This Week in Golf – February 06, 2026
There’s something oddly comforting about watching even the world’s best golfer struggle with the game that humbles us all. This week brought reminders that golf doesn’t play favorites, while equipment makers keep chasing perfection through technology.
PGA Tour News
The Phoenix Open delivered its usual mix of circus atmosphere and serious golf, but nothing was more striking than Scottie Scheffler’s rare off day. For a player who’s made consistency look easy, watching him genuinely struggle felt almost uncomfortable. The details of his round show just how weird it was to see Scheffler—someone who typically makes golf look effortless—dealing with the same problems that haunt weekend golfers.
Meanwhile, Brooks Koepka made headlines with a rare putter change, a decision that gets at the strange relationship between confidence and putting. For someone known for unshakeable self-belief, admitting his putting needed a complete overhaul is more than just switching equipment—it’s about finding trust again when tournaments are on the line.
The week also reminded us why TPC Scottsdale’s 16th hole has become golf’s wildest stage. Nearly four decades of evolution have turned what started as a solid par-3 into something closer to sporting theater. The crowds, the noise, the pressure—it’s everything purists say golf shouldn’t be, yet it captures something real about the game’s ability to create moments that matter more than scores.
Joel Dahmen’s Seahawks helmet celebration on the 16th captured this perfectly, showing how the hole brings out both showman and competitor in players who get that the moment demands both.
Equipment Updates
Wilson keeps pushing forward with the 2026 Dynapwr Forged irons, adding AI technology to their legendary iron family. There’s something interesting about a company with Wilson’s history embracing artificial intelligence—it shows that even tradition has to evolve to stay relevant. Adding AI to iron design is more than just tech advancement; it’s about using data to figure out what golfers actually need, not just what they think they want.
The equipment world keeps expanding beyond clubs, with new ideas in course management and member experiences. Leaderboard’s new Wolf scoring system tackles the complexity that makes group games both fun and occasionally frustrating, while partnerships like the one between Golf Business Network and GolfForever recognize that golf performance increasingly depends on what happens away from the course.
Course Management and Industry News
Behind the scenes, the people who maintain our courses keep pushing their own quiet revolution. Paul L. Carter’s election as GCSAA president during the organization’s centennial year shows how course maintenance has evolved from basic groundskeeping to sophisticated environmental management. These are the professionals who make sure every round starts with possibility, their work invisible when done right but essential to every golfer’s experience.
Social Media Highlights
The week’s social media buzz centered on the Phoenix Open’s unique atmosphere, with fans celebrating the tournament’s carnival-like energy. The ongoing tournament discussion threads showed how golf’s community finds connection through shared observation and analysis, turning solo viewing into group experience.
Maybe most telling was the community’s reaction to Scheffler’s humanity—not with satisfaction, but with recognition. It reminds us that golf’s greatest gift isn’t the perfection we occasionally witness, but the struggle we all share.
Looking Forward
This week offered lessons in both instruction and humility. As one piece wisely noted, constantly trying to correct your last miss can wreck your entire round—advice that works whether you’re chasing a major championship or just trying to break 90. Sometimes the best swing thought is no swing thought at all, trusting your preparation and accepting that perfection isn’t the goal—progress is.
In a game that promises nothing but demands everything, these stories remind us why we keep coming back. Whether it’s watching world-class players face the same challenges we do or seeing technology evolve to help us play better, golf keeps being a mirror that shows both our limitations and our endless capacity for hope.