News
5 things we learned Saturday at the British Open
Yes, CarNASTY is fun, but CarNICEty is electrifying. The former demands that we empathize with the greats of the game, as they stumble and bumble toward numbers we know well. The Nice version of the course along the river Tay offers birdies and eagles (and perhaps even an albatross?) and keeps us glued to sofas, chairs and yoga balls. I’m hoping for the Nice version on Sunday, because I want excitement with my morning Joe. Let’s toss out five things we learned today, and see if you agree that they matter.
1. What the Royal and Ancient does properly
It allows magic to happen, but only when the wizard properly wields the wand. Jordan Spieth’s driver-putter combination for eagle at the 1st on Saturday was brilliant. Other major championships, thanks mostly to being held on topsoil courses, cannot permit such vagaries. Brilliance is rewarded at Open rota courses, but beware: tomorrow is another day, and should the weather turn, the winds pick up, the raindrops fall, we just might see the antithesis of that result.
WHAT. A. START. ????@JordanSpieth drives then green then holes the putt ???? pic.twitter.com/ejTWtd9uY9
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 21, 2018
2. Jordan Spieth may be a golfer for the ages
Haircuts aside, we will know on Sunday around 3 pm, eastern standard time, but the young Texan relishes the limelight, the pressure cooker, and the major victories. As he admitted in interviews this week, he’s not afraid to press the STOP button and recharge the batteries, clear the mind, whatever it takes. Long game, short game, common shot, creativity required, Spieth played flawless golf on Sunday, beginning with THAT eagle, then adding four birdies over the remaining 17 holes. Sure, he sometimes looks pouty, but he’s hard to bet, or root, against. A win on Sunday would be the first second victory in a major (still with us?) and might set him in the Watson/Vardon/Thomson track for all-time Open winners.
You won't believe @JordanSpieth's morning in Carnoustie – and we aren't talking about the course ???? ???? Sound on ???? pic.twitter.com/dFIdmSYUp3
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 21, 2018
3. Tomato, TomAHto, Zander, Xander, let’s call the whole thing golf
Both golfers have shown us that uncommon names/nicknames are a nice conversation point, but stellar golf in a major championship is something else. Zander Lombard has been completely off form this year, but Carnoustie brought out his finest golf. Xander Schauffele was the surprise of the 2016-17 PGA Tour season, and has revealed a major championship-level skillset during his time alongside the Tay and the Barry. Xander enters day four in a first-place tie with Spieth and Kisner. He’ll play in the final pairing on Sunday with Spieth. Zander sits 5 back of the leading triumvirate, and if his finish on Saturday serves as motivation, he will be part of the conversation on July 22nd.
What an image. What a shot.
EAGLE 2 at 18 for @ZanderLombard.#TheOpen pic.twitter.com/yTRr2tBMWl— The Open (@TheOpen) July 21, 2018
4. Growl
Johnny Miller said it best today, when he opined that Tiger Woods was ready to burst out and challenge, if not win. Woods 2.0 played marvelous shots on day 3, and other than Spieth, worked his way around Carnoustie better than any other golfer in the field. If the 3-time champion golfer of the year combines mental fortitude with a hot putter, this writer predicts that he will hoist Claret No. 4 on Sunday.
Brilliant up and down for par for @TigerWoods. You're not going to want to miss tomorrow.#TheOpen pic.twitter.com/BNyeWTWu9n
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 21, 2018
5. Kisner proved me wrong, and might do so again on Sunday
It was Zach, and not Kevin, who failed to manage the closing stretch of Hogan’s Alley. Kisner’s putter stayed warm and his mind remained sharp. He learned from his faux pas on the 36th hole, and played within himself over the final 18 holes. 3 birdies and 15 pars brought the pride of Aiken, South Carolina, to the top of the firs page again. He’ll play with that other Kevin (Chappell) in the penultimate pair on day the fourth. Kisner knows the major pressure from recent touts with immortality, and might break through for a deserved major title.
. @K_Kisner takes the outright lead with his second birdie of the day
Full scoring https://t.co/gVDayzkpiZ#TheOpen pic.twitter.com/Jz5wDY4q1K
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 20, 2018
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


JM
Jul 21, 2018 at 8:14 pm
Edit ~ Rose beat Woods as well on Saturday.
The dude
Jul 21, 2018 at 7:31 pm
Wooda 6.0 maybe….