13-Year-Old Zhao Fires 67 at Chambers Bay to Lead U.S. Women’s Amateur

A common adage is that the golf ball doesn’t know the age of the person hitting it. That certainly applies to the first round of the 122nd U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship at Chambers Bay, where Alice Ziyi Zhao, the second-youngest player in the field at 13 years/6 months, shot a 6-under-par 67 to take a one-stroke lead.

This is the first USGA championship for Zhao, who was born in Shenyang, China, and now lives in Irvine, Calif. She showed no sign of nerves, however. Starting on No. 10, Zhao carded six birdies over her first nine holes to make the turn in 30. She cooled off a bit after that with an even-par score on her inward nine but still topped a field of 156 that includes USGA champions, Curtis Cup Team members and players who have competed at the highest levels of the game.

AIG Women's Open - Muirfield Golf Club Players Yardage and Green Book

History was made this week when Muirfield hosted the Women's Open for the first time.  And on Sunday this fabled Scottish links course will crown it's first woman champion.  Since golf was first played here in 1891, Muirfield has hosted 16 men's Open Championships.

Only five years ago members voted in favor of accepting women members, a sign of traditions moving with the times.  And to get you ready for AIG Championship Sunday, I've got the exact same yardage and green books the players are using this week at Muirfield.

A Grand Slam for Golf Spikes

The newest Champion Golfer of the Year charged through the back nine on Sunday to secure his first major.  The winner was wearing his FootJoy Premier shoes with a combination of the flexible Pulsar spike made by Softspikes and the aggressive metal Pro-Stinger spike made by CHAMP. This combination gave the Champion the best of both worlds in terms of comfort and performance.

With a win at The Open Championship, Softspikes and CHAMP can confirm that replacement golf spikes have been worn by each Major Champion of the 2022 season. A Grand Slam.

True Spec North Georgia to Open at Cartersville Country Club

True Spec North Georgia will feature a premier indoor-to-outdoor fitting space with a short game area and a state-of-the-art fitting bay utilizing Foresight GCQuad technology. In addition, the premium facility will offer True Spec’s brand-agnostic fitting matrix of over 50,000 clubhead and shaft combinations, including every major equipment manufacturer.

Each club will be custom built at True Spec’s Scottsdale headquarters to the exact specifications derived from the fitting process. This helps its master fitters find the best equipment to improve your golf game.

TravisMathew Elevates Partnership with Southern California PGA

The Southern California Section of the PGA of America (SCPGA) is excited to announce the continuation and expansion of their partnership with California-based, premier lifestyle apparel brand, TravisMathew through December 2024.

Founded in 2007, the TravisMathew brand draws its inspiration from the culture and lifestyle of Southern California’s surf, sand, and sun. As a premier lifestyle brand, TravisMathew has created versatile, everyday apparel that seamlessly transitions from work to play.

Stouffer Joins Canadian Club of U.S. Senior Women's ​​​​​​​Amateur Champions

In one of the most dominant performances in championship history, Shelly Stouffer breezed through the bracket to win the 60th U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur at Anchorage Golf Course. Stouffer put an exclamation point on the week with a resounding 4-and-3 victory over Sue Wooster in the final to become the fourth Canadian to win the title.

Moments after Wooster missed an 8-foot birdie putt on the 15th, Stouffer, 52, of Nanoose Bay in the province of British Columbia, calmly rolled in a 3-footer for par to end the match. She raised her arms in celebration and hugged her 15-year-old son, Brett, who caddied for her throughout the championship in Alaska. It was an emotional end to a fulfilling week, the winning moment made all the more special because they could share it together.

Wooster to Face Stouffer in All-International Senior Women’s Am Final

Sue Wooster and Shelly Stouffer each won two matches on Wednesday to earn their spots in the championship match of the 60th U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur at Anchorage Golf Course.

Wooster authored a remarkable rally in her semifinal match against Christie Blasi, surging back from 3 down on the front nine to win, 3 and 2, to advance to the final for the third time in four years. Stouffer continued to cruise through the bracket, pulling away from Kathy Hartwiger in the semis with three straight winning pars (Nos. 12-14) to defeat the 2002 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion, 4 and 3.

