Innholdsfortegnelse for September - October 2022 i Golf Magazine

From the Editor I HAVE TWO SONS, neither of whom cares for golf. That is, until this past summer, when the eldest, David, 14, got the itch. Well, the inkling of an itch. He asked to play, and, without any formal swing education, that's what we did. What could I do? He's my boy, and I never say no to someone I know I can take money from. David's a baseball player at heart, so shots that go far but not straight—often a good thing on the diamond—are frustrating. But we stuck with it. What stood out to me through the process was just how nuanced golf is. Tee shots and irons from the fairway—big whup. But how do you teach someone to punch it through trees, hit a lob…

Clubhouse GOLF.COM / SMART GOLF STARTS HERE / SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 ON THE 18TH TEE AT THE OLD COURSE, WAITING FOR THE GREEN TO CLEAR DURING A PRACTICE ROUND Dylan Dethier: I'm curious. Do you remember the first time I interviewed you? Joaquín Niemann: [Pauses] DD: It was at Mayakoba, for the cover of GOLF. Our “rising stars” issue. It was November 2018—you, Sam Burns, Cameron Champ. JN: Oh, yeah! Of course I remember. I still sign a lot of those magazines. People bring them to tournaments and ask me to sign the little jump I did [on the cover]. DD: You were about to turn 20 that week. Do you feel like a different player now than you were then? JN: Way different, I think. I'm a lot more experienced.…

Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Browse our library of rulings and out-of-this-world decisions at golf.com/rules A: As it happens, Jacob, Rules Guy collects Danish Modern furniture and would have loved a question about Hans Wegner or Finn Juhl. (We know our rosewood from our teak.) Anyway, RG agrees with you. In four-ball, when a player plays the wrong ball, the partner is never penalized—even if it was the partner's ball, and even if the partner got some sort of help, such as seeing the roll or bounce. Exception to Rule 23.8a(2) informs us that the offending player gets a loss-of-hole penalty, but the partner gets no penalty and can fight on for the side. Q: My tee shot lands under a tree, and my practice swings tell me I can't hit a…

FOR SOME, the mere mention of the word “tequila” can resurface unpleasant, hazy memories of wild nights out followed by crushing hangovers. Ouch. That might be because, at bars in the U.S., tequila is popularly consumed as a shot—a 1.5 oz serving inhaled in a quick gulp, often with a lick of salt beforehand and a bite of lime afterward. Though overindulgence of any alcohol is bound to lead to some—ahem—unfortunate consequences, tequila seems to be stereotypically singled out more than most. Perhaps you've seen one of the many tequila-related memes online: “One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.” “Do you know what happens after six tequila shots? Nobody does.” “Tequila may not be the answer, but it's worth a shot! ” You get the picture. But vilifying tequila is…

GEAR CALLAWAY'S JAWS RAW is the newest extension to the popular wedge line that offers some of the most aggressive grooves in golf for extreme short-game spin and control—and more “hop and stop” performance. In manufacturing the JAWS Raw ($180; 4 grinds, lofts from 48 to 60 degrees, two finishes; callawaygolf.com), Callaway removed the plating from the face and toe areas, which maintained the sharpest groove radius allowed by USGA rules. The shaping and grinds have also been enhanced for more versatility and forgiveness. Says Callaway master wedge craftsman Roger Cleveland: “The thing we're really excited about is the updated shaping with a straighter leading edge for alignment, and our new Z-Grind, which has a chamber on the leading edge that acts like a secondary skid plate to prevent digging,…

GEAR THEY'RE YOUR ONLY CONNECTION TO THE CLUB, so why are you treating your grips with so much disrespect? They deserve more. A bucket of warm, soapy water remains the obvious answer when those dirty handles—be they Golf Prides, Lamkins or any other from the game's major grip manufacturers—need to be cleaned. And this means a few times a season. The oil and sweat from your mitts will break down the rubber over time, but semi-regular baths can extend the life of any grip. Wiping down wet grips with a fresh towel should bring back some of the tacky feeling, but if that isn't enough, try adding a common household item: Windex. “It's going to sound like something straight out of My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” says Fully Equipped cohost…

