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GolfWRX Morning 9: What Tiger benching his putter would mean | RIP Phil Rodgers I The French don’t care about the Ryder Cup?

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7 years ago

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Good morning, GolfWRX members. As most of you are signed up for our newsletters, you likely already know that I’ve been sending this little Morning 9 roundup of nine items of note.

In case you’ve missed it, or you prefer to read on site rather than in your email, we’re including it here. Check out today’s Morning 9 below.

If you’re not signed up for our newsletters, you can subscribe here.
By Ben Alberstadt (ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com)

June 28, 2018

Good Thursday morning, golf fans.
1. The decline and fall of Tiger’s putter

 

Tiger Woods vaunted weapon, his Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS, has betrayed him, as we know (surely it’s the arrow and not the Indian!).
  • Adam Schupak elaborates on the significance…”This isn’t just any putter. Woods played in the pro-am with David Falk, the longtime agent for Michael Jordan, and this putter change felt like the equivalent of MJ playing hoops in tennis shoes rather than his signature high-tops. Aided by a sense of the moment that always seemed to allow him to will the ball into the hole, Woods’s putter has been his sword and his shield throughout his illustrious career. How many times have we seen him strike a putt and the ball die just at the right moment and curl in? The answer is too many times to count.”
  • However, as Schupak writes, those days are distant memories…”It’s time to characterize this for what it is: a full-fledged putting slump. He ranks 89th on Tour in Strokes Gained: Putting and 118th in total putting. His best putting performance was arguably his debut at Torrey Pines, when he hit the ball all over the lot and his putter was his salvation. So what’s changed?”
  • “I don’t know,” Woods said. “That’s been the frustrating part.” MORE
Frustrating, indeed. We’ll see which putter Woods uses today and how he putts with it.

 

2. RIP Phil Rodgers

 

The five-time PGA Tour winner turned teacher who rebuilt Jack Nicklaus’ short game passed away yesterday after a 15-year fight with leukemia.
  • Rodgers helped Nicklaus retool his short game in early 1980. The Golden Bear went on to win the U.S. Open and PGA Championship that year, and he credited Rodgers.
  • “My heart hurts today after the passing of dear friend, Phil Rodgers,” Nicklaus tweeted Tuesday. “I knew Phil for almost 65 years. Terrific ball-striker and great short game, he became a gifted teacher. Phil reinvented my short game in 1980 and I won two majors that year. Miss him already.”
3. A big week for Woods

 

Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard spelled out the importance of this week in Tiger Woods’ year (beyond needing to get his putting back on track).
  • “He has, after all, played well enough so far this season to at least qualify for the first two post-season events, if not the Ryder Cup; and by all accounts seems pleased with his progress during this current comeback from injury.”
  • “But there’s more on the line for the 14-time major champion this week at TPC Potomac than one might expect.”
  • “Although Woods’ climb in the World Golf Ranking has been nothing short of meteoric, moving from outside the top 600 late last year to 82nd, he still has plenty of work to do, primarily his quest to play the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational which will move to Memphis next year.”
4. Ko among the favorites entering a major again

 

Robert Van Royen of Stuff.co.nz points out the Kiwi is getting back to where she belongs.
  • “She’s finished inside the top-10 in four of her last six tournaments, including a ninth (tied) placed finish at the NW Arkansas Championship earlier this week, and a third placed finish at the Meijer LPGA Classic earlier in the month.”
  • “Ko hasn’t missed a cut since March, and appears to only be getting more comfortable with the tweaks coach Ted Oh has made to her swing since taking over at the start of the year.”
5. Inbee Park burglarized

 

An inauspicious start to the Women’s PGA Championship for the World No. 1, Obviously in Illinois for the tournament, Park’s Las Vegas home was robbed.
  • “Talking to police, talking to insurance,” Park said. “It’s so hard when you’re not there trying to figure out what’s lost. I mean, this is the life we get on the road.”
  • Fortunately, she keeps most of her trophies (and her Olympic gold medal) in South Korea.
6. Nobody in France cares about the Ryder Cup?

 

An interview with French pro Michael Lorenzo-Vera on Tuesday ahead of the French Open certainly painted a dire picture of the state of the game in the country.
  • “Golf is not a good thing here. It’s for rich people and spoiled kids. That’s the image we have,” Lorenzo-Vera told the Times. “Golf is a very private thing for people in France. Private courses for only rich families or rich people – that’s it.”
  • Oh, and apparently, nobody cares that the Ryder Cup is coming to France. “People don’t care about the Ryder Cup. Honestly, nobody knows there’s going to be a Ryder Cup in France. Only the golfers know. That’s it. There won’t be many French there.”
Yikes.

 

7. Tour Authentic

 

I talked  with Alexander DePallo, Brand and Marketing Manager for Callaway Apparel about the company’s new high-end clothing line.
  • BA: Where did this collection come from? It’s a departure from Callaway’s usual apparel philosophy. What was development like?
  • AD: Basically, over the past year-and-a-half we…as Callaway Apparel, pivoted in our strategy in adjusting our business model. In the past, we had been very focused on department stores and wider outlets, versus now, we’re pivoting and implementing that pricing, we’ve closed up our distribution we’ve made it more focused on selling full-priced products, golf specialty…honing on on where golfers are going to buy product and elevating the full platform for Callaway Apparel.
  • “We’ve really been building up our green grass presence…We’ve found that at these high-end green grass locations, we didn’t have products that were meeting their needs. Our design team went out and had the task to build a luxury golf line that’s build for high-end green grass. That is what Tour Authentic is.’
  • “They spent 18 months developing the products. They went to five different countries; pulling fabrics from Japan, from Germany, from Switzerland, finding the right materials and coming up with product construction that was not in the market. Looking at the solid poly with the Japanese yarn or the Mongolian cashmere sweaters or the Schoeller fabric in the pants…there’s so much technology but still a refined craftsmanship.”

 

8. Pod alert!

 

For your listening pleasure: Johnny Wunder talked with the great Bob Bettinardi about a range of topics, including making Matt Kuchar’s putter and working on Tiger Woods’ putters back in 1996.

 

Michael Williams talked with Bobby Clampett on the 19th Hole podcast. Clampett discusses the one thing absolutely every golf swing must have to be successful.

 

9. Maverick McNealy’s childhood home for sale…for $100 million

 

If you can just get approved for the mortgage… Maverick McNealy’s father, former Sun Microsystems CEO, Scott McNealy, put the family home on the market. Backyard golf hole, 7,300 sq/ft indoor hockey rink. Gym. Climbing wall. Movie theater. The Silicon Valley crib has it all.

 

 

Related Topics:

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 Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

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Aug 4, 2025

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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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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

Published

4 weeks ago

on

Jul 29, 2025

By

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

Published

4 weeks ago

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Jul 28, 2025

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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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WITB

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