PING Signs Reigning U.S. Amateur Champion Sam Bennett to Tour Staff

Sam Bennett, the reigning U.S. Amateur champion and three-time All-American at Texas A&M, has turned pro and joined PING’s global tour staff, company CEO & President John K. Solheim announced today. The 23-year-old Bennett, who makes his PGA Tour debut as a professional at this week’s Memorial Tournament, was previously under contract with PING through an NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) agreement.

“We’re excited to have Sam transition to our professional tour staff,” Solheim said. “His performance in winning last year’s U.S. Amateur received a lot of attention but it was his remarkable play at the Masters that skyrocketed his popularity and made him one of the biggest stories of that week. He’s an amazing talent who plays with a lot of confidence and passion, which should serve him well as he begins his professional career. We’re looking forward to having Sam represent the PING brand.”

FootJoy 2023 StaSoft Golf Glove Review

FootJoy has been the most worn golf glove on professional tours since 1983.  You put on a FootJoy glove and you know you're getting quality, reliability, comfort, and absolute, unparalleled performance.

And this year FootJoy updated their 2023 StaSof golf glove to improve on every aspect of the glove.  I kid you not.

Reynolds Lake Oconee Offers the Ultimate Gift for Day this Father's Day

Looking to score an ace this year with your Father’s Day gift? Search no more as Reynolds Lake Oconee, the highly acclaimed golf community located between Augusta and Atlanta, offers dad a wide-ranging golf experience that he’ll not soon forget.

For starters, to ensure his equipment matches his passion for the game, dad will start with a comprehensive club-fitting and building experience with a visit to The Kingdom at Reynolds Lake Oconee. Since opening in 2007, The Kingdom at Reynolds Lake Oconee is the country’s only TaylorMade fitting venue where recreational golfers have access to the same expertise and technology used by TaylorMade’s athletes and club pros.

True Spec Charlotte Opening at Intown Golf Club

True Spec Golf, the global leader in custom club fitting and club building, announced that they have partnered with Intown Golf Club to open True Spec Charlotte, True Spec’s third location in North Carolina.

Located in the SouthPark area of the Queen City, True Spec Charlotte will open at the new, highly anticipated private social club for golfers, Intown Golf Club, on June 1st. It is the latest 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. True Spec Charlotte is now the third location in the state, joining True Spec Pine Needles and True Spec Raleigh.

Rose Zhang Granted Special Exemption into 78th U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links

Rose Zhang, of Irvine, Calif., has been granted a special exemption into the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open Championship, which will be conducted July 6-9 at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links. The 20-year-old, who was previously exempt prior to turning professional, is set to make her fifth consecutive appearance in the championship.

“Competing in the U.S. Women’s Open is always a special experience, and being granted an exemption into the first at Pebble Beach is truly an honor,” said Zhang. “This is a big moment for our sport, and I’m very appreciative of the USGA for the opportunity to be part of it.”

Rose Zhang's First Event as a Pro - Mizuho Americas Open

On the heels of becoming the first female golfer to ever win back-to-back NCAA Individual Championships, the #1 ranked amateur in the world, Rose Zhang, has announced that she will be turning professional and has accepted a sponsor exemption in the Mizuho Americas Open, where she will make her professional debut from May 31 - June 4 at the iconic Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, NJ.

The three-time McCormack Medal winner left the amateur ranks having held the top position in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking for a record 141 consecutive weeks, dating back to September 2020. Zhang, who received the 2022 and 2023 Annika Award as the nation’s top female collegiate golfer, set the NCAA scoring average record at 68.70 this season, surpassing the previous record that she set last year by nearly a full stroke. She established herself as a champion at the biggest events in the sport, including victories at the 2020 U.S. Women’s Amateur, 2021 U.S. Girls’ Junior and 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Her 12 titles in NCAA competition, earned in just 20 collegiate starts, are the most in Stanford history, besting Tiger Woods, Patrick Rodgers, and Maverick McNealy by one.

USGA Expands Funding for P.J. Boatwright Jr. Internship Program, Connecting More People to Careers In Golf

This week, the USGA welcomed its largest class of P.J. Boatwright Jr. interns to the annual Boatwright Summit as the organization kicks off the 32nd year of the career development initiative that provides on-the-job training across the USGA’s network of 58 Allied Golf Associations (AGAs).

