Connect with us

News

Morning 9: Nick Taylor wins | Claude defends Rory | Hadwin tackled

Published

on

By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Monday morning, golf fans, as Nick Taylor revels in the glory of winning the Canadian Open in stunning fashion.

1. From 72 feet!

AP report…”Nick Taylor became the first Canadian in 69 years to win his national open, holing a 72-foot eagle putt on the fourth playoff hole to beat Tommy Fleetwood in the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday.”

  • “Taylor tossed his putter into the air and jumped into the arms of his caddie after the longest made putt of his PGA Tour career, and fellow Canadian players Mike Weir, Corey Conners and Adam Hadwin were among those who ran out to the green to congratulate him.”
  • “I’m speechless. This is for all the guys that are here. This is for my family at home,” Taylor said with tears in his eyes. “This is the most incredible feeling.”
Full piece.

2. Meanwhile, in Scandinavia

BBC report…”England’s Dale Whitnell claimed his first DP World Tour win with a three-shot victory at the Scandinavian Mixed.”

  • “Whitnell, 34, led by six shots after two rounds, but saw his advantage cut to just two by charging American Sean Crocker at one point on the final day.”
  • “However, a birdie on the 17th eased the pressure for the Englishman who finished on 21 under.”
Full piece.

3. Buhai takes ShopRite

AP report…”As she entered her 30s, Ashleigh Buhai was frustrated with consistently contending but never winning on the LPGA Tour. There was nothing wrong with her swing, so she began working with a mental coach.”

  • “Now at the cusp of 35 on a tour dominated by players a decade or more younger, the South African is playing the best golf of her career.”
  • “Buhai seized the lead early with four birdies in her first five holes, got up and down for one last birdie for a 6-under 65 and held off Hyo Joo Kim for a one-shot victory in the ShopRite LPGA Classic on Sunday.”
Full piece.

4. Strick wins at home

AP report…”Stricker already has six Champions majors, including the two played this year. This tournament was one his foundation began before he turned 50, and he finally got it.”

  • “Tied with Paul Broadhurst to start the final round, Stricker seized control with two straight birdies to close out the front nine at University Ridge Golf Club.”
  • “He won by five shots over Broadhurst (74) and Steve Alker (70).”
Full piece.

5. Hadwin tackled by security while celebrating Taylor’s win

Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine…”Adam Hadwin…He grabbed a bottle of champagne, shook it up, popped it and went sprinting onto the green.”

  • “But as a bubbly-spraying Hadwin approached Taylor, an overzealous security guard – and perhaps former aspiring CFL linebacker – quickly ran interference, executing a textbook tackle of Hadwin. The PGA Tour winner and two-time Presidents Cupper, who also had thrown out the first pitch at a Blue Jays game earlier in the week, didn’t stand a chance as the guard squared him up and took him down with force, sending Hadwin flying backward into the putting surface.”
Full piece.

6. A premature victory lap?

Tom D’Angelo for the Palm Beach Post…”As more details emerge of the transformational deal between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which owns LIV Golf, it appears Norman, the controversial public face of LIV Golf, is on the outs.”

  • “It was enough the man known as The Great White Shark was cast aside during seven weeks of negotiations between PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan’s team and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of the Kingdom’s PIF. Norman, 68, was clueless as to what was happening and wasn’t told of the deal until minutes before the two sides went public.”
  • “Now we’ve learned Monahan will oversee both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf when the agreement is finalized.”
Full Piece.

7. Claude Harmon speaks out for Rory

Mike Hall for Golf Monthly…”Speaking on his podcast, Son of a Butch with Claude Harmon, he said: “On a personal note, I feel sorry – I really do – I feel sorry for Rory McIlroy. You could see last year how much him being the spokesperson for the PGA Tour, for the PGA Tour’s stance against LIV, against the Saudis, against the money, all that, you could see that it was wearing him.”

  • “McIlroy appears to be finding of his best form again after a rocky period that included missed cuts at The Players Championship and The Masters, and Harmon thinks the time he put into defending the PGA Tour had an impact.”
  • “He continued: “It’s my opinion, and I don’t have any facts around this, but I think it has affected him as a person and I think it’s affected him as a player. I think it’s affected his game. I think he volunteered but I think the Tour asked Rory to do a lot last year and he did that job unbelievably well.”
Full Piece.

8. Golf photo of the year?

9. Taylor’s Winning WITB

Driver: Titleist TSi3 (10 degrees)

Shaft: Fujikura Atmos Blue Tour Spec 6 X

3-wood: Titleist TSi2 (15 degrees)

Shaft: Fujikura Atmos Blue Tour Spec 6 X

5-wood: TaylorMade SIM2 Max (18 degrees)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei AV 85 TX

Hybrid: Titleist TSR2 (21 degrees)

Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 95 X

Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Titleist T100 (5-9)

Shafts: Temper Dynamic Gold S400

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM8 (46, 54), Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks (58)

Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400

Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour

Grip: SuperStroke

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Full WITB.

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.

4 Comments

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