fbpx

Proper golf grip – get your hands right!

Simple steps for getting your hands on right

I see a lot of amateurs approach the golf grip with a lot of tension. Many are holding the club too tightly. I notice it most when they try to waggle. The movement looks stiff and short.
To swing correctly, the right amount of grip pressure—and where you apply it—is important. You should feel the club being supported by the last three fingers of your left hand (above, left). Those fingers should grip the firmest. My longtime teacher, the late Stan Thirsk, used to remind me to keep the club in the fingers of my left hand and never let it slip into the palm.
In the right hand, the middle two fingers do most of the work. The forefinger and thumb of the right hand should feel relaxed. In fact, I’ve seen many great players, including Ben Hogan and Fred Couples, practice with those two fingers clear off the club (above, right).
Back to waggling. With softer grip pressure, your waggle will be looser and will help relax your hands and arms. During the swing, the right hand should be free enough to fire the clubhead through the hitting area.
When it comes to your golf grip, how tight is too tight? Here’s an exercise: Next time you practice, try backing off with your grip pressure until the club is almost falling out of your hands. Then firm it up just enough so you can control the club. That likely is your ideal grip pressure. Will it feel lighter? I’m guessing it will.
Tom Watson is a Golf Digest Teaching Professional.
SOURCE:  GolfDigest
/by

Escape almost any sloppy condition

Wet lie? Here’s how to play it (and when to drop)

Use your bunker technique to escape almost any sloppy condition

Everybody has seen the tour player roll up his pant legs and get down into the hazard to try to play a ball that’s partially submerged.

Luckily, most situations aren’t quite that dire — but you do need to know how to account for a wet, muddy lie around the green. If you don’t, you’re going to hit more than your share of fat or bladed shots.

The secret? Don’t let the leading edge of your sand wedge get caught up in the muck, says short-game guru and 50 Best Teacher Stan Utley.

“Out of fear, a lot of players swing too easy, which will usually cause you to duff it,” says Utley. “From these lies, you should be thinking about playing a standard bunker shot.”

To do it, you need to unhinge your wrists aggressively on the downswing while keeping your right palm pointed upward — the key to keeping the bounce on the bottom of the club aimed at the ground. If you swing too slowly or let your wrists turn over, you’ll catch the leading edge in that wet muck and you’ll probably move the ball ten feet.

The feel? Like you’re skipping a rock across the surface of a pond.

Speaking of wet, how deep is too deep when the ball is partially submerged in water? If a quarter of the ball is above the surface, it’s possible to get it out–but you’re going to get wet. Wear rain gear, and swing hard.

SOURCE:  GolfDigest

/by

Suzann Pettersen can boast of having one of the most epic retirements an athlete could imagine.

A happily retired Suzann Pettersen talks about her Solheim Cup-winning putt and walking away from pro golf

Suzann Pettersen can boast of having one of the most epic retirements an athlete could imagine. Chosen, controversially, as a captain’s pick for the 2019 European Solheim Cup team, the 38-year-old Norwegian got her game back in shape after taking nearly two years away from competitive golf. During that time, she and her husband welcomed their first child, Herman. On that September Sunday at Gleneagles, Pettersen’s singles match against American Marina Alex was the last on the course with Europe and the U.S. tied 13½-13½. Both golfers had birdie putts, and when Alex missed hers from 10 feet, Pettersen’s six-footer had the entire three-day affair riding on it. When her ball fell in the cup, Pettersen dropped her putter, clenching both fists and threw her head up towards the sky. Her teammates and fans rushed the 18th green. When the mayhem eventually subsided, and the European team came into the media center to discuss the thrilling afternoon, Europe’s hero announced her retirement from professional golf, ending a 19-year career.

Roughly two months later, Pettersen sat down with Golf Digest the week of the CME Group Tour Championship to relive the historic moment and look back on her impressive career that included 15 LPGA Tour wins, two majors, nine Solheim Cup appearances and four Cup wins.