WE DON'T HAND OUT style awards, but maybe we should after seeing the new XC-4 H1-Luxe Hybrid from footwear stalwart Johnston & Murphy. The shoes feature a bootie construction that snugly secures your feet via a waterproof neoprene collar. Outside is a top-grain leather upper and a rugged hybrid sole. Beyond good looks, these shoes feature Smart Degree technology that cools your feet when it's hot and keeps your feet warm when it's cold. The XC-4 ($189; seven colors; john-stonmurphy.com) is comfortable, too, thanks to a multi-density footbed with memory-foam cushioning and shock-absorbing EVA midsole. Lastly, they are dual width, meaning you simply remove the footbed to accommodate a wider foot. These kicks are a winner by any measure.…

(But much, much louder on LIV) $600 billion+ Estimated value of the Saudi's Public Investment Fund (PIF) $2 billion+ Total financial commitment to LIV Golf by the PIF through 2025 $700 to $800 million LIV Golf's offer to Tiger Woods to join their league, per CEO Greg Norman $370 million Total earnings boost given to the world's 10 highest-paid golfers since May of this year, per Forbes $138 million Phil Mickelson's total earnings in 2022, per Forbes, making him the highest-paid athlete in the world in 2022 $4.75 million Charl Schwartzel's earnings for winning both the individual and team competitions at the inaugural LIV Golf event in London—more money than he made in any one year in his 20 seasons on the PGA Tour $427 million Total purse given out…

WHERE Quail Hollow Club Charlotte, North Carolina WHEN September 20 to 25, 2022 CAPTAINS For the U.S.: Davis Love III For the Internationals: Trevor Immelman CAPTAINS' ASSISTANTS For the U.S.: Fred Couples, Zach Johnson, Webb Simpson and Steve Strieker For the Internationals: K.J. Choi, Geoff Ogilvy, Camillo Villegas and Mike Weir U.S. TEAM STANDINGS* 1. Scottie Scheffler 2. Patrick Cantlay 3. Sam Burns 4. Xander Schauffele 5. Justin Thomas 6. Tony Finau INTERNATIONAL TEAM STANDINGS* 1. Cameron Smith (Australia) 2. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) 3. Sungjae Im (South Korea) 4. Joaquín Niemann (Chile) 5. Joohyung Kim (South Korea) 6. Corey Conners (Canada) *As of August 14, with six captain's picks per team still to be determined…

2022 PRESIDENTS CUP PREVIEW These days, Trevor Immelman's cup doesn't just runneth over, it's an outright flood. The 2008 Masters champion is one of golf's busiest guys, the rare player whose frequent-flier miles have grown in retirement. But all that hustle is about to pay off. In the next six months, the 4-2-year-old South African's life will be upended twice. First, he'll captain the International squad at the 2022 Presidents Cup, a responsibility that has spanned three years and many thousands of hours of focus and hard work. Then, in early 2023, he'll debut as CBS Sports' newest lead golf analyst, succeeding Nick Faldo after 16 years as Jim Nantz's chatty sidekick. Before the chaos ensues, Immelman found an hour to share some thoughts on the rocket ship that is…

THINK / PLAY / LIVE ON THE GREEN YOU'LL HOLE MORE PUTTS when you get both the right distance and direction. On the short ones, however, the key is to really nail direction. To dial things in (and make sure you're aiming the putter in your intended direction following your read), focus on how you hold the putter. Options abound, but one good rule of thumb is to grip the putter so that the handle rests in the lifeline of your trail palm (the right for right-handed golfers). Grabbing the putter like this ensures that your thumb gets on top of the handle with the back of your left hand pointing in the same direction of the putterface. This is important, because with this grip, you simply point the back of…

THINK / PLAY / LIVE BACK TO BASICS NO MATTER YOUR AGE, ability or body type, proper posture at address is essential to move freely and swing the club with ample speed and control. It also is a must to prevent and protect against injuries. It starts with finding a balanced, athletic stance. To do this, address the ball, then distribute your weight evenly across the centers of both feet, with your spine and neck in line with each other. Your spine should be neither rigid nor arched, droopy nor rounded. Now, lean forward from your hip joints, not by hunching over. This creates more room for your arms to hang freely without tension and gets your knees into a flexed, powerful position as well. How you start is likely how…

Tommy Fleetwood's dad, Pete, pulls his drive left into the rough on the first hole almost every time he tees it up at Formby Hall GC near Liverpool, which he does at least once a week. He knows this because he wears a TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4—Golf Edition ($2,650), the model endorsed by his Ryder Cupping son. The TAG Heuer golf unit keeps track of all of Pete's shots and tons of additional information that helps him become a better player. This handsome, high-tech timepiece features a gyroscope, an accelerometer, heat maps and loads more. “The watch is telling you how to improve in a way without giving you a lesson,” says Tommy. “It gives you constant data, constant feedback, and it stores it so you can go back…

