And just like that … a full schedule of seven tours! Well, six, but the PGA Tour doubled up with Orlando and Rio Grande PR. The farther east offers China and Hong Kong on LPGA and LIV, respectively, while the continent of Africa is represented on DP World Tour. In the Americas, Chile hosts the Korn Ferry, while the Champions fellows wage a competition in Boca Raton FLA. Golf season seems to wait forever, then it sneaks up on you and BAM POW WHAM, it arrives with a flourish.

We have loads of tech peaks below, thanks to our diverse slate of champions. Enjoy the dive into their gear bags, and catch up on the shots that brought occupants to seven trophy shelves around the golf world. Tour Tech Rundown is thrilled to complete week number six with more data, more updates, than ever. Grab a space and enjoy the view.

PGA Tour @ Arnold Palmer Invitational: Akshay claims third O/T title

There are a half-dozen storylines emerging from Orlando this evening, and all are worth pursuing, Our problem is limited space. Do we go with the Akshay is from Wake Forest, North Carolina, where Arnold Palmer played his college golf (before the university moved to Winston-Salem or the Three PGA titles, all in extra holes, all decided on the first extra hole? Let’s begin with this: Daniel Berger is a decorated golfer, having represented the USA in Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup victories. He has four titles to his name and, without the injuries of the past half-decade, would have another four. He deserved a fifth title today, but it’s the getting back, the remembering, the trusting, that takes time.

Akshay Bhatia has put himself in position to challenge quite often this year. Originally from California, Bhatia had a run out west over the season’s first month. He had T3 and T6 finishes, and could have won both of them. Add in a T16 at notorious Riviera, and Bhatia was a top-player candidate even before he won at Bay Hill. Bhatia took a week off after the West Coast swing, skipping PGA National. He returned to a favored locale, Bay Hill, where he has had previous high finishes. Bhatia played terrific golf over the first three days, trailing only Berger as the fourth round loomed.

For most of the final round, it was Berger’s baby. He sat at three-under par through twelve holes, and held a multi-stroke lead over a revolving door of chasers. Over the final six holes, Berger’s hold weakened. He closed in plus-one along that stretch, and needed to make a dozen-feet putt on the 72nd hole to reach a playoff. Bhatia was mired in mistakes over the outward nine, turning in plus-two 38. In the snap of two fingers, he ran off four birdies to open the back nine, and rejoin the chase. Bogey at 15 was followed by a dramatic eagle at 16, and the chase was afoot.

In the end, after B and B tied at 15-under par, the pair returned to the 18th tee for extra time. Berger’s drive was tugged, left and short, and he did well to reach the putting green with his approach. Bhatia’s birdie effort was roughly one-quarter the length of Berger’s. Lightning did not strike twice for Daniel Berger, and he missed his seven-feet par putt. Bhatia tapped in from three feet for par, and the cherished champion’s sweater was his.

Bhatia’s Gear Bag

For a young guy, Akshay Bhatia puts his faith in a old (by Tour standards) driver. Despite testing a Callaway Quantum Diamond Triple Max driver in early-season competition, Bhatia returned to old faithful, a Callaway Rogue ST, for the API. His fairway metal, the only non-Callaway family, is a Taylor Made Qi10 model. The Callaway Forged UT 4 iron occupies a permanent place among the longer clubs, while a minidriver and hybrid take turns making appearances, depending on course conditions. For irons, Bhatia selected Callaway Apex TCB Raw for the 5 through PW. His wedge squad features the Callaway Opus SP in 50, 54, and 60 degree face angles. Bhatia is one of a few golfers that wield the broomstick shaft in their putter. Formerly with the Odyssey Jailbird Half-Ball model, Bhatia re-introduced the Jailbird 380 head this week in Orlando. Good call! The Callaway Chrome Tour ball completes the equipment lineup for the Tour’s newest, three-time champion.

