Chris Zambri Named Head Coach of U.S. National Development Program

The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced that Pepperdine Associate Head Coach Chris Zambri has been named the first head coach in the history of the United States National Development Program (USNDP). He will begin Nov. 1.

Zambri will be tasked with leading the overall direction of the USNDP’s National Team program as well as providing support and guidance to the elite golfers selected to represent their country in international competition and as part of the national teams. In his role, Zambri will oversee and lead the day-to-day coaching operations, including playing a key role in developing a network of qualified coaches at the regional and state levels to support the USNDP’s mission of identifying and developing American golf talent. Zambri will also work closely with Senior Player Development Advisor Dr. Beth Brown to create an elite golf program designed to expose athletes to the physical, technical and mental loads required to compete successfully at the highest levels of the sport.

Prairie Dunes Country Club to Host 2029 U.S. Senior Open and 2032 U.S. Senior Women’s Open

The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced that Prairie Dunes Country Club, in Hutchinson, Kan., will be the host site for the 2029 U.S. Senior Open and 2032 U.S. Senior Women’s Open. They will be the ninth and 10th USGA championships held at the club and the first since 2006.

“The USGA is pleased to reunite with Prairie Dunes Country Club and continue what has been a long and mutually beneficial partnership that began nearly 60 years ago,” said John Bodenhamer, USGA chief championships officer. “We know that Prairie Dunes, its surrounding community and the entire state of Kansas will be thoroughly engaged in hosting the best senior players from around the world. In addition, Prairie Dunes remains committed in its support of both amateur and professional competition.”

Minjee Lee Wins Kroger Queen City Championship for Ninth LPGA Title

Earning her first victory of the season in a thrilling playoff, Minjee Lee was able to close out the Kroger Queen City Championship in Cincinnati for her ninth LPGA Tour title playing a full bag of Srixon/Cleveland golf clubs and Z-STAR golf ball.

Holding the 54 hole lead by two strokes after a scorching 7-under 65 in round three, Lee carded a final round 1-under par 71 to force her way into a playoff. After two pars on the first playoff hole, the competitors headed to the 18th for a second time where Lee capitalized on her approach shot, hitting it to three feet and securing the birdie. After the round, she spoke about her resilience in key moments and the ability to close tournaments.

Jeronimo Esteve Earns Medalist, Round of 64 Matches Begin at Weather-Plagued U.S. Mid-Amateur

An airhorn blast went off at exactly 8:46 a.m. EDT on Monday morning at Sleepy Hollow Country Club and stroke-play co-host Fenway Golf Club in nearby Scarsdale, N.Y. For once this week, it wasn’t to stop play for weather, a common theme at the 42nd U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, where multiple suspensions pushed the stroke-play portion of the competition into Monday, creating havoc with the schedule.

With the 22nd anniversary of one of the worst days in American history – the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon as well as the crash of United Flight 93 in rural western Pennsylvania – the USGA honored the thousands who lost their lives that day with a one-minute moment of silence. Airhorns were used to stop and restart play.

Six U.S. Women's Mid-Am Champions Win Monday at Stonewall

There’s a certain change in the air when a USGA competition moves from stroke play to match play. Sure, the facility empties a bit, moving from 132 players with their caddies and entourages to just 64 competitors and those they have with them. But even at the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, where competition is met with equal parts camaraderie, the tension thickens. It all becomes more important, more within reach.

Monday at Stonewall was no different. In a match that felt too soon for Match Play Day 1, past champions Shannon Johnson and Julia Potter-Bobb faced off in the Round of 64 at the 36th U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur. It was just one of several marquee matchups that highlighted Monday’s action.

Titleist TSR3 Driver Review - Play With Pete Invitational from Scioto Country Club (Jeff)

This guest review is from Jeff (@Jeff17Black on twitter) on his new Titleist TSR3 driver.  Jeff and all the players at Play With Pete Invitational from Scioto Country Club got fit for and received new Titleist drivers for their day at Scioto.

