Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Alternates Kittleson, Stoltz Among Semifinalists in Birmingham

Seven days ago, Drew Stoltz was preparing to fly to the PGA Championship in Tulsa, Okla., to host his SiriusXM Radio show, and Drew Kittleson was scheduled to be in Austin, Texas, for business. But one phone call from the USGA changed their itineraries, and on Wednesday, their lives could significantly change as well.

The two last-minute alternates from Scottsdale, Ariz., have taken full advantage of their unexpected entry in the 7th U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship at the Country Club of Birmingham. Kittleson, 33, and Stoltz, 37, won two more matches Tuesday on the West Course, including a dramatic 1-up quarterfinal win over co-medalists and top seeds Torey Edwards and Bret Parker, to put them two wins away from a national championship.

Duca del Cosma Partners with PGA Magazine

Award-winning Italian lifestyle brand, and golf footwear trendsetter, Duca del Cosma, has been designated by PGA Magazine as its Golf Shop Owners exclusive footwear company.

“We are thrilled with this appointment. Duca del Cosma is relatively new in North America, and to have partnered with PGA Magazine is an honour. Their influence with the PGA Golf Shop Owners, PGA Professionals, PGA Assistants, Buyers, and Merchandisers is vast. We intend to engage with these influential professionals weekly and monthly,” said Evelien Lauwers, Managing Director North America for Duca del Cosma. “This is a terrific opportunity.”

Golf Central Live from the PGA Championship at Southern Hills - 30+ Hours of Coverage

GOLF Channel will surround the 104th PGA Championship with more than 30 hours of studio coverage this week on GOLF Central Live From the PGA Championship on-site from Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla.

GOLF Central Live From the PGA Championship will provide comprehensive pre-Championship coverage Monday-Wednesday, followed by post-round analysis and insights each night on GOLF Channel following the conclusion of play.

Club Champion Continues Expansion with New Facilities and HQ Additions

The growth is continuing for at least one golf retailer in 2022 — Club Champion is seeing record expansion in every category, both domestically and internationally. In just under five months, the globe’s top custom club fitter has created a new base of operations in Arizona, expanded its Illinois build facility and headquarters, acquired three international partners, and hired new corporate leadership.

Nearing its twelfth year of business, Club Champion is recognized as the top custom club fitter in the USA and has recently expanded beyond domestic borders to claim the title worldwide. The brand offers Tour-quality club fittings and custom-built clubs for every level of golfer. Each state-of-the-art fitting studio houses over 50,000 hittable head and shaft combinations from over 60 golf manufacturers, alongside the best technology and talent the industry has to offer. Club Champion’s brand-agnostic approach has propelled them from a regional business to an award-winning international chain on an unprecedented growth trajectory.

Monday, May 16, 2022

Thrice as Nice: Medalists Roll into Round of 16 in Birmingham

Being the medalist in a USGA championship can sometimes add a burden of expectations. The common belief is that the great performances from stroke play will continue in match play. But as most golfers at the elite level fully understand, match play can be fickle.

All three sides who shared medalist honors in the 7th U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship at the Country Club of Birmingham were tested in Monday’s Round of 32 on the venue’s West Course. But fortunately for them, they did not see an abrupt end to their weeks.

Golf Datatech Research Estimates Gambling on Professional Golf to be Close to $5 Billion Market

With golf season in full-swing, Golf Datatech, LLC, the golf industry’s leading independent market research firm for retail sales, consumer, and trade trends, today unveiled the first-ever “Gambling & Golf Study,” providing insights into the state of wagering on the game, both during every day recreational play, as well betting on professional golf tournaments.

Gambling and golf have always gone hand in hand, and betting on the sport has entered a new phase that transcends buddies betting on their weekly match to wagering over the 40-week professional tournament season. This study provides insights into the current state of this new world order in golf gambling, based on a survey of 1,000 Serious Golfers.

Introducing the Spring 2022 FootJoy x Todd Snyder Collection

How would golf’s most iconic players from the Sixties and Seventies dress if they stepped onto the links today?

The answer is this spring’s Todd Snyder x FootJoy Collection. Building on FootJoy’s almost 100 year history as a leader in performance and comfort, Snyder designed a capsule collection of polos, windbreakers, hoodies, cardigans, shorts, joggers, caps, and golf shoes that are inspired by vintage golf style yet reinvented for the modern gent.