19 Feet covered by Tiger Woods' birdie putt at the 2019 Presidents Cup to close out his singles match against Abraham Ancer, the first in the dramatic U.S. comeback HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE THE UNITED STATES IS UNDEFEATED ON ITS OWN SOIL IN THE PRESIDENTS CUP Combined wins for Woods in singles play at the Ryder and Presidents Cups. (Career singles record: 11-4-2.) 11 0 COMBINED WINS FOR JORDAN SPIETH IN SINGLES PLAY AT THE RYDER OR PRESIDENTS CUPS. (CAREER SINGLES RECORD: 0-6-1.) 32.5 Career points earned by Phil Mickelson, the most in Presidents Cup history (p. 62). Enough to win two Cups on his own! .846 WINNING PERCENTAGE, ALL TIME, FOR TEAM U.S.A. AT THE PRESIDENTS CUP (USA: 11, INTERNATIONALS: 1; AND 1 TIE)…

1. Patron Silver Smooth, soft and light, with notes of fresh citrus. Works well as a mixer or on its own. $50 2. Mi Campo Blanco Honey maple, white chocolate and pepper finished with toasted oak. $25 3. Flecha Azul Reposado With notes of spices, butter and vanilla, this reposado possesses a sweet, rounded finish. $58 4. Maestro Dobel Diamante Juan Dobel and master distiller Alex Coronado lean on 11 generations of tequila mastery to produce this smooth tequila that's both accessible and complex. $45 5. Fortaleza Añejo Aged in oak, this silky and flavorful tequila features an oily mouthfeel with notes of black pepper and ripe fruit. $89 6. Don Julio Blanco Light, round and sweet, with notes of citrus fruit and black pepper. $55…

THE NEWEST KM-700 irons from Miura represent the culmination of years of work to perfect everything from the clubs shaping at address to the sole grind, and the end result is nothing short of spectacular. The KM-700s ($2,800 per set; miuragolf.com) utilize the same soft carbon steel and precision processing as all Miura forgings, but what separates these from other Miura irons is the unique sole geometry and how it transitions into the hosel. By removing mass from the lowest portion of the heel, extra material is placed low and behind the center of the face to boost launch. A “toe-cut” grind eliminates unnecessary mass from the toe to be placed along the curved musclepad at the back of the head. The end result is a club that blends craftsmanship…

The rumors swirled 'round Riviera Country Club, riding a south wind across the netted driving range, up the hill and across the massive, Spanish-revival clubhouse; whispers passing from players to sponsors to executives and, finally, to media members, the inevitable end point for every conversation. Who's going? How many millions? Wait, are you sure? It was February in Los Angeles, the week of the Genesis Invitational. Riviera is one of the PGA Tour's prized venues. Genesis is one of its top sponsors. And the tournament is hosted by its greatest icon, Tiger Woods. But, behind the scenes, there were two sides bracing for war. Suddenly sensing the extent of the threat on its doorstep, the PGA Tour was frantically seeking to secure its players' loyalty and, by extension, the Tour's…

Sept.-Oct. 2022 Page 51 Golf can be a difficult game. Even with swing tips available wherever you turn or tap, it's easy to get lost in the woods—on and off the course. “Play Smart,” a GOLF franchise launched online in 2020, is your path through the clutter to data that, well, makes the game a heckuva lot easier. On these pages, we present the best of the “Play Smart” series, curated by GOLF's game improvement editor Luke Kerr-Dineen. The goal: Raise your golf IQ so that you can score better without having to make wholesale changes to your swing. Class is in session. 1. Avoid Doubles • The difference between the lowest handicaps and the rest of us isn't the quantity of good shots. It's what happens after the bad…

2022 PRESIDENTS CUP PREVIEW 1994 Robert Trent Jones GC, in Virginia, hosted the first four Presidents Cups on U.S. soil. And in the first-ever Presidents Cup session, the U.S. set the tone for the competition with a 5-0 sweep of the Friday morning four-ball, including the dogged Corey Pavin/ Jeff Maggert duo edging International stars Vijay Singh and Steve Elkington 2 and 1. Final tally (with a little lift from Tom Lehman): U.S. 20, Internationals 12. 1996 Fred Couples capped his Cup-clinching 2 and 1 singles win over Singh with a dramatic putt—which he feted by flinging a hat into the air in an iconic celebration. U.S. wins in a squeaker: 16.5-15.5. 1998 The first Presidents Cup held outside of the U.S., at Australia's Royal Melbourne, was the first International…

