The post Will LIV Golf be validated by the Official World Golf Ranking? It’s an essential, if thorny, question appeared first on Golf.

The post Will LIV Golf be validated by the Official World Golf Ranking? It’s an essential, if thorny, question appeared first on Golf.

For much of the 1970s, identifying the best golfers in the world required little more than a glance at the PGA Tour money list.

The men’s game was dominated by Americans, and they competed mostly on U.S. soil.

By decade’s end, though, the balance of power had begun to shift.

With international stars such as Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Nick Price and Greg Norman shining in events around the globe, the ranking process was no longer so simple.

A new system was required.

In 1986, what we know today as the Official World Golf Ranking (at the time it was called the Sony Ranking) was born.

Its founders were the five families of golf (the USGA, the R&A, Augusta National, the PGA Tour and the PGA of America), along with the European Tour Group and the International Federation of PGA Tours. But over the years, the tent expanded. Today, more than 20 tours around the world stage events that carry OWGR points.

For more of this backstory, you can visit the OWGR website, which lays out the origins and evolution of the ranking. While you’re on the site, you can also learn about the math behind the system — how points are allocated to events by calculating their strength of field.

What you will not find, however, is information on another question: How does the OWGR determine which tours deserve its validation in the first place?

The site offers no explanation.

For most golf fans, this has never been a pressing topic.

But it is relevant today, given the recent shakeup in the game.

This past weekend, Norman, the CEO of LIV Golf, announced that the controversial Saudi-backed rival circuit he leads will apply to have its events made eligible for OWGR points. Earning that status is important to LIV because the rankings are a gateway for players into the four majors and other high-profile PGA Tour events. An undecided golfer might feel more comfortable joining LIV with the assurance that he would still have a chance to qualify for those marquee events by way of the world ranking.

News

LIV executives argue that its recognition by the OWGR is important to the OWGR, too, if the world ranking is to remain credible, accurate and up to date.

In an interview with Fox News, Norman said that LIV was putting together a “compelling application” and working closely with OWGR committee members “to understand all the components of what you need.”

OK, then. About those components.

What are they?

The decision-makers declined to say.

“The Official World Golf Ranking does not comment on the application process nor on any individual applications it may or may not have received for admission into the Ranking,” a representative from the organization told GOLF.com by email.

Requests for comment from the PGA Tour, the PGA of America, the R&A, the USGA and Augusta National, all of which have representatives on the OWGR board, were either declined or ignored.

Nor was Norman made available to share what he knows.

But another LIV executive who has been involved in the OWGR application process and who requested anonymity was willing to discuss how the review process works.

According to the executive, a tour seeking OWGR recognition must meet upward of 15 criteria, nearly all of which he said LIV meets, with others falling into a “gray area” that LIV believes it can get past. For starters, the applicant must be proposed for consideration by an existing tour that is already in the OWGR fold. The Asian Tour, in which LIV has invested hundreds of millions of dollars, will check that box for LIV, the executive said.

Several other OWGR criteria relate to the scheduling and formatting of events. To be eligible for OWGR points, for instance, a tour must operate at least 10 events a year.  

Those events must have a minimum purse of $50,000 (LIV clears that bar easily) and an average field size of 75 players. While LIV’s invitational events, including its inaugural tournament outside London earlier this month, are limited to 48 players, its international events will feature 144 competitors, bumping its average field size above 75, the executive said.

News

With a few of the requirements, the executive acknowledged, “there is some gray area,” but in those cases, LIV believes that precedent is on its side.

Take, for instance, the OWGR requirement that events be a minimum of 54 holes with a cut after 36 holes. LIV events do not have a cut. But the Tour Championship, the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play and the Hero World Challenge are also cut-free, and they all dole out OWGR points.

There are other criteria, the LIV executive said. The OWGR requires that a tour provide a pathway for its players onto the full-member tour that is proposing the application. LIV could meet that requirement, the executive said, by guaranteeing that its top five finishers receive an Asian Tour card (whether those players would opt to play on the Asian Tour is another matter). The OWGR also requires that a tour hold a qualifying school before the start of the season or offer a qualifying process into each event.

