Connect with us

News

Tour Rundown: Hideki moves from bronze to gold | Coughlin can’t be stopped

Published

2 years ago

on

Across the USA, fantasy football drafts take place, while school supplies adorn shelves and leaves begin to turn color. It’s not fall for at least a month, but the winds have shifted and summer is nearly behind us. The Women’s Open will take place this week at The Old Course, and it will signal the true end of the summer professional golf season. 2024 has been a year of wondrous competition, from the majors to the ultra-major (the Olympic games) to the playoffs. It’s FedEx Cup time, to be followed by the CME and the Race to Dubai. Before she departs for good, let’s enjoy another week of Tour Rundown, and all the magnificent shots that were played.

PGA Tour Playoffs @ FedEx St. Jude: Hideki moves from bronze to gold

Last month, Hideki Matsuyama led, then lost, then reclaimed a medal at the Paris Olympics. Matsuyama closed elegantly, to claim a spot on the Olympic podium, bronze medal around his neck. His return to the USA for the beginning of the FedEx Cup run began with a stumble, but ended with more greatness.

While awaiting a connecting flight in London, Matsuyama, his caddie, and coach, were robbed of a number of belongings. The caddie and coach lost their passports, and were compelled to return to Japan to secure new documentation. Matsuyama continued on to Memphis, securing the services of Taiga Tabuchi, the usual caddy for Ryo Hisatsune. The duo worked efficiently throughout the week, moving to the top of the board with an opening 65. A 64 on day two gave Hideki the solo lead, and he preserved it on Saturday with another 64.

Matsuyama played solid golf over the majority of the TPC Southwinds course, even as Xander Schauffele chased him down. Schauffele, still sore after losing a spot on the Paris podium, posted the low round of the week (63) on Sunday to reach 15-under par. At the 12th, Matsuyama found water and made his first bogey since Saturday’s second hole. He dunked his tee shot on the ensuing par three, but got up and down from 35 yards away for a bogey that felt like birdie. He wasn’t finished. Yet another wayward drive at 15, followed by an errant approach shot, brought a double bogey to his card. A once-safe lead was gone, a casual stroll home had disappeared, and Matsuyama was in a battle to the end.

Despite a par at the reachable, par-five 16th, Matsuyama yet to steady himself. A creative approach from the left rough left 25 feet for birdie on 17, and the putter did not disappoint. Par at the last would secure victory, the great champion found fairway, then green, then birdie for a two-shot win over Schauffele. Tied for second was Norway’s Viktor Hovland, whose season-long struggles may finally be at an end.

DP World Tour @ Czech Masters: Ravetto collects first tour title

Although they say that it’s how you finish that matters, you must do something along the way to have that chance at the end. David Ravetto of Paris opened his stay in Prague with rounds of 68 and 63. The latter tied the course record, and brought him to the top spot, one ahead of Sweden’s Jesper Svensson. Svensson reclaimed the advantage on Saturday, but Ravetto was brilliant once more on Sunday.

Thanks to six birdies, Ravetto turned for home in 30, once more in the lead. A bogey at 12 slowed his train, but birdies at three of the next four greens regained the momentum. Svensson was within one of the lead when the pair reached the par-five 16th. Ravetto made the last of his day-four birdies, while Svensson lost course with a double-bogey seven. The Swede was able to preserve solo second with a pair of pars, but it was Ravetto who earned a first-ever triumph on the DP World Tour.

LPGA @ Scottish Open: Coughlin can’t be stopped

It was early July, just prior to the Paris Olympics, and Lauren Coughlin was a winless grinder on the LPGA circuit. Move ahead five weeks, and the American is the champion of not one, but two countries. Coughlin secured her first LPGA win at the Canadian Open last month, then traveled overseas to the Dundonald Links in Scotland. There, she posted four rounds in the 60s, the only one in the field to achieve such notoriety. Those four rounds were enough to develop a four-shot margin of victory over Germany’s Esther Henseleit.

Couglin made a pair of bogeys on day one, then did not slip again until the beginning of round four. Despite bogey at the second and fourth holes on Sunday, Coughlin found five birdies the rest of the way, including a decisive one at the home hole. Henseleit, who gained attention with a come-from-way-behind, Silver medal in Paris, rode a third-round 66 to a two-shot advantage for second spot.

Korn Ferry Tour @ Magnit: McGreevy masters Metedeconck

The low total in New Jersey this week was 18-under par. That figure belonged to Max McGreevy. Next came four golfers at -15, followed by another three at -14. A three-shot margin of victory might seem like a safe space, but it isn’t. McGreevy did nothing spectacular on Sunday, but neither did he do anything dangerous. He posted three birdies and fifteen pars, and let the field do its best to catch him.

Among those at -15, Tim Widing had the best chance. The two-time winner this season had five birdies and an eagle on the day, but he also fell into a few holes along the way. Two bogies and a double bogey ensured that a third tour title would not come his way this week. Will Chandler was the 54-hole leader, but four bogies from the sixth to the 13th took him too far back to make victory a reality. The Korn Ferry Tour moves on to the Boise Open this week, the longest-running event in tour history.

PGA Tour Champions @ Rogers Charity: Tanigawa returns to podium

Ken Tanigawa kinda sorta burst onto the PGA Tour Champions scene, back in 2018. He won the PURE Insurance, then followed it with a major, at the 2019 Senior PGA at Oak Hill. 123 tournaments followed for the two-time winner, with nary a victory among them. No one, especially Tanigawa, thought that it would take five years of competition for a third triumph to come his way.

This week in Calgary, Tanigawa found that elusive triumph. He moved into contention on Saturday, thanks to an electrifying 61. Seven birdies plus one ace propelled him into Sunday’s penultimate group. Tanigawa chased down Richard Green, the overnight leader, with a masterful 64. Over the final five holes, Tanigawa found a pair of birdies, while Green tripped over two bogies, for a four-shot swing. Green held on to second position, two behind the winner, and one ahead of Darren Clarke and Jason Caron.

Related Topics:

Ronald Montesano writes for GolfWRX.com from western New York. He dabbles in coaching golf and teaching Spanish, in addition to scribbling columns on all aspects of golf, from apparel to architecture, from equipment to travel. Follow Ronald on Twitter at @buffalogolfer.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

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

 

 

Continue Reading

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

Continue Reading

News

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

Continue Reading

Announcement

Our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use have been updated as of January 29th, 2026. Please review the updated policies here Privacy Policy | Terms of Use. By continuing to use our site after January 29th, 2026, you agree to the changes.

WITB

Whats in the Bag4 weeks ago

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...
Whats in the Bag4 weeks ago

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:...
Whats in the Bag1 month ago

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...
Whats in the Bag1 month ago

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...

Facebook

Trending