It's a sunny afternoon at Glen Golf Park, a nine-hole muni in Madison, Wis., that he helped remake, and Michael Keiser is standing on the practice green, trying to get a handle on his stroke. “I've been fighting the yips,” he says, as his bid at a slippery four-footer slides past the hole. Barely has the ball gone begging when his younger brother, Chris, steps up and pours one in. “Mark it down in the record books,” Michael says. “You win again!” Chris shrugs and offers an apologetic smile. At 41 and 34, the Keiser brothers are a far cry from fiery sibling rivals. By their own account, they've been best friends since boyhood. In more recent years, they've also become colleagues—business part-ners in one of the golf industry's most…

HALL OF FAME LESSON HALL OF FAME LESSON THE BEST BACKSWING FOR YOU THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS a good swing or a bad swing. It's all about finding the best one for you. It starts with your grip—the only connection you have with the club. To better understand how your grip affects your motion, our research with renowned golf biomechanists Dr. Phil Cheetham and Dr. Sasho MacKenzie analyzed the grip and its effects on the swing using a database of too PGA Tour players and an advanced motion-capture system. Our work uncovered some fascinating results, including that it's primarily the way you hold the grip in your trail hand (the right hand for righthanded golfers, left hand for lefties) that has the biggest effect on the success of your…

One of the best ways to groove proper moves in your swing is to forget hard-core mechanics and, instead, use your imagination. Case in point: eliminating an “over-the-top” (and slice-producing) downswing. Here, imagine you're standing in a bar with a row of shot glasses on the counter in front of you. Now, imagine what it'd take to swing one of your irons and break the whole row of shot glasses with one swing. How would you do it? Close your eyes. Picture the bar and the row of shots, and swing away. Pay attention to how your arms are working together. If your trail arm takes over, you won't clear the bar. Rather, you'll chop at the counter as if swinging an ax and smash the club into the bar.…

G: What do you like about being out on a golf course? AA: It's just a pleasant trip through nature, just a leisurely stroll. It's my chance to get out and to turn off whatever I'm doing at the time. G: How did you get started? AA: I've loved the game since the first time my father-in-law put a club in my hand. It was in San Diego. I was about 21,22 years old. He was a natural lefty, but he had one right-handed club and ask if I wanted to hit it. I said sure, and I've been hooked ever since. I've been trying to play the game the best I can for 25 years. G: In television and film, there are plenty of takes to get a scene…

Clubhouse IF YOU'VE BEEN FOLLOWING previous editions of this column, you know there's an embedded theme behind our advice: In general, golfers don't need better drills, they need better strategies. With rare exception, a Tour-level approach (and not a Tourlevel swing, like current sharpshooter Will Zalatoris, above) is the thing standing in the way of better scores. At GOLFTEC, millions of data points have taught us that players spend too much time on things of too little consequence. If you aspire to jump from the B- or C-flight into the A-flight of your club championship, you have to focus on the things that matter. Things like your dispersion. For players looking to make a leap, hitting better full swing shots is the best avenue to shooting lower scores, and a…

GOLF.COM / THE BEST STUFF IN THE GAME 1 Tour truck addition that's helping pros putt better 34 Green-grabbing Callaway wedges from the mind of Roger Cleveland 4 Iron sets in the Mizuno JPX 921 lineup to suit every type of player 2 Driving alternatives from TaylorMade that pack a ton of punch 1 Innovative chipping club from PING to help you kiss your short-game problems goodbye A PUTTING GREEN COULD be an eyecatching addition to any Tour truck, but many have wondered if it would see enough use or turn into a novelty over time. Even on the Tour's biggest truck—Callaway's—space is at a premium. “We thought it had the potential to be a really cool showpiece as you walk into the truck,” says Joe Toulon, Odyssey Tour rep and…

HOW MANY SHOTS DO YOU typically waste around the green? Chances are more than you'd like to admit—and we're not talking about short-sided flop shots with a high degree of difficulty. Stub a few routine chip shots and things can go south in a hurry. Thankfully, PING is here to save the day with a club that, according to recent research, could benefit upwards of one-third of the golfing population. With a shallow face height that falls between a putter and a wedge, the new ChipR ($195 each; 38.5 degrees) is geared for shots within 40 yards of the green from the rough or fringe. Simply apply a putting-like stroke to get the ball airborne with little effort. It's the kind of club that could no doubt become your go-to…