LIV will be able to check that box, the executive said, through a concept it plans to implement within the next few years, after its switch next season to a league format with 48 full-time committed players and 12 committed teams. As part of that concept, the four lowest-ranked players will be relegated and a separate event will be held that will provide a pathway into the league.

Another hurdle LIV will need to clear is an OWGR requirement that a tour be in operation for at least a year before its events can be eligible for world-ranking points. LIV staged its first competition only weeks ago. But here again, the LIV executive said, a case could be made that other tours have been exempted from this rule in the past. It’s an argument, the executive said, that LIV could put forth, anyway.

If LIV’s application were accepted, there would then be the question of how many points its events would merit. By LIV’s calculations, the executive said, its inaugural event would have had a strength of field of “around 100” (for comparison, the Corales Puntacana Championship on the PGA Tour had a strength of field of 26, and the U.S. Open last week had a strength of field of 830). Based on that figure, the executive said, LIV’s first winner, Charl Schwartzel would have moved up roughly 40 places in the OWGR, and runner-up Hennie Du Plessis would have jumped 30 spots.

News

On the other hand, players who turned in poorer showings, including Sergio Garcia and Phil Mickelson, would have dropped in the OWGR.

Bottom line: It’s not hard to see how LIV’s application for OWGR recognition could get complex and prickly.

Another potentially fraught matter is the make-up of the OGWR board, an eight-person body that includes PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.

Norman has already suggested publicly that Monahan has a conflict of interest and should recuse himself from any vote on LIV’s application for OWGR recognition.

Monahan has made it clear what he thinks of LIV. Where other OWGR executives stand on LIV has been tougher to decipher.

At the U.S. Open last week, USGA CEO Mike Whan, who also sits on the OWGR board, was asked whether playing by the rules of golf was a requirement for an event to qualify for world-ranking points. Whan pleaded ignorant to that, and more.

“I don’t know, to be honest with you,” he said, noting that he had attended only one OWGR board meeting in his current USGA role. “I’m probably a couple thousand emails behind over the last three weeks of championships, but I don’t think we are sitting on a submission. That’s really what you do with a World Ranking is you review a submission if a tour were to enter a submission. So, I don’t think we’re sitting on one.”

It appears they will be soon.

The post Will LIV Golf be validated by the Official World Golf Ranking? It’s an essential, if thorny, question appeared first on Golf.

The post Masters champ overhand-heaves club. But the bizarre was only starting.  appeared first on Golf.

The post Masters champ overhand-heaves club. But the bizarre was only starting.  appeared first on Golf.

The tee shot? It was short. The club toss? It was long. 

The iron from the fairway? Spot on.  

The swing and throw came during Thursday’s first round of the Valspar Championship. One hole after a bogey at Innisbrook, three holes after a triple, and two seconds after knowing his tee shot on the par-3 15th would come up well short, Charl Schwartzel had hit his limit. After his follow-through, the 2011 Masters champ brought his 6-iron back around his head and flung it yards down the fairway. 

“Uh oh,” analyst Gary Koch said on the Golf Channel broadcast.  

“Whoa,” announcer Dan Hicks said.  

“Whoa,” Koch said. 

“That was actually a better swing than the first one,” quipped analyst David Feherty. 

Perhaps. After the heave, Schwartzel unfastened his glove, walked down the fairway, chipped on and two-putted for a bogey four. 

“Uh well, don’t see that very often,” Koch said on the broadcast. “We see players slam clubs down, but actually heave them is rare.” 

“He’s probably still simmering from a triple bogey at 13,” Hicks said.  

“I’m sure he is,” Koch said. 

Only the bizarre wasn’t over. 

On the next hole, the 446-yard, par-4 16th, Schwartzel no-bounce holed-out an iron from 194 yards out. His reaction here was more subdued. 