You guys know all about my Play With Pete Invitationals, and the entire day at Scioto was absolutely crazy and wildly fun for all the players and everyone watching along.  And along the way it sounds like Jeff found himself a driver to take his game to the next level, calling his TSR3 "the best driver I have ever used."

Scott Harvey Leader for Medalist at Weather-Delayed ​​​​​​​U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship

Weather continued to dominate the 42nd U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship on Sunday at Sleepy Hollow Country Club and stroke-play co-host Fenway Golf Club in nearby Scarsdale, N.Y. Just like the day before, a mid-day storm system caused a suspension in play – 72 minutes at Sleepy Hollow and two hours at Fenway – and brought nearly a quarter inch of rain to Sleepy Hollow and .63 inches to Fenway, creating adjustments in starting times and forcing the maintenance staffs and volunteers, especially at Fenway, to do yeoman’s work to get the courses ready for play.

The one silver lining was the stifling heat and humidity that were omnipresent for the two practice rounds on Thursday and Friday, and Saturday’s first round disappeared and replaced by comfortable conditions, albeit a bit soggier.

Three Players Tied for U.S. Women's Mid-Am Lead as Darkness Suspends Play

Jackie Rogowicz lives just about an hour from Stonewall. The former Penn State golfer grew up in Yardley, a small town bordering the Delaware River, and currently works in Horsham, Pa., a suburb of Philadelphia, as an investment analyst. The 26-year-old, playing in her second Mid-Am after reaching the Round of 16 last year in her championship debut, has so far made the most of her home game.

One of 11 players from Pennsylvania in the 132-player field, Rogowicz will likely move into the match play portion of the championship as a co-medalist, putting together rounds of 71-68 on the North Course to finish at 3-under par, tied with Round 1 leader Courtney Dow and Jessica Spicer when play was suspended for the day due to darkness.

Major Domination and Multiple Wins on PGA Tour for Fujikura Golf in 2023

Fujikura, the leader in performance golf shafts, was honored to be the #1 driver, wood and hybrid shaft on the PGA Tour this season. With multiple tour wins throughout the season, along with the #1 driver shaft ranking at three out of the four Major championships, it’s been another successful year on the PGA Tour for Fujikura shafts.

At the final event of the PGA Tour season, it was further success for Fujikura with another Tour Championship victory. Once again, Fujikura secured the #1 driver and wood spot for the event, with a total of 40.0% of the field at East Lake Golf Club using a Fujikura driver shaft during the week, along with another 35.3% in the wood shaft count.

Club Champion Putter Fitting Review - Westlake Ohio (Cleveland West) 2023

Putting is the simplest stroke you make in golf.  But it can also be the most confounding.  You can pull or push your putts and not even know why.  You might be hitting up on the ball too much or smashing the ball into the ground and not even be aware of it.  And sometimes even your aim might be completely off even though you're positive it's dead on.

That's where Club Champion comes in to help.  A putter fitting at Club Champion addresses all these aspects of putting and more, and ultimately fits you into a putter that's best for your unique individual swing.  Brass tacks, the moment you walk out of a Club Champion putter fitting with a new putter you're going to be more consistent on the greens.

42nd U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship - Inside the Field

The 2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur kicks off this week with 264 golfers in the field.

Here's a deeper look inside the field.

36th U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship – Inside the Field

The 2023 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur kicks off this week with 132 players in the field.

Here's a closer look inside the field.

Club Champion Celebrates Annual Putter Fitting Month

There’s nothing worse than a three-putt on a hole that should have been an easy par. Could practice help? Always. But there’s a chance something else is keeping you from reaching your putting potential — your equipment. To solve this problem, Club Champion, the globe’s top custom fitter, created Putter Fitting Month to focus on the club responsible for roughly 40% of your strokes.

From September 1 to October 2, 2023, every Club Champion location will waive the putter fitting fee, valued at $125, for any golfer who purchases a new putter or custom putter shaft with Club Champion installation.

Pinehurst Resort Announces that Pinehurst No. 10 will Open on April 3, 2024

The highly-anticipated Tom Doak design, which began construction this January, will be the first original golf course Pinehurst Resort has unveiled in nearly 30 years. Its opening comes just a few months before Pinehurst serves as the site of the U.S. Open for the fourth time.

