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. 

The Art of Thermo Regulation: A Closer Look at the Galvin Green Multi Layer Concept and Technologies

Textile engineer Sofia Ask Klason has been with Galvin Green for more than two years as Product Manager, and she is responsible for all of the collections.  Klason has a deep knowledge of manufacturing methods, fabric technology and textile chemistry, and that allows her to provide golfers with the best Galvin Green garments around the world. 

 

So there's probably no one better suited to answer questions about how best to stay warm on the golf course.  Here's a a really interesting Q&A with Sofia, where she answers some questions I know we've all had at one point or another, and also explains what makes Galvin Green's technologies such game-changers. 

New World Handicap System Set to Roll Out Beginning in 2020

Golf's new World Handicap System, which is designed to bring the game of golf under a single set of Rules for handicapping and provide a more consistent measure of players' ability between different regions of the world, is set for implementation starting in 2020. 

 

Education has begun with events being held in Singapore, South Africa, Great Britain and Ireland, Japan, Argentina, Brazil, Continental Europe, Canada, the Caribbean and the USA.  A secure resource portal, accessible via whs.com, has also been launched to provide national associations with a library of materials that they can use to help support their own education efforts. 

Fred Couples Named 2019 Ambassador of Golf - Will be Honored at Bridgestone Senior Players Championship

World Golf Hall of Fame member and 1992 Masters champion Fred Couples has been named the 2019 recipient of the Ambassador of Golf Award, which is presented by the FirstEnergy Foundation.  The Ambassador of Golf Award honors a person who has fostered the ideals of the game on an international level and whose concern for others extends beyond the golf course. 

 

Couples will be presented the award on Thursday, July 11 at Firestone Country Club following the first round of the Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship.  FirstEnergy Corp. and Westfield are the Founding Partners for this PGA Tour Champions major championship debuting at Firestone Country Club, July 10th to the 14th. 

Mitsubishi and Aldila Golf Shafts Pick Up Two More Wins On PGA and European Tour

The Mitsubishi and Aldila shafts train just keeps rolling, and there's no sign it's going to slow down anytime soon.  Mitsubishi and Aldila won Sunday on the PGA and European Tours, making that multiple wins for both brands this season. 

 

Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer both played Aldila shafts in their drivers helping them win the Zurich Classic in team play on the PGA Tour on Sunday.  While Jorge Campillo won the Trophee Hassan II using a Mitsubishi shaft in his driver on the European Tour. 

Aerotech SteelFiber Shafts Top LA Open and Race To The CME Globe

Aerotech SteelFiber graphite iron shafts, designed and manufactured by Aerotech Golf, won the Hugel-Air Premia LA Open at Wilshire Country Club on Sunday, and now hold the top-3 positions in the Race to the CME Globe standings. 

 

Minjee Lee shot 14-under par for the tournament and played SteelFiber i80 graphite shafts in her irons during her dominating victory.  In the final round Lee was automatic with her irons, hitting an incredible 16 of 18 greens in regulation. 

KBS Golf Shafts Win Big In The Big Easy

KBS shafts formed part of the winning team down in The Big Easy on Sunday as Ryan Palmer teamed up with Jon Rahm for a winning score of 26-under par to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. 

 

Palmer played KBS Tour 130X shafts in his irons, and Tour 125 Stiff+ shafts in his wedges for his fourth career PGA Tour win and first in nine years. 

G/FORE MG4.1 Golf Shoes Preview: Limited Edition Run Available May 1st, 2019

Luxury lifestyle brand and golf footwear innovator G/FORE has announced that it's making a very limited quantity of its new MG4.1 crossover goles shoe available to purchase on www.gfore.com on a first-come first-served basis from May 1st. 

 

This decision follows unrivaled demand from loyal G/FORE customers eager to get their hands on the innovative MG4.1 shoe that launched to much acclaim at the PGA Show in January.  Once this limited quantity is sold, the MG4.1 won't be available again until the full range is officially launched in June. 

ECCO Golf S-Lite Golf Shoes Preview: Breaking Boundaries In Lightweight Design

ECCO Golf has released a new hybrid shoe called the S-Lite, which breaks boundaries as the brand's lightest-ever leather golf shoe ever. 

