National pride burns bright
Ryder Cup
Solheim Cup • Arnold Palmer Cup
Jin Young Ko leads
LPGA season-long race drama
14
23 35 36 40 42
Magnificent Moments
Magnificent moments from the first half of the 2023 season
Cover Story: Reaching the Summit by GARRY SMITS
A story of ambition and determination—three players have dominated the Official World Golf Rankings throughout the first half of 2023—how have they done it?
TOURNAMENT HIGHLIGHTS edited by DAVID BARRETT
In the first half of the 2023 season there were plenty of thrills and dramatic moments as the world’s best players teed up for the series of major championships
THE PLAYERS Championship
THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
March 9-12
Masters Tournament
Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Ga.
April 6-9
Chevron Championship
The Club at Carlton Woods, The Woodlands, Texas
April 20-23
PGA Championship
Oak Hill Country Club, Pittsford, N.Y.
May 18-21
U.S. Open
Los Angeles Country Club, Los Angeles, Calif.
June 15-18
KPMG Women’s PGA Championship
Baltusrol Golf Club (Lower Course), Springfield, N.J.
June 22-25
UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS edited by DAVID BARRETT
The enthralling second half of the men’s and women’s tournament calendar presents us with five major tournaments, delivering an exciting climax to the professional season
U.S. Women’s Open Presented by ProMedica Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, Calif.
July 6-9
The Open Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake, England
July 20-23
The Amundi Evian Championship
Evian Resort Golf Club, Évian-les-Bains, France
July 27-30
AIG Women’s Open
Walton Heath Golf Club, Surrey, England
August 10-13
TOUR Championship
72 76 IMAGES: ALAMY
66 CONTENTS www.essential.golf
East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, Ga.
FEATURES 80 88 92 97 98 104 109
FEDEXCUP: A GRAND SPECTACLE by GARRY SMITS
If there’s one competition on the men’s pro circuit that requires true grit and a steady nerve, it’s the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup
Pro Golf’s New Landscape by RON GREEN JR
With a peace pact now agreed by warring PGA TOUR and LIV Tour, finding equitable solutions remains far from complete
The Race to the CME Globe by TOM YANTZ
The LPGA’s season-long points is a fiercely contested competition in which LPGA players accumulate points in every Official LPGA Tournament to gain entry to the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship
Eye on the Ball
In our guest comment series, STAN AWTREY considers the pros and cons of the pending new rule that will introduce a distance-limiting ball
Essential Golf’s Top Tips by MICHAEL JACOBS
Helping you improve your game and increase your winning chances
Grand Plans, Big Money by MICHAEL LORÉ
Unravelling the financial implications of what led to a surprise LIV-TOUR merger shows that money is the ultimate power on golf’s world stage
Rising Stars by ADAM MACKEY
Determination and dedication are two strong drivers that help elevate today’s young golf talent as they strive for greater success
119 127 130 136 162
THREE MAJOR TEAM EVENTS, 2023: introduction
It’s those big team events where national pride is always at stake—the Ryder Cup, Solheim Cup, Arnold Palmer Cup
120 122 124
RYDER CUP by STAN AWTREY
Unlike any previous Ryder Cup, there was drama smoldering months in advance, with team players from opposing camps—PGA TOUR and LIV Tour—in the mix
SOLHEIM CUP by LEN ZIEHM
Team USA go head-to-head with Team Europe in the 18th Solheim Cup, September 22-24 in Andalusia, Spain
ARNOLD PALMER CUP by ADAM MACKEY
The annual team event brings together many of the best USA and International collegiate players in a spirited atmosphere of competition and camaraderie
Golf’s Iron Man
Bernhard Langer’s remarkable career has brought him legendary status as he continues undiminished at the senior level
PLAY SMART! with Essential Golf’s Top-10 fitness tips
Common golf injuries can best be avoided with a little planning and preparation
Essential Golf’s Top Golf Resorts
The time for a long summer golf vacation is at hand
The Finishing Hole
TOM YANTZ has shared many entertaining moments with golf fans. Here are a few more such moments
Publisher & CEO
Kevin J. Harrington
Managing Editor
Charles Ford
Editorial
Emmanuel Berhanu
Design
Joanna Harrington
Production
Ray Walsh
Office Coordinator
Nida Zamir
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STAN AWTREY spent 25 years as a sportswriter with the Atlanta JournalConstitution. He is editor of Golf Georgia, the official magazine of the Georgia State Golf Association, and has written a weekly column for PGATOUR.com. His work has appeared in dozens of newspapers, magazines, and websites.