Sunday, May 15, 2022

Going Low: Trio of Medalists Shoot 128 in Birmingham

Go low or go home. That’s a motto often heard at PGA Tour events, but it also applies for the 7th U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship at the Country Club of Birmingham.

Following 36 holes of stroke play on the club’s East and West courses, a score of 8-under-par 133 was required to qualify for match play, a championship record by two shots. In all, 95 of the 128 sides posted under-par totals for 36 holes.

Ace Indoor Golf Gimme Simulators Names Trevor Faust President

Ace Indoor Golf and Gimme Simulators, the industry’s leading builder, designer and installer of golf simulator hardware and technology, has named industry veteran Trevor Faust its new president. Faust brings more than 15 years of progressive entrepreneurial management experience, from general manager roles to executive sales posts with strategic and business development responsibilities focused on revenue growth.

“We’re excited about the direction Ace Indoor Golf and Gimme Simulators are poised to take with the direction, experience and industry savvy of our new company President Trevor Faust,” says Co-Founder Joe Neumeyer. “We couldn’t have asked for someone more ideally suited to this role. Trevor knows how to sell, market and fulfill world-class indoor experiences like few others in this business. His energy and ingenuity will help drive our success as the Ace and Gimme become more household names in indoor golf.”

Lawsuit Filed Against PGA Tour and Fortinet Championship

The Dovel & Luner law firm on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against PGA TOUR, Inc. and Fortinet, Inc. for failing to compensate Plaintiff 1440 Sports Management Ltd. for its role in creating the Fortinet Championship, a major golf tournament in Napa, California.

The Complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges that PGA Tour and Fortinet broke their promises and were unjustly enriched after refusing to compensate 1440 Sports for securing Fortinet as a sponsor for the PGA’s Napa golf tournament.

GOLFFOREVER Signs World Number 1 Scottie Scheffler as Brand Ambassador

GOLFFOREVER – the leading at-home golf fitness training system that helps golfers play without limits – is proud to announce a new partnership with world-No. 1 golfer, Scottie Scheffler.

The newly-minted Masters champion, who leads the 2022 FEDEX Cup Standings with nearly twice as many points as his closest chaser, has won four times on the PGA TOUR since he began using GOLFFOREVER’s groundbreaking training system that pairs the first-ever multi-use golf fitness and warmup tool with video-streaming routines for flexibility, speed, power and injury recovery in the GOLFFOREVER app. Scheffler will represent the brand by appearing in GOLFFOREVER video content and advertisements, using the GOLFFOREVER Training System in a similar capacity to how he uses it in his own daily routines.

Bonita National Golf Hosts Dog Reception to Benefit Els for Autism

Bonita National Golf and Country Club recently concluded a month of fundraising events to benefit the Els for Autism Foundation with a one-of-a-kind Dog Reception. 25 dogs (and their owners) attended the reception, which featured samples of Ernie Els Champion Pet Products as well as prizes donated by PetSmart and Sunshine Ace Hardware.

The fun, dog-themed reception capped off a month of fundraising activities by the club to benefit the Foundation. In total, Bonita National raised $3,000 from events that included a 5k walk/run, golf events, a South African-themed steak night, golf tournament raffles, and artisan market contributions. The Dog Reception alone raised $287 through donations and contributions.

PXG Throws All-American Grand Opening of New Fairfax Store

This weekend, PXG honored its roots during an event that exuded red, white, and blue in celebration of the opening of its PXG Fairfax store. Military veterans, notables, athletes, and clients alike, joined PXG Founder and CEO, Bob Parsons and President and Executive Creative Director of Apparel, Renee Parsons, for the all-American celebration of the new retail store.

Opening a storefront in Fairfax, VA was a natural choice for www.pxg.com as the Washington, DC metro area ranks the 7th largest golf market in the country based on number of golfers. The area also boasts 79 golf courses in a 20-mile radius, including some of the most famed private courses in the region and the much-respected Army Navy Country Club. Located at 9600 Main Street STE P, Fairfax, VA, 22031, less than an hour away from Bob Parsons’ hometown of Baltimore, MD, and just outside of Washington, DC, the state-of-the-art facility supports an unparalleled shopping experience for golfers and non-golfers alike.

