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GolfWRX Morning 9: Spieth Spiething again? | Should golfers wear helmets? | Bryson & the flagstick

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By Ben Alberstadt (ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com)

November 2, 2018

Good Friday morning, golf fans. On this day in 1947, the United States won the first post-WWII Ryder Cup at Portland Golf Club, 11-1. Ben Hogan captained the American squad, Henry Cotton the British. Interestingly, Hogan, 35, played in one match; Cotton, 40, in four.
1. Spieth Shining at Shriners
Maybe the other Spieths helped him sort things out?
PGATour.com’s Ben Everill…”While Peter Uihlein (-8) leads the Shriners after round 1, Jordan Spieth’s 5-under start and strong putting performance garnered plenty of attention.”
  • “Jordan Spieth was much maligned for his efforts on the green last season where he ranked 136th on the PGA TOUR in Strokes Gained: Putting.
  • “It was a critical component in the 25-year-old’s fall to 31st in the FedExCup – the first time in his career he failed to make the TOUR Championship.”
  • “Through the morning wave he gained almost three strokes on the field to rank second in Strokes Gained: Putting.”
Another good sign…”On Thursday he was 14 of 14 inside 10 feet…”Really solid inside of ten feet today, even with somewhat trickier ones as the wind picked up coming in,” he said.”
2. Nerd out? No thanks
Credit to Geoff Shackelford for spotting this line in Jordan Spieth’s post-round press conference and offerring-what I think to be-a strong and accurate take. That said, I’m not sure Ben Hogan or Tiger Woods would have gone in depth about the nuances of what they were working on.
  • “Q. Will you nerd out a bit on us on those things you were trying to do?……JORDAN SPIETH: I can’t, you know, because that’s a competitive advantage for myself.”
  • Shackelford writes…”Last I heard, golf is an individual sport where the competition is not reading your offensive schemes and making adjustments to your chip shots. Furthermore, if you hit a ball in the rough, your playing partners cannot capitalize on knowing what you worked on this off-season to hit a better recovery shot, can they? Really?”
  • “I can’t think of a single thing he could have said that would have aided the competition. Such insights are probably only interesting to family, friends and fans. If PGA Tour players no longer feel free to talk about how they are moving their ball back an inch in the stance, or “revealing” that their play from 100-120 yards was an off-season focus, press conferences will be getting very short! And very awkward.”
3. Bryson and the pin
Speaking of nerding out...
Our Gianni Magliocco…”Bryson DeChambeau is well known for being a nonconformist in the golfing world, and the 25-year-old lived up to that status once more when he announced that he plans on leaving the pin in when he putts in 2019 as doing so will be permitted under the Rules of Golf. Speaking at a photo shootwith Golf.com, DeChambeau stated that his strategy would depend on the coefficient of restitution of the flagstick (naturally).”
“‘It depends on the COR, the coefficient of restitution of the flagstick. In U.S. Opens, I’ll take it out, and every other Tour event, when it’s fiberglass, I’ll leave it in and bounce that ball against the flagstick if I need to.”
Also on the DeChambeauian front: Check out the video of our Q&A with L’Artiste about his…paintbrushes.
4. Rory junior clubs
TaylorMade and company staffer Rory McIlroy have joined forces to develop two sets of junior golf clubs. The 4-Plus set, not surprisingly, is for players 4 and up, and the 8-Plus set, is for, well, you get the idea.
  • Marketed as “Rory Junior Golf Sets,” a driver, fairway woods, rescue, irons, wedges and a putter are all included. The 4-Plus set has five clubs, while the 8-Plus has two additional irons.
  • According to TaylorMade, the sets utilize technologies from other company products with lengths, lofts, and shaft flexes optimized for juniors (example: easy-to-launch 16-degree driver).
Full piece, including set specs, photos.
5. Recommendation: Golfers should wear helmets
Well, here we are. An expert opinion that golfers ought to wear helmets. You can’t argue with the statistics and the relative danger, but…really?
  • From the folks at GolfPunk…”How do you fancy the idea of being asked to wear a crash helmet to play golf?…That’s what is being proposed in a bid to reduce golfing-related injuries, a health & safety expert has revealed. Chris Hall, of Protecting.co.uk, a health and safety and employment agency, said that thousands of pounds are paid out each year in claims for head injuries from misjudged golf balls.”
