News

5 things we learned on day two of the Charles Schwab Challenge

Published

6 years ago

Jun 12, 2020

Comebacks play well across the swells of sports fandom. Give me a story on someone who battled through adversity, and I’ll eat it up. Comebacks offer hope at the same time they convince us that the immortals are momentarily, if unsustainably, mortal. Suspicion is that Thursday would be characterized by adrenaline rushes, at the thought of finally being back on the fairway. This worked well for some, not so well for others. Friday’s reaction to the rush was the crash. Rory McIlroy went 7 deep for 63, as two golfers did on Thursday.

5. Comeback 1: Harold Varner III

Harold Varner III made triple bogey at the 10th and bogey at the 18th. Fortunately for him, he started on inward half, so the entire front side offered a chance at redemption. Varner began his day with a tee shot to a bridge at the 10th. After a penalty drop and a succession of unfortunate slashes, he tapped in for a triple bogey and handed 3 shots back to Old Man Par. His calm was evident, as he notched birdies at 12, 13 and 16, to return to level for the day. The aforementioned bogey at the last (his 9th) offered two paths, and Varner found the proper one. He played the second nine in 5-under 30, thanks to 4 consecutive birdies from 4-7, and a 5th at the 9th. Varner missed makeable birdie putts (1o’ and 22′) at the 1st and 2nd, then made a mighty par save at the third. Buoyed by the effort, he reeled off birdie rolls of 31′, 3′, 3′ again, and 20′. He capped the day by knocking in a 10-foot putt for 3 at the 9th. Only a missed 30-foot putt at the 8th kept him from a six-birdie streak.

4. Comeback 2: Jordan Spieth

Forget macro-comebacks. Let’s focus on Jordan Spieth’s 2nd-round, micro-comeback for this moment. Like Varner III, Spieth started on the inward half. Unlike Varner, Spieth played it in 4 strokes below par. Birdies at 1 and 2 brought the 3-time major champion to 6 deep on the day, and 11-under for the week. His putter was on fire … until it wasn’t. Spieth ~~1-putted 2-jacked 3-jabbed~~ 4-whacked the par four 3rd hole from 33 feet. 3 of those came from inside 3 feet. He then missed a 10-foot putt for par at the next, and was back to 8-under. His comeback was immediate. Spieth birdied 5 and 6 and finished the day on -5, and -10 overall. He’ll be paired with Varner III in Saturday’s final grouping.

3. How did Bryson get jacked?

This writer doesn’t know and doesn’t currently care. Why not? It would be the greatest ego move to get strong by abusing disallowed methods. It would be career damaging and reputation slaughtering. DeChambeau is most intelligent and quite upstanding. We’ll leave it at that. On Friday, The Big Bang Theory (yup, you may use it) went low with no damage. He scratched 5 birdies into the scorecard, and joined Spieth at -10, one behind Varner III. If you had promised us this trio at the top, heading into round three, we’d have asked for seconds.

2. Rory roaries

There was something special on that 10th tee this morning. Rory, like Jordan and HV3, teed off at numero diez and played a 7-under round, to work his way to -8. If it weren’t for the final hole of the day (#9), McIlroy would have reached 8-under 62 and, well, that’s it. The North Ulsterman posted three birdies heading out, then eagled the first and birdied the 2nd to reach -6 on the day. 2 more birdies, at 6 and 7, had him smiling from ear to ear. Alas, a wretched lie in the right-side rough on number nine compelled him to pitch out, shy of the water, and take his chances with his wedge. His pitch was nearly as wretched, leaving him nearly 50 feet from the hole. Like a boss, he calmly two-putted for bogey, and escaped major collateral damage.

1. More Predictions

Most likely to rip his pants on live television: DeChambeau. Let’s be honest, how do you size clothing to those muscles?

Most likely to do self-commentary: Justin Thomas. He’s two back and handles the mic pretty well.

Most likely to fade away: HV3. Sorry, Harold. Use it as motivation.

Most likely to rise on Saturday: Xander Schauffele. This guy smells blood like sharks smell blood, if sharks indeed smell.

Most likely to bounce back on Saturday: Justin Rose. Blah Friday of -1, so he needs a bounce-back on Saturday, or he might switch clubs again.

Most likely to wave the Maple Leaf: Corey Conners. This Canadian can play, and will be the next northern heartbreaker for our neighbors across the line.

Most likely to elicit “oh yeah, I remember him”: Peter Uihlein. Also, most likely to play Titleist.

News

Most birdies without breaking par – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

3 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

4 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.