“That’s more fun than throwing a club,” Hicks said on the broadcast. 

“Uh, yeah,” Koch said. “The embarrassment from throwing a club a couple holes earlier probably led to his reaction.” 

To recap, Schwartzel’s first-nine scorecard looked like this: par, birdie, birdie, triple, par, club-toss bogey, hole-out eagle, double and par. 

He finished with a five-over 76.   

The post Masters champ overhand-heaves club. But the bizarre was only starting.  appeared first on Golf.

The post 2021 Zurich Classic purse: Payout information, winner’s share in New Orleans appeared first on Golf.

The post 2021 Zurich Classic purse: Payout information, winner’s share in New Orleans appeared first on Golf.

It’s Sunday at the 2021 Zurich Classic of New Orleans and we’re coming down to the wire. Below you’ll find everything you need to know about tournament money, including payout information, winner’s share and purse.

Zurich Classic of New Orleans final round preview

A throwback tandem is clutching a narrow lead heading into the final round at the 2021 Zurich Classic. Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen — two South Africans on the wrong side of 30 — hold a one-stroke advantage heading into Sunday’s final round at the PGA Tour’s annual team event. Sunday will see the field play alternate shot for the second time this week (as opposed to four ball, which was the format of choice for rounds 1 and 3).

Schwartzel and Oosthuizen (-19) will have to fend off charges from two groups nipping at their heels — the Aussie pair of Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith along with Cameron Champ and Tony Finau (-18). Further back, Bubba Watson and Scottie Scheffler and Viktor Hovland and Kris Ventura (both -17) will try to mount a Sunday comeback.

Below is the payout information, including winner’s share, for each team from the Zurich Classic’s $7.4 million purse; you can watch the action from 1-3:00 p.m. EST on Golf Channel, and from 3 p.m. until the completion of the tournament on CBS.

Zurich Classic payout information, winner’s share

(Payouts are split evenly between teams)

1. $2,138,600
2. 873,200
3. 571,650
4. 481,000
5. 418,100
6. 358,900
7. 299,700
8. 262,700
9. 233,100
10. 203,500
11. 173,900
12. 148,370
13. 124,468
14. 111,740
15. 102,860
16. 93,980
17. 85,470
18. 78,070
19. 71,040
20. 65,120
21. 59,200
22. 53,280
23. 47,360
24. 41,736
25. 37,888
26. 35,964
27. 34,632
28. 33,892
29. 33,300
30. 32,708
31. 32,116
32. 31,524
33. 30,932

The post 2021 Zurich Classic purse: Payout information, winner’s share in New Orleans appeared first on Golf.

The post We’re celebrating these 6 Masters anniversaries at Augusta National in 2021 appeared first on Golf.

The post We’re celebrating these 6 Masters anniversaries at Augusta National in 2021 appeared first on Golf.

History is made annually at Augusta National — it is one of the Masters’ finest attributes. Each spring (or in 2020’s case, fall) brings with it a fresh slate ripe for a new chapter in the history of the game.

In 1997, the Masters marked the emergence of a brilliant new talent in the game of golf when Tiger Woods lapped the field at Augusta. Seven years later, in 2004, Augusta National was the setting for a victory at long last, when Phil Mickelson’s long putt on the 72nd hole fell in. In 2019, it was Woods once again as the Masters signified the completion of one of the sport’s most improbable comebacks.

And that’s only in the last 23 years.

Masters history is golf history, and vice versa, which is part of what makes it so fun to regale the tournament’s storied past. Below are six Masters anniversaries we’re celebrating at Augusta National in 2021.

5 Years Ago, in 2016…

Englishman Danny Willett held on to beat a collapsing Jordan Spieth for his only win on the PGA Tour. 

10 Years Ago, in 2011… 

It took an unprecedented four closing birdies for South African Charl Schwartzel to finish two shots clear of Adam Scott and Jason Day.

