Misemer Shocks Top Seed Stone; Heck and 13-Year-Olds Win Big at Chambers Bay

Through the first two days of stroke play at the 122nd U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship at Chambers Bay, player after player recited a variation of the same mantra: Seeding doesn’t matter in match play. On a cool, damp Wednesday along the shores of Puget Sound, several higher-seeded players experienced that truth the hard way.

Chief among them was Latanna Stone of Riverview, Fla., who less than 24 hours earlier was riding high after a record-setting 8-under-par 65 earned her co-medalist honors and the No. 1 seed. But rather than making a run at the title, Stone ran into a buzzsaw in the form of No. 64 seed Julia Misemer, who early this morning defeated two other competitors on the last hole of a playoff to earn the final coveted spot in match play.

Latanna Stone Shoots Record-Setting 65; Three Players Share Medalist Honors at Chambers Bay

There must be something about the number 10 that agrees with Latanna Stone. Ten years ago Stone, of Riverview, Fla., qualified to play in the U.S. Women’s Amateur as a 10-year-old. Today she set another milestone, posting a 36-hole total of 10-under-par 136 after a sparkling second round of 8-under 65. Stone earned co-medalist honors with Alice Ziyi Zhao of the People’s Republic of China and Laney Frye of Nicholasville, Ky., who will occupy the top three seeds in match play, beginning on Wednesday.

Stone built on her solid opening round of 71 yesterday to card eight birdies and set the championship record for the lowest single round in relation to par. It also is a new women’s competitive course record at Chambers Bay, beating the 67 set on Monday by Zhao.

122nd U.S. Amateur Championship – Inside The Field

312 golfers ranging from 15 to 60 years old will compete in the 2022 U.S. Amateur Championship next week at Ridgewood Country Club.

Here's a detailed look at the players in the field.

Another Major Victory for Fujikura Ventus

Fujikura, the leader in performance golf shafts, was honored to be the number one driver and wood shaft on multiple professional tours this week, including the PGA, LPGA and Korn Ferry Tour.

At the AIG Women’s British Open on the LPGA Tour, Fujikura was once again the #1 driver and wood shaft. 36.8% of the field used Fujikura driver shaft while another 30.3% used Fujikura wood shaft. After an eventful final round, the eventual British Open winner used the VENTUS Blue 5S in her driver and VENTUS Blue 6S in her 5-wood to grab her first ever major title. This victory for VENTUS completed a clean sweep of Open wins on all professional tours this year, including the VENTUS 6X TR Blue at the 150th Open, the VENTUS 6 TR Blue at the Senior Open and the VENTUS Blue 5S at the British Open.

Club Champion Refreshes Look And Feel, Including Logo And Website

The globe’s top custom golf club fitter is getting a fresh coat of paint. Beginning in August, the company officially unveiled its brand refresh, complete with an updated logo, a brand new website, and a revamped interior store concept.

These redesigns embody the company’s growth over the last 12 years and the modern updates reflect the club fitter’s relentless effort to maintain their leadership status in the industry.

Scotty Cameron Introduces New Special Select Jet Set Putters

Offering dedicated golfers the same look, feel and performance worldwide tour professionals enjoy, Scotty Cameron introduces his new Special Select Jet Set putters. As the name implies, this limited release, four-model collection appeals to the player looking for a very specific design aesthetic in a high-performance configuration with superior attention to shape, color palette and finish. Inspired by high-end custom car culture, the entire Jet Set presentation is an expression of luxury performance from grip to sole.

Available in golf shops beginning August 19, the Special Select Jet Set Newport, Special Select Jet Set Newport Plus, Special Select Jet Set Newport 2 and Special Select Jet Set Newport 2 Plus feature custom graphics, a Tour Black finish with a dark, tonal color scheme, a specialized Pistolini Plus grip, shaft band and headcover. Displaying the evolution of Scotty’s research in bringing the benefits of higher MOI to blade putter shapes, the line's “Plus” models introduce slightly wider profiles than standard face-to-flange blade dimensions and push blade performance to new levels.

