News

Morning 9: 80-freaking-2! | Perspectives on Tiger Woods’ win | Other tour action

Published

7 years ago

Oct 28, 2019

Ben Alberstadt

By Ben Alberstadt

Email me at ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com and find me at @benalberstadt on Instagram and golfwrxEIC on Twitter.

October 28, 2019

Good Monday morning, golf fans. If you watched Tiger Woods’ Skins performance, saw him start the Zozo with 3 bogeys in a row and thought he had any chance of winning the tournament, you are lying. An incredible, out-of-nowhere effort to join the Slammer!

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1. 82!

Steve DiMeglio for USA Today with the game story…“Ten weeks after he last played and two months after having a fifth surgery to his troublesome left knee, Tiger Woods joined Hall of Famer Sam Snead in the record books with his 82nd PGA Tour victory on Monday (Sunday night in the United States). Snead’s final PGA Tour win came in 1965, when he was 52 years old.”

“At the storm-delayed Zozo Championship, the first official PGA Tour event in Japan, Woods played seven holes under sunshine Monday morning to wrap up his historic triumph. With rounds of 64-64-66-67, Woods finished at 19 under to win by three shots over local hero Hideki Matsuyama.”

“It’s just crazy. It’s a lot,” Woods said of his 82nd PGA Tour win. “I’ve been able to be consistent most of my career, and I put myself up there with a chance to win on a number of occasions. There’s plenty of times when I didn’t.

Full piece.

2. Nobody (probably not even Tiger) saw this W coming

Forget about the longer arc of Woods career and the “will he win again” abyss of 2013-2018 for a moment and look at the mico level. Excellent stuff from Bob Harig at ESPN putting into perspective just how unlikely this particular win looked just a week ago.

“It was only a month ago that he began playing golf again after arthroscopic knee surgery on Aug. 20. Woods admitted that all of his golf in recent weeks was in a cart. “It’s a little bit different than when you have to walk out here,” he said.”

“When he competed in the skins game challenge along with Matsuyama, Rory McIlroy and Jason Day on Oct. 21, his game was so sketchy early on that he missed a par-3 green so badly his ball hit a cart path and rolled halfway back to the tee”.

“Then he opened the tournament Thursday with three consecutive bogeys — according to Elias, no player dating to 1983 had won a tournament after doing that — and it seemed that it might be a struggle for him to be respectable.”

Full piece.

3. From the man who watched every shot in person (presumably)

All of Tiger Tracker’s bullet points are worth digesting, but here are a few.

“In his first start in nine weeks, in his first start since offseason knee surgery, Tiger shot 19 under par and no round worse than 67. Sheesh.”

“Was there any doubt that Tiger was going to roll in that 8-footer on the last, to make an indelible moment that can run on a loop for the next six months? Of course not.”

“This thing could have gotten a whole lot more interesting early in the restart. Tiger bogeyed his first hole out of the gates (hey, 12 is tough!) and then Matsuyama stuffed it to 5 feet on 14. That could have cut the deficit to just one shot with four holes remaining. Instead … Matsuyama shoved it, and Tiger rolled in a 20-footer for birdie. He never trailed by fewer than two the rest of the morning.”

Full piece.

4. A morsel of perspective

The takes are plentiful, as you’d expect, following Tiger Woods’ win. Here are a couple of Eamon Lynch’s best paragraphs from his reaction piece…

“What makes win No. 82 so remarkable isn’t the manner of the victory -we’ve long since become accustomed to seeing Woods cruise past a quality field as he did at the Zozo Championship in Japan – but the fact that few people genuinely expected to witness even wins 80 and 81. It was August 2013 when he notched No. 79 at the Bridgestone Invitational. Then came injuries. Surgeries. Personal travails. Chipping yips. Scorecards more worthy of a 10-handicap. A mug shot. A DUI plea. Treatment. Each episode brought an avalanche of career obituaries.”

“…Like the 1,876 barren days between wins 79 and 80, two peaks separated by a valley whose walls once seemed insurmountable. Or the 3,954 days that elapsed between his 14th major victory and his astonishing 15th earlier this year at Augusta National. Or 1,199, the lowly, lonely position in the world ranking to which he had fallen less than two years ago.”

Full piece.

5. Bravo, Brown

John Huggan for Golf Digest on Steven Brown’s improbable triumph…”The last regular-season event on the European Tour is one invariably filled with tales of tour cards lost and found. And the 2019 Portugal Masters did not disappoint. Happiest man on the Dom Pedro Victoria course at Vilamoura, however, was surely Steven Brown. The 32-year old Englishman arrived on the Algarve a lowly 150th on the Race to Dubai and mentally preparing himself for what would have been a seventh visit to tour school in his eight-year professional career.”

“Things — and minds — can change quickly though. With a 72-hole aggregate of 267, 17-under par, Brown claimed his first European Tour victory by a shot over a pair of South Africans, Branden Stone and Justin Walters. Way more importantly given his previous status, Brown — whose closing rounds of 67-65-66 all beat his season’s best of 68 — now owns a two-year tour exemption. In the shorter term, his 81-place rise on the money list means he will also be part of the upcoming Turkish Airlines Open, the first of three post-season playoff tournaments.”