“Pinehurst Resort has been fortunate to be hailed as the Cradle of American Golf, and we’re grateful for all of the major championships and historic moments that have come before,” says Pinehurst Resort CEO Bob Dedman Jr. “We’re delighted to have a date to begin presenting this incredible design by Tom Doak to our guests. April 3 will not only be another great day in Pinehurst’s history, but for our future as well.”

Bridgestone Named Presenting Sponsor of Bridgestone Collegiate Development Program, Part of PGA Tour's Pathway to Progression

The PGA TOUR has announced that Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) will become the presenting sponsor of the Bridgestone Collegiate Development Program, a part of the PGA TOUR’s Pathway to Progression. The program is designed to achieve greater diversity in the sport through increased focus on developing talent from diverse and historically underrepresented groups.

“We are thrilled to welcome Bridgestone as the presenting sponsor of our efforts to provide more opportunities for collegiate golfers from communities underrepresented in our sport,” said Neera Shetty, PGA TOUR Executive Vice President, Social Responsibility and Inclusion. “Bridgestone is in lockstep with the PGA TOUR in our vision to motivate and inspire the next generation of golfers from diverse backgrounds, and we look forward to their partnership as we continue to make the game of golf more open and accessible to all.” 

PXG to Bring Its Immersive U.S. Retail Experience to the United Kingdom

PXG, a company dedicated to developing the world’s finest golf equipment and apparel, today announced plans to grow its retail footprint outside of the United States. The company will open its first marquee brick-and-mortar location in the United Kingdom this November.

A premier golf destination, PXG London South will supports a top-quality golf club fitting experience for golfers of all skill levels and present PXG’s high-performance golf apparel.

U.S. National Development Program Takes First Steps Toward Elevating American Junior Golf

The United States Golf Association (USGA) has announced that three players will make history when they compete under the USA flag as part of the U.S. National Development Program (USNDP) at the World Junior Girls Championship, which will be played Oct. 4-7 in Ontario, Canada. This marks just one of several milestones the USGA’s newest program has crossed since its creation in February.

“These first selections are a momentous point in the history of junior golf in the United States and create a trail that generations of golfers will be able to follow in the future,” said Heather Daly-Donofrio, USGA managing director, Player Relations and Development. “For too long the United States has lagged in the nurturing of junior golf talent. The USNDP will help ensure that the United States is the global leader in golf by identifying, training, developing, funding and supporting the nation’s most promising junior players.”

Cobra AeroJet Driver Review - PGAPappas Giveaway Winner Guest Review

You guys know I only review products and gear that stand out as special in my testing.  We also have chats in DMs and in posts about the reviews and gear and it's always incredibly gratifying to help you find new equipment and gear that works best for you.

And this guest review of the new Cobra AeroJet driver by Aaron Jansen is what it's all about for me.  I'm not sure a new driver can get any better for Aaron.  Aaron won this driver in one of my giveaways recently and says "I was 30 yards longer (than his previous driver) on the long drives (with AeroJet).  Insane."  And that's a direct quote.

Titleist Introduces Scotty Cameron Concept X 7.2 LTD Putter

Scotty Cameron introduces the new Concept X 7.2 LTD putter, a limited-release offering that combines the performance of the Phantom X 7 with a tour-inspired plumbing neck.

Played by winners on both the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour, the Concept X 7.2 LTD design delivers the stability and alignment features of a mallet putter with the toe-flow of a blade. The high-MOI mallet, precision milled in the U.S., is complemented by its Tour Black finish and cherry dot sight line to create an elegant, high-performance limited creation.

36th U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship Fact Sheet

The 36th U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur Championship kicks off this week from Stonewall.

Stonewall, located in the hills of Chester County, 50 miles northwest of Philadelphia, offers two Tom Doak-designed 18-hole championship courses. Both courses have hosted multiple prestigious local, state and national golf tournaments and have served as qualifying sites for the U.S. Open. The 36th U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur will be played on the North Course, which opened in 2003 and features challenging green complexes that require an exacting short game.