 

The S-Lite is a fresh, innovative approach to golf shoe design for ECCO, blending cutting-edge engineering and comfort to ensure an ultra-light on-course experience. 

Jon Rahm and Ryan Palmer WITB What's In The Bag - The Golf Equipment Rahm and Palmer Used to Win The 2019 Zurich Classic of New Orleans

John Rahm and Ryan Palmer won the PGA Tour's only team event on Sunday at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, holding off the team of Sergio Garcia and Tommy Fleetwood by three strokes at TPC Louisiana. 

 

For Rahm, it was his third career Tour victory, having now won in each of his three seasons on Tour.  While Palmer picked up his fourth career victory, but his first since winning the 2010 Sony Open in Hawaii. 

If Rory Wins the PGA Championship, Your TaylorMade M5 or M6 Driver is Free!

If Rory McIlroy wins the PGA Championship next month at Bethpage Black, you could get a TaylorMade M5 or M6 driver for free.  Yes you read that correctly, a free M5 or M6 driver.  Boom! 

 

DICK'S and Golf Galaxy are running a promotion where anyone who buys a TaylorMade M5 or M6 driver between April 20th and May 15th will have their purchase price completely refunded if Rory wins.  And given how Rory has been playing of late, this might be a great time to pick up that new TaylorMade driver if you've been eyeballing one. 

Sea Pines Resort "Play Where The Pros Play" Golf Package: Take Your Shot at Harbour Town, Atlantic Dunes, and Heron Point

You watched all the great action at Harbour Town Golf Links last week at the RBC Heritage.  And you saw my hole-by-hole Harbour town review here on my blog and on social media.  And now the legendary Sea Pines Resort is giving you the chance to play Harbour Town for yourself, along with world-renown Atlantic Dunes and Heron Point in an incredible "Play Where The Pros Play" golf package. 

 

The package includes one round of golf per guest on Hilton Head's three top-ranked courses: Harbour Town and Heron Point, both designed by Pete Dye, as well as Atlantic Dunes, designed by Davis Love III, a five-time RBC Heritage winner.  And bonus!  You can also enjoy complimentary afternoon replays on Heron Point and Atlantic Dunes (cart fee not included). 

The 2019 Zurich Classic of New Orleans: Inside the Course (TPC Louisiana Review)

The last time a two-man format was used in an official PGA Tour event, "internet" wasn't even a word yet, Sergio Garcia was in diapers, and the PGA Tour changed its name to the "TPA Tour," for Tournament Players Association (fortunately it reverted back the following year). 

 

The Zurich Classic of New Orleans has been an annual Tour event since 1958.  And this year for the third consecutive playing, the event will ditch traditional stroke play and borrow from the flourishing format used in the Ryder Cup and President Cup. 

5 Things To Know About The 2019 Zurich Classic of New Orleans

The PGA Tour's only team competition format returns to The Big Easy this week for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.  Dating back 81 years to 1938, the tournament has been an annual event since 1958.  The 2019 edition however, will be only the third time a two-man team event on Tour has been used since 1981. 

 

Contested on the Pete Dye designed TPC Louisiana, this par-72, 7,425 yard course boasts a series of short but compelling par-4 holes to balance the longer ones.  The signature hole is the risk-reward par-5, 585-yard No.18, where water runs along the entire right side of the hole and spectacular bunkering around the green complex provides all kinds of compelling shots. 

Limited Edition Bridgestone Tour B XS Golf Balls That Commemorate Tiger Woods Historic Masters Victory Hit Retail This Friday

Bridgestone Golf. is releasing limited edition Tour B XS golf balls this Friday, April 26th to commemorate Tiger Woods historic win at The Masters, and if you want them you better set your alarms. 

 

Bridgestone has already sold out of their entire inventory of Tour B XS balls with "Tiger" on the side just like the 15-time major champion plays, and the new commemorative balls coming this week will be in even greater demand. 

Nippon Shaft Wins on Web.com and LPGA Tours for 9th and 10th Victories of the Season

Nippon Shaft continued their season of excellence this weekend when the N.S. PRO MODUS 3 Series of steel shafts added wins on the Web.com and LPGA Tours. 

