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Rahm: Players feel betrayed | Hadwin on viral tackle | Rory has ‘figured it out’

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Thursday morning, golf fans, as day one of the U.S. Open gets underway.

1. “Full steam ahead” in Monahan’s absence

Golf Channel’s Ryan Lavner…“PGA Tour executive vice president Tyler Dennis said Wednesday that the Tour’s priorities remain unchanged even with commissioner Jay Monahan currently sidelined because of an undisclosed medical situation.…“We’re full steam ahead as a business,” Dennis said Wednesday while appearing on Golf Channel’s “Live From the U.S. Open”.”

  • “All of our priorities remain unchanged. We had a big announcement last week and nothing is changing in that regard. We’re working very hard toward the definitive agreements. There’ll be a lot of news on that subject in the coming weeks and months.”
Full piece.

2. Rahm: Many players feel betrayed

Peter Scrivener for BBC Sport…”A lot” of PGA Tour players “feel betrayal from management” following last week’s announcement of the proposed merger with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, says Jon Rahm.

  • “The world number two was only alerted to the news by text messages.”
  • “I thought my phone was going to catch on fire at one point,” said Rahm.
  • “I told [my wife] Kelley I’m going to throw my phone in the drawer and not look at it for four hours because I can’t deal with this anymore.”
Full piece.

3. Saudis to compensate PGA Tour loyalists?

Martyn Ziegler for the Times…”Golf’s Saudi investors are planning a compensation fund for players such as Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm who stayed loyal to the PGA Tour and refused hundreds of millions of dollars to join the breakaway LIV competition.”

  • “The move follows last week’s peace deal in which Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) will effectively bankroll the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour via a new joint venture.”
  • “The plan would allow players such as Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood and Sergio García to keep the money they were paid to join LIV Golf but would also hand leading players on the PGA Tour substantial payments from the new entity to “level up” their financial rewards, according to a source with knowledge of the proposal.”
Full piece.

4. Hadwin on viral security guard incident

Jon McCarthy of the Toronto Sun…“I don’t blame him one bit,” Hadwin told Postmedia ahead of a Tuesday practice round at Los Angeles Country Club.

  • “Of course, that’s easier for Hadwin to say after waking up Monday morning pain-free after the wild finish to the RBC Canadian Open at Oakdale.”
  • “Listen, I think it was just one of those freak incidents,” Hadwin said. “I kind of came around the corner just as hot as he did, and I’m sure in the moment the entire security team was told not to lose contain on the situation because if Nick wins it could get crazy, and I was a plain-clothed, hoodie- and jeans-wearing guy coming in hot.”
Full piece.

5. Morikawa on PIF-PGA Tour deal

Golf Digest’s Joel Beall…”Morikawa, you may remember, had a hilarious, somewhat indignant response—and a response that was echoed by many players—to last Tuesday’s shocking news, tweeting, “I love finding out morning news on Twitter.” Speaking to the media on Tuesday at Los Angeles Country Club, the two-time major winner was asked his thoughts on the potential deal, now that he’s had a week to marinate on it, and Morikawa started by saying the obvious before making a hard zag.”

  • “Yeah. I don’t know anything,” Morikawa said. “So I’ll talk about my FORE Youth Project that we’re doing. It’s this Maggie Hathaway project. It’s amazing. It’s in a community that is for underprivileged kids, kids that don’t have an opportunity to play. There’s many great organizations coming on board with this, and it’s something that means a lot to me.
Full piece.

6. The challenge of the shortest hole in U.S. Open history

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”Ten years ago at the 2013 Pac-12 Championship, Jon Rahm, then a freshman at Arizona State, thought he’d flagged a lob wedge at Los Angeles Country Club’s diminutive one-shotter, the par-3 15th hole.”

  • “It landed a foot from the hole,” Rahm recalled, “and went long into the rough.”
  • “Expect a similar script this weekend.”
  • “While No. 15 is listed at 125 yards on the official card for the 123rd U.S. Open, it is expected to weigh in at just 80 yards – or perhaps a couple yards shorter. That yardage would make it the shortest hole ever played in a U.S. Open…”
  • “It will prove that par-3s don’t have to be 200 yards,” Rory McIlroy said of the hole, which is part of LACC’s five par-5s, two of which tip out at 284 yards or longer.
Full Piece.

7. Rory ready to roll

John Turnbull for Bunkered…“The long wait to capture a major championship might almost be over for Rory McIlroy, who believes he is primed to end his drought.”

  • “In an interview with Sky Sports’ Jamie Weir, the Northern Irishman hinted at being in a confident position heading into this week’s US Open.”
  • “McIlroy claimed the first of his four major wins at Congressional in 2011 and has a top-ten finish in his last four US Open starts.”
  • “He said: “I’ve started to figure out how to handle US Open conditions, and there is a lot more patience in my game than there used to be.”
  • “I’ve had my ups and downs in this tournament as the years have gone by, but I feel like I’ve figured it out.”
Full Piece.

8. 2012 vs 2023

9. Photos from the U.S. Open

  • Check out all of our galleries from this week’s major!
Full Piece.

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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