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GolfWRX Morning 9: Tigermania redux | RIP Don Cherry | Best golf podcasts

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7 years ago

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

August 22, 2018

Good Wednesday morning, golf fans.
1. Tigermania redux
I received an email from a reader yesterday saying he thought the “too much Tiger” in the subject line might refer to excessive coverage of Woods, particularly on T.V. Unfortunately for the reader, given the synthesis of Woods’ strong play and massive ratings bumps, it’s unlikely we’ll be seeing less of TW on screen in the near future.
Outside the ropes, fan enthusiasm for Woods is at a fevered pitch, as Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard writes.
  • “Since Woods embarked on this most recent comeback from injury, the sense of excitement has steadily built. What began as a curiosity now looks like certainty.”
  • “Woods has repeatedly explained the 2018 season was always going to be filled with more questions than answers. He didn’t know how his repaired back would hold up under the pressure of competition or what swing he would have.”
  • “Fan didn’t know which Tiger would arrive on the first tee each week – Vintage Woods or the often-injured guy who managed to play just 19 events the last four years.”
  • As Woods progressed, the answer seemed to be the former, with Tiger electrifying fans at the Valspar Championship on his way to a tie for second place.
  • “This entire year has been so different,” Woods said on Tuesday at The Northern Trust, his first playoff start since 2013. “I’ve had excitement. I’ve had people into it over the years, but this has been so different. We go back to how everyone received me at Tampa, that was very special and I had not received ovations and warmth like that.”
  • “Woods tied for fifth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and fourth at the Quicken Loans National. Despite Tiger’s regular calls for patience and perspective, a fan base that was reluctant to dive back in with a self-described medical miracle is now wading into the deep end.”
  • “This zeal has built to a crescendo, with the PGA Championship emerging as the new raucous standard.”
2. Speaketh the Tiger
A few morsels from his comments ahead of the Northern Trust.
  • “I think that people are more, I guess, appreciative…I don’t want to make that sound wrong or anything, but they know I’m at the tail end of my career. I don’t know how many more years I have left. But I’m certainly not like I was when I was 22. At 42, it’s a different ballgame.”
  • “I’ve become a little bit more mobile than I was the beginning of the year…My swing has evolved and it’s gotten more consistent. I think it will continue to get that way.”
  • “As I’ve said before, this has been a blessing…It’s been so special to have this opportunity again. I’m certainly not taking it for granted.”
3. Tinkereth the Tiger
Woods swapped out the Mitsubishi Tensei CK Orange 70TX he’s been gaming for much of the year.
  • WRX staff report...”after a dismal driving performance at the 2018 PGA Championship – where he finished second place despite missing every single fairway during the front nine of his final round, and the infamous 17th hole tee shot that he blew right right of a hazard – it appears Tiger is considering switching up his driver shaft.”
  • “On Tuesday of The Northern Trust at Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, NJ, Tiger was spotted using a Mitsubishi Diamana D+ White Board shaft in his driver, instead of the counter-balanced Tensei Orange he’s been accustomed to in 2018. The last time Tiger played in competition with a Diamana White Board? According to our records, it was back in 2014; that’s before the Tensei Orange, the Tensei White, the Matrix TP7HDe, and the Diamana Blue Board. Back in 2013-2014, Tiger was playing a Diamana White Board 73X.”
  • “According to our Tour photographer Greg Moore, Tiger has also added 1 degree of loft to his driver, in addition to sliding the M3 dual weights forward compared to their position at the 2018 PGA Championship.”
4. RIP Don Cherry
One of the most unique strands woven into the tapestry of golf history, Don Cherry has died. From his New York Times obit…”Don Cherry, a leading pop singer of the 1950s who performed at clubs and hotels by night while becoming one of America’s top amateur golfers by day, died on April 4 at a hospice in Las Vegas. He was 94.”
  • “Mr. Cherry won many small amateur golf tournaments in Texas after serving stateside in the Army Air Forces in World War II, then captured the 1953 Canadian Amateur Championship. He also played on three victorious Walker Cup teams (1953, 1955 and 1961), in a tournament that matches the United States against Britain and Ireland in the amateur version of the Ryder Cup. He was a contender as an amateur into the fourth round of the 1960 United States Open, at Cherry Hills in suburban Denver, finishing in a three-way tie for ninth at even par, four strokes back of Arnold Palmer.Palmer had famously rallied to win from seven strokes behind the leader in the final round.”
  • “Mr. Cherry played in many Masters and United States Opens, but apart from his 1960 run, he did not finish among the top competitors. He turned pro in 1962.”
Can you imagine a similar story today?
5. PGA Tour ROY race
PGATour.com’s Sean Martin writes we’re looking at a two-horse gallop.
  • “These are the two top contenders for the PGA TOUR’s Rookie of the Year Award: Austin Cook and Aaron Wise….Cook was a solid player in his four seasons at the University of Arkansas, but he had to hit the road to play mini-tours and earn his first PGA TOUR starts the hard way.”
  • “Medical school was his backup plan if the pro golf career didn’t pan out. He didn’t need it, though. Cook cobbled together a schedule on the Web.com Tour and PGA TOUR through qualifiers and sponsor exemptions. He was still carrying a stand bag and using his Arkansas rain gear when he played with Phil Mickelson in the final group of the Houston Open’s third round. Cook, who beat Mickelson by five that day, qualified for five TOUR events in 2014 and 2015.”
