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Morning 9: Tiger’s one tip for amateurs | New LPGA No. 1 | Zach not concerned with potential rust

Published

3 years ago

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Wednesday morning, golf fans, as we turn our attention to the Fortinet Championship with the Ryder Cup right around the corner.

1. Tiger sighting

Mike Hall for Golf Monthly…”Tiger Woods appears to be stepping up his latest preparations for a comeback after being filmed hitting one-handed chips on the driving range at Liberty National in New Jersey.”

  • “Woods’ appearance, alongside Will Zalatoris, who is recovering from back surgery, and Rickie Fowler, came ahead of the Nexus Cup, which benefits his foundation. It was also accompanied by a live Q&A session broadcast on Instagram by golf brand Eastside Golf, and will encourage fans who hope to see him back in action sooner rather than later.”
  • “The 47-year-old has only made two competitive starts in 2023, with the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in February and the Masters two months later.”
Full piece.

2. Tiger Woods left totally confused by Rickie Fowler’s putter during Liberty National clinic

Our Matt Vincenzi…“During the clinic, Woods took Fowler’s Odyssey Jailbird out of the back and began to question him on his putting technique.”

  • “I never thought we’d hear the day where Tiger Woods asked for a putting lesson,” the host quipped to the crowd.
  • “Woods messed around with the Jailbird, taking some strokes with the putter.”
  • “How do you take the putter back? I can’t get the head to move,” Woods asked.
  • “I just don’t think about it.” Fowler replied.
  • “Woods: “So where are your feet? What takes the clubhead back? I can’t move it.”
  • “Fowler: “I wanted to quiet down the left side throughout the strike.”
  • “Woods: “Why would you want to do that?”
  • “Fowler: “It calms my hands down to where I didn’t get ‘handsy’”.
  • “Woods: “I understand, I got it.”
Full piece.

3. No Tour, LIV, PIF officials to attend Senate hearing

Rex Hoggard…”Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) will continue his examination of Saudi Arabia’s move into professional golf and other U.S.-based investments through its Public Investment Fund, in a hearing scheduled for Wednesday in Washington D.C.”

  • “The hearing, dubbed the “PGA Tour-LIV Deal: Examining the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund’s Investments in the United States,” follows a similar hearing in July when Tour officials were questioned about the circuit’s framework agreement with the PIF.”
  • “Wednesday’s hearing will feature testimony from Benjamin Freeman, the director of the Democratizing Foreign Policy Program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft; Brian Murphy, the managing director of Logically AI Inc.; and Joey Shea with Human Rights Watch.”
  • “No officials from the Tour, the PIF or LIV Golf are scheduled to testify at the hearing.”
Full piece.

4. New No. 1

LPGA report…”Twenty-year-old Ruoning Yin has reached No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings for the first time in her young career, according to the latest Rankings update. She becomes the 18th different player to reach No. 1 in the world and, for the first time in the history of the Rolex Rankings, the fifth-different player to hold the position in the same calendar year. In both 2022 and 2017, four different players held the No. 1 spot, which was the previous record.”

  • “Yin is the second player from the People’s Republic of China to get to No. 1 since the inception of the Rolex Rankings in 2006. She joins Shanshan Feng, who was No. 1 for 23 weeks from November 13, 2017 until April 22, 2018.”
Full piece.

5. U.S. national team coach selected

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”The USGA is making major progress with its national development program.”

  • “A week after it was announced that a team of three junior girls would represent the U.S. at next month’s World Junior Girls Championship in Canada, Golf Channel has learned that a significant hire has been made.”
  • “Chris Zambri has been tabbed as the U.S. National Development Team’s head coach.
  • “I heard about the opportunity, and it sounded fascinating to me,” Zambri told Golf Channel on Monday. “If there was one thing from coaching in college that I loved more than other things was player development and trying to really dive in on that side of the game, so this sounded like the things that I loved the most about coaching x5. … My family and I are really excited about this opportunity.”
Full piece.

6. Zach not concerned with potential rust

AP report…”U.S. captain Zach Johnson is not concerned about competitive rust.”

  • “I’m confident that the guys know what they’re doing,” Johnson said in Italy when nine of the 12 Americans had practice sessions at Marco Simone. “Number two, there is a tournament and some of the guys are playing in Napa, in California. So you can prepare and play if you want. That’s an option.
Full piece.

7. Tiger to amateur golfers: Don’t watch YouTube

Madison Williams for SI…”Tiger Woods answered various questions during his appearance at his foundation’s annual event, the Nexus Cup, on Tuesday at Liberty National, resulting in some golden responses.

  • “One of the questions, which many golfers probably want to know the answer to, was what was one tip Woods would give to an amateur golfer. This sparked a hilarious, simple and not-safe-for-work response from the 15-time major winner.”
  • “Don’t watch f—— YouTube,” Woods said as the crowd laughed.He then said the second tip he would offer would be to “go hit balls.”
Full piece.

8. How mixed Grant Thornton event will be played

Dan DeLuca for Naples Daily News…”The Grant Thornton Invitational will consist of three distinct playing formats when the mixed-team golf event debuts this December in Naples as part of the Challenge Season.

  • Here’s a look at the three playing formats the Grant Thornton will employ.
  • Friday, Dec. 8: Scramble format
  • In this round, each player hits a tee shot and then the team selects the ball to be used for the next stroke. From there, both players hit their next shots from that spot. This process continues until the ball is holed.
  • Saturday, Dec. 9: Foursome (alternate shot) format
  • This is the most traditional of the three days, adhering to a format that is consistently featured in both the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup. Each team’s players alternate hitting shots with the same ball until the ball is holed. One player will tee off on the odd-numbered holes, and the other tees off on the even-numbered holes.
  • Sunday, Dec. 10: Modified Four-Ball format
  • This final round will feature a format new to team play and a twist on traditional Four-Ball. In the modified format, both players tee off, and then they switch balls for their second shots and play that same ball until it is holed. The lower score of the partners is then counted as the team score for the hole.
Full piece.

9. Fortinet photos

  • Check out all of our galleries from this week’s Tour event!
Full piece.

Related Topics:

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

3 weeks ago

on

Jun 1, 2026

By

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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News

Tour Tech Rundown: Heroic Henley

Published

4 weeks ago

on

Jun 1, 2026

By

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

By

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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