25 Years Ago, in 1996…

This was supposed to be Greg Norman’s green jacket, but a final-round 67 by Sir Nick Faldo delivered the knighted one his third Masters win. 

35 Years Ago, in 1986…

In the greatest of all Masters Tournament triumphs, Jack Nicklaus played his final 10 holes in seven under par to capture his record sixth green jacket. 

45 Years Ago, in 1976…

Four-time major winner Raymond Floyd went wire-to-wire, finishing with a total of 271 (–17), eight strokes clear of runner-up Ben Crenshaw. 

50 Years Ago, in 1971…

Texas shotmaker Charles Coody out-dueled none other than the Golden Bear and a hotshot rookie named Johnny Miller to capture his lone major championship. 

The post We’re celebrating these 6 Masters anniversaries at Augusta National in 2021 appeared first on Golf.

The post Masters champ: If you struggle to break 90, you’re doing (at least) 2 of these things wrong appeared first on Golf.

The post Masters champ: If you struggle to break 90, you’re doing (at least) 2 of these things wrong appeared first on Golf.

Charl Schwartzel has one of the those swings that is the envy of golfers everywhere. There’s something so alluring about seeing a move as technically proficient as his, and in 2011, he used it to finish with four-consecutive birdies en-route to his first green jacket.

And now, Charl’s sharing some of his secrets. Alongside GOLF Top 100 Teacher Andrew Rice in a new 8-episode “Lessons with a Champion Golfer” series that’s set to premiere on GolfPass November 10th. The 2011 Masters champ tackles a new part of the game on each episode, including an entire segment on how to adapt your swing to a variety of different “specialty shots,” like when your ball is in a divot.

“I want to help answer some of the common questions golfers have…make the game a little easier for people,” Schwartzel said.

Along those lines, I asked him a question that we here at GOLF Magazine get asked a lot by our readers: What’s your advice to an average golfer — a 90s shooter, let’s say — who wants to improve when they don’t have hours to devote to practice or lessons? The answer, at least in Charl’s mind, was actually rather straightforward. “Focus more on those sort of things, then start working on the golf swing, if you want to.”

What are those five things that Charl says golfers should pay attention to? Let’s run through them…

“Most golfers who are shooting in the 90s have at least two things out of my five basics, that they’re doing wrong,” Schwartzel said.

“Amateurs really aim badly, and consequently, when they aim badly, you’re going to react to that and make bad swings.

“A guy can stand there for 10 years and practice and they’re not going to get it right, because they’re practicing the wrong stuff.

“Rhythm, I call it flow. The golf swing has to flow at the right pace for what you feel comfortable with. that’s probably the single biggest thing I focus on in my swing

1. Grip

The first Charl checkpoint that holds golfers back is their grip. Your grip is the only connection you have to the golf club, and if you grip your club in a way that forces the clubface to close or open excessively, you’re going to make compensations in a desperate attempt to hit the ball straight (did you hear that, Tim?).

“A guy can stand there for 10 years and practice and they’re not going to get it right, because they’re practicing the wrong stuff,” Schwartzel says.

RELATED: Use a penny to check your golf grip

2. Stance & Aim

Aiming is the second Charl checkpoint which the Masters champ says can have a huge knock-on effect, for better or for worse. The way Schwartzel sees it, it all relates to your stance. Make sure it’s the correct width for the club you’re hitting, and that your feet are pointing in the right direction, then you’ve got a good foundation to swing the club.

“Amateurs really aim badly, and consequently, when they aim badly, you’re going to react to that and make bad swings,” he says.

RELATED: How to aim correctly

3. Posture

Bad posture will inhibit your ability to turn, both on the backswing and downswing, and will limit the space your arms have to swing the club. It’s something Schwartzel works on often, and thinks other golfers should, too.

“Sometimes I crouch too much,” he says. “I’m constantly working on my posture.”