LPGA @ Blue Bay LPGA: Mi Hyang ends nine-year wait at Blue Bay

In 2017, Mi Hyang Lee won a second LPGA title at the Scottish Open. She certainly relished a third title, but did not plan to wait a near-decade to secure it. This week on Hainan Island, Lee managed to solve the myriad puzzles of the Mark Hollinger-designed course at Jian Lake, holding off Weiwei Zhang by a slim stroke. Lee held a four-shot advantage over Aditi Ashok through three rounds, but getting the train to the station on time is not nearly as easy as some believe.

The week was filled with intense shoulder pain for the 54-hole leader. In addition to the victory drought, Lee faced pain in her shoulders from what she called overexertion.Despite pain medication, Lee gathered little sleep between rounds. The struggle appeared to climax as Lee began her final round. Two birdies, two bogeys, and two doubles on the opening side saw Lee turn in 40 shots. Her erratic performance gave hope to nearly everyone in the field. Entrants like Ashok, Zhang, Rio Takeda, and Auston Kim took heart in the challenge.

At the turn, a switch flipped for Lee, and the front nine faded into the mists of memory. Beginning with a three at the tenth, Lee posted three birdies against zero mistakes coming home. She made up two shots on Zhang, and one each on Kim and Ashok. Zhang’s bogey at 17, coupled with Lee’s birdie at the par-five closer (she lipped out a wedge approach) ensured that no playoff would take place, and that a nine-year drought would finally offer flowers at Blue Bay.

Mi Hyang’s Gear Bag

As one might expect, sourcing the equipment for this week’s winner is challenging Mi Hyang Lee has a Callaway driver and fairway metals in her bag, Mizuno MX Forged irons, and games a Volvik golf ball.

DP World Tour @ Joburg Open: Bradbury survives battle of attrition

The closing stretch at Houghton golf club proved to be more daunting than anyone anticipated. Round three leader Hennie Du Plessis turned in four strokes to the good, but gave them all back coming home. Two-time 2026 winner Casey Jarvis appeared to have the ship aimed for port, but a late bogey took him off course. Brandon Robinson Thompson flirted with victory on multiple occasions in 2025, but could not lick the envelope. Victory eluded him once more at Joburg, thanks to a pair of late-round errors. Only Dan Bradbury managed to stay clean down the final gauntlet, earning a second Joburg title and third DP World Tour win.

Du Plessis was close last week, when Jarvis won a second-consecutive event on tour. This week, the South African Hennie looked to be on a mission, turning in four-under par, reaching 18-deep on the week. In some fashion, all the coordinates scrambled, and Du Plessis made zero birdies coming home. Bogey at twelve was followed by another at fifteen, and a double at sixteen. The lead vanished, and Du Plessis finished solo fourth. Both Jarvis (17) and Robinson Thompson (15 and 18) suffered late-round bogeys. It was excruciating for the latter, as his mistep at the last cost him a playoff for the title.

As for Bradbury, what more can you say about a back-nine 31 that featured birdies at ten, eleven, fourteen and seventeen? The man from Wakefield, England and Florida State University outperformed the entire field, and snatched a great victory from behind.

Bradbury’s Gear Bag

Dan Bradbury has full allegiance to PING and its lines of golf clubs. A nine-degree, G440 driver pegs the ball from the tee. G440 MAX fairway 3 and 5 metals complete the heavy metal lineup. For irons, Bradbury trusts Bluepring S irons for 4 through PW, and s259 wedges set to 50, 56, and 60 degrees. His putter is an Oslo XL Prototype model. Bradbury strikes and rolls a Titleist ProV1 golf ball.

PGA Tour @ Puerto Rico Open: Welcome, Castillo San Ricky de Yorba Linda

San Juan, Puerto Rico, is home to Castillo San Felipe el Morro, the fortress that guarded the city and island from pirates and other. waterborne threats. An hour to the east, along the same northern coast, the Grand Reserve Golf Club (Rio Grande) hosted the PGA Tour’s second event of the week, the Puerto Rico Open. It was here that an accomplished former amateur broke through for an inaugural tour title.

Ricky Castillo eschewed the many universities of his home state, California, to enroll at the University of Florida. Castillo represented the USA in Walker and Palmer Cup competition, before turning professional in 2023. Since then, he has bounced around a variety of tours. Thanks to this week’s work, Castillo has a home on the PGA Tour for another 24 months.

