Céline Boutier delighted the home crowds with an opening 7-under 65 that handed her a three-shot lead at the Olympic women’s golf competition.
With big galleries gathered for the first round at Le Golf National on Wednesday, world No. 7 Boutier was inspired as she recorded eight birdies and one bogey to make a dream start in her medal pursuit. Her total equalled the lowest first-round score at the Olympics, matching efforts by Ariya Jutanugarn in 2016 and Madelene Sagstrom at Tokyo 2020.
At the midway point of 2024, U.S. rounds are trending 2% ahead of the midyear total from 2023 — a year during which more rounds of golf were played at U.S. courses than any time in history.
It might seem like a modest year-over year change, but the bigger picture reveals the demand for recreational golf continues to reside in record territory. And the numbers continue to reinforce that the industry is enjoying a “new normal” when it comes to play.
Two rounds of stroke play weren’t enough to decide the match-play bracket for the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla.
The action on Wednesday teed off with a 20-for-10 playoff, the largest in U.S. Women’s Amateur history, which lasted just two holes but did extend two hours. Only one of the playoff winners – University of Southern California’s rising sophomore Bailey Shoemaker – advanced from the opening Round of 64 to Thursday’s Round 32.
3’s, the innovative new concept in golf entertainment that combines accessible Par-3 golf with cutting-edge hospitality, has purchased an existing par-3 course in Charlotte, North Carolina for its latest location. Pebble Creek Golf Course in Indian Trail will undergo extensive renovation, bringing the 3’s concept of fun, food and par-3 golf to one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the United States.
An opening of the new 3’s Charlotte location is planned for the latter half of 2025.
I told you last week that new PXG GEN7 irons, Black Ops irons, and Sugar Daddy III wedges are coming. And I'll have a fitting soon and give you all the details on how each of these new clubs perform.
This article however is a deep dive into the new PXG tech and testing of the GEN7 irons (I'll have similar articles for the Black Ops irons and Sugar Daddy III wedges) because these truly might be the most advanced irons PXG has designed to date. PXG is saying these are the greatest leap forward in irons technology and performance in PXG history.
The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics mark the third Games golf has been contested since it was reintroduced in 2016.
V1 Sports, the pioneer in swing video analysis solutions for coaches and athletes, has introduced its latest coaching app, V1 COACH.
Tuesday marked the conclusion of stroke play at the 124th U.S. Women’s Amateur and marked the hottest day of the year in Tulsa, Okla., with temperatures hitting 104 degrees just after 4 p.m. local time. Players not only faced the challenge of a USGA setup on a course known for its difficult test and even tougher greens, but the relentless sun pushed those in the afternoon wave through an intense test of endurance and skill.
But as the championship enters the 64-player match play portion of the event at Southern Hills Country Club, it’s clear the cream has risen to the top. Twelve of the 13 top 25 players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking/WAGR® who entered the week survived the cut, with the last – Amanda Sambach – currently in the playoff for the remaining spots in match play. The top 10 after stroke play includes two USGA champions in Asterisk Talley and Kiara Romero, an Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion in Anna Davis, the highest ranked player in the field in Zoe Campos and the reigning champion of the Women’s Amateur Championship conducted by The R&A in Melanie Green.
The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced that the U.S. National Development Program (USNDP) Grant Application is now open for 2025. Launched last year, the program aims to mitigate barriers of cost to promising junior golfers who demonstrate both financial need and the potential to progress through the USNDP pathway.
“The future of competitive American golf not only depends on our ability to identify and nurture our country’s next generation of top talent, but to also invest in those athletes,” said Heather Daly-Donofrio, USGA managing director of player relations and development. “There are countless golfers with the talent and ambition to compete at the highest level but need help bridging the financial gap, and we’re thrilled to offer that support and be a resource for many exceptional young people as they pursue their dreams.
Supreme Golf (www.supremegolf.com), a leader in booking online tee times, announced today a partnership with Folds of Honor, a foundation that provides academic scholarships to the spouses and children of fallen or disabled military service members and first responders.
The round-up campaign, which is active now, encourages anyone reserving a tee time online or via its mobile app to round up the cost of the booking. The round up will be processed at checkout. All additional money will provide a donation to Folds of Honor.
It comes as no surprise that birdies were hard to find during the first round of the 124th U.S. Women’s Amateur, given Southern Hills Country Club has long been renowned for its demanding test of golf. The last major championship played at the iconic Tulsa, Okla., venue was the 2022 PGA Championship, won by Justin Thomas with a final score of 5-under par. It’s the highest winning score of a PGA Championship over the last 16 years.
In what is the USGA’s tenth trip to Southern Hills, and first since the 2009 U.S. Amateur, Monday’s championship play saw just eight of the 156 players in the field finish the day under par, with an average score of 76.5.
Scottie Scheffler produced a spectacular 9-under 62 at Le Golf National on Sunday, equaling the course record and emerging from a star-studded leaderboard to win gold at the Olympic men’s golf competition.
On a thrilling final day in the outskirts of Paris, the American was flawless from start to finish, reaching 19-under 265 as he surged to victory, highlighted by an impressive back-nine 29 to underline his status as the world No. 1.
Leta Lindley, who had knocked on the door twice at the U.S. Senior Women’s Open, finally gained entry to the winner’s circle on Sunday with a sizzling final-round, 7-under-par 64 at demanding Fox Chapel Golf Club to win the championship by two strokes over Kaori Yamamoto. Lindley’s 72-hole winning score was 9-under-par 275.
Beginning the final round five strokes behind Yamamoto, who led after each previous round, Lindley made birdies on five of the first eight holes to pull two strokes ahead. By the time play entered the treacherous back nine, Lindley was at 7 under par and Yamamoto at 6 under with no one else closer than five strokes, essentially becaming a two-woman race down the stretch.
Among the things in plenty of supply at the 6th U.S. Senior Women’s Open – along with talent – is experience. These women have seen it all, and that knowledge was helpful on Saturday when dangerous weather at Fox Chapel Golf Club halted third round play for three hours. When play resumed, Kaori Yamamoto ran into some choppy water but ended 54 holes at 7-under-par 206, five strokes ahead of a ton of experience.
Yamamoto, who has played the Japan LPGA and Japan Legends Tour combined for three decades, relied on her experience to hold off a pair of World Golf Hall of Fame members: Annika Sorenstam, a four-time USGA champion, and Juli Inkster who has five USGA trophies at home, plus Leta Lindley, who has been runner-up in the last two U.S. Senior Women’s Opens and Mikino Kubo. They are all five back at 211.
Xander Schauffele holds a share of the lead alongside Spain’s Jon Rahm ahead of the final round of the Olympic men’s golf competition as he looks to win back-to-back gold medals.
The American arrived at his second appearance at the Games on the back of winning The Open Championship two weeks ago and has continued his excellent form at Le Golf National.
