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Five Things We Learned: Thursday at the Open Championship
It’s funny how anticipation and arrival juxtapose. In 2019, our anticipation level for Royal Portrush had no meter to contain it. The last Northern Ireland Open championship took place in the 1950s. No matter what happened, no matter who won, the Dunluce course would win the week and the year. Our despair at Rory’s early exit was more than sated when Shane Lowry lifted the claret jug.
Move ahead to 2025, and things have changed. Lowry is still a competitive contender, and the golf course has done little in six years, to change its personality for the worse. And yet, we are a bit more critical. We recognize that it has more dogleg holes than most links courses. We confess that it has two holes added from its original design. We have no historical legacy othen than Lowry, as Max Faulkner’s 1951 win is deep in another century. The bloom is shed and the veil, lifted.
Portrush needs the book of winners that Troon, Birkdale, Hoylake, Carnoustie, and St. Andrews all possess. Portrush craves the connection with the town that other venues boast. Portrush needs an identity, one that will be enjoyed by our grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as it adds name after name of Champion Golfer of the Year to its legacy. For our generations, we are here at the nascent point of the chronological arc.
With that sobriety written, let’s have a lesson from five notable things that we learned on day one, Thursday, of the 2025 Open Championship.
1. Bunkers and Billy
Billy Horschel has been sidelined with hip issues, and will undergo surgery next week. As the operation gets closer, Horschel becomes more vocal in his opinions on the state of the game. Last week, he took issue with a notion from Padraig Harrington, that the Open Championship might one day be played outside the British isles. This week, he demonstrated displeasure with the absence of trained bunker rakers at Royal Portrush. Without the standard bearers, caddies are compelled to rake bunkers as they do each week of the season.
We’ve not yet heard from Horschel on the size of the teeth of this week’s rakes. According to reliable sources, the teeth dig deeper and space wider, meaning that spin rates out of bunkers are diminished. As if the golfers needed more to adjust to than the vagaries of links golf. Will the rakes and absence of rakers have an impact on the outcome of the Open Championship? Pop the corn and stay tuned.
2. If you don’t have the shots, your long day leads to a short week
The Open championship routinely demands a wider skillset than the other major events. Find yourself high on a dune, and you’ll confront a shoulder-high knuckle ball, with little margin for error. At times, you are unable to merely pitch the ball sideways toward the fairway. Instead, you must hold the clubface open, rotate the shoulders, and hope for the best. On a good day, you make solid contact and the ball shoots toward the distant flag. On a bad day, well, see Bryson below. He finished on seven-over for the day, currently sits tied for 145th, and has work left to make Friday’s cut.
3. Monk
I confess that I thought that a Hayden “Sidd” Finch imitator was afoot, while reading that Sadom Kaewkanjana had taken time away from professional golf, to live life as a monk. This is precisely the case, as the top-fifteen finisher at the 2022 Open at St. Andrews took time away from the game in 2023. He lived as a Buddhist monk and practiced meditation and other ritual tasks. On Thursday, SK rode two birdies, plus a hole-out approach for eagle on five, to the second-best score on the day. His 68 stands him even with world number one Scottie Scheffler and two others, one shot behind the leading quintet. There may be better ways to prepare for the mental demands of championship golf; for the moment, I cannot think of any.
4. The leaders
In alphabetical order, you have Bezuidenhout, English, Fitzpatrick, Li, and Olesen. Of the five, Matt Fitzpatrick is the lone major winner. The other four were, at one point or another in their careers, predicted to be solid bets to win this sort of tournament. Each arrived at the head of the class in his own unique manner. Harris English carved seven birdies out of the course, but he also made the highest number of bogeys among the leaders. Haotong Li had four birdies and zero bogeys. The other three golfers all had at least one bogey.
The ability to minimize mistakes is critical to success at Royal Portrush. Make your way around the Dunluce with one bogey each day, and you’ll be in the thick of the chase come Sunday. English looks to have the best chance at round replication, as he teed off in Thursday’s afternoon wave. He’ll see a fresh set of greens on Friday. Despite his English roots, Fitzpatrick does not show well at The Open. His top finish is a tie for 20th, out of ten attempts.
5. Who looks to do what on Friday?
Scottie Scheffler has two, top-ten finishes in four Open Championship appearances. He did not play at Portrush in 2019, but his opening 68 suggests that he has an idea of what he wants to do, and how to do it. The Texan needs two consecutive rounds of solid, rewarded golf to set the stage for a run at the title. A fall-off on Friday will put him in a defensive mode on moving day. If he sits inside the top four after the cut, he won’t need to do anything spectacular on Saturday. Let’s see what the Schef ha on the menu.
If there’s one thing that Englishmen don’t do, it’s win the Open Championship. Look at the long list of recent, great English players with zero Open titles: Fleetwood, Rose, Westwood, Donald, Poulter, Willett, and Fitzpatrick. For some reason, they cannot find the elixir to clinch victory. Tyrrell Hatton hopes to remove his name from that list. Hatton opened with a clean card, posting four birdies against zero bogeys. Unlike Scheffler, Hatton fights to preserve control over his psyche and game with each breath he takes. He’ll be fun to watch, regardless of the outcome, but contention for the Claret will demand more from him than we’ve ever seen.
As things stand, these are the two I see with the best chance to impact the outcome of the 153rd Open Championship.
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...
