Connect with us

News

Morning 9: Svensson breaks through I Pelley on OWGR | Player calls for LIV truce

Published

on

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco and Matthew Vincenzi.
For comments: [email protected].
November 21, 2022

Good Monday morning, golf fans, following an exciting weekend of golf action across all tours.

1 Rahm wins, Rory takes top spot

AP report…”Rory McIlroy finished the year as Europe’s top-ranked golfer for the fourth time – and first since 2015 – despite Jon Rahm winning the DP World Tour Championship on Sunday.”

  • “The Spaniard’s two-shot victory over England’s Tyrrell Hatton and Sweden’s Alex Noren was his third in six years at Jumeirah Golf Estates.”
  • “But McIlroy finished the season top of the DP World rankings after Matt Fitzpatrick, his only rival for the Harry Vardon Trophy, was not able to get the job done.”
  • “The U.S. Open champion needed to win and McIlroy to not finish runner-up, or to finish second and the Northern Irishman to be outside the top seven.”
Full piece.

2. PGA Tour: Svensson breaks through

Golfweek’s Adam Woodard…”The 28-year-old Canadian shot a 6-under 64 on Sunday at Sea Island’s Seaside Course to hold off Callum Tarren, Sahith Theegala and Brian Harman to win for the first time on Tour at 19 under. Svensson went bogey free in the final round and made four birdies on his back nine, including two in a row on Nos. 16 and 17 to take a two-shot lead to the 18th tee.”

Full piece.

3. Ko wins CME Group Tour Championship, $2 million

NZ Herald report…”Lydia Ko never won more in one day than on Sunday in the CME Group Tour Championship, where she claimed the richest prize in women’s golf at US$2 million with a victory that allowed her to win LPGA player of the year.”

  • “Ko outlasted Leona Maguire of Ireland in the final round, seizing control with a seven-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole and closing with two-under 70 for a two-shot victory.”
  • “…The 25-year-old Kiwi won her 19th LPGA title and third of the year to win the US$2m (NZ$3.25m) prize – the largest first place prize in the history of women’s sport.”
Full piece.

4. CME Group CEO ‘exceptionally disappointed’ with LPGA leadership

Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols…”Former U.S. presidents, secretaries of state and business tycoons have presented at CME’s conference, and for Tuesday night’s dinner, the firm typically invites a select number of players to attend. Earlier this week, when Duffy asked for the houselights to be turned on so that he could applaud the players in the room, the only people standing were those serving the tables.”

  • “Not a single player showed up.”
  • “It’s an embarrassment to a company of my size and an embarrassment to me personally,” said Duffy, two days after the event.
  • “Duffy’s beef isn’t with the players, though — it’s with who’s at the helm.”
  • “I am exceptionally disappointed with the leadership of the LPGA,” he continued. “They better get their act together because they’re going to lose people like me over stuff like this.”
Full piece.

5. Love III: LIV must stop hostile takeover

Alan Bastable for Golf…“On Wednesday, at the PGA Tour’s RSM Classic in Sea Island, Ga., Love was asked about whether he, too, thought it was time for Norman to step down.”

  • “I don’t know how to answer to that,” Love said. “Again, if they say, Hey, maybe we made a mistake and maybe we should drop a lawsuit and maybe we should quit stealing your players, then we might want to talk to them, but I don’t think that’s their model.”
  • “Love was referring to LIV’s antitrust suit in which it is seeking “punitive damages against the PGA Tour for its tortious interference with LIV Golf’s prospective business relationships.” As for the players LIV has lured away, they have come from all walks of the game.”
Full piece.

6. Captian Zach “No drama” Johnson

Garry Smits, Florida Times-Union…“I love it all,” said Johnson, who has lived on St. Simons Island since 2006. “Anything to do with the Cup, I love it.”

  • “And the captain also has an important job, especially in recent years: make sure the preparation and attending to detail is so exhaustive that the 12-man team can show up that week and focus on golf — and hopefully keep any soap operas to a minimum.”
  • “I’m a guy that I can’t stand drama, so it’s going to be my goal to avoid that,” Johnson said during a news conference Wednesday at the Sea Island Club, the site of this week’s RSM Classic. “It’s not always easy, it’s not always practical, it’s not always going to happen. That’s No. 1. No. 2 would be I just want to give the guys the ability to enter the most uncomfortable week in a very comfortable manner.”
Full piece.

7. Player calls for truce

Jamie Hall for Bunkered…”Gary Player launched an impassioned plea for peace between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour as he insisted: “Golf is too good.”

  • Speaking to IOL Sport at the Gary and Vivienne Player Invitational, he said: “In regards to LIV Golf, I have no objection with people going and playing the LIV tour.
  • “I think it’s lovely to give people the opportunity to make some money when they can’t play anymore – most of them. They’re going out there with a new lease of life.
  • “Golf gave us our dream to start the tour and play. We should have respect across the board.
  • “We have to have respect for each other and go on with our lives. But if you play the LIV tour, don’t expect to play and have all the facilities of the regular tour. They’re two different tours.
Full piece.

8. Pelley weighs in on OWGR debate

Golf Monthly’s Matt Craddock….”Speaking to Nick Dougherty, European Tour CEO, Keith Pelley, covered an array of topics, with the Canadian clarifying the decision to change the Official World Golf Ranking System.

  • “Now, speaking at the season-ending tournament at the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates, Pelley has explained that: “I think there was a long study with four independent research universities that did the study on the OWGR and they came to the conclusion, all four of them did, that the rankings didn’t reflect the actual performance of the players worldwide.”
  • “He added that “as a result, we implemented a new system but, like with any new system, in regardless of what aspect of business you’re in, you evaluate, you modify, you tweak and, at the next board meeting, we’ll have those conversations.”
  • “I talked to both Rory and Jon and, although they have different opinions, we’ll bring both those opinions to the board of the OWGR In our next meeting.”
Full piece.

9. Winning WITB: Adam Svensson

Driver: Callaway Rogue ST Triple Diamond S

Shaft: LA Golf prototype

3-wood: Callaway Rogue ST (15 degrees)

Hybrid: Callaway Apex (18 degrees)

Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 100 6.5

Irons: Callaway X Forged CB (4), Callaway Apex MB (5-9)

Shafts: Project X HZRDUS (4), Project X 6.5 (5-9)

Wedges: Callaway Jaws MD5 (46, 52, 56, 60)

Shafts: Project X 6.5

Putter: Odyssey Toulon Design Palm Beach

Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft X

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord

Full WITB.
Advertise with us

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.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

Published

on

By

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

 

 

Continue Reading

News

Tour Tech Rundown: Heroic Henley

Published

on

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

Continue Reading

News

Russell Henley’s winning WITB: 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge

Published

on

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

Continue Reading

Announcement

Our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use have been updated as of January 29th, 2026. Please review the updated policies here Privacy Policy | Terms of Use. By continuing to use our site after January 29th, 2026, you agree to the changes.

WITB

Facebook

Trending