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Morning 9: Lexi to play PGA Tour event | PGA Tour pro’s weekly expenditures | Record 579-yard drive

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

For comments: [email protected]

Good Thursday morning, golf fans, as day one of the Sanderson Farms Championship gets underway.

1. Lexi to tee it up at Shriners Open

Michael Collins for ESPN…”Lexi Thompson has accepted a sponsor invitation to play in the Shriners Children’s Open, which begins Oct. 12 in Las Vegas.”

  • “I’m hopeful that my ability to play with the men next week at the Shriners Children’s Open sends a great message to the young women that you can chase your dream regardless of how hard it is,” Thompson said in a statement Wednesday announcing her entry. “I’m grateful to Shriners Children’s for this opportunity to spend the week alongside these inspirational kids.”
Full piece.

2. How the Americans can do better in the Ryder Cup, volume 100

Suggestions from Global Golf Post’s Ron Green, Jr…”Go back to more qualifiers. The pendulum has swung too far in favor of letting the captain craft his own team. Either make it 12 captain’s picks and do away with the points list or go back to 10 automatic qualifiers. Base it entirely on the calendar year of the Ryder Cup. Sure, having six picks worked brilliantly for European captain Luke Donald, but having more automatic qualifiers would be better”

  • …”Find a way to get American Ryder Cup players to tee it up before the event. The month-long gap didn’t hurt the U.S. team two years ago, but it seemed to make a difference this year. Assuming that the PGA Tour schedule is similar to what it is now, the U.S. captain should insist on his players teeing it up in the Fortinet Championship the way Donald got his players to the DP World Tour’s BMW PGA Championship before going to Rome.”
  • …”Find new voices at the top. Maybe Tiger Woods captains the next U.S. Ryder Cup team, and that would be a good thing. But it’s time to move past the same set of vice captains being recycled. As much as they like being part of the Ryder Cup, at least a few of them probably think it’s time to let someone else do it. Webb Simpson was introduced at the Presidents Cup. Stewart Cink saw how it worked in Rome. What about Kevin Kisner?”
Full piece.

3. Ryder Cup viewership, US vs. Europe

Our Matt Vincenzi…”Potentially as a result of the lopsided affair, the NBC viewership was down compared to the last Ryder Cup in Europe (France 2021).”

  • “Sports Business Journal reported a significant drop…Friday coverage drew 516,000 viewers on USA (1:30am-12:30pm)…Friday in 2018: 886,000 on Golf Channel (6am-12:20pm).
  • …”However, the Ryder Cup did much better numbers in Europe on SkySports.”
  • “According to Bunkered, Sky broke all of the previous Ryder Cup viewing records.
  • “Across the three days, there was an average of 785k viewers, up 38% on 2021 and 25% on 2018. Noticeably, more under-35s (14%) watched the 2023 Ryder Cup than in 2021, demonstrating the sports ever-growing appeal to younger fans.”
Full piece.

4. Ben Griffin on players’ weekly expenditures

Our Matt Vincenzi…”The former North Carolina Tar Heel concluded that most golfers are spending a minimum of $6,000 a week in order to compete on Tour. The expenses include paying caddies, tipping, hotels, airfare, and food.”

  • “So, hotels are always expensive more than generally, and as a player, we kind of face that on our own. Now we get to play for a lot of money, and there’s a lot of really good times, but sometimes you might miss a few cuts and you kind of feel it in your pocket, so it really helps to, I’m very fortunate to have sponsors and people that believe in me and have supported me, and I’m in an awesome position financially to be able to afford some of these things, and I’m very blessed.
  • “But the reality is that guys on tour are spending at least five, $6,000 a week, and a lot of guys are a lot more. I’m pretty much, I don’t have a family. I don’t have kids or anything like that, so it cuts costs down for me a little bit, but other guys are having their physical therapists with them every week, and prices can kind of go up from there.”
Full piece.

5. Swag takes on $10 million in funding

Eben Novy-Williams…”Club and apparel startup Swag Golf has raised a $10 million round, led by Verance Capital, that includes Olympic gold medalist Shaun White and NBA All-Star Zach LaVine.”

  • “The company plans to use the money to bolster multiple parts of its business by growing existing product lines, launching new ones and expanding manufacturing capacity. It is also prioritizing growth in Asia and Oceania.”
  • “It’s the first real outside funding for Swag, which was founded in 2018 with about $1 million in seed capital from friends and family. While the valuation in this deal was not provided, the company is profitable, and on pace for about $25 million in sales this year, according to someone familiar with the numbers. It has grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 100% since its founding.”
Full piece.

6. Yasir Al-Rumayyan reportedly playing Alfred Dunhill Links Championship under false name

Adam Woodard for Golfweek…”LIV Golf chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan will play in this week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the DP World Tour under a false name, according to a report on Wednesday in the Scotsman.”

  • “Al-Rumayyan, the 53-year-old governor of Saudi Arabia’s lucrative Public Investment Fund (PIF), was invited by Johann Rupert, the South African billionaire and man behind the pro-am event held annually at Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and St. Andrews. Listed under the pseudonym Andrew Waterman, Al-Rumayyan will play alongside LIV Golf’s Peter Uihlein and in the same group as R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers. Fellow LIV players Laurie Canter, Talor Gooch and Louis Oosthuizen are also in the field as non-members playing on sponsor invites.”
Full piece.

7. 579-yard drive

Jake Nichols for Cowboy State Daily…”On Monday, Berkshire hit a golf ball farther than any human being has ever hit one in recorded history at nearly 580 yards. Later in the day he topped that off with a record ball speed off the club — an astounding 241.7 mph.”

  • No one in the world of golf has ever done what Kyle Berkshire can do. And at 26, he’s still getting stronger, longer and better.
  • “I’m far from peaking,” Berkshire said.
Full piece.

8. Homa commits to ‘Africa’s Major’

Ben Fleming for Golf Monthly.”Max Homa has become the latest high-profile name to join the field for next month’s Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa.”

  • “Fresh off his stellar rookie performance in the Ryder Cup, which saw him top score for the United States team with 3.5 points, Homa will make his first appearance in the tournament, dubbed “Africa’s Major,” from November 9-12.”
Full piece.

9. Sanderson Farms Championship photos

  • Check out all of our galleries here
Full piece.

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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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

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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

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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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