120th U.S. Open Championship at Winged Foot Golf Club (West Course): Facts, Figures, and History

We're only hours from U.S. Open week kicking off at Winged Foot for the 120th U.S. Open Championship, and for those of you who can't ever get enough U.S. Open you've come to the right place.

You'll find facts and figures about this year's major championship, as well as a rich history of this storied major championship, and even a broadcast schedule so you won't miss a single shot from Mamaroneck next week.  The conditions will be punishing.  The drama will be intense.  The quest for greatness begins tomorrow.  Are you ready?

USGA and Deloitte Launch 2020 U.S. Open Augmented Reality App

The USGA today announced the launch of a newly enhanced U.S. Open Augmented Reality (AR) App by Deloitte, designed to provide golf fans with an engaging and innovative at-home experience for the 120th U.S. Open Championship, to be played Sept. 14-20 at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y.

Available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, the U.S. Open AR App offers fans a variety of ways to follow the action at this year’s championship in augmented reality. Winged Foot, which is hosting the championship for the sixth time, will come to life on users’ mobile and tablet devices, allowing fans to follow the action in near real-time with three-dimensional views of all 18 holes. Fans will be able to locate players and watch them play their shots, view how their favorite golfers performed in previous rounds and compare players’ shots, all in augmented reality.

Titleist Introduces Scotty Cameron Inspired by Justin Thomas Putter

 Scotty Cameron is celebrating the long-running success of Titleist Brand Ambassador Justin Thomas with the introduction of the new Inspired by Justin Thomas Phantom X5.5 putter.

Available Sept. 22 worldwide in select Titleist golf shops, the limited-release model is designed to the specifications of the trusted gamer that Thomas has used in capturing 12 of his 13 PGA Tour titles – including the 2017 PGA Championship – and most recently, the 2020 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. Scotty has created exactly 2,020 Inspired by Justin Thomas putters for worldwide distribution.

Duca del Cosma Adds Style and Color for the Fall

 Italian golf fashion brand Duca del Cosma is introducing more leisure styles and color onto the golf shoe market this Fall with its range of premium footwear aimed at golfers looking for something different in terms of performance and comfort. 

The latest range features fashionable animal prints and patterns on leather shoes designed to brighten any fairway and set the brand apart from more conventional rivals. There are also lifestyle models in bold Gold and Silver colorways that deliver a strong fashion statement as well as comfort and support.

83-Percent of Field Including all Top 10 Finishers Trust Golf Pride In Final Round of FedEx Playoffs at East Lake

Golf Pride®, a division of power management company Eaton and an industry leader in grip innovation, today announced that it was the leading grip brand in play during the final round of the 2020 FedEx Cup Playoffs, with 83% of the 30-player field trusting Golf Pride grips.

Every player that finished in the Top 10 chose Golf Pride, with the winner’s grip of choice, the Golf Pride Tour Velvet. The victory marked the second win of the 2020 FedEx Cup for the Tour Velvet, and Golf Pride grips were chosen by the winners of all 3 playoff events. East Lake marks the 6th consecutive FedEx Playoff win by a player trusting Golf Pride and the second consecutive FedEx Cup Championship for the Tour Velvet family of grips. Since the inception of the FedEx Cup, Golf Pride has been chosen by 12 of its 14 Champions.

Cobra Golf Forged Tec ONE Irons Review

The new Cobra Forged Tec ONE irons have been some of my favorite clubs of any kind I've played and tested this season.  I reviewed them for you guys on twitter and Instagram throughout the season, and decided to hit on some key points here so you have all my impressions in one place.  Suffice to say, Cobra has never done ONE length better.

Forged Tec ONE have almost a blade like appearance, with a thinner top and narrower sole than F9 ONE.  Not a pure blade look for sure, but definitely the cleanest, most compact ONE length irons Cobra has made to date (not chunky looking at address).

Galvin Green Dolph Full Zip Golf Hoodie Review

Fall is right around the corner, which means so are the cooler temperatures.  

