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Morning 9: JT will get captain’s pick | Solheim Cup roster revealed | How Hovland took next step

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3 years ago

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans, as all roads now lead to Rome with the upcoming Ryder Cup.

1. How Hovland took the next step

Evin Priest for Golf Digest…”The biggest par save of the week, though, was at No. 14 when playing partner Schauffele was within three shots. An improved short game briefly deserted Hovland as he left his pitch shot 23 feet short but made the putt. “That putt was huge; two shots with four [holes] to go is a different [mindset] than three shot,” he said.”

  • “Rory McIlroy says that’s where Hovland has blossomed as an elite player. “He’s one of the best drivers of the golf ball in the world and a hell of a player,” said McIlroy, who finished fourth despite problems with his back all week. “I think as we all know he’s improved around the greens this year. That’s been the difference from being a top-10 player in the world to what he’s done this year.”
  • “Hovland’s Ryder Cup teammate, Matt Fitzpatrick, agreed, saying, “He is just so straight and so accurate; tee to green he is phenomenal.”
  • “Tommy Fleetwood, who finished T-6, reminded reporters that despite being on tour for four years, Hovland was still only in his mid-20s. The best, Fleetwood said, was likely yet to come.”
Full piece.

2. Awaiting the call

Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…”Whatever value U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson put on individual performances at the Tour Championship – and given Sunday’s finish at East Lake there was plenty for Captain America to digest – there’s only one step remaining: the phone call.”

  • “Every captain will count this point in the process as the most difficult. After two years of qualifying and analysis, Johnson will huddle with his vice captains and the six automatic qualifiers to round out the U.S. team that will travel to Rome next month. Anyone with even a remote chance of being one of those six picks will spend the next 24 hours staring at their phones and mulling their fate. For a professional golfer, the lack of control is a triggering experience.”
  • “The phone call that awaits players, either to invite them to join the fun in Rome or condolences for coming up short, produces emotions that are unique to a game that attempts to detach process from outcome. And regardless of the message, every call is memorable.”
Full piece.

3. JT will get the nod

Ewan Murray for the Guardian…”Zach Johnson is poised to ignore the poor form of Justin Thomas and select the two-time major winner for the US Ryder Cup team.”

  • “Johnson names his six wildcards on Tuesday, with much focus on whether Thomas, whose missed cuts at the US Open and the Open Championship featured rounds of more than 80, will get the nod.”
  • “Thomas admitted during the Open at Royal Liverpool that he was at a loss to explain his performance. He subsequently missed out on the PGA Tour’s end?of?season playoffs. But Johnson is likely to bank on Thomas’s experience and influence by handing the 30-year-old a huge vote of confidence just weeks from the meeting with Europe just outside Rome. Thomas took two and a half points from four matches as the US routed Europe at Whistling Straits in 2021.”
Full piece.

4. Solheim Cup roster reveal

AFP report…”US captain Stacy Lewis unveiled the complete American roster for next month’s Solheim Cup on Monday by adding Angel Yin, Cheyenne Knight and Ally Ewing to complete the 12-woman lineup.”

  • “World number one Lilia Vu, second-ranked Nelly Korda, eighth-ranked Allisen Corpuz and Megan Khang, who won her first LPGA title Sunday at Vancouver, were among nine automatic qualifiers confirmed Monday morning for the US lineup in the biennial match-play golf showdown against Europe.”
  • “Just hours later, Lewis rounded out the squad with her captain’s picks…”These final days were definitely some of the hardest ones of my career, but I’m so proud to have Ally, Cheyenne and Angel on the US Solheim Cup team,” Lewis said.”
Full piece.

5. Chacarra wins on Asian Tour in 10-hole playoff

Gabrielle Herzig for SI…”Eugenio Chacarra captured his first non-LIV professional victory on Sunday at the Asian Tour’s inaugural St Andrews Bay Championship in dramatic fashion.”

  • “Chacarra, 23, defeated Australia’s Matt Jones, another LIV golfer, in a 10 hole playoff—the longest playoff in the Tour’s history.”
  • “The suspenseful finish topped the 2001 SK Telecom Open in Korea, which saw a seven-hole playoff. The longest playoff on the PGA Tour was 11 holes at the 1949 Motor City Open.”
  • “Chacarra and Jones both finished at 19 under par in regulation after shooting 67 and 69 on Sunday, respectively. Jones’s fate was almost sealed on the third extra hole, but he holed a chip shot for birdie from 25 feet to extend the sudden-death playoff.”
  • “It took two hours and 8 minutes before a champion was crowned.”
Full piece.

6. Reed’s liberal use of the hashtag

7. Payday

Patrick McDonald for CBS Sports…”Every player who finished inside the top 150 of the FedEx Cup standings will receive some portion of this bonus, but nearly $60 million of it was still up for grabs in Atlanta. A player’s career earnings will not technically grow because of his performance in the postseason final, but that doesn’t mean the money is not astronomical.”

  • “For the second straight year, $18 million was be awarded to the FedEx Cup winner — Viktor Hovland — with every player inside the top 10 cashing seven figures. All 30 players enjoyed the luxury of claiming at least $500,000, even if their play resulted in a last-place finish.”
  • “Scottie Scheffler was the only man to surpass $18 million in earnings this season, and he was on the cusp of a $40 million year if he won his first FedEx Cup crown. Alas, that did not happen. Hovland, Jon Rahm, Rory Mcilroy, Wyndham Clark, Max Homa and Patrick Cantlay all entered East Lake with at least $10 million already under their belts.”
Full piece.

8. RIP

Todd Kelly for Golfweek…”John Davis, a 2019 inductee into the Arizona Golf Hall of Fame and sports journalist for nearly 36 years, died early Monday after a long battle with cancer.”

  • “Davis, 73, was a fixture on the Arizona golf scene for more than 20 years and witnessed firsthand the rise of the Phoenix Open. Phil Mickelson, a native of San Diego but a hero for Arizona State, became the face of the event, spearheading its massive growth into one of the world’s most highly attended sporting events.”
  • “And Davis was right there along for the ride. Over time, writer and golfer forged a friendship. A typical routine after a tournament round consisted of Mickelson signing autographs for 20 or 30 minutes, putting pen to paper for anyone and everyone who wanted one at TPC Scottsdale. It wasn’t an uncommon sight to see him and Davis later engaged in small talk, sharing a smile or two, catching up like two longtime friends.”
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

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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.

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WITB 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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