USGA Announces Tee Times for 119th U.S. Open Championship

The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced tee times for the first two rounds of the 2019 U.S. Open Championship, Thursday (June 13th) and Friday (June 14th), at 7,075-yard, par-71 Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links. 

 

The U.S. Open is a 72-hole, stroke-play competition.  A field of 156 players will play 18 holes of stroke play on June 13th and 14th, after which the field will be reduced to the low 60 scores and ties. 

Buffalo Ridge Springs at Big Cedar Lodge Named Best Public Course in Missouri by Golfweek Magazine

Buffalo Ridge Springs at Big Cedar Lodge was named "Best Course You Can Play in Missouri: in Golfweek Magazine's Best of 2019 issue.  And for the first time, the course was also ranked among the "Top Courses You Can Play in America" at No. 89. 

 

An 18-hole marvel designed by renowned course architect Tom Fazio in collaboration with Johnny Morris, a noted conservationist, Buffalo Ridge winds throughout the beautiful Missouri Ozarks landscape with brilliantly-designed holes complemented by the area's extreme natural beauty. 

Bob Vokey Introduces New 54 and 56 Degree D Grind to WedgeWorks

Based on the incredible popularity and player adoption of the Vokey SM7 D Grind (the latest addition to the Vokey grind family), Master Craftsman Bob Vokey has been experimenting with extending the D Grind into lower-lofted models. 

 

The player's high bounce wedge, the D Grind offers high measured bounce with the crescent shape of Voke's popular M Grind for shot-making versatility.  And available today on www.Vokey.com, the new WedgeWorks 54.12 D and 56.12 D models align with Bob's long-held philosophy of building a higher bounce sand wedge and mid-to-low bounce lob wedge into your setup. 

Adidas Golf TOUR360 XT Parley Preview: Limted Edition Shoes Turning Waste into Treasure

Know that expression "someone's waste is someone else's treasure?"  Well Adidas Golf has made the first ever golf shoe, the TOUR360 XT Parley, with an entire upper made from upcycled plastic waste that promises to be everyone else's treasure. 

 

The TOUR360 XT Parley uses waste that was intercepted from beaches and coastal communities before reaching the ocean, and these new shoes will be worn by select Adidas athletes in next week's U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. 

Titleist TS1 Driver Preview: Ultra-Lightweight Driver to Maximize Launch and Distance for Moderate Swing Speeds

The new ultra-lightweight Titleist TS1 driver is the fastest way for players with moderate swing speeds to experience the joy of effortless distance.  Available for fittings beginning June 20th (and in shops June 27th), the new TS1 offers the technologies developed through the Titleist Speed Project in an incredibly light 275-gram design. 

 

The weighting of TS1 has been strategically trimmed to maximize launch and distance at moderate swing speeds, while maintaining the precision fitting capabilities of Titleist's SureFit Hosel and a high MOI for stability and forgiveness. 

USGA and Deloitte Launch U.S. Open Augmented Reality App

The USGA today announced the launch of a new U.S. Open Augmented Reality (AR) App by Deloitte, designed to provide golf fans with an engaging and innovative digital experience for the 119th U.S. Open Championship at Pebble Beach Golf Links, June 10th to the 16th. 

 

Available in the Apple App and Google Play Stores, U.S. Open AR offers fans watching on-site at Pebble Beach or from elsewhere exclusive insights into player performance on the iconic 6th, 7th, and 18th holes, in 3-dimensional augmented reality.  Pebble Beach will come to life on users' mobile devices through a virtual map of the course, allowing fans to follow the action in real-time, compare player performance, and see how competitors performed on signature holes. 

Golf Pride was the Overwhelming Grip of Choice for 94-Percent of Players at the 2019 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Division I Golf Championships

Golf Pride Grips was the most used grip brand at both the 2019 NCAA Men's and Women’s Division I Championships.  By the numbers, 150 of 156 players (96-percent) competing in this year's NCAA Men's Golf Championship at Blessings Golf Course trusted their games to Golf Pride grips. 

