The Open Championship Had a Little Bit of Everything

The good, the bad and the ugly on The Open Championship. THE GOOD: Obviously the good was the weather, four days of pristine conditions. I was expecting rain, wind, cold, which is usually par for the course, pun intended, for this event. But the golfing gods were in a good mood, which made it favorable for the participants.

A lot of amateur golfers focus on clubs to generate power and distance in their shots, especially when teeing off. Still, the type, quality, and performance of the golf ball matter immensely, especially for players with a slow swing speed. The right ball can deliver excellent results for golfers with medium to slow swing speeds.

This year (2026), the US Open Championship returns to Shinnecock Hills; a fine course in all respects, and one that always brings up the discussion of golf ball selection. The Shinnecock Hills golf course has a long history, and this year's USGA winner will be the one who masters ball flight with lower, flatter, wind-penetrating shots to compete with the sometimes-challenging weather conditions.

Suddenly the LPGA Tour just might have a debate for Golfer of the Year Honors. Though there is plenty of tournaments left, right now you’d have to say it’s a battle between Haeran Ryu (TaylorMade TP5) and Nelly Korda (TaylorMade TP5x). Up until recently Korda appeared the overwhelming choice—and she still quite likely is—after vaulting over Jeeno Thitikul (Callaway Chrome Tour X) into first in the official world golf rankings.

What a difference a year makes. Chris Gotterup (Bridgestone TOUR B X) started the PGA Tour season this year with one career victory, last year’s Scottish Open. He returns to the Scottish Open with three wins this year, including last week’s John Deere Classic, following up on wins in the Sony Open in Hawaii and the WM Phoenix Open.

So now we officially know the PGA Tour will undergo a significant schedule change in 2028, though the particulars still have to be ironed out. But I’m not a big fan of what we’ve heard so far with the sole exception being turning the Tour Championship into match play. Essentially, beginning in 2028, the schedule will feature a Championship Series with the biggest names playing for purses over $20 million. There will be the Championship Challenger Series with $4 million purses.

A milestone that underscores decades of innovation, sustainability, and trust among 1+ million golfers nationwide. Sugar Land, Texas (June 24th, 2026) PG Golf and LostGolfBalls.com proudly announced today the sale of their 1 billionth recycled golf ball, marking a historic milestone in the company’s mission to make golf more affordable and environmentally sustainable.

Wyndham Clark (Titleist Pro V1x) and Sam Burns (Callaway Chrome Tour X) did just what I thought they would, albeit a week later. Heading into Canadian Open, I picked Clark and Burns as my two choices in the PG Golf pool. It was the second time using both in the pool, and you are only allowed to pick a player twice. I loved Clark’s form – he had won the CJ Cup Byron Nelson and tied for third in the Memorial Tournament.

I had to laugh during the broadcast of the Canadian Open when there was a logjam at 10-under in the second round and one of the broadcasters on The Golf Channel referred to Canada as the home of lumberjacks. Yes, Canada is big into logging, albeit mainly in British Columbia, but as someone who lives in Canada, I wouldn’t say we are the home of lumberjacks. Maple syrup is more like it.