As part of the organization’s commitment to foster a more inclusive game and connect more individuals to careers in golf, the USGA funds the program, in part through philanthropic contributions, and works closely with AGAs on intern recruitment and training. In 2023, the USGA is delivering a program-high $2.09 million to pay each intern, provide travel costs to the annual summit and support AGA operations to manage staffing locally.

These Bears Are Golden: Du/Zheng Take Title at Kiawah Island Club

Aaron Du and Sampson Zheng did not get the opportunity to play for an NCAA title this coming weekend in Arizona, so a USGA national championship is a mighty good substitute.

The two 21-year-old rising seniors at the University of California-Berkeley, whose team missed qualifying for NCAAs by three strokes exactly a week ago in Norman, Okla., capped off a remarkable five days at Kiawah Island Club on Wednesday by winning the 8th U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship with a 2-and-1 victory over Drew Kittleson and Drew Stoltz in the 18-hole final at Cassique.

PING Proving Grounds Podcast Debuts May 25th

The PING Proving Grounds, a new podcast created to provide golfers behind-the-scenes insights into the company’s approach to designing the highest-performing equipment available, debuts tomorrow, PING CEO & President John K. Solheim announced today.

Hosted by golf broadcaster and journalist Shane Bacon and Marty Jertson, PING’s Vice President of Fitting & Performance, the podcast takes a deep dive into PING’s celebrated history and immeasurable contributions to golf equipment, custom fitting, and the game of golf in general. The pair will examine everything from golf club development to the tools, technologies and data that continue to improve the custom-fitting landscape. They’ll bring on expert guests, including PING tour professionals and brand ambassadors, to examine a variety of golf science and performance topics that are relatable to everyday golfers of all skill levels.

Stanford Sophomore Rose Zhang Wins 2023 Annika Award

Stanford sophomore and the world’s top-ranked female amateur golfer, Rose Zhang, was announced today as the back-to-back winner of the prestigious ANNIKA Award presented by Stifel, recognizing the most outstanding female NCAA Division I college golfer for the 2022-23 season. The announcement was made today by Hall-of-Famer Annika Sorenstam and Ron Kruszewski, Chairman and CEO of Stifel.

Zhang, the top-ranked player in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, Golfstat and Golfweek college rankings, captured the 2023 NCAA Women’s Golf Championships Individual Championship on Monday by one shot at 10-under par. With the victory, she became the first Division I women’s golfer to win multiple individual national championships, and is the first player since Maria Fassi (2018-19) to win back-to-back ANNIKA Award titles.

Garsen Putter Grips Achieve 68th and 69th Tour Victories

Garsen Golf congratulates Grayson Murray and Carlota Ciganda on their victories on Sunday while both using Garsen putter grips. Grayson put a Garsen Quad Tour pistol in play the week before leading to a one stroke victory at the Korn Ferry Tour AdventHealth Championship. Carlota finished at -2 to secure her win at the Ladies European Tour Aramco Team Series-Florida Tournament using a Garsen Quad Tour grip. In addition to 3 PGA Tour, 1 LPGA and 1 LET victory this year, Garsen now has a total of 69 tour wins.

The Quad Tour is the most traditional line of Garsen grips. The overriding structure of this grip includes a trapezoid design that is wider on the front of the grip than the bottom and slightly narrower than most traditional putting grips.

Contextualizing the U.S. Golf Economy

You may have heard that golf is now a $102 billion industry in the U.S. – 20% larger than it was in 2016, the last time there was a proper quantitative review of the game’s economic contributions.

$102 billion certainly sounds like a lot, but numbers like this aren’t all that easy to grasp. So, here’s some (hopefully) helpful context. $102 billion is five times the revenue of the NFL.­­i It’s roughly the global income of UPS, which delivered an average of 24.3 million packages per day in 2022.ii It’s 25% more money than Tesla, P&G and The Walt Disney Company made last year, 120% more than Nike brought in, and 220% more than Netflix.

Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, True Blue Golf Club Unveil Leading Fall Golf Package

Caledonia Golf & Fish Club and True Blue Golf Club, two of America’s top 100 resort courses, have unveiled their always anticipated Golftoberfest package, an offer that provides traveling players with maximum value during the Myrtle Beach area’s peak fall season.

