News

Morning 9: Tour’s Reed bind | GWAA POY winners | Shackelford talks to Barstool

Published

6 years ago

Jan 8, 2020

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt

Email me at [email protected] and find me at @benalberstadt on Instagram and golfwrxEIC on Twitter.

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January 8, 2020

Good Wednesday morning, golf fans.

**Drop me a line ([email protected]) if you’d like to talk about getting your message in front of the M9 readership. Banner and native ad possibilities are, well, possible**

1. No recourse on Reed

The AP’s Doug Ferguson on the position the Tour is in with respect to Mr. Reed…

“For Monahan to punish him further is effectively calling Reed a liar. He can’t do that. No one can with absolute certainty. They can only think it.”

“The question now is how many will say it to him.”

“And then it becomes a matter of how long Reed can take it.”

“He seems to play at his best when the world is against him, and that’s what he did Sunday at Kapalua…Maybe the perception will change if he wins, though it seems unlikely, at least at this stage.”

Full piece.

2. GWAA POY winners

Press release…”KOEPKA, KO, MCCARRON VOTED 2019 GWAA PLAYERS OF THE YEAR…World No. 1 Brooks Koepka’s impressive record in last year’s majors propelled him to his second consecutive Golf Writers Association of America’s Player of the Year Award, while Jin Young Ko and Scott McCarron won their respective 2019 Player of the Year honors.”

“Koepka is the first player to win back-to-back since Tiger Woods won back to back in 2006-2007 (he also won in 2005). Koepka got 44 percent of the vote to world No. 2’s Rory McIlroy’s 36 percent while Woods, who has won the Player of the Year honor 10 times, was third.”
“Koepka, who was sidelined with a knee injury in the fall, crushed the majors in 2019. In addition to winning his second consecutive PGA Championship, he finished in the top four at the other three majors. He was tied for second at the Masters, second alone at the U.S. Open and T-4 at The Open. In addition to the PGA, he won the WGC FedEx St. Jude Invitational and T-2 at the Classic, T-3 at the TOUR Championship and fourth at the AT&T Byron Nelson.”

3. Old man media vs. Barstool

Geoff Shackelford and the Barstool boys finally had their tete-a-tete, seemingly burying the Presidents Cup hatchet (Shackelford was critical of the crew’s shameless Tiger Woods fandom).

Before linking the podcast episode, Shackelford wrote this…”After going on the Foreplay pod to discuss last December’s Presidents Cup spat between “old” media and the Barstool boys, I’ve come to realize my use of fanboys that so riled their base was in fact, unnecessary and short-sighted.”

“While I’ll continue to contend everyone with a media pass and signing the same forms should work under the same rules-no matter how outdated-the notion of a fanbase following the sport vicariously through media personalities dates to the earliest days of coverage. Darwin had fanboys who lived for his tournament accounts even a month after there had been a conclusion. Certainly Dan Jenkins elevated the art of fans living vicariously through his SI expense-account maneuvering, both in print and books. And by posting the things we do today on social media (golf, food, sites), all of us take audiences of different sizes on the road with us in different ways, just as the Barstool group does for their audience.”

Full piece.

4. Cashing in on data

AP report…”Six of the largest U.S. bookmakers already use official league data under terms they negotiated directly with the leagues.”

“Last year it was, ‘Here are the leagues with their hands out,'” said Scott Kauffman-Ross, senior vice president of fantasy and gaming for the NBA. “Now we realize there’s a lot we can offer each other. More and more operators are starting to see the value in this.”

“While not delighted with the added expense, the companies see the value in using official data, particularly for in-game betting, the fastest-growing segment of sports betting in the U.S. In such instances, determining whether a running back gained 100 yards or 99 yards could be the difference between winning or losing a bet, and having the leagues’ data serve as the last word provides a level playing field for bettors and bookmakers alike.”

Full piece.

5. Ancer on TW comments

Golf Digest’s Dave Shedloski…”Ancer also found out that what he says and what he means aren’t the same thing. “I learned a lot about media and how it can get twisted,” he said, grinning.”

“Ranked 38th in the world, Ancer was asked in mid-November at the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Mexico a question that was more loaded than it first appeared.”

“It was like, ‘Out of the 12 guys, who would I like to play on a big stage in a big event like that?’ Yeah, obviously, I would like to play my hero growing up, Tiger Woods. Be an incredible experience,” Ancer explained. “Yeah, maybe it was a little bit of a downer because people just didn’t know how I said it. I was just a little thrown off by some of the comments.”

Full piece.

6. Topgolf IPO?

Adam Schupak at Golfweek…”Topgolf, the Dallas-based entertainment company that marries the traditional driving range experience with cutting edge technology at nearly 60 multi-tiered venues around the world, has selected Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan Chase & Co., and Bank of America, to assist in a potential initial public offering that could value the company at close to $4 billion, Bloomberg reported.”

“In October, Reuters reported the privately-held sports and entertainment giant had been in talks with underwriters about a possible IPO in 2020.”

“The four lead investors in Topgolf International are WestRiver Group, Callaway Golf Company, which owns a 14 % share, Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon, and private equity firm Providence Equity Partners, according to the company’s website.”

Full piece.

7. First female PGA Tour China member?

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”Wake Forest senior Siyun Liu is looking to make history this week.”

“Liu, who is from Shanghai, is competing in PGA Tour China Q-School as she hopes to become the first female to earn her card on the men’s development tour.”

“She began her quest Tuesday by shooting an opening 3-over 74 at Foison Golf Club in Guangzhou and sits T-19 on the leaderboard after the first of four rounds.”

“Honestly, it’s not as different as I thought,” said Liu, who is playing from the same tees as the men (6,588 yards). “Everyone hits it so much farther than I do, that’s for sure, and I expected that, but I’m just more playing my own game because I know that everyone else if kind of playing a different golf course than I am doing. It helps me relax.”

Full piece.

8. Farmers filling up

The 2020 Farmers Insurance Open field is filling up with golf’s heavyweights.

Golfweek’s Todd Kelly…“Tiger Woods is not officially confirmed but is likely to make his 2020 debut at Torrey Pines.”

“On Tuesday, Jason Day and Rickie Fowler did officially enter the tournament. Those announcements came a day after Rory McIlroy said that he was going to head to La Jolla.”

Full piece.

9. Ishikawa fit again

Singapore Straits Times report…”Popular Japanese golfer Ryo Ishikawa has fired a warning to his rivals ahead of the Jan 16-19 SMBC Singapore Open.”

“Ishikawa, who had three wins last year, said that he is swinging more freely than during his previous visits to the Sentosa Golf Club and predicted even better results this year.”

“I feel very good about my physical condition now,” said the 28-year-old, whose well-documented back problems restricted his movement. “I can swing the way I want to swing. I (hope) to do much more this season.”

Full piece.

News

Most birdies without breaking par – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

7 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

8 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.