Connect with us

News

PGA Tour Netflix trailer | Hideki playing hurt? | How Tiger can make Ryder Cup team

Published

on

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco and Matthew Vincenzi.

For comments: [email protected]

January 12, 2023

Good Thursday morning, golf fans. Greetings from the frozen Northeast. The sun. The surf. All the golf in Hawaii is really just rubbing it in, isn’t it?

1. GWAA POYs

From a press release…”Scottie Scheffler, Lydia Ko and Steven Alker have been voted 2022 Players of the Year in their respective divisions by the Golf Writers Association of America.“

  • “Ko, 25, voted Female Player of the Year, is the only golfer among the three to have been previously honored as a player of the year by the GWAA. She won in 2015. Scheffler (Male Player of the Year) and Alker (Senior Player of the Year) earned GWAA honors for the first time.”
  • “Scheffler, 26, broke through for his first PGA Tour victory in February at the WM Phoenix Open and apparently enjoyed the taste of winning. He added victories at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play (where he ascended to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking) and in April, won his first major championship at the Masters. He finished second to Rory McIlroy in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.”
  • “Ko won three times in 2022, winning early (Gainbridge LPGA) and winning late (CME Group Tour Championship), bringing her LPGA victory total to 19. She was Rolex Player of the Year, won the Vare Trophy for low scoring average (68.99), and finished among the top 5 in putting, rounds under par, birdies and sub-par holes.”
Full piece.

2. Cancer-battling club pro to tee it up at Sony

The AP’s Doug Ferguson…”Michael Castillo comes from a rich heritage of golf in Hawaii, now the head pro at Kapalua and formerly president of the Aloha Section. He had reason to believe his hope of ever playing the Sony Open was long gone.”

  • “But his assistants at Kapalua talked him into playing this year, mainly because the Aloha Section PGA Championship was at Poipu Bay, where he spent 12 years as the head pro.”
  • “Never mind that he faced radiation in November for cancer that returned to his liver. Or that he was 60 and mostly competed in senior divisions. He can still putt great, and Castillo birdied the last hole to win by one.”
Full piece.

3. PGA Tour pros competing in Saudi International

Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch…“The PGA Tour’s reigning Rookie of the Year and a winner last season are among the players granted permission to compete at a controversial tournament in Saudi Arabia next month.”

  • “While the Tour has declined to reveal the exact number or the names of those who requested releases for the PIF Saudi International, multiple sources have told Golfweek that Cameron Young, Lucas Herbert and Cameron Champ are among the members who obtained waivers to compete in Saudi Arabia. Three Korn Ferry Tour players also received releases.”
Full piece.

4. Matsuyama playing hurt?

Adam Woodard for Golfweek…“Hideki Matsuyama was a little surprised to win last year at the Sony Open in Hawaii.”

  • “Despite the good vibes at Waialae Country Club following last year’s win, Matsuyama isn’t expecting too much this week in Honolulu.”
  • “I been having a little trouble with my neck recently. I wasn’t able to practice as much as I can for the last couple months, but the game is trending going forward,” Matsuyama explained in his press conference on Tuesday. “So I can’t expect too much, but I’m really looking forward to this week.”
Full piece.

5. Judge denies LIV Golf request to delay hearing on discovery

Golf Channel’ Rex Hoggard…”A northern California U.S. District Court judge has denied a request to delay a hearing on discovery, setting up a showdown between attorneys for the PGA Tour and those representing the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia and the fund’s governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan.”

  • “Attorneys for Al-Rumayyan and the PIF had requested the hearing, which is scheduled for Friday in San Jose, Calif., be delayed to allow more time to sort out the complicated issues of discovery and a foreign sovereign wealth fund, which is the primary source of funding for LIV Golf.”
  • “[The motions to compel] raise complex, sensitive, novel, and critically important issues of foreign sovereign immunity and international comity,” attorneys for PIF and Al-Rumayyan argued.
Full piece.

6. Trailer for PGA Tour Netflix doc arrives

PGATour.com staff…”A trailer released Wednesday revealed more details about the highly-anticipated Netflix docuseries that promises to offer a behind-the-scenes look at the world of professional golf.”

  • “The series’ title (“Full Swing”), release date (Feb. 15) and its star-studded roster, including the surprise announcement of Rory McIlroy’s participation, were among the noteworthy items revealed in the clip, which also gave a taste of what viewers can expect to see in the series.”
  • “McIlroy was not one of the names included when the series was first announced, but he appeared at the end of the trailer, sitting down in a chair as a producer shouted, “Quiet in the house! Action.”
  • “If I want the game that I love to be played by future generations,” McIlroy says in Wednesday’s video, “the game needs to be pushed forward.”
  • “Among the PGA TOUR players appearing with McIlroy in the show are Player of the Year Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Tony Finau, Matt Fitzpatrick, Sahith Theegala, Joel Dahmen and Mito Pereira. Also in the show are Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Joaquin Niemann and Ian Poulter.”
Full piece.

7. Zach on how Tiger can make Ryder Cup team

Dave Shedloski for Golf Digest…”Tiger Woods is a member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team that will attempt to win in Europe for the first time in 30 years this September in Italy. Whether or not he is holding a golf club during that week is still to be determined.

  • “U.S. captain Zach Johnson said on Wednesday at the Sony Open in Hawaii that he wouldn’t rule out selecting the 15-time major winner and recent World Golf Hall of Fame inductee to compete in the 44th Ryder Cup if he didn’t qualify for the team automatically. Qualifying, of course, is long shot given that there is no way of knowing just how much—or how well—Woods will compete this year as he continues his rehabilitation from the right leg injuries he suffered in an car accident almost two years ago in California.”
  • “I would only contemplate having him on the team if he felt … if he was putting up some numbers and some scores, No. 1, showing some sign of being competitive. And then No. 2, that discussion would be had with the other guys that are a part of that team, and specifically him,” said Johnson, who served under Woods as a vice captain at the 2019 Presidents Cup in Australia, where Woods led the winning U.S. team as just the second playing captain in that event after Hale Irwin in the inaugural edition in 1994.
  • “If there is anything I trust in Tiger Woods is that he’s extremely invested in this team and the future Cups. Extremely invested,” Johnson added. “I can’t speak to that enough. And then I think you would do anything and everything for the betterment of the team. I assume he would say—I don’t like making assumptions—but I’m confident that he would say, ‘Yeah, I can play, or no, I can’t.’”
Full piece.
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