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. 

Titleist CNCPT Irons Preview: Two Unprecedented Designs Engineered to be the Finest Irons You Have Ever Played

For the Titleist Golf Club R&D team, CNCPT represents a challenge to redefine what's possible.  CNCPT is about removing obstacles, and providing their Advanced Research team the freedom to pursue manufacturing and material technologies the game has never seen regardless of cost. 

 

I showed you the CNCPT iron heads back at the PGA Merchandise Show in January, and told you a little bit about them.  And now CNCPT is a reality. 

GolfLogix Introduces Putt Line, the Only On-Course App Feature that Shows the Exact Line of Your Putt to the Hole

GolfLogix is a complete game improvement app with the most downloads in golf, and has now launched it's exciting, all-new Putt Line feature.  The long-anticipated update to the innovative app shows the exact read for distance and line, and takes the guesswork out of exactly how and where to aim your putts. 

 

GolfLogix is the only on-course app that shows you the exact line of your putt to the hole, along with break, change in elevation, and the speed of the green. 

Callaway Apparel Welcomes 15 New Brand Ambassadors For 2019

Callaway Apparel welcomed 15 new brand ambassadors today, joining current staffers Talor Gooch, British Open winner Georgia Hall, two time U.S. Open winner Lee Janzen, Pablo Larrazabel, and Renato Paratore. 

 

"We are thrilled to have this group of talented athletes join Callaway Apparel as brand ambassadors," said Tim Reed, SVP of Global Sports Marketing at Callaway Golf.  "This dynamic group is a perfect combination of established veterans and young stars on the rise and we look forward to supporting them as they perform on golf’s biggest stages." 

2019 Valero Texas Open: Inside the Course (Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio Review)

The PGA Tour is back in the Lone Star state this week for the Valero Texas Open, the third oldest event on the PGA Tour dating back 95 years to 1922.  It's currently played on the 7,435 yard, par-72 Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio, which was designed by Greg Norman with Masters champion Sergio Garcia serving as consultant. 

 

Since the Oaks Course debuted in 2010 as the tournament venue, it]s constantly ranked as one of the toughest courses on the PGA Tour schedule.  Narrow fairways lined with oak and mesquite trees, 54 bunkers (some of them more than 12-feet deep), and difficult-to-hold, raised greens with menacing undulations and run-off areas are the primary defenses.  The rough is generally short, but miss the first two cuts and knee-level native grass can be maddening.  When the south Texas winds kick up, anyone’s round can be ruined. 

5 Things to Know about the 2019 Valero Texas Open

The PGA Tour rides into San Antonio this week for the Valero Texas Open in what will also be the final tune-up for players before The Masters.  Valero is the third oldest on Tour dating back to 1922, and boasts a list of champions filled with iconic names like Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, and Sam Snead. 

 

A star-studded field of 156 players will take on the par-72, 7,435 yard TPC San Antonio AT&T Oaks course that has ranked inside the top-10 most difficult courses on Tour five times since moving here in 2010.  Characterized by very steep and penalizing bunkers, complex greens, and narrow, tree-lined fairways, the Oaks course is one of the toughest tests players will face all season. 

Nippon Golf Shafts Win WGC Dell Technologies Match Play for Second PGA Tour Victory in a Row

Nippon Shaft won its second consecutive PGA Tour event on Sunday when 35-year-old Kevin Kisner won the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play with a 3 and 2 victory over Matt Kuchar (the current No. 1 player in the FedExCup standings). 

 

It was Kisner's third and most prestigious Tour victory, and he put on a ball striking clinic with his irons and in the short game.  Kisner trusted Nippon Shaft N.S. PRO MODUS 3 Tour 120 TX flex steel shafts in his irons and N.S. PRO MODUS 3 Wedge 125 steel shafts in his wedges. 

Rickie Fowler, Bryson DeChambeau, and Gary Woodland Head to The Masters Decked Out in PUMA Union Camo Gear

When it comes to the first major of the year, Rickie Fowler, Bryson DeChambeau and Gary Woodland will be dressed to the nines each day in apparel from PUMA Golf's Spring Summer 2019 Collection, including the new Union Camo gear inspired by The Masters. 

 

PUMA's exclusive Union Camo design layers the shapes of the United States and the state of Georgia to form its camouflage pattern that is sure to stand out. 

Cobra Golf Special Edition Camo KING F9 SPEEDBACK Driver Preview - A Nod to The Year's First Major

Cobra Golf is celebrating the first major of the year with a one-of-a-kind KING F9 SPEEDBACK Special Edition Camo Driver that matches the apparel script and custom Cobra x Vessel bag Rickie Fowler will don at Augusta National next week for The Masters. 

 

This custom camo pattern blends the outlines of the United States and state of Georgia in a layered design for a sophisticated, fresh look on the course.  Packed full of technology, the KING F9 SPEEDBACK Camo driver delivers the perfect combination of performance, sound, and feel with a cool, camo look. 

Under Armour Unveils Jordan Spieth 2019 Masters Scripting and Limited Edition Spieth 3 Golf Shoes

The Masters is less than one week away, and Under Armour is making sure it does everything it can to help Jordan Spieth in pursuit of a second green jacket.  Spieth will be wearing one of Under Armour’s most innovative technologies, Under Armour Vanish. 

 

The material in Vanish is powered by the latest micro-thread technology that removes moisture almost instantly, and will allow Spieth to remain focused and visualize his next shot.  It's become Spieth's favorite polo. 