 

Lanto Griffin trusted the MODUS 3 winning the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Capitol Hill in a playoff, while Brooke Henderson also used the MODUS 3 to win the Lotte Championship.  The two wins over the weekend marked victories nine and 10 for Nippon MODUS this season, and an incredible 164 victories on professional Tours since the shaft's introduction. 

Tour Edge Exotics Staffer Scott McCarron Wins Mitsubishi Electric Classic: Vaults to No. 1 Ranking on the PGA Tour Champions

Tour Edge Exotics staff player Scott McCarron won the 2019 Mitsubishi Electric Classic on the PGA Tour Champions Sunday playing a Tour Edge Exotics CBX 119 hybrid, and his wire-to-wire win is the third victory on the PGA Tour Champions for McCarron since switching to Exotics in 2018 

 

McCarron used a 19-degree CBX 119 with a Project X Even Flow Black shaft, which is the same shaft available to consumers as a stock offering in the CBX 119 line. 

Aerotech Golf Limited Edition SteelFiber Black Label Shafts Preview: Tour Winning Performance in a Bold New Look

Aerotech Golf is introducing new limited edition SteelFiber Black Label graphite iron shafts that offer the same tour winning performance and extreme precision you've come to expect, but now also in a striking and bold new look. 

 

SteelFiber shafts are the number 1 graphite iron shafts in the world, and the limited edition Black Label shafts are engineered to the industry's most extreme weight tolerances for the ultimate graphite iron shaft performance. 

C.T. Pan WITB What's In The Bag - The Golf Equipment Pan Used to Win the 2019 RBC Heritage

Coming into the RBC Heritage, C.T. Pan had missed four cuts and finished in the top-25 just three times.  However Pan fought back from an opening round 71 at Harbour Town with three straight rounds in the 60s at Harbour Town to capture his first career PGA Tour win. 

 

Pan finished 12-under for the tournament, and his final round 4-under, 67 was particularly brilliant coming in tough, windy conditions, as he held off Dustin Johnson, Matt Kuchar, and Patrick Cantlay.  

Sea Pines Resort - Harbour Town Golf Links Course Review: The Back-9 (RBC Heritage)

Sometimes a golf course can exceed all expectations with fantastic playability, unforgettable views, and unique challenges for all skill levels.  Playing it becomes the ultimate escape where all your cares in the world melt away, and all you focus on is the world-class golf.  Harbour Town Golf Links is like that.  Only better. 

 

Around every corner of this masterpiece golf course is a wow-moment and "I was here" photo spot that can turn memorable rounds into some of the most favorite we ever play.  And the conditioning is every bit as pristine the day you play it, as it is the week the PGA Tour comes to town for the RBC Heritage. 

Piretti Potenza II Preview: New Classic Series Putter is Edgy, Sleek, and Mad Genius

Piretti Potenza coming y'all. 

 

Actually it's the new Potenza II and it qualifies as one of the most badass putters Piretti Golf has ever created based on looks alone. 

Joe LaCava Reveals Emotional Text Tiger Woods Sent After Masters Victory: We Did It

We did it. 

 

Those were the words Tiger Woods sent caddie Joe LaCava in a text message after Woods shook the sports world on Sunday winning his 15th career major championship.  Three simple words that would have been inconceivable to imagine the last time Woods won a major. 

Sea Pines Resort - Harbour Town Golf Links Course Review: The Front-9 (RBC Heritage)

Harbour Town Golf Links is one of the ultimate bucket list courses you can play in golf.  This Hilton Head track hosts the RBC Heritage every year on the PGA Tour, and is a pure golf experience that lets you walk in the footsteps of the game's greatest players. 

 

To play well here you have to think your way around this Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus design and find the correct sides of fairways for optimal angles into the greens.  Harbour Town is not a long golf course (with five sets of tees ranging from 5,084 yards to 7,099 yards), but that's part of its soul and charm for amateurs and professionals alike. 

