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Tour Rundown: McIlroy sizzles with 62 | Grant on another planet in Scandinavian Mixed

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4 years ago

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June is a curious month, with weather patterns that defy predictability and logic. The skies sweat, flash bolts of anger and blow hearty winds. In the next moment, all around is calm. It’s also a month that typically features a major championship or two, and at times, an international team event. We’ve covered the Curtis Cup extensively in its own space, but have plenty of tour results left over to fill your reading minutes. Join in as we detail the efforts of the five champions who hoisted trophies across the professional golf world in this week’s Tour Rundown.

PGA Tour: McIlroy sizzles with 62 to defend in Canada

At times, it’s the children we have that clarify what legacy truly means. As a husband and a father, Rory McIlroy understands the opportunity he possesses to leave a legacy on the game of golf and on the world. McIlroy was compared, far too often, to Tiger Woods in his early days. Some wins came, while others slipped away. Now in his 30s, the Northern Irishman has found a home in Canada, at least when it comes to that country’s national championship.

The 2022 playing of the Canadian Open was its first since 2019. COVID had forced the cancellation of the storied championship, and it was quite fitting that it returned on one of the great, golden-age courses of Stanley Thompson. St. George’s is a brilliant piece of golfing land, similar in ways to Merion, the host of this week’s Curtis Cup. It is not a typical Tour course, and as such, can be susceptible to low scores. That’s fine, because these lads don’t play it every week, so it should not be retrofitted to their games.

McIlroy averaged a shade above 65 for his four rounds across the Etobicocke track. His final-round 62 was a thing of beauty, and he needed to shave every shot he could. Lifelong pal Tony Finau was on his heels all of Sunday, and recent PGA champion Justin Thomas wasn’t far behind. Rory was eight under on the day when he stepped to the 13th tee. He made a bad swing and signed for his first bogey of the afternoon. Three holes later, he did the same and another par three humbled him with another bogey. Meanwhile, playing partner Finau simply played error-free golf, and posted six birdies on the day for 64.

McIlroy was able to level the ship. He followed his second bogey with two closing birdies to keep Finau at bay. With the U.S. Open at Brookline this week, so many top players are trending toward potential glory, we can hardly sit still. If the fans at The Country Club can merely approach the love of game and tradition that Canada shows each year without fail, they will do well. We’ll leave you with a bit of them.

DP World Tour: Grant on another planet in Scandinavian Mixed

Once upon a time, a couple of Swedes had a grand idea. Bring the best female and male golfers together, play them from appropriate tee decks, and see how they would match up. In 2022, the Scandinavian Mixed saw one of those golfer, Henrik Stenson, post 15-under par and tie for second, with Marc Warren of Scotland. Just a few shots ahead of them, at 24-under par, was Stenson’s countrywoman, Linn Grant. In a dominating performance not likely to be repeated this year, Grant averaged 66 on the week, including a closing 64. Her swing never wavered, and her demeanor and composure were steady.

On the week, Grant had four bogeys, and she was done with that silliness on Friday evening. She would play a flawless weekend, with the weight of many eyes and opinions on her carriage. On Saturday, four birdies and an eagle brought her to 66. On Sunday, eight birdies in the first fourteen holes allowed her to cruise to the final green with pars for 64. Much as those in attendance at Merion discovered the glory of Amari Avery’s swing, those with eyes on Tylösand witnessed a swing without flaw. Congratulations, Linn. Congratulations to all.

LPGA: Henderson outlasts W-W in Jersey playoff

The hard part about being a young phenom is the parlay into old phenom. It’s not easy to continue to shock and dominate the golf world. Brook Henderson was that golfer, but then the USGA told her she could not swing her 48-inch driver shaft any more. She’s had eleven wins on tour, but hadn’t closed one out since L.A. in April of 2021. This week, near Atlantic City, Henderson pulled off out one of her patented, final-round comebacks. This time it was good enough to secure a spot in a playoff.

Matching wits and game with the Canadian was Lindsay Weaver-Wright. W-W hung around for 2.5 rounds, then finished with four birdies in six holes to equal Henderson’s minus-twelve total. The pair returned to the 18th tee, where both had signed for birdie four in regulation. This time through, Henderson went even lower. Her eagle clinched her first win of 2022, and perhaps gave her the confidence to return to the top strata for which she was headed before Covid. Want eight minutes of Brooke? We’ll oblige!

Korn Ferry Tour: It’s Robby in another playoff finale

Robby Shelton was one of those UAlabama guys who seemed to win everything in the mid 2010s. He played on the USA side in the 2015 Walker Cup, alongside Justin Thomas. Shelton found that professional golf would require more of a grind. He appeared poised to break out in 2020, after two Korn Ferry wins in 2019. Covid hit, and Shelton’s quest was delayed.

This week in South Carolina, 2019 Shelton vintage returned, but not without drama. After posting 61 on Saturday to take the lead at the BMW Charity Pro-Am, the Mobile native needed par at the last to win outright on Sunday. He made bogey, and fell into a tie with Ben Griffin. The duo returned twice to the final tee, and both times, Shelton made the par that eluded him during regulation time. In the second overtime, Griffin wavered to a bogey, and Shelton had his third Korn Ferry tour title, and a leg up on a spot on the PGA Tour in 2022-2023.

PGA Tour Champions: Thongchai  breaks through on Senior Circuit

Thongchai Jaidee won 13 times on the Asian Tour, and on eight occasions on the European Tour, during his younger days. During his even-younger days, he was a paratrooper in the Royal Thai army. Jaidee made occasional forays onto the US PGA Tour, but was never able to secure a victory. At the age of 52, Jaidee made a 53rd hole birdie, on the heels of a bogey-six at the 52nd hole, to hold off Tom Pernice, jr. for his first stateside win.

Over the course of three days at University Ridge, Jaidee showed us a little bit of everything. Day one was a mish-mash of bogeys and birdies accompanied by a holed approach shot for eagle on the par-4 15th hole. Day two was a brilliant one, with seven birdies and 11 pars hogging space on the scorecard. With the lead, Jaidee drew on his years of competitive experience and made six birdies against two bogeys and had enough chute to land safely and avoid a playoff.

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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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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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