For a time, this year’s competition appeared to be a coming-out party for younger and younger contestants. At one point, John Daly II, Blades Brown, and Luke Clanton all sat within the top five. None of them was able to chase Castillo down, athough Brown did finish solo third, one back of runner-up Chandler Blanchett. Blanchett held the 36-hole lead, but fell off pace with a SAturday 74. To his deep credit, he bounced back on Sunday with 67, and simply ran out of holes in his quest to catch Castillo.

The champion probably won’t see a Castillo San Ricky in the Puerto Rican capital any time soon. His Sunday effort, featuring three birdies and an eagle against zero bogeys, was the stuff of a more veteran player. On this day, Ricky Castillo was an impenetrable fortress. Although he won by the slimmest of margins, he held strong against the corsairs that hoped to defeat him.

Castillo’s Gear Bag

Ricky utilizes a near-full bag of Titleist clubs. His driver is a GT3 set to 9 degrees of loft, and his three-metal is a TSR2 model. Castillo bounces between 18 (GT3) and 21 (GT2) degree third metals, depending on the course. For irons, Castillo wields a T350 driving iron and a complement of C8 irons through the PW. Three Vokey wedges complete the lofted cudgels. The outlier for Castillo this wekk was an Odyssey Stroke Lab One putter. Castillo had previously used a Scotty Cameron model, but opted out for Puerto Rico. His golf ball is a Titleist Pro V1.

From chaser to two-shot lead ?

Ricky Castillo inches closer to his first PGA TOUR victory @PuertoRicoOpen.

? Golf Channel pic.twitter.com/LSHbJfgHga

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 8, 2026

Korn Ferry Tour @ Astara Chile: The Doc is in with the win

Perhaps Doc Redman’s parents were projecting medical success onto their newborn, back in 1997. While Doc Hudspeth Redman did not pursue a medical degree, he did master the science and art of getting a golf ball into a hole, on difficult courses, in a low number of strokes. After winning the US Amateur and representing the USA on its Walker Cup side, Redman turned professional out of Clemson University. Redman had a runner-up finish in the 2019 Rocket Mortgage Classic, but has spent most of his career on the Korn Ferry Tour.

This week in Chile, Redman did something that he had not done since, well, ever as a professional: win. Redman shouldered the weight of the lead for the final 36 holes of the Astara Classic. He bent, as all trees do, but he did not break. Redman posted weekend rounds of 65-67, after opening 67-66, to finish on 19-under par. His margin of victory was a healthy five shots, with Cooper Dossey and Michael Johnson in a second-place tie at 14-deep. In a fourth-place tie, one shot out of second, was Argentine amateur Segundo Oliva Pinto. With the triumph, Redman shot 81 spots up the points list, into fourth position. More results like this one, and he’ll find himself back on the PGA Tour.

Doc’s Medical Bag

As of August 2025, Redman opened his bag of gear with a Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond Max driver, and an Ai Smoke Triple Diamond three metal. His seven-metal was a PING G430, with no hybrids to be found. PING irons (Blueprint S for 4 and 5, followed by Blueprint T for 6-9) filled the middle part of the batting order. In the wedge department, Redman opted for three Vokey SM9s (46, 50, 54 degree) and a WedgeWorks Proto 58 degree model. On the frog hair, Redman employed a Scotty Cameron T5.5 Tour Prototype putter. Based on unreliable AI reports, Redman games either a Srixon or a Titleist ball.

A birdie on the 17th and 5-stroke lead heading to the 72nd hole ?

Doc Redman is one hole away from winning the @CHILEclassic. pic.twitter.com/QnfHtbedgs

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) March 8, 2026

PGA Tour Champions @ JHPF Hall of Fame: When Z is first, times two

Zach Johnson, Ryder Cup player and captain, Masters champion, made his debut this week on PGATC, at the Hardie in Boca Raton. That’s the first of two firsts. The second is, by now, fairly obvious: Johnson won in his Tour Champions debut. Believe it or don’t, it’s not that rare a feat. Since the PGATC (aka the Senior Tour) made its debut back in 1980, 22 golfers have won their maiden tournament. That works out to one every two years. Had it happened fewer than ten times, we would call it rare. I’m feeling twenty-two, while not commonplace, is not exactly rare.