Bring Tiger Woods into Your Living Room with the New Bridgestone Golf Experience

Bridgestone Golf, the #1 Ball-Fitter in Golf, has announced the introduction of the BRIDGESTONE GOLF EXPERIENCE, a way to bring Tiger Woods and other Bridgestone TOUR players directly into your living room, pro shop, or clubhouse. With the BRIDGESTONE GOLF EXPERIENCE, consumers can utilize an augmented reality web application on their smart phone to see and hear Bridgestone Tour Staff members talk about the TOUR B model they play and learn why it might be a good fit for them.

“At Bridgestone we’re all about pushing the envelope of innovation,” said Elliot Mellow, Golf Ball Marketing Manager at Bridgestone Golf. “The new Bridgestone Golf Experience is a perfect example of this philosophy – players who try the new web app will be amazed at the quality of the experience while also being directed to the best TOUR B model for their game.”

PAYNTR Golf Announces Strategic Partnership with UK Based Specialist Sports

PAYNTR GOLF has announced their partnership with Specialist Sports, a leading performance sports distribution and brand marketing agency based in the United Kingdom, as PAYNTR GOLF continues its rapid expansion across Europe.

The partnership will see Specialist Sports provide PAYNTR GOLF with expert sales strategy and distribution services opening the brand to new key golf markets. PAYNTR GOLF burst onto the golf footwear scene in March 2021 by identifying the needs of the golfer through research and analysis to develop their products to act as equipment.

USGA Announces Tee Times for 122nd U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship

The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced tee times for the first two rounds of the 122nd U.S. Women's Amateur Championship, on Monday (Aug. 8) and Tuesday (Aug. 9), at 6,541-yard, par-73 Chambers Bay.

The U.S. Women’s Amateur consists of 36 holes of stroke play on Aug. 8 and 9, after which the 132-player field will be reduced to the low 64 scorers. There will be six rounds of match play, starting Aug. 10. The championship is scheduled to conclude with a 36-hole final on Sunday, Aug. 14, beginning at 9 a.m. PDT.

Motocaddy Signs Tour Star Amy Boulden

Motocaddy, the world’s biggest-selling electric cart brand, has signed Welsh Ladies European Tour star, Amy Boulden as a global brand ambassador to promote its award-winning range of caddies and rangefinder products to a growing female audience.

Following one of the most successful amateur careers in Welsh golfing history, including representing Europe in the Junior Ryder Cup and Junior Solheim Cup, plus Great Britain and Ireland in the 2012 Curtis Cup, Boulden turned professional in 2013 and has two career wins to her name. In September 2020, she claimed her first victory on the LET with a three-stroke victory at the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open.

Garsen Grips Partners with Finau Foundation after Back to Back Wins

Capping off the best 12 months of his career, the Utah native fired a final round 5-under 67 to claim back to back PGA Tour wins at the Rocket Mortgage Classic while using a Garsen Ultimate grip. The champion has now claimed 4 PGA Tour wins all using a Garsen grip. Adding to the LPGA Evian Championship victory last weekend, this totals 56 tour wins for Garsen.

Garsen Golf has now partnered with the Tony Finau Foundation to offer a Finau Foundation logo’d Garsen putter grip. A portion of each sale will be donated to Tony’s Foundation.

USGA Taps Brae Burn Country Club For Two Women’s Amateur Championships

The USGA has announced that Brae Burn Country Club, in West Newton, Mass., has been selected as the host site for the 2024 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship and the 2028 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. The club has previously hosted seven USGA championships, including the 1919 U.S. Open.

“We’re thrilled to return to Brae Burn, a classic golf course, and to return to Boston, which has proven to be one of the finest sports cities in America,” said Mark Hill, USGA senior managing director, Championships. “We know the membership at Brae Burn will provide an exemplary experience for our players as they compete for these two national championship titles.”

