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2022 Curtis Cup: Complete day two coverage
If statistics are your thing, chew on these numbers. The sum total of the world rankings for Team GBI equals 344. Team USA checks in at 164, including the 1st and 4th-ranked players in Rose Zhang and Rachel Heck. On the surface, that looks fairly lopsided.
If you believe that statistics have much, if anything to do with golf, you’re probably incorrect. Team golf is all about cooperation, cohesion, and collaboration. No shot is more important than any other, although they seem that way to the casual fan. There are no quitters on either team, so even as a pairing is losing holes, they are grinding hard. Keep that in mind when you watch them go at it on Sunday morning.
Morning Session
Day two of the 2022 Curtis Cup matches began with cloudy skies and the occasional sunburst. Sitting out the morning fourballs for Team USA were the Stanford teammates Rose Zhang and Rachel Heck. Taking the wee hours off for Team GBI were Amelia Williamson and Emily Price. The par-four, seventh and tenth holes were pushed up to inside 300 yards, tempting golfers to have a go at the green in one. Around 11:30, a drizzle began and the tone of the morning golf changed just slightly. It might have coincided with the arrival of the matches at the grueling final five. Away went the myth that golfers from the British Isles thrive in weathery conditions, and away went an opportunity to close the five-point deficit accrued on day one.
Lauren Walsh of Team GBI rips an approach into the fifth green during Saturday morning fourball play.
No partnership has played better thus far, than did Lauren Walsh and Caley McGinty of Team GBI. The pair opened with a win at the first, snatched four consecutive holes from six through nine, then closed with three consecutive wins at 12 through 14. Their margin of victory was 5 & 4, the largest winning gap so far. Their shared recipe was precisely what has been missing from GBI golf so far: birdies. The duo won six of their eight holes with birdie. Walsh and McGinty will team up again in the afternoon, and will need to reprise their magic to bring the visiting side back into the match.
Amari Avery of Team USA lets fly with her driver on the fifth tee during Saturday morning play.
It would be impossible to say which of the two later matches gutted the side from across the Atlantic more. Hannah Darling and Annabel Fuller won but two holes on the morning, againsf four by their opponents. A member of the volunteer brigade was heard to later exclaim Great Britain and Ireland played so well. I really have no idea how they lost. Well, how they lost was on the putting surfaces, and due to a dearth of birdies. Just four shots were saved by the team, and short putts were missed at the least opportune times. In hindsight, one always notes that the victors came through when needed. Darling and Fuller were unable to lean on each other to pull this one out. They’ll get a second chance in the afternoon’s foursomes play.
Latanna Stone of Team USA follows her approach into the par-four eighth hole during Saturday morning matches.
Imagine having a two-up lead with three holes to play. If you can, then you know how Charlotte Heath and Louise Duncan felt as they reached the 16th tee on Saturday morning. Imagine being down by those two holes, but having the faith that you and your partner could come back. That’s the state in which Emilia Migliaccio and Latanna Stone found themselves. Over the course of the first 15 holes, the GBI pair had just enough of an edge to stay out front. When they made a wonderful birdie at the demanding 15th, that three seemed like a dagger to the sould of the American side. Except that it wasn’t.
Over the next three holes, the pair from Great Britain and Ireland would forget how to play their game. They would close with two pars and four bogeys, and lose each of the remaining holes. The hosts made a must-have birdie at the quarry 16th, followed it with a par that seemed like a birdie at the daunting 17th, then made one last par at the last of the quarry holes, to seize the match in unpredicatable and unimaginable fashion.
With those two victories, Team USA expanded its advantage from four to five points, with three afternoon foursomes matches still to come.
Afternoon Session
Sitting out the afternoon foursomes for the visiting team from Great Britain and Ireland were Charlotte Heath and Louise Duncan. Emilia Migliaccio and Megha Ganne took a breather for Team USA. Out first for GBI were the winning team from the morning, Lauren Walsh and Caley McGinty. Their task was to take down the Stanford duo of Rose Zhang and Rachel Heck. Next up would be Amelia Williamson and Emily Price from across the Atlantic, while the home squad offered up Amari Avery and Rachel Kuehn. The final clash would see visitors Hannah Darling and Annabell Fuller pitted against Latanna Stone and Jensen Castle. On the line were three important points, in advance of eight matches on a stormy Sunday morning.
Rachel Heck snuggles a wedge close on the 13th. The birdie would begin the duo’s resurgence.
If you take a careful look at the scorecard from this match, examine the first seven holes for Team GBI and the final seven for Team USA. They are nearly mirror images. GBI won four of the first seven holes, while USA won four of the last seven. The middle segment of five fairways saw each side win two holes. Beyond that, there isn’t much to report. Four of the most talented female amateurs met in competition, and ended up dead even in the end. No lead is ever safe, and no deficit, insurmountable. Team golf, especially foursomes (aka alternate shot) is the polar opposite of individual play, and what it requires is foreign to most of us.
Rachel Kuehn approaches the 16th green. Partner Amari Avery would bury the birdie putt for Team USA.
Amari Avery may be a Curtis Cup rookie, but she doesn’t play like one. She is a singles win away from going five and oh in her match debut. Don’t worry, it isn’t a jinx if she brought it up, and she did just that, in the interview room. Avery deflected the significance of her individual performance, insisting that it’s all about the team; nothing more, nothing less. Avery paired with Rachel Kuehn for the second consecutive day. In each match, the pair saved its best golf for the closing stretch. On Friday, they won three of their final five holes, for a 3 & 2 victory. On Saturday, the won three of the closing four, coming out on top by 2 holes.
Hannah Darling unloads a bomb from the 15th tee for Team GBI.
The team of Darling and Fuller was a curious selection. Rumors abounded that Darling was not slated to play in the afternoon match, but that something had happened to a teammate, that necessitated her subbing in. This turned out to be a great move. Darling’s length often set teammate Fuller up for an easier approach. Late in the game, Darling buried a ten-feet putt on the 17th green for par, clinching a very necessary, full point for her side. It was the first time in four sessions that the visitors had halved the three points, and it was the first points for both Darling and Fuller.
Sunday’s weather forecast is yucky, with moments of ick. Thunderstorms are forecast throughout the day. If it were just rain, the golfers would play on. With electricity in the air, everything changes. To have a chance at completing the singles matches, organizers have moved the first tee time up from mid afternoon to 7:30 am. Keep your fingers crossed and do your weather dance. Merion will need it.
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...
