Arnold Palmer Invitational: Inside the Course (Bay Hill Club and Lodge Championship Course)

Arnold Palmer transcended the game, and along the way won the hearts and minds of millions of people with his own swashbuckling, daring style of cool.  So it's fitting that whoever hoists the hardware this Sunday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational will likely have to play with that same kind of Palmer fearlessness.  Twelve of the last 14 winners at Bay Hill and Lodge have won by only two strokes or less. 

 

Bay Hill's Championship Course is a go-for-broke, par-72, 7,419 yard layout with more than 150 acres of thick rough that can grow up to four inches tall. Fairway bunkers extend out far enough so that big hitters can’t bomb it off the tee with impunity.  While greenside bunkers and run-off areas closely guard the small, firm greens, putting a nostalgic premium on short-game strategy and finesse shots. 

Francesco Molinari Signs Equipment Deal with Callaway Golf - Will Play Full Bag of Callaway Clubs and Golf Ball

Reigning Champion Golfer of the Year Francesco Molinari has joined the Callaway Golf Tour Staff and will play Callaway woods, irons, wedges, an Odyssey Putter, a Chrome Soft Golf Ball, and use a Callaway Staff Bag beginning this week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. 

 

Molinari has used Callaway clubs this season, but this week at Bay Hill marks his official debut as a Callaway staffer.  The deal will have Molinari (the No. 10 ranked Player in the World) playing all 14 Callaway clubs in his bag. 

Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company Equalizer BLACK Wedges Preview - Expanded Line Includes Additional Lofts and Finishes

Nearly one year after the successful launch of the Equalizer wedge line, Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company has introduced a full-line of Equalizer BLACK wedges that includes more loft options and finishes than ever before. 

 

Named after the legendary Ben Hogan's famed "secret weapon, " the Equalizer BLACK wedges were initially introduced as a limited-edition set in late 2018.  Using a Diamond Black Metal proprietary finish (like on the Ft. Worth BLACK irons), these wedges offer reduced glare and better contrast with the ball.  And unlike dark, painted finishes offered by other club manufacturers, the Diamond Black Finish is up to seven times more durable than nickel chrome. 

Aerotech SteelFiber Shafts Continue Dominating on Professional Tours

SteelFiber graphite iron shafts landed first and second place finishes at the Cologuard Classic on the Champions Tour last week, as well as second and third place finishes at the HSBC Women’s World Championship on the LPGA Tour, continuing Aerotech's global dominance on professional tours this season. 

 

Marc O'Meara used SteelFiber i110 shafts in his irons at the Cologuard Classic and hit almost 75-percent of the greens in regulation for the week en route to a 17-under, 202 for the tournament.  The two-time major champion recorded eight birdies in the final round, good for a four-shot victory. 

Keith Mitchell WITB What's In The Bag - The Golf Equipment Mitchell Used to Win The Honda Classic

Kevin Mitchell held off Rickie Fowler and Brooks Koepka on Sunday at The Honda Classic to grab his first career PGA Tour victory.  Mitchell birdied holes 12, 13, and 15 to charge up the leaderboard filled with superstars and major champions, before dropping in a walk-off 15 footer on the 18th for birdie to secure his one-shot win. 

 

The second year pro began the day with back-to-back bogeys on the tough PGA National Champions Course, and as many as six players shared the lead on the back-nine.  But Mitchell roared back with four birdies in the last seven holes (for a final round 67) and finished nine-under, 271 overall for the tournament. 

Rickie Fowler and Cobra PUMA Golf Honor the Legendary Arnold Palmer with Iconic Limited Edition Bag, Shoes, and Gear at the 2019 Arnold Palmer Invitational

In a tribute to Arnold Palmer, Rickie Fowler will once again head to Bay Hill for the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, with special plans to pay tribute to The King. 

 

Throughout the week, Fowler will sport a custom PUMA Arnold Palmer P Cap, Limited Edition IGNITE PROADAPT footwear, and carry a custom COBRA x Vessel Stand Bag, all sporting the iconic Umbrella Logo, designed to honor the life and career of golf's most beloved figure. 

On the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, the 19th Hole has Become a State-of-the-Art Mobile Fitness Center

Being a professional golfer has some pretty awesome perks.  From the free equipment, courtesy cars, and all you can eat food to chartered travel and complimentary dry cleaning, the players are definitely taken care of. 

 

And this week the PGA Tour unveiled two new state-of-the-art mobile fitness centers at The Honda Classic that will travel the Tour and Champions Tour throughout the season, pretty much bringing fitness training to an entirely new level of spectacular. 

