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Morning 9: Presidents Cup to Australia | DP World Tour’s ‘fake battle’? | Rocket Mortgage Photos

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Wednesday morning, golf fans, as we gear up for the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

1. Neither rain nor snow…

PGATour.com staff…”The storm closed the golf course to media on Monday, but did no damage to the course and left structures intact, Rocket Mortgage Classic Executive Director Jason Langwell said.”

  • “We’re in great shape,” Langwell said Monday amid the din of wood chippers and chainsaws. “We’ve got golfers, we’ve got a full driving range here, Max (Homa) and others out practicing. Players on the back nine getting their practice rounds in just like they always do on a Monday.”
  • “The cell came through at roughly 6:45 p.m. Sunday, said Rocket Mortgage Classic Chief Referee and PGA TOUR Senior Tournament Director Stephen Cox.”
  • “We got incredibly lucky,” Cox said. “The trees fell in the right direction. One fell on a car at the entrance to the club, and another fell in close proximity to the practice putting green and did some minor damage, but if it had fallen 4 or 5 feet to the right it would have been much worse.”
Full piece.

2. Big hitters only

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”In his two PGA Tour starts this season, both majors (Masters and U.S. Open), Sargent has averaged 323.9 yards off the tee and 125.6 clubhead speed. Those numbers would rank second and third, respectively, on the PGA Tour.”

  • “Sargent will tee it up in this week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic – and he might find it difficult to be the longest player not just in the field but in his group.”
  • “Brandon Matthews and Matti Schmid will be grouped with Sargent for each of the first two rounds at Detroit Golf Club, where they’ll tee off at 2:11 p.m. ET in Thursday’s first round. Matthews is second on Tour in driving distance (321.8 yards) while Schmid is fourth (315.8 yards). Matthews is also second in clubhead speed (126.38 mph), behind only Cameron Champ (126.5), and ball speed (189.55), also behind Champ (190.71).”
Full piece.

3. Presidents Cup headed to Kingston Heath in 2028

From a press release…”The PGA TOUR and the Presidents Cup today announced that the 2028 Presidents Cup will be contested at Kingston Heath Golf Club, one of the most iconic venues on the famed Melbourne Sandbelt. The 2028 Presidents Cup will mark the event’s fourth visit to Melbourne, with the TOUR having previously announced a long-term commitment with Visit Victoria to staging the Presidents Cup in Melbourne in 2028 and 2040.”

  • “Consistently ranked as one of the top courses in Australia and around the world, Kingston Heath was designed by Australia’s Dan Soutar and features a natural bunkering layout spearheaded by legendary architect Alister Mackenzie in 1926. Among the noteworthy championships held at Kingston Heath include the Australian Open, which has been hosted seven times and most recently in 2022 when it shared duties with Victoria Golf Club. It has also hosted the 2009 and 2012 Australian Masters, the 2008 Women’s Australian Open, and the 2016 World Cup of Golf.”
Full piece.

4. Zhang may need captain’s pick

ESPN report…“Zhang won the Mizuho Americas Open at Liberty National in her pro debut. Three weeks later, she was within one shot of the lead until a bogey on the 16th hole at Baltusrol in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. She tied for eighth.”

  • “Because of LPGA policy, Zhang does not get credit for her victory because she became a member after she won. That cost her 60 points toward the Solheim Cup. As it stands, she is 25th on the points list with at least five tournaments — two of them majors — before qualifying ends for the leading seven players.”
  • “The LPGA typically doesn’t change policy in the middle of a season. Along with losing out on Solheim Cup points, Zhang’s victory also did not count toward player of the year or rookie of the year.”
Full piece.

5. Taking another Trip

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”Trip Kuehne will make his first USGA championship appearance in 16 years at this week’s U.S. Senior Open.”

  • “The 51-year-old Kuehne hasn’t played in a USGA championship since winning the 2007 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Bandon Dunes. The following year, after competing in the 2008 Masters, Kuehne retired from competitive golf to focus on his son Will’s football development.”
Full piece.

6. Ryder Cup x Roc Nation?

Matt Cradock for Golf Monthly…”The Ryder Cup is arguably the biggest golf event on the planet, with the battle between Team Europe and Team USA watched globally by millions of people. Not only is it viewed by millions, but it also draws huge stars such as Michael Jordan and Niall Horan.”

  • “Now, for the 2023 edition of the Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, it has been announced that Roc Nation Sports International, a company founded by multiple-time Grammy award winner and rap legend, Jay-Z, will work in partnership with the Ryder Cup to show all the drama and action to new audiences this September.”
Full Piece.

7. Sergio and Rory friends again

Our Matt Vincenzi…”…While speaking to the media ahead of this week’s LIV tournament, Sergio called the U.S. Open a “great event” due to the fact that he reconciled with the man who was an usher at his wedding in 2017.”

  • “More than anything, because I gained a friend back, a friend that I kind of felt like I lost in the last year or so.
  • We talked and we had a great conversation, and I feel like I have that friend back, and that to me means a lot. That’s a very positive thing.”
Full Piece.

8. ‘Fake battle’?

Ben Parsons for Bunkered…”DP World Tour pro Mike Lorenzo-Vera believes his circuit is fighting a “fake battle” to eradicate its perennial slow play problems.”

  • “Speaking to bunkered at The Belfry ahead of the British Masters, the outspoken Frenchman voiced his anger at authorities over the glacial pace of play he experienced at last week’s BMW International Open.”
  • “Lorenzo-Vera unusually took to Twitter after taking over three hours to make it to the 12th tee during his nightmare second round in Munich.”
  • “The 38-year-old explained how he was forced to wait on “every single shot” – despite struggling around the course himself on a front nine that included two double bogeys and one treble.”
  • “And after posting a horrendous 84 on a marathon Friday, he claimed that big fines and penalty shots must be imposed immediately as an appropriate deterrent for consistent offenders.”
Full Piece.

9. Rocket Mortgage Photos

  • Check out all of our photos from this week’s event!
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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