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Tour Rundown: Aberg, Wannasaen, Walker Cup

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3 years ago

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The PGA Tour has completed its 2022-2023 season, and the Korn Ferry Tour is on a two-week hiatus. Despite those noticeable absences, there’s plenty of golf to report this week. The DP World Tour played its final tournament, prior to the announcement of the six captain’s selections for the European Ryder Cup side. AUTHOR’S NOTE: I am a terrible prognosticator.

The LPGA found itself in Portland, Oregon, while the PGA Tour Canada pitched a south-of-the-border yurt in Minnesota. Finally, the finest amateur golfers from Great Britain/Ireland and the USA took to match play at St. Andrews in the Walker Cup. Can’t get much cooler, so let’s run it all down in this week’s Tour Rundown: September edition.

DP World Tour @ European Masters: Aberg makes strong case for inclusion with win at Crans

The great mountain event of the European Tour turned into a coming-out party for the name on everyone’s lips for Ryder Cup selection. Ludvig Aberg, a tall, lengthy hitter from Sweden, has caught the attention and piqued the curiosity of the golf world this year. Many bombers come along in their youth, but only a select few have the other necessary components for success.

At Crans-sur-Sierre in Montana, Switzerland, Aberg showed the complete package that has European team captain Luke Donald champing at the bit to announce his name this week. Aberg began play with a 64, one shot off the lead held by three golfers. He moved into first position on Friday, with 67. Nothing was secure, as a 61 from Guido Migliozzi also turned a number of heads. On Saturday, Aberg posted 66, moving to 13 under on the week, fixed solidly in contention.

Sunday saw a three-way duel take shape, with Aberg joined by countryman Alexander Bjork and England’s Matt Fitzpatrick. The battle stretched into the wee holes of the inward nine, and it was at the 14th hole where things reached the boiling point. All three golfers made birdie at the par-5 hole, but Aberg followed his with another at the par-5 15th. Bjork could only par, and Fitzpatrick suffered the first of three closing bogeys that would shockingly remove him from contention, into a tie for third position. Aberg added birdies at 16 and 17, with Bjork staying close with two more at 17 and 18. With par at the last, Ludvig Aberg earned a first championship on the DP World Tour and certain selection to the European Ryder Cup side.

LPGA @ Portland Classic: Wannasaen dives deep to 63 for 1st LPGA title

That saying, go low or go home, was never more appropriate than Sunday in Portland. Megan Khang had a lead through three rounds, but a Sunday 71 waited in the shadows. At Columbia Edgewater, that number would not hold up. Five golfers shot past the American on day four, as her run to a second-consecutive win was hampered by too many pars and bogeys, and a smidgen of birdies.

Finishing in a tie for third spot were Ruoning Yin of China, Gina Kim of the USA, and Carlota Ciganda of Spain. Each posted 66 or 67 to jump to 20-under par, one ahead of Khang. Second place belonged to Xiyu Lin, also of China. She surged to 64 on Sunday and reached 22-deep. In first place, seemingly out of nowhere, Chanettee Wannasaen of Thailand, on the heels of a blistering round of 63.

The story began on Monday, when the 19-year old qualified for the event. Given that performance, we should have known that this would be her week. The young champion scorched holes three through seven with four birdies and an eagle, precisely as Khang was wobbling. Two more birdies coming home gave Wannasaen a four-shot separation from second position, and an inaugural tour title.

PGA Tour Canada @ CRMC Championship: Say “Cao” by eight shots

Yi Cao (pronounced tsay-oh) seemed to have access to intel that his competitors lacked, this week in Brainerd, Minnesota. The 33-year-old from China opened with 66, which placed him at the top amid a handful of contestants. It was his opening nine on Friday that turned heads. Three birdies plus one eagle turned in 30 shots, and the rout was on. A 32 coming home gave him 62 on the day. Cao followed that masterful performance with matching scores of 65 over the weekend and took up residence at 22-under par over 72 holes.

Jeffrey Kang placed second on the week, finishing at 14-under par. He moved from 26th to 11th in the year-long, Fortinet Cup race. Cao moved from 55th to 9th. Both players will have work to do, beginning September 7th, if they hope to earn Korn Ferry Tour cards for the next campaign. The top 10 finishers earn cards, and there will be plenty of shuffling and scoreboard-watching at Country Hills in Calgary, site of this week’s Tour Championship.

USGA @ Walker Cup: USA Side dominates Sunday to retain Walker Cup

There was great celebration on Saturday evening in the auld toon of St. Andrews. The Great Britain and Ireland side had jumped out to a 7.5-4.5 advantage, thanks to dominance in fourball (better ball in the States) and eight-man singles. Sunday would bring foursomes (alternate-shot in the States) and 10-man singles, and Team GBI had to like its chances just a bit. It needed but 5 out of 14 Sunday points to take the cup back from the Red White & Blue. Let’s be honest: foursomes/alternate shot is not something the American side plays with any frequency.

And yet, there we were, after those Sunday morning foursomes, with Team USA snatching 3 of 4 points and making a match of it. In international team play, every point and half point matters, and this opportunity for the host side had sailed out to sea. Now, Great Britain and Ireland would have to claim the equivalent of 4 of 10 individual match wins. It was possible, edging toward probable, but the visitors had other plans.

Leading the afternoon charge for Team USA were Gordon Sargent, the top-ranked amateur in the world, and Caleb Surratt. Sargent won his PM singles to claim a fourth point in four matches. After an opening-morning loss in Fourball, Surratt went on a tear, winning his next three points. The most important match of the early ones, however, was Nick Dunlap vs. Barclay Brown. Holding a three-up lead with four holes to play, the unfortunate Englishman went bogey-double-bogey-par (with par at the last feeling like a bogey) to halve his match with Dunlap. It seemed that momentum shifted with that half-point loss. Team USA proceeded to win six matches, halve two, and claim the cup by a 14.5-11.5 margin.

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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

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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