  • “Statistics suggest between 16 – 41% of amateur golfers are injured each year with the potential for working days lost to golfing injuries high enough to prompt businesses into lobbying for improved safety measures.”
  • “A number of insurance companies and private businesses are wanting to reduce the financial burden of golfing injuries and are pushing for greater protection for players. Golf had an injury rate of 1.8 per 1,000 while rugby’s injury rate was 1.5 per 1,000. Mr Hall, spokesman for Protecting.co.uk, said golf needed to follow the safety measures introduced by other sports.”
Ergo: Wear a helmet.
6. Deep dive into what was eating Jordan Spieth in 2018
Kyle Porter at CBS Sports puts on his investigative garb. A bit of his breakdown…”Spieth also noted this week that it’s actually the rest of his game that he’s been pouring time into. He felt that even though the stats showed a marked decline in putting, it was his iron play and driving that got worse as the year went on, whereas his short game got better.”
  • “I think if you look at the trend, say second half of the season on, my short game started to get better but the long game progressively fell,” Spieth said.
  • “‘I knew I had more work to continue on the short game, but needed to address a bit of the long game as well. To be honest, my rookie season I think was my best statistical driving season. I think I ranked in the top 15 in strokes gained off the tee. I hit it five yards further now, yet have not sniffed a top 15 in that category. That’s a goal.'”
  • “It’s a worthy goal. The best drivers (and best ball-strikers) on the PGA Tour are traditionally among the highest earners and win the most tournaments. Spieth won’t be doing any of that, though, if the putting doesn’t get at least a little bit better.”
7. Trump Doonberg to get a big upgrade
Peter Flanagan at Bloomberg with the news that the Trump Organization is plowing some serious cash into Trump International Golf Links & Hotel, Doonbeg.
  • “The Trump family is making a move at its golf resort in the west coast village of Doonbeg. TIGL Ireland Enterprises Ltd, the company that controls the operation, is seeking permission to build a ballroom and “leisure facility building” including a restaurant, as well as 53 homes for short-term tourist accommodation, according to a planning notice published on the local authority’s website.”
  • “The plans would cost about 40 million euros ($45.6 million) over three to four years, Joe Russell, General Manager at Trump International Golf Links & Hotel, Doonbeg, said in a phone interview.”
  • “The application comes almost two years after the resort published plans to build sea defenses around the property. That plan is currently before the national planning board. The defenses remain a “key issue” to protect the hotel and golf course, Russell said.”
8. Ogio brand refresh
Our Gianni Magliocco writes…”Just over a year ago, Callaway Golf acquired Ogio International, Inc., for $75.5 million. Plenty in the golf space wondered what the folks in Carlsbad would do with the company. Well, we no longer have to wonder. Today, the golf bag (and luggage, backpacks, and apparel) manufacturer unveiled a global brand refresh. New products, website, and logo are all components of the change.”
  • “Speaking on the news of the brand refresh, Harry Arnett (Ogio President and Callaway SVP of global marketing) said.”
  • “Innovation is the driving force of everything we do. Change is obviously critical for any brand, especially one that has been around for 30 years like we have. The products we are launching represent the very best in design, quality, and performance. It’s an exciting step forward for our company and we know current fans and potential new fans of OGIO will love the new direction.”
  • Along with the refresh, Ogio also announced the release of two new golf bags, which you can see in the full piece.
9. Hmm…
Golf.com’s steward of the game’s blackletter, Rules Guy fielded the following query.
  • “I’m a player who can’t wait to see the ball go in (or miss) the hole when putting, so I tend to look up too early. To cure this habit, I wrote “Don’t look” up on top of the putterhead as a reminder. A buddy hinted that I may be violating a rule. Am I?”-ROMY DIONISIUS, TEMPE, ARIZ.
  • “In a word, no … assuming that you’re using, say, a Sharpie. Engraving is also legal. You could run into issues that might render the club nonconforming by taping or otherwise fastening instructions to old Billy Baroo. So, please, no Post-It notes or dry-erase boards.”
Sorry, Romy. I guess this means the passages from Dave Pelz’ Putting Bible I have written on the sole of my Craz-E Mallet…

 

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.

