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GolfWRX Morning 9: More venom for USGA, Mickelson | The specter of 5-hour rounds

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Good morning, GolfWRX members. As most of you are signed up for our newsletters, you likely already know that I’ve been sending this little Morning 9 roundup of nine items of note to start your day.

In case you’ve missed it, or you prefer to read on site rather than in your email, we’re including it here. Check out today’s Morning 9 below. Feedback is always welcome–send everything from news tips to complaints (hopefully more tips than complaints)!

If you’re not signed up for our newsletters, you can subscribe here.
By Ben Alberstadt ([email protected])

 

June 19 2018

Good Tuesday morning, golf fans.
1.”No obvious leadership”

 

Ganging up on the USGA–both when warranted and when not–is a sport in the world of golf. Thus, it’s not surprising to see the takesmiths continuing to reload and empty their clips.

 

That said, Brandel Chamblee’s remarks were particularly scathing and far reaching.
  • “Something’s amiss in a big, big way,” Chamblee said. “I think the USGA has lost a lot of the trust of the golf world.”
  • “They missed the rebound effect and the combination of the rebound effect [with] the ball. They missed it, on their watch. And now, the feeling is that they’re crying foul, even though it was on their watch. And so, essentially, the equipment companies got it done, by [the USGA’s] standards, legally.
  • “There’s penalties that they levy that make absolutely no sense, penalties that they don’t levy,” Chamblee said. “Disqualifying Phil Mickelson made perfect sense.”
  • “There seems to be no obvious leadership, you know, to me,” he said. “No obvious leadership heading in the right direction.”
(h/t to Joel Beall for the transcription)

 

2. Mickelson dragging continues

 

Plenty of ink continues to be spilled condemning Phil Mickelson and/or the USGA. Here’s a bit from Nick Rodger at Scotland’s The Herald.
  • “Mickelson’s well-documented antics during the third round of the US Open, where he deliberately hit a moving ball on the 13th green to prevent it trundling goodness knows where, brought widespread condemnation but no disqualification.”
  • “He should’ve been but the USGA officials effectively buried their heads in the technical mumbo jumbo of the rule book even though Mickelson brazenly admitted to the breach.”
  • “Rather like failing to punish marquee names for slow play, this was another example of lily-livered officialdom. Mickelson’s crass celebration at holing a putt on the same green on Sunday was another Harvey Smith salute to the spirit of the game.”
Lily-livered!…More

 

3. Say what you will, this U.S. Open was entertaining

 

Good for golf? Bad for golf? Bad for the USGA? Bad for Phil Mickelson? Bad for Dustin Johnson? Who cares, writes the AP’s Charles Curtis, the U.S. Open was entertaining.
  • He catalogues everything from Bryson DeChambeau’s “clown golf” comments, to Mickelson’s meltdown, to Dustin Johnson’s slow burn  in this piece.
4. Back to work for Spieth and McIlroy

 

A friendly reminder that following disappointing weeks at Shinnecock, both Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy are back to work this week at TPC River Highlands for the Travelers Championship.
  • Spieth, if you’ll recall, won the tournament in a playoff last year (remember Michael Greller throwing the rake in celebration?). He’ll look to get his putting back on track.
  • Rory McIlroy, for his part, is coming off a week where he simply did not look sharp in many facets of his game.
  • It’s not all that common for big names to be back in action the week after a major, so many will relish the opportunity to see if something is indeed rotten for the duo.
5. Bridgestone Golf’s new leader

 

Following the departure of Angel Ilagan late last month, Bridgestone Golf has appointed Dan Murphy as President and CEO.
  • Murphy was previously with the company from 2004 to 2015. He most recently served as Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
  • Since 2015, Murphy was President of textile manufacturer Kentwool and Vice President of American Achievement Corporation.
  • Says Murphy. “We make the most technologically-advanced golf balls in the world and my role is to help ensure Bridgestone is recognized as the industry’s leading example of how science and data is used to make products that improve the performance of all golfers.”
6. How a recreational round of golf takes 5 hours

 

“1.56pm: The standard of play gets increasingly ragged as we edge towards four hours on the course. The sandwich seems a distant memory, everyone has run out of water and snacks and the round starts to drift.”
  • That’s a dispatch from the trenches in a funny-if-it-weren’t-so-true piece by Mark Towsend for National Club Golfer. Townsend examines the phenomenon of the agonizingly slow round in a gruesome breakdown of a recent Saturday morning round.

 

7. (In)famous disqualifications.

 

Following Phil Mickelson’s avoidance of disqualification at the U.S. Open, Kevin Markham at the Irish Examiner put together a rundown of some of the great DQs in the game’s history.
  • “It’s not often that two golfers get disqualified at once but that’s what happened at the 2003 Open Championship, at Royal St George’s. Mark Roe and Jesper Parnevik played together in the third round and recorded every score correctly. They signed their cards at the end of the round and Roe’s 67 meant he was in third place entering the final day, set to play alongside Tiger Woods.”
  • “Only it wasn’t to be: the two men had not exchanged cards at the beginning of the round and therefore ended up signing the wrong cards. The Rules officials wouldn’t budge despite the outcry over such an error and the game’s archaic scoring traditions remained intact.”