RELATED: Two steps for perfect posture

4. Balance

Recreational golfers rarely stay balanced enough through their golf swing to the point that they can actually hold their finish position after they’ve hit the ball. But that’s crucial, Charl says, adding that when he starts hitting the ball poorly on the course, balance is something he often comes back to.

RELATED: Balance your golf swing

5. Rhythm

The final, and perhaps most important, quality of all is having good rhythm, Charl says. He doesn’t care how fast or slow you swing the club, as long as it’s moving at a pace that you’re comfortable with.

“The golf swing has to flow at the right pace for what you feel comfortable with,” he says.

RELATED: Find your tempo

The post Masters champ: If you struggle to break 90, you’re doing (at least) 2 of these things wrong appeared first on Golf.

The post Charl Schwartzel is using Miura irons that he purchased online and drilled himself appeared first on Golf.

The post Charl Schwartzel is using Miura irons that he purchased online and drilled himself appeared first on Golf.

PGA Tour players these days have the best golf clubs, fitters and club builders at their disposal every week. They can get almost any golf club they want for free, and club builders are at players’ beck and call to make any equipment adjustments they need.

Charl Schwartzel, however, took matters into his own hands (and wallet) with the irons he’s using this week at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

The 2011 Masters champion, who is now an equipment free agent, is currently using Miura MB-001 irons that he purchased online. After getting the irons and trying them out, he then drilled holes out of the irons himself with a portable drill to reduce weight. Schwartzel told GOLF.com on Wednesday that it used to be common practice for Tour players to drill holes out of their clubs to make them lighter.

Balls

Charl Schwartzel signs golf ball deal with under-the-radar manufacturer

“When I bought them, they were too heavy, so I had to drill holes in them to get them lighter,” Schwartzel said. “That’s how they used to do it. I spoke with Nick Price and he used to build his own clubs back in the day. That was the only way — way back when they were playing — to get weight out. You have to drill holes.”

But Schwartzel wasn’t physically drilling the holes himself, right?

“I have my own drill press at home,” Schwartzel said. “It’s a normal steel drill that we use. It’s a hand-held drill. We held [the irons] on a piece of wood. I drilled holes, and then I would weigh it, and then I would drill holes until it’s the right weight.”

Andrew Tursky

---

Schwartzel said the irons he ordered online came in at a swing weight of D6, which is too heavy for Schwartzel’s liking. So he drilled holes in the back cavities of the irons until they were D3. Some of the irons took more drilling than others, which is why there are a different amount of holes drilled in the back of each head.

“You’d be surprised how many holes you have to drill to get 0.3 of a swing weight out,” he said.

Some players on the PGA Tour don’t even apply their own lead tape to clubs to make weight adjustments. Meanwhile, Schwartzel is drilling holes in the back of irons using a drill press and a block of wood. It’s truly a remarkable equipment story in 2020.

Gearheads, we may have a new king.

To hear more gear insights from Jonathan Wall and True Spec’s Tim Briand, subscribe and listen each week to GOLF’s Fully Equipped podcast: iTunes | SoundCloud | Spotify | Stitcher

The post Charl Schwartzel is using Miura irons that he purchased online and drilled himself appeared first on Golf.

The post Charl Schwartzel signs golf ball deal with under-the-radar manufacturer appeared first on Golf.

The post Charl Schwartzel signs golf ball deal with under-the-radar manufacturer appeared first on Golf.

An ever-changing equipment landscape in the professional ranks has seen a number of players sign club and ball deals that have raised some eyebrows.

The latest surprise is Charl Schwartzel’s decision to ink a golf ball, hat and bag deal with Delray Beach, Florida-based Clear Sports, a relative unknown in the golf equipment space, who initially required prospective golfers to fill out an application process (plus a one-time membership fee of $1,200) in order to get access to their balls. (Clear removed the membership program in 2019.)

Schwartzel is the first high-profile name to put Clear’s golf ball in play on the European and PGA Tours. At the moment, Clear has two balls available on its website — a three-piece Clear ES and four-piece CS — for $68 per dozen, but according to a Clear representative, Schwartzel is playing a next-generation version this week in South Africa.

