LPGA – Golfing Networks

KBS Wins The 2026 LPGA Kroger Queen City Championship

admin — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 15:59:07 +0000

KBS wins again.

Maketewah Country Club was conquered this week with precision and poise, as a dominant two-shot victory was claimed at the 2026 Kroger Queen City Championship in Cincinnati.

At the center of this week’s iron performance are Titleist T150 irons, fitted with KBS Tour 120 shafts and they were absolutely dialed from the opening round.

For KBS, this latest victory adds to a growing list of wins on the LPGA Tour in 2026 further proof that the Tour 120 continues to be one of the most trusted shafts in professional women’s golf.

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Justin Kaplan at JustinKaplan@fstshafts.com

Contact: Justin Kaplan

Email: JustinKaplan@fstshafts.com

Website: https://kbsgolfshafts.com/

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KBS Wins The 2026 LPGA Mizuho Americas Open

admin — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:10:23 +0000

KBS captured another LPGA Tour victory this weekend at the 2026 Mizuho Americas Open, as the tournament winner trusted KBS shafts to deliver a clutch performance against one of the premier fields in women’s golf.

Throughout the week, the champion displayed complete control from tee to green, relying on the smooth feel, stability, and consistency that KBS shafts are known for across the professional game. Under pressure, KBS continued to perform at the highest level, helping secure another impressive LPGA Tour title.

From the PGA Tour to the LPGA Tour, KBS continues to build its legacy through proven performance and trusted results at every level of the game.

In her bag she used PGI 90 in her Callaway Irons.

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Justin Kaplan at JustinKaplan@fstshafts.com

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Pro loses ShopRite LPGA by 1 a day after receiving rare penalty

admin — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:26:59 +0000

Celine Boutier won the ShopRite LPGA on Sunday, although it might be Arpichaya Yubol who was left wondering what could have been.

Yubol fired a five-under 66 on the Bay Course at Seaview Hotel and Golf Club in Galloway, N.J., on Sunday, which was good enough to push her into solo second and earn $183,814 in the 54-hole event. At eight under, she finished a stroke behind Boutier.

But then you remember what happened on Saturday.

The LPGA Media account tweeted Saturday evening that Yubol was assessed a one-stroke penalty for slow play during her second round on Saturday. The tweet said she was penalized for “exceeding her maximum time allowed for her total strokes timed on hole #13.”

Arpichaya Yubol was assessed a one-stroke penalty for exceeding her maximum time allowed for her total strokes timed on hole #13. @LPGA | @ShopRiteLPGA

— LPGA Media (@LPGAMedia) May 31, 2026

It’s just the second time a pace of play penalty has been issued on the LPGA this season. Jin Hee Im was also penalized one shot during the third round of the JM Eagle.

In February 2025, the LPGA announced its new pace of play policy that went into effect that spring. The LPGA already had a warning system and timing guidelines in place for players out of position, but the updated policy included a new penalty structure for plus times. Under those changes, one to five seconds over a time would be a fine; six to 15 seconds would be a one-stroke penalty, and 16 seconds or more would lead to a two-stroke penalty.

Yubol’s 73 Saturday was changed to a 74. Under the LPGA’s policy, a player is timed for the accumulation of shots for a hole and not one specific shot.

Despite the rare penalty, it was a good week for the 24-year-old Yubol. After missing the cut in back-to-back starts earlier this season, she has now turned in her second runner-up finish of the year. Although she still finished one shy of Boutier, who closed with a 66 to come from four strokes back to win. The 32-year-old pro also won the ShopRite in 2021; this was her first win since the Maybank Championship in 2023.

Next up? The U.S. Women’s Open begins Thursday at Riviera in Los Angeles.

“It’s definitely always good to come back after a win,” Boutier said. “I think it’s going to be a very different challenge for sure with different course conditions, but I’m excited to see what the course is going to be like. Happy where my game is at, so let’s see what I can do there.”

