Whether it be a club championship, member-guest or state amateur, every course, no matter the budget, prepares for tournaments throughout the year. Golfers have high expectations for course conditions during these weeks, so what are some things that courses can do to make these events particularly special? That’s the question we put to two experts Read more…
Josele Ballester, a three-time All-American at Arizona State entering his senior year, became the first Spaniard to win the US Amateur and joins Jon Rahm as the only two players from Spain to win a USGA championship.
CHASKA, Minn. — There is a likely scenario that the most important piece of equipment for the victor in Sunday’s championship match of the U.S. Amateur between Spanish star Jose Luis Ballester and Iowa sophomore Noah Kent will not be one of the player’s 14 clubs, but instead his glove. That’s because both players at Read more…
CHASKA, Minn. — When Iowa sophomore Noah Kent arrives on the first tee Sunday morning at Hazeltine National for the 36-hole final of the 124th U.S. Amateur, he has plenty of people to thank, including notable mentors John Harris, champion of the 1993 U.S. Amateur, and John Cook, the 1978 U.S. Am champ who won Read more…
CHASKA, MINN. — Standing well north of six feet with an athletic build, Iowa sophomore and U.S. Amateur semifinalist Noah Kent is in many ways the physical embodiment of the modern golfer. After making six birdies and an eagle in his quarterfinal match at Hazeltine National, Kent, ranked 560 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, Read more…
CHASKA, MINN. — What do Jon Rahm, Sergio Garcia and Seve Ballesteros have in common? Aside from being Spanish major champions, each have that internal temperature turned just a little hotter than most—that exuberant competitive fire that, whether fair or not, has given fans a clear archetype for a Spanish golfer. MORE: What golf’s next Read more…
If the Bomb and Gouge era of the past decade was all about maximising driving distance at whatever cost, the new Speed-Plus era is more thoroughly informed by statistics.
CHASKA, Minn. — A marathon day in the U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National is complete, with the field being trimmed from 32 to eight following 36 holes of match play. It was a day that began with a bit of an upset after rising Illinois senior Jackson Buchanan defeated the top-ranked amateur in the world, Read more…
CHASKA, MINN. — Go ahead, name the fundamentals of a good golf swing. How long did it take until you said alignment? Along with grip and posture, instructors and professionals have long preached consistent and proper alignment as essential to good ball-striking. And essential to dialing in your alignment is using some sort of aid, Read more…
CHASKA, MINN. — Tiger Woods’ loss to Y.E. Yang in the 2009 PGA Championship was stunning in that it was the first time Woods had lost a major championship after being the 54-hole leader. What was also stunning was the way he lost it—by missing one crucial 10-foot putt after the next at Hazeltine National. Read more…
CHASKA, MINN. — As professional golfers age, they often talk about trying to play like a kid again—with complete freedom. Step up, see shot, hit shot. Get the ball in the hole regardless of how it looks. Forget about the technical jargon and just play golf. Garrett Engle isn’t a pro just yet. But there Read more…
CHASKA, MINN. — Intimidation and a confident presence can play a crucial role in match play, which begins Wednesday at the U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National. When it’s just a one-on-one affair, these intangible factors can often decide who prevails. One guy who already has that covered is Luke Clanton, who has recorded three top-10 Read more…
CHASKA, MINN. — While the U.S. Amateur is open to any amateur with an appropriate handicap, regardless of age, make no mistake: this is a junior and college man’s championship. Not since 2006, the last time Hazeltine National hosted the championship, has there been anyone advance to the final older than 22, including last year Read more…
The U.S. Amateur returns to Hazeltine National this week for the first time since 2006, as the best amateurs in the world return to the Minnesota brute, whose narrow fairways and small greens make it a ball-striker’s delight. One guy who may not view Hazeltine as fondly is Tiger Woods, who narrowly lost the PGA Read more…
Vijay Singh may be 61 years old, but the turf at any tour driving range doesn’t know the difference from a 30-year-old Singh. Arguably no professional golfer has hit more balls over his career, and Singh continues to grind on his game, including this week at the PGA Tour Champions’ Boeing Classic in Washington. All Read more…
The cliché “swing your swing” might get tiring, but it’s based on the sound belief that everyone’s unique physiology is going to lead them to swing slightly differently. That unique physiology often means physical limitations, especially for older golfers who can still play but struggle to make the moves they once did. We’ve explored how Read more…
“These greens are so much faster than the putting green,” is one of the golf’s most common excuses – so common, in fact, that we decided to ask a superintendent if it holds any merit.
They (golf writers) say that there are few things more dangerous than a golfer playing with a fresh dose of perspective following the birth of their first child. It seems Scottie Scheffler is competing at the Paris Olympics this week with loads of perspective, but no, not just because he is a new father. No, Read more…
According to Michael Breed, one of Golf Digest’s top-ranked teachers, golfers who strive for perfectly straight shots without any curve are falling into a costly trap.
Of the many hopeless feelings in golf, struggling with your swing and having no idea what you’re doing wrong might go at the top. A close second is thinking you know what’s wrong, trying to fix it, only to realize that wasn’t it. Both problems are the focus of AI technology used in the Mustard Read more…
The beauty of a tournament with gross and net divisions, like many club championships around the country, is that golfers of all handicaps have something to play for.
Australian Golf Digest
