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Morning 9: Wolff talks equipment tweaks | Acushnet makes a purchase | CBD on tour

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1. Welcome to the Tour! (You’re now tournament favorites)
Golfweek’s Bill Speros…:”Matthew Wolff and Collin Morikawa, who finished first and tied for second respectively in the 3M Open last week, have officially accepted invitations to join the PGA Tour ranks.”
  • “Wolff, who played at Oklahoma State, will be part of the PGA Tour through the 2020-21 season. He earned membership status thanks to his 1-shot victory at TPC Twin Cities.”
  • “Wolff got 500 FedEx Cup points for the 3M Open victory and is projected to be 73rd on the list once it is updated, right behind Jordan Spieth.”
  • “Morikawa received Special Temporary Membership for the remainder of the 2018-19 season by virtue of his finish at the 3M Open. That means he is eligible for an invite to every PGA Tour stateside event until the FedEx Cup playoffs begin.”
2. Wolff on the equipment tweaks (mentioned yesterday in one Morning 9 newsletter)
Talking with Digest’s E. Michael Johnson…
“A couple of changes to the wood lineup at the 3M Open, going to the M5 driver and 3-wood from the M6. What was the impetus for that change?”
“It was actually a change back. I used both the M5 driver and 3-wood in college and it brought me a lot of success and I felt really confident with both of them. I took a little bit of time off after college to get ready for the transition from amateur to pro, and I wasn’t hitting my driver very well because I hadn’t been practicing much. I switched to the M6 driver and 3-wood because they’re more forgiving and I was hitting them better. But once I got under pressure, I didn’t have the confidence because it was a new driver to me and I didn’t know what my tendencies were going to be with it. I went back to the same driver I used in college as well as the 3-wood and it made me feel more comfortable out there at the 3M and it definitely helped me get that win.”
3. A purchase for Acushnet
Golf Digest’s Mike Stachura…”Acushnet, parent company of the Titleist and FootJoy golf brands, announced Wednesday it has acquired KJUS, the Swiss-based global high-performance ski and golf-apparel maker.”
  • “Terms of the deal were not disclosed.”
  • “KJUS was founded in 2000 by champion skier Lasse Kjus of Norway and Swiss entrepreneur Didi Serena. The two founded their company on the idea of developing performance apparel for skiing, and eventually golf came as part of that, one day after a round of golf. Kjus told Golf News U.K. that the golf business has always been a natural fit for the company that started as a ski apparel business.”
4. Rory’s not here to go through the motions
McIlroy on teeing it up in the Scottish Open (per the BBC)…
  • “My second week of competitive golf is usually my best week,” said the Northern Irishman.
  • “It’s not as if I want to just come here and go through the motions and get myself ready. I want to play well this week.
  • “There’s no better preparation to compete in majors than to get yourself in contention the week before. This is a very important event to me. It’s good to get back here and re-familiarise myself with links golf.
5. Harris English and the tour truck
Nice to see USA Today’s Steve Dimeglio stepping inside a tour truck to talk to Ping’s Christian Pena…
  • “The 29-year-old who was an all-American at the University of Georgia trusts Christian Pena, Ping’s manager who travels with the Tour, and Pena’s team to build clubs and adjust clubs whenever needed.”
  • “We’re a mobile, fitting, building and just pure taking-care-of-the-player van,” Pena says. “We can build clubs, we can adjust clubs, we want our players to perform their best.”
6. CBD on tour
ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren on “golf’s not-so-secret fascination with CBD oil”
…”I went and tried it about two weeks later when I went home. I measure my sleep with a device called WHOOP,” McCarron said. “That’s a sleep and strain device. Major League Baseball, NFL and Olympic athletes use the device. For the first time in about two years that I’d been wearing the device, I was taking the CBD oil, started on Monday and had sleep in the green, which is fantastic sleep, for seven days straight the first time I took this CBD oil at night to help me sleep.”
  • “McCarron has now been using the products for nearly two years and is among a growing list of PGA Champions Tour players using CBD oil for various reasons, including sleep, recovery, anxiety and inflammation. Through word of mouth of the perceived benefits, the products have spread on the Champions Tour.”
  • “Despite its open popularity among the senior players, it has taken longer to surface as an acceptable practice to discuss publicly with the PGA Tour players. That is rapidly changing, though, as the perception of and education about the product are growing as well.”
7. Renaissance Club on display 
Jeff Shain on the Doak-designed course stepping out of Muirfield’s shadow this week…
  • “The Renaissance Club soon carved its own niche, now with more than 250 members drawn by the Tom Doak design, stunning views of the Firth of Forth and modern touches not found among its older neighbors.
  • “This week, the club has the opportunity to introduce itself to a wider audience as host of the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open.”
  • “It’s the national Open of Scotland,” said Sarvadi, now the club’s managing director. “There’s only a couple of others that get the TV coverage this one has. It’s pretty unique. We’re excited about it.”
8. Remembering the last Open winner at Royal Portrush
Excellent profile of the flamboyant Max Faulkner from the BBC…
  • “One that would turn Max Faulkner into a household name and not just a golfer known as much for his flamboyant attire as his undoubted talent.”
  • “His incredulous playing partner called it “the greatest shot I’ve ever seen” but had Faulkner’s four wood from beside an out-of-bounds fence not sliced to the heart of Royal Portrush’s 16th green, Anthony Cerda could have become the first Argentine to win one of golf’s four majors.
  • “In the month that he’d celebrate his 35th birthday, Max Faulkner clinched the biggest prize of all.”

Full piece. 

 

9. The biggest Anser ever!
Andrew Tursky on a 300-pound putter collab between Ping and John Deere…
“While the John Deere headquarters are based in Moline, Illinois, just miles down the road from TPC Deere Run where the putter is currently displayed, John Deere engineers flew out to Ping headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona about a month ago to start the design process with Tony Serrano, Senior Design Engineer at Ping. During the collaboration, John Deere and Ping used CAD (computer aided drafting) to design the putter head; Serrano says they first designed the putter to be the traditional size of a putter, and John Deere later blew it up to scale.”
The putter head was meticulously designed with iconic features of Ping’s famous Anser putters, with John Deere tractor-inspired designs interweaved throughout. For example, the face “insert” of the putter is an ode to the grill of John Deere tractors and excavators, and the yellow colorway is an obvious shoutout to the iconic John Deere-yellow color featured on its machines and products.”

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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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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