ClubsHelp Foundation Raises Over $150,000 for Employees of Oakland Hills Country Club

From disaster and ashes comes generosity and the collective power of the club industry to support Oakland Hills Country Club employees impacted by February’s devastating clubhouse fire.

ClubsHelp, a 501(c)3 Foundation, in cooperation with the National Club Association (NCA) and Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation raised over $150,000 in two months.

Fujikura Extends Ventus TR Line with Black and Red for 2022

Fujikura, the most trusted wood shaft brand on the PGA Tour, is proud to unveil the latest additions to the successful VENTUS TR line of shafts: VENTUS TR Red and VENTUS TR Black.

The extended VENTUS TR line now features three launch profiles (mid-high, mid, and low) that are designed specifically to stiffen torque in the section of the shaft where golfers need it most, leading to increased stability and consistency.

13-Year-Old Zhao Fires 67 at Chambers Bay to Lead U.S. Women’s Amateur

A common adage is that the golf ball doesn’t know the age of the person hitting it. That certainly applies to the first round of the 122nd U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship at Chambers Bay, where Alice Ziyi Zhao, the second-youngest player in the field at 13 years/6 months, shot a 6-under-par 67 to take a one-stroke lead.

This is the first USGA championship for Zhao, who was born in Shenyang, China, and now lives in Irvine, Calif. She showed no sign of nerves, however. Starting on No. 10, Zhao carded six birdies over her first nine holes to make the turn in 30. She cooled off a bit after that with an even-par score on her inward nine but still topped a field of 156 that includes USGA champions, Curtis Cup Team members and players who have competed at the highest levels of the game.

AIG Women's Open - Muirfield Golf Club Players Yardage and Green Book

History was made this week when Muirfield hosted the Women's Open for the first time.  And on Sunday this fabled Scottish links course will crown it's first woman champion.  Since golf was first played here in 1891, Muirfield has hosted 16 men's Open Championships.

Only five years ago members voted in favor of accepting women members, a sign of traditions moving with the times.  And to get you ready for AIG Championship Sunday, I've got the exact same yardage and green books the players are using this week at Muirfield.

A Grand Slam for Golf Spikes

The newest Champion Golfer of the Year charged through the back nine on Sunday to secure his first major.  The winner was wearing his FootJoy Premier shoes with a combination of the flexible Pulsar spike made by Softspikes and the aggressive metal Pro-Stinger spike made by CHAMP. This combination gave the Champion the best of both worlds in terms of comfort and performance.

With a win at The Open Championship, Softspikes and CHAMP can confirm that replacement golf spikes have been worn by each Major Champion of the 2022 season. A Grand Slam.

True Spec North Georgia to Open at Cartersville Country Club

True Spec North Georgia will feature a premier indoor-to-outdoor fitting space with a short game area and a state-of-the-art fitting bay utilizing Foresight GCQuad technology. In addition, the premium facility will offer True Spec’s brand-agnostic fitting matrix of over 50,000 clubhead and shaft combinations, including every major equipment manufacturer.

Each club will be custom built at True Spec’s Scottsdale headquarters to the exact specifications derived from the fitting process. This helps its master fitters find the best equipment to improve your golf game.

TravisMathew Elevates Partnership with Southern California PGA

The Southern California Section of the PGA of America (SCPGA) is excited to announce the continuation and expansion of their partnership with California-based, premier lifestyle apparel brand, TravisMathew through December 2024.

Founded in 2007, the TravisMathew brand draws its inspiration from the culture and lifestyle of Southern California’s surf, sand, and sun. As a premier lifestyle brand, TravisMathew has created versatile, everyday apparel that seamlessly transitions from work to play.

Stouffer Joins Canadian Club of U.S. Senior Women's ​​​​​​​Amateur Champions

In one of the most dominant performances in championship history, Shelly Stouffer breezed through the bracket to win the 60th U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur at Anchorage Golf Course. Stouffer put an exclamation point on the week with a resounding 4-and-3 victory over Sue Wooster in the final to become the fourth Canadian to win the title.