 

8. Well played, Suzy Whaley!

 

The incoming PGA of America president–and first woman to serve in that capacity–Suzy Whaley fired a 73 in qualifying at The Olympic Club to earn a spot in the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open.
  • Said Whaley (per Golf Digest): “I’d like to see more women’s golf on network TV and the golf purses increase
  • “I want to see these women showcased for their talent and skills and the role models that they are around the world. … Young girls can see themselves as elite athletes or as women in positions of authority. Golf has the opportunity to provide that empowerment and that opportunity”.
9. Place your bets

 

With the second major of the year newly mothballed, odds for the third major of the year are being refined. Here are the latest Open Championship odds, via Bovada.

 

Dustin Johnson: 11/1
Rory McIlroy: 12/1
Jordan Spieth:12/1
Rickie Fowler:16/1
Justin Rose:16/1
Tommy Fleetwood:18/1
Brooks Koepka:18/1
Justin Thomas:20/1
Tiger Woods:20/1

Related Topics:

Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

6 Comments

6 Comments

  1. Chuck Barkley

    Jun 19, 2018 at 9:21 pm

    Pickleson is a frat boy, single minded, selfish, tax dodging, rule violating, gambling, unapologetic professional swindler!! Plain and simple. As stated, the spineless USGA’s proverbial heads were buried in Hefty’s Pickle juice and they basically
    drowned themselves in the pool of “Love ya Phil” quicksand! Love how this single act of ignorance was recorded for all to
    see for years to come and then some more. I had just about had it with his “Eddie Haskel” collar up, angelic smile, awe shucks s*it kickers grin on his goofy mug! He has soiled himself with this foolishness! I’m sure his respected Dad is
    proud of the behavior. I tell ya, had this been Harold Varner III, Pat Perez, or the human volcano himself, Steve Pate, acted a fool as Pickle did, justice would have been served IMMEDIATELY!!

    Reply Report comment

    • Commoner

      Jun 22, 2018 at 7:31 pm

      Wow!!! Don’t disagree with anything. In fact, I envy your great expression.

      Reply Report comment

  2. youraway

    Jun 19, 2018 at 7:45 am

    With all said, the USGA and it’s leadership has proven themselves to be no more than inept. That are not now and have not been protectors of the game for years. It would not surprise me if the R&A separated themselves from them, but follow the money. Brandel makes good points and there are more, square grooves, anchoring, two penalties on DJ during two Opens, they must not like him, and changing the Rules to satisfy media interest. The time is now for a complete house cleaning of the USGA, removing the overpaid, I hate to use the word leadership. The very lame reasoning for using 14-5 and not 1-2 is self interest, or fear, driven. Phil (now known as 1-2) opening stated he intentionally violated a Rule to gain an advantage, he said he planned it and could not believe he hadn’t intentionally undertaken this action previously. When a player, 1-2, opening states he violated the Sprint and Rules of the game therefore gaining an advantage, DQ is obvious, but not for the USGA. This is a sad time for the game and having any respect for it’s leadership. In addition, it was my hope that 1-2, even though he played in the final round, would have written “WD” on his card when turning it into Scoring, but he didn’t and all the players who finished behind him were cheated.

    Reply Report comment

    • sjn

      Jun 19, 2018 at 3:05 pm

      well said,couldn’t have put it better myself

      Reply Report comment

    • JThunder

      Jun 19, 2018 at 5:51 pm

      Can you point to the specific Rule which advocates DQ for “violating the spirit of the game”, and how such violation is defined?

      Can you also point to where in the rules it states that a player is DQ’d for an intentional violation of any Rule? Do then, the Rules entirely apply only to unintentional violations?

      These things have been said an nauseum this weekend, but I have yet to see anyone directly quote the Rule(s).

      Reply Report comment

      • youraway

        Jun 19, 2018 at 8:17 pm

        *Penalty for Breach of Rule 1-2:
        Match play – Loss of hole; Stroke play – Two strokes.

        *In the case of a serious breach of Rule 1-2, the Committee may impose a penalty of disqualification.

        Note 1: A player is deemed to have committed a serious breach of Rule 1-2 if the Committee considers that the action taken in breach of this Rule has allowed him or another player to gain a significant advantage or has placed another player, other than his partner, at a significant disadvantage.

        Reply Report comment

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

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4 weeks ago

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Jun 1, 2026

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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

Pullout Albums

 

 

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Tour Tech Rundown: Heroic Henley

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4 weeks ago

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Jun 1, 2026

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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

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

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Russell Henley’s winning WITB: 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge

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4 weeks ago

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May 31, 2026

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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

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