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Morning 9: Finau going nowhere? | PNC field | PGA Tour suspends Rahm

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans, as we turn our attention to the PNC Championship.

1. Oosthuizen takes Alfred Dunhill

AP report…”Louis Oosthuizen came out on top in his final-round duel with close friend and fellow South African Charl Schwartzel to win the Alfred Dunhill Championship on Monday for his first European tour title in five years.”

  • “Oosthuizen closed with a 3-under 69 to win by 2 strokes, but only after a nervy finish that saw him make bogey at No. 17 and roll in a long par putt at the par-5 18th hole after hitting his drive into water.”
  • “Just got lucky on this one,” said the 2010 British Open champion, who finished on 18-under 270.
Full piece.

2. PNC Championship field

In case you were wondering…

40 players/20 teams

Cink, Regan

Cink, Stewart

Daly, John

Daly, Jr., John

Duval, Brady

Duval, David

Faldo, Matthew

Faldo, Nick

Furyk, Jim

Furyk, Tanner

Goosen, Leo

Goosen, Retief

Harrington, Ciaran

Harrington, Padraig

Korda, Nelly

Korda, Petr

Kuchar, Cameron

Kuchar, Matt

Langer, Bernhard

Langer, Jason

Lehman, Sean

Lehman, Tom

Leonard, Justin

Leonard, Luke

McGee, Will

O’Meara, Mark

O’Meara, Shaun

Price, Greg

Price, Nick

Singh, Qass

Singh, Vijay

Sorenstam, Annika

Stricker, Izzy

Stricker, Steve

Thomas, Justin

Thomas, Mike

Trevino, Daniel

Trevino, Lee

Woods, Charlie

Woods, Tigee

3. Lessons from the Grant Thornton

Golf Digest’s Dave Shedloski…“Mutual gushing was the order of the day through 54 holes. Each side had a lot to appreciate about the other. The women got to witness the power the men unleash with their drivers. The men saw just how well the women score with overall skill and tenacity.”

  • “I think it’s really cool to marry the tours together,” Tony Finau said. “They’re seeing shots that they haven’t seen with us, and vice versa. We’re seeing shots that we haven’t seen, and we only get to watch these guys on TV, they only get to watch us on TV.”
  • “Ko underscored perfectly what it meant to be paired with Day when she told her caddie she wanted to hang back at the men’s tee on the final hole to watch Day hit one more drive.
  • …”The hope among LPGA officials is that the Grant Thornton remains an annual event that also opens up other joint ventures with the PGA Tour.”
  • “What was there was a showcase of pure enjoyment of the game along with excellence. You know what that’s good for? Anyone? We’ll let Ko spell out it for you.”
  • “This week I think every player that’s here, whether it’s the PGA Tour player or LPGA player, I think we’re here for more than just the prize money and winning. It’s about the growth of the game,” she said. “It’s great that we got to win on top of that, but I think with the help of Grant Thornton, this is, I think, a start for so many more exciting things to come, and I’m excited to be a part of this partnership.”
Full piece.

4. Could TGL delay be beneficial?

Tom D’Angelo for the Palm Beach Post…”TGL, the virtual golf league launched by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, was scheduled to debut in one month in Palm Beach Gardens.”

  • “But just more than three weeks ago the venue’s roof collapsed causing the league to push back its inaugural season one year. While the delay is unfortunate, some of those who have joined the venture believe it could be beneficial.”
  • “We are all coming into it pretty hot,” said Justin Rose, the London resident who joined TGL in February. “I know the concept’s been around a year or so, the build out and the tech, but I’m sure there was always going to be things to work out. And as players we were going to come into it literally seeing it for the first time.”
  • “Said Jupiter’s Rickie Fowler: “It was already in a rushed state so I think it’s only going to benefit it to start in ’25.”
Full piece.

5. Rory strikes a blow

Our Matt Vincenzi…”Never one to shy away from controversy, Rory McIlroy has taken yet another shot at a LIV player.”

  • “On Saturday, the four-time major champion replied to a post on X from Lou Stagner.”
  • “Stagner wrote, “I wonder if @McIlroyRory also wants to change the rules so Stenson can captain the team?”
  • “McIlroy replied with a dagger.”
  • “The best thing to happen to the 2023 Euro Ryder cup team was Henrik going to LIV!”
Full Piece.

6. Spieth on Rahm exit

James Colgan for Golf.com…”Spieth, Rahm’s former compatriot on the PGA Tour, has a unique perspective on the state of golf. As one of six player directors on the Tour’s all-important advisory board, Spieth has been part of the discussions about the future of professional golf at the highest level — discussions centered around whether the Tour should welcome an investment partner (or two) and the untold billions they would pump into the Tour in exchange for equity. The PIF is, of course, the highest-profile of those possible partners.”

  • “In an interview with the Associated Press‘ Doug Ferguson, Spieth said he felt the real reason Rahm jumped for LIV had more to do with the state of golf than the state of his bank account. In other words, Spieth said, the PGA Tour’s present positioning hurt Rahm’s decision as much as the money helped it.”
  • “I don’t think for him it was the money,” Spieth said. “I believe he saw two places that neither one was in a great situation right now, and he said, ‘May as well have the money.’”
Full Piece.

7. How Chubby Chandler helped Donald Trump buy Turnberry

Our Matt Vincenzi…While speaking with GolfWRX, golf agent Chubby Chandler revealed that he helped Donald Trump buy Turnberry in 2014.

  • Chandler, who is perhaps best known as being the former agent of major champions such as Rory Mcilroy, Charl Schwartzel, Darren Clarke, and Louis Oosthuizen, began the tale when asked what his favorite Open Championship course is:
  • “[Turnberry} is such a wonderful golf course, what he’s done to that course is unbelievable,”
  • “I bought it, you know.” Chubby added.
  • “I bought it because, I got to know him (Trump) a bit in Florida in 2015 and we’d arranged a game with [Lee] Westwood and myself.”
  • “We were playing with Donald and I walked into the breakfast room at West Palm Beach there and he says, ‘Chubby!’. and I’ve never met him, and I’m thinking, why is he shouting at me?”
  • “Chubby! I want you to be my agent.”, Chubby recalled Trump saying.
  • “Anyway, we played and, which was quite an interesting exercise, and he said I want to buy this course, is it any good?
  • “Yeah, it’s very good,” Chubby replied.
  • “Well, I can’t go and buy it cos they’ll jack the price up and it will be difficult,” Trump replied.
  • “Will you front it for me?”
  • Chandler agreed.
Full Piece.

8. Finau staying put?

9. PGA Tour suspends Rahm

Todd Kelly for Golfweek…”Jon Rahm left for LIV Golf last Thursday. On Monday, the PGA Tour officially suspended him, which bars him from defending his title at the season-opening Sentry as well as two other Tour stops in 2024.”

  • “The Tour sent a memo to players alerting them of the move, which was not unexpected, “due to his association with a series of unauthorized tournaments.”
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

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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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