Vanish is also soft and flexible (but without spandex), and allows for seamless motion for any type of swing in any condition (like the 30-foot birdie putt on No. 16 during Spieth's furious 2018 comeback, and the perfect flop shot on No. 18 to save par on the way to his legendary win in 2015. 

Titleist TS4 Driver Preview - Ultra Low-Spin Matched With Proven Titleist Speed

Titleist is releasing a new TS4 driver that will provide golfers with an ultra-low spin performance to go along with the proven speed and distance gains that have made the TS2 and TS3 drivers the most played player models this season on the PGA Tour. 

 

The TS4 will debut this week at the Valero Texas Open, and is engineered to be a high-speed ultra low-spin design that challenges the notion that a driver designed for extreme spin reduction can't produce this level of ball speed. 

Adidas Golf Limited Edition Crossknit 3.0 Golf Shoes Preview - Inspired by Augusta National Georgia Peach Ice Cream Sandwich

Some major championships are worth melting for.  And so Adidas Golf is releasing limited edition Crossknit 3.0 golf shoes, inspired by the Georgia Peach Ice Cream Sandwich that patrons of Augusta National enjoy inside the gates off Magnolia Lane during The Masters.  Luckily after fans unwrap these they won’t melt in your hands. 

 

Just like the cookies on the outside of the sandwich, the rubber outsole and BOOST midsole take on a distinct sugar cookie-like colorway, representing the cookie crust of the ice cream sandwich.  It wouldn't be an ice cream sandwich without these sugar cookies, just as the  Crossknit 3.0 wouldn’t be the same without the renown BOOST cushioning system that offers endless energy return. 

Aldila Golf Shaft Tour Cap Giveaway - Celebrating the Kevin Kisner Win at the WGC Dell Match Play

Kevin Kisner won the WGC Dell Technology Match Play last week with some precision driving, deadly iron play, and clutch putting.  Kisner's win at Austin Country Club was the third Tour win of his career, and by far the biggest. 

 

Kisner used an Aldila Golf NV 2KXV Green shaft in his Callaway driver and was almost automatic finding fairways.  Kisner is not a bomber off the tee, but he's extremely accurate.  And Kisner's trademark low draw will hold up under any kind of pressure, especially when you need to attack (which is a big deal in match play and major championships). 

Graeme McDowell WITB What's In The Bag - The Golf Equipment McDowell Used to Win the 2019 Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship

Graeme McDowell rekindled some of his old magic in the Dominican Republic this week to win the Corales Puntacana Club & Resort Championship on Sunday by one stroke for his first PGA Tour title since 2015.  McDowell finished 18-under, 270 for the tournament, and closed with a 3-under 69 on the final round. 

 

McDowell was surgical with his Srixon driver, averaging 286 yards off the tee and hitting more than 85-percent of the fairways.  The 39-year old former U.S. Open champion was also masterful with his Srixon irons, hitting more than 77-percent of the greens in regulation.  And McDowell led the field in Putts-Per-Green-In-Regulation using the same Odyssey putter he won the U.S. Open with in 2010. 

Kevin Kisner WITB What's In The Bag - The Golf Equipment Kisner Used to Win the 2019 WGC Dell Technologies Match Play

After reaching the championship match at the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play for the second year in a row, Kevin Kisner found redemption on Sunday and won his first WGC championship by defeating Matt Kuchar 3-and-2. 

 

Kisner lost to Bubba Watson in the championship round last year, and has proven to be an outstanding match play player.  Over the last two WGC Match Play events, Kisner defeated heavyweight players like Kuchar (twice), Dustin Johnson, Francesco Molinari, and Ian Poulter.  The win was Kisner's third PGA Tour title, and by far his biggest. 

Cobra Golf KING MIM Wedges Preview - A New Standard in Precision and Feel

Cobra Golf's new KING MIM wedges are unlike any wedge you've ever seen or played before.  That's because Cobra's MIM wedges are the first in the industry to ever be made from 304 stainless steel with MIM (metal injection molding) creating the entire head from a CAD file. 

 

Some will say this is just a fancy way of saying the club is cast, but nothing could be further from the truth.  The MIM delivers all the benefits and properties of a forging, but at the cost of a casting.  And MIM represents a significant advantage in wedge manufacturing by delivering the most precise shape possible for exceptional feel and turf interaction in every single MIM wedge manufactured. 

PUMA Golf Union Camo Collection Preview - Camo that Doesn't Blend In

PUMA Golf released a unique Union Camo Collection today that Rickie Fowler will wear at The Masters later next month.  The Union Camo Collection layers shapes of the United States with the state of Georgia and is sure to stand out. 

 

Available in men's and youth sizing, the Union Camo Collection focuses on heathered textures and blocky lines to create a fashion-forward yet refined look, inspired by the memorable location of the year's first major. 

Swing Caddie SC300 Launch Monitor Preview - The Next Best Thing to Having Your Own Professional Swing Coach

The Swing Caddie SC200 portable launch monitor was a bestselling training aid last year, providing affordable access to swing data for golfers of all levels.  And now Voice Caddie is making things even better and more informative with the newest generation SC300. 

 

I showed you the SC300 back at the PGA Show, and told you why I thought Swing Caddie absolutely nailed it with this model.  Whether you use it indoors or outdoors, the new SC300 will let you evaluate your swing in more ways than ever before.