The package, which runs from October 1-31, is a three-night, four-round deal that allows golfers to play the pair of Mike Strantz designs in any combination they choose. Award-winning golf is complemented by villa accommodations that include 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom units at True Blue Resort.

Founders Group International Partners With Nicklaus Design For Restoration of Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club

Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club, a Jack Nicklaus signature design renowned for its beauty and challenge, closed May 22 for a greens and bunkers restoration and a clubhouse redesign, Founders Group International announced.

FGI contracted with Nicklaus Design and their Design Associate, Troy Vincent will be spearheading the four-month project. Pawleys, which features six back nine holes that play along a stunning tidal marsh, will reopen in late-September, allowing golfers to enjoy one of Myrtle Beach’s most popular courses during the heart of the fall season.

2nd U.S. Adaptive Open Set to Welcome a Global Field to Pinehurst in July

The field for the 2nd U.S. Adaptive Open – a national championship that showcases the world’s best golfers with disabilities on Pinehurst Resort & Country Club’s Course No. 6 from July 10-12 – has been set, the USGA announced today.

The USGA received 285 entries for the 2023 U.S. Adaptive Open, and the 96-player final field includes competitors from 28 states and 11 countries. The championship’s youngest competitor is 15-year-old Russell Aide from Canada, and Linda Port, of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., is the championship's oldest player at 75 years old. Of the 96 players in the field, 66 played last year, and 30 will be making their championship debut.

Top 2 Seeds Advance to Semifinals at Kiawah Island Club

The sting of not qualifying for the upcoming NCAA Division I Championships may be starting to finally wear off for Aaron Du and Sampson Zheng. Sure, the disappointment of their University of California-Berkeley team coming up three strokes short in last week’s regional in Norman, Okla., will always linger subconsciously, but what’s transpired over the last four days at Kiawah Island Club has at least given the two 21-year-old juniors a second wind of positive energy.

Du and Zhen, both natives of the People’s Republic of China who came to the United States as teenagers to attend high school in Florida, registered a pair of impressive victories on Tuesday at breezy Kiawah Island Club’s Cassique to reach the semifinals of the 8th U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship.

USGA Announces 33 Additional Players Exempt for 123rd U.S. Open Championship

The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced that 33 additional golfers, including major champions Jason Day and Patrick Reed, have earned full exemptions into the 2023 U.S. Open Championship, to be contested June 15-18 at The Los Angeles (Calif.) Country Club’s North Course. These exemptions bring the number of fully exempt players to 84.

Exemptions were awarded to 25 players who earned a place in the top 60 of the Official World Golf Ranking® (OWGR®) as of May 22, who were not otherwise exempt. Day, who will compete in his 11th U.S. Open and is a two-time runner-up, won the 2015 PGA Championship. He is ranked No. 22. Reed, who won the 2018 Masters Tournament, is ranked No. 44. It will be Reed’s 10th U.S. Open.

Club Champion and TXG Launch Fathers of Fitting International Podcast

Club Champion, the globe’s top club fitter, has added a new podcast to their roster! Fathers of Fitting features the founders of the top fitting brands in the world — Club Champion, TXG, Golf Principles, and PureForm — as they are now all housed under the Club Champion umbrella. Founders Nick Sherburne, Ian Fraser, Jason MacNiven, and Paul Jenner come together to talk fitting, equipment, and all things golf. The new show is available in video form on YouTube and audio-only on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and a variety of other podcast platforms.

“This show is a fun take on the golf industry and it is decidedly different from our other content,” said Cassandra Bausch, Club Champion’s Director of Marketing and the host of the podcast. “We put four of the most unique personalities in the industry in one place, so you can imagine the potential with a more open format.”

Medalists Roll Into Final 16 at Breezy Kiawah Island Club

For the 32 sides who survived the stroke-play portion of the 8th U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Kiawah Island Club, the start of the Round of 32 on Monday at breezy Cassique brought about a chance for a reboot. The great scoring from the weekend – which saw several championship scoring records matched – was now in the rearview mirror.

Now it’s all about beating an opponent, not an entire field, and living by the old cliché of survive and advance.

Major Domination in New York for Fujikura Golf

Fujikura, the leader in performance golf shafts, was honored to be the #1 driver and wood shaft at the second Major championship of the year.

At the 105th PGA Championship, Fujikura followed up their previous major success in Augusta with another #1 driver and wood shaft spot in Rochester, New York.