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LPGA Tour’s The Chevron Champion Swings Big with Graphite Design Tour AD FI-6 Shaft Powered TaylorMade Qi4D Driver

admin — Sat, 23 May 2026 12:15:17 +0000

Carlsbad, CA – Pro’s Choice Golf Shafts, Inc. announced today that the winner of the LPGA Tour’s The Chevron Championship, held in Houston, TX, was playing a Graphite Design Tour AD FI-6 Stiff flex wood shaft in her TaylorMade Qi4D Driver. The champion claimed her third Major and 17th career win after posting a 4-day score of 65, 65, 70, 70 for a total of 18 under par, winning by 5 strokes.

On the DP World Tour, the winner of the Volvo China Open, held in Shanghai, China, was playing a Graphite Design Tour AD VF Utility Driving Iron in his Titleist T100 #3 Iron, claiming his 9^th DP World Tour title.

“Congratulations to The Chevron Championship winner for capturing her third Major and regaining the number 1 ranking. What a great exhibition of Accuracy and Distance and we are ecstatic she plays Graphite Design Tour AD FI”, stated Wayne Ageno, President, Pro’s Choice Golf Shafts, Inc.

The new 2026 Tour AD FI – Flight Intelligence – is the next evolution in golf shaft technology from Graphite Design. Designed and manufactured at Graphite Design’s Japan factory headquarters for players who demand precision, power, and consistency, the Tour AD FI features a futuristic look, complete with a sleek new TOUR AD logo, and is finished with a green-to-gloss black fade with silver accents.

Like the other high-performance Tour AD wood shafts, the Tour AD FI utilizes premium, aerospace-quality carbon-fiber materials and is available in 40g R2, R1, S flex and X flex, 50g R2, R1, S and X flex, 60g SR, S, X, and TX flex, 70g S, X, and TX flex, and 80g X flex.

The Tour AD FI shaft profile is Firm+ in the butt section and Firm+ in the center section and has a Stiff tip to promote Mid-launch angles and Low to Low/Mid-ball spin rates. It utilizes Graphite Design’s proprietary AD Shield technology and the new TORNADO TIP TECH, along with the modern Torayca M40X and T1100G material technologies, to reliably transmit the player’s input to the club head, allowing for consistent shot-making and enhanced performance on the course.

Whether shaping shots or maximizing distance, the new Tour AD FI adapts to your swing, delivering unparalleled stability and responsiveness. Elevate your game with a shaft that thinks as fast as you play – because intelligent performance starts with the new Tour AD Flight Intelligence golf shaft from Graphite Design.

About Pro’s Choice:

Pro’s Choice Golf Shafts is the exclusive distributor of Graphite Design golf shafts in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, UAE, South Africa, South America, and Australia. Pro’s Choice Golf Shafts distributes all of the current Graphite Design shafts, including the new 2026 Graphite Design Tour AD FI wood shaft model, as well as the Anti-Gravity aG33-3, Tour AD GC, Tour AD VF, Tour AD CQ, Tour AD UB, Tour AD XC, Tour AD IZ, and Tour AD DI models of shafts. The company is located in Carlsbad, California, with a distribution warehouse located in Southern California.

About Graphite Design:

Located in Chichibu, Japan, Graphite Design has over 36 years of experience designing and manufacturing premium graphite-composite golf shafts. Numerous Graphite Design shafts can be seen in play by the best professional players on all tours worldwide. Validating the company’s “Tour AD” logo, all of Graphite Design’s Tour-proven shafts specifically promote “Accuracy and Distance”. On Tour, Graphite Design shafts recorded 44 Global tournament victories in 2025 and have helped numerous golf professionals earn well over 580 tour victories and multi-millions of dollars in prize money since inception.

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This pro bomber uses a rare equipment combination for the LPGA

admin — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 01:23:51 +0000

If you search the golf forums online for all of 10 seconds, you’ll see some shaft arguments centered around the idea of playing something like a Fujikura Ventus Black or a Project X Titan.