 

The 2019 Men's NCAA Division I Individual Champion also trusted his championship quest to Golf Pride's Z-Grip cord.  At the 2019 NCAA Men's and Women's Division I Golf Championships all of Golf Pride's performance models were played with the brand's flagship model, MCC, leading as the most played grip. 

Galvin Green Reports 50-Percent Growth Rate in the U.S.

I've been telling you guys this since the PGA Merchandise Show: if you haven't checked out Galvin Green in awhile, there's no better time to do so than now.  I showed you their latest styles, and took them on course to play and review for you.  And I couldn't be more impressed with golf weather apparel.  There's simply nothing comparable to Galvin Green on the market. 

 

So it's not a surprise to me that Galvin Green 2019 sales orders are at record levels.  The company has seen orders of its distinctive range of premium performance golf clothing grow by more than 50-percent in the U.S. in recent months. 

Belvedere Golf Club Debuts on Golf Digest America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses

One of the Midwest's most revered and classic golf properties, Belvedere Golf Club in Charlevoix, MI is ranked (No. 89) for the first time ever on Golf Digest's biennial list of "America's 100 Greatest Public Courses." 

 

The honor comes two years after the classic 1925 William Watson creation underwent a caring restoration by Belvedere staff and architect Bruce Hepner, using long-lost blueprints of Watson's original design, which were discovered, serendipitously, during the demolition of a building in downtown Charlevoix in 2016. 

Jeongeun Lee6 Trusts Nippon Shaft to Win 74th U.S. Women's Open Championship

Jeongeun Lee6 trusted Nippon Shaft products in her irons and wedges to help her win the 74th U.S. Women's Open at the Country Club of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina. 

 

The 23-year-old South Korean used Nippon Shaft N.S.PRO 850GH steel shafts in her irons and N.S.PRO 950GH steel shafts in her wedges to shoot 6-under par 278 for the week with rounds of 70-69-69-70 at the stunning seaside Seth Raynor layout.  It was Lee6's first LPGA Tour victory and it came with a winner's check worth $1 million. 

Sebastian Cappelen Wins Web.com Tour Rex Hospital Open Using KBS Shafts

Another week, another KBS Golf Shafts win on a major tour.  This week Sebastian Cappelen won the Web.com Tour Rex Hospital Open using KBS shafts. 

 

Cappelen was struggling to find his game through his first 12 starts to the season, but fired off a sizzling 7-under-par final round to seal the victory at 21-under 263, the second win of his career. 

How 2019 U.S. Women's Open Champion Jeongeun Lee6 Got Her Unique Last Name

Jeongeun Lee6's first win on the LPGA Tour was a big one.  Lee6 won the 74th U.S. Women's Open at The Country Club of Charleston by two strokes over her nearest competitors, and finished 6-under par for the tournament.  And for the Korean golfer known as "Six," the win couldn't have been more on brand. 

 

Lee6 became the 19th golfer to make the U.S. Women's Open their first LPGA Tour victory, but Lee6's win did not come out of nowhere.  Lee6 has seven Korean LPGA Tour victories, and in six LPGA starts last season, she finished inside the top-20 five times (including three top-10 finishes).  But it wasn't until her major win yesterday that fans really grew curious about her name. 

Patrick Cantlay WITB What's In The Bag - The Golf Equipment Cantlay Used to Win the 2019 Memorial Tournament

Patrick Cantlay wasn't going to make the same mistake two years in a row at Muirfield Village.  At The Memorial Tournament last year Cantlay lost the lead on the back-9 on Sunday by not making a birdie on the last 10 holes. 

 

However on Sunday this year at Jack's place, Cantlay recorded four birdies on hole Nos. 10 to 15, and showed incredible closer's poise under pressure as the 27-year old returned to the winner's circle for the first time since 2017.  Cantley fired an 8-under, 64, which was the lowest final round score ever recorded by a champion, and finished two strokes ahead of runner-up Adam Scott. 

74th U.S. Women's Open Championship Recap: Round 4

Jeongeun Lee6 of the Republic of Korea broke out of a crowded leader board with three back-nine birdies and withstood some late struggles to shoot 1-under-par 70 and win the 74th U.S. Women's Open Championship on Sunday by two strokes over a trio of players at the Country Club of Charleston. 