USGA Announces 2019 U.S. Open Trophy Tour Presented by Lexus

The United States Golf Association (USGA) announced the launch of the 2019 U.S. Open Trophy Tour presented by Lexus today, which was introduced at a San Francisco area media event on April 8.  That stop was the first of more than two dozen on the tour before the trophy arrives at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links for the 119th U.S. Open Championship on June 13th to 16th. 

 

Making its way across the Bay Area in a 2019 Lexus LX, the Trophy Tour provides fans with photo opportunities as well as a chance to take home personalized giveaways.  Fans will also have the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime experience of two hospitality-suite tickets to Saturday and Sunday of this year's championship at Pebble Beach in the "Ultimate U.S. Open Sweepstakes." 

PUMA Golf Signs Four-Time Major Champion Ernie Els as Global Brand Ambassador: Els Will Wear PUMA Footwear on Tour

PUMA Golf announced today that it has signed Ernie Els to a multi-year agreement as a global brand ambassador.  As part of the partnership, Els will wear the brands footwear during his professional events. 

 

Els brings his Major championship credentials to a star-studded PUMA stable that includes fellow Tour professionals Rickie Fowler, Bryson DeChambeau, Gary Woodland, and Lexi Thompson. 

The National Golf Foundation NGF 2019 State of the Golf Industry Report: Findings Show Overall Growth Across Diverse Categories

The National Golf Foundation (NGF) has released its 2019 Golf Industry Report (GIR), which presents a comprehensive state of the industry detailing golfer participation, course supply data, rounds played, and golf's overall reach.  And the findings are definitely interesting. 

 

The Golf Industry Report (GIR) compiles many of the game's key data points in a single publication and is intended to provide the most holistic view of the business of golf and the health of the game within the U.S. to stakeholders and the media. 

Duca Del Cosma Takes Big Steps Forward in Global Golf Market with Introduction of Stunning 2019 Collection

Duca del Cosma has unveiled a stunning new global collection of premium shoes for the 2019 season with a host of different styles, textures, prints, and color combinations. 

 

You might not  know this, but Duca del Cosma is the originator of the spikeless golf shoe back in 2004.  This Italian luxury shoe brand is aimed at style-conscious golfers in more than 30 countries worldwide, and their shoes are crafted exclusively in Europe from the finest quality leathers. 

Golf Pride Roars to Victory and Wins Grip Count at The Masters

Golf Pride was the leading swing and putter grip brand in play at 2019 Masters, with 68 players in the field trusting Golf Pride grips. 

 

Nine players who finished in the Top 10, including Tiger Woods, chose Golf Pride as their grips of choice at Augusta National.  Woods trusted Golf Pride's Tour Velvet Cord grips while capturing his 5th career Masters title. 

Erin Hills to Host 2025 U.S. Women’s Open and 2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur

The USGA announced today that Erin Hills has been selected as the host site for the 2025 U.S. Women's Open and 2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championships.  The U.S. Women's Open is the ultimate test in women's golf, and the 2025 version will be contested May 29th to June 1st.  While the 2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur will be played September 10th to 15th, with Blue Mound Golf and Country Club serving as the stroke-play co-host course. 

 

Located 35 miles northwest of Milwaukee in the Kettle Moraine region, Erin Hills was designed by Dr. Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry, and Ron Whitten.  The public facility (which features bentgrass greens and fine fescue fairways) opened for play in 2006.  And the same team oversaw a major renovation to the layout in 2010. 

The 2019 RBC Heritage: Inside the Course (Harbour Town Golf Links Review)

Every year we know what to expect. 132 players make a post-Masters trek to Hilton Head.  They compete for a chance to slip on some tartan swag.  And the iconic 90-foot red and white striped lighthouse behind the 18th green guides the eventual champion to victory with the sun setting over the Calibogue Sound. 

 

Sure it's not the green jacket and it's definitely not Augusta, but the RBC Heritage has a rich history of producing quality champions, including Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, and inaugural champion Arnold Palmer. 

5 Things To Know About The 2019 RBC Heritage

The excitement from Tiger Woods historic Masters at Augusta on Sunday carries over to Hilton Head island this week for the RBC Heritage.  A top-tier field of 88 winners on the PGA Tour will take on the historic Harbor Town Golf Links. 