DAVID BARRETT is a sportswriter who has worked in that capacity for 6 years with The Augusta Chronicle and for 18 years as Senior Editor for Golf Magazine, and has also worked with numerous other golf publications, also as producer, columnist, and blogger for GolfObserver.com. His published books include Miracle at Merion (2010), Golfing With Dad (2011), and Making the Masters (2012) published by Skyhorse Publishing.
RON GREEN JR worked as a Charlotte Observer sportswriter for 23 years. He served as President of the Golf Writers Association of America from 2019-21 and has been recognized with a variety of accolades. In January 2023 he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism by the PGA of America. He continues to cover about 15 pro golf tournaments per year and has covered approximately 100 of golf’s majors, including 41 Masters tourneys.
MICHAEL LORÉ is a New York City-based sports journalist with over 15 years’ experience as a sportswriter and editor. He writes monthly stories for the ‘SportsMoney’ section of Forbes.com; his work also appears in VICE Sports, NHL. com, Muscle & Fitness, New York City FC, Travel + Leisure, Atlas Obscura, Matador Network, and Culture Trip.
GARRY SMITS has been a sportswriter with Florida Times-Union for 42 years. His specialities include golf, college football, and NFL. He has a lifetime’s experience of covering major golf championships.
TOM YANTZ has been reporting and writing about sports for The Harford Courant since 1975; this was recognized in 2018 by the presentation of the Art McGinley Award from Connecticut Sportswriters’ Alliance. He has won numerous writing awards, including a pair of Associated Press national awards for enterprise reporting. He was inducted into the Connecticut High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2014.
LEN ZIEHM works as a golf columnist for the Daily Herald chain of Chicago-area newspapers, following 41 years at the Chicago Sun-Times covering a variety of sports (but always golf). He has covered 28 U.S. Opens, 11 Masters, 19 PGA Championships, five U.S. Women’s Opens and the last 34 stagings of the late, great Western Open. Since retiring from the Sun-Times in 2010, he has taken on travel-writing projects and has written on golf destinations in 30-plus states. He is a member of the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame.
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Since 2003, the sole focus of Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) has been to serve those who have dedicated their lives to serving our country. WWP will continue to honor and empower post9/11 veterans, service members, and their families for the next 20 years and beyond — because their service and sacrifice matter.
March 9-12
See pp.36-37
Triumphant gesture from Scottie Scheffler on putting the 18th to win THE PLAYERS Championship.
April 6-9
See pp.40-41
The shout of victory from Jon Rahm on securing his second career major.
Runner up Brooks Koepka (right) receives consoling words from Jon Rahm.
April 20-23
See pp.42-43
A determined expression as Lilia Vu edges closer to her first major title.
The fans are about to receive the champion’s winning ball. Koepka elated after sinking his winning put.
May 18-21
See pp.46-47
Koepka shot a 72, 66, 66, and 67 to finish on 9 under at Oak Hill Country Club. Brooks Koepka, embraces his caddie Ricky Elliott following his third PGA Championship triumph.See pp.50-51
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Three players have dominated the Official World Golf Rankings throughout the first half of 2023—Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler. What paths have this formidable trio taken and what strengths do they have in common?
By Garry SmitsLove or hate the Official World Golf Rankings—and it’s come under fire over the past year, even from one of the three players who have held the No. 1 spot—the system of ranking the world’s best players and the rewards it brings isn’t going away.
The positives, even if few understand how the two-year revolving metrics work, is that it’s an easy answer to the question of who’s been playing the best golf. It can be head-scratching. Jon Rahm called it “laughable” in February at Dubai when winning two national opens and finishing among the top-10 in 15 starts still hadn’t elevated him to No. 1. But it’s what golf has.
