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Five Things We Learned: Tech Saturday at the Masters
The most bittersweet evening of the spring has arrived. It’s like a Thursday work day. Hump day is in the past, and you still have Friday to go, before the weekend. Masters Saturday eve brings the promise of second-nine excitement on Sunday, the adorning of a new champion, and the inevitable conclusion of the tournament. The other majors are wonderful and unique, but April in Augusta, year after year, is comfort food, a thick blanket, and warming socks. The names may change, both on course and in the control room, but the course is the constant, with all of its vagaries and nuance.
On Saturday, Rory McIlroy’s six-shot advantage went away, and one of the best leader boards in modern times popped up. Deserving non-winners and former champions will figure in the outcome. Some will drift away on the first nine, while others will see their chance evaporate on the second nine. One will stand atop the field by nightfall, clad in a leafy chartreuse coat and a weary smile. Cheers to the combatants and their sword-bearers.
Thanks to Today’s Golfer and Inside Tour Golf for their reporting on player equipment choices.
Item #1: Betting on aces
Shane Lowry now has five holes-in-one on the PGA Tour, to accompany his pair from the DP World Tour, and his pace is increasing. Lowry first made an ace in 2014 in Dubai, then on the 16th at Augusta National in 2016. In 2018, Lowry dropped another in England, then took a few years off, perhaps for the pandemic. Forward march to 2022, and the famous 17th at TPC Sawgrass became part of his collection. Over the past year, Lowry has added the 7th at Pebble Beach, the 4th at Memorial Park in Houston, and today, the 6th at Augusta National. There is a growing chance that he will strike again, perhaps soon.
Gear Tub
Lowry is a Srixon man, and his seven iron made magic happen at Juniper. Lowry may game ZXi5 irons in when less loft and longer shafts are needed, but the seven iron was part of the quintet of ZXi7 model that serve his 6 through PW needs. Lowry employs KBS Tour 130 X shafts in all his irons.
Item #2: Where’d you come from?
Scottie Scheffler (remember him?) played his way back into the Masters conversation on Saturday, with a delightful 65. The Texan wrote a flawless essay of one eagle and five birdies, complemented by a dozen pars, in round three. Either a Qi10 14.75 degree fairway metal (Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X shaft), or a Qi4D 21 degree one (Fujikura Ventus Black 9 X) launched his Titleist Pro V1 skyward, on a curved trace that ended some six feet below the flagstick’s bottom, on the coolest, most exciting par five at Augusta National. Yup, better than 8, 13, and 15. Birdies were picked at seven, eight, nine, eleven, and sixteen.
Gear Tub
Scheffler’s five birdie putts all came from within ten feet. Only one, at eight, was not a full shot in. To truly contend on Sunday, Scheffler will have to break the course record, and get to 17-under par. It’s that kind of Masters, with the perfect weather, conditioning, etc. For at least part of the round, those TaylorMade P7TW irons with the True Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue X shafts did their job, and the TaylorMade Spider Tour X L-Neck putter fulfilled its role. The rest of the time, the irons and putter put the ball in the hole in regulation par figures.
Item #3: Cameron Young and his approach play
There’s not much more room for Cameron Young to improve on his approach play on Sunday. Over three days, he has gone from 10 to 14 to 16 greens in regulation. If he finds a way to better his day-three total on day four, he shall be difficult to overtake. Stellar approach play benefits from proper driving, and Young has harnessed that skill as well. He has collected 37 of 42 fairways on driving holes, and would love to rinse-repeat on Sunday.
Gear Tub
It’s all Titleist, baby! From the GT3 driver that finds fairways, through the 14.5 degree GT1 fairway metal and 20 degree GT1 hybrid, Titleist. Into the irons that begin with a T200 4 driving iron, T100 5 iron, and special Cameron Carves 631.CTY model of the 620 MB for 6 through 9 iron, and concluding with the wedges (all Vokey, at 48, 52, 56, and 60 degrees loft), Titleist. What rolls the Titleist Pro V1x Prototype? A Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5 Tour Protype mallet.
Item #4: What a Rosey Day!
Someone turned back the clock ten years, it appears. Justin Rose (46 years of youth) and Jason Day (39 years young) are tied at eight-under par, three behind the leaders. They will tee off in the antipenultimate pairing, ahead of just Shane Lowry-Sam Burns, and Rory McIlroy-Cameron Young. Both Rose and Day have a single major title to their names, although I give Rose a second one, for his 2016 Olympic Gold Medal. Each would be the finest champion that Augusta National could hope to honor, and a victory by either would be a victory for golf. A glance at Jason Day’s statistics reveals no strong area. He simply gets the ball in the hole without need for explanation, and moves along. For Rose, it’s all about consistency. He counts 12-12-12 greens in regulation, alongside 11-11-12 fairways driven. The perpetuation of those numbers on Sunday will give him a third true chance at claiming a Masters title.
Gear Tub
If we could select one club to cooperate for Rose on Sunday, it would be his nine degree, Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Dimaond Driver and its Mitsubishi Diamana WB 63 TX shaft. Finding the proper angle into the green is paramount at Augusta National. As he is not a long hitter, Rose must find the correct angles into the flagstick.
As for JayDay, his use of the Avoda irons is a bit of a gamble. If they were that good, wouldn’t more professionals carry them? Our desire is for a career day with the Avodas, and much greater proximity to the hole. Close approach shots, paired with Day’s putting prowess, promises a mid-60s score on day four.
Item #5: Let’s pick a longshot
It’s always fun to pick the longshot at Augusta National, because it never plays out. Well, almost never. If the longshot is 5 or 6 shots back, and has history with ANGC, then it might pan like San Francisco rivers. Haotong Li makes red numbers. He has ten birdies and two eagles on his combined cards. If he summons the talent to fire at flags and drain putts, he shall reach contention. The question is, can he handle the duress of a major-championship Sunday. For the sake of drama, we’ll say Sí se puede.
Gear Tub
Haotong Li utilizes a reliable but diverse lineup of clubs. He reps each of the big three, but relies on Srixon to get his ball close to the hole. Here is a quick run-down of his bats: Titleist GT2 driver, TaylorMade R7 Quad mini driver, Titleist T350 driving iron, Srixon ZXi7 irons, Vokey Design SM10 wedges, Odyssey Jailbird 360 prototype 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...
Prime21
Apr 13, 2026 at 3:29 pm
“To truly contend on Sunday, Scheffler will have to break the course record, and get to 17-under par. It’s that kind of Masters, with the perfect weather, conditioning, etc.” SPOT ON! ? Nostradamus does it again! ??? If only the guys would listen!