  • “He failed to earn a TOUR card at the 2015 Web.com Tour Finals, though. A year later, he was on the cusp of graduating before a hurricane canceled the Web.com Tour Championship. He finally earned it last year.”
  • “His TOUR card was worth the wait, though. Cook, 27, won The RSM Classic in the fourth start of his rookie season.”
  • “Wise was a pre-law major at Oregon and enjoyed academics, but his game ascended even more rapidly than even he could have expected, so he turned pro after winning the 2016 NCAA Championship as a sophomore. He has won on three different tours – the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada, Web.com Tour and PGA TOUR — in his three pro seasons.”
  • “Wise, 22, burst into the spotlight in back-to-back starts this May. He was runner-up to Jason Day at the Wells Fargo Championship before putting on a ball-striking clinic at the AT&T Byron Nelson.”
6. Best golf podcasts?
I took a highly subjective climb up Mt. Golf Podcast to round up 21 of the best podcasts in golf–and given said subjectivity, I encourage you to check out the comments for additional quality recommendations.
Here’s a sampling of my picks.
  • No Laying Up: From Twitterers with day jobs to an upstart media outlet, NLU’s podcast was the tool that led to the merch, the features, and Soly, Tron and company’s other efforts. If you’re unfamiliar, start with the most recent episode (Justin Thomas) and work your way backward. You won’t regret it.
  • The Fried Egg Golf: Andy Johnson has become a force and a voice in the world of golf media in a very short period of time. While he and his guests do good work in discussing the pro game, Andy’s forte is golf course architecture, and he cooks up architecture discussions better than anyone in the podcast universe right now.
  • Fore Play: Honestly, the iTunes description for Barstool’s golf pod is pretty good: “Trent, Riggs and their wide variety of guests talk about everything golf like normal folks sitting at a bar watching coverage, venting about the game’s difficulties, and weighing in on pro gossip. Your classic golf addicts, the “Fore Play” crew brings a young, unique voice to the rapidly-evolving game, discussing freely and openly everything golf.” Pretty much sums it up.(warning: explicit).
  • The Clubhouse with Shane Bacon: Mr. Salt-Cured Pork has had something of a come up, hasn’t he? The Fox hosting duties and more are well earned, as Bacon is a strong voice, and his network affiliation ensures a quality roster of guests.
  • ShackHouse: Geoff Shackelford joins forces with “podcast personality” per the iTunes description, Joe House to “break down the biggest golf stories, interview some of the biggest personalities in the game.” Really, this show is all about Shack’s singular perspective.
7. Eisenhower cabin renovation?
Per Alex Myers...”In the past couple years, Augusta National has created the most-talked-about media center and merchandise shop in golf. But now the club is focused on giving one of its most famous landmarks a facelift.According to the Augusta Chronicle, the club’s Eisenhower Cabin is undergoing a renovation.”
  • “The historic structure near the course’s 10th tee and practice green was originally built for President Dwight Eisenhower and his wife, Mamie, in 1953. It is one of 10 cabins on the property, but is the largest with three floors, including a basement that used to house Secret Service members. It’s also the only cabin with a gold presidential seal hanging over the front porch.”
Maybe they’re putting in a hot tub?
8. 59! or 59.
Geoff Shackelford is running an interesting poll on his blog, asking readers if golf’s magic number is, well, less magical..
  • He writes: “I was at a golf course snack bar when the Golf Channel was showing highlights from Brandt Snedeker’s 59 at the Wyndham Championship. It was the 10th such round in PGA Tour history and when some golfers looked up and asked if he’d shot 59, I said yes and they went, “ah that’s great” and then went about decorating their hot dogs.”
  • “A decade ago, I’m pretty sure we all would have stopped what we were doing to watch all of the highlights and regale in the history playing out before our eyes…Throw in a 58 by Jim Furyk and it seems like the 59 has gone from golf’s equivalent of a perfect game to a no-hitter. Still an amazing feat and worth dropping what we’re doing to see a player break the barrier, but also not quite as satisfying as it should be.”
60 percent of Shack’s readers voted for “they are no longer as incredible as they first seemed.”
9. Nice sticks
Hooked on Golf’s Tony Korologos spotted a New York Post article from earlier this month discussing an uptick in golf equipment sales…safe to say, the uptick didn’t include any of the equipment in the chosen stock photo (below)
  • Tony writes…”Good news and bad news in the golf equipment industry.  The good news is that golf equipment sales are up eight percent! Woot!…The bad news is that golfers can only use eight clubs which were manufactured in about 2005, all graphite shafted. To make things even worse, there are no putters or head covers allowed.”

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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.

2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Paul

    Aug 22, 2018 at 4:50 pm

    You made Canadians have a heart attack with that Don Cherry headline

    Reply Report comment

  2. lco21

    Aug 22, 2018 at 11:16 am

    Number 9 is very confusing.

    Reply Report comment

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Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

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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

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Jul 29, 2025

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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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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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