News

5 things we learned Saturday at the Masters

Published

7 years ago

Apr 13, 2019

Our biggest fear was that the great, Saturday leaderboard would disappear at day’s end. No chance. The greats are still there, just fewer of them. 11 golfers within five shots of the lead, but daunting figures sit at the top. The rain is coming, so we won’t delay. Here are five things we learned on Saturday at Augusta National.

5. Will you still need me, will you still feed me …

…when I’m 64? The Beatles asked those questions a generation ago. Tony Finau, Webb Simpson and Patrick Cantlay answered with 64s of their own on moving day. Finau day-tripped his way from 3 under to a second-place tie at 11 under. Simpson climbed from a real nowhere man to 9 under, two strokes back of the leader. And Cantlay came from across the universe, from 2 over to 6 under. All in all, a fab 6-4 day, wouldn’t you say?

From 261 yards, @tonyfinaugolf hits his second shot on to 8 inches for an eagle on No. 8 that gives him the solo lead at 9-under par. #themasters pic.twitter.com/XKv0uUncZF

— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 13, 2019

4. That purr’s getting louder

With whom is Tony Finau tied for second place? That four-time winner on this very course, the holder of 14 major professional titles. For the first time all week, Tiger Woods limited himself to a solitary blemish, that being a bogey at the challenging fifth hole. It is a hole that does not line up well for him, as he has made five each day of this event. The resurgent one rebounded with three consecutive birdies, then added another trio of minus-holes on the inward half. His 67 bettered yesterday’s round by one stroke, continuing the improvement trend. Woods will tee off in the final threesome on Sunday, accompanied by Finau and the man who leads both by two strokes.

Tiger Woods is tied for the lead at #themasters pic.twitter.com/dC2JEODVSC

— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 13, 2019

3. Enter, Sandman

Francesco Molinari’s week has not been defined by trips to the beach. Not like Finau’s second round, where the lanky one found sand on each of the opening four holes. Molinari’s week may have been defined today by one trip to the beach. In trouble off the 18th tee, he played into the left bunker, hard against the front of the green. Off in the distance, in the back-right corner of the putting surface, was the hole. Molinari’s deft execution left him little more than 30 inches for par, and he converted. The Italian’s 2018 was spectacular, with wins on the regular PGA Tour, a major at the British, and a Ryder Cup performance for all time, with five wins against zero losses. On Sunday, he plays against history, attempting to stop Tiger from winning his 1st major in a decade.

The lead extends to two strokes for @F_Molinari following a fourth birdie in a row. He has three holes left to play today at #themasters pic.twitter.com/ux7bmEzahH

— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 13, 2019

2. Sunday’s favorite is obviously …

The man who no one wishes to appoint the favorite, ever. It’s Brooks Koepka, winner of the last two major championships held on American soil. Koepka is so cool, so powerful, the internet has started to compare him to the man without comparison: Chuck Norris. Much in the same way that the impossible becomes mundane for Walker, Texas Ranger, so too, does the legend of Koepka grow. Remember to tell your grandchildren one day about the round of golf that Koepka, Brooks Koepka will play tomorrow. He sits at 10 under, best of the penultimate threesome, poised to claim major number four of his career.

.@BKoepka leaps to ten under par with an eagle at No. 15 #themasters pic.twitter.com/Y3d8X5vfhO

— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 13, 2019

1. Threesomes and split tees? Say it ain’t so, Cliff!

Actually, it’s not that big a deal. There’s a storm a-brewing, poised to make landfall at Augusta in the afternoon of Sunday the 14th. Final-round groupings will be threes, not twos. In addition, they will go off both the first and 10th tees, hearkening back to the early days of the tournament, when the leaders weren’t paired together, and weren’t always in the final group. Not the same, but interesting nonetheless. What the system change does, most importantly, is put the potential Tiger roars in the final grouping, not ahead of the last pairing. If it comes down to Tiger and one of his pards, edge should go to the cat.

.@AAC_Golf champion Takumi Kanaya, @TyrrellHatton, Patrick Cantlay, @marcleish, Si Woo Kim, @McIlroyRory, Hideki Matsuyama, @bubbawatson, @jordanspieth, @keegan_Bradley, and @hoffman_charley provide highlights from early afternoon action at #themasters. pic.twitter.com/hbLWSOMplr

— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 13, 2019

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

Published

4 weeks ago

Jun 1, 2026

Ben A

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

2026 The Memorial – Monday #1

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

News

Tour Tech Rundown: Heroic Henley

Published

4 weeks ago

Jun 1, 2026

Ronald Montesano

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

News

Russell Henley’s winning WITB: 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge

Published

4 weeks ago

May 31, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

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

GolfWRX

5 things we learned Saturday at the Masters

News