News

Bateman Wins Buick on 18th Green

In yet another finish that came down to the wire on the PGA Tour, journeyman pro Brian Bateman earned his first PGA Tour victory on the 18th green after sinking a 12 foot birdie putt at the Buick Open.

Published

19 years ago

Jul 2, 2007

K Vakamudi

The final round of the Buick Open began with 13 players within three shots of the lead, and several players would jockey for the top spot throughout the day. However, in the end, much like last week’s finish at the Travelers Championship, a journeyman pro emerged from the pack to claim his first victory on the PGA Tour.

Perseverance has always been a virtue for Brian Bateman. His 2006 season on the PGA Tour was his best, yet he still finished one spot outside the top 125 and had to go back to Q-School. Undaunted, Bateman finished T-29 and earned his Tour Card back the hard way. So it should come as little surprise that amidst the dogfight of the Buick Open, it was Bateman who fought his way through the pack to finish -3 in his final round and sink the winning putt on the 18th green.

However, Bateman always felt he had the potential to win on the PGA Tour, "I’ve always felt I had the talent to play out here and had the drive and had the support from people at home and friends and caddies and so forth. It seems like I’ve always — hell, I’ve always lost my card, except for one year, and so I don’t know if I’m not an underachiever anymore now that I’ve won," said Bateman. There is little doubt that Bateman showed his true abilities holding off some very talented players behind him. Going into the 18th, Jason Gore, Justin Leonard, and Woody Austin were tied with Bateman at -14. However, it was Bateman who hit the best approach shot to 12 feet, and sunk a bridie putt the rest of the field struggled with throughout the day. The victory will certainly be career changing for Bateman who has an automatic entry in the Masters this year, "I’ve only played in one major. I’ve never been close to playing at Augusta because I always battled through Q-School every year. That means a lot. It’s a life-changing week. Life-changing putt, but like I told someone outside, my wife and I are pretty simple people and I doubt this is going to change us much."

Jason Gore, who has struggled with his health and equipment since his breakout season in 2005, showed tremendous signs of progress this week. With his new Cobra clubs, and transitioning back to the Titleist Pro V1-X, Gore seems to be much more comfortable and his play is reflecting that. Playing several groups ahead of Bateman, Gore was the first player to post a score of -14. Gore came to the 18th green with a 13 foot putt which would have tied Bateman, but his putt was never high enough, and broke to the left at the last second. Gore said, "It was a lot of fun to be back somewhere in contention again where your mouth gets all dry. That’s the cool stuff. We work very hard to be that uncomfortable."

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.