 

Lee6, who turned 23 on Tuesday, earned $1 million in notching her first victory in the United States. The six-time winner in three seasons on the Korea LPGA Tour is in her first full-time season on the LPGA Tour, and shot 70-69-69-70 for a 6-under-par total of 278. 

74th U.S. Women's Open Championship Recap: Round 3

Celine Boutier and Yu Liu, who helped Duke University to a national title in 2014, find themselves tied for the lead and paired in the last group for Sunday's final round of the 74th U.S. Women's Open at the Country Club of Charleston. 

 

The two close friends are unexpected leaders, with Boutier missing the cut in her two previous U.S. Women's Open appearances, and Liu making her first start.  Liu matched the low round of the day on Saturday, a 5-under-par 66, and Boutier shot 69 as the duo completed 54 holes at 7-under-par 206. They lead by one stroke over Lexi Thompson, Jaye Marie Green, and Mamiko Higa of Japan, who held the solo lead through 36 holes but slipped back with an even-par 71 on Saturday. 

74th U.S. Women's Open Championship Recap: Round 2

Mamiko Higa shot a 6-under-par 65 in her first-ever U.S. Women's Open round on Thursday, and then rallied with birdies on three of her last six holes on Friday to post an even-par 71 and maintain a one-stroke lead in the weather-delayed Round 2 of the 74th U.S. Women's Open at the Country Club of Charleston. 

 

The round was suspended for nearly two hours in the late afternoon by thunderstorms, and when play was halted for the day at 8:24 p.m., Higa led Jessica Korda by one stroke.  Korda, 26, put together rounds of 69-68 to sit at 5-under 137.  Amateur Gina Kim, 19, of Chapel Hill, N.C., shot 1-over 72 on Friday for a 4-under total of 138 and sits in solo third among completed players.  And Celine Boutier, 25, of France, was also at 4 under with four holes left to play in Round 2. 

All Three Courses at Sea Pines Resort Named to Best Courses You Can Play in State by Golfweek Magazine

All three courses at The Sea Pines Resort have been named to the state list of "Best Courses You Can Play" in Golfweek magazine's annual "Ultimate Guide" that recognizes the most prestigious venues in the game. 

 

Harbour Town Golf Links is ranked No. 2 in South Carolina (and you already know how much I love this course), with Atlantic Dunes No. 8, and Heron Point No. 11.  In that order, they also were the top three courses listed on Hilton Head Island.  Golf courses must be accessible to the public to be eligible for the "Best Courses You Can Play" recognition. 

Nine Troon Courses Named to America's 100 Greatest Public Courses by Golf Digest

Nine Troon affiliated courses have been named to Golf Digest's ranking of America's 100 Greatest Public Courses.  Seven of the courses are Troon-affiliated properties and two, Gamble Sands and Tetherow, are OB Sports-managed facilities. 

 

Troon brands, including Troon Golf, Troon Prive, Troon International, Honours Golf and OB Sports, have 90-plus courses that have been or are ranked on domestic and international Top 100 rankings. 

PING Golf Signed Former World No. 1 Amateur Jennifer Kupcho

Less than two months after her impressive and historic win at the inaugural Augusta National Women's Amateur, Jennifer Kupcho, the most recent World No. 1 Female Amateur, has signed an equipment contract with PING.  Kupcho will make her debut as a PING staff pro at this week’s U.S. Women’s Open. 

 

Among her many achievements, Kupcho earned medalist honors in 2018 at the NCAA Division I Golf Championships and was the national collegiate Player of the Year.  Last summer, she was a member of the victorious U.S. Curtis Cup, Palmer Cup, and World Amateur teams. 

PUMA Golf Adds Amateur Golf Sensation Justin Suh to its World Class Roster of Athletes

PUMA Golf has added the former No. 1 Amateur in the World in 2018 and 2019 Justin Suh to its team of world-class athletes.  Per the multi-year agreement, Suh will wear PUMA Golf apparel, footwear, and headwear in all professional events in which he competes. 

 

Suh is set to make his professional debut this week at the 2019 Memorial Tournament, donning items from PUMA Golf's SS19 collection of apparel, accessories, and footwear.