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Morning 9: Rory: Player of Year 2 horse race | Tiger’s impact as player director | Tour Champ photos

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3 years ago

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1. McIlroy: Woods making an impact as player director

Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…”In the announcement, commissioner Jay Monahan said adding Woods to the board was an attempt “to restore any lost trust or confidence that occurred as a result of the surprise announcement of our framework agreement” in June. According to Monahan, the negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund to create a for-profit entity that would include the Tour, LIV Golf and the European circuit are ongoing, but Woods’ impact on the board has already been felt.”

  • “I think it’s meaningful that he’s on it, that he’s engaged. He’s certainly been spending more time on it than I have,” said Rory McIlroy, who is also a player director on the policy board. “He’s been talking to some people. He’s been talking to a lot of people. He’s really engaged in just trying to get the best outcome for the players on the PGA Tour. I think his difference has been felt already. I think it will only continue to – his presence on there will only continue to grow as we head towards that December 31 deadline.”
  • “Officials are under pressure to reach a definitive deal with the PIF before the end of the year when the framework agreement expires. Unlike the original agreement to explore a possible deal – which was negotiated in secret with no input from players – a potential long-term deal would have to be approved by the entire policy board.”
Full piece.

2. Scheffler: Playoff format isn’t the best

Mark Schlabach for ESPN…”The world No. 1 golfer still isn’t convinced that the Tour Championship, with its staggered-scoring format, is the best way for the PGA Tour to decide its season-long champion and winner of an $18 million bonus.”

  • “I wouldn’t say that it is the best format to identify the best golfer for the year,” Scheffler said Wednesday at East Lake Golf Club. “Jon Rahm played some of the best golf of anybody this year and he’s coming into this tournament fourth and he’s 4 shots back. And, in theory, he could have won 20 times this year and he would only have a 2-shot lead.”
Full piece.

3. McIlroy: POY is a two-horse race

Golf Monthly’s Mike Hall…”McIlroy spoke to the media before the tournament gets underway, and said he thinks it’s between 2022 winner Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm for the Player of the Year award, with the Spaniard just in front with one event to play.”

  • “He said: “I think Scottie’s won twice this year, Jon’s won four times, Jon’s won the Masters, Scottie’s won The Players. If you go on total wins – it’s hard because how can you not – it’s going to be really difficult because Scottie’s had – he could end up with the best ball-striking season of all time.”
  • “He’s hit the ball as good, if not better, than Tiger hit it in 2000. Which is the benchmark for all of us. But I think Jon probably has a little more to show for his year.”
Full piece.

4. McIlroy: Lack of LIV players won’t hurt Europe’s chances

BBC report…”Rory McIlroy has said the absence of LIV players from Team Europe will have no bearing on their chances of reclaiming the Ryder Cup this year.”

  • “European stalwarts Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter are ineligible after resigning from the DP World Tour.”
  • “While American players are eligible, McIlroy does not think LIV players would boost Europe’s bid in Rome.”
  • “No, I don’t think it would make a difference for us,” said the world number two.
Full piece.

5. Scheffler, Harman OK with Koepka on Ryder Cup team

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach…”As Brooks Koepka awaits a decision on whether he will be chosen for the U.S. Ryder Cup squad, world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler and Open Championship winner Brian Harman, who have already qualified for the team, say they wouldn’t mind having him as a teammate, even after he left the PGA Tour for the LIV Golf League in June 2022.”

  • “Koepka, a five-time major champion who tied for second at the Masters and won his third PGA Championship in May, fell out of the top six in the points standings this week, finishing 29 points behind Xander Schauffele for the final automatic spot on the team. Koepka will need to be one of Zach Johnson’s six captain’s picks if he is going to compete against Europe in Italy next month.”
  • “Brooks? I mean, I looked at the points list the other night,” said Scheffler, who is first in Ryder Cup points. “I think he was 30 points shy? I think it was the equivalent of like $30,000 throughout the year. So if he played one tournament on tour, I think he probably would have been on the team.”
Full piece.

6. McIlroy’s mindset

Yahoo Sports’ Jay Busbee…”Majors notwithstanding, McIlroy is on yet another one of his career heaters. He comes into the Tour Championship in third place, starting three strokes behind leader Scottie Scheffler and very much a threat to capture his fourth FedEx Cup. (Another debate: whether it’s tougher to win a one-week major or a three- to four-tournament playoff.)”

  • “Maybe McIlroy would be thriving no matter what the external circumstances, or maybe he’s swinging a little bit easier now that he’s no longer in the midst of the PGA Tour-LIV Golf battle. He brushed off a question about the United States Ryder Cup team possibly adding LIV players to its roster with a curt “I don’t think it would make a difference for us.”
  • “But McIlroy is also, in his words, “less emotionally involved” in the business of pushing the PGA Tour forward, largely because what’s needed now is not what interests him.”
Full piece.

7. All 30 Tour Championship WITBs

Welcome to the only place on the internet you’ll see in-hand photos and WITBs for all 30 players in the Tour Championship! (Rory McIlroy’s bag pictured in the featured image)

  • With the PGA Tour season wrapping up at East Lake this week, we wanted to do something a little different, and dare we say, momentous: full-field WITBs. (Yes, yes, we know it’s a lot easier to do the full field when there are only 30 guys in the field…)
  • With that said, and without further ado, let’s get to the WITBs!
Full piece.

8. ‘A lot of work to do’ on PGA Tour-PIF deal

A.J. Perez for Front Office Sports…”Since the framework agreement announced in June, progress has been slow toward finalizing an agreement that would officially end golf’s divide between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund-backed LIV, two sources with knowledge of the negotiations told Front Office Sports.

  • “There’s a lot of work to do,” one source said.
  • “The lack of movement has left some within the process questioning whether a final agreement can even be reached by the Dec. 31 deadline, which can be extended. The five-page framework was the first crucial step toward unifying the assets of the PGA Tour, LIV, and DP World Tour into one commercial entity that would have at least $1 billion in investments from PIF.”
Full piece.

9. Photos from the Tour Championship

  • Check out all of our galleries from East Lake here.
Full piece.

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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

Published

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

Published

4 weeks ago

on

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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WITB

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