Thursday, May 11, 2023

USGA Names Johnny Miller as 2023 Bob Jones Award Recipient

The United States Golf Association has selected Johnny Miller as the recipient of this year’s Bob Jones Award, the association’s highest honor that recognizes character, respect and a commitment to sportsmanship in the game of golf.

“Johnny’s contributions to our game are significant, and honoring him with the Bob Jones Award reflects everything he means to the game and everything the game means to him,” said Mike Whan, CEO of the USGA.

USGA Announces Tee Times for 8th U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship

The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced tee times for the first two rounds of the 8th U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship on Saturday, May 13 and Sunday, May 14 at The Home Course in DuPont, Wash.

The U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball consists of 18 holes of stroke play on May 13 and 18 holes of stroke play on May 14, after which the 64 sides (128 players) will be reduced to the low 32 sides (64 players) for match play. There will be five rounds of match play, starting May 15 with the first round. The second and quarterfinal rounds are slated for May 16. The semifinals will be played the morning of May 17, with the 18-hole championship match scheduled to follow that afternoon.

Todd Snyder x FootJoy | The Back Tees Collection

How would the most iconic players in golf history dress if they stepped onto the links today? The answer is the Todd Snyder x FootJoy Collection. Titled “The Back Tees”, the collection was inspired by the golf fashion of old-school greats on and off the course. The styles borrow from the traditional codes of American menswear and place them in performance technical fabrics.

For this collaboration, Todd and the FootJoy team set out to create contemporary interpretations of 60s and 70s golf style. The team emphasized refined fabrics--including pique polos, mercerized sweaters and cotton/cashmere sweatshirts--then reinterpreted these iconic athletic styles in a thoroughly modern way. The collection features apparel in blacks, blues, olives and as well as geometric and jacquard prints, and two new premium pebble-grain leather golf shoes based on FootJoy’s Wilcox and Field Premiere Series models.

PING Slam PLD Limited Pal 2 Coming May 16th

The PLD Limited Pal 2 putter, the second of four precision-milled PING putters celebrating the brand winning all four major championships in 1988, will be available for purchase on pingpld.com, beginning at 2 pm ET on Tuesday, May 16.

Known as the “PING Slam,” the celebration recognizes a historic achievement that had never happened before 1988 and hasn’t happened since for any putter brand. Precision-milled versions of the four winning models (Pal, Pal 2, Zing 2 and Anser), respectively, are available each Tuesday of this year’s four major championship weeks, giving collectors a rare opportunity to own a part of PING’s storied putter history.

Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Evnroll ER ZERO Z.1 Putter Review

The new Evnroll ZERO Z.1 putter is one of the best mallet putters I've ever used.  It checks off every performance box you want with exceptional stability, roll, and distance control.  And that's only the beginning.

The modern shape might not be for everyone.  But for a lot of players the ZERO Z.1 will be the kind of putter that stays in your bag forever.  It's really that good.

Tuesday, May 9, 2023

8th U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship – Inside the Field

The U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball was first played in 2015. The championship is open to two-player sides (or teams) of female amateurs with individual Handicap Indexes not exceeding 14.4. There are no age restrictions, and partners are not required to be from the same club, state, or country.

Here's a look at the 64 teams (or sides) and 128 golfers in the 2023 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball field.  Play begins this week, May 10th through May 17th at The Home Course in Dupont, Washington.

8th U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship Fact Sheet

The Home Course, in DuPont, Wash., has been chosen by the USGA to host the 8th U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship. The dates of the championship are May 13-17, 2023.

This will be the second USGA championship to be held at The Home Course, which hosted the 2014 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links. The course also served as the stroke-play co-host for the 2010 U.S. Amateur and 2021 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, each of which was contested at Chambers Bay. The U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship returns to the Pacific Northwest for the first time since the inaugural event was played in 2015 at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, in Bandon, Ore.