These super-stout, low-launch, low-spin shafts are all the rage in the forums “because that’s what the pros play”. Usually, those names include guys like Rory McIlroy, Gary Woodland, Aldrich Potgieter and other high-speed players on the PGA Tour.

But we’ve got a new name to add to that list: Auston Kim of the LPGA Tour.

It’s pretty rare to see a shaft like Fujikura Ventus Black out on the LPGA Tour. In general, the LPGA doesn’t have as much aggression as the PGA Tour does, and even the players who are a bit more aggressive will typically opt for something that still provides them with a bit more help launching the ball. Something like a Fujikura Ventus Red profile or the popular Mitsubishi Diamana WB with its softer handle and mid-soft tip would be better driver shaft profiles for these types of swings.

But Kim isn’t anywhere near the “standard” female profile. She’s currently ranked fourth on the LPGA in driving distance, and she has a swing that more closely mimics something like Cam Young; very wide, very long, and adds a small pause at the top of the swing before unleashing in transition.

Auston goes for a Fujikura Ventus Black Velocore+ 5-S that’s tipped an inch. I asked PXG LPGA Tour Manager Scotty Kim how many times he tips a driver shaft an inch out on the LPGA.

He simply replied, “Not often.”

He also mentioned, “Auston could probably actually play something a little bit stiffer than this if she wanted, but tipping the stiff flex gives her a good blend of giving her the feel she wants with the performance she needs.” Auston simply added, “I’m good” with a laugh.

Auston combines her Ventus Velo+ Black with a PXG Lightning Tour, the lowest spinning head in the new Lightning lineup. The combination of a shaft keeping up with her aggression and the speed and spin profile of the Lightning Tour provides her with a very stable package that helps her hit the signature cut shot that she wants to see off the tee.

And she’s got all the speed she needs to earn that No. 4 rank in driving distance on the LPGA Tour. Auston sits in the low 160s for ball speed, similar to me, if that’s any indication of her greatness, and she plays with a little bit more spin, too. I’m a big advocate for playing with a little bit more spin, and with such a consistent cut shot, she’s utilizing the stability and speed of the Lightning Tour in every way she can.

A good reminder that just because something says what it might be on paper doesn’t mean that in practice it’s what that gear is going to do. As an industry, we frequently get caught up trying to bucket equipment into speed and spin buckets. In Auston’s case, it was about consistency and deviation from shot to shot. Something that Johnny Wunder and I both noticed during our own testing of the PXG Lightning Tour back in October.

PXG Lightning Tour Custom Driver

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Other ‘stiff profile’ shafts on the LPGA

Another surprising option on the LPGA Tour getting a ton of use is the Diamana WB. Compared to the Ventus Black, it’s a bit of a softer profile, but it’s still created as the low-launch, low-spin part for the slightly stronger player. Something that’s been in the hands of guys on the PGA Tour like Xander Schauffele, Viktor Hovland, and Justin Rose.

You might guess a profile like the Diamana BB would be a more popular part for the women’s game, but with athletes of all genders getting stronger and faster, the need for profiles to keep up with the more athletic fields is more apparent.

For those of you reading at home, this leads into a discussion about how important it is to find the right profile golf shaft for your game, and then match the weight and flex of that profile to your swing’s needs.

Making sure you’re in a profile that activates at the right time in your swing is critical. Weight and flex are then there to make sure that you’re squeezing every bit of performance out of it that you can.

In Auston Kim’s case, they decided to stick with a lighter-weight, stiff flex shaft that they tipped one inch. This tipping stabilized the tip a tad while also making the handle a bit softer, which is very helpful for a wider, more aggressive swing that stays very connected. Again, think Auston, Rory, Cam Young, or Xander.

They don’t yank down on the golf shaft in transition; they keep it wide and long with their wrists relatively stable, and they create separation until impact.

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