News

Morning 9: Pebble, Vic winners | Mickelson comes up short | State of the Phil | J-Day nearing retirement?

Published

6 years ago

Feb 10, 2020

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt

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

February 10, 2020

Good Monday morning, golf fans.

1. Taylor triumphs

Nice summary from James Colgan at Golf.com…”Taylor went wire-to-wire on Monterey Peninsula, outlasting Phil Mickelson with a windy final round 70 from Pebble Beach. It was largely a two-man show on Sunday, with Jason Day (the only other golfer within striking distance of Mickelson and Taylor heading into Sunday) shooting three over and ejecting early.

“Mickelson wasted a sublime Saturday 67 with a blow-up at the turn; making double on the eighth hole in a bizarre sequence to fall three back of Taylor, a deficit from which he would never recover (more on that later). Taylor, on the other hand, rode a mostly pain-free afternoon to a two-under 70. His biggest moment came on the par-4 15th when he rebounded from a dreadful double on the previous hole to chip-in for birdie, keeping Mickelson from nipping at his heels.”

Full piece.

And if you want to read a great perspective piece on Taylor’s life since he won his first tournament (2014)/an excellent treatment of the reality for tour pros on the card-keeping bubble, check out PGATour.com’s Mike McAllister’s piece.

2. Min Woo Lee!

EuropeanTour.com report…”Min Woo Lee held his nerve in difficult conditions to win his first European Tour title at the 2020 ISPS Handa Vic Open.”

“The home favourite entered the day with a three shot lead and never looked back after chipping in for a birdie on the first, signing for a 68 to finish at 19 under, two shots clear of Ryan Fox.”

Full piece.

3. …and on the ladies side: Hee Young Park

AP report…”Korea’s Hee Young Park, who came close to quitting golf last year, made par on the fourth hole of a three-way playoff Sunday to win the LPGA Tour’s Victoria Open from compatriots Hye-Jin Choi and So Yeon Ryu.”

“On a course swept by a boisterous wind and as evening closed in Park, Choi and Ryu returned repeatedly to the tee on the dog-leg par-5 18th to play out a gripping finale after finishing tied at 281, 8-under par.”

“Former world No. 1 Ryu dropped out on the second playoff hole when she missed a birdie putt but Park and Choi continued until luck and nature intervened.”

“Choi’s tee shot on the fourth playoff hole came to rest against a pine cone in light rough left of the fairway, leaving her with no choice but to chip out. Her attempt to do so came up short, she put her next into a hazard, dropped out, and finally reached the fringe of the green in six.”

Full piece.

4. Phil phalters

PGATour.com’s Mike McAllister on Mickelson’s Sunday 74…”A disastrous double bogey at the par-4 eighth was the start of an 11-hole finishing stretch that he played in 4 over. Instead of pressing eventual winner Nick Taylor for the lead, Mickelson dropped a spot down the leaderboard, settling for solo third behind Kevin Streelman with a 2-over 74.”

“The Mickelson short-game magic, on full display the day before, only showed itself a couple of times Sunday. Certainly not enough to keep up with Taylor, who shot a 2-under 70 to win by four shots, in the final group.”

“No excuses, though. For one of the few times, Mickelson proved human at Pebble Beach when the pressure was on.”

“It’s disappointing certainly to have not won, but I got outplayed,” Mickelson said. “I mean, Nick played better than I did. He holed a couple of great shots.”

Full piece.

5. On the other side of the coin

The Pro-Am portion of the tournament, that is… Larry Fitzgerald and Kevin Streelman took the tile for the second time.

Golfweek’s Adam Schupak…”This is the second time in three years that Fitzgerald and Streelman, who have never finished worse than T-27 in five appearances as a team, have won the title. In doing so, they became the first team to win the pro-am twice since Hubert Green and Dean Spanos in 1985 and 1990. Only four teams have claimed multiple victories at an event that dates to 1937 when it was called the Bing Crosby Clambake.”

“Perhaps some of that success can be attributed to their on-course chemistry. The two walked off the 18th green joking with each other, and with Fitzgerald, an eight handicap, draping an arm over the shoulder of his partner, who made a serious run at the individual title on Sunday, too.”

Full piece.

6. Meanwhile, in Bogota…

Golf Channel’s Nick Menta…”With his win Sunday in Colombia, Mito Pereira just put himself in the mix for a PGA Tour card and maybe even a spot in this summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.”

“Four back to start the final round, Periera fired a final-round 64 with a 72nd-hole eagle to win the Country Club de Bogota Championship by two over Ben Kholes.”

“The 24-year-old Chilean carded four birdies, two eagles and a bogey to steal his second professional victory, the follow-up to a 2016 PGA Tour Latinoamerica title.”

Full piece.

7. State of the Phil

Via ESPN’s Bob Harig…”Ahead was a controversial trip to Saudi Arabia for a big, seven-figure appearance fee and a European Tour event in which Mickelson began to find some form. He was in contention during the final round and eventually finished third — his best result by miles going back to Pebble Beach.”

“But it was a soulless event in the Middle East with maybe a few dozen fans on any hole and fairways as wide as the Red Sea. Sure, Phil got some confidence back, perhaps some momentum. But could he bring it all the way back across 11 time zones to California?”

“The fact that he did — shooting 68 at Spyglass, 64 at Monterrey Peninsula and 67 at Pebble Beach to put himself in the final group with Taylor — suggested Phil’s clubs were starting to do the talking.”

“What’s nice is I knew I was playing well start of the year,” he said. “In the first couple of tournaments, I ended up not really controlling my thoughts and my visualization very well. And these last two weeks, I’ve started to see things a lot clearer and execute a lot better without any type of negativity. So, I’ve been much more assertive and aggressive and controlling my mind a little bit better.”

Full piece.

8. Phil’s final act?

Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch…”It’s clear that Mickelson does not intend to fade quietly into his golden years. He has lost weight but none of his competitive fire. But it’s also apparent that he has an eye on his next act, and that act won’t involve imitating past greats by plying his trade on the senior circuit while doffing his ceremonial cap as he exits major championships on Friday afternoons.”

“Phil Inc. has a much longer runway than Phil the player. Mickelson understands that his power is no longer dependent on his performances against kids on the PGA Tour but is best exploited in controlled environments where established celebrity has currency.”

“That explains his late conversion to social media, where he has diligently built an image of a self-deprecating jock that showcases for a new audience his enviable skill as a corporate pitchman. His viral calves, Stars & Stripes onesie and Phireside chats have all been in service of that image. So too his bravado about hitting bombs, despite a driving distance rank of 40th that suggests his bombs are more like hand grenades compared to his younger rivals.”

Full piece.

9. Nearly ready to call it a day?

Mark Townsend at National Club Golfer presents these quotes from Jason Day…”I’ve talked to my wife about this a lot,” Day said midway through the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. “I’m like, ‘I think I’m nearly done here’, just because of how much pain I was in.”

“And then on top of it how stressful it is to play competitive golf week-in and week-out and try and live up to the expectations not only with yourself, but with what everyone else thinks that you should be doing.”

…”Sometimes I wake up and I feel like I’m 50, sometimes I wake up and I feel like I’m 70 and sometimes I feel like I’m 18 again.”

Full piece.

News

Most birdies without breaking par – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

12 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

12 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.