GEAR TaylorMade Stealth DHY/UDI DHY lofts: 19°, 22°, 25° UDI lofts: 18°, 20°, 23° Price: $250 BUILDING PROPER distance gaps between the longest iron and highest lofted fairway wood in your set can be difficult. But with the launch of the new Stealth UDI (Ultimate Driving Iron) and DHY (Driving Hybrid), TaylorMade is looking to make it a whole lot easier. The new Stealth UDI and DHY (taylormadegolf.com) offer the best of both worlds by delivering the control of an iron with the forgiveness and distance better associated with a hybrid or higher lofted fairway wood. For those looking for pure iron-like control and a lower ballflight, the UDI is the way to go. But for those who need some more height, the DHY and its lower profile make it…

To understand the state of men's professional golf these days, a history lesson is necessary. Back in the early '90s, many of the world's best players were not American. They hailed from all over: Australia, England, Spain, South Africa. But the best stage in golf—the PGA Tour—was rooted in the States. Problem: The Tour was under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission. Some of its practices smelled fishy. Specifically, members are required to get permission from the Tour in order to compete in non-Tour events held concurrent with its own tournaments. If the FTC deemed these practices anti-competitive, the Tour would have to rewrite some of its most important rules. And if a competing series of events were to come along and help prove the FTC's case, it might upend…

2022 PRESIDENTS CUP PREVIEW GOLF PAGE 62 2022 PRESIDENTS CUP PREVIEW THE WEIGHT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS CUSTOMARILY FALLS ON THE SHOULDERS OF THE PROS AT 1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE. BUT THE CLUBHOUSE AT QUAIL HOLLOW, the host course of this year's Presidents Cup—which, every two years, pits a team of America's top players against the world's best from countries outside of Europe—is a pretty grand manse in and of itself. Undoubtedly, the venerable Charlotte, N.C., club will open its arms to the 2022 International squad when the event gets underway on September 22. But don't expect its course—or, for that matter, Team U.S. A.—to be a pushover. The gorgeous, wooded 1961 George Cobb design (with flourishes from Arnold Palmer in 1985 and ongoing upkeep by Tom Fazio) will be a brawny and…

The “dream golf” portfolio: BANDON DUNES RESORT Bandon, Ore. Courses: Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, Bandon Trails, Old MacDonald, Sheep Ranch, the Preserve SAND VALLEY RESORT Nekoosa, Wis. Courses: Sand Valley, Mammoth Dunes, the Sandbox Courses in progress: Sedge Valley, the Lido Mike Sr., in partnership with Ben Cowan-Dewar: CABOT CAPE BRETON Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada Courses: Cabot Links, Cabot Cliffs, the Nest CABOT ST. LUCIA Gros Islet, St. Lucia Course in progress: Cabot Point, a Coore-Crenshaw design (2023) Mike Sr., in partnership with Australian golf entrepreneur Richard Sattler: BARNBOUGLE DUNES Bridport, Tasmania, Australia Courses: Barnbougle Dunes, Barnbougle Run Scan the code above for exclusive drone footage of the Keiser family's highly anticipated Lido course near Sand Valley in Wisconsin.…

LESSONS: SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 SWING THOUGHT Bunker shots can be scary, but that doesn't mean they need to be complicated. Just think of three things. Entry point: For shots that roll out, you should enter the sand farther behind the ball. For more spin, enter the sand closer to the ball. Loft: Once you determine your entry point, select the loft you need to hit the ball higher or lower. Keep in mind that as you add loft by opening the face, you increase the bounce angle as well. Speed: Now that you know where you want to enter the sand and the loft you're planning to use, the final step is to decide how fast to swing. Some rules to keep in mind: 1) The farther your entry point from the…

LESSONS: SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 EXTRA REPS Surrounded by controversy, Henrik Stenson won the LIV Golf Invitational Bedminsterin his first start on the upstart tour. With a shotgun start at 1:15 p.m., Stenson was on the putting green two hours before his first round. When: July 29, 2022Where: Trump National Golf Club, Bedminster, N.J. 11:05 a.m. Arrives on the putting green. 11:11 a.m. Begins rolling putts. 11:13 a.m. Hits three putts from five feet, working on setup and alignment. 11:18 a.m. Hits putts from three, four, five, six and seven feet across a slope. Goal isto make all of them or start again. 11:26 a.m. Completes drill. 11:28 a.m. Hits three more putts from five feet, working on setup. 11:30 a.m. Removes two balls, hits longrange putts across the green with remaining balls.…