one shot, which — or at least suspend it for a while. That’s a little disappointing, yeah." At the end of play, Mickelson finished just one shot outside the cut line and was left with a year to re-evaluate his preparation and continue his dreams of winning a U.S. Open.

Jim Hyler, Chairman of the USGA’s Chamionship Committee, responded to the criticism by saying, "We listen to what he says, but it won’t have an impact on what we do [to the course]. It’s our national championship, so we want it to be a rigorous test. We’ve had tough rough at the U.S. Open for years. We like where we are right now, we don’t pay attention to scores." However, Hyler did say that crews would be out at night to water the greens, in an attempt to slow them down, and would be paying close attention to the 10th and 12th which were playing especially difficult today.

While the average score for the field was a staggering 76.9, England’s Paul Casey shocked the field by carding a 66. Casey played the USGA’s game, missing only one fairway and reaping the benefits by carding five birdies and only one bogey throughout his round. Casey said, "A 66 is way beyond my expectations. I’m still a bit surprised. The goal was to go out and shoot something level, a couple over maybe, and finish below probably 10-over and try to get into the weekend." Interestingly, Casey admitted that the only time during his round he was nervous was putting out for par on his last hole, the 9th, with many other players watching from the practice green, "I don’t like playing in front of my peers," Casey said. "I feel like everybody’s critiquing." There was not much about Casey’s round to critique, in fact many players were shocked that anyone was able produce such a low score with the difficult Oakmont conditions.

Nevertheless, Casey’s 66 was not enough to vault him up the leaderboard. The top spot belonged to Angel Cabrera. The Argentinian shot 71 today to bring his two round total to even par – 140 and take a one shot lead over Bubba Watson. With such a premium being placed on driving accuracy and the difficulty of the rough, it came as quite a suprise to some to see the tandem of big hitters at the top of the leader board. However, neither one particulary fit hte U.S. Open mold of fairways and greens. Watson hit only 57% of his fairways and 61% of the greens in regulation. Yet, both find themselves sharing the 36 hole lead. Watson said, "The one thing, everybody keeps saying in the interviews, they say that if your game is off any bit; so if your game is on, anybody has a chance to win. Anybody that’s playing good, all it has to take is that one week you play great, and you can win."

Pos	Player	R1	R2	Tot
1	Angel Cabrera	69	71	E
2	Bubba Watson	70	71	+1
T3	Aaron Baddeley	72	70	+2
T3	Justin Rose	71	71	+2
T3	Stephen Ames	73	69	+2
T3	Nicholas Fasth	71	71	+2
7	Paul Casey	77	66	+3
T8	Brandt Snedeker	71	73	+4
T8	Tom Pernice Jr.	72	72	+4
T8	Carl Pettersson	72	72	+4

News

Most birdies without breaking par – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

6 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

7 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.