Full piece.

6. Jang > Kang

Via the LPGA communications team…”Seventy-two holes was not enough to decide the BMW Ladies Championship. With a birdie on the third sudden-death playoff hole, KLPGA star and former LPGA Tour player Ha Na Jang beat Danielle Kang at LPGA International Busan and earned her fifth LPGA victory. Jang is the second non-Member winner of the 2019 season, joining AIG Women’s British Open winner Hinako Shibuno, and is now eligible to again accept LPGA Tour Membership.”

“I played to the level of this game which is the best,” said Jang, who birdied No. 17 to tie with Kang at -19. “I’m also happy that I went into a playoff with one of my closest friends Danielle Kang.”

Full piece.

7. Seems like captain Tiger is definitely picking Tiger

Golf Digest’s Christopher Powers…“There have been plenty legitimate questions raised over whether or not Tiger Woods should select himself with one of his four Presidents Cup captain’s picks next week. First, was his current form worthy of a pick? He’d done almost nothing since his Masters victory, save for one backdoor top 10 at the Memorial. Then there was his health, which is always a concern with the 15-time major winner. He did not appear to be at full strength at the end of the season, and his latest knee procedure only further that notion. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, would he be able to handle double duty, something only Hale Irwin has done in the history of the event.”

“Woods answered the first two questions emphatically on Monday in Japan, claiming his 82nd career PGA Tour victory at the Zozo Championship, which ties him with Sam Snead for most all-time wins. Not only did he impress with his play, but his body held up for a marathon of a week, one that featured a 29-hole day on Sunday.”

“Because of his history, Woods didn’t have to prove anything to anyone in order to pick himself to play at Royal Melbourne. But his performance should certainly silent whatever critics there are left. If there’s anyone that still thinks he shouldn’t pick himself, well, we have some bad news…”

Full piece.

8. Why there was no Woods-Matsuyama grouping

In case you hadn’t been following the action all week and were wondering…

Rex Hoggard for Golf Channel…“Poor timing and a curious decision will keep Japanese fans from what could only be considered a best-case scenario at the Zozo Championship.”

“Because of Friday’s washout, officials were determined to play as much golf as they could Sunday, which for front-runner Tiger Woods was 29 holes. It also meant players wouldn’t be re-grouped following the third round.”

“Had the draw been redone, Woods would have been in the final group with Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, who is alone in second place and three strokes behind Woods.”

Full piece.

9. Tiger Woods’ WITB

Driver: TaylorMade M5 (9 degrees)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ White 60 TX

3-wood: TaylorMade M5 (15 degrees)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ White 70 TX

5-wood: TaylorMade M3 (19 degrees)

Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ White 80 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P7TW irons (3-PW)

Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: TaylorMade MG 2 “Tiger MT Grind” (56 and 60 degrees)

Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS

Golf Ball: Bridgestone TourB XS

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord

pictures.

News

WITB Time Machine: Phil Mickelson’s winning WITB, 2021 PGA Championship

Published

21 hours ago

May 13, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

Phil Mickelson made history at the 2021 PGA Championship on Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course. At 50, he became the oldest player to win a major, breaking Julius Boros’s record. Starting the final round with a slim lead, Lefty faced tough competition from Brooks Koepka and Louis Oosthuizen. He pulled ahead with key birdies and a standout 366-yard drive on the 16th hole. Finishing 6 under par and two shots ahead, Mickelson claimed his sixth major and second PGA Championship. Many saw his win as an inspiring comeback, showing that experience and determination can still lead to victory in professional golf — and, sometimes, age is just a number.

Driver: Callaway Epic Speed Triple Diamond (6 degrees @5.5 , green dot cog)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X (47.9 inches)

2-wood: TaylorMade “Original One” Mini Driver (11.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X

4-wood (Sunday only): Callaway Mavrik Sub Zero (16.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 8 X

Irons: Callaway X Forged UT (16) (Thursday-Saturday), Callaway X21 UT Proto (19 degrees @20.5, 25), Callaway Apex MB ‘21 (small groove) (6-PW)
Shafts: (16) MCA MMT 105 TX, KBS Tour V 125 S+

Wedges: Callaway PM Grind ’19 “Raw” (52-12@50, 55-12, 60-10)
Shafts: KBS Tour V 125 S+

Putter: Odyssey Milled Blade “Phil Mickelson”
Grip: SuperStroke Pistol GT Tour

Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft X (Triple Track)

Grips: Golf Pride MCC

More photos of Phil Mickelson’s WITB here.

News

2026 PGA Championship betting odds

Published

2 days ago

May 12, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

Scottie Scheffler leads the betting ahead of the second major championship of the year, with the World Number One a +345 favorite to get his hands on a second PGA Championship.

Rory McIlroy who won the Masters back in April is a +800 shot to complete half of the calendar slam at Aronimink Golf Club this week, while Jordan Spieth can be backed at +5900 to become a career grand slam winner.

