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Tour Rundown: What’s Sepp? What Jeeno about that?
I was tempted to sneak the word catachresis into this week’s episode title. Borrowed from Greek, it means “the use of a word in a way that is not correct.” I’ve been on a linguistic binge of late, adding to the idiolect, one word at a time. I then reconsidered. Don’t lead with polysyllables two consecutive weeks. Catachresis did make its way into the opening paragraph, with good reason.
In golf, we see players choose the wrong shot at the wrong time, and the results are often disastrous. At times, they hold themselves to a higher standard or the standard of another player. Sometimes, they don’t possess the proper shot, or don’t trust its accessibility with the given circumstances. At others, they believe that too much is at risk to execute the most desirable play.
After the strong performances of overnight leaders on the LPGA and PGA Tours, the rest of professional golf saw come-from-behind victories. In other words, there was some catachresis, golf-style, going on. Read about all that and more in this week’s Tour Rundown.
PGA Tour @ Truist Championship: Straka in a walka, sort of
Josef Straka earned his second win of 2025 in the City of Liberty. Known to his friends and the world as Sepp, Straka avoided the mistakes that others made on Sunday and cemented his place among the European elite in the men’s professional golf world. With that, he most surely will earn a spot on the European side for the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage.
Straka played for the fat and the short coming down the stretch. He partnered with Shane Lowry, an Open champion, on Sunday, and he outplayed him. Straka wasn’t flawless on Sunday. He had eagles and bogeys, but that stretch from hole 12 to 18 saw him home in minus one. His challengers were not so fortunate. After recording birdie at 15, Lowry chased a back-left location on 16, and paid for it. His tee ball found the short-side bunker and dropped a shot. He lost one more at 18 and tied for second with Justin Thomas. His catachresis was the overcooked draw at 16, instead of the safe play to the middle of the green.
As for Thomas, he also had a bogey at the antepenultimate hole. Not even a birdie could bring him back to true contention, but a tie for second in what felt like a major championship (classic course, wonderful field) had to make the Kentuckian smile.
LPGA @ Mizuho Americas: It’s five for Jeeno at Liberty
Jeeno Thitikul underwent more than just a recognition change in 2024. She went with her nickname Jeeno for all to use, abandoning her given name of Atthaya for public purposes. She also found a closer’s cool, winning the Tour Championship and its ambitious check. This week, she showed up at Liberty National and took the tour to task. Thitikul sandwiched a less-than-73 with rounds of 64 and 65, then posted 69 on Sunday, to win by three.
Jeeno had a one-shot edge over Celine Boutier and two over Andrea Lee heading into the final round. Boutier had as many birdies as Thitikul on day four, but she also sprinkled three unfortunate bogeys into the recipe. Lee also had an up-and-down day, pairing two birdies with two bogeys. Thitikul, meanwhile, went bogey-free on the day and won by four over Boutier and five over Lee.
DP World Tour @ Turkish Airlines Open: Couvra wins as a professional
Martin Couvra made headlines in 2023, when he won on the European Challenge Tour as an amateur. His Challenge de España compelled him to turn professional, and at the age of 22, he won an inaugural DP World Tour title in Turkey.
On Sunday, Couvra made nine birdies against two bogeys to post 64 and reach 17-under par. Overnight leader Brandon Robinson Thompson began the day at 14-under par, needing a 69 to tie and a 68 to win. The Englishman ran dry at the dock, finding just one birdie on the day. His 73 dropped him to solo fourth.
Both Haotong Li and Jorge Campillo began the day a shot ahead of Couvra, and both posted 67 on day four. There was little more to do than shake their heads in the face of the winner’s 64. They finished two back of the lead, at 15-under par.
PGA Tour @ ONEflight Myrtle Beach: Fox is on the run
If there ever was a trio of golfers to root for in a PGA Tour event, you met them today at Dunes Club in Myrtle Beach. Ryan Fox, the Popeye of New Zealand, met up with Harry Higgs (a Seth Rogan lookalike) and Mackenzie Hughes (the lifter of Canada’s curse) in overtime. The trinity reached 15-under par over the waterlogged course, one clear of Kevin Yu. Away they went, to the 18th tee for resolution.
Over the course of the day, third-round leader Carson Young faded fast with 73, dropping 12 places to a tie for 13th place. He wasn’t alone in the struggles. Victor Perez and Davis Shore also dropped out of the top five, tumbling to the same place as Young with a pair of 70s.
In the playoff, Fox looked lost from the start. He hit the shortest tee ball and was the only golfer to miss the fairway. Fox’s approach missed the fringe on the right, again the only golfer to miss the green. With Hughes looking at 15 feet for a birdie, and another 25 left for Higgs, Fox calmly chipped his ball into the hole. Neither Hughes nor Higgs could match, and the kollosal Kiwi had his first PGA Tour win on his belt.
PGA Tour Americas @ Bupa Championship: JMB wins the BUP
The second-most famous John Marshall Butler stormed from behind to capture his first professional title. A year ago, JMB was a senior at Auburn University, competing in amateur and collegiate events. After graduation, he joined PGA Tour Americas. This week, Butler posted birdies on three of his final five holes, to edge past Vicente Marzillo by one.
Another John Marshall Butler was a lawyer and senator from Maryland, departing the Earth in 1978. Despite bearing the names of two important universities, this JMB eschewed both Marshall and Butler for the War Eagle community. Butler stood two behind Trip Kinney through 54 holes, then fired up the fans with an eagle three on Sunday’s second hole. Despite a bogey at four, Butler stood strong and mustered five more birdies on the way to the title.
The Kentucky kid comes out on top ?@JMButler2020 wins the 2025 Bupa Championship! pic.twitter.com/wHOodLxdTu
— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) May 11, 2025
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...
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Aug 7, 2025 at 11:44 pm
Fun and quirky tour highlights, full of surprises!