News
Back9Network busts, suspends operations
Startup golf lifestyle network Back9Network announced on Monday in a statement that it has suspended operations due to a “temporary shortfall in capital.”
[quote_box_center]“Management and the board of directors are planning next steps and will continue their efforts to secure long-term, operating capital,” the company said in a statement. “The company will keep the public informed with any new developments.”[/quote_box_center]
While the statement and recent reports indicate that the network was and still is actively seeking the cash it needs to remain afloat, this latest news indicates that those efforts have not proven fruitful to date.
I talked with PGA Tour and Web.com player Kyle Thompson, who Back9 sponsors, earlier to get his take on the news.
[quote_box_center]“I tried to promote them some on social media and wore the logo on my bag,” Thompson told me. “Great bunch working for them. It’s too bad they went under. I feel like it’s just tough these days if you aren’t syndicated in HD.”[/quote_box_center]
Back9 went live on the air on DirecTV back in late September. The network has received $5 million in state loans from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development plus a $100,000 grant. The requirements of the loans awarded to the network back in Aug. 2012 required that Back9 retain 10 jobs and create another 40 by the end of 2014.
In January, the company laid off 35 of its full-time employees. Just a few weeks later, it was reported that Back9 was actively and aggressively seeking to raise a “significant” amount of capital through new investors or a potential buyout in an attempt to keep the network operational.
Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament
GolfWRX is on site this week at the Memorial Tournament, with both Alistair Cameron and Tour Photographer Greg Moore on the ground in Dublin, Ohio, where a strong field is assembled to pay homage to the Golden Bear.
In addition to WITB galleries, we’ve already been treated to an in-hand look at Tommy Fleetwood’s new TaylorMade Spider putters.
Check out links to all our photos below.
General Albums
WITB Albums
- Jason Day – WITB – 2026 The Memorial
- Chris Gotterup – WITB – 2026 The Memorial
- SungJae Im – WITB – 2026 The Memorial
Pullout Albums
- Jason Day’s 1off Payntr golf shoes – 2026 The Memorial
- JT Poston’s TaylorMade Spider – 2026 The Memorial
- Cameron putter – 2026 The Memorial
- Tommy Fleetwood’s TM Spider putters – 2026 The Memorial
- New Mitsubishi Chemical 1K Pro Orange shaft – 2026 The Memorial
News
Tour Tech Rundown: Heroic Henley
Around the world, the golf wheel spun this final week in May of 2026. From New Jersey to Austria, with stops in Korea, Texas, and North Carolina (don’t let me route your next trip) the world’s finest put their golf games on display. There were three playoffs, some known commodities and some new talent. It was the sort of week that we hope to have at this point in the seasons. June and July afford double-digit major events, and perhaps, one of this week’s champions will use this success as a springboard to new heights. Time to run it all down, tech style, in this week’s Tour Tech Rundown.
Thanks to WITBHub, Today’s Golfer, GolfWRX, and Inside Tour Golf for initial research into equipment.
PGA Tour @ Charles Schwab Challenge: Heroic Henley denies Cole
Eric Cole did nearly everything that a fellow can do, to secure a first PGA Tour title. He stayed one shot clear of Ryder Cup player Ben Griffin. He kept US Open champion Gary Woodland and wunderkind Michael Brennan two shots distant. He posted 70 on day four to reach twelve under par. And then, Russell Henley revealed his Dr. Strange cloak. Henley made 47 feet of birdie putts on holes 16, 17, and 18, to jump from minus-nine to twelve-deep, and secured a spot in a playoff with Cole. The duo returned to the final tee, and put on a stripe show.
Both golfers found the fairway off the tee, and Henley improved on his regulation play with an approach to four feet. Cole did himself proud, tucking an iron to a dozen feet, but he was unable to convert the putt for three. Henley is one of the best putters on tour, and he proved it once more by draining a putt for a fourth consecutive birdie, and a sixth PGA Tour title. For Eric Cole, that first victory should come, and soon. He has done everything necessary to earn the chalice lift.
Henley’s Suitcase
- Driver: Titleist TSi3 at 10 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 70g 6.5 TX
- Metal: Titleist TS3 at 16.5 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 80 TX
- Hybrid: Titleist TSi2 at 21 degrees. Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT hybrid 100 TX
- Iron: Titleist T250 4-iron. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
- Irons: Titleist T100 5-6 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
- Irons: Titleist T100 7-9 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
- Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 48 and 50 degrees. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue X100
- Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 54 and 60 degrees. Shaft: rue Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue S400
- Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron T5 Tour Prototype
LPGA @ Shoprite LPGA: Welcome back, Celine!
Soo Bin Joo had her eyes on a maiden LPGA title. She held the lead after two rounds, then hit a red light at the intersection of can-I and how-To. Joo posted plus-two on day three in New Jersey, and dropped to a T4 finish, which was still a career-best for the young Korean golfer. Instead of a new face, a familiar face returned to the top of the podium.
Celine Boutier was the It Girl in 2023. She collected four victories, including a major title at Evian. Boutier reached world number one status, then simply faded into the background. No wins came her way over the next 30 months. On Sunday, she collected LPGA victory number seven, at the same trace as LPGA victory number two.
Day three saw Boutier manage the windswept Seaview Bay course with six birdies and a bogey. She was challenged in the end by Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol, who signed for a 66 of her own. Yubol came up one shot shy of the top ladder rung. Finishing in third place at -7, two back of the winner, was Ireland’s Lauren Walsh.
Celine’s Suitcase
- Driver: PXG 0311 Black Ops Tour-1 at 9 degrees. Shaft: Graphite Design AD IZ-5
- Hybrid: PXG 0311 Black Ops at 19 and 22 degrees. Shaft: KBS Hybrid Prototype
- Hybrid: PXG 0311 Gen5.
- Iron: PXG 0311 P Gen 4 5-9 irons
- Wedge: PXG 0311 T Gen 4 PW
- Wedges: PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy II at 50, 54, 58 degrees
- Putter: Bettinardi Studio Stock 3 DASS
DP World Tour @ Austrian Alpine: KK? KK!
Kota Kaneko has a rhythmic name. It has strong vowels and a run of voiceless stops in its crunchy K sounds. On Sunday in Austria, Kaneko put a stop to a challenge from Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia and everyone else, and claimed a first-ever title on the DP World Tour. Gouveia did well to reach 16-under par over four days, but Kaneko held firm, two shots in the clear.
Davis Bryant of the USA also forged a strong challenge for the win. He ended in a tie with Gouveia for second place. Kaneko began and finished his final round in a bit of a malaise, but he caught fire midway through. Birdies at 10, 12, and 13 provided the necessary cushion to cruise to the finish line without breaking a serious sweat.
Kaneko’s Suitcase
- Driver: Ping Max G440
- Metals: TaylorMade Qi4D at 15, 16.5, 21, and 24 degrees
- Irons: TaylorMade P760 5 and 6 irons
- Irons: TaylorMade P7TW 7-9 irons
- Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design at 46, 52, 56, and 60 degrees
- Putter: Odyssey Ai-One Cruiser Arm Lock #7
Korn Ferry Tour @ UNC Health Championship: Improbably Alvaro
Alvaro Ortiz may have had a bit of scare on the outward nine on Sunday, but he came through in clutch fashion in the end. Ortiz began the day bogey-double, and added another double bogey at the 11th hole. He was mired in a downward trend, spiraling away from the top of the leader’s board. Ortiz found hope at the 14th, where his first birdie of the day tumbled home. Inspired, he closed with birdies and 17 and 18 to catch Ross Steelman at 10-under par, and the duo returned to the 18th deck for overtime.
The extra session concluded in brief time. Ortiz, buoyed by his newly-retrieved confidence, hit the fairway with driver, then approached to six feet and drained the putt. Gobsmacked, Steelman could do little more than smile and applaud, as his run at the top came to a close. The victory was the first for Ortiz on the KFT, and will implant him squarely in the chase for a PGA Tour promotion.
Alvaro’s Suitcase
- Driver: Ping G430 MAX driver at 9 degrees loft
- Metal: Ping G430 MAX 3W
- Iron: Ping iDi Driving Iron
- Irons: Ping Blueprint S irons
- Wedges
- Putter: Scottsdale TR Piper C
A party on the green!
Alvaro’s time comes in Raleigh with his first win @UNCHealthChamp ? pic.twitter.com/2dmtZdbSzk
— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) May 31, 2026
LIV @ Korea: Me llamo Joaquin
Chile’s Joaquin Niemann had been away from the LIV winner’s circle throughout all of 2026. This week in Korea, he reminded us that he is still a force to consider. Niemann chased down Taylor Gooch over the closing holes at Asiad Country Club, then claimed victory with a hole-one birdie in extra time. Bryson DeChambeau claimed solo third, one shot in arrears at minus-eleven. Dustin Johnson finished on fourth, one putt farther back.
Niemann’s Suitcase
- Driver: Ping 440 LST
- Metal: Ping G440 Max at 15 degrees
- Metal: Ping G425 Max at 21 degrees
- Hybrid: Ping G430 at 25 degrees
- Irons: Ping Blueprint S 5 through PW
- Wedges: Ping S159 at 52, 56, and 60 degrees
- Putter: Ping PLD Anser
News
Russell Henley’s winning WITB: 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
Driver: Titleist TSi3 (10 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 70 6.5 TX