Here is the full betting board for the 2026 PGA Championship courtesy of DraftKings.

Scottie Scheffler +345 – (Check 0ut his WITB here)

Rory McIlroy +800 – (Check out his WITB here)

Jon Rahm +1300
Cameron Young +1500
Bryson DeChambeau +1700
Xander Schauffele +1850
Matt Fitzpatrick +1950
Ludvig Aberg +2000
Tommy Fleetwood +2600
Collin Morikawa +3500
Brooks Koepka +3900
Justin Rose +4300
Russell Henley +4600
Si Woo Kim +4700
Justin Thomas +4800
Robert MacIntyre +5300
Patrick Cantlay +5300
Viktor Hovland +5400
Tyrrell Hatton +5500
Jordan Spieth +5900
Sam Burns +6000
Hideki Matsuyama +6200
Adam Scott +6400
Rickie Fowler +7000
Chris Gotterup +7400
Patrick Reed +7400
Min Woo Lee +7800
Ben Griffin +8000
Sepp Straka +8400
Shane Lowry +9000
Akshay Bhatia +9200
Maverick McNealy +9200
Joaquin Niemann +9200
Jake Knapp +9200
Jason Day +9600
Kurt Kitayama +10000
J.J. Spaun +10000
Harris English +10500
Nicolai Hojgaard +11000
Gary Woodland +11000
David Puig +11000
Michael Thorbjornsen +12000
Jacob Bridgeman +12000
Keegan Bradley +12500
Corey Conners +14000
Alex Fitzpatrick +15000
Sungjae Im +15500
Sahith Theegala +15500
Harry Hall +15500
Alex Noren +16000
Thomas Detry +16500
Marco Penge +16500
Kristoffer Reitan +17000
Alex Smalley +17000
Wyndham Clark +17500
Sam Stevens +17500
Keith Mitchell +17500
Daniel Berger +18500
Ryan Gerard +20000
Nick Taylor +20000
Rasmus Hojgaard +21000
Dustin Johnson +21000
Pierceson Coody +23000
Aaron Rai +24000
Jordan Smith +24000
Angel Ayora +24000
Bud Cauley +25000
Matt McCarty +26000
Jayden Schaper +26000
Brian Harman +27000
Taylor Pendrith +27000
Ryan Fox +27000
J.T. Poston +27000
Cameron Smith +29000
Ryo Hisatsune +29000
Michael Kim +29000
Max Homa +29000
Denny McCarthy +29000
Tom McKibbin +30000
Rico Hoey +32000
Matt Wallace +32500
Ricky Castillo +33000
Haotong Li +33000
Michael Brennan +34000
Max Greyserman +36000
Stephan Jaeger +37500
Christiaan Bezuidenhout +37500
Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen +39000
Aldrich Potgieter +40000
Andrew Novak +42000
Patrick Rodgers +42500
Daniel Hillier +42500
Max McGreevy +46000
Billy Horschel +48000
Chris Kirk +48000
Ian Holt +49000
Casey Jarvis +49000
William Mouw +50000
Steven Fisk +50000
John Parry +50000
Nico Echavarria +52500
Garrick Higgo +52500
John Keefer+55000
Matthias Schmid +57500
Austin Smotherman +57500
Sami Valimaki +60000
Andrew Putnam +60000
Lucas Glover +62500
Daniel Brown +62500
Jhonattan Vegas +75000
Emiliano Grillo +80000
Mikael Lindberg +85000
Adrien Saddier +100000
Bernd Wiesberger +100000
Elvis Smylie +110000
Stewart Cink +130000
Kota Kaneko +130000
David Lipsky +150000
Chandler Blanchet +150000
Andy Sullivan +150000
Joe Highsmith +180000
Adam Schenk +200000
Travis Smyth +200000
Davis Riley +225000
Martin Kaymer +400000
Brian Campbell +400000
Padraig Harrington +450000
Kazuki Higa +450000
Jordan Gumberg +450000
Ryan Vermeer +500000
Austin Hurt +500000
Tyler Collet +500000
Timothy Wiseman +500000
Shaun Micheel +500000
Y.E. Yang +500000
Michael Block+500000
Mark Geddes+500000
Luke Donald+500000
Bryce Fisher+500000
Jimmy Walker +500000
Jason Dufner +500000
Jesse Droemer +500000
Jared Jones +500000
Garrett Sapp +500000
Francisco Bide +500000
Zach Haynes +500000
Paul McClure+500000
Derek Berg +500000
Chris Gabriele +500000
Braden Shattuck +500000
Ben Polland +500000
Ben Kern +50000

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 PGA Championship

Published

3 days ago

May 11, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX is on site for the second major of 2026: The PGA Championship from Aronimink in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.

The tournament’s location, just outside Philadelphia, and its status as a major championship mean GolfWRXers are in for a treat: WITBs from a strong field, custom gear celebrating the PGA Championship, and the rich culture of the City of Brotherly Love — we have noted a relative absence of cheesesteak-themed items thus far this week, but most of the rest of the usual suspects are well represented.

Check out links to all our photos below.