Monday, September 14, 2026 Balls & Bogeys Golf News Edition
Photo: Getty Images
Shane Lowry thrills home crowd with 11-shot victory in Irish Open
Per Associated Press / Golf Channel: “Shane Lowry gave his home crowd and President Donald Trump plenty to cheer Sunday when he turned a four-shot lead into a runaway at Doonbeg, closing with a 7-under 63 to break the Irish Open record with an 11-shot victory.”
B&B POV: Shane Lowry failed to make the Tour Championship this season on the PGA TOUR. He managed only two top-10s and 13 cuts made out of 18 events. A massively down year for Rory’s cherubic best friend from Northern Ireland. But this weekend, playing in front of a home-country crowd and against a strong friend at Doonbeg on the Southwest Coast of Ireland, he won his country’s national open by 11 shots. ELEVEN. Whatever bad taste he had in his mouth from a lackluster season heading into the Irish Open has now been washed out with many a Guinness, and maybe a little Bushmills for good measure.
Photo: Kate McShane, Getty Images
‘I love beating the Americans’: Europeans win 2026 Solheim Cup
Per Beth Ann Nichols / Golfweek: “After Jennifer Kupcho poured in roughly 120 feet of putts over the last two holes on Saturday night, U.S. captain Angela Stanford carried a green box of Heinken beer onto the team bus.”
B&B POV: “Fans of women’s professional golf were treated to a show this weekend when Europe’s best beat Team USA. It’s a sad state of affairs right now when it comes to team matches between US squads and Euro squads. Sitting here this morning, Europe holds both the Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup.
The Americans need to learn how to win team events more regularly—and the Presidents Cup almost doesn’t count for cow when many of the best non-American and Euro men are kept out of the competition because of their LIV allegiances.
Congrats to Captain Nordquist and her team for winning the 2026 Solheim Cup in the Netherlands this weekend.”
Photo: Washington Men’s Golf
College golfer wins tournament with walk-off hole-in-one (!), has fantastic reaction
Per Alex Myers / Golf Digest: “Now this is how you win a golf tournament in style.
Finn Koelle came to the final hole of the Sahalee Players Championship tied for the lead. He needed only one swing to win by two shots. That’s because the senior at Washington made a hole-in-one on Sahalee’s 214-yard ninth hole for an incredible walk-off win. Unfortunately, cameras didn’t catch the ace going in, but someone did get video of Koelle’s reaction. Have a look…”
Per B&B: “Congrats to Finn Koelle and the University of Washington. Finn won the individual title with a walk-off hole-in-one at Sahalee, and the men’s college team finished 3rd in the prestigious Sahalee Players Championship. BOW DOWN! WOOF! GO DAWGS!”
Photo: Balls & Bogeys
The Top 5 Winning Putter Models on the PGA TOUR in 2026 (and the full list for you putter junkies)
Per Thomas Hamden / Balls & Bogeys: We’ll spend $600 on a driver because it promises 4 more yards, $300 on a shaft because someone on YouTube said it will change our life, and approximately $22 on a bucket of range balls trying to figure out why we’re still slicing.
Then we get to the 18th green, add up our scores, and realize the little flat stick determines whether we’re sending or receiving money via Venmo.
This Season’s Top 5 Winning Putters on the PGA TOUR:
1. TaylorMade Spider Tour X — 11 Wins
2. Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5R Tour Prototype — 3 Wins
3. Bettinardi DASS BB1 — 3 Wins
4. Ping Scottsdale Tec Ally Blue Onset — 3 Wins
5. TaylorMade Spider Tour (Original) — 2 Wins
Photo: Getty Images
Rory McIlroy played his slowest-ever round. Then came different kind of test
Per Alan Bastable / GOLF: “When Rory McIlroy, who has played golf for nearly all of his 37 years and for nearly two decades professionally, came off the course after his first round at the Irish Open on Thursday, he said something alarming:
“I can’t recall a round of golf that has taken that long before. We’ve had some rounds that are five-and-a-half or five-and-three-quarter hours, but six hours is a first for me.”‘
B&B POV: The pace of play at the Irish Open was pathetic. The conditions were tough, thanks largely to coastal wind and rain, and the players were grinding. The routing is a little wonky—although amazingly beautiful—and the greens may have been a little too slopey. Put it all together, and Thursday’s pace was as slow as anything the players—and us fans—have ever seen. Six hours, six minutes.
Rory finished at 1-under, tied for 41st. I’m guessing he’s looking forward to getting back to his home club and playing 18 in under 4 hours.
LESSON OF THE WEEK
Top 5 Tips to Master Match Play
Match play is a round of golf with a little more personality. You versus your opponent. Usually played over 18 somewhat more stressful holes. Here are five tips to give you an edge in your next match.
YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS..
Works every time!
Things you just can’t make up. Don’t miss these random nuggets of gold we found on the interwebs. You’re welcome.
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