 

Many of the world’s top-ranked players aren’t making the trip to South Carolina this week, instead electing to decompress from what was a Masters for the ages.  Still, the invitation only, 132-player field will include some stand out names on the PGA Tour and a host of major champions. 

Tiger Woods 2019 Masters Victory Extends Bridgestone Golf Tour Hot Streak

There wasn’t a dry eye in the house as Bridgestone Golf ambassador Tiger Woods put an exclamation point on one of the greatest comebacks in sports history, winning his 15th career major championship at the 2019 Masters tournament. 

 

Woods used the Bridgestone TOUR B XS golf ball as he returned to the winner's circle at Augusta National for the first time in 14 years.  And Tiger's triumph is the 5th win of the season for Bridgestone's award-winning TOUR B golf ball family. 

Tiger Woods WITB What's In The Bag - The Golf Equipment Woods Used To Win The 2019 Masters

Tiger Woods won his fifth green jacket Sunday storming the leaderboard on the second-nine at Augusta National in what will go down in sports history as one of the greatest comeback stories of all-time.  The 43-year old Woods finished 13-under par for the tournament, good for a one-shot victory over Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, and Xander Schauffele. 

 

Woods 15th major championship put him just three away from Jack Nickaus' record, and gives Tiger 81 career PGA Tour victories.  Woods' 14 years between wins at Augusta is the longest gap between wins in tournament history, and Sunday marked the first time since 2005 that the Masters champion rallied from outside the top-10 in the opening round. 

Loopers: The Caddie's Long Walk Will Be Released in U.S. Studios This Summer

Narrated by comedy legend (and former caddie) Bill Murray, Loopers: The Caddie's Long Walk a is a fun and light-hearted film that uses humor and charm to finally give caddies their day in the sun.  And the film is now officially scheduled to release in U.S. studios this summer on June 7th. 

 

Centuries old and enjoyed by tens of millions of people worldwide, golf is seen by many as more than a sport.  Yet what do we really know about the men and women who carry the bags for the players?  In a narrative never before covered in any feature length documentary, Loopers explores the incredible personal bond that a golfer and a caddie develop through hours of time together. 

2019 Masters Giveaway: Titleist Masters Green Tour Rope Hats and Pro V1 & Pro V1x Golf Balls

They're as legendary as The Masters itself.  And Titleist has brought back the classic rope hats in Masters green colors that you're going to want if you're a fan of the first major of the season. 

 

But that's not all the winner will get in this giveaway.  Actually, I should say winners, there will be TWO winners in this giveaway again.  And you'll both be getting your choice of rope hats and your choice of Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf balls.  Yes, this Masters giveaway is real, and it's spectacular. 

2019 Masters Giveaway: Limited Edition Cobra PUMA Union Camo Tour Exclusive P Cap - Exactly Like Rickie Fowler Will Wear at The Masters

Who's ready for another Masters giveaway?  This one's straight fire.  I'm giving away TWO limited edition Cobra PUMA Union Camo Tour Exclusive P Caps, which are exactly like the one Rickie Fowler will wear this week at Augusta National. 

 

This giveaway will run on twitter, Instagram, and here on my blog, which means you will have three unique chances to win. 

2019 Masters Giveaway: Callaway La Jolla SL Golf Shoes - 4 Winners

We're one day away from The Masters, and this year I have some incredible prizes to give away to all of you!  I'll have at least three different giveaways across my social media platforms, and the first will be four pairs of Masters theme Callaway La Jolla SL golf shoes in an Instagram only giveaway. 

 

The La Jolla SL are incredible shoes and you can read my review on them here.  And four lucky winners will get their very own pair each day of The Masters this year. 

Aerotech SteelFiber Shafts Deliver Major Win at the ANA Inspiration

Aerotech SteelFiber graphite iron shafts chalked up another victory last week at the ANA Inspiration, as Jin Young Ko won her first major playing the new SteelFiber H-Tour 90 graphite irons shafts. 

 

Two weeks after winning the Founders Cup, the 20-year-old South Korean champion shot a 10-under-par 278 to win the LPGA's first major of the season by three strokes.  Ko is now in the hunt for Player of the Year honors, as she leads the money list and has notched five top-three finishes in just six events this year. 

