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Tour Rundown: Sometimes, it comes down to cacoethes
Cacoethes is the urge to do something inadvisable. It is pronounced ka-kuh-WEE-theez and is the sort of word that might sound like a curse, an insult, or a sneeze. In other words, it’s a fun tool to have in the box.
Cacoethes is commonplace on the professional golf tours. Pro golfers are trained to believe in themselves, to trust their instinct, above all else. Even when they snatch a coveted caddie, as Collin Morikawa did with Joe Greiner, they still hear their own voice over others, and cacoethes rises.
This week, well, it depends on where you were. We had a bit here, and very little there. We’ll break down this week’s dose of cacoethes for you in Tour Rundown.
PGA Tour @ CJ Cup Byron Nelson: Scheffler is back!
What do you say about Scottie? The 2024 version was unstoppable, tallying wins nearly everywhere, despite the misfortune of fate in Louisville. One might say that the unfortunate encounter with the police department derailed the greatest season of all time. Scheffler was four wins in, plus one major, when his PGA Championship dreams were dashed. That’s a story for another time.
This year, the Scottie and Ted Show nearly repeated at Augusta, but it was Rory’s year. Scheffler looks as comfortable as ever, with Ted Scott as his caddie. His swing is dialed-in, repetitive, and the week always depends on the flat stick. After an opening 61, with an act-two tally of 63, the world once more dropped its jaw in astonishment at his brilliance. The Craig Ranch TPC was no match for the Garden-State-Turned-Texas lad. Scheffler piled on 66-63 over the weekend, posted 31-under 253, and had golf purists longing for the unpredictable nature of the days at Trinity Forest.
If you give these pros a predictable course, they will decimate it. Scheffler, your honor, is Exhibit A this week from McKinney, Texas. That 10-gallon hat that he received as winner is testimony to his complete subjugation of the Tom Weiskopf golf course.
LPGA @ Black Desert Championship: Ryemarkable Ryu runs away in Utah
There were no identifiable moments of inadvisable decision-making this week in the 45th state. Haeran Ryu took the lead on day one with an enviable 63, kept the spedometer below 70 the entire week, then closed with a 64 to put the competition fully behind. It was one of those “you’ll need 60 to beat me” moments, and there was no one up to the challenge.
Ryu was ryemarkable this week in Ivins. She tallied 24 birdies and 3 eagles over four days, sprinkling in four bogeys to remind us that she wasn’t entirely flawless. The only golfer within five shots of her by tournament’s end, was Germany’s Esther Henseleit. EH burst into our attention span with a silver medal last summer at the Olympic Games. She won the Magical Kenya Open twice on the Ladies European Tour before transitioning full-time to the USA. Henseleit and Ruoning Yin finished tied for second, five shots back of the leader.
Korn Ferry Tour @ Tulum Championship: Nimmer wins North American playoff
Bryson Nimmer (USA) defeated Stuart Macdonald (Canada) in Mexico. That’s as North American as you can get, right? Two trips up the 18th were required in overtime to resolve matters with Nimmer’s two pars just a bit better than Macdonald’s par-bogey. Both players made birdie at the final hole in regulation, to finish two shots clear of the trio in third place.
Davis Chatfield had stitched three 69s together through 54 holes, and a 71 would have done the job on Sunday. Unfortunately for him, the cacoethes came on the 10th hole. Chatfield posted nine consecutive pars on the front nine, but lost focus or patience at the tenth. His triple-bogey seven sent him down the wrong fairway, and he ultimately finished in a tie for 10th, five shots behind the lead.
“Feels good to win.”
Celebrate with Bryson Nimmer, the newest champion ? pic.twitter.com/HTz9bQh2Pi
— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) May 4, 2025
PGA Tour Americas @ Peru Open: Wolcott wins in Lima
More cacoethes (cacoetes in Spanish) in the modern capital of the Incas. David Perkins came to the 17th tee at Los Inkas golf club at minus-20 on the week, but signed two holes later for minus-17. Playing partner Hunter Wolcott reached the penultimate hole at 16-deep, but found one last birdie at hole 72. Stunningly, that birdie at the last was enough to win outright in regulation by two shots. JM Butler and Brett White shot the rounds of the day, with 64 and 65, respectively. Neither was able to threaten the leaders, but each reached a tie for third with Taylor Funk.
Hunter Wolcott is a Champion in Peru ? pic.twitter.com/8K0aNslYEu
— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) May 4, 2025
PGA Tour Champions @ Insperity Invitational: Cink sinks to win
Retief Goosen and Mike Weir entered the final round in the Woodlands as co-leaders. While Goosen was able to fashion a 70, Weir lost his way with 75, tumbling all the way to a tie for 11th place. Goosen had birdies at 14 and 15 coming down the stretch, but was unable to craft one more over the last three holes. This mattered because Stewart Cink was on a run of his own.
Cink sandwiched his solitary, day-three bogey at 14, with birdies at 13 and 15. He made a final birdie at 17, and joined Goosen in a playoff for the trophy. The extra session was swift, as Cink made birdie at the 18th 18th to dispatch the South African champion.
PGA Professional Championship: Collett cruises
There was a time when the PGA Professional Championship took place in the fall, and the qualifiers had to wait nearly nine months to compete in the PGA Championship. Cooler heads prevailed and, when the PGA Championship moved to May, the PGAPC moved to late April.
This year’s event, at one of the PGA’s home resorts, saw a South Florida section professional run away with the title. Tyler Collett from Vero Beach posted 272 to win by 10 shots over Jesse Droemer of Houston and the Southern Texas section. Tied for third was Michael Block of California, the wunderkind from the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill. In all, 23 players finished tied for 20th or better, which meant that four golfers would go to a playoff for the final Club Professional team spot. Michael Kartrude prevailed against Brad Lardon, to join 19 others in qualifying for next week’s PGA Championship at Charlotte’s Quail Hollow Club.
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
- Jason Day – WITB – 2026 The Memorial
- Chris Gotterup – WITB – 2026 The Memorial
- SungJae Im – WITB – 2026 The Memorial
Pullout Albums
- Jason Day’s 1off Payntr golf shoes – 2026 The Memorial
- JT Poston’s TaylorMade Spider – 2026 The Memorial
- Cameron putter – 2026 The Memorial
- Tommy Fleetwood’s TM Spider putters – 2026 The Memorial
- New Mitsubishi Chemical 1K Pro Orange shaft – 2026 The Memorial
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
A party on the green!
Alvaro’s time comes in Raleigh with his first win @UNCHealthChamp ? pic.twitter.com/2dmtZdbSzk
— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) May 31, 2026
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
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
Aaron Rai’s winning WITB: 2026 PGA Championship
Russell Henley’s winning WITB: 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
Photos from the 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
CJ Cup Byron Nelson Tour Report: Koepka and Kim’s newest putters finally get hot
Charles Schwab Challenge Tour Report: MacIntyre, Åberg and Spaun all switch putters, TaylorMade launches new Spider
Details on J.J. Spaun’s surprise putter switch
GolfWRX Launch Report: 2026 Titleist GTS drivers
Photos from the 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
PGA Championship Tour Report: Fitzpatrick, Koepka among big-name putter switches for Aronimink
Photos from the ShopRite LPGA
Maria Torres WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4 3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4 5-wood: Ping G440...
Eric Cole WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: PXG Lightning Tour Max (9 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees) Shaft:...
Si Woo Kim WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (8.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X Mini driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Mini...
Wyndham Clark’s winning WITB: 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (10.5 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D Tour (15 degrees) Shaft: Project...
