News

Morning 9: TW, JT tune-up at Winged Foot | Life in the FedEx Cup bubble | Euro Tour schedule adjustment

Published

6 years ago

Aug 18, 2020

1. Tiger & JT tune-up at Winged Foot

Golf Digest’s Daniel Rapaport…“Woods’ camp confirmed to Golf Digest that he stopped over in Mamaroneck, N.Y., for an 18-hole practice round alongside Justin Thomas before both players head to the Boston area on Monday night. A video was posted to Instagram showing the two players hitting balls off mats at Winged Foot’s driving range.”

“Woods has frequently visited major championship venues early to play played practice rounds before tournament week, including a round at Bethpage Black eight days before last year’s PGA Championship.”

Full piece.

2. Life in the (FedEx Cup) bubble

Golf Digest’s Shane Ryan, as only he can, covers the experience of on-the-ground experience of being a FedEx Cup bubble boy…”It’s a little bit strange that the man who suffered one of the most anxious Sundays at the Wyndham Championships was, in fact, named Wyndham. It’s even stranger that he wasn’t on the course, that he had missed the cut on Friday and was forced to watch from afar as his position on the FedEx Cup leader board oscillated above and below the 125th spot, the cutoff for making it into the FedEx Cup Playoff. (That is, if he was watching at all; I’ve often thought CBS should have a live feed on the bubble boys who miss the cut, kind of like how you can see college basketball teams rejoice and deflate as they watch their fate on Selection Sunday.)”

“Who were Wyndham Clark’s opponents? Abstractly, you could say he was fighting against math, or the rapidly changing live projections. His true foes, thought, were Rafa Cabrera Bello and Rob Oppenheim and Shane Lowry and Peter Malnati and Tom Lewis and Bo Hoag. Based on how those men performed, Clark, who began the day just inside the projected top 125, would either squeak into the Playoffs by fewer points than you can count on your hand, or fall agonizingly short.”

…”The bad news for Clark came early, when Lowry, who started the week at 131st on the points list and Sunday at 126th based on his position entering the final round, shot a 67 to guarantee himself a spot in the top 125. That knocked Clark backward, to a projected 126th, and virtually guaranteed that Fabian Gomez, Russell Knox and Charl Schwartzel, who started the week inside the line, would be left out in the cold. (Schwartzel and Gomez missed the cut, while Knox couldn’t do enough on the weekend to fight his way to the playoffs.)”

Full piece.

3. Pushed back

BBC report…”The re-arranged Scottish Open will take place a week earlier on 1-4 October, the European Tour has announced.”

“The event at The Renaissance Club will be staged a week before the PGA Championship at Wentworth – which has also been brought forward a week.”

…”They now follow the Irish Open at Galgorm Castle, establishing a second UK Swing of 2020 on the European Tour.”

Full piece.

4. Perrine Delacour’s COVID-19 testing saga

Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols…”Perrine Delacour couldn’t wait to get to Scotland. After her fill-in caddie tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the Marathon LPGA Classic, Delacour, who tested negative, was forced to withdraw and quarantine in Toledo, Ohio, for two weeks.”

“When it came time to test again, Delacour didn’t want to solely rely on the LPGA’s saliva test that needed to be driven from Ohio to New Jersey over the weekend to be processed. She had a 7 p.m. flight to Scotland Sunday and wanted to make sure that she was on it for her debut in the AIG Women’s British Open at Royal Troon. (Her Inverness caddie, who never showed any symptoms and never again tested positive, had already been cleared for Troon.)”

…”Delacour then called her regular LPGA caddie, Jeremy Young, who was working on the PGA Tour for Jim Herman, winner of the Wyndham Championship, for help. Young suggested checking to see if the PGA Tour could test her over in Akron, Ohio, site of the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship.”

“Delacour drove the 2.5 hours from Toledo to Akron on Saturday for a 1 p.m. appointment and received her negative results by 8 p.m.”

Full piece.

5. New PGA Tour members: Will Gordon, Erik Van Rooyen

Golf Digest’s Joel Beall…”The PGA Tour announced Monday that Will Gordon and Erik van Rooyen have earned PGA Tour membership next season.”