So Yeon Ryu Receives Special Exemption into 78th U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links

So Yeon Ryu, the 2011 champion from the Republic of Korea, has accepted a special exemption from the USGA into the field for the 78th U.S. Women’s Open Championship, to be contested July 6-9 at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links. Ryu, whose maiden major victory came in the U.S. Women’s Open at The Broadmoor (East Course) in Colorado Springs, Colo., will be making her 14th consecutive start in the championship.

“I am excited and honored to accept this special exemption into the U.S. Women’s Open,” said Ryu. “This championship means so much to me, and to be able to compete in it again, and to do so at a place as special as Pebble Beach, is thrilling, and I am so grateful to the USGA for this opportunity. I look forward to teeing it up there in July.”

National Golf Day and New Economic Impact Study

The American Golf Industry Coalition, which represents a partnership among golf’s leading organizations, is celebrating the 15th annual National Golf Day today. The event includes hundreds of representatives who have gathered to reinforce golf’s economic, societal, environmental, and health contributions through more than 200 meetings with Members of Congress and their staffs.

The Coalition is also releasing a new national Economic Impact Study, which shows golf’s growth in popularity as a recreational activity with roughly 1 in 7 people participating and a $102 billion direct economic impact in 2022, an increase of 20% over its $84 billion direct impact in 2016.

Father's Day Gift Ideas for the Golfing Dad

Golf Simulators continue to gain popularity in residential and commercial spaces.

And with prices the best they've ever been, this might be the ideal time to splurge on dad and get him something for Father's Day he'll use forever.

Can K.H. Lee Join the Elite PGA Three-Peat Crew

The PGA Tour touches down in McKinney this week for the AT&T Byron Nelson, the final tune-up for players ahead of next week's PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club.

Before we dive into the PGA Championship, history could be made as K.H. Lee won both editions of the tournament held at TPC Craig Ranch, and this week goes for the three-peat.

Cobra PUMA Golf Introduces 2023 Volition America AeroJet Drivers, Apparel, and Footwear

COBRA PUMA GOLF today announced the 2023 Volition America assortment of patriotic apparel, footwear and accessories, along with new, Limited Edition Aerojet Drivers.

The PUMA x Volition America Collection brings red, white and blue to the course in the form of patriotic patterns, hi-tech materials, and innovative designs, all of which are aimed at honoring US military veterans. A portion of the proceeds from the Volition line will go directly to Folds of Honor Foundation to support the families of American military heroes.

PGA National Resort Unveils Spectacular Getaways

PGA National Resort – South Florida’s world-class golf, vacation, culinary, family, events and spa destination now showcasing the luxurious upgrades of its recent $100 million renovation – is offering exceptional summer experiences catered to golf group getaways as well as those planning holiday vacations for Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, the Fourth of July and special summer occasions in the coming months.

Starting at $441 (per person, per day, double occupancy), the wildly popular  “Gold Golf Experience” experience showcases the incredible array of courses at PGA National Resort and includes one round of golf daily on The Fazio, The Match, The Estate, The Champion (with surcharge) or The Palmer (with surcharge) layouts along with luxury accommodations.

True Spec Opens Second Location in New Jersey at Liberty National Golf Club

True Spec Golf, the global leader in custom club fitting and club building, announced that they have partnered with Liberty National Golf Club to open their second location in the Garden State.

Located just three miles across the Hudson River from New York City, True Spec Liberty National will be open to the public on May 23rd. It is the latest undertaking in a series of partnerships that brings True Spec’s bespoke fittings and best-in-class customer service to prominent clubs and resorts across the country, and is now the second location in the state, joining True Spec New Jersey at Metedeconk National Golf Club in Jackson.

AT&T Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Range: Aon Risk Reward Challenge

The AT&T Byron Nelson has yielded many low scores since moving to TPC Craig Ranch two years ago, with 20 players finishing the tournament 20-under or better in that span. In order to keep pace, players are encouraged to seize upon every birdie opportunity they have – the 14th hole being a good one.

