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Tour Rundown: LA Open has star sighting confirmed by Nasa

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The final Sunday in April of 2022 saw five winners confirmed and crowned across the golf-tour globe. No win was more dominant than the LPGA, and no event was more of a nail-biter than the PGA Tour Champions. The PGA Tour celebrated its only, annual team event in New Orleans, and tournaments in Brazil and Spain rounded out the week’s slate. The northeast may finally have bid farewell to the snows of winter, so put on your flip-flops and help us run down this week’s tour events.

LPGA: LA Open has star sighting confirmed by Nasa

Glorious Wilshire country club made the LPGA the place to watch this week. The late finish on the American west coast gave golf viewers a chance to see the course in all its golden-age glory. Combined with Nasa Hataoka’s new-age wizardry, the best golf viewing this week came from La-La Land. Hataoka stood one back of Alison Lee after round one, but when the young American went away, Nasa took center stage and never gave up the spotligh.

The Japanese star won her sixth tour title, and first of 2022, by five shots over Australia’s Hannah Green. After Jin-young Ko imploded late Saturday with an eight, no one ever got close to the sublime Hataoka. Only ten bogeys crossed her path all week, and they were more than offset by 23 birdies and one eagle. After making bogey at the par-five fifteenth each of the first two days, Nasa turned the tables on the tricky, three-shot hole with birdie and eagle the last two days.

The tour moves to Torrance this week, about 25 miles down the California coast. It will celebrate the inaugural playing of the Palos Verdes Championship, before crossing the country to reconvene mid-May in New Jersey.

PGA Tour: Zurich Classic to Ice and X

Foursomes golf, also known as alternate shot, is not as easy as Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele made it look on Friday. The pair had 68, which would win most Ryder and Presidents Cup matches, under that format. Sunday was more like a typical foursomes tally. The leading pair ground out an even-par 72, which allowed them to hold on to their three-day lead and claim the tour’s only partner event by two shots over Sam Burns and Billy Horschel.

Patty Ice and the X Man were untouchable in four ball play this week. Also known as better ball, the pair had 59 on Thursday and 60 on Saturday. Those are some big-boy scorecards. It wasn’t until the 17th hole on Sunday, when Burns-Horschel dunked their tee shot on the par-three 17th, that Cantlay and Schauffele could finally breathe. Armed with a two-shot advantage on the watery closer, the pair played left the entire way around the right-side pond. After reaching the green in four, each took one putt to close the door and win by two shots.

DP World Tour: Handa Championship in Spain in hometown hands

Pablo Larrazábal didn’t have to journey much from his hometown this week. The 38-year old from Barcelona earned his seventh DP World Tour title, and second of 2022, with a one-shot win over countryman Adrián Otaegui. Larrazábal  began day four a trio of shots behind the Basque Otaegui, but made a sizable move around the turn to the back nine. Larrazábal posted consecutive birdies at holes nine through thirteen, to move to the top of the leader board. Otaegui posted a fourth-consecutive round in the 60s, but his 66 on this day was not enough to overcome the Cantabrian’s marvelous 62.

Larrazábal made his only bogey of the day at the 15th hole, but posted birdie at 16 and 18, forcing Otaegui to achieve heroics to forge a tie. Despite not making a bogey on the day, Otaegui’s run of 12 consecutive pars was his undoing. His birdie at the last was good enough to elevate him from a tie for second to solo runner-up, but left him one shy of a playoff with Larrazábal. Looking back on the conclusion, the bomb that the winner made on the 16th was the stroke that gave him confidence to close the door on win number seven.

PGA Tour Champions: ClubCorp Classic

If someone had said that Steven Alker, the third-round leader, would toss seven birdies on day three at Irving, and not win outright, folks would have lined up to take that fellow’s money. And yet, that’s what happened. Alker’s two-shot, 36-hole advantage over his closest pursuer (Lee Janzen) was one shot by day’s end on Sunday. The problem for the Kiwi was, Gene Sauers posted 63 to tie him, and Scott Parel had a 65 of his own, to also reach 11-under par. The trio headed off to the 18th tee, where the par-five closer would decide matters after one go-round.

How did we get here? After making just three bogeys over the first 36 holes, Alker scribbled a double bogey on hole 37, and another bogey on hole 40. Sandwiching those numbers were five birdies, and when he added another at the 8th, he was out in three-under and looking like the winner. Alker ran out of gas on the back nine, posting one bogey and one birdie for 35.  Both Sauers and Parel made birdie at the final hole to jump into the tie. After making birdie at the last on each of the first two days, Alker failed twice to birdie it, within half an hour on Sunday.

On the playoff hole, both Sauers and Alker dunked their second shot and made six. Parel played safely left and made par for the win. It was doubly sweet for the four-time Champions Tour winner, as he won the pro-am portion of the event with amateur partner Mardy Fish.

PGA Tour Latinoamérica: Aberto do Brasil heads to River Plate

Sunday’s 10th hole nearly decided the Brazilian Open (aka Aberto do Brasil) as leader Jaime López Rivarola of Argentina made double as Holland’s Rowin Caron signed for birdie. Rivarola’s advantage was gone as the meat of the back nine beckoned. Finding an extra gear, Rivarola played the next eight holes in three-under par, to reach twenty-deep on the week.

After his birdie at ten, Caron stumbled large with bogey at the par-five 11th. He could not match Rivarola’s heroics, and played the closing stretch in even par. When the dust over the Porto Feliz course had settled, Rivarola had edged back in front by one. Even with birdie at the final hole, Caron could only reach 19-under par. From Samba to Inca, the PGA Tour LA moves westward from Brazil to Peru this week.

Ronald Montesano writes for GolfWRX.com from western New York. He dabbles in coaching golf and teaching Spanish, in addition to scribbling columns on all aspects of golf, from apparel to architecture, from equipment to travel. Follow Ronald on Twitter at @buffalogolfer.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

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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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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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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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