Balls

These golf balls require a $1,200 membership fee. Yes, really

“I’m truly excited to be playing the Clear ball this season,” Schwartzel said in a release.  “The ball is extremely precise and performs beyond expectations. I feel a remarkable competitive advantage with the Clear ball.  I’m thrilled to be joining the Clear team and look forward to many successful years playing Clear.”

The balls have a cast urethane cover and proprietary core with a C.O.R. (coefficient of restitution) that doesn’t exceed the legal limit, Clear co-founder Gary Singer told GOLF.com in 2018. Clear has tight tolerances at their plant in China, where machinery is recalibrated weekly to ensure each ball is nearly identical to the last one off the production line.

Outside of the cover material, Clear has been careful to keep their ball design in-house, claiming it’s “the secret sauce.” It’s unclear if things will change now that Clear has a presence on a major tour.

“We don’t like to share that information with everyone,” Singer said. “It’s sort of like a secret society for diehard golfers.”

Balls

Golf ball fitting is more important than you think. Here’s what you need to know

What else is unclear is how Schwartzel’s deal is structured. Singer told GOLF.com he wasn’t against getting his ball in play on the PGA Tour, but that he didn’t “want to have a paid endorser. I want a guy to take an equity position in our company, so they’re only doing well and making money if our company is doing well.”

When asked to clarify the specifics of Schwartzel’s deal, a Clear representative said via e-mail that more information pertaining to the structure would be available at a later date.

Prior to Schwartzel putting the ball in play, Skip Kendall (PGA Tour Champions) and Charlie Bull (PGA Tour Latinoamerica) were the only professionals playing Clear.

To hear more gear insights from Jonathan Wall and True Spec’s Tim Briand, subscribe and listen each week to GOLF’s Fully Equipped podcast: iTunes | SoundCloud | Spotify | Stitcher

The post Charl Schwartzel signs golf ball deal with under-the-radar manufacturer appeared first on Golf.

The post Charl Schwartzel out for the season with wrist injury appeared first on Golf.

The post Charl Schwartzel out for the season with wrist injury appeared first on Golf.

The post Charl Schwartzel out for the season with wrist injury appeared first on Golf.

The post Wall-to-Wall Equipment: How Keith Mitchell’s putter switch won the Honda Classic appeared first on Golf.

The post Wall-to-Wall Equipment: How Keith Mitchell’s putter switch won the Honda Classic appeared first on Golf.

When you’re 218th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: putting, the only way to go is up. That put Keith Mitchell’s putter on the hot seat, and it was time to make a change heading into the Honda Classic. Hoping to locate a spark, Mitchell tested several different putters at PGA National, including TaylorMade’s Spider X mallet.

Mitchell, who has used mallets in the past, was drawn to Spider X’s optical sightline that allowed him to consistently match his lines to the target. Mitchell finished 38th in strokes gained: putting en route to the win, but considering where he was coming from, the week on the greens could be categorized as a major success.

Spider X’s True Path system found on the crown is designed to improve focus while increasing the potential for more putts to catch the center of the face. Studies have revealed that increasing the width of the sightline to 50 percent the size of a golf ball can increase focus and concentration on the center point over the course of a round.

While Mitchell used the copper/white version during the tournament, he also placed an order for the midnight blue/white version at the beginning of the week. It’s safe to say the midnight blue/white won’t be going in the bag anytime soon after Mitchell’s dramatic win with the putter.

Prototype pays dividends

Long before it earned a spot in Charl Schwartzel’s bag, PXG’s Drone prototype putter resided on a rack inside the equipment manufacturer’s R&D facility collecting a thin layer of dust. Literally.

“It was something we were kind of messing with internally a few years ago but just put it on the shelf,” said PXG Tour rep Matt Rollins. “We actually had to dust the head off before giving it to Charl. It’s one of those designs where you know it could benefit a certain player. You’re just not sure who it might be.”