See the full question and answer here

SOURCE:  GolfDigest

/by

Here’s a look at our top golf equipment stories of 2019

The 9 most interesting golf equipment stories of 2019

Any time a year comes to its conclusion it offers the opportunity to reflect on what occurred over the preceding 12 months. As it relates to the golf equipment scene on the professional tours, 2019 had no shortage of newsworthy stories. Hot drivers and the methods used to test them continued to be a controversial topic, specifically at the Open Championship where there was a visible split between some tour players and the governing bodies over the protocols used. Spicy drivers, however, were only a fraction of the equipment news. Players breaking clubs, losing clubs, using too many golf balls or not having enough of them caused confusion and consternation among those involved. And then there were the numerous equipment escapades of the “Golf Scientist,” Bryson DeChambeau. With that, here’s a look at our top golf equipment stories of 2019.

Driver testing at the Open Championship
Driver testing is a behind-the-scenes process that is usually a non-event. That changed when a handful of the 30 players who had their clubs tested prior to the Open Championship at Royal Portrush in July saw some fail the test. Among those players was Xander Schauffele, who went public with his displeasure at the process. Schauffele’s beef that it was selective and needed more discretion was legitimate, but the testing brought to light the fact that some drivers being used on tour that were originally “legal” were unintentionally becoming nonconforming over time due to usage. Soon thereafter the PGA Tour implemented mandatory driver testing at several events, with a few drivers caught speeding at the Safeway Open. To what extent there is an issue remains to be seen, but it’s a story to follow in 2020.

Bryson DeChambeau’s many changes
You can’t have a list of top equipment stories without Bryson DeChambeau. Normally known for having all his irons the length of a 7-iron, DeChambeau became more focused on other aspects of his equipment in 2019. At the WGC-Mexico Championship, DeChambeau changed to Bridgestone’s Tour B XS ball and waxed on about the effect of atmospheric conditions on a golf ball. Prior to the Masters, he changed all the shafts in his irons and wedges. Later in the year, at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, he put graphite shafts in all 14 clubs, which is believed to be a first for a PGA Tour player. Finally, at the Hero World Challenge, DeChambeau put into play a 4.8-degree driver. And what about the One Length irons? They hardly got a mention with everything else going on.

Bryson DeChambeau
David Cannon

Eddie Pepperell running out of golf balls
OK, we’ve all been there. Out on the course enduring a rough patch and worrying about running out of ammo. Heck, Tiger Woods nearly did it at the 2000 U.S. Open. Unfortunately for Eddie Pepperell, the worst fears actually came true during the third round of the Turkish Airlines Open in November. In rapid fashion, Pepperell launched balls into a pond until his bag was empty, and he was ultimately disqualified. Said playing companion Martin Kaymer, “Eddie hit his shots to the green, then came over to tell us he had run out of balls. He did not ask if he could borrow one [allowable if the same model]. It did not look like he wanted to play. He did not putt with his putter on the third hole; he putted with a wedge. So there was a lot happening. I have never seen anything like that before. I only watched it on television, in ‘Tin Cup.’ This is the first time I have seen it live.” Us, too.

RELATED: The 21 (yes, 21!) most painful rules incidents of 2019

Russell Henley runs afoul of the one-ball rule
While Pepperell was DQ’d for not having enough golf balls, Russell Henley got an eight-stroke penalty for using too many. After the second round of the Mayakoba Golf Classic in October, Henley dug into his bag to get a few balls to sign and hand out to fans. In doing so, he noticed he had accidentally used a ball other than a Titleist Pro V1x during his round—a no-no under the PGA Tour’s one-ball rule that requires a player use the same make and model of ball throughout a round. Henley went to a rules official and explained he had used the different ball for four holes. The penalty: two strokes for each hole, turning his 69 into a 77 and a missed cut.

Steve Stricker’s venerable sticks, unusual endorsement deal
Steve Stricker went back in time—in golf equipment terms, way back in time—in putting his old Titleist 755 Forged irons, a set that debuted in 2006, in the bag at the Memorial. Stricker used the clubs a few weeks later to win the U.S. Senior Open, saying, “I’ve been trying to find some clubs and equipment that I like, and so I went back to an old set that feels really good. That’s part of it, too, I think. I’m swinging at it a little bit more confidently, feeling good with what I have in my hand.” Stricker’s putter is a golf artifact as well, an Odyssey White Hot 2 he first played at the 2006 Shell Houston Open. Two days after winning the Senior Open, Stricker signed one of the most unusual endorsement deals in golf with Odyssey. The pact called for no signage on his hat, bag or anywhere for that matter. Just that he continue to use a putter nearly 15 years old, which is right up his alley.

