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Morning 9: Knapp Time | AK to tee it up | Patty T victorious

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Monday morning, golf fans, as the PGA Tour moves over to the Florida swing

1. In Mexico: Knapp Time

ESPN report…”PGA Tour rookie Jake Knapp lost a four-shot lead in seven holes and then held it together with a remarkable short game Sunday, closing with an even-par 71 to win the Mexico Open at Vidanta and earn a trip to the Masters.”

  • “Knapp said he still sends a text after each round to his grandfather, who died last year, and this message might require a lot of detail.”
  • “He didn’t hit a fairway until the eighth hole and found only two the entire round — the fewest in the final round of a PGA Tour win in the past 40 years, according to golf statistician Justin Ray. Knapp never lost the lead but twice allowed Sami Valimaki of Finland to catch him. They were tied with six holes to play until Knapp took over, getting up and down on four of the next five holes, one of them for birdie.”
Full piece.
2. Report: Anthony Kim to play LIV event

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”Anthony Kim will return to professional golf next week at the LIV Golf event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, according to multiple sources who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.”

  • “Kim will be a wildcard player in next week’s LIV Golf event in his first professional start since 2012. The 38-year-old had surgery on his Achilles tendon in his left leg following the ’12 Wells Fargo Championship and had been mulling a possible return for months.”
Full piece.
3. DPWT: Van Driel wins after challengers shank

Golf Channel report…”Darius van Driel won the Magical Kenya Open on Sunday for his first career win on the DP World Tour.”

  • “Meanwhile, two of van Driel’s main challengers hit less than magical shots.”
  • “First was Manuel Elvira, who co-led with van Driel after 54 holes and remained tied with van Driel through four holes. Elvira found the greenside bunker off the tee at the par-3 fifth at Muthaiga Golf Club in Nairobi. Faced with a routine shot from the sand, Elvira shanked the shot and ended up walking away with bogey.”
Full piece.
4. LPGA: Patty T wins in Thailand

LPGA report…”It came down to the 72nd hole against some late-round charges. But when the dust settled, Patty Tavatanakit became the second Thai champion to be crowned at the Honda LPGA Thailand on Sunday, winning her first Tour event in 1,057 days. After starting the final round with a three-shot lead, she ultimately shot a 5-under 67 to finish -21, the first time she’s recorded all four rounds of an event in the 60s since her first Tour win at the 2021 Chevron Championship.”

Full piece.
5. Tonight…The Match: McIlroy, Homa, Thompson, Zhang

Cameron Morfit for PGATour.com…”Rory McIlroy, Max Homa, Lexi Thompson and Rose Zhang play an individual and often very serious game, but those walls will come down in “Capital One’s The Match” at 6:30 p.m. ET on Monday (TNT, TruTV, HLN, and the B/R Sports Add-On on Max).”

  • “For the 12-hole charity skins game at The Park at West Palm Beach, a Gil Hanse design that reimagined and resurrected a closed muni, their goal will be the same: to broaden the game’s appeal, especially to kids.”
  • “I’ve been there a few times,” McIlroy, who lives in the area, said of The Park in a conference call Thursday. “If you go there at 6 p.m., that place is filled with kids – boys and girls.”
Full piece.
6. Luke Donald to try out for NBC lead analyst spot

Josh Carpenter for Sports Business Journal…”NBC Sports is adding European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald to its broadcast booth for a pair of upcoming events as it continues in its search for a lead analyst to replace Paul Azinger.”

  • “Donald, who still plays semiregularly on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, will join NBC/Golf Channel for the Cognizant Classic next week and the Arnold Palmer Invitational the following week. Donald is expected to appear in some form on Thursday of the Cognizant broadcast and join play-by-play man Dan Hicks as part of a two-man booth on the weekend.”
Full Piece.
7. 19 putts

Beth Ann Nichols for Golfweek…”Albane Valenzuela called putting her “nemesis” in recent months. Well, that changed in a mighty way in Thailand, where she needed only 19 putts in a career-low 9-under 63 on Sunday. The Swiss player’s solo second to Patty Tavatanakit at Honda LPGA Thailand marked her career-best finish on tour.

  • “Last month at the LPGA Drive On in Bradenton, Florida, the 26-year-old Valenzuela had 10 three-putts, calling her speed “totally off.”
  • “On Sunday at Siam Country Club, Valenzuela went on a dizzying streak with the putter after holing out for eagle on the par-4 fifth.
  • “From No. 7 onwards I only had one-putts,” said Valenzuela. “For all the people that told me I could not putt, there you go.”
Full Piece.
8. Ortiz set to jump over 1,000 spots in OWGR

Jonny Leighfield for Golf Monthly…”Carlos Ortiz’s International Series Oman win on the Asian Tour was significant in a number of ways. Firstly, it was his maiden victory on that circuit. Secondly, the Mexican landed a nice comforting $360,000 check for his efforts. And thirdly, he has likely jumped from outside of the world’s top-1,000 male golfers to around the No.250 mark.”

  • “Ortiz upstaged Louis Oosthuizen and Torque GC captain Joaquin Niemann to record a convincing four-shot victory in the $2 million event – the first elevated tournament on this year’s Asian Tour calendar.”
Full Piece.
9. Winning WITB: Jake Knapp

Presented by 2nd Swing

Driver: Ping G425 LST (9 degrees)

Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100 TX

Mini driver: TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver (13.5 degrees)

Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100 TX

Irons: Srixon ZU85 (2), PXG 0211 ST (4-PW)

Wedges: PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy II (52), Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (56-10S), WedgeWorks (60-T)

Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour Double Bend

Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy 2.0 PT

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Titleist Pro V1 Left Dot

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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