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Little Debbie

    Nov 2, 2018 at 9:57 am

    Chris Hall of Protecting.co.uk needs to understand the ole “Its better to keep your yapper shut and make people wonder if you are stupid rather than open it and PROVE you are” motto

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Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

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I’m going to gush in this intro paragraph, to get the emo stuff done early. I’ve not pulled harder for a professional to win, than Cameron Young. I coach golf in New York state, and each spring, my best golfers head to a state championship in Poughkeepsie. I first saw Cameron there as a 9th grade student. I saw him three more times after that. I reconnecected with Coach Haas from Wake Forest, an old interview subject from my days on the Old Gold and Black, the Wake newspaper. He was there to watch Cameron. After four years at Wake Forest, Young won on the Korn Ferry Tour, made it to the big tour, almost won two majors, almost won five other events, and finally got the chalice about 25 minutes from the Wake campus. Congratulations, Cameron. You truly are a glass of the finest. #MotherSoDear

OK, let’s move on to the Tour Rundown. The major championship season closed this week in Wales, with the Women’s Open championship. The PGA Tour bounced through Greensboror, N.C., while the PGA Tour Americas hit TO (aka, Toronto) for a long-winded event. The Korn Ferry lads made a stop in Utah, one of just two events for that tour in August. The many-events, golf season is winding down, as we ease from summer toward fall in the northern hemisphere. Let’s bask in the glory of an August sunrise, and run down a quartet of events from the first weekend of the eighth month.

LET/LPGA @ Women’s Open: Miyu bends, but she doesn’t break

Royal Porthcawl was not a known commodity in the major tournament community. The Welsh links had served as host to men’s senior opens, men’s amateurs, and Curtis and Walker Cups in prior years, but never an Open championship for the women or the men. The last-kept secret in UK golf was revealed once again to the world this week, as the best female golfers took to the sandy stage.

Mao Saigo, Grace Kim, Maja Stark, and Minjee Lee hoped to add a second major title to previous wins this season, but only Lee was able to finish inside the top ten. The 2025 playing of the Women’s Open gave us a new-faces gallery from day one. The Kordas and Thitikulls were nowhere to be found, and it was the Mayashitas, Katsus, and Lim Kims that secured the Cymru spotlight. The first round lead was held at 67 by two golfers. One of them battled to the end, while the other posted 81 on day two, and missed the cut. Sitting one shot behind was Miyu Yamashita.

On day two, Yamashita posted the round of the tournament. Her 65 moved her to the front of the aisle, in just her fourth turn around a women’s Open championship. With the pre-event favorites drifting off pace, followers narrowed into two camps: those on the side of an underdog, and others hoping for a weekend charge from back in the pack. In the end, we had a bit of both.

On Saturday, Yamashita bent with 74 on Saturday, offering rays of hope to her pursuing pack. England’s Charley Hull made a run on Sunday closing within one shot before tailing off to a T2 finish with Minami Katsu. Katsu posted the other 65 of the week, on Saturday, but could not overtake her countrywoman, Yamashita. wunderkind Lottie Woad needed one round in the 60s to find her pace, but could only must close-to’s, ending on 284 and a tie with Minjee for eighth.

On Sunday, Yamashita put away the thoughts of Saturday’s struggles, with three-under 33 on the outward half. She closed in plus-one 37, but still won by two, for a first Major and LPGA title.