Following 18 months of inconsistency with the putter, Schwartzel spoke to Rollins about trying an arm-lock model after playing with Matt Kuchar, who popularized the method. The South African tested a couple versions, but every time the proper loft was added, the face looked shut at address.

That’s when the idea was floated of having Schwartzel try the one-off Drone mallet. From an aesthetics and design standpoint, the prototype looks identical to the retail version. Where they differ wildly is the hosel location, which was moved from the heel to the back flange. The shaft is inserted in an orientation where the bend is right on top of the leading edge of the face when Schwartzel rests the grip against his forearm.

A traditionalist when it comes to the putter, Schwartzel was initially hesitant to give the putter a chance until he saw how it produced in PXG’s putting lab.

“The numbers were out of the park from a consistency standpoint,” Rollins said. “He took it on the course at the Phoenix Open and was making everything. He was sold.”

The 370-gram head has 5.5 degrees of loft, but with the grip resting on Schwartzel’s forearm, the dynamic loft is a more realistic 2.5 degrees. The putter also has a slight counterbalance due to a longer SuperStroke Slim 3.0 grip.

Despite the odd look, Schwartzel has embraced the putter. He ranked 7th in strokes gained: putting at Honda.

Hot irons

Mizuno’s JPX 919 Hot Metal is a true game-improvement iron with a thin face designed to improve ball speed, which in turn boosts distance. The Pro version of the iron that was recently released is designed with similar characteristics, but as professionals have gravitated towards easier-to-hit long irons, some OEMs have started to release versions with a more compact profile and less offset.

Mizuno’s JPX 919 Hot Metal Pro features a multi-thickness, one-piece face construction for enhanced feel and feedback better players prefer. Re-engineered sound ribs further enhance feel by transmitting player-preferred vibrations at impact.

View this post on Instagram

@mizunogolfnorthamerica JPX 919 Hot Metal Pro.

A post shared by Jonathan Wall (@jonathanrwall) on Jan 29, 2019 at 4:01pm PST

Nick Watney was the first to put Mizuno’s JPX 919 Hot Metal Pro irons (4- and 5-iron) in the bag. Jason Dufner recently added the 4-iron, and there’s a chance Brooks Koepka could try the club in the near future. The three-time major winner received JPX 919 Hot Metal Pro long irons at Honda and confirmed he would test them out at Bay Hill.

Mitchell’s geography lesson

It’s unclear if Honda Classic winner Keith Mitchell knew of the crescent-shaped Mariana Trench before last week. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it’s the deepest natural trench in the world with a depth of 7 miles. (Yes, I had to look it up on Google.)

Thanks to Vokey Tour rep Aaron Dill, Mitchell knows all about the trench, after he requested Dill adjust the crescent-shaped sole design on his 59-degree V Grind prototype wedge. Dill not only made the change, he had some fun at the same time, stamping “Marianas Trench” with two arrows pointing to the sole.

View this post on Instagram

@titleist @vokeywedges @k_m_mitchell The man said make the channel deeper and this is what happens haha.

A post shared by Aaron Dill (@vokeywedgerep) on Mar 1, 2019 at 3:54pm PST

Mitchell would go on to use the wedge for his approach shot from 129 yards on the par-5 18th hole, setting up the 15-foot birdie putt he would go on to make for the win.

Domino effect

In search of a tip-stiff driver shaft profile that provided more stability, Lucas Glover added Fujikura’s Ventus 6X to his Mizuno driver. When he no longer felt the club was behind him after making the switch, Glover opted to replace the shafts in his 3- and 5-wood with Ventus 8X (tipped 1.5 inches). Glover was one of three players in the field who converted to Ventus (Jimmy Walker and Morgan Hoffmann) at Honda.