Tournaments use the rankings to fill fields. Equipment companies use them for performance bonuses. And players from any international tour among the OWGR top-50 have spots assured in all four major championships, THE PLAYERS Championship and, beginning next year, the PGA TOUR’s “Designated Events.”
Since last fall, there has been more movement and drama about the No. 1 spot than at any time since 2018-20 when Justin Rose, Dustin Johnson, and Brooks Koepka took turns at the top over a three-year period in which the lead changed hands 11 times, none of them staying there for longer than five weeks at a time. Koepka ended that with his PGA victory in 2019, starting a 38-week stay at No. 1.
But since Rory McIlroy won the CJ Cup, October 23, 2022, and returned to first in the rankings for the eighth time in his career, there has been a pitched battle between Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Scottie Scheffler, with the No. 1 spot swapped five times and no one holding it longer than McIlroy’s 16 weeks—six of which were during the off season.
When the dust cleared at the 2023 PGA at Oak Hill in Rochester, N.Y., after the final round on May 21,
Scheffler returned to the top, with Rahm second and McIlroy third. It marked the 18th week in a row in which the top three were some combination of McIlroy, Rahm, and Scheffler.
It’s certainly no coincidence that each player rose to No. 1 after winning or posting a high finish in a major or one of the PGA TOUR’s “Designated Events.” Scheffler knocked McIlroy out on February 12 by winning the WM Phoenix Open. Rahm took over for the first time this season by winning the Genesis Invitational a week later. Scheffler’s dominant victory at THE PLAYERS Championship returned him to the top, then Rahm promptly countered with his Masters victory to take it back.
Then at the PGA, Scheffler tied for second, McIlroy for seventh and Rahm for 50th. Scheffler went back to No. 1, with Rahm second and McIlroy third.
How have Scheffler, Rahm, and McIlroy gotten to this point?
Scheffler has a devastating combination of driving distance and accuracy.
Scheffler was the PGA TOUR player of the year in 2022, his breakout season when he won the Masters to cap a stretch of four victories in six starts.
He’s still playing at the same high level. Scheffler blew away the field at TPC Sawgrass to win THE PLAYERS after repeating at the WM Phoenix Open, tied for 10th in his Masters defense, tied for fourth in defense of his Arnold Palmer Invitational title, and was solo fourth in his defense
of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.
His runner-up finish at the PGA gave Scheffler a TOUR-leading 10 top-10 finishes in 14 starts. He’s also finished among the top-25 in every start but one and has made all 14 of his cuts.
Scheffler has a devastating combination of driving distance and accuracy. He was 23rd on the tour in driving distance (309.5 yards) through
the PGA and was 21st in driving accuracy (65.1 percent of fairways hit). That results in a none-toosurprising 74.1 percent of greens hit in regulation, which led the tour.
Scheffler may have returned to No. 1 in the world after the PGA but as has been his stance, professed not to care.
“It’s [the world ranking] just an algorithm,” he said. “I don’t play for world ranking. I play to come out and compete.”
There was no one playing better golf than Jon Rahm from January to April, regardless of what the rankings showed.
Beginning with his victory at Kapalua in the Sentry Tournament of Champions, Rahm won four of eight starts and finished outside the top-10 only twice. He won his second major championship at Augusta National, passing a fading Brooks Koepka in the final round with a remarkable display of power off the tee and nerve on the greens.
Rahm was the only four-time winner on the PGA TOUR through the PGA and also led the money list with more than $14.5 million, topping Scheffler’s record year of 2022 with the summer events remaining.
Rahm, like Scheffler, has unleased power and accuracy off the tee. Through the PGA he was 14th on the Tour in driving distance (311.5) and 72nd in driving accuracy (60.9), leading to third in greens in regulation (72.3 percent).
His only disappointments were being forced to withdraw from THE PLAYERS after an opening 71 due to an illness and failing to contend in the PGA after an opening-round 76.
“It’s been a great year … an amazing year,” he said in a pretournament news conference at Oak Hill. “It’s been a lot of fun and hopefully I can keep riding that wave.”
Rahm won four of eight starts and finished outside the top-10 only twice.
The season certainly started in fine fashion for McIlroy. Just weeks after becoming the first three-time winner of the FedExCup he won the CJ Cup for the second time (October, 2022), then won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January, 2023.
