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Tour Tech Rundown: Good guys win
One hundred years after Eddie Lowery steered Francis Ouimet to a USGA Open title at The Country Club, Alex Fitzpatrick steered his older brother, Matt, to a USGA Amateur title at the same golf course. Matt went on to win a U.S. Open at The Country Club in 2022, one-upping Ouimet. As for Alex, he went on to Wake Forest University, then turned professional. This week …well, let’s hold on to that thought for a moment.
The world’s tours bustled this week, roaming from India to Arizona, with stops in Texas, Georgia, and California along the way. With major championships looming in the coming months, there is an increased sense of urgency among the competitors. Gone are the cobwebs and rust of the northern winter; returned are the subtleties and nuance that define the professional game. We’re champing at the thought of what the next few months hold for us, both in our games and on the tours. Let’s open the gate and let the horses run, in this week’s Tour Tech Rundown.
PGA Tour @ Houston Open: Sometimes, the good guys win
Gary Woodland shared his battles with PTSD and post-operative trauma with the world last week. This week, he played an incredibly satisfying 72 holes of golf at Memorial Park golf course in Houston. Woodland posted 21-under par, five shots clear of runner-up Nicolai Hojgaard, and won for the first time since his 2019 US Open victory.
Hojgaard and Woodland had one degree of separation on Sunday morning. In this case, that degree was a golf stroke. The lead doubled after one, when Hojgaard made a bogey. Woodland preserved his poise throughout the front nine, and his birdies at 7-8, combined with a pair of Hojgaard bogeys, increased his lead to five shots. Over the inward half, Woodland played steady, unassuming golf. He came home in plus-one figures, offering a glimmer of hope to his pursuer. Each time that Hojgaard made a birdie, a bogey was close behind, and he was unable to close the gap. The win was Woodland’s first in seven years, and his fifth in seventeen years on tour.
See Woodland’s winning WITB here.
LPGA @ Ford Championship: Hyo-joo wins in consecutive starts
Hyo-joo Kim has wins in consecutive events on the LPGA circuit. Last week, her theme was bend, don’t break. It was a bit of rinse and repeat, with a twist. Kim posted 61-69-61-69 for a serving of symetry. She dueled with Nelly Korda over each of the 18 final holes. She bent once more, but for a second consecutive week, did not break.
Kim was one back of Lydia Ko’s sizzling 60 after day one. Ko hovered around 69 each of the next three days, ultimately placing fourth. Taking up the challenge was world-number-two Nelly Korda, who had a 63 of her own on Thursday, then followed with three rounds in the mid-60s. On Sunday, Korda had a pair of eagles and a slew of birdies, and nearly tracked Kim down.
Kim’s one mistake on day four led to a double bogey. Around the same time, playing companion Korda reached four-under on the day through seven. Around the turn, Kim remained composed and added a pair of birdies, while Korda slipped on a pair of bogeys. The home stretch offered excitement, as Korda finished eagle-birdie to move within two of the top spot. The win was Kim’s ninth overall on the LPGA tour.
Kim’s Gear Bag
- Driver: Yonex EZone GT
- 3 Metal: Yonex EZone GT
- 5 Metal: Yonex EZone GT
- Hybrid: Yonex EZone GT
- Irons 4-5: Yonex EZone CB 701
- Irons 6-9: Yonex EZone CB 501
- Wedges 56, 60 degree: Vokey Design SM8
- Putter: Odyssey O-Works Tour R-Ball S
- Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
DP World Tour @ Hero Indian Open: Fitzy Finishes First
We’re not masters of subtlety, so you probably guessed that Alex Fitzpatrick, now 27 years of age, won for the first time at the top professional level. Fitzpatrick was the beneficiary of some wayward play by third-round leader Eugenio Chacarra, and used his brand of level, steady golf to close the deal. Fitzpatrick had danced with the lead in prior events, but had yet to find the elixir that produces winners. On Sunday at Gurugram, he sipped from the flask.