Mitsubishi Golf Captures Daily Double with Wins on PGA Tour and DP World Tour

Mitsubishi Golf captured the Daily Double on Sunday with victories on both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.

Tony Finau won won the Rocket Mortgage Classic and averaged 309 yards off the tee using a Mitsubishi Diamana D-LTD 70 shaft in his Ping driver and Mitsubishi Diamana D-LTD 80 shaft in his Callaway 3 wood.  Finau also hit 82-percent of the fairways in regulation for the tournament.

Cowan (147) Edges Stouffer for U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Medalist Honors in Anchorage

Lynne Cowan is a golf lifer. She has been a mainstay in USGA championships for nearly 40 years and is practically royalty in Northern California circuits, having won dozens of titles in the state.

On Sunday she added one more accolade – medalist honors in the 60th U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur – bringing her one step closer to the prize she covets most: a USGA championship title.

Wenyi Ding Wins 74th U.S. Junior Amateur Championship ​​​​​​​at Bandon Dunes, Earns U.S. Open Exemption

For the first time in its history, the U.S. Junior Amateur Trophy is headed to the People’s Republic of China. Wenyi Ding, 17, who built an 8-up lead with eight holes to play, held on to defeat Caleb Surratt, 18, of Indian Trail, N.C., 3 and 2, on Saturday in the 36-hole final of the 74th edition of this USGA championship at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.

Ding becomes the third player – and first male – from mainland China to win a USGA title. He joins Alice (Fumie) Jo and Lei Ye, who captured the 2014 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links and the 2019 U.S. Girls’ Junior, respectively. Ding also becomes the fifth international champion of the U.S. Junior, joining three players from the Republic of Korea (Terry Noe, Sihwan Kim and Andy Bo Hyeon Shim) and Min Woo Lee, of Australia. Three years ago, Bo Jin of China lost in the title match to Preston Summerhays.

Defending Champ Tennant Among Quartet Tied for Lead at U.S. Senior Women's Amateur

History was made at 7 a.m. AKDT when Pamela Chesla hit the opening tee ball of the 60th U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur. The Hope, Alaska, resident’s drive marked the first time a shot had been struck in a USGA championship in the Last Frontier, and with the beginning of play, Alaska became the 50th state to host a USGA championship.

While the venue and host state were new, the leader board had a familiar feel with three-time defending champion Lara Tennant at the top. She is joined at 2-over-par 74 by two-time runner-up Sue Wooster, 2019 quarterfinalist Lynne Cowan and championship newcomer Sherry Soto at the 5,762-yard Anchorage Golf Course.

The PGAPappas Podcast - Episode 1: Eugenio Chacarra

You knew it was coming.  You've been asking me for it.  And I'm pumped to finally tell you... The PGAPappas Podcast is officially here.

My guest for Episode 1 is LIV Golf sensation Eugenio Chacarra, and I think you're going to absolutely love listening to this one.  Eugenio calls it how he sees it and is a really fascinating player and personality.

Luke Potter Defeats High School Teammate to Reach U.S. Junior Amateur Quarterfinals at Bandon Dunes

They are high school teammates, best friends, fellow club members and residents of the same San Diego-area neighborhood. When asked, Luke Potter and Caden Pinckes estimated that they have played “in the thousands” of rounds together.

No previous match was bigger than the one they played on a breezy Thursday afternoon on the southwest Oregon coast. Potter, 18, of Encinitas, Calif., rolled past his Classical Academy teammate, 7 and 5, in the Round of 16 of the 74th U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.

PXG and Professional Wisecracker Rob Riggle Team Up in New Web Series Playing Around with Rob Riggle

PXG, the fun-loving, performance-focused golf equipment and apparel company, announced Rob Riggle as its newest ambassador. The multi-talented actor, comedian, writer, producer, director, retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel, and golf nut will officially represent PXG on the golf course and collaborate in creating top-shelf content.

Riggle's first project with PXG is a six-part web series, Playing Around with Rob Riggle. Click here to watch the teaser!