And if you're looking for a warm layer piece to wear on the course, or even just to walk your pooch, the Galvin Green Dolph full-zip hoodie is the best of it's kind I've ever worn.

FootJoy DryJoys Select LS Jacket and Pants Review

The new FootJoy Dry Select LS jacket and pants deliver five-star rain and wind performance.

I've worn these multiple times now, and a few times it rained for two straight hours, winds gusting upwards of 15 mph, and stayed completely dry and comfortable each and every time.

USGA Announces Five U.S. Open Championships at Pinehurst No. 2, Plans for Golf House Pinehurst, and Strategic Shift for Future U.S. Open Venues

In an effort to expand its impact in golf and extend its mission to champion and advance the game, the USGA will establish “Golf House Pinehurst” in North Carolina, to include a new equipment-testing facility, innovation hub, museum/visitor center and offices by 2023, and host five U.S. Open Championships in the golf-rich state by 2047.

The announcement adds four U.S. Open Championships to be contested on the famed Pinehurst No. 2 course – in 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047 – to the already scheduled 2024 event. The decision accelerates the USGA’s strategy to stage its premier golf championship at America’s most iconic venues with greater frequency. By doing so, Pinehurst Resort & Country Club will serve as the USGA’s first anchor site for the U.S. Open.

Scotty Cameron Special Select Squareback 2 Putter Review

The new Scotty Cameron Special Select Squareback 2 gives you an ideal blend of feel and forgiveness on putts from any distance.

‪I tested this hitting multiple putts from various distances and performance is off the charts.

Cleveland Golf RTX ZipCore Wedges Review

When you already design some of the best wedges in golf, there isn’t much room for creativity.  But Cleveland has succeeded in making the new RTX ZipCore their best performing wedges to date.

 

‪ZipCore have slightly less offset, and a more rounded lead edge than RTX 4.  Full and half swings came out lower, but stopped just as fast if not faster.  Shots from tight lies felt equally crisp.

New Titleist Drivers to Debut on PGA and European Tours

This week at both the PGA Tour’s Safeway Open and European Tour’s Portugal Masters, tour players will get their first opportunity to put the new Titleist TSi drivers in competition.

The tour debut of the new TSi drivers – in advance of next week’s U.S. Open Championship at Winged Foot – marks the start of Titleist’s tour seeding and validation process. Gathering feedback from the game’s best players throughout the R&D process and then earning their final validation are critical elements in the development of all high-performance Titleist golf equipment.

Titleist Golf Ball Fitting Experts Now Available For Virtual Consultations

 Golfers trying to find the best golf ball for their game can begin the fitting process by booking a one-on-one video call with an expert Titleist golf ball fitter.

Titleist Virtual Golf Ball Consultations – now available Monday-Friday through the Golf Ball Fitting page on Titleist.com – allow golfers who aren’t able to attend an in-person Titleist Golf Ball Fitting event the opportunity to speak directly to one of the same fitters they would meet on site.

Sea Pines Resort Offering Best Values of the Season with Great Coastal Getaway Packages

In an island destination that offers an abundance of outdoor, fresh air activities, The Sea Pines Resort is offering its best values of the season, during the most favorable weather of the year.  The Sea Pines Resort’s Getaway Package wraps together great lodging and access to the many activities for which Hilton Head Island is famous.

The Getaway Package (available now through February 27, 2021) includes activities options from tennis to biking, golf for all ages, dinners, and food discounts, as well as a family portrait session on the beach.

Streamsong Resort to Re-Open Blue and Red Courses October 1 with Revolutionary New Mach 1 Greens

Streamsong Resort is proud to announce the reopening of Streamsong Blue and Streamsong Red on October 1. Both courses have been closed for play as they undergo regrassing with a revolutionary new ultradwarf bermudagrass, Mach 1. Once complete, Streamsong will become the first golf destination in the world to showcase Mach 1 on a 36-hole layout. The two courses will re-join Streamsong Black, which has remained open and available to the public during this time.

