News

Tour Rundown: Finau claims consecutive wins | Stunning 62 lifts Furue to title

Published

4 years ago

Aug 1, 2022

The big news in a short week came from…well, let’s explain short week first. Three major tours were in action this week, with linksland golf in Dundonald, heathland golf in St Andrews, and good, old Scottish transplant golf in Detroit. The LPGA/Ladies European Tour joined forces at the Scottish Open, while the DP World Tour played at the Fairmont above St. Andrews linksland. Finally, the US PGA tour returend to the Detroit Golf Club, designed by Dornoch native Donald Ross.

In anticipated news (aka, this morning) Luke Donald’s concomitant sincerity has pushed him to the top of the selection list to replace the former captain of the European Ryder Cup squad. A formal announcement should come while you are reading this Tour Rundown. As an added bonus, we have a report from the USGA boys National Junior for a pair of reasons. We shall detail those at the end of this Tour Rundown installment

PGA Tour: Finau claims consecutive wins with heliacal performance

If Tony Finau had a better sense of timing, he’d have turned in a unique straight over the course of four rounds in Detroit, Rock City. Finau posted 64-66-65-67 in Motown to shuffle to a five-shot win. Roundmate Taylor Pendrith of Canada had a shot at the straight, standing even with Finau after 64-65-66 of his own. Unfortunately for Pendrith, Sunday brought three birdies, three bogies, and twelve pars. He tumbled a bit to a tie with Cameron Young and Patrick Cantlay for second position.

When things that for so long were obscured, become obvious, we wonder how we never noticed them before. Such is the case with Finau’s penchant for winning golf tournaments. Despite appearances on Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup sides for Team USA, Finau’s first win came in 2016. It would be half a decade before he won again, in 2021. Now he has won in consecutive weeks, and we wonder if he will run the table on 2021-2022.

On Sunday, Finau had three birdies in the first ten holes, to expel Pendrith from the equation and set his sights on the finish line. A bogey at eleven gave him pause, but he regrouped and added three more stroke-savers over the concluding stretch. Cantlay juped up three slots with his 66 and Young moved up from third with his own 67. The week and the day, however, belonged to the man from Utah. Time to Dougie.

Double Ws.

Time to Dougie ? pic.twitter.com/jvGZVZcF1f

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 31, 2022

LPGA/Ladies European Tour: Stunning 62 lifts Furue to title

We are fortunate to witness rounds of brilliance on a few occasions each calendar season. When they take place on the final day, their magic is more palpable and obvious than on other days. Ayaka Furue of Japan had never won on the big stage prior to this week. After opening with rounds of 69-68-68, she sat four shots behind a confident Celine Boutier, who looked like nothing less than a winner after 65-69-67 of her own.

Then came Sunday, a day that changed Furue’s career arc. Ten birdies outnumbered eight pars on her card, and the she calmly shot past all challengers to summit the leader board. This ataraxy was evident throughout her course tour, as Furue ran off consecutive birdies at six holes to round the turn. She closed with three in her final four holes to clip Boutier by three shots.

The French golfers was left to wonder what more she might have done. Her 69 was a solid score from the lead, and left groupmate Lydia Ko (71) in the dust. Alas, such are the whims of the gods of golf. On to Muirfield, where the venerable links will host the women’s British Open for the first time.

Course record ?

Tournament record ?

First LPGA Tour win ?

Watch highlights from Ayaka Furue's winning Sunday 62 at the @Womens_Scottish! pic.twitter.com/XW3w0obkw8

— LPGA (@LPGA) July 31, 2022

DP World Tour: Crocker a hero at Hero Open

As if the Furue and Finau shows weren’t compelling enough, we present the following bit of evidence to the jury. Consider a Zimbabwean-turned-Californian named Sean Crocker. After a collegiate career at USC (the Cali version) Crocker embarked on a professional career. He has never played the US PGA tour, preferring to ply his trade overseas. For five seasons, the worldy linksman learned the ways of the tours, until a glorious Sunday in July, in St. Andrews.

No, not Cameron Smith. He’s Australian. Zimbabwe, we said. Crocker took a lead into the final round of the HERO open in St. Andrews, and showed grit and guile as he posted 68 on day four. Crocker placed five birdies against a solitary bogey in the final round, then held his breath as the ebullient Eddie Pepperell, a massive voice of humor and reason, nearly chased him down.

The resurgent Pepperell signed for 65 after eight birdies of his own. Did the ninth-hole bogey cost him? Mathematically, yes. Logically, no. Pepperell was nowhere close at the day’s dawn, but blitzed his way into contention, and nearly to the apex. This story, however, is about Crocker, and it’s about time that he claimed a victory of his own. With a gutsy, six-feet putt at the last, Crocker made it happen.

Winning your first Tour title in St Andrews ???????

A moment that will live with Sean Crocker for a lifetime.#HeroOpen pic.twitter.com/QJrtef7Nna

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) July 31, 2022

USGA: Ding holds off Surratt to claim USGA title for China

How big of a lead is enough, is a question often posed to average golfers. Could you achieve victory on tour with a 15-shot advantage. The answer is always “No,” because average golfers are average in every capacity. Wenyi Ding is not an average golfer. He is quite talented. We know this because he reached the final of the boys junior championship at Bandon Dunes. Ding face off against Caleb Surratt, a south Charlotte golfer who had enjoyed an excellent run of championship golf in 2022. The final promised to be epic, and it was.

Ding was down by two after three holes, but clawed back to take a three-hole lead into the midway lunch of the planned 36-hole final. After ten holes of the afternoon session, oddsmakers would have laid against the match reaching the twelfth tee. Ding added five holes to his lead, and stood dormie-eight as the pair reached the 11th tee.

Surratt was not finished. He won one-two-three-four-five holes in succession, to chop the legs out from under Ding. With so much momentum on his side, the recovery seemed plausible and achievable. Alas, it was not to be. Neither Surratt nor Ding provided any sparks on the 33rd hole of the day, and when they halved in par fours, the week, day, and match were finished. Ding had become the first male golfer from China to secure a USGA title.

Brilliance at Bandon!

Wenyi Ding made 11 birdies and an eagle in the #USJuniorAm final. His 3-and-2 victory over Caleb Surratt is our Lexus Top Performance of the Day. #LexusGolf pic.twitter.com/zpO4g913He

— USGA (@USGA) July 31, 2022

News

Most birdies without breaking par – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

16 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

16 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.