PGA Tour @ Wyndham: Young gathers first title near home

Cameron Young grew up along the Hudson river, above metro New York, but he also calls Winston-Salem home. He spent four years as a student and athlete at Wake Forest University, then embarked on tour. This week in Greensboro, after a bit of a break, Young opened with 63-62, and revved the engine of Is this the week once more. Runner-up finishes at the Open, the PGA, and a handful of PGA Tour events had followers wonder when the day would come.

On Saturday, Young continued his torrid pace with 65, giving him a five-shot advantage over his closest pursuer. Sunday saw the Scarborough native open with bogey, then reel off five consecutive birdies to remind folks that his time had, at last, arrived. Pars to the 16th, before two harmless bogeys coming home, made Young the 1000th winner of an official PGA Tour event (dating back to before there was a PGA Tour) throughout history. What’s next? I have a suspicion, but I’m not letting on. Mac Meissner closed with 66 to finish solo 2nd, while Mark Hubbard and Alex Noren tied for third.

Korn Ferry Tour @ Utah Championship: Are you Suri it’s Julian?

Who knows exactly when the flower will bloom? Julian Suri played a solid careet at Duke University, then paid his dues on the world’s minor tours for three years. He won twice on two tours in Europe, in 2017. Since then, the grind has continued for the journeyman from New York city. At age 34, Suri broke through in Beehive state, outlasting another grinder (Spencer Levin) and four others, by two shots.

Taylor Montgomery began the week with 62, then posted 64, then 68, and finally, 70. That final round was his undoing. He finished in that second-place tie, two back of the leader. Trace Crowe, Barend Botha, and Kensei Hirata made up the last of the almost quintet. As for Suri, his Sunday play was sublime. His nines were 32 and 31, with his only radar blip a bogey at ten. He closed in style with one final birdie, to double his winning margin. Hogan bloomed late…might Suri?

PGA Tour Americas @ Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates

Some tournament names run longer than others. This week in Toronto, at the Heathlands course at TPC Toronto, we might have seen the longest tournament title in recorded history. The OVOPBVCCBMA was a splendid affair. It saw three rounds of 62 on Thursday, but of those early risers, only Drew Goodman would stick around until the end. 64 was the low tally on day two, and two of those legionnaires managed to finish inside the top three at week’s end. Saturday brought a 63 from Patrick Newcomb, and he would follow with 64 on Sunday, to finish solo fourth.

Who, then, ended up winning the acronym of the year? It turns out that Carson Bacha had the right stuff in TeeOhhh. Bacha and Jay Card III posted 63 and 64, respectively, on day four, to tie for medalist honors at 23-under 261. Nathan Franks was one shot adrift, despite also closing with 63. If you didn’t go low on Sunday, it was about the check, not the championship.

Bacha and JC3 returned to the 18th hole twice in overtime. Card nearly chipped in from the thick stuff for birdie, while Bacha peeked and shoved a ten-feet attempt at the win. On the second go-round, Card was long with his approach, into the native grasses once more. He was unable to escape, and a routine par from the fairway was enough to earn the former Auburn golfers a first KFT title.

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Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

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GolfWRX is live this week from the final event of the PGA Tour’s regular season, the Wyndham Championship.

Photos are flowing into the forums from Sedgefield Country Club, where we already have a GolfWRX spirit animal Adam Schenk WITB and plenty of putters for your viewing pleasure.

Check out links to all our photos below, which we’ll continue to update as more arrive.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.

 

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BK’s Breakdowns: Kurt Kitayama’s Winning WITB, 3M Open

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Kurt Kitayama just won his 2nd PGA Tour event at the 3M Open. Kurt is a Bridgestone staffer but with just the ball and bag. Here are the rest of the clubs he used to secure a win at the 2025 3M Open.

Driver: Titleist GT3 (11 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 TX

3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees, A3 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX

7-wood: Titleist GT1 (21 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2 Tour Prototype
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy 1.0PT

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Bridgestone Tour B XS (with Mindset)

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