“Gordon, 23, competed this year without any status on a major circuit after Canada’s Mackenzie Tour was canceled for the summer. The former SEC Player of the Year contended at the Travelers Championship, ultimately finishing T-3. Coupled with a T-10 at the fall’s RSM Classic and three other top-30 finishes-including at T-27 at the regular-season finale Wyndham Championship-Gordon has punched his ticket to the show.”

“As for van Rooyen, the South African already had job security thanks to his win at last year’s Scandinavian Invitation on the European Tour. But van Rooyen, 30, made a PGA Tour push starting at Feburary’s Genesis Invitational, and though he missed the cut in five of 11 starts, he made the most of the weekends he did make, highlighted by a T-3 at the WGC-Mexico Championship and a T-20 at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude.”

Full piece.

6. Hole-in-one at Sheep Ranch…with a putter

If you didn’t see the clip, you will want to. Great stuff from Digest’s Tod Leonard talking with Allison Koehnke, maker of the ace…

A morsel…”The anatomy of a putting ace goes like this: Allison Koehnke told her caddie for the day, Graham Banks, that she could be twitchy with short irons, and that her solution was keeping the ball on the ground with her putter. She relished chances to bomb 100-yard putts.”

“That stewed in Banks’ head until they reached the 16th. Allison’s moment. With the fescue grass cut tightly, the narrow runway to the hole runs smoothy, but there are bumps and undulations that pinball a shot in various directions. “Like playing a video game,” Banks lined Allison up. He coached her on getting the perfect height on her tee. She took a few practice swings, dialing in what they’d dubbed the “chutt”-chip-putt. Then came the real swipe, the putter rising about waist high and sending the ball in flight about a few inches off the ground.”

Full piece.

7. Meet the 125

Sean Martin at PGATour.com rounds up not only the full list of the 125 players teeing it up in the first event of the FedEx Cup playoffs, but …”The Playoffs have arrived. Now it’s time for the PGA TOUR’s best to compete for the FedExCup.”

“Every postseason participant has a chance to take home the TOUR’s season-long crown. With FedExCup points tripled in the Playoffs, players in the back of the pack can make a Cinderella run. The regular season’s strongest performers still have an advantage, though.”

“The top 125 in the FedExCup standings are eligible for THE NORTHERN TRUST, which begins Thursday at TPC Boston in Norton, Mass. The top 70 players will advance to the BMW Championship at historic Olympia Fields outside Chicago.”

1. Justin Thomas: Trying to join Tiger and Rory as the only two-time winners of the FedExCup.
2. Collin Morikawa: The 23-year-old became golf’s Next Big Thing with his win at the PGA.
3. Webb Simpson: 2020 is his first multi-win season since 2011, when he finished 2nd in FedExCup.
4. Bryson DeChambeau: Win at Rocket Mortgage and 8 other top-10s confirmed his weight gain was worth it.
5. Sungjae Im: Reigning Rookie of the Year earned his first win at The Honda Classic.

Full piece.

8. Charlie Woods!

Allen Kim for CNN…”Tiger Woods’ 11-year-old son Charlie is a chip off the old block when it comes to golf.”

“Woods’ son participated in a US Kids Golf-sanctioned event at Hammock Creek Golf Club in Palm City, Florida over the weekend — and he dominated the competition.”

“Charlie bested all the boys competing in the age 11 category, shooting three under 33 across nine holes while finishing with three birdies. He beat the second place finisher by 5 strokes.”

“Woods, 44, was in attendance, and he could be seen in photos shared on social media acting as Charlie’s caddy for portions of the event, carrying his bag of clubs between rounds.”

Full piece.

9. U.S. Amateur Champion Tyler Strafaci WITB

Driver: Titleist TS3 (9.5 degrees)

Shaft: Fujikura Speeder Evolution 3

Fairway wood: Titleist TS3 (15.0)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei White

Utility Iron: Titleist U500 (3-iron)

Shaft: True Temper AMT Tour Issue X100

Irons: Titleist T100 (4), Titleist 620 MB (5-PW)

Shafts: True Temper Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM8 (50-12, 54-10, 60-08)

Shafts: KBS 610

Putter: Scotty Cameron 009

Ball: 2019 Titleist Pro V1

News

Most birdies without breaking par – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

13 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

14 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

3 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.