Steve Stricker
Stacy Revere

Harold Varner busted for assembling his driver on course
Harold Varner’s Players Championship got off to a rough start when, prior to his opening round, his driver cracked on the practice range. As such, Varner started his round with 13 clubs and intended to have another driver brought out to him, allowable under the rules. But Varner wanted to use the same shaft that was in his gamer. This too is allowable so long as the assembly of the club takes place off the course. That’s where things went wrong. After leaving the shaft back at the tee, hoping to have his agent pick it up and assemble the club before bringing it out to him, a walking scorer took the shaft out to Varner on the course. When the driver head was brought out, too, the club was assembled on the course in violation of the rule, costing Varner a two-shot penalty.

RELATED: Golf World’s Newsmakers of the Year for 2019

Tommy Fleetwod’s eBay bargain putter
Like most golfers going through a rough stretch on the greens, Tommy Fleetwood was ready for a putter change at the Omega European Masters in September. The new putter, however, turned out to be an old putter that his caddie, Ian Finnis, purchased off eBay for £90 ($109) in January. It was a birthday gift for Fleetwood, who used a similar model growing up. Fleetwood put the Odyssey DFX 2-Ball Blade in play and needed just 21 putts in the opening round. He continued to play well the rest of the week, finishing T-8 to earn the equivalent of £45,674—a pretty good return on Finnis’ original investment.

Tommy Fleetwood
Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

Patrick Reed snapping wedge over his knee at the U.S. Open
Varner’s broken driver was an accident. Patrick Reed’s demolition of a wedge at the U.S. Open was intentional for all the world to see. On the final hole of his second round at Pebble Beach, Reed hit a pitch shot long from behind the green then flubbed his next shot. That’s when Reed went full Bo Jackson (or Henrik Stenson) and snapped the shaft of the wedge over his knee. Reed somehow went on to get the next shot close enough to make the putt for double bogey and make the cut, but he needed a new wedge for the weekend.

FOX Sports: Golf

✔@GolfonFOX

Patrick Reed snaps his club over his leg on No. 18… 😳

Embedded video

936

Twitter Ads info and privacy
349 people are talking about this

Lost clubs of LPGA Tour players
It was a rough year for the transport of clubs used by LPGA Tour players. In February, en route to the Honda LPGA in Thailand, a number of players including Paula Creamer, Sandra Gal, Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Brittany Lincicome had their sticks fail to get to their destination on a Cathay Pacific flight. In March, In-Kyung Kim learned her missing clubs were actually up for sale on eBay after supposedly being lost on an American Airlines flight. In July, Ryann O’Toole’s clubs failed to make it to France for the Evian Championship. When pleading her case to a British Airways agent, the agent ignorantly asked, “Can’t you just use a rental set?” And in September, two Solheim Cup players, Angel Yin and Shadoff (tough year for her) had airlines lose their fully-loaded travel bags. Luckily all the players were eventually reunited with their clubs.

SOURCE:  GolfDigest

/by

Register or Renew your Handicap for the 2020 Golf Season

It is that time of year again…

GSGA Handicap Fees for 2020 are due before the end of February.

You can save money by purchasing/renewing your GSGA Handicap through Honey Creek Golf and Country Club.

The discounted GSGA handicap fees can also be paid/renewed (in person) through the Honey Creek G&CC Golf Shop.

     Country Club Member · $30.00

     Anniversary and Non-Member · $35.00

REGISTER ONLINE – CLICK HERE

Call the Golf Shop for more information 770-483-6343 option 1.

Country Club members with current GSGA:   The GSGA handicap renewal will be charged automatically to your account unless we are contacted with other instructions.

*GSGA dues paid online at GSGA.org are $40 for adults & $20 for juniors

/by

Have you already booked your golfing trip for 2020?

