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Morning 9: Ryder Cup picks are in | Biggest Ryder Cup snub? | Tour Champ viewership up

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3 years ago

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Wednesday morning, golf fans, as the dust settles on Zach Johnson’s wildcard picks for Rome.

1. The picks are in

Golf Channel’s Ryan Lavner…“Justin Thomas’ worst season on the PGA Tour didn’t cost him a spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team.”

  • “Captain Zach Johnson on Tuesday made Thomas one of his six wildcard selections to round out the American team, opting for Thomas’ sparkling match-play record over his current form as the Americans look to win on foreign soil for the first time since 1993.”
  • “He has, without question, been the heart and soul of Team USA,” Johnson said. “Our emotional leader. He leads by example. His passion for the Ryder Cup is very evident. In my mind, he was born for this, and you just don’t leave JT at home.”
  • …”Even with his struggles this season, Thomas’ inclusion to the U.S. side wasn’t much of a surprise considering his record in the format, ready-made partnership with Jordan Spieth and leadership role in the team room. Neither was the addition of four of the other captain’s picks: Spieth, Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler and Collin Morikawa.”
Full piece.

2. ZJ on BK pick

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach…”Koepka returned from a career-threatening knee injury and tied for second at the Masters before collecting his third Wanamaker Trophy in May. He tied for 17th in the U.S. Open and 64th at The Open. He finished 29 points behind Xander Schauffele for the final automatic roster spot.”

  • “The last few years have been a lot, but at the same time, that’s what I’ve been grinding for, trying to get back in shape and to feel good for this moment,” Koepka said. “Super excited — it’s gonna be a fun week.”
  • “The way I see it, [Koepka] basically earned his way onto the team,” Johnson added. “It was a pretty easy pick. Brooks is great in the team room, great inside the ropes. These guys wanted him. I wanted him. A very natural fit.”
Full piece.

3. Biggest snub?

Golf Digest staff…

  • ”You have to say Young here. Young’s résumé in the big events was stellar, he played extremely well at the Match Play in March, but most importantly, and this cannot be emphasized enough: FRED COUPLES SAID HE WAS ON THE TEAM! That’s the PR blunder of the entire Ryder Cup picks cycle, by far, and just imagine how it must feel if you’re Young, read that story, and think your spot is secure, only to lose it to Burns at the final moment. I’m not saying this isn’t painful for a guy like Bradley, who loves the Ryder Cup, or even Glover, but to be granted a pick by a vice captain in a media appearance and then to watch it fade away? That’s so brutal.” —Shane Ryan
  • “Probably Bryson DeChambeau. A top five at the PGA Championship, fresh off a 58 in his LIV Golf win at The Greenbrier and a good performance at Whistling Straits. A good driver of the ball, he’d probably do well in Rome. Yes, there’s maybe a chemistry issue with the rest of the team. But it sounds like he didn’t even get a phone call. I understand why he’s not on the team, but even still: It’s a snub. —Luke Kerr-Dineen
Full piece.

4. The key to Hovland’s improvements around the green: Spin Loft

Golf Digest’s Luke Kerr-Dineen…”But around the greens, his similar technique had Hovland struggling to generate enough spin, and his mis-hits would often cause him to chunk shots by hitting too far behind the ball. It was why, a few years ago, Hovland admitted he “sucked” at chipping, and attempted to solve the problem by changing the way he was hitting the ball. Specifically, the way his wrists worked through the ball.”

  • “When Hovland and Mayo teamed up, they abandoned that idea. Rather than making large alterations to technique Hovland used to hit the ball, they focused acutely on how Hovland was hitting the ball. That’s where the concept of Spin Loft came into play.”
  • “Spin Loft is a shorthand metric teachers use between the difference between the loft of the club at impact, and the direction of the clubhead. Hovland’s coach Mayo says it’s “one of the most important” metrics to understand, and has talked a lot about how crucial it is around the greens.”
Full piece.

5. Michael Kim: Fellow pro willingly took a 2-stroke penalty for cart ride

Our Matt Vincenzi…”According to the former Tour winner, a player willingly took a ride from a cart knowing that it was a penalty due to the intense heat.”

  • “Hot summer story I’ve heard: A while back, a player was playing well on Friday and was at 3 under par. It was a VERY hot afternoon and the walk from 15 green to 16th tee box was far and up a really big hill. He sees a rules official and calls him…”
  • “Player: Hey, what’s the penalty if you give me a ride to the tee box?”
  • “Official: uhh it’s a two stroke penalty”
  • “P: what’s the cut line at?
  • “O: it’s currently at even par
  • “P: Fu** it, I’m at 3 under give me a ride to that tee box
  • “The story is a bit hard to believe, considering how much of a financial difference it makes to make a cut for PGA Tour players, but we’ll take Kim’s word for it.”
Full piece.

6. Sonders: I was dying inside

Our Matt Vincenzi…”Holly Sonders, who worked at the Golf Channel from 2011-2014, has started her own topless sports league called “Exposed Sportz”.

  • “This week, Sonders sat down with Golf Digest’s “The Loop” podcast to discuss both her new venture and her time in golf media.”
  • “Sonders made some interesting comments in the interview, including that she was “dying inside” during her time at Golf Channel and Fox Sports.”
  • “I was just dying inside most of the time to being told what to say, what to do, how to act, and so it’s, there’s something to be said for being free whether other people like it or not.”
  • “The 34-year-old said that by the end of her time at Golf Channel, she was doing three shows a day, and then went to film “Playing Lessons with the Pro’s” on her off days.”
  • “They just kept adding and adding to the point where at the end, Morning Drive I was on Thursday-Monday because that’s when the action is, then Tuesday I would do the instructional show and Wednesday I would fly out to do ‘Playing with the Pro’s’. So, that’s seven days a week. I was dead, like I was dead.”
  • “And you’re paying me peanuts. So, of course I’m going to go to Fox. Goodbye. I get to go to L.A., I get to make my own schedule, I get to have an offseason.”
Full piece.

7. TV viewership up for Tour Championship

Tim Schmitt for Golfweek…”Although the debate over what format best suits the season-ending Tour Championship continues to rage on, the current solution has captured the fancy of the viewing public, at least according to numbers released by CBS Sports on Tuesday.”

  • “According to the network, Sunday’s final round from East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta was the most-watched in the last five years of the event.”
Full piece.

8. Financial boost for LPGA pros

Adam Woodard for Golfweek…”Players who compete in all five of the LPGA’s major championships are guaranteed minimum payouts to help cover expenses. Starting this week, the LPGA will now be able to help offset player expenses at additional tournaments for the next five seasons thanks to a new multi-year partnership with Accenture.”

  • “Each of the 144 players in the field at this week’s Portland Classic will be guaranteed a minimum payout, same for those who tee it up at the Ascendant LPGA Benefiting Volunteers of America in October. Players who competed at the LOTTE Championship in April received a travel stipend to help cover costs associated with traveling to and from Hawaii. Golfers who played the Dana Open presented by Marathon in July also received a minimum payout.”
Full piece.

9. Keegan’s reaction

Related Topics:

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.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

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3 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

Published

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

Published

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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