News

Return to the blade: Inside Fitzpatrick’s Valspar-winning putter switch

Published

3 months ago

Mar 24, 2026

Seven days after a 72nd-hole heartbreak at the 2026 Players Championship, Matt Fitzpatrick found redemption with a 72nd-hole birdie at Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead course, rolling in a 14-foot putt to win the Valspar Championship.

Just a few weeks before, Fitzpatrick had returned to his trusty Bettinardi BB1 Fitz blade putter, with the sole focus on draining putts from the exact range he capped off his third victory on the PGA Tour.

“I think make rates with my blade was significantly better, but strokes gained in general was pretty equal,” Fitzpatrick said earlier in the week at the Valspar after returning to his Bettinardi BB1 Fitz blade putter. “I think my make rates sort of between 5 to 15 feet were much better with the blade, and that kind of convinced me to go back.”

It’s no surprise that Fitzpatrick found the answer after a six or so-month spell with a different Bettinardi BB48 Prototype. The Englishman is renowned for keeping notes on every putt he hits in competition, and while he says the strokes-gained stats were similar between the two, it was more about how many times he found the bottom of the cup from scoring positions.

“I just kind of looked at the data, felt like I had long enough with the mallet and, happy to be back using what I have now,” Fitzpatrick added.

The data does not lie. Despite a season-ending victory on the DP World Tour at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai with the mallet prototype, Fitzpatrick’s make rates from that 5-to-15 foot distance were less than stellar to start 2026. Prior to his switch back to the trusty blade, Fitzpatrick ranked 130th on Tour in putter average from that distance, at 42.42 percent and holing just 42 of 99 attempts. Fast-forward through the Arnold Palmer Championship, where the blade first returned to the back, his runner-up finish at TPC Sawgrass, and then his victory at the Valspar, and Fitzpatrick is already up to 75th and above Tour average.

Fitzpatrick’s custom putter has an interesting backstory, dating back to his amateur days and to a company that no longer exists. Fitzpatrick’s blade, which he’s used to win the 2022 U.S. Open, is designed around an old Yes! Tracy II putter. Funnily enough, The Country Club in Brookline, where Fitzpatrick captured his major championship victory, is also the spot where Fitzpatrick used the Yes! Golf putter to win the 2013 U.S. Amateur just nine years earlier.

After Yes! Golf went into bankruptcy in 2010, Fitzpatrick was forced to find replacement putters on eBay. It was at that point that the Englishman began talks with Betternadi to design something similar. Around 30 prototypes later, and the addition of the same C-Groove milling for on the original Yes! Golf putter faces, Fitzpatrick’s Bettinardi BB1 was born.

“The (Yes! Golf) C-Groove has grooves that are milled at an angle, and after studying them, we learned they got the ball into a forward roll, or a true roll faster,” Sam Bettinardi, now president of Bettinardi Golf, previously told GolfWRX. “We took that and perfected it, and took it into our Roll Control face, which is what you see in our Inovai and Studio Stock line now. So we bettered that C-Groove for feel purposes, and got the grooves a little bit sharper with our precision machining techniques. … The best part for us was that the company was out of business and the patent on the C-Groove expired.”

The final product that Fitzpatrick used to win Sunday at Valpsar is made of double-annealed stainless steel, which means it’s double heat-treated, to offer a softer feel and sound. The final head weight is around 345 grams and features Bettinardi’s flow neck. Fitzpatrick’s beloved soccer club, Sheffield United Football Club, is stamped “SUFC” on the heel.

Ironically, the club is nicknamed…“The Blades.”

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.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 OccuNet Classic

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

With the PGA Tour across the border in Canada this week, GolfWRX Tour Photographer Greg Moore stayed stateside and headed to the OccuNet Classic presented by Amarillo National Bank in Amarillo, Texas.

It’s always interesting to see what the guys are playing on the KFT, and this week certainly hasn’t disappointed so far, with some incredible wedge stamping on display.

Check out links to all our albums below.

General Albums

2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT) – Monday #1

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

Luke Potter’s custom Cameron putter – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)

News

From the GolfWRX Classifieds: Scotty Cameron GOLO 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

Will Schube

At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @HuskerFlyer is sharing a Scotty Cameron GOLO with a BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition shaft. While the putter is certainly enviable, the Augusta-inspired shaft is equally noteworthy.

From the listing:

Scotty Cameron Golo 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition Scotty Headcover 34″ $375

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules.