J.J. Spaun was seven shots back with nine holes to play. He drove a 306-yard par 4 and made eagle. Then he waited on the range while Robert MacIntyre's birdie putt came up short. Same course, same opponent, same result as the U.S. Open.
IN THIS ISSUE
Spaun Went from Invisible to Inevitable in Nine Holes
Rahm Is Golf Digest's No. 1 Pick. Scheffler Is Not.
Coughlin Went Wire-to-Wire. Korda Finished Second. Again.
Ping's New Putters Aren't Zero-Torque. That's the Point.
NC's Top 100 Is Out. Raleigh Made Moves. UNC destroys field in Augusta.
PGA TOUR . THE VALERO TEXAS OPEN
Spaun Went from Invisible to Inevitable in Nine Holes
J.J. Spaun had four missed cuts in seven starts this year. His putting ranked bottom-10 on Tour. Then he showed up at TPC San Antonio, a course where he won his first PGA Tour event in 2022, and turned in the kind of Sunday that rewrites a season. Seven shots back with nine holes to play. Birdie on 16 from three feet. Then he drove the 306-yard 17th and drained the eagle putt to take the lead.
Robert MacIntyre, who'd led most of the week, eagled 17 himself to get within one but hooked his approach on the par-5 18th into the mud. His birdie putt to force a playoff came up short. Spaun's third career win, his second at this course, and the validation he needed heading into Augusta.
"My strategy was not to spiral."
500 FedEx Cup points. A 91-spot jump to 24th in the rankings. Masters week starts Thursday.
PGA TOUR . MASTERS PREVIEW
Rahm Is Golf Digest's No. 1 Pick. Scheffler Is Not.
Golf Digest's Masters power rankings put Jon Rahm at No. 1, ahead of Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler. The reasoning is simple: Rahm has a win, three runners-up, and a fifth in five LIV starts this season. He's never missed a cut at Augusta in nine trips. Scheffler, meanwhile, has taken three full weeks off and has no top-10 since mid-February. Nine of the last ten Masters winners had a top-10 in their previous three starts. Scheffler doesn't.
The wild card: Fitzpatrick is first in strokes gained tee-to-green on Tour in 2026 and just won at Valspar. Åberg has a second and a seventh in two Masters trips. And Rory is defending with a healthy back and a chip on his shoulder. Pick your lane.
LPGA TOUR . ARAMCO CHAMPIONSHIP
Coughlin Went Wire-to-Wire Against the World's Best
Lauren Coughlin won the Aramco Championship by five shots at Shadow Creek, going wire-to-wire in a $4 million field that included 38 of the world's top 40. Nelly Korda, who played the final pairing, shot 75 and finished second for the third consecutive tournament. Coughlin's third career LPGA win and her first on American soil. She pocketed $600,000 and moved to third on the 2026 money list.
"What if I don't ever get to do it again? What if that's the best golf I ever played in 2024?"
ALSO THIS WEEK
Masters Odds: Fleetwood the Longshot to Watch — SportsLine's model, which has nailed 16 majors, likes Tommy Fleetwood at +2200 and is fading Rahm despite his +950 price.
Patrick Reed Returns to Augusta as a Contender — The 2018 Masters champ has two DP World Tour wins this year and top-12 finishes in five of his last six starts at Augusta.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Masters at Augusta National
It's Masters week. Augusta National hosts the 90th edition of the tournament starting Thursday. The field is loaded, and the storylines are stacked: Rory McIlroy defending, Scottie Scheffler chasing a third green jacket despite three weeks off, and Jon Rahm arriving in the best form he's shown since his 2023 win. Names to watch: Rahm (Golf Digest's No. 1 power ranking), Xander Schauffele (top 10 in 63% of his Masters starts), and Matt Fitzpatrick (first in strokes gained tee-to-green on the PGA Tour in 2026).
Ping Scottsdale TEC Putters: $400, Three Models, a Different Take on Low-Torque
Ping's new Scottsdale TEC putters are the company's answer to the zero-torque craze, but with a deliberate twist: the shaft sits in front of the CG, not through it. The idea is you still "pull" the head for stability rather than pushing it. The result feels like a blade but forgives like a mallet. Three models at $400, all milled aluminum with steel soles and a soft PEBAX insert. The white EyeQ alignment system is genuinely easy to lock onto. Tony Finau already switched. If you've been curious about low-torque putters but don't want to fully commit, this is the middle ground worth demoing.
Takomo 201 MKII: Players Distance Irons at Half the Price
Plugged In Golf's review calls the Takomo 201 MKII irons "unbelievable value," and the numbers back it up. At $650 for the set, these hollow-body irons compete directly against $1,400 options from the big OEMs. The twist: Takomo uses traditional lofts instead of the jacked-up specs most "players distance" irons rely on, which means higher launch and more spin without sacrificing real distance. Sound and feel lean toward the player side. The 4-6 irons look great at address; the PW runs a little chunky. For 5-15 handicaps who want modern performance without modern prices, this is the best value in the iron category right now.
ALSO THIS WEEK
Cabana Golf Unveils Outdoor Simulator Built for Backyards — A Raleigh-based startup is launching the first weather-sealed outdoor golf simulator designed for daylight visibility, debuting Masters week.
NC Golf Panel Rankings: Sandhills Dominate, Wakefield Climbs
The 2026 North Carolina Golf Panel rankings are out and the Sandhills set a record with 20 courses in the Top 100. Pinehurst No. 2 holds the No. 1 spot (no surprise). Pine Needles jumped to third. The Triangle placed well too: Old Chatham (9th), Raleigh Country Club (15th), MacGregor Downs (20th), and Lonnie Poole at 48th. The big local mover? Wakefield Plantation climbed from 94th to 75th. Meanwhile, Woodlake Country Club in Vass cracked the list for the first time at 91 after its 2022 Kris Spence renovation. If you've been sleeping on Woodlake, stop.
UNC Men's Golf Destroys Field in Augusta
The 16th-ranked Tar Heels won the Augusta Haskins Award Invitational by 15 strokes, breaking the tournament record at Forest Hills Golf Club. Sophomore Sihan Sandhu won the individual title in a playoff, shooting 68-67-66 with 16 birdies and one bogey over 54 holes. Three Tar Heels finished in the top five. Carolina's 54-under team total was the third-best in program history. The ACC Championship at Shark's Tooth in Panama City Beach is later this month.
Darius Rucker Playing Pinehurst Charity Concert April 29
The Carolinas Golf Foundation is hosting Par-tee in the Pines at The Carolina Hotel at Pinehurst Resort on April 29. Darius Rucker headlines. General admission is $350, reserved seating is $650. Proceeds benefit the foundation's youth programs and the Boys & Girls Club of the Sandhills. No outside food or drinks, no transferable tickets. If you're planning a Sandhills trip this spring, this is a good excuse to book it.
ALSO THIS WEEK
Pinehurst No. 2 Locks In Four More U.S. Opens — Pinehurst No. 2 will host U.S. Opens in 2029, 2035, 2041, and 2047, plus the 2027 U.S. Women's Amateur.
That's your read this week.
Tour intel, gear picks, and local course intel — every Monday.
If this landed, forward it to your foursome. That's how we grow.