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Morning 9: ANWA was a symbolic triumph (and symbolism matters) | A meditation on McIlroy

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7 years ago

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By Ben Alberstadt ([email protected])

April 8, 2019

Good Masters Monday morning, golf fans.
1. From Monday qualifier to tournament winner
Reality: Corey Conners is not an immensely popular or well-known golfer. As such (and especially the week before the Masters) enthusiasm for his victory was muted. Fair enough. However, we should stand up and applaud Conners not only for the W, but for the fact that he MONDAY QUALIFIED (firing a 68, one of four qualifiers) for the tournament. It’s an unthinkable achievement, really…and one that hasn’t occurred in nine years. Entering this week, only 17 of 51 qualifiers had made the cut in PGA Tour events…
AP Report…”He made three birdies in the final five holes, shooting a 6-under 66. He was 20-under for the tournament, winning by two shots over Charley Hoffman.”
  • “Next stop for Conners: Augusta, Georgia.”
  • “My wife got an email this morning letting her know we could check in for our flight back home,” Conners said. “I told her, `Aw, don’t check in yet. Maybe we can make other plans.’ Big change of plans. It was going to be an off week. I’m glad it won’t be.”
  • “Hoffman, the 2016 Valero Texas Open winner, shot 67 for 18-under on the week…Ryan Moore closed with an 8-under 64, a shot off the course record, and was third at 17-under…Si Woo Kim, THE PLAYERS Championship winner in 2017, led the opening three rounds but dropped to a tie for fourth with Brian Stuard (15-under) after an even-par 72.”

Full piece.

2. Ko wins ANA
Todd Kelly at Golfweek on the first major champion of 2019, Jin Young Ko…
  • “For the second day in a row, Ko saw a comfortable back-nine lead slip away, but a key birdie on the 16th hole allowed Ko to keep that lead and win the ANA Inspiration, the first major championship of the year.”
  • “I can’t believe. I’m still excited. I mean, I can’t believe it. I don’t know,” Ko said after the round. “Always I had a little bit nervous (in) all the shots. So I’m just try calm down and like, focus and have fun this week.”
  • “Ko managed a 2-under 70 on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club for a tournament total of 10-under 278. That was three shots better than Mi Hyang Lee, who also shot 70 on Sunday on a warm and windless afternoon in Rancho Mirage.”

Full piece.

3. Meanwhile, in Jordan…
EuropeanTour.com report…”Daan Huizing made golfing history by becoming the first player to win a full-field mixed professional tournament with his triumph at the Jordan Mixed Open presented by Ayla.”
  • “The Dutchman began the final round at Ayla Golf Club two shots behind overnight leader Meghan MacLaren, who opened the world-first tournament with consecutive rounds of seven under par 65.”
  • “MacLaren started the final day strong, carding two birdies on her first three holes, but Huizing was able to slowly chip away at the Englishwoman’s lead, and by the time the two golfers reached the 13th tee, they were deadlocked on 14 under par.”

Full piece to see how Daan got it done.

 
4. Yes, it was symbolic, but symbolism matters
Such is the contention of Eamon Lynch in his reflection on the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
He writes…”Golf has an ignoble record on matters of inclusion, the residue of being a country club sport enjoyed by people disinclined to lower a ladder to others who aspire to share the privileges of membership. Exclusion long has been evident in formal policies – like corralling women into less desirable tee time windows – and informal practices, such as confining African Americans to the caddie barn or maintaining a discouragingly lengthy waiting list for prospective members who keep kosher.”
  • “That accumulated grime won’t be scraped away by one event, of course. Not even an event at Augusta National Golf Club. For many golf fans – and even more sports fans – the home of the Masters represents the pinnacle of the game, so what happens there has a disproportionate influence on golf’s image. It’s too early – by years, perhaps – to judge the impact of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.”
5. Big ratings for ANWA
Golfweek’s Bill Speros relays the ratings data…”The ANWA earned a .96 overnight rating on its Noon-3 p.m. Eastern telecast Saturday. That was the most for any women’s golf telecast since Brittany Lang beat Anna Nordqvist in a three-hole playoff to win the 2016 Women’s Open at CordeValle Golf Club.”
  • “The .96 rating also marked the most viewers of any amateur golf telecast – men’s or women’s – since the 2003 U.S Amateur men’s final. That was won on the 37th hole of a sudden death playoff by Australian Nick Flanagan.”
6. A meditation on McIlroy
Superb stuff from Vincent Hogan at the Irish Independent taking the measure of Rory McIlroy as he strives again for the career grand slam at Augusta National.
  • A morsel…”We still see him as the guy who can obliterate a field, as he did with that 16-under at Congressional in 2011. But can he win a Major arm-wrestle? Especially in this storied place with so many personal ghosts in the pines?”
  • “Sunday, last year, sets you wondering. Rory talked the talk, then unravelled after that missed eagle putt and was gone by the turn.”
  • “He picked a fight with a man who’d previously drawn something out of him at Hazeltine that – he admits – left him “a little tired, a little mentally fatigued”. Someone who is a natural street-fighter.”
  • “McIlroy thrives, not on anger, but momentum. On staying true to himself. On being focused, not edgy; clear-headed, not mean.”
7. Return of the Fooch
Justin Rose’s longtime bagman, who has been out of action since a mitral valve repair, will be back at it for the Masters
  • Brian Wacker at Golf Digest...”As Justin Rose teed off for a practice round on Augusta National’s back nine late Sunday afternoon, he had a familiar face on the bag. Caddie Mark Fulcher is returning for this week’s Masters after being sidelined the last three months following heart surgery in mid-January.”
  • “I could have come back at the Match Play [two weeks ago], but I thought why push it,” said the veteran looper who has spent the last 10-plus years alongside Rose after two decades on the LPGA Tour. “I’m very happy. It feels good to be back.”
8. Meanwhile, at Augusta National…
Doug Ferguson files a report from amid the cathedral in the pines
  • “Players began filtering in at Augusta National in the last few days even as they had to share the golf course. The inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur was held the previous two days, with 72 players practicing on Friday and the 30 players who made the cut competing on Saturday.”
  • “On Sunday, parts of the practice facility, the putting green and the 18th green were occupied by kids ages 7 through 15 for the sixth Drive, Chip and Putt.”
  • “With yesterday and today, the buzz is unbelievable,” Adam Scott said. “The kids are amazing, and it makes me feel like a kid again. As long as they’re still finding it fun, these kinds of things are so good. Just wait – one day, a Drive, Chip and Putt champion will be a Masters champion.”
9. 5 priciest charity golf auctions ever
Wisely, there are always big auctions ending during the week of the most-watched professional golf tournament of the year…and of course, there’s plenty of Masters memorabilia to go around.
Examining the not-for-profit auction space, Mike Dojc looked at online auctioneer CharityBuzz to determine the most expensive golf auctions the site has facilitated.
Here are 2 entries.
No. 3 entry…Private stay and golf at Albany, The Bahamas
Winning Bid: $40,000
Benefited: Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research
No. 2 entry…”Golf with Dustin Johnson”
Winning Bid: $75,000
Benefited: The Dustin Johnson Foundation

 

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Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

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4 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

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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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