Under Armour HOVR Drive Golf Shoes Preview - Full Round Comfort and Responsiveness

Sometimes when a golf shoe focuses on comfort or softness, it loses responsiveness.  Think of walking in the sand on the beach for example.  Extremely soft and comfortable, but you don't really have much feel.  And too many golf shoes on the market today unfortunately sacrifice feel as a trade-off for giving you comfort. 

 

Enter the new Under Armour's HOVR Drive golf shoes.  Delivering both total comfort and powerful energy transfer, the new HOVR Drive shoes are a standout option for golfers who demand lightweight flexibility and full-round comfort and support.  Under Armour is basically saying you can finally have your cake and eat it too. 

Reinventing Brooks Koepka - Why the Two-Time U.S. Open Champion is About to Get (More) Real?

Did you see Brooks Koepka talk with the media today at The Honda Classic?  Because if you did, you witnessed ground zero of the reinvention of the back-to-back U.S. Open champion.  And quite frankly, it was absolutely genius. 

 

The 28-year old former World No. 1 player has already made his share of headlines early this season.  Last month Koepka indirectly called out Bryson DeChambeau for his "embarrassing" slow play at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. 

PUMA Ignite Proadapt Golf Shoes Preview - Adapt or Get Left Behind

If you liked the shoes Rickie Fowler was wearing when he won the Waste Management Phoenix Open last month, PUMA Golf has some good news for you.  Their new Ignite Proadapt shoes, featuring Tour-proven stability, unparalleled traction, and extreme comfort will be available to all of us later next month. 

 

Fowler provided ideas and feedback to the PUMA team as they designed this new full-grain leather upper shoe that utilizes an outsole with Dual-Durometer Tornado Cleats for excellent traction, along with torsional stability provided from the full length Proadapt TPU outsole. 

The Honda Classic: Inside the Course (PGA National Resort & Spa - The Champion Course)

Angled greens, savage winds, and devastating bodies of water greet the best players in the world this week as the PGA Tour heads east for the Honda Classic at PGA National Resort and Spa.  Justin Thomas returns to defend his title against a field that includes 2017 champion Rickie Fowler, 2016 champion Adam Scott, 2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia, and 2018 U.S. Open and PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka. 

 

Quality ball striking will be key to success for the eventual champion, as The Champion Course is known for penal rough, demanding par-4s, and one of the toughest closing stretches in all of golf.  Hole nos. 15 to 17 - collectively known as "the Bear Trap" will take center stage again this week, and for good reason. 

Adidas 2019 Forgefiber BOA Golf Shoes Preview: Precise Fit with a Twist

Adidas is releasing a new line of Forgefiber BOA golf shoes that feature their innovative Forgefiber technology for the first time in golf footwear.  Forgefiber uses TPU-coated yarn that's stitched at various angles and layers for precise fit and improved stability in a lightweight golf shoe. 

 

Beyond just the distinctive stitching process, TPU yarns are also compressed and heated, which melt the yarns into the textile upper of the shoe creating more natural support.  Adidas tested the locations of the shoe where golfers would need the most stability, and strategically targeted those areas with this advanced stitching construction. 

Martin Trainer WITB What's In The Bag - The Golf Equipment Trainer Used To Win The Puerto Rico Open

Martin Trainer was an unexpected winner at the Puerto Rico Open today, when he won for the first time on Tour in just his ninth career start.  Prior to his 3 shot victory, Trainer missed the cut in five of his previous eight starts, and in two others finished T-60 and T-73. 

 

But Trainer proved that with patience and determination, even a player of virtual obscurity can breakthrough, and now his confidence is at an all-time high. 

Dustin Johnson WITB What's In The Bag - The Golf Equipment DJ Used to Win the WGC-Mexico Championship

There might not be a player on the PGA Tour, or maybe even on the planet who's more unbeatable than Dustin Johnson when he's firing on all cylinders.  Johnson absolutely dominated the best field so far this season, running away with the WGC-Mexico Championship firing a final round 5-under, 66, for a total of 21-under par.  DJ finished five shots ahead of runner-up Rory McIlroy, and a full 10 shots clear of a group of players tied for third. 

 

Johnson's milestone victory in Mexico was his second WGC-Mexico title in three years, and 20th victory in his career.  It took Johnson 246 starts to become the 38th player in history to reach 20 wins (which is good for a lifetime exemption on Tour).  By comparison to the all-time greats, Tiger Woods and Sam Snead both won number 20 in their 95th start.  Jack Nicklaus won his 20th in start number 115.  And Phil Mickelson won number 20 in his 231st start. 