The infrequency of debut winners takes nothing away from Johnson’s feat this week at Broken Sound’s Old Course. After one round, Johnson sat four putts behind leader Ricardo Gonzales, whose 66 was the class of Friday’s play. Gonzalez didn’t hang around for long; subsequen 75s dropped him to a tie for 21st. Johnson took advantage of the opening to post a 66 on day two and assume the mantle of leadership. Plenty of golfers sat adjacent, including recent winners like Stewart Cink and David Toms, proven champions like Padraig Harrington and Alex Cejka, and upstarts like George McNeill and Jamie Donaldson.

Sunday saw Johnson drop a shot at the third hole, then promptly gain it and another back, with birdies on two of his next four holes. The Iowa native added two more birdies on the inward half, against zero bogeys, and forced his competition to chase him down. Donaldson closed within two at the turn, but could draw no closer. The course did not allow for low rounds on day three. Padraig Harrington was the creme of the weekend, posting 66-65. His day-one 79 left him much too far back to truly challenge, athough he did earn a remarkable, fourth-place tie.

Zach’s Gear Bag

While not listed as an official PXG Ambassador on the company website, Johnson has carried a near-full bag of PXG equipment for over five years. Long identified as a SeeMore putter devotee, Johnson traded in his Masters-winning flatstick for a PXG Proto 5.18 a few years back. As recently as 2024, Johnson gamed the O811 XF Gen4 driver, 0317 hybrids, and 0311T irons and wedges. The only outlier was a Taylor Made M6 three metal, the sole fairway metal employed by the 12-time Tour champion.

In control ?@ZachJohnsonPGA birdies the 16th and has a 4-shot lead with two to play @JamesHardieInv. pic.twitter.com/nLkXkshczS

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) March 8, 2026

LIV Golf @ Hong Kong: Rahm by three at Fanling

The same week that Jon Rahm voiced his disple asure with the DP World Tour’s continued, punitive mesaures, he soared to heights on the LIV golf circuit. Rahm tamed tamed the Hong Kong Golf Club at Fanling with a 23-under par performance, to claim a maiden victory for 2026. After runner-up finishes at Riyadh and The Grange, Rahm found a path beyond the silver slot on the podium.

Harold Varner III and Thomas Detry began round four in a tie with the Basque behemoth, but could not maintain a proper pace to match or eclipse the eventual winner. HV3 began well, with birdies at one and three, but was unbalanced by a bogey at four. A double at the ninth crushed his victory dreams, although two birdies coming home brought him to a solo-fourth finish. Detry played solid, unspectacular golf, with four birdies and a bogey solidifying a day-four 69 and solo second. More than solid and unspectacular was needed to eclipse Rahm on this day.

Jon Rahm began his day with four birdies through eight holes, before a bogey at nine paused the express train. His run of four more birdies from 13 through 16 allowd him to put four shots between him and Detry, affording a meaningless bogey at the last. Thomas Pieters finished alone in third position, one behind Detry and four back of the champion.

Rahm’s Gear Bag

The term brand ambassador applies as well to Rahm as it does to any golfer on the planet. If it weren’t for the shoes on his feet and the tees in his pocket, Rahm would be all Callaway, all the time. The two-time major champion hits the deck with a Quantum Triple Diamond driver, set at precisely 11.6 degrees, with a Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X shaft. He eschews hybrids, in favor of three and five fairway metals off the plank. Both are Paradigm Ai Smoke Triple Diamond models, set a mere two degrees (16 and 18) apart. Each sports the Graphite Deisgn Tour AD DI 8X shaft.

For irons, Rahm employs his company’s Apex TCB from 4 through PW, with True Temper Projct X 6.5 rods between grip and head.  Rahm’s Opus SP Pro wedges are set at 52, 56, and 60 degrees. He completes his bag with an Odyssey (by Callaway) White Hot Rossie putter and a Callaway Chrome Tour golf ball.