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Morning 9: Patty T, Knapp win GTI | Q-School qualifiers

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By Ben Alberstadt with Gianni Magliocco.

Good morning, golf fans. A humble request: If you haven’t done so already, please check out the latest episode of my new podcast with Gianni Magliocco. Appreciate you all! Latest show description below.

The guys offer hot takes on a very cold subject: snow (also, Joker 2). On the “actually related to golf front,” they take a quick spin through the topics du jour before discussing Tiger Woods’ PNC Championship commitment and what could be ahead for the 15-time major champion. Nine-stroke penalties, Brooks and Bryson, and a curmudgeonly rant about practice swings (Ben) round out the show.

1. Patty T, Knapp Time take the GTI

AP report…”Patty Tavatanakit holed a 25-foot birdie putt and Jake Knapp gave them the lead on the next hole with a tough pitch to set up birdie as the UCLA duo combined for a 7-under 65 on Sunday for a one-shot victory in the Grant Thornton Invitational.”

  • “They won on their respective tours on the same day this year — Knapp at the Mexico Open, Tavatanakit at the Honda LPGA Thailand — and were equally impressive as a team, especially down the stretch at Tiburon Golf Club.”
  • “Jeeno Thitikul, who won the LPGA finale at Tiburon last month for the $4 million prize, holed an 8-foot birdie putt on the final hole as she and Tom Kim shot 64 to finish alone in second.”
Full piece.

2. Q-School qualifiers

AP report…” Lanto Griffin holed a 40-foot putt for eagle on his first hole that sent him to a 7-under 63 in the final round of Q-school, the leader of six players who earned PGA Tour cards for next year.”

  • “Griffin was the medalist at 9-under 271, but all that mattered was being among the top five and ties to get full status as the PGA Tour goes through sharp changes that include smaller fields starting in 2025.”
  • “Hayden Buckley (67) and former world No. 1 amateur Takumi Kanaya of Japan (69) also made it through. Kanaya holed 8-foot par putts on his last two holes.”

 

  • “They were followed at 4-under 276 by Alejandro Tosti of Argentina (66), Will Chandler (66) and Matthew Riedel (72).”
Full piece.

3. Dunhill: Shaun Norris a winner

BBC report…”Shaun Norris shot a final-round 67 to win the Alfred Dunhill Championship by one shot in his native South Africa.”

  • “Norris carded an eagle, five birdies and a bogey to finish on 13 under and claim victory at Leopard Creek Country Club.”
  • “England’s John Parry, Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult and South Africa’s Ryan van Velzen were a shot back on 12 under.”
Full piece.

4. LIV Promotions

Golf Channel report…”Chieh-po “Max” Lee captured the lone 2025 LIV Golf spot on offer at its Promotions event.”

  • “Lee, a 30-year-old winner this past season on the Asian Tour, shot 3-under 68 in the final round at Riyadh Golf Club to finish at 10 under par, two clear of second place.”
  • “Taichi Kho (67) and Branden Grace (67) finished T-2. Grace, who won a LIV Golf individual tournament as part of the Stingers team in 2022, was relegated after a poor ’24 season.”
Full piece.

5. AK’s wild claim

6. Tiger a winner in 2025?

Around the 10-minute mark of the latest episode of Not Another Golf Show, the guys dig into Tiger Woods’ health update at last week’s Hero World Challenge and news he plans to tee it up along with his son Charlie at the PNC Championship next week.

Here’s an excerpt of the conversation.

Ben: I’ll ask you, coming out of out of his Hero presser and his answers around his health. Did you expect him to be ready for this event or did you expect he’d be on the shelf for a bit longer here?

Gianni: I thought he’d play because he can just get in a cart for this… it’s not going to be taxing on the body at all. let’s be honest, nobody really cares about the result. It’s more about just teaming and having fun. So I’m not surprised he’s playing, but it’s very hard to be enthusiastic about Tiger’s 2025 when you listen to him speak about his body, about his health, how he’s not going to be able to play lead-up events into the majors. I know he hates the term “ceremonial golfer” but it’s hard to get away with not calling him that these days.

Ben: I mean, just looking at his age, irrespective of the toll the body has taken, which is singular, think, in golf, at least among top golfers. mean, the infographic of what has happened to each portion of his body and what he’s weathered, the number of surgeries, all of that is…It’s really staggering and you know, it’s easy to forget about some of it. But I mean, the age he’s at, for the most part, players don’t win anymore. I mean, he’s past the age of decline.

So you got father time going against you generally. then given everything he’s been through. And I think specifically, he has issues affecting his ability to walk and his endurance related to that and the ability to pain-free related to that. But you know, the back issues, I think just as much the way that continues to be a thing, you know, I mean, he was on the shelf for his prior back surgery, right? When the car accident happened, and then all the focus is on the leg, you know. But the back was still very much a thing at that point, and obviously, as evidenced by him having another surgery here, still is very much a thing. So, it’s super concerning in terms of just his ability to ever have the combination of feeling good enough to get the reps, to get the game sharp enough, and having four days in which he’s able to walk around with the level of comfort that it’s not adversely affecting his play.

Gianni: Yeah, I would just, and it is never going to happen, but I would just love to see him avail of the PGA Tour’s disability clause and just use a cart for a year and just see how he feels after that…because he’s just giving himself fits now…

Full Piece.

7. Winning WITBs

Presented by 2nd Swing

Tavatanakit

Driver: Titleist TSR2 (8 degrees)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Blue 50 S

3-wood: Titleist TSR2 (15 degrees)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana WB 63 S

5-wood: Titleist TSR2 (18 degrees)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Tense 1K White 60 S

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

Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (50, 56-08M, 60-04L)

Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Wedge 115 S

Putter: Scotty Cameron SB-2 Tour Prototype

Grips: Iomic Sticky 2.3

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Knapp

Driver: Ping G425 LST (9 degrees)

Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100 75 6.5

Mini driver: PXG Secret Weapon (13 degrees)

Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100 95 6.5

5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees)

Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100 95 6.5

Irons: PXG 0317 ST (4-PW)

Shafts: KBS Tour C-Taper 130 X (4-PW)

Wedges: PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy II (52-10), Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (56-10S), WedgeWorks (60-T)

Shafts: KBS Tour C-Taper 130 X (52, 56), Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 WV 125

Putter: PXG Prototype

Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour SGP 1.0

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Titleist Pro V1 Left Dot

Full WITBs.

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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