Daphne's Headcovers Launches Golden Bear Headcover

Daphne’s Headcovers has launched an iconic Golden Bear headcover celebrating the game’s greatest player. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Nicklaus Children’s Hospitals.

This week marks the moment these very special Golden Bear headcovers are available.  Complete with the famed and legendary Jack Nicklaus signature and  famous blue eyes to match Mr. Nicklaus’s “steely blues.”

Saturday, May 14, 2022

Broadmoor Golf Club to Host 2024 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur

The United States Golf Association (USGA) has announced that Broadmoor Golf Club in Seattle, Wash., will host the 62nd U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, which will be played Sept. 21-26, 2024.

“The USGA is excited to bring the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship to Broadmoor Golf Club,” said Tracy Parsons, championship director. “This championship showcases senior women’s golf and encourages women to play competitively through all stages of life. These athletes embody the spirit and passion of the amateur game and will undoubtedly enjoy this challenging course.”

Future SEC Rivals Team Up for Record 61 in Birmingham

Over the next four years, Carter Loflin and Wells Williams will be heated rivals in the Southeastern Conference at the University of Georgia and Vanderbilt University, respectively.

But at the 7th U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship this week at the Country Club of Birmingham, they get to play on the same team, and on Saturday they set a record. On a gorgeous day in central Alabama that was briefly interrupted by a late-afternoon thunderstorm, the two 18-year-olds carded a 9-under-par 61 on the 6,611-yard East Course to establish an 18-hole championship scoring record.

Inaugural LIV Golf Invitational London to Feature Array of Immersive Fan Activities

LIV Golf has unveiled initial details on the array of fan activities taking place June 9-11 at Centurion Club, site of the first-ever LIV Golf Invitational Series tournament. All General Admission tickets will be all-inclusive of the unique activations that will engage fans of all ages in celebration of the game of golf.

Gates will open at 11 a.m. all three days of tournament play in advance of the 2 p.m. shotgun start, so guests can enjoy and take part in all of the interactive activities onsite. Grounds passes will allow fans to walk the course, view the tournament from select viewing platforms and grant entry to the massive Fan Village. This immersive area will celebrate the spirit of London with Covent Garden-style street performers and a food and drink festival atmosphere inspired by the best of Borough Market. A specially designed Kids Zone will also engage youth with children’s entertainers, face painting, soft play equipment for climbing, ‘crazy golf’ putting challenges, and educational activations based on STEM lessons.

Club Champion Opens 100th Fitting Studio

Fresh off of international expansion news, the globe’s top custom golf club fitter, Club Champion, is celebrating another massive achievement: 100 stores. With the addition of five international studios and a flurry of domestic openings, the brand is now on track to have 115 studios worldwide by the end of the year.

Now considered the premier custom club fitter worldwide, Club Champion offers Tour-quality club fittings and custom-built clubs for every level of golfer. Each state-of-the-art fitting studio houses over 50,000 hittable head and shaft combinations from over 60 golf manufacturers, alongside the best technology and talent the industry has to offer. Club Champion’s brand-agnostic approach has propelled them from a regional Chicagoland business to an award-winning international chain on an unprecedented growth trajectory.

Arccos Launches New Wearable Gen 2 Arccos Link

Hot on the heels of releasing its next generation Smart Sensors, Arccos Golf– pioneer of big data and Artificial Intelligence for golf – has today launched a new and improved Link to meet growing demand for its automatic shot tracking wearable first introduced two years ago.

Designed to be worn on a player’s belt, waistband or pocket the new Arccos Link (Gen2) offers golfers the next level tech for the next level of performance, thanks to the capacity to automatically record shots without having to carry a phone on the course. As well as its sleeker look and improved clip functionality, the new device incorporates advanced microphone enhancements with GORE® protective vents to deliver the most reliable, high quality shot tracking performance in golf.

LIV Golf Announces 2023-2025 Expanded Event Schedule

LIV Golf has announced an ongoing commitment to golf’s global growth via an expanded 2023-2025 event schedule, highlighted by a $2 billion investment that promises to unlock the sport’s untapped worldwide potential and grow the game’s audience for the next generation. The investment will be used to fund ongoing expansion and prize purses for the new LIV Golf schedule.

The new schedule includes 10 events in 2023 followed by a full season of 14 events in 2024 and 2025. Tournaments will take place across the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe and North America.