A tie for second at the Palmer Invitational seemed to be an omen that he was ready to take off. However, McIlroy missed the cut after a dismal performance at THE PLAYERS (which he won in 2019) and after finishing third in the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play he missed the cut at the Masters with a horrid 77 in the second round.
McIlroy took nearly a month off (forfeiting $3 million in bonus money for missing the RBC
Heritage, a designated event), played dispassionately at the Wells Fargo Championship with a tie for 47th, but rebounded somewhat with a tie for seventh at the PGA, his first top10 in two months.
Still McIlroy remained No. 3 in the world through the PGA and an off-season for him would be cause for celebration among most players: he’s now (June) 12th on the FedExCup points list and ninth on the money list with nearly $6 million.
The issue with McIlroy is whether his outside work with the TOUR and Commissioner Jay Monahan (as a member of the PGA TOUR Policy Board), and later the LIV/ TOUR merger debacle, has been
detrimental to his game.
He’s refused to blame any poor play on long meetings and has perhaps helped himself with a onemonth break.
“I needed it at the time,” he said at the PGA.
McIlroy’s issues have been easy to pinpoint. He led the Tour in driving distance and was 10th in Strokes Gained Total through the PGA but he was also 150th in Strokes Gained Putting. He’s 97th on the Tour in one-putt percentage (.401) and his short game is a mess, ranking 115th in scrambling.
But every player has ebbs and flows around and on the greens. If McIlroy keeps unleashing off the tee, he will give himself enough chances.
So what’s left in 2023?
There are increasing opportunities for the Big Three to continue their revolving door process for the world No. 1 ranking. Following the Charles Schwab Championship in Fort Worth (when Scheffler finished tied for third, one shot out of the playoff involving Emiliano Grillo and Adam Schenk, while Rahm and McIlroy took the week off) there are 12 FedExCup events left on the schedule before the playoffs.
The Big Three are likely to be in the same field four times: The Memorial, U.S. Open, Genesis Scottish Open, and the Open Championship. That’s four opportunities to slug it out before the FedExCup playoffs—where the scramble for world No.1 will begin again, much to the delight of golf fans worldwide. ■
McIlroy remained No. 3 in the world through the PGA and an off-season for him would be cause for celebration among most players
In the first half of the 2023 season there were plenty of thrills and dramatic moments as the world’s best players teed up for the series of major championships that began in March
Edited and compiled by David BarrettEssential Golf’s highlights of the first half of the 2023 season, March through June, reflect on six majors—four are major tournaments on the men’s tour, two are majors on the women’s tournament calendar.
THE PLAYERS Championship, March 9-12 page 36-37
The PGA TOUR’s flagship event, although not formally recognized as a “major,” it is certainly one of the major tournaments on the calendar for the players and for the fans around the world
Masters Tournament, April 6-9 page 40-41
Augusta National’s classic major tournament has become a rite of passage for both pro and amateur players. Winning the Masters and donning the famous Green Jacket is considered the pinnacle of a player’s career
Chevron Championship, April 20-23 page 42-43
This major event on the pro women’s calendar has been one of the top LPGA events since its inception, receiving official major championship status in 1983
PGA Championship, May 18-21 page 46-47
The flagship tournament of the PGA of America is the 105th PGA event, where the world’s best golfers return to the Oak Hill Country Club, Rochester, New York, to vie for the coveted Wanamaker Trophy
U.S. Open, June 15-18 page 50-51
The third of the four “majors” in men’s golf is the 123rd U.S. Open championship, taking place at The Los Angeles Country Club, Calif. It’s the first time in 75 years that the U.S. Open has been contested in Los Angeles
KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, June 22-25 page 52-53
This tournament is run jointly by the PGA of America and the LPGA and is one of the five women’s pro majors (which are all covered in this issue of Essential Golf)
TPC Sawgrass (THE PLAYERS Stadium Course), Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Field: 144 players
Format: 72 holes stroke play
Purse: $25 million
Winner’s Share: $4,500,000
Scottie Scheffler’s fivestroke win is the biggest margin of victory at THE PLAYERS since Stephen Ames’ six-stroke win in 2006.
