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5 Things we Learned: Day 2 of Women’s Olympic Golf
We can toss all the expectations out the window, after day two. The home-country, day-one leader ballooned to a 76 on Thursday, and fell five shots off the pace, tied for sixth. There’s no more room for error for Celine Boutier. Higher than three-under each of the next two days won’t get the job done. One player posted 65 and two more signed for 66, so the opportunity was there. Astonishingly, the 18th seems to play more difficult as a par five, than it did as a par four. Players found the right rough and sand with regularity, and struggled to reach the green in three from that position.
Le Golf National is proving to be a different beast this week. The 61s and 62s posted a week ago seem out of reach, and it will take a blend of restraint and bravery to win the week. Remember, too, that two of the leaders through day two of the men’s competition ended up winning medals, but those were seasoned winners on their tours. Of the top five in the women’s bracket, three are unproven competitors, with varying years of service to the guild.
Let’s run down what we do know at this juncture, and restrict ourselves to five things from round two at the Paris 2024 Women’s Olympic golf competition, holes 19 through 36.
1. Morgane Metraux
Thankfully, this Swiss golfer has a wikipedia page. That saves a lot of guesswork and supposition. We know that she has two LET wins, and one on the Symetra Tour. Metraux studied and competed at Florida State, then turned professional. Success has not come her way on the LPGA circuit, so victory at the Olympic Games seems to be quite a reach for a first big win. Two eagles and four birdies on the outward half, staked the Alpine queen to a 28 and visions of a really low number. She came home in plus-one, which wasn’t half bad, and posted the day’s second-low round of 66.
Morgane Metreaux ties the LEAD with a 6-under start through her first six holes. ???
? Golf Channel and Peacock | #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/CH4h0tP0H4
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) August 8, 2024
2. Ruoning Yin
As if we needed any more uncertainty, meet Ruoning Yin. She holds three LPGA titles. One is a major (the PGA) and another came in a team event (counts but doesn’t count.) The third was a regular tour event. Two came in 2023, and the partner affair came this season. Can Yin win? Yes. Does she do so with enough regularity, to frame her as the favorite? Absolutely not.
Yin avoided the two bogeys posted by Metraux, and her seven birdies gave her the day’s low round, and a hold on second place. She finds herself one back of the leader, and two ahead of third place. If round-one Ruoning (equal birdies and bogeys) returns on Friday, she might falter. If round-two Yin sticks around, she might be your leader on day three eve.
Ruoning Yin closes with a birdie for a second-round 65 and solo 2nd at the halfway point. ???
? Golf Channel and Peacock | #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/5X8r4jnk7Y
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) August 8, 2024
3. Lydia Ko
People are making a big deal out of Olympic Lydia, given that she has earned a medal in each of the previous two golf competitions. She lacks the gold, and would love to win it, but any medal is spectacular. Ko makes her birdies early at Le Golf National, then hangs on for life over the closing stretch. A two-under or three-under run on Friday, over the final six holes, would give her confidence a boost, heading into day four. Bogey at the last on day two, after she made birdie there on day one, had to be a balloon-popper.
Here comes Olympic Lydia. ???
Lydia Ko climbs to 6-under and T-2 at Le Golf National.
? Golf Channel and Peacock | #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/88urX0ohCV
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) August 8, 2024
4. Mariajo and Pia
How unlikely to feature, is either Mariajo Uribe of Colombia, or Pia Babnik of Slovenia? There’s zero footage of their play from day two. We had to go back to the Ladies European Tour to find a swing clip of Babnik. She did her best Rory Sabbatini (the other famous Slovenian golf olympian) impression, posting seven birdies on the day. Five came consecutively, showing that she is capable of riding a wave of good vibes and great play. As for Uribe, just another 70. HOWEVER, she has made birdie at the diabolical 18th both days, and that should count for a lot, if she is in the hunt come Sunday.
Slam dunk! ?
Brightening up your Monday with some Pia Babnik brilliance ?#RaiseOurGame | #LETreloaded pic.twitter.com/YHBR9Bc5my
— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) March 18, 2024
5. Celine Boutier
We know that Celine Boutier can win tournaments. This time in 2023, she got herself on a hot streak, and rode it to a world number one ranking. This week, she has experienced highs and lows at Le Golf National. The question on which she will sleep, is whether she can recapture the dominance of day one. If she is able to post another 65 on day three, and reach double-digits under par, she will be in the mix on Saturday.
Boutier was in decent shape at the 13th tee. By the fifteenth green, she had returned five shots to the field, and lost confidence in nearly everything. She managed to par her way home, but will need a short memory on day three, to right the ship.
Celine Boutier tees off in front of the home crowd as the leader heading into round 2! ?? #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/vvr4Kvnxcq
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) August 8, 2024
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
- Jason Day – WITB – 2026 The Memorial
- Chris Gotterup – WITB – 2026 The Memorial
- SungJae Im – WITB – 2026 The Memorial
Pullout Albums
- Jason Day’s 1off Payntr golf shoes – 2026 The Memorial
- JT Poston’s TaylorMade Spider – 2026 The Memorial
- Cameron putter – 2026 The Memorial
- Tommy Fleetwood’s TM Spider putters – 2026 The Memorial
- New Mitsubishi Chemical 1K Pro Orange shaft – 2026 The Memorial
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
A party on the green!
Alvaro’s time comes in Raleigh with his first win @UNCHealthChamp ? pic.twitter.com/2dmtZdbSzk
— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) May 31, 2026
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
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
Aaron Rai’s winning WITB: 2026 PGA Championship
Russell Henley’s winning WITB: 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
Photos from the 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
CJ Cup Byron Nelson Tour Report: Koepka and Kim’s newest putters finally get hot
Charles Schwab Challenge Tour Report: MacIntyre, Åberg and Spaun all switch putters, TaylorMade launches new Spider
Details on J.J. Spaun’s surprise putter switch
GolfWRX Launch Report: 2026 Titleist GTS drivers
Photos from the 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
PGA Championship Tour Report: Fitzpatrick, Koepka among big-name putter switches for Aronimink
Photos from the ShopRite LPGA
Maria Torres WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4 3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4 5-wood: Ping G440...
Eric Cole WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: PXG Lightning Tour Max (9 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees) Shaft:...
Si Woo Kim WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (8.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X Mini driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Mini...
Wyndham Clark’s winning WITB: 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (10.5 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D Tour (15 degrees) Shaft: Project...