Moments after Wooster missed an 8-foot birdie putt on the 15th, Stouffer, 52, of Nanoose Bay in the province of British Columbia, calmly rolled in a 3-footer for par to end the match. She raised her arms in celebration and hugged her 15-year-old son, Brett, who caddied for her throughout the championship in Alaska. It was an emotional end to a fulfilling week, the winning moment made all the more special because they could share it together.

Wooster to Face Stouffer in All-International Senior Women’s Am Final

Sue Wooster and Shelly Stouffer each won two matches on Wednesday to earn their spots in the championship match of the 60th U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur at Anchorage Golf Course.

Wooster authored a remarkable rally in her semifinal match against Christie Blasi, surging back from 3 down on the front nine to win, 3 and 2, to advance to the final for the third time in four years. Stouffer continued to cruise through the bracket, pulling away from Kathy Hartwiger in the semis with three straight winning pars (Nos. 12-14) to defeat the 2002 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion, 4 and 3.

Bring Tiger Woods into Your Living Room with the New Bridgestone Golf Experience

Bridgestone Golf, the #1 Ball-Fitter in Golf, has announced the introduction of the BRIDGESTONE GOLF EXPERIENCE, a way to bring Tiger Woods and other Bridgestone TOUR players directly into your living room, pro shop, or clubhouse. With the BRIDGESTONE GOLF EXPERIENCE, consumers can utilize an augmented reality web application on their smart phone to see and hear Bridgestone Tour Staff members talk about the TOUR B model they play and learn why it might be a good fit for them.

“At Bridgestone we’re all about pushing the envelope of innovation,” said Elliot Mellow, Golf Ball Marketing Manager at Bridgestone Golf. “The new Bridgestone Golf Experience is a perfect example of this philosophy – players who try the new web app will be amazed at the quality of the experience while also being directed to the best TOUR B model for their game.”

PAYNTR Golf Announces Strategic Partnership with UK Based Specialist Sports

PAYNTR GOLF has announced their partnership with Specialist Sports, a leading performance sports distribution and brand marketing agency based in the United Kingdom, as PAYNTR GOLF continues its rapid expansion across Europe.

The partnership will see Specialist Sports provide PAYNTR GOLF with expert sales strategy and distribution services opening the brand to new key golf markets. PAYNTR GOLF burst onto the golf footwear scene in March 2021 by identifying the needs of the golfer through research and analysis to develop their products to act as equipment.

USGA Announces Tee Times for 122nd U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship

The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced tee times for the first two rounds of the 122nd U.S. Women's Amateur Championship, on Monday (Aug. 8) and Tuesday (Aug. 9), at 6,541-yard, par-73 Chambers Bay.

The U.S. Women’s Amateur consists of 36 holes of stroke play on Aug. 8 and 9, after which the 132-player field will be reduced to the low 64 scorers. There will be six rounds of match play, starting Aug. 10. The championship is scheduled to conclude with a 36-hole final on Sunday, Aug. 14, beginning at 9 a.m. PDT.

Motocaddy Signs Tour Star Amy Boulden

Motocaddy, the world’s biggest-selling electric cart brand, has signed Welsh Ladies European Tour star, Amy Boulden as a global brand ambassador to promote its award-winning range of caddies and rangefinder products to a growing female audience.

Following one of the most successful amateur careers in Welsh golfing history, including representing Europe in the Junior Ryder Cup and Junior Solheim Cup, plus Great Britain and Ireland in the 2012 Curtis Cup, Boulden turned professional in 2013 and has two career wins to her name. In September 2020, she claimed her first victory on the LET with a three-stroke victory at the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open.

Garsen Grips Partners with Finau Foundation after Back to Back Wins

Capping off the best 12 months of his career, the Utah native fired a final round 5-under 67 to claim back to back PGA Tour wins at the Rocket Mortgage Classic while using a Garsen Ultimate grip. The champion has now claimed 4 PGA Tour wins all using a Garsen grip. Adding to the LPGA Evian Championship victory last weekend, this totals 56 tour wins for Garsen.

Garsen Golf has now partnered with the Tony Finau Foundation to offer a Finau Foundation logo’d Garsen putter grip. A portion of each sale will be donated to Tony’s Foundation.