 

(Bloomberg) — Golf architecture, to use today’s jargon, is in its 2.0 phase. Fewer courses are being built than during the boom of the 2000s, but what we are getting now are leaner, cleaner, and, at least environmentally speaking, greener experiences. Today’s designs have more in common with golf’s original course designs in Scotland and the British Isles than they do with the suburban country clubs at which many of us grew up playing.If you haven’t already booked your golfing trip for 2020, here are the openings that we’re most looking forward to next year—whether you prefer the coast of Oregon, the middle of Missouri, or 20 minutes from St. Andrews.

Sheep Ranch, Oregon

Perhaps no opening has been more anticipated in golf than the fifth, and final, full course at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. The remote location in Oregon has consistently ranked among the top 10 in America since the original course opened in 1999, thanks to the jaw-dropping cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Before now, the Sheep Ranch course existed mostly as legend and lore—you had to call a guy, pay him $100, and he’d open a gate to let you in—but when it opens on June 1, it’ll have the full treatment from popular design duo Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. Tight, intimate routing lets golfers play out and over cliffs along nine stunning holes hugging the coast. And there isn’t a single sand bunker to hit into. This is a case of the rich getting richer that we can all celebrate.

Payne’s Valley, Missouri

No one moves the needle in golf as Tiger Woods can. This spring, his design firm TGR will debut Payne’s Valley at the Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Mo., and it’ll be his first public course design in America. (He’s previously designed courses for Bluejack National, a private club 50 miles north of Houston, and the Diamante luxury resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.) Woods has made no secret that he takes inspiration for his own designs from Augusta National Golf Club, with its low rough, “flashy” bunkers, and playability. Like many others, Woods thinks the game needs to be faster and more user-friendly. Payne’s Valley, named in the memory of late Hall of Famer Payne Stewart, will invite an early look at Woods’s vision for doing that over a 7,300-yard layout of impeccable Ozarks terrain.

Mickelson National, Alberta

Phil Mickelson appears to be not only on the back nine of his career but on the closing holes. As he branches into social media and podcasts and increases his popularity off the greens, Mickelson’s role as a designer may be one more thing for the masses to celebrate. Mickelson National Golf Club, outside Calgary in Alberta, has been letting a few lucky golfers preview a selection of holes on the course this year. The reviews have largely been positive, touting forgiving fairways, treacherous fescue, and “blowout” bunkers. The course was built with design partner Rick Smith and offers plentiful views of Canada’s Rocky Mountains.

Dumbarnie Links, Scotland

If you’re going to build a true links course in Scotland, it had better be great. And if you’re going to build it 20 minutes from St. Andrews, it needs to be spectacular. Sitting on 345 acres on the eastern coast, Dumbarnie Links looks to be all that and more. The course features dual elevations connected by a flowing escarpment and has a mile and a half of beach and sea frontage. Plus, there’s a number of elevated tees whose holes play directly toward panoramic views of the Firth of Forth estuary.

Rancho San Lucas Golf Club, Cabo

The Greg Norman Signature Course at Rancho San Lucas is a private golf facility scheduled to open in February. Those who own real estate on the site, as well as guests of Solmar Hotels & Resorts, including the new on-site Grand Solmar at Rancho San Lucas, will have exclusive access to the course. It was created with playability in mind but still exudes fun, like the 17th hole’s island green (pictured). The links-style design travels through “three ecosystems,” exposing golfers to desert, a cactus forest, and views of the ocean from every hole.

Plantation Course, Hawaii

After the PGA Tour’s Sentry Tournament of Champions last year at Kapalua Golf in Maui, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw returned to update one of their earliest designs, focusing on ways to make it both harder for the pros and easier for the Joes (and Josephines), with wide fairways and generous greens. Plantation Course, already world-famous, keeps its grand scale, thanks to its location on the slopes of the West Maui Mountains. It offers a lot of downhill shots for those looking to hit long. The course renovation was completed in the summer and reopened late this year. The refreshed course will host the Tournament again in January, so you can see it for yourself on TV and decide if you want to book your tickets.