Always a major action spectacle at THE PLAYERS, the Stadium Course’s world famous 17th green.
Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Ga.
Field: 87 players
Format: 72 holes stroke play
Purse: $18 million
Winner’s Share: $3,240,000
Field: 132 players
Format: 72 holes stroke play
Purse: $5.1 million
Winner’s Share: $765,000
Field: 156 players
Format: 72 holes stroke play
Purse: $17.5 million
Winner’s Share: $3,150,000
Brooks Koepka triumphed over Scottie Scheffler and Viktor Hovland to win his fifth major title, and his third PGA Championship.
Fans make their way down the 1st fairway to witness the action during the final round.
Tournament highlights
Los Angeles Country Club, Los Angeles, Calif.
Field: 156 players
Format: 72 holes stroke play
Purse: $20 million
Winner’s Share: $3,600,000
Los Angeles Country Club (North Course) LEADERBOARD
Runner up Rory McIlroy’s long wait for a fifth major continued—his last coming with the PGA Championship in 2014.
Baltusrol Golf Club (Lower Course), Springfield, N.J.
Field: 156 players
Format: 72 holes stroke play
Purse: $9 million
Winner’s Share: $1,350,000
Baltusrol Golf Club (Lower Course)
Baltusrol Golf Club (Lower Course), known for its meticulously designed bunkers.
FASENRA is a prescription medicine used with other asthma medicines for the maintenance treatment of asthma in people 12 years and older whose asthma is not controlled with their current asthma medicines. FASENRA is not used to treat other problems caused by eosinophils and is not used to treat sudden breathing problems. It is not known if FASENRA is safe and effective in children under 12 years of age.
Do not use FASENRA if you are allergic to benralizumab or any of the ingredients in FASENRA. Do not use to treat sudden breathing problems.
FASENRA may cause serious side effects, including:
• allergic (hypersensitivity) reactions, including anaphylaxis. Serious allergic reactions can happen after you get your FASENRA injection. Allergic reactions can sometimes happen hours or days after you get your injection. Tell your healthcare provider or get emergency help right away if you have any of the following symptoms of an allergic reaction:
o swelling of your face, mouth and tongue
o breathing problems
o fainting, dizziness, feeling lightheaded (low blood pressure)
o rash
o hives
Before using FASENRA, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
FASENRA is proven to help:
• prevent asthma attacks
• improve breathing
• lower daily use of oral steroids*
FASENRA 8-week dosing offers patients the fewest doses per year.†‡
FASENRA.com
*Results may vary.
†The first 3 doses are given on day 1, week 4, and week 8. ‡Dosing comparisons do not imply similar efficacy or safety.
• are taking oral or inhaled corticosteroid medicines. Do not stop taking your corticosteroid medicines unless instructed by your healthcare provider. This may cause other symptoms that were controlled by the corticosteroid medicine to come back.
• have a parasitic (helminth) infection.
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if FASENRA will harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant during your treatment with FASENRA.
o There is a pregnancy exposure registry that monitors pregnancy outcomes in women exposed to FASENRA during pregnancy. Healthcare providers can enroll patients or encourage patients to enroll themselves by calling 1-877-311-8972 or visiting www.mothertobaby.org/fasenra.
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if FASENRA passes into your breast milk. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby if you use FASENRA.
• are taking prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements. Do not stop taking your other asthma medicines unless instructed to do so by your healthcare provider. Tell your healthcare provider if your asthma does not get better or if it gets worse after you start treatment with FASENRA.
The most common side effects of FASENRA include: headache and sore throat. These are not all the possible side effects of FASENRA.
You are encouraged to report the negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see Brief Summary of full Prescribing Information on adjacent page.
“With FASENRA, I've been able to breathe better and get back out there.”
Read this brief summary carefully before using FASENRA for the first time and each time you use a new dose. There may be new information. This summary does not take the place of talking to your healthcare provider about your medical condition or treatment.
What is FASENRA?
FASENRA is a prescription medicine used with other asthma medicines for the maintenance treatment of asthma in people 12 years and older whose asthma is not controlled with their current asthma medicines. When added to other medicines for asthma, FASENRA helps prevent severe asthma attacks (exacerbations) and may improve your breathing. Medicines such as FASENRA reduce blood eosinophils. Eosinophils are a type of white blood cell that may contribute to your asthma.
