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Tour Rundown: K-squared | 14 for Ko | A first-time win in Puerto Rico

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3 years ago

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Weekend number one of March welcomed the PGA Tour to Orlando and Puerto Rico, the Champions to Arizona, the LPGA to Singapore, and the Asian Tour to New Zealand. There was high drama all around, as first-time winners took to the podium at two events, a defending champion defended at a third, and a grizzled veteran claimed glory at a fourth. It was high times this week across the golfers globe, so strap in and enjoy our Tour Rundown-March edition.

PGA Tour: Arnold Palmer Invitational sees first-time winner in K-Squared

From the Asian Development Tour, to the Asian Tour, to the DP World Tour, Kurt Kitayam has handled the pressure of a close event. His three prior wins in the professional ranks were all by two shots or less. It should have surprised no one when he played a smart tee ball away from the water on the 72nd hole at Bay Hill. His lie was less than enviable, but he managed to chop it onto the left portion of the boomerang 18th green, leaving a two-zip code putt between his blade and victory. With all the calm of a journeyman grinder, Kitayama hit a perfect putt that somehow defied gravity and remained on the lip of the crevice. After a mark, he tapped in from an immeasurable distance to secure his first PGA Tour title, by one slim shot.

Forget about the Rory McIlroys (2nd) the Patrick Cantlays, Scottie Schefflers, Tyrrell Hattons, and Jordan Spieths (4th). The fellow who should have won going away tied for 10th. After opening with 67, Cameron Young closed his second round four over par over the closing four holes. On Saturday, he played the same stretch in plus-two. Sunday saw him even par of the apparently-impregnable quadrilateral. Give Young those six shots back, and he finishes -11.

Back to Kitayama. Over the first two days, he kept damage to the minimum of one bogey per day. Saturday and Sunday showed a different side: a guy who could rebound from the big number. After a double on the par-five fourth on day three, he played the remaining 14 holes in minus-two. On Sunday, Kitayama was cruising along when he yanked a drive left on the ninth hole, and ended with a two-feet putt for triple. Most non-winners would have ceded passage to the name brands, but not the NoCal kid. Kitayama posted seven pars, then made birdie at the impossible 17th, followed by his heroics at 18.

 

LPGA: Women’s World Championship is 14th LPGA win for Jin

Jin-Young Ko had a three-year run from 2019 to 2021, when she was a threat to win every event she entered. Ove the past two years, her game has leveled but the ability to win has not gone away. This week in Singapore, Ko had the added pressure of serving as defending champion. With rain dropping from the skies, and tears from her eyes, Ko outKlassed the field with a 17-under total, edging Nelly Korda by two. The week began with three bogeys and a 72 for the eventual winner, not the jump-start one might expect. That even-par round seated her eight shots behind leader Elizabeth Szokol’s 64. As Szokol took up residence in the 70s for the rest of the week, finishing in a tie for eighth position, Ko found a new residence in zone 65.

Twin rounds of seven-under par on Friday and Saturday moved the Korean Komet to the top of the board, two shots clear of her closest pursuers. After the three-bogey start, Ko settled down to one speed bump per round; her fourth-round bogey  came at the 11th hole, but she erased it with birdie number four two holes later. Chasing closely was Korda, who shows all signs of complete recovery from last season’s health scare. The Floridian opened with a trio of 68s, but was never able to break into the mid-60s that she needed to track Ko down. Sunday brought her a five birdie-two bogey round of 69, enough to edge one putt past Ayako Furue and Danielle Kang for solo second.

PGA Tour: Puerto Rico Open welcomes a Colombia winner in Nico Echavarría

Back when the slogan of the PGA Tour was “These Guys Are Good,” it always stood open to interpretation. When opposite-field events like the Puerto Rico Open were not granted the same stature as other tournaments, the message rang like “Some of These Guys Are Good.” No longer the case, as guys like Nico Echavarría and Akshay Bhatia found glory in Río Grande.

Echavarría played his college golf at Arkansas, then worked his way through the professional ranks on PGA Tour Latinoamerica, where he won twice in 2018. This week in the caribbean, Echavarría opened with a pair of 67s, but waited until Saturday to make his move. Carson Young had the 36-hole lead, but when he slipped to 71 on Saturday, Nico soared past with 65. On Sunday, it was a duel between Nico and the aforementioned Bhatia. After making the US Walker Cup side as a teenager, Bhatia eschewed university and went straight to the professional ranks. After beginning round four with a bogey, the Wake Forest, N.C. scion etched seven birdies into his scorecard for 65 and 19-under par. On this day, the Colombian was unstoppable. after an up-down front nine, Echavarría came home in 33, to secure a two-shot victory.

PGA Tour Champions: Cologuard Classic to Toms by a shot

Folks from another generation remember David Toms as the guy who denied Phil Mickelson a PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club. When Toms reached the Tour Champions in 2017, he wasted little time reminding us that he had game. His 2018 US Senior Open title was followed by … very little. Toms next won on the senior circuit in 2021, then waited another two years to claim title number three.

Chasing him in Arizona were guys like Steve Stricker and Robert Karlsson. Stricker faded to 8th with a day-three 71, but Karlsson hung in quite well. The Swede played nearly-flawless golf on Sunday, with a bogey at the 11th his only blemish. Did that miscue cost him a playoff? Statistically speaking, yes. Toms had a bogey of his own on day the last, at the 13th, but he had enough birdies to hold off Karlsson … until his final drive. Toms’ cut faded just enough to drop into the hazard off the tee. He played two more shots to about five feet, then drained the putt for bogey and victory. As they say, it’s never how you do it; just how many.

 

Asian Tour: New Zealand Open trophy rests in hands of elder statesman Jones

Even a third-round 62 wasn’t enough for Brendan Jones to assume the top spot at the New Zealand Open. Shae Wools-Cobb and two other stood between him and the point of the pyramid. As fans know, following a nine-birdie effort with another, stellar round is way easier said than done. Fortunately for Jones, he had a little help from his competition.

After three stellar rounds, Cobb’s game went off the rails with 78 on Sunday. Christopher Wood and Terumichi Kakazu drifted to rounds of 72, which opened the door for a dozen challengers. Four golfers were able to reach 269 for 15-under on the week, highlighted by John Lyras’ 64, the second-low round of the day. After a one-under front nine, Jones was on no one’s marker sheet as title favorite, but that changed in one hour’s course. Four birdies from holes 12 to 17 elevated the 48-year old Aussie to his first Asian Tour win in 13 years, and his 19th professional win overall. As they say, the sun sets late on the career of the professional golfer!

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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.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

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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

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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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