USGA and R&A Issue New Local Rule Allowing Replacement of Broken or Significantly Damaged Clubs

The USGA and R&A have provided a clarification that introduces a new Local Rule, allowing players to replace a broken or significantly damaged club, except in cases of abuse. 

 

The Local Rule reverses a change that was implemented under the new Rules of Golf.  Prior to 2019, a club damaged during the normal course of play could be replaced during a round.  However, that allowance was prohibited when the new Rules went into effect on January 1st.  Players were still free to use the damaged club, but couldn't replace it. 

Callaway La Jolla SL Golf Shoes Review - Performance Driven Comfort that Lasts All Round

You already know this, but all golf shoes are not created equal.  I'm of the opinion that you're rarely going to find a golf shoe that's catastrophically bad unless it's defective.   But it's even more rare to find golf shoes that actually give you reason to pause about how great they are.  The Callaway La Jolla SL shoes fall into that latter category. 

 

Tour pros like Marc Leishman, Adam Hadwin, and Emiliano Grillo all wear Callaway shoes.  Hadwin (Mr. 59) wears the La Jolla.  These guys aren't going to slip on golf shoes that aren't 100-percent comfortable and performance driven.  And La Jolla gives you comfort and performance in spades. 

Galvin Green SHAKEDRY Limited Edition Jacket Preview - Groundbreaking Technology to Handle Any Weather

Galvin Green is introducing a limited edition streamlined GORE-TEX Shakedry rain jacket ahead of The Masters and two months before its official launch. 

 

The first super-lightweight waterproof garment of its kind, the limited edition Shakedry jacket features a green full-length zipper and will be available at selected stockists and online retailers around the world in S to XL sizes. 

Ben Hogan PTx PRO Forged Irons Preview - Classic Style Combines With Contemporary Engineering

The new Ben Hogan PTx PRO irons are an enhanced version of the company's best selling PTx iron model (which were introduced in 2016), and developed for discerning, serious golfers who demand performance. 

 

After consultation and testing with Tour players and many other accomplished golfers, Ben Hogan's engineering and product design team successfully developed a forged iron that is pure and traditional-looking on the outside, yet packed with technology on the inside. 

USGA Names Joe Montana as Honorary Ambassador of 119th U.S. Open Championship

The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced that Pro Football Hall of Famer and four-time Super Bowl champion Joe Montana as the 2019 U.S. Open Championship’s Honorary Ambassador.  The 119th U.S. Open Championship will be played June 13th to 16th at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California. 

 

"Joe Cool" Montana is one of the most iconic figures in sports, and a Bay Area legend, having spent 14 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, winning four Super Bowls, and earning Most Valuable Player honors in three of those victories. Widely regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the game, two-time NFL MVP Montana is the franchise's all-time leader in both passing yards and touchdown passes. 

Corey Conners WITB - The Golf Equipment Conners Used to Win the 2019 Valero Texas Open

Corey Conners victory today at the Valero Texas Open wasn't just a life-changing moment for a player breaking through for the first time on Tour.  Conners maiden win made him only the fifth player in the past half decade to win a PGA Tour event after winning a Monday qualifier.  To put that into perspective for you?  You have a better chance of being struck by lightning than doing what Conners did. 

 

Conners displayed incredible poise and tenacity on Sunday, overcoming four consecutive bogies to finish the front-nine, and then going on to post six birdies on the back-nine.  Conners finished with a final round 66, and 20-under overall for a 2 stroke victory over runner-up Charley Hoffman. 

Augusta National Hole No. 5 Is Hard - And It Just Got Harder

The par-4, fifth hole at Augusta National has always been one of the toughest holes on the course.  And for The Masters next week it will play tougher than ever. 

 

Dubbed Magnolia, No. 5 is a slight dogleg to the left, and has been lengthened from 455 yards to 495 yards.  Augusta National last changed this hole in 2003 when the club extended the two left fairway bunkers about 80 yards closer to the green to bring them more into play.  Now with the new tee box, a 313-yard drive will be required to carry those bunkers.