Fairway finder

As one of the longest players in professional golf, Trey Mullinax has no problem routinely flying the ball 300-plus yards. His most recent switch to Ping’s G410 Plus driver (9.6 degrees exact loft) wasn’t made with distance in mind (although Mulllinax saw similar numbers compared to G400 Max); it came down to a tighter dispersion he saw with the club, and the ability to hit a baby draw on command.

FIRST LOOK: Everything you need to know about @PingTour’s G410 line, including new movable-weight driver technology. 

FIRST LOOK: Everything you need to know about @PingTour’s G410 line, including new movable-weight driver technology. https://t.co/6XqKMNhYL9 pic.twitter.com/B5xvZUzm1M

— Jonathan Wall (@jonathanrwall) January 21, 2019

Back in black

Peter Malnati had a set of Titleist 718 AP2 Black irons (5-9) sent to his home in Tennessee during his off week, in the hopes of breaking them in before departing for the Florida Swing. There was just one problem: the weather wouldn’t cooperate. With no time to practice at home, Malnati chose to bring the irons with him to PGA National — the only set he had in tow — and work them into his bag during the early portion of the week.

FIRST LOOK: @Titleist’s new 718 AP2 Black and AP3 Black irons. https://t.co/Vrj6VOfgo0 pic.twitter.com/knonvp43WB

— Jonathan Wall (@jonathanrwall) January 17, 2019

Malnati joins Cameron Smith as the only two Titleist players using 718 AP2 Black on the PGA Tour. The black PVD coating on the irons is designed to wear like the Jet Black coating on Vokey’s SM7 wedges.

Quick-hitters: Martin Kaymer and Danny Lee opted for TaylorMade’s M5 driver (9 degrees). … Russell Knox is the latest name to use an Axis1 putter (Tour-S model) in competition. … Jhonattan Vegas inserted a TaylorMade P790 3-iron. … Jimmy Walker put Fujikura’s Ventus 6X in his Titleist driver. … Speaking of Titleist, they swept every major equipment category count for the third time this season. … Seamus Power added a set of Ping Blueprint Forged irons with the OEM’s lie angle dot system, the latest hint that the better-player model should be coming to retail this year. … Zach Johnson added a 15-degree TaylorMade M6 fairway wood. … Sebastian Munoz switched to a custom Ping Vault 2.0 putter.

The post Wall-to-Wall Equipment: How Keith Mitchell’s putter switch won the Honda Classic appeared first on Golf.

The post After rules infraction in Presidents Cup match Friday, Lahiri banned from playing 3rd hole appeared first on Golf.

The post After rules infraction in Presidents Cup match Friday, Lahiri banned from playing 3rd hole appeared first on Golf.

International captain’s pick Anirban Lahiri hit his opening tee shot into the water Friday at the Presidents Cup.

His day didn’t get much better after that. 

After completing the 2nd hole in his match with Charl Schwartzel against Kevin Chappell and Charley Hoffman, the Indian golfer took an illegal practice shot from a greenside bunker. That infraction led officials to disqualify Lahiri from competing on the ensuing hole. 

Lahiri’s bunker shot was a violation of Rule 7-2, which states that players may only practice between holes on the putting green of the last hole, a practice putting green or the teeing ground of the next hole. Golfers may not make a practice stroke from a hazard or delay play “unduly.”

This is Lahiri’s second appearance in the Presidents Cup. Back in 2015 in South Korea, Lahiri missed a putt in a match against Chris Kirk, ceding a half point to the U.S. team. He arrived at Liberty National with something to prove.

“It’s been two years waiting,” he said. “Obviously I’ve been wanting to get back on [the] team ever since that day in Korea. Since that day, I have personally felt I had some unfinished business,” he said earlier this month.

In the early going Friday, he and Schwartzel are 3-down through four holes. 

.@anirbangolf hit a practice shot out of a bunker.

He is therefore disqualified from the next hole.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/IlX594EAIB

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 29, 2017

The post After rules infraction in Presidents Cup match Friday, Lahiri banned from playing 3rd hole appeared first on Golf.