Players who go for the green with their drive at this short par 4 have made birdie or eagle 14% more often than players who lay up. The best finishers have used this insight to their advantage: players in the top-10 at this event go for the green about 73% of the time – the rest of the field, just 52.4%.

Saturday, May 6, 2023

Tom Doak and Pinehurst Resort Release Must See 10th Course Update Video

For those awaiting an update on the 10th course at Pinehurst Resort, the wait is over. To quote Doak, “It is going pretty fast. We’re pretty quick on shaping greens.” Not only shaping greens, but turfing green complexes, fairways, tees boxes and more. But if a picture is worth a thousand words, a 2:30 video might be worth 10,000.

Check out Pinehurst Resort’s just-released video featuring numerous drone shots of the 10th course and invaluable insights from Doak about the front nine, back nine, terrain and timing. Landscape architect Angela Moser is the lead design associate and has been heavily involved in all day-to-day operations. Moser’s impressive credentials include work at the Los Angeles Country Club’s North Course, which will host the 123rd U.S. Open next month.

Korda, Ko, and Eight of the Top 10 Players in the Rolex World Rankings Headline Field in Inaugural Mizuho Americas Open at Liberty National Golf Club

Mizuho Americas, the Americas arm of one of the largest financial institutions in the world, and new title sponsor on the LPGA Tour, today announced World #1 Nelly Korda, Lydia Ko and 8 of the top 10 players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings will headline the field at the inaugural Mizuho Americas Open, taking place May 31 – June 4 at the iconic Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, NJ.

In addition to one of the strongest fields on the LPGA Tour, 24 of the top 26 juniors in the Rolex AJGA Girls Rankings, including New Jersey’s Top-Ranked Junior golfer Katie Li (Basking Ridge), will also be competing at Liberty National, as the Mizuho Americas Open will concurrently host the AJGA (American Junior Golf Association) Invitational.

Bridgestone Golf President and CEO Dan Murphy to Speak at National Club Conference

The National Club Association, representing private clubs throughout the U.S., today announced Dan Murphy, president & CEO of Bridgestone Golf, will speak at its 2023 National Club Conference, May 7-9 in Chicago.

Murphy will address attendees, who are leaders of top private clubs throughout the U.S., on “A Manufacturing View of Golf.”

Firethorne Country Club to Host Grand Opening Celebrating Completion of Renovations

Invited, the worldwide leader in private clubs and formerly known as ClubCorp, is pleased to announce the grand opening of the renovated golf course at Firethorne Country Club on Tuesday, May 9 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The club invested in a significant renovation project for the ninth hole, as well as the creation of a new short game practice area.

The grand opening of the reimagined ninth hole and short game area will feature a collection of contests and clinics for members to participate in, including one where the winner will earn the right to hit the inaugural chip shop in the new practice area. Additionally, there will be a DJ, food stations, beer and wine, a balloon artist and games for children to enhance the experience for members and celebrate a new chapter for the club.

Major Champions and Global Superstars Set Sights on Oklahoma for LIV Golf Tulsa

Fresh off a successful stretch of tournaments in Australia and Singapore that featured massive crowds, multiple holes-in-one, a playoff finish and the first back-to-back individual winner in league history, LIV Golf will bring its star-studded lineup to Cedar Ridge Country Club in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma for LIV Golf Tulsa, May 12-14.

Showcasing many of the sport’s biggest names, LIV Golf’s 12 teams are led by the likes of four-time major winner Brooks Koepka, reigning Open Champion Cameron Smith, World Golf Hall of Famer Phil Mickelson, two-time major winner Dustin Johnson, 2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia and 2020 U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau. More than a quarter (13) of the league’s global field are major champions, with 24 major victories amongst them. The field of 48 players represents 16 different nations, includes 18 Olympians, and has made 125 combined appearances in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, with more than half of the league having competed in the biennial team events. In total, LIV Golf League players have amassed 533 worldwide wins across multiple tours, and four players have held the title of World No. 1.