“In team play, golfers call this ‘ham and egging it.’ Translated, it means when one player is in trouble, the other is saving the day.”—Charles Clines, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1986 I heard the story secondhand two weeks ago at our annual friends Ryder Cup event, and it made me mad. Two of my friends, Aaron Read more…
Recently, my colleague Jamie Kennedy sent me a newspaper article from 1973, The Evening Post, about that year’s Ryder Cup. In bold letters, after the first paragraph, a proclamation: THE PROFIT COULD REACH £100,000 At today’s Ryder Cup, of course, £100,000 wouldn’t pay for three rows of a grandstand build, and it’s an indication of Read more…
If you wanted to divide the Ryder Cup into eras, you could come up with four pretty easy distinctions: U.S. Dominance, 1927-1981—America goes 20-3-1, The Golden Age of Parity, 1983-1999—Team Europe emerges, almost every Cup decided by a point or less European Dominance, 2002-2014—They win six of seven, often humiliating the Americans The Home Blowout, Read more…
Hybrids came to be a genuine equipment category some three decades ago for one simple reason: They were more effective at launching the ball higher than the low-lofted irons they replaced. Throw in added forgiveness on mis-hits, plus additional trampoline off the face and there’s little doubt that for many average golfers a hybrid is Read more…
There is a dark side to golf strategy and every two years at the Ryder Cup, we see it. These are subtle tactics that spark controversy. They fuel resentment. And sometimes, they can even be enough to win you a point. This is gamesmanship: a series of strategies pro golfers use that are designed not Read more…
We live in a “hot take” world, where hyperbole seems to know no end. Yet, objectively speaking, the following statement is not a stretch: The 2025 Ryder Cup is the most anticipated golf event in history. Indeed, ever since Bethpage Black was selected to host the match, originally for 2024 but delayed a year after Read more…
The Ryder Cup is often known as the “Hindsight Cup,” a wry acknowledgment of the inevitable scrutiny and second-guessing that follows each result. This is understandable given that the biennial match has evolved from a three-day competition held every two years into an entity consumed and analyzed around the clock by media and fans alike. Read more…
OK, let’s get the explanation for this image (above) out of the way. No, Gary Woodland is not seen here hitting a shot from the wrong green. This was his infamous chip on the 17th hole at Pebble Beach during the final round of the 2019 U.S. Open—a tournament he won, if you recall. We Read more…
Chances are Samuel Ryder, the man who helped inspire the competition that bears his name, would struggle to recognize the modern match played between the United States and Europe. Even if you accept the premise that the English seed merchant was a man of vision, to think that he knew one day this test between Read more…
The Masters is adding a new tournament broadcast partner next spring—and in the process continuing to move boldly into a new content platform. Augusta National announced Tuesday that Amazon Prime Video will stream first- and second-round coverage in the U.S. Thursday and Friday from 1 to 3 p.m. This will serve as a lead-in to Read more…
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Arccos, the company founded on GPS-driven stat-tracking sensors, released its first laser rangefinder, the Arccos Smart Laser Rangefinder. The device leverages the company’s database and expertise in course features as well as its live weather information to provide “plays like” distances to go with the laser GPS readout. Although it Read more…
Last year, we reported on Los Angeles golf teaching professional Dave Fink, who launched a movement called #FreeTheTee to raise awareness for a growing problem in the L.A. golf community—tee-time brokers. Public golfers in the Los Angeles area found themselves struggling to land tee times at municipal courses like Balboa Golf Course, Hansen Dam and Read more…
In the spring of 2024, Andrew Rodriguez was a talented teen golfer hoping he had caught a break. A high school sophomore in Whittier, Calif., Rodriguez had honed a reliable swing with a local instructor and begun to excel on various Southern California junior tours. But to achieve his ultimate goal of playing Division I Read more…
This time four years ago, legendary coach Urban Meyer was just beginning the worst stretch of his career-an 0-5 start as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. His current gig as an analyst on FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff is giving him far less headaches, and much more free time to pick off Top 100 Read more…
Australian Golf Digest