Memorial Park, Houston

The reopening of a municipal golf course might not ordinarily raise eyebrows, but when Tom Doak is at the helm, you take notice. The former boy wonder of golf course architecture has more than a handful of designs that rank among the world’s best, including Pacific Dunes at the Bandon Dunes resort in Oregon and Ballyneal in Colorado. Doak was retained by the Astros Golf Foundation, headed by the wife of Houston Astros owner Jim Crane, to reimagine the Memorial Park course and keep the Houston Open on the PGA Tour’s schedule. His Renaissance Golf Design team consulted with current world No. 1 Brooks Koepka on the new layout. Technically, the course opened late this year but will play in prime condition once warmer weather helps the Bermuda grass flourish.

Cabot Links, Nova Scotia

You wouldn’t book a trip for a Par 3 course alone, but one of two to watch for this year is the new Par 3 Course at the highest point of the Cabot Cliffs Course in Inverness, Nova Scotia. The 10-hole routing was designed by Rod Whitman and Dave Axland and is a prelude to other happenings at the beloved Canadian resort, which includes new residencies, a wellness center, a putting course, and a new clubhouse.

Pebble Beach, California

Likewise, if you wait until next fall to visit Pebble Beach, you’ll have the chance to play Tiger Woods’s new Par 3 course, which is to be built on the grounds of the former Peter Hay Golf Course. Woods’s TGR Design firm will begin construction immediately, though details remain scarce. Woods has said: “We at TGR Design look forward to building on and enhancing this vision with our redesign, which will incorporate more variety into the hole lengths and shot options, add more puttable areas within the green surrounds and take advantage of the spectacular ocean views.”

SOURCE:  MSN

 

/by

2019 Rules Change brings painful incidents – see all 21!

The 21 (yes, 21!) most painful rules incidents of 2019

Between Phil Mickelson hitting a ball in motion, Joel Dahmen calling out the motivation of Sung Kang and Tiger Woods’ non-double hit at the Hero World Challenge, 2018 was a banner year for rules controversies. Surely, with the new, simplified Rules of Golf, 2019 had no chance at providing as much rules drama as the season prior. No chance.

Wrong!

Not only did 2019 live up to the hype, it may have outdone 2018 in the rules-issue department. During the fall PGA Tour season alone, it felt like there was at least one controversy per week, each one featuring more penalty strokes than the last. Here are the most unusual rules incidents from another ridiculous season of run-ins with the law, in chronological order.

Click to see all 21

SOURCE:  GolfDigest

/by

Where will Tiger play in 2020?

The full list of where you could see Tiger Woods play golf in 2020

In the aftermath of the U.S. Presidents Cup victory on Sunday, a reporter asked Tiger Woods — with tongue firmly planted in cheek — if he would mind going over his 2020 schedule through the Masters.

After a moment of consternation, Woods broke into a wide grin, dropped a good-natured riff and moved on. Of course, he was never going to divulge what he’s doing next week, let alone in the coming months. But it was worth a shot.

And so is trying to figure out where he will play next, how many tournaments his schedule will entail and where he will visit.

Coming off a Masters victory for his 15th major title, his Zozo Championship win for his 82nd PGA Tour victory to tie Sam Snead’s record and a successful year-end run at the Hero World Challenge and the Presidents Cup, expectations might be even higher than they were to begin 2019. Woods will end the year ranked seventh in the world.

And given the way Woods has looked since August knee surgery, there is considerable reason for optimism.

Before delving into some educated guesses as to where Woods will play in 2020, there are some obvious predictions.

  • The schedule is built around the majors. Getting in the correct number of starts before the Masters, and then the PGA Championship (at Harding Park), the U.S. Open (at Winged Foot) and The Open (at Royal St. George’s) will be part of the decision-making.
  • The Olympics add a new wrinkle. Whenever asked, Woods has made it clear he’d love a shot at what likely will be his only Olympic Games, to be played two weeks following The Open, in Japan in early August. To qualify, he must be among the top four Americans as of June 22.
  • He will play more. Woods — who turns 44 on Dec. 30 — competed in just 14 PGA Tour events during the 2019 season, mostly due to injury. He skipped some starts he might otherwise have played. With the Japan tourney counting, expect that number to be around 18.
  • Balancing competition and proper preparation. After the Masters this year, Woods did not play before the PGA Championship, and it showed. He did not play an event between the U.S. Open and The Open. While it is unlikely he will play back-to-back weeks more than twice, you can expect him to add a tournament or two he did not play in order to be better prepared for the majors.

