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Tour Tech Rundown: Light week offers dynamic duo
The final, full weekend in February promises to be the last light one for a long time. Nearly every major professional circuit used this week for travel between distant locales. The PGA and DP World tours were the exceptions, and each provided more than enough excitement to satisfy golf fans around the globe. In Kenya, the unanticipated hero was native Kenyan Njoroge Kibugu. Playing in front of his homeland fans, Kibugu made eagle at the 36th hole to make the cut, ultimately finishing tied for 61st after a final-round 65. Only his Saturday 74 kept him away from the limelight. In Los Angeles, golfers with everything to gain, made runs from back in the pack. At the same time, the leader did his best to steady the wheel. Both winners had this in common: it was their first tour triumph, respectively, on the DP World and PGA Tours. Pull up a seat and take some notes, as we reveal this week’s Tour Tech Rundown.
PGA Tour @ Genesis Invitational: Bridgeman finds a way
The Jacob Bridgeman that we saw on Sunday at Riviera, was not the heroic immortal of the first 54 holes. That first Bridgeman collected three eagles and nineteen birdies, en route to a three-round total of 19-under par at storied Riviera Country Club. Perhaps the ghost of Ben Hogan was restless, perhaps not, but Hogan’s Alley was reduced in difficulty, despite the debut of its 273-yard, par-three fourth hole. Bridgeman posted rounds of 66-64-64 to take a six-shot lead over Rory McIlroy.
Chasing your first PGA Tour title is difficult. Attempting to collect it at an architectural gem is even more demanding. Doing so in the company of the greatest golfer of his generation, is daunting. The Jacob Bridgeman that showed up Sunday was the precise model we expected to see: not nearly as confident nor as effective as the previous model. Did we expect him to win going away? Absolutely not. Did we expect him to win? Well…no, we did not. Did he win? Yes indeed, he did.
Bridgeman began the day in wondrous fashion. He notched birdies at the first and third holes, to reach 21-deep on the week. McIlroy lost a stroke over those two holes, but he knew what everyone else suspected: 15 holes remained, and reality would soon set in. Over the next 15 holes, Bridgeman amassed zero birdies, stumbling three times for bogey. During that period, Adam Scott posted eight-under 63 (his second of the week) to move to fourth position. McIlory held steady with 67, moving to 17-under par. Joining him at that figure was Kurt Kitayama, who signed for 64.
Bridgeman nearly wiffed a wedge at the short, par-three 16th, and did well to make bogey. He failed to score a birdie at the gettable 17th, meaning he needed par at the harrowing 18th. After finding the fairway with his tee shot (no easy task) Bridgeman ripped an iron 200 yards onto the putting surface, about 20 feet from the promised land. His first putt was tentative, leaving nearly four feet for the victory. Somehow, some way, Bridgeman coaxed the ball into the hole for his first-ever, PGA Tour victory.
Bridgeman’s Gear Bag
The Taylor Made Qi35 LS sits neatly inside the largest headcover in Bridgeman’s bag. The popular drive set the eventual winner up for many of his 24 sub-par holes this week. When it comes to fairway metals, Bridgeman tinkers on the regular. He has included various Taylor Made models, from Qi4D to Stealth to Qi35. Lofts range from 3-metal to 7-metal, depending on the demands of the course. For irons three through five, Bridgeman goes for forgiveness with the P770 model. For the scoring clubs (six iron through pitching wedge) he beckons to the P7CB. Three more wedges (MG5 model all) at degrees of 50, 54, and 60) complete the airborn portion of the set. Interestingly, Bridgeman uses Project X shafts in all irons save the 60 degree, which sports a Dynamic Gold stick. After runs with a Bettinardi and a Cameron, Bridgeman settled on a Taylor Made Spider Tour. As a golf ball, Bridgeman games the TP5X from Taylor Made.
DP World Tour @ Magical Kenya Open: Jarvis jars it
Casey Jarvis and Angel Ayora are separated by 15 months in age. Both are exciting young professional golfers, seeking success and renown. The two entered the final round of the Magical Kenya Open in a first-position tie, at 17 shots below par. On Sunday in Nairobi, Jarvis put on a clinic, posting six birdies and two eagles, against a pair of bogeys. Ayora not only failed to keep pace; he wasn’t in the same flight. The Spaniard struggled all day, making just three birdies alongside a double and single bogey.
Jarvis’ demiurgic conclusion laid waste to any hopes that Davis Bryant and his coterie of chasers held. With Ayora away at even par and a solo eighth-place finish, Bryant and Hennie Du Plessis made a gallant charge up the leaders’ board, posting 64 and 65, respectively. Bryant laid claim to second position, while Du Plessis settled for third. As for Jarvis, he reached the 17th tee at 22-under par, and left the 18th green at 25-deep. His approach to the par-four 17th settled a dozen feet below the hole, and the South African gently rolled the orb into the cup. On eighteen, a reachable par five conclusion, his second shot finished another dozen feet from glory. With three putts for outright victory, Jarvis took but one, winning by three shots over Bryant.
Casey’s Kit
Tracking down Casey Jarvis’ club equipment kit was trickier than anticipated. Fortunately for me, my editor is a super sleuth. Thanks, BA, for the big assist. Off the tee, the MKO champions relied on a Taylor Made Qi4D LS driver to attach the 14 fairways. Jarvis also has a mini-driver in his bag, an R7 Quad at 13.5 degrees loft. Jarvis also employs a Qi4D 3 metal at 16.5 degrees and a Qi35 7 metal at 21 degrees. One of the few players to both front-load and back-load his set, Jarvis has but five numbered irons (5-9) in his bag, all Taylor Made. The 5 is a P770, while 6 through PW are P7CB. For wedges, Jarvis has three MG5 Taylor Made wedges, set at 50 (SB), 54 (SB), and 60 (SC) degrees. Rolling his Taylor Made TP5x ball is a Taylor Made Spider Tour putter.
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...
