Thursday, May 9, 2019

John Daly is Using a Golf Cart at the 2019 PGA Championship and People are Losing Their Minds

John Daly has been given the green light to drive a golf cart at the PGA Championship next week at Bethpage Black, and people are losing their minds about this decision.  The PGA of America granted the 53-year old Daly and two-time major champion a special exemption because of arthritis he suffers in his right knee under their own Americans with Disabilities Act policy. 

 

Critics like Nick Faldo are saying walking is an integral part of the game.  Some are predicting doom and gloom because of the precedent it sets.  And still others are reminding us all that some guy named Tiger played and won a U.S. Open on a broken leg.  But this decision really isn't that big of a deal. 

PUMA Golf Releases Warning Pack: A Collection of Gear Inspired by Bethpage Black and the 2019 PGA Championship

Few courses instill fear the way Bethpage State Park' s iconic Black Course does.  As if negotiating the Par- 70 7,426 yards of deep rough, never ending bunkers, and lightning fast greens weren't enough, many players feel nerves when they encounter the "WARNING" sign before ever setting foot on the first tee. 

 

In honor of the 2019 PGA Championship's host site, Cobra PUMA Golf is introducing a bold, limited edition "Warning Pack" comprised of headwear, footwear, headcovers and a golf bag that will be available next week. 

Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Aerotech Video Series: Why SteelFiber Shafts Are The Winningest Graphite Iron Shafts in Professional Golf History

You guys already know I hold the Aerotech SteelFiber golf shafts in the highest esteem.  There are no graphite iron shafts like them on the market.  What you might not know however, is that SteelFiber shafts are the winningest graphite iron shafts in professional tour history. 

 

I had the pleasure of meeting and talking with Aerotech SteelFiber President and Lead Shaft Designer Chris Hilleary at the PGA Merchandise Show back in January.  And Chris recently made a video that really explains why SteelFiber is so unique and what makes Aerotech a performance leader in a highly competitive market. 

Bethpage Black Golf Course Review: The Back-9 (2019 PGA Championship)

Making the turn at Bethpage Black I realized I was in for more than I bargained for.  I prepared for Black's mystique by reading as much as I could about the course.  I even brushed up on some A.W. Tillinghast course design notes.  And I thought I was ready.  But in retrospect there's no way to grasp how significant and numerous the challenges are without being thrown right into the fire. 

 

First there's the length.  Bethpage Black stretches out to almost 7,500 yards and when I was done playing it felt more like 10,000 yards.  Six of the par-4s are more 475 yards long and can play longer in the wind.  Bethpage is a big, bad, brute, and playing it can be an absolute battle. 

Tuesday, May 7, 2019

The 2019 AT&T Byron Nelson: Inside the Course (Trinity Forest Golf Club Review)

Trinity Forest is a windswept expanse of rolling hills, natural waste areas, and dramatic angles that’s the complete opposite of a parkland course.  It's something more accustomed to seeing off the coast of Ireland, minus an ocean and seagulls. 

 

The course was built on 400 acres of landfill, smack in the middle of the Great Trinity River Forest (the largest urban hardwood forest in America).  However, there's not a single tree to be found anywhere on the course. 

5 Things to Know about the 2019 AT&T Byron Nelson

The PGA Tour descends on Trinity Forest Golf Club this week for the 66th playing of the AT&T Byron Nelson.  Trinity Forest hosts the event for the second consecutive year after taking over hosting duties from TPC Four Seasons last year. 

 

Established in 1944, the AT&T Byron Nelson is the ninth-longest active tournament on Tour, and also the leading fundraiser of all events on the schedule.  It consistently attracts the biggest stars on Tour, paying homage to the late Byron Nelson, and this year the field is as a strong as ever. 

Bridgestone Golf Reformulated e6 Golf Ball Preview: Ideal for Slower Swing Speed Players Who Seek Maximum Distance and Super Soft Feel

Bridgestone Golf announced today that it has reformulated its e6 golf ball to afford fantastic value for moderate swing-speed players who seek maximum driving distance and buttery soft feel. 

 

The new e6 features a 2-piece, low-compression construction to ensure that players with slower swing speeds can fully activate the core on tee shots, delivering increased distance throughout the bag.  It also provides players with a super soft feel thanks to its low compression core. 

FootJoy Flex Blackout Golf Shoes Preview: Limited Edition Collaboration in Honor of the 2019 PGA Championship

As far as limited edition swag goes, the new FootJoy Flex Blackout golf shoes might be the coolest of the season so far.  FootJoy and Bethpage Black have collaborated to create a very limited number of these shoes to celebrate the 2019 PGA Championship. 

 

Only 300 of the Blackout shoes will be made, and they're done in all black with a "WARNING" sign on the heel exactly like the iconic sign hanging on the fence behind the first tee at Bethpage Black. 

Monday, May 6, 2019

Tour Edge Exotics Staffer and PGA Tour Champions No. 1 Ranked Scott McCarron Wins Insperity Invitational

Tour Edge Exotics staff player Scott McCarron won the 2019 Insperity Invitational on the PGA Tour Champions Sunday playing a Tour Edge Exotics 19-degree CBX 119 hybrid. 

 

The win was McCarron's second victory in three weeks, and he played his Exotics hybrid to perfection.  Using it off the tee and off the deck, McCarron recorded 20 birdies for the tournament, and his 17-under par performance set a new course record for the Insperity Invitational at The Woodlands Country Club. 

KBS Golf Shafts Claims Victory at the 2019 Wells Fargo Championship

The red label cannot be stopped!  After four wins the previous week, KBS Golf Shafts kept the the momentum kept going on Sunday with a win at the Wells Fargo Championship. 