Latest Backstopping Controversy Proves Golf Twitter Loves to Argue about Anything and Everything

I love golf twitter, I really do.  There are times when you won't laugh harder anywhere else on social media.  A lot of you are quick-witted, imaginative, and brilliantly perceptive. 

 

Then there are other times when a herd mentality takes over like it did today with the latest backstopping accusation directed at Ariya Jutanugarn and Amy Olson on the 18th green at the Honda LPGA Thailand.  It's not surprising because drama and controversy is always more entertaining than common sense.  But it is disappointing. 

Miura Golf Locks in Abraham Ancer as its First PGA Tour Ambassador

Miura Golf today introduced Mexico's Abraham Ancer as the first PGA Tour Ambassador in the legendary brand's history.  In conjunction with this unique partnership with Miura, Ancer has joined with two prominent entrepreneurs to form Dead Solid Perfect (DSP) Golf Mexico, which will become the official distributor of Miura Golf in Mexico. 

 

Ancer and Miura launch their new relationship as the PGA Tour arrives in Ancer's home country today for the WGC-Mexico Championship at Club de Golf Chapultepec.  Ancer's ascension up the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and his use of Miura clubs is not a coincidence. Before switching to Miura in 2017 Ancer was ranked 727th in the World.  Today, he's ranked 61st. 

Galvin Green 2019 Part One Collection Preview: Leading the Way in State of the Art Golf Apparel

For the start of the 2019 season Galvin Green has launched its most advanced collection of technical clothing with an incredible 368 ground-breaking garments and matching accessories. 

 

You're definitely going to find something in this collection to ensure you're always prepared to play your best, whatever kind of weather you might face.  The 2019 Part One collection features greater breathability, stretch properties, moisture transportation, thermal insulation, and ultraviolet protection than ever before. 

Nelly Korda and Aerotech SteelFiber Win the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open

Nelly Korda won the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open last weekend by holding off hard-charging defending champion Jin Young Ko for her second career LPGA Tour victory.  The 20-year old champion shot an impressive 5-under, 67 at the Grange Golf Club, and using Aerotech SteelFiber i80 graphite shafts in her irons put on a ball-striking clinic.  Korda hit 15 of 18 greens in the final round, and finished with a 17-under total of 271. 

 

Despite not being able to repeat as champion, Ko shot the low score of the round at 8-under, 64, and also trusted Aerotech SteelFiber shafts in her irons.  Ko scorched the greens, hitting 17 of 18 greens in regulation.  Ko's shafts are SteelFiber prototypes exclusive to the Asian market. 

5 Things to Know about the 2019 WGC-Mexico Championship at Club De Golf Chapultepec

The WGC-Mexico Championship is the 16th event on the PGA Tour's 2018-19 schedule with 46 official events, and 11 of the last 12 winners of this tournament have advanced to the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta.  Eight of the top-10 players in the FedExCup standings are scheduled to compete including Xander Schauffele, Matt Kuchar, Justin Thomas, Phil Mickelson, and Bryson DeChambeau.  And Tiger Woods will be making his first-ever start in Mexico. 

 

Last year, Mickelson forced a playoff after firing a final-round, 5-under, 66 to match Justin Thomas (already in the clubhouse).  Mickelson won the sudden-death on the first hole with a two-putt par when Thomas failed to get up-and-down from behind the green at the par-3, 17th hole.  Lefty's 43rd victory came in his 578th career start at the age of 47 years, 5 months, and 12 days, making him the oldest winner of a World Golf Championships event.  Here are five things you need to know about this year's WGC-Mexico Championship. 

Galvin Green and the Evolution of Golf Clothing: Game Changing Technology for the Serious Golfer

When Galvin Green decided to concentrate exclusively on the game of golf in the 1990s, they were about to start a revolution that would completely change the way golfers view their golf clothing.  The golf apparel market was vastly different than it is today, and waterproofs were heavy, unwieldy rain suits that restricted your swing, came in just a few uninspiring colors (mostly black and navy), and didn’t always keep out the rain. 

 

Company founder Tomas Nilsson and chief designer Mats Lundqvist recognized this gap in the market for a new and better type of waterproof clothing, and in 1992 Galvin Green introduced garments in bold new colors that used the best waterproof technology and famous GORE-TEX laminate.  

Since this quantum leap in wet-weather apparel, Galvin Green has pioneered many of the fabric advances and design features that give today's serious golfers absolute confidence to handle any weather conditions on any course in the world.