New Zealand’s Lydia Ko Completes Gold Medal Mission at Paris Olympics

New Zealand’s Lydia Ko can now boast a complete set of Olympic medals after adding the missing gold medal to her collection Saturday at Le Golf National. Rounding out the podium were Germany’s Esther Henseleit with silver and China’s Xiyu Lin with bronze.

The 27-year-old Ko, who started the day tied for the lead, fired a 1-under 71 in the final round to finish at 10-under 278. Her lead stretched to as much as five shots after turning in 2-under 34, but she opened the door to the rest of the field following a double bogey at the par-4 13th. Ko rebounded with four straight pars before dropping a birdie at the last, not only securing the gold medal but also the elusive final point she needed to secure entry into the LPGA Hall of Fame.

FootJoy Pro SLX BOA Golf Shoes Review - PGAPappas Guest Review

This guest review is from Chuck (@chpar453 on twitter) on his new FootJoy Pro SLX BOA Golf Shoes.  Chuck won these shoes as a listener in my PGAPappas Podcast with BOA Senior Director of Biomechanics and Research, Dan Feeney

And suffice to say, Chuck likes these a lot.  Chuck says the Pro SLX are "the most stable golf shoes I have ever worn."  It was also his first time wearing BOA and he now says, "I will not wear another golf shoe without BOA going forward."

USGA Announces Tee Times for 124th U.S. Amateur Championship

The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced tee times for the first two rounds of the 124th U.S. Amateur Championship, Monday (Aug. 12) and Tuesday (Aug. 13), at 7,552-yard, par-72 Hazeltine National Golf Club and at 6,804-yard, par-70 Chaska Town Course, in Chaska, Minn.



The U.S. Amateur consists of 36 holes of stroke play on Aug. 12 and 13, after which the 312-player field will be reduced to the low 64 scorers. Six rounds of match play begin on Aug. 14and the championship concludes with a 36-hole championship match on Aug. 18, starting at 7:15 a.m. CDT. The U.S. Amateur champion receives a full exemption into the 2025 U.S. Open Championship, 2025 Open Championship, and a likely invitation to the 2025 Masters Tournament. 



Lydia Ko, Morgane Metraux Locked at the Top Ahead of Final Round at Paris Olympics

New Zealand’s Lydia Ko boosted her bid to complete the full set of Olympic medals as she moved into a share of the lead with Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux after the third round of the women’s golf competition.

The two-time major winner appeared set to hold the outright lead with one day to play until surprise act and playing partner Metraux produced an eagle at the par-five 18^th to join her at 9 under after 54 holes. 

Adidas Tour360 24 Golf Shoes Review - PGAPappas Guest Review

Here's another great guest review from a winner in my recent PGAPappas Adidas Golf Giveaway.  This one comes from Ty (@over7par on X) on his new Adidas Tour360 24 Golf Shoes.

Ty owns a lot of golf shoes so he's a bit of an expert by his own admission.  And he says the Tour360 24 might be "the best golf shoes he's ever worn."

124th U.S. Women's Amateur - Meet the Quarterfinalists

We’re down to the final eight players in the US Women’s Amateur.

Here’s a closer look at the quarterfinalists.

Talley, Davis, Malixi, Marin Among Final 8 at Southern Hills

The longest day of play at the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur featured a mix of runaway wins and tightly contested matches as both the Rounds of 32 and 16 were held on Thursday at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla.

Eight players have emerged from the pack, including a pair of quarterfinalists from last year’s championship, a rising star (who’s only a high school sophomore) and five of the top-10 seeds from stroke play. 

PXG Adds New, Ultra Forgiving Game Improvement Black Ops Irons to Its Celebrated Irons Lineup

PXG rounds out its irons offering with the official release of PXG® 0311® GEN7 Irons and all-new game-improvement PXG Black Ops® Irons. The game-changing lineup, which features technology and performance taken to the limit, is now available through PXG Stores, over the phone, and online.

Founded in 2013, PXG notably changed the irons game with the introduction of PXG 0311 Irons. The hollow-body, injection-molded irons ushered in a new era of clubs that prioritized feel, forgiveness, and fit for golfers at every level of the game.

New Sugar Daddy III Wedges Introduce Sole Options for Every Playing Condition

PXG, a global research and development company dedicated to creating the world’s finest golf equipment and apparel, has introduced all-new PXG® Sugar Daddy® III Wedges. Expertly crafted, these meticulously 100% milled wedges boast a precise construction, an innovative wide groove pattern, and three sole designs to grant ultimate control and accuracy in any playing condition.

“From first look, it is obvious that Sugar Daddy III Wedges are something special—the craftsmanship is impeccable,” PXG Founder and CEO Bob Parsons stated. “From the first swing, there is no doubt that these babies will get you up and down from any lie and in any condition. They are sweet!”

Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux Rides Record 28 to Second-Round Lead at Le Golf National

Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux charged out of the gates on Thursday at Le Golf National, recording an Olympic nine-hole record of 8-under 28 and hung on through a bumpy 2-under back nine to seize the lead after Round 2 of the Olympic women’s golf competition.

After starting her day with a birdie at the first, the 27-year-old Metraux went on a tear, starting with an eagle at the par-5 third and then reeling off three straight birdies on Nos. 4-6. She capped her front nine with her second eagle of the day, dropping a putt from 15 feet, 7 inches to turn in 28 and record the best nine-hole score in both the men’s and women’s Olympic golf competitions to date.

124th U.S. Amateur Championship Inside The Field

There are 312 golfers in the 2024 U.S. Amateur Championship field.

 Here’s a closer look.

Home favourite Céline Boutier stars to Lead After Day One at Le Golf National

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. 

NGF Mid-Year Rounds Update: Peak Play Numbers

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.

124th U.S. Amateur Championship Fact Sheet

Hazeltine National will be set up at 7,552 yards and will play to a par of 36-36–72. 

Chaska Town Course, which will serve as the stroke-play co-host course for the two rounds of stroke play, will be set up at 6,804 yards and play to a par of 35-35–70. (NOTE: Yardages subject to change.)

Medalist Advances, Defending Champion Falls as Top Seeds Shine in Round of 64

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 Expanding into Charlotte with the Purchase of Course in Indian Trail

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. 

USGA Invests in Record Number of Internships

Recognizing a growing interest in golf-related careers, the USGA is helping funnel emerging talent to a broad range of job opportunities that exist in the game.

In total, the USGA supported 323 interns in 2024 – a number that is nearly equal to that of the USGA’s current full-time workforce – reflecting the organization’s focus on career development to foster a stronger, more welcoming game. As part of that commitment, the USGA directed recruiting efforts toward reaching individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and communities. 

New PXG 0311 P and 0311 XP GEN7 Irons Tech Story and Testing

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.

Women's Olympic Golf Competition Notes

The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics mark the third Games golf has been contested since it was reintroduced in 2016.

Prior to 2016, women’s golf was contested in the Olympics twice in the early 1900s (1900 and 1904).

V1 Sports Launches Brand New V1 COACH App

V1 Sports, the pioneer in swing video analysis solutions for coaches and athletes, has introduced its latest coaching app, V1 COACH.

The brand new iOS and Android app adds new AI features to golf’s leading swing video analysis tools, which are designed to save coaches time and energy in managing their business, allowing them to focus more on developing strong player relationships and delivering world-class instruction.