 

Cruising to his first career PGA Tour victory, Max Homa played lights out from start to finish at Quail Hollow Golf Course hitting more than 60-percent of the greens in regulation, and and finishing first in scrambling. 

Kiawah Island Club Awarded 2023 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship: Cassique and River Courses Will Play Host

The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced The Kiawah Island Club, in Kiawah Island, S.C., as the host site for the 9th U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship.  The dates of the championship, which will be the second USGA event hosted by the club, are May 20th to 24th, 2023. 

 

Kiawah Island Club's Cassique Course will host both stroke play and match play, while the club's River Course will serve as the stroke-play co-host course.  The courses hosted the U.S. Mid-Amateur in 2009. 

Sunday, May 5, 2019

Max Homa WITB What's In The Bag - The Golf Equipment Homa Used to Win The 2019 Wells Fargo Classic

Two years ago Max Homa played a full schedule of events and made just over $18,000.  Sunday at the Wells Fargo Championship, Homa shot a 4-under, 67 and cruised to hit first PGA Tour victory, and a $1.42 million payday. 

 

The 28-year old won the 2013 NCAA individual title at the University of California, and then made it to the Tour in 2015 (the same year Justin Thomas did).  Homa struggled in his first season however, and wound up losing his Tour card. 

Bethpage Black Golf Course Review: The Front-9 (2019 PGA Championship)

I watched the boisterous 2002 and 2009 U.S. Open championships and marveled at Bethpage Black's gargantuan length and legendary bunkering.  I saw the notorious "Warning" sign hundreds of times online and dreamed about one day taking on this A.W. Tillinghast masterpiece.  And in May I finally teed it up on this world-renown track for the first time. 

 

I didn't walk up to the first tee pounding my chest and humming like Matthew McConaughey in The Wolf of Wall Street, but I was definitely confident for the impending challenge.  In the end I didn't solve the puzzle that is Bethpage, but Black didn't exactly chew me up and spit me out either. 

Saturday, May 4, 2019

Destination Kohler Announces Whistling Straits & Blackwolf Run Course Stay and Play Packages

Destination Kohler, Wisconsin's golf leader and home to four internationally acclaimed Pete Dye-designed courses across Whistling Straits and Blackwolf Run has announced all courses are now officially open for play. 

 

You can now book stay and play packaged at The Straits Course and Irish Course at Whistling Straits, and the River Course and Meadow Valleys Course at Blackwolf Run. 

Bag Boy Nitron Push Cart Review: Ready To Go Convenience

The Bag Boy Nitron Push Cart is a revolutionary new push cart with an automatic open feature unlike anything else on the market.  The Nitron Piston Technology transforms the Nitron from a compact folded cart into an open and ready to go in seconds. 

 

The nitrogen powered auto open technology creates a simple two-step open making opening the cart effortless as the front wheel automatically pops out into place.  Folding the Nitron is also a simple two-step process, folding in seconds to a compact size, ready to be stored. 

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

The 2019 Wells Fargo Championship: Inside the Course (Quail Hollow Club Review)

Quail Hollow Golf Club hosts the Wells Fargo Championship this week and is a stern test of golf, but one that rewards good shots with scoring opportunities.  Thick Bermuda rough puts a priority on keeping the ball in play off the tee, and sharp doglegs require proper positioning to avoid to avoid penal consequences. 

 

Tom Fazio's redesign of the 7,554 yard, par-71 original George W. Cobb layout removed some trees to open up the course and lines of play, and rewards players who are great tee-to-green tacticians.  With a good variety of holes that challenge you to make strategic decisions off the tee and on approach, players without a mastery of each club in their bag are doomed to struggle. 

5 Things to Know about the 2019 Wells Fargo Championship

The Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow Club once again boasts one of the strongest fields of the PGA Tour season with an impressive pedigree of major champions, past winners, and the game's biggest names. 

 

Quail Hollow is a par-71, 7554-yard George W. Cobb track designed to identify the most deserving winner.  It has earned its reputation as one of the most dangerous places in golf, and imposes a high standard of play from tee to green. 


Volvik Setting Sales Records with Marvel Avengers Collaboration

Volvik is known the world over for its high performance golf balls featuring more than 23 vibrant color options.  And the company is reporting record-setting sales of the Marvel x Volvik collaboration of Captain America, Iron Man, and Spider Man Vivid 4-Ball Sets. 

 

Since the release of the widely anticipated Disney film Avengers: Endgame in U.S. theaters April 26th, demand for the golf ball sets has been extraordinary.  The film, setting box-office records, already is the highest-grossing film of the year and the 10th highest-grossing film of all time. Since the movie's release Volvik has witnessed unprecedented demand from golfers, retailers, and pro shops across the country for these Marvel special edition sets. 

Bettinardi Golf Signs Rising LPGA Tour Star Yu Liu

Bettinardi Golf has signed LPGA Tour rising star Yu Liu to become the first ever LPGA player to join their tour staff.  Liu will play her Studio Stock 28 putter with Tour Preferred F.I.T. Face Milling. 

 

Liu is currently inside the top 50 in the Rolex Rankings, is the number 2 ranked player from China, and joins China's number one male player Haotong Li on the rapidly growing tour staff for Bettinardi. 

PING Valor 400 Putter Preview: Elevating Stability and Forgiveness to a New Level

PING has expanded their lineup of Sigma putters with the release of the Valor 400.  This putter is the highest MOI Sigma 2 putter in company history, and is available for custom fitting and purchase beginning today at authorized PING golf shops around the world and at www.pinggolf.com

 

The counter-balanced mallet is engineered with a 400-gram head and custom built with a 15″ grip and a 38″ shaft with 50 grams added to the butt end to promote a stable, pendulum-style stroke.