3-wood: Titleist TS3 (16.5 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 80 TX

7-wood: Titleist GTS3 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Project X Denali Black 80 TX
Irons: Titleist T250 (4), Titleist T100 (5-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold AMT (4-6), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (7-9)

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 (48-10F @47, 50-08F @51, 54-10S @55, 60-04T)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48), S400 (47)

Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom X5 Tour Prototype

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x


JR
Feb 25, 2015 at 4:49 pm
The little I saw of Back 9 I thought it was a joke–very poor programs and content was low budget! As far as the GC, I enjoy the fact they have some maybe a good amount of golf on it, Euro, Gals, Sr. and some of the regular tour tho I do not enjoy it much. I find the fact they re-run Morning Drive about 3 times a morning a bit over the top and cannot stomach Hack on the show–the rest are acceptable and I can live with them. Overall am happy with it and will continue to watch as much as I can.
Phat
Feb 25, 2015 at 2:50 pm
An insult to golf and a waste of taxpayer money on page 3 girl photoshoots and lifestyles of the rich and famous junk). They should never have got off the ground.
Bert
Feb 25, 2015 at 1:32 pm
Never watched the Back-9 Network but from above it sounds like it was poor at best. Concerning The Golf Channel, I have tired of the Morning Drive. I dislike continuous yelling and even though Charlie seems funny, I believe his constant attacks on the Rules of Golf exemplify why he need to move on to something else other than golf. He desires attention, sort of like McCord. As for Hack, I like him allot but when he chimes in on in-depth golf topics, he’s over his head; he’s a hack!
Back9 Joke
Feb 25, 2015 at 11:20 am
Bosworth and Gorman are both serial losers……Anyone who put money into this and did not check their backgrounds deserves what they got…..a lot of lost cash.
What a joke this was from the beginning….only can hope that the State AG starts to investigate this rip-off.
theo
Feb 25, 2015 at 10:30 am
it was SD???
…were they also running late night episodes of All in the Family?
Steve
Feb 24, 2015 at 8:56 am
Rashad as your lead anchor, broadcasts in SD. Either they were clueless or someone stole a whole bunch of money.
Roosterredneck
Feb 24, 2015 at 8:46 am
Most all the golf anchors or commenters can’t or do not know how to work without Tiger to video breakdown swing & etc. I just want to watch golf and not just Tiger..I like to watch many different golfers not just the leader or Tiger, Phil, Freddie and etc.
j diz
Feb 25, 2015 at 11:24 am
is this english?
Mike Honcho
Feb 24, 2015 at 7:22 am
When Ahmad Rashad is the main personality you are hanging your hat on, good luck. There’s a reason he got ran off from GC.
Gdb99
Feb 24, 2015 at 6:25 am
I’m Wondering if, as a state of Connecticut resident, will be getting our money back anytime soon…
Bob Eubanks
Feb 23, 2015 at 9:30 pm
I enjoy the golf channel however a lot of their shows are rather boring and the anchors per se are bland especially Gary Williams he is a complete tool. The amount of commercials during a pga tournament is ridiculous not to mention the actual coverage needs to improve substantially. Especially during the masters, crap camera angles and to many commercials.
Connor
Mar 1, 2015 at 5:30 pm
The Golf Channel doesn’t broadcast the Masters…? It’s ESPN Thur-Fri, and CBS on the weekend.
The Golf Channel just does “Live From” which gets monotonous, but they give you all the information from each day that you’d every dream of. I agree with you on GC’s shows though… quite the snoozers.
Mat
Feb 23, 2015 at 9:20 pm
I can livestream in HD on my 5 year old laptop using $200 software and a decent camera. SD isn’t acceptable.
DontChase
Feb 23, 2015 at 7:31 pm
It’s 2015 – who in their right mind thought it was a good idea to start a TV channel – of any kind – that’s not in HD?
So basically you wanted me to buy in to a competitor to the Golf Channel – only not in HD?
Cant imagine where this idea went wrong…
Fsubaseball21
Feb 23, 2015 at 7:11 pm
Being employed in the golf industry I will say this. We REALLY need Tiger Woods to become relivent again. Not Rory not Phil not Jordan or DJ can come close to driving the needle such as Tiger did. Say what you want but a lot of us owe our jobs to him.
FTWPhil
Feb 23, 2015 at 3:36 pm
Golf Channel is subpar sports coverage… Why make a copy?
golfandgamble
Feb 23, 2015 at 4:49 pm
I can see why people nitpick the Golf Channel, but I’m just happy there’s a channel I can watch that shows golf. The coverage we get is so much better than it used to be and for that I’m thankful. I’ve never watched the Big Break or any of the lesson shows, but I think they do a good job with Morning Drive, Golf Central and live golf.
Dave
Feb 25, 2015 at 5:44 pm
Totally agree. Even though GC and on-air “personalities” have become cheesy as hell, it is pretty sweet to have tons of live HD coverage all in one place