With that, here is what appears likely for 2020, with a few thoughts on tournaments that have been kicked around as well.

Sentry Tournament of Champions (Jan. 2-5)

This seems an extreme reach, but we mention it because Woods is eligible and there are some compelling reasons to play. Small fields are his friend, as are no-cut events. And given that it’s only two weeks away and his game is in form, you could see him going to Hawai’i and winning. But of course, the fact that the tournament is in two weeks and right after a hectic stretch, and with the holidays mixed in, makes it a long shot. Woods most recently played the event in 2005.

Farmers Insurance Open (Jan. 23-26)

This makes sense as the place to begin the new year. Woods has won eight times at Torrey Pines and on several occasions has made this his launching point. It also gives him five weeks to decompress and build back up.

Genesis Invitational (Feb. 13-16)

Woods has already committed to the Los Angeles event that is run by his foundation, and it’s now one that has similar status to the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Memorial. Woods tied for 15th in 2009 despite numerous delays and cold weather.

WGC-Mexico Championship (Feb. 20-23)

The only thing standing in the way is if Woods decides he’d rather play his hometown Honda Classic the following week. Don’t look for him to play three in a row at any point. But Mexico offers several advantages. The WGC short field and automatic ranking points are key. And he tied for 10th in 2019 despite a poor week of putting.

Arnold Palmer Invitational (March 5-8)

Even if Woods skips Mexico, playing Honda would mean three consecutive tournaments, with the Arnold Palmer and the Players Championship to follow. Woods skipped the event he’s won eight times due to a neck strain in 2019. Unless he is determined to mirror his 2019 schedule, it’s difficult to see him skipping this tournament.

Players Championship (March 12-15)

The new schedule unveiled in 2019 meant a move of the Players to March and Woods skipping two tournaments he played in 2018, the Honda Classic and the Valspar Championship. If healthy, he’s not missing the Players.

WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Championship (March 26-29)

Woods made it to the quarterfinals last year after a memorable match-play victory over Rory McIlroy. The WGC format and automatic ranking points seemingly make this Texas event a slam dunk, as it is two weeks prior to the Masters, a time when he likes to play.

The Masters (April 9-12)

Woods is looking at giving himself six starts before the Masters, one more than in 2019. He would play twice in consecutive weeks but just once in the three weeks leading up to the tournament, with time to make a visit to Augusta National.

Wells Fargo Championship (April 30-May 3)

We got this one wrong last year, as did many others who figured Woods would want a start between major championships. The emotional toll from the Masters victory kept him at home rather than in North Carolina, but the lack of preparation for the PGA Championship resulted in a missed cut.

PGA Championship (May 14-17)

Woods won the 2005 WGC-American Express Championship at Harding Park and went 5-0 in the 2009 Presidents Cup there. He’ll be hoping for some warmer temperatures in San Francisco than he had at Bethpage in 2019, when he missed the cut at the PGA.

The Memorial (June 4-7)

No reason to skip Jack Nicklaus’ tournament in Ohio. In one of just six post-Masters starts through the FedEx Cup playoffs, the tie for ninth in 2019 was his best.

U.S. Open (June 18-21)

New York’s Winged Foot is the site of Woods’ first cut in a major as a pro, in 2006. It was his first event following the death of his father, Earl, approximately a month earlier.

WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational (July 2-5)

Woods skipped this Tennessee tournament in 2019 when it was played the week following The Open. He is more likely to play it this time, to give himself a start between the U.S. Open and The Open. Possible glitch: if he makes the Olympic field.

The Open (July 16-19)

In Woods’ only appearance at Royal St. George’s, in 2003, he had a lost ball on the first hole, ended up making a triple-bogey 7 and finished two shots back of winner Ben Curtis in England.

Olympic golf tournament (July 30-Aug. 2)

Woods continues to say that he would love to play in the Olympics. To do so, he will need to be ranked among the top four Americans not outside the top 15 as of the June 22 cutoff. At seventh in the world, he is currently the fourth American, behind Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas and Dustin Johnson. It’s hard to see the first two going anywhere. So Woods is effectively fighting for two spots with Johnson, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Webb Simpson, Patrick Reed and Bryson DeChambeau. With two major championships, the Players and two WGCs prior to the cutoff, there is a lot that can happen.

