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Tour Mash: Reed keeps streak alive, locks up Ryder Cup spot

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The FedExCup Playoffs began this week on the PGA Tour, while Ryder Cup automatic qualifying for both Europe and the USA came to an end. The LPGA was north of the border in Canada while the Web.Com Tour concluded its qualifying campaign for its own finals series. Lots to watch, lots to mash. Let’s get to those potatoes!

Patrick Reed keeps winning streak alive at The Barclays

Not that he was ever worried, but Patrick Reed had not won since January of 2015 and his streak of consecutive seasons with a win might have stopped at four. Then came Bethpage Black, The Barclays and Reed’s efficient performance. It wasn’t pretty, more like the octagon than the golf course (complete with the belligerent NY-fan base) but Reed got the job done when others faltered.

Rickie Fowler began the final day with a one-stroke advantage over the eventual champion, but handled the 54-hole lead about as well as he has in previous events: not well. Fowler made three bogeys and a double on his final nine, visiting parts of the course known only to 36-handicappers and the grounds crew. The leader finished three-over par on the day, dropping all the way to T7. Sean O’Hair had one of the day’s lower rounds (66) and shot up 14 spots, into a tie for second with Emiliano Grillo.

Related: Patrick Reed’s Winning WITB

It was Reed who minimized mistakes until the end. Three-under on the day through 15 holes afforded him a cushion, and he used all of it. Bogeys on two of the final three holes brought him back to 9-under, good for the slimmest of all victories: 1 meager stroke. With the win, Reed joined seven others as automatic Team USA qualifiers for the fall’s Ryder Cup in Minnesota.

Pieters is Made In Denmark on the European Tour

Thomas Pieters has been agonizingly close to significant wins in 2016. He played as well as anyone at the Rio Olympics for three rounds, but a third-round implosion kept him off the medal platform. Not only was he looking for validation this week in Denmark, he was also in search of a spot on the European Ryder Cup team, captained by 2011 Open champion Darren Clarke. For 15 holes on Sunday, it looked strangely like a typical Pieters performance: close, but lacking the closing strength needed to drive home the nail.

Bradley Dredge was in the driver’s seat. He even closed with a birdie from over 30 feet to get to 16-under and shake off pretenders Adrian Otaegui (Spain) and David Lipsky (USA), both of whom shot 67 in round four to finish at 15-under, tied for third. And then, Pieters did something remarkable: he nearly aced the 16th and birdied each of the three closing holes, shooting past Dredge to 17-under and victory. Will it be career-defining? Career-igniting? Enough to convince Clarke to tap Pieters for a spot? Perhaps, but no matter; victory was precisely what the young, talented Belgian golfers needed at this stage in his career.

Jutanugarn claims fifth title of 2016 at CP Women’s Open

Ariya Jutanugarn lacked one thing in her magical 2016 season: a lap-the-field victory in which she proved that she could take a third-round lead and hold it firmly on Sunday. She had another opportunity to make such a statement at the Canadian Women’s Open in Calgary, and she did so with a bold exclamation point. Jutanugarn’s seven-birdie, one-bogey Sunday stroll gave her a 4-stroke victory over Sei Young Kim (-19) of Korea, with In Gee Chun a stroke farther back in third.

Jutanugarn came into the week on uneasy footing. Less than seven days removed from an injury-related withdrawal at the Rio Olympics, the five-time winner on the 2016 LPGA circuit played the week with a bandaged knee. Despite the pressure (8 birdies, 1 bogey) applied by Kim on Sunday, Jutanugarn was equal to the challenge, establishing herself as the lead candidate for player of the year. In other news, Ayako Uehara finished tied for 10th, but left Alberta with holes-in-one in each of the last two rounds.

Brehm headed to PGA Tour after Portland Open win

Ryan Brehm ended Saturday’s third round in Portland in first place. In the final event before the Web.com Tour playoffs, all golfers were jockeying for position, with goals ranging from playoff qualification to a PGA Tour card. Brehm had built a two-stroke lead by the time he reached the par-five 18th hole. Knowing that bogey would be enough to secure victory, Brehm relaxed a bit too much and dumped his approach into a greenside bunker. With enough presence, Brehm was able to escape the sand pit and take two putts for six and a one-stroke victory.

Tied with Brehm after three rounds was CT Pan, a former collegiate standout but, like Brehm, without a win in the 2016 campaign. Pan was assured of a tour card in 2017, but he sought more. A day after shooting a tournament-low 62, Pan was unable to recapture his Saturday magic. Pan’s even-par 71 dropped him into a tie for fourth. A number of golfers made a run at the title in Round 4, but none were able to go low enough to pressure Brehm. Mark Anderson closed with 68 to finish second alone, one behind the champion. Zack Fischer also had 68 on Sunday, moving up six spots to solo third.

Langer ties Trevino for all-time PGA Tour Champions wins at Boeing Classic

For a time on Sunday, it seemed that Gene Sauers would follow his U.S. Senior Open victory with another in Washington state. Sunday was not kind to Sauers, and his last-ditch attempt at eagle on 18 meant that a trio of players (Kevin Sutherland, Woody Austin and Bernhard Langer) would return to the 18th tee to settle matters in a playoff.

The final hole at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge has three diabolical cross bunkers at the fairway’s bend. Austin was able to get past them on his drive, while Langer played short and left, and Sutherland drove into the last of the three. This advantage proved to be short-lived, as Austin dumped his second into a greenside bunker and could not get up and down for birdie. Sutherland suffered a similar fate, leaving matters to Langer. One day past his 59th birthday, Langer drained a 3-foot birdie putt on the only playoff hole to win for the second time in Washington and his 29th overall on the senior circuit.

Ronald Montesano writes for GolfWRX.com from western New York. He dabbles in coaching golf and teaching Spanish, in addition to scribbling columns on all aspects of golf, from apparel to architecture, from equipment to travel. Follow Ronald on Twitter at @buffalogolfer.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

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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

Pullout Albums

 

 

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Tour Tech Rundown: Heroic Henley

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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

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

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Russell Henley’s winning WITB: 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge

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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

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