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GolfWRX talks with Jim Furyk ahead of the FedEx Cup Playoffs
2010 FedEx Cup champion and newly minted “Mr. 58,” Jim Furyk was kind enough to speak to us as he gets ready for The Barclays at Bethpage Black this week.
Furyk starts his 2016 playoffs in a pair of precarious positions, owing mainly to the time he missed while recovering from wrist surgery. He’s 15th in the current Ryder Cup standings, needing to impress captain Love to earn a captain’s pick, and he’s 94th in the FedEx Cup standings, needing a good week at Bethpage to advance in the playoffs.
Fresh off a T10 finish at the Wyndham Championship, Furyk spoke with us by phone.
I told him that my very first PGA Tour event was the 2001 NEC Invitational at Firestone Country Club, in which he holed a majestic bunker shot and valiantly battled Tiger Woods for seven playoff holes before coming up short. “Cool event. Wish I would have won, but…” Furyk said.
Our conversation, below.
B.A.: A couple of weeks removed from shooting the 58. Any new perspective on it? Still surreal?
J.F.: Well, it’s a catch-22. I’m proud, and it’s been a little bit surreal that it happened. Also I had to go play…events. This week I’m at The Barclays. I kind of have to put it behind me and move forward. I’ve got a lot of golf in front of me. Right now I’m sitting at 94th in the points race, so I need to play week this week to move on and head to the Deutsche Bank.
What’s the mentality here as the playoffs are starting? Is it all about positioning and does that dictate attitude?
Yeah. Well I got off to a late start…I didn’t start the season until May. I’ve only played 12 events this year. I started a little bit behind the eight-ball, but I’ve been playing well here recently, and I was just trying to move up. Right now, I’m kind of just playing to extend the season. I think everyone knows the situation. If you’re in the top 30, you’re trying to stay, or you’re trying to move up to give yourself a [better] chance to win the FedEx Cup. If you’re outside the top 100, you’re trying to move in this week. It’s always about extending your season.
On the subject of “this week,” tell me a little bit about this Dress for Success campaign you and Tabitha are spearheading at The Barclays.
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday [between 9 and 12] bring an article of clothing [to the general parking lot for The Barclays]—women’s clothing, business attire—and get a ticket for one of the tournament rounds.
Good deal. Regarding the playoffs: Good play and strong finishes and winning and all that will necessarily lead to moving on, but I’ve always wondered what the calculus is, round by round and tournament by tournament, do you guys try to stay on top of the scenarios to figure out exactly what you need to do?
I think there are some folks who are just scoreboard watchers. They’re going to check their prediction, which moves around significantly based not only on what you’re shooting but what everyone else is doing. Then you’ve got other folks who don’t want to know, don’t want to worry about it. They just want to go play golf and know that the better they play, the better opportunity they have. I probably fall in the middle of both of those.
When you get down to it, at the end of the season, whether you’re trying to win a golf tournament or you’re trying to move on in the playoffs, it gets real easy to start worrying about the end product. And really, you kind of have to put that to the back of your mind. You have to worry about this week, this round, and what’s going to get me to that end result.
Yeah. I imagine it’s something you want to be aware of but it’s very easy to get caught up in, especially as it’s constantly shifting. And from our standpoint in the media, there’s so many storylines with the constant shifts, so we’re fixating on that…
But that’s part of it. I’m going to go out there Tuesday and Wednesday before the tournament and the media is going to talk about me being in the 94th spot. They’ll say I’m 15th on the Ryder Cup points list. I’m aware of all that. It’s not like any of it’s news. It’s my job to talk about it, and then I’ll put it in the back of my mind and go play golf.
That leads into your thoughts on Ryder Cup and your position there. I’m not sure mathematically if you can move into the top 8 this week with a win.
I’m not sure…[I’m] Trying to catch the captain’s eye. If I were to play well, have the opportunity to go to Deutsche Bank and do it all over again. And I’ve played well as of late. But if I don’t move on to Deutsche Bank, that’ll leave me with other guys playing and me not.
Just wanted to close with a couple of questions about equipment here, as we started as a forum of equipment enthusiasts. Do you see yourself as a tinkerer? Do you think about equipment from week to week, or do you kind of set it and forget it? What’s your orientation?
I would say I’m not a tinkerer. But if I’m not happy with my equipment, I have no problem switching or changing, if that makes sense. But once I get locked into something I like…driver-wise, iron-wise…I’m playing a set of irons from 2011. If I find a driver I like, I’ll play it for three years. As far as my lofts and lies, being able to grind the sole of a wedge to my fit, or talking about the center of gravity in my driver, I’m very knowledgable about that.
And I couldn’t tell you what any other company has out there, I can tell you quite a bit about Callaway’s products, but I can tell you a lot about my products.
So as long as the performance is there you’re happy week to week?
Yeah. Absolutely. Right now Callaway is testing drivers that are coming out next year, so they’re trying to get some feedback from the players, and I really enjoy being involved with the process. Telling them what I feel, what I see, what I think. As players, hopefully we can help them design better equipment. But ultimately it comes back to us in better equipment for the next year.
Thank you for the time, sir, and play well this week.
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
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
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
Aaron Rai’s winning WITB: 2026 PGA Championship
Russell Henley’s winning WITB: 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
Photos from the 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
CJ Cup Byron Nelson Tour Report: Koepka and Kim’s newest putters finally get hot
Charles Schwab Challenge Tour Report: MacIntyre, Åberg and Spaun all switch putters, TaylorMade launches new Spider
Details on J.J. Spaun’s surprise putter switch
GolfWRX Launch Report: 2026 Titleist GTS drivers
Photos from the 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
PGA Championship Tour Report: Fitzpatrick, Koepka among big-name putter switches for Aronimink
Photos from the ShopRite LPGA
Maria Torres WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4 3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4 5-wood: Ping G440...
Eric Cole WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: PXG Lightning Tour Max (9 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees) Shaft:...
Si Woo Kim WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (8.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X Mini driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Mini...
Wyndham Clark’s winning WITB: 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (10.5 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D Tour (15 degrees) Shaft: Project...