The Northern Trust (Aug. 13-16)

The first of three playoff events shifts to TPC Boston, and the only reason for Woods to skip it is if he needs a break after the Olympics and doesn’t want to play three in a row in the playoffs.

BMW Championship (Aug. 20-23)

The tournament moves to Olympia Fields, where Woods tied for 20th at the 2003 U.S. Open in his only time playing the Illinois venue.

Tour Championship (Aug. 27-30)

After missing this event in 2019 after winning it a year earlier, you have to figure it is a priority for Woods to make it back to Atlanta.

Final notes

If you include the Zozo Championship he won in October, that is 18 official PGA Tour events. That doesn’t include the Olympics, and if Woods makes it to Tokyo, expect there to be some juggling to bring the total down by an event or two. All of this, of course, is subject to health and fitness.

As for the fall of 2020, after the PGA Tour season has concluded, there is the potential for the Ryder Cup (Woods is currently fourth in the U.S. standings with a very limited number of events counting), a possible title defense in Japan, with some sort of made-for-TV event added in again, and the Hero World Challenge.

SOURCE:  ESPN

/by

The ultimate Christmas gift!

Christmas has yet to arrive, but Griffin Hayden has already received an unforgettable gift. Big brother Bailey gave him a kidney.

The Hayden brothers had surgery on Dec. 18 and are now recovering from the three-hour procedure at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

“He’s hoping to be home before Christmas,” said Denison head coach Lauren Grogan.

Griffin, a 20-year-old sophomore at Denison, was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 13 and beat it twice, undergoing two bone marrow transplants. He has two artificial hips.

None of that, however, dampened his passion for golf. That part runs in the family. Christian, the eldest of the Hayden brothers, works as an assistant pro at Columbus Country Club. Bailey enjoys the game, too.

Grogan took over both the men’s and women’s programs at Denison, a Division III school in Granville, Ohio, back in August and said Griffin never complains.

“One of the first things he said to me,” said Grogan, “was ‘Coach, I just want to be treated like anyone else.’ “

Bailey, now a senior at Denison, joked on Instagram that he didn’t want to spend any money on his younger brother this Christmas and decided instead to give him a kidney.

“Griffin may be the youngest,” Bailey wrote, “but he’s got two older brothers who view him as their hero and he shows us every day what toughness really looks like.”

Grogan said the amount of support that flooded in after a note went out from the program’s twitter account has been incredible. It’s heartwarming, she said, that his story has extended beyond the golf family at Denison.

“Griffin is about as nice of a kid as you’d want to be around,” said Grogan, “on and off the golf course.”

Griffin is studying Health, Exercise and Sports Studies at Denison and because his surgery was scheduled during finals week, professors let him wrap up his classes on Tuesday. Grogan first learned of the kidney transplant in the fall and said Griffin, who struggled with fatigue all semester, told her he hasn’t known what it’s like to feel 100 percent in a long time. He was excited about how this surgery could change things.

“I would do anything for my brothers,” Griffin wrote on Instagram, “and I’m sure they would say the same for me. That couldn’t be more true with the selfless act Bailey is doing. This is a Christmas I will remember forever.”

SOURCE:  USAToday

/by

Which one would you like to play?

The 11 toughest tee times in the world to get

The courses featured on our ranking of the world’s best are always challenging and often beautiful, but some of them will never be accused of being welcoming, even to the paying members. These are our picks for the most elusive tee times in the the world.

Cypress Point Club, Pebble Beach,

Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, GA

Ellerston, Australia

Morfontaine, France

Seminole Golf Club, Juno Beach, FL

National Golf Links of America, Southampton, N.Y. 

Chicago Golf Club, Wheaton, IL

The Country Club, Brookline, MA

Fishers Island Club, Fishers Island, N.Y.

Muirfield Golf Club, Gullane, Scotland

Hirono, Kobe, Japan

READ COMPLETE ARTICLE HERE

SOURCE:  Golf.com

/by