Mach 1 was developed by renowned golf course superintendent Rodney Lingle and is distributed by Modern Turf. It has been recognized as one of the cleanest and purest turfs in the industry with a super fine texture and smoothness that creates a high-quality putting surface. Through extensive testing, Mach 1 has been proven to provide smoother ball roll, more uniformed growth patterns in warm weather climates and more stability and longevity. It is a genetically strong, high-end performing turfgrass that is both heat and drought tolerant, which is ideal for Florida’s seasonal environment.

PGA Tour Announces 2020-2021 Super Season Schedule Featuring 50 Tournaments

The PGA TOUR 2020-21 Season kicks off this week, featuring 50 official FedExCup tournaments – including 14 tournaments that were postponed or canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic – culminating with the crowning of the FedExCup champion Labor Day weekend in 2021.

The schedule, which reflects a net increase of one tournament over the original 2019-20 schedule, features the most tournaments in a season since 1975 (51). Three events postponed in 2020 – U.S. Open, Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship and Masters Tournament – will be played in the fall portion of the 2020-21 season and again in their traditional dates during the 2021 calendar year, along with 11 tournaments that were canceled and not rescheduled as a result of the pandemic, including THE PLAYERS Championship. In addition, with the postponement of the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020, the men’s Olympic Golf competition will take place July 26-August 1, 2021, as a standalone event for the first time.

Mitsubishi and Aldila Continue Dominant Run on PGA and European Tours

Mitsubishi and Aldila Golf shafts have a fever.  And the only prescription is more trophies.

Jon Rahm won the BMW Championship today last week using an Aldila Tour Green 75 shaft in his Taylormade driver, and an Aldila Tour Green 85 in his Taylormade 3 wood. Rahm averaged over 313 yards off the tee at difficult Olympia Fields, while also hitting almost 79-percent of the fairways. 

Srixon Introduces the Latest Soft Feel Golf Balls

SRIXON®, a global leader in golf ball performance, announces the launch of the next generation of SOFT FEEL and SOFT FEEL LADY golf balls. Building upon Srixon’s continued success in the golf ball market – with more than 30% growth in market share year-to-date versus last year* – the new SOFT FEEL and SOFT FEEL LADY golf balls are now available in North America.

“This is our 12th generation SOFT FEEL golf ball, putting us at the forefront of the low-compression distance ball category,” said Brian Schielke, Marketing Director at Srixon. “With this new model, we’re excited to give golfers our longest SOFT FEEL to date, in a ball that maintains the signature feel golfers expect from a SOFT FEEL.” 

6 Players Added to 120th U.S. Open Championship Field at Winged Foot Golf Club

The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced that 16 additional players have earned exemptions into the 120th U.S. Open Championship, which will be contested at Winged Foot Golf Club (West Course), in Mamaroneck, N.Y., on Sept. 17-20, 2020. The 144-player field for the championship will be entirely made up of exempt players due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Five players earned entry based on the three-event 2020 Korn Ferry Tour Series, which began with the Albertsons Boise Open and ended with the Tour Championship on Aug. 30. Exemptions also went to 11 players, who were not otherwise exempt, based on Week 34 of the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), as of Aug. 23. 

83-Percent of Players at the BMW Championship Trusted Golf Pride Grips in Second Round of FedExCup Playoffs

Golf Pride®, a division of power management company Eaton and an industry leader in grip innovation, today announced that it was the leading grip brand in play during the second round of the 2020 FedEx Cup Playoffs, with 83% of the 69-player field trusting Golf Pride grips.

8 players who finished in the Top 10 chose Golf Pride swing grips at Olympian Fields, including both the Champion and sudden death playoff runner-up. In addition, 8 of the top 10 seeded players at the upcoming 3rd and final round – The Tour Championship at East Lake – will trust Golf Pride as they vie for the coveted FedEx Cup. The winner’s grip of choice at the BMW Championship was the Golf Pride MCC and the victory marks the 5th of his career.  Players trusting Golf Pride have now won 5 FedEx Playoff events in a row, dating back to last year – 2 wins for the Golf Pride MCC and 3 wins for the Tour Velvet family.