Both Chacarra and Fitzpatrick played like golfers in search of a rare victory. Bogeys were splattered across their scorecards. Chacarra entered the back nine with the lead, but bogeys at fifteen through seventeen dropped him back to seven-under par. Alex Fitzpatrick had struggles of his own, but runs of three birdies in five holes on the front, followed by five birdies in seven holes on the back, allowed him the comfort of making double at the last. Fitzpatrick finished on nine-under par for the week, two shots clear of runner-up Eugenio Chacarra.
Alex’s Gear Bag
- Driver: Ping G440 LST
- 3 Metal: TaylorMade Qi4D
- 5 Metal: TaylorMade Qi35
- Irons 4-9: Titleist T100
- Wedges 46, 50, 56, 60 degree: Vokey Design
- Putter: Odyssey Ai-ONE #7
- Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Korn Ferry Tour @ Club Car Championship: Lamb slams the door
On Sunday morning, a handrul of golfers had a chance to post four rounds in the 60s. By day’s end, only one of them succeeded, and he turned out to be the winner. The Notre Dame alumnus and PGA Tour Americas graduate posted 68 on Sunday to ease past third round co-leaders John Pak and Blades Brown.
Through eight holes on day the last, Pak appeared poised to claim an initial KFT event for 2026. He had gathered three birdies and had moved to minus-nineteen for the week. Pak hit an oil slick on the next four holes, posting bogey on three of them. Former co-leader Blades Brown also stumbled over the first nine, then again on the inward half. He would ultimately shoot even on the day, and collect a solo third finish.
All day long, Davis Lamb never lost his form. Lamb began the day one in arrears, but played a rock-solid 18 holes on Sunday. Fourteen pars and four birdies, including a powerful statement at the last, brought him to 19-deep, and a two-shot margin of victory. Lamb’s first big pro victory moved him inside the top five in the season-long, KFT points race.
Lamb’s Gear Bag
- Driver: Titleist GT2
- 3 Metal: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke
- 5 Metal: Titleist TS12
- Iron 4: Titleist T150
- Irons 5-9: Titleist T100
- Wedges 50, 54, 60 degree: Vokey Design SM10
- Putter: Scotty Cameron Tour Select Newport
- Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Davis Lamb gets to two back @ClubCarChamp ?
? https://t.co/Hd5Xa6huze pic.twitter.com/uuwVofa8Nl
— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) March 29, 2026
PGA Tour Champions @ Hoag Classic: Albatross builds nest for Cink
It is extremely rare to view an albatross at a a golf tournament. Despite the remarkable talent of professional golfers, the hole-out for two on a par five is as rare as things come. On Saturday, Stewart Cink holed from the 18th fairway for a walk-off, double-eagle. He turned a one-shot deficit into a two-stroke advantage in an instant.
On Sunday, Cink held steady as Steven Alker and Freddie Jacobson made initial runs, followed later by Ernie Els and Zach Johnson. He turned in minus-two 33, before adding another 33 on the inward half. Cink’s sole stumble over the final round came at the par-four twelfth hole, where he went from tee to rough, to sand, to the putting surface. His putt for par was the only one missed on the day. Cink traveled home with three birdies over his final five holes, to secure a second victory in two months.
In the battle for second spot, both Zach Johnson and Ernie Els finished on 15-under par, four shots back of the champion. For Johnson, it was his third top-three finish since turning 50 this winter. Johnson currently sits in second position on the Schwab Cup points list, behind only Stewart Cink.
Cink’s Gear Bag
- Driver: PING G440 MAX
- 3 Metal: PING G440 MAX
- 5 Metal: TaylorMade Qi35
- Irons 4-UW: Titleist T100
- Wedges 56 degree: PING Glide
- Wedges 60 degree: Vokey Design
- Putter: PING Vault Ketsch 2.0
- Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
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...
