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Tour Rundown: Georgia Hall wins the Women’s Open for England

Published

8 years ago

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If you blink, the golf season will be over. The dog days of August feature a WGC, followed by the PGA, then the start of the FedEx Cup playoffs … and that’s just the PGA Tour. The professional lady golfers contested their 4th major of the year at the British Open, while the Champions and Web.Com tours were also in action. If that’s not enough, the European and American PGA tours featured bonus events in Fiji and Nevada. It was a smorgasbord of delights for the epicurean golfer, so let’s run down this week’s ample buffet.

Bridgestone Invitational swan song at Firestone

When he wasn’t blasting 375-yard drives, Justin Thomas was placing his approach shots closer than the competition. Those two figures added up to a 9th tour win and a first WGC championship for the young man from the hills of Kentucky. The 2017 PGA champion opened with 65-64, good for a tie with Ian Poulter atop the board. Thomas went a bit higher with 67 on Saturday, but it was quite good against Poulter’s even-par 70. On Sunday, while Dustin Johnson was sending shivers with an outward 29, Thomas continued to play with confidence and guile. Firestone has always been an air-ball course, and with the deeper drives of the contemporary player, the angles have changed. Thomas figured those out better than anyone this week, and brought a fine champion in the final year of Firestone on the PGA Tour. As Poulter drifted farther off, to a tie for 10th, Kyle Stanley took advantage of the opening and posted 68 for 11-under, and solo second.

Women’s British Open trophy will stay in England

14 years passed since Karen Stupples last won the British Open for England. In 2018, Georgia Hall played her way into the final game at Royal Lytham and St. Anne’s. Paired with Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum, the 22-year old Hall began the 4th day with 3 birdies in her first 6 holes … and lost ground! Phatlum scorched the opening third with 4 birdies of her own, Bogey at the 8th appeared to derail the Thai golfer’s momentum, and she did not birdie again until the 15th. Meanwhile, Hall kept her card clean, then added birdies at 13, 15 and 16 to wrest the lead from Phatlum. Both players showed nerves over the closing stretch. Phatlum made a double-bogey 6 at the 17th, to finish on 15-under par. Hall closed with bogey, but had enough strokes in the suitcase to close at 17-under, 2 strokes clear of Phatlum. The win was Hall’s first major, and first LPGA Tour victory.

Barracuda Championship belongs to Putnam

We know that the PGA Tour will return to Montreux golf and country club, in Reno, next July. The event will have a new sponsor, but hopefully, the same format. A good Stableford, with 5 or 7 points on the line at the last hole, keeps everyone’s attention. Andrew Putnam came to the last hole with a 4 point lead, but up ahead, Chad Campbell faced an eagle pitch. Three at the last would have moved him ahead of Putnam, forcing the former Pepperdine golfer to make birdie for the win. Campbell could only summon birdie, meaning that Putnam only needed bogey to cinch his first Tour victory. He didn’t make it easy, with a drive into the rough and an approach shot, short of the green. Electing to putt, Putnam dropped his 4th for birdie, restoring his 4-point margin of victory. The biggest mover on day 4 was William McGirt, whose 20 points more than doubled Putnam’s 9. McGirt moved from 49th to 6th spot, and into 111th on the FedEx Cup points list.

KC Golf Classic comes down to wire in Overland Park

The list of recognizable Austrian golfers is a short one. It might begin and end with Bernd Wiesberger, unless you  are a true aficionado of the sport. With more performances like Sunday’s, Sepp Straka might make his way onto the radar screen. He’s so new, the Web.Com Tour site hadn’t updated his profile with career victory number one as of 6 am on Monday. Straka’s performance was up, down, and all around, but in the end, good enough for a 1-shot margin of victory over Kyle Jones. The 25-year old’s distaste for par was evident; he only made 7 in round 4. Seven birdies and 4 bogeys gave him 69 on day four. When Jones went from fairway bunker to fringe to bogey at the last, the door was open. Playing in the same group as Jones, Straka did him one better: fairway bunker to greenside bunker to par, for a double sandy and victory.

3M Championship goes to nervous Kenny Perry

Is it possible to shoot a 60 that never had a chance to be a 59? Kenny Perry did just that on Saturday of the 3M Championship. His round was a thing of beauty, 8-under through 15 holes. He certainly would find himself near the top of the board. Perry closed birdie-birdie-eagle for 12-under on the day. Whooooooo. On Sunday, they say, the hardest thing to do is follow a super-low round with one good enough to win. Perry bucked the trend, survived back-to-back bogeys on the front nine, and finished off a 3-shot victory over Wes Short, jr. The runner-up did his best Perry impression, going 9-under on day three to apply pressure. Perry was solid on the inward half, posting three birdies for his 9th win on the Champions tour.

European Tour: Fiji International to Bhullar with late heroics

How did he do this! Gaganjeet Bhullar missed a short birdie putt at 16 to close within one of leader Anthony Quayle. Quayle had just ripped a long iron to eagle range at the penultimate hole, then drained the putt to reach -14, or so we thought. Bhullar misplayed his 2nd to the par-five 17th, leaving a 30-yard pitch to the flag. Quayle made par at the last, and the television folk called it a fine, 10-under 62, a new course record. As cards were being signed, it was learned that Quayle had made an early bogey, and that his course record was 63, not 62. And Bhullar? Just a little pitch-in for eagle at 17, followed by par at 18 for a one-shot victory, the 9th of his career.

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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.

2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. ogo

    Aug 9, 2018 at 2:00 pm

    Watching womens golf is about as exciting as watching a toilet flush, over and over again. Same with womens tennis where all the players are leggy girls from Eastern Europe… while the golfers are short stubby Asians. Bleeech… 😮

    Reply Report comment

  2. Robert

    Aug 6, 2018 at 4:42 pm

    Georgia Hall showed nerves of steel coming down the stretch birdying 3 of the last 6 holes. On 18 she hit a very good shot from the right rough to get on the green. From there a safe 3-putt secured the Major win.

    Of some WITB coincidence, both Georgia Hall and Andrew Putnam were using Odyssey Rossi Mallets.

    Reply Report comment

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

Published

3 weeks ago

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Jun 1, 2026

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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

Published

4 weeks ago

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Jun 1, 2026

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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

Published

4 weeks ago

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May 31, 2026

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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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