• FASENRA is not used to treat other problems caused by eosinophils.
• FASENRA is not used to treat sudden breathing problems. Tell your healthcare provider if your asthma does not get better or if it gets worse after you start treatment with FASENRA.
It is not known if FASENRA is safe and effective in children under 12 years of age.
Do not use FASENRA if you are allergic to benralizumab or any of the ingredients in FASENRA.
Before using FASENRA, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
• are taking oral or inhaled corticosteroid medicines. Do not stop taking your corticosteroid medicines unless instructed by your healthcare provider. This may cause other symptoms that were controlled by the corticosteroid medicine to come back
• have a parasitic (helminth) infection
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if FASENRA will harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant during your treatment with FASENRA.
° There is a pregnancy exposure registry that monitors pregnancy outcomes in women exposed to FASENRA during pregnancy. Healthcare providers can enroll patients or encourage patients to enroll themselves by calling 1-877-311-8972 or visiting www.mothertobaby.org/fasenra.
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if FASENRA passes into your breast milk. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you will use FASENRA and breastfeed. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby if you use FASENRA.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Do not stop taking your other asthma medicines unless your healthcare provider tells you to.
How will I use FASENRA?
• FASENRA is injected under your skin (subcutaneously) one time every 4 weeks for the first 3 doses, and then every 8 weeks.
• FASENRA comes in a single dose prefilled syringe and in a single dose autoinjector.
• A healthcare provider will inject FASENRA using the single-dose prefilled syringe.
For more information, visit FASENRA.com Or call 1-800-236-9933
• If your healthcare provider decides that you or a caregiver can give the injection of FASENRA, you or your caregiver should receive training on the right way to prepare and give the injection using the FASENRA PEN. Do not try to inject FASENRA until you have been shown the right way by your healthcare provider. See the detailed “Instructions for Use” that comes with FASENRA PEN for information on how to prepare and inject FASENRA.
• If you miss a dose of FASENRA, call your healthcare provider.
What are the possible side effects of FASENRA?
FASENRA may cause serious side effects, including:
• allergic (hypersensitivity) reactions, including anaphylaxis. Serious allergic reactions can happen after you get your FASENRA injection. Allergic reactions can sometimes happen hours or days after you get your injection. Tell your healthcare provider or get emergency help right away if you have any of the following symptoms of an allergic reaction:
° swelling of your face, mouth and tongue
° breathing problems
° fainting, dizziness, feeling lightheaded (low blood pressure)
° rash
° hives
The most common side effects of FASENRA include headache and sore throat. These are not all the possible side effects of FASENRA. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
How should I store FASENRA?
• Store FASENRA in the refrigerator between 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C).
• FASENRA may be stored at room temperature between 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C) for up to 14 days.
• Once removed from the refrigerator and brought to room temperature FASENRA must be used within 14 days or thrown away.
• Store FASENRA in the original carton until you are ready to use it to protect it from light.
• Do not freeze FASENRA. Do not use FASENRA that has been frozen.
• Do not expose FASENRA to heat.
• Do not use FASENRA past the expiration date.
• Keep FASENRA and all medicines out of the reach of children.
What are the ingredients in FASENRA?
Active ingredient: benralizumab
Inactive ingredients: L-histidine, L-histidine hydrochloride monohydrate, polysorbate 20, , -trehalose dihydrate, and Water for Injection
The information provided here is not comprehensive. Ask your healthcare provider for additional information about FASENRA. You can also contact the company that makes FASENRA (toll-free) at 1-800-236-9933 or at www.fasenra.com.
FASENRA and FASENRA Pen are registered trademarks of the AstraZeneca group of companies.
© 2021 AstraZeneca LP. All rights reserved.
Manufactured for: AstraZeneca LP, Wilmington, DE 19850
8/21 US-55818
The
half
the men’s and women’s tournament calendar presents us with five major tournaments, delivering an exciting climax to the professional season
Edited and compiled by David Barrett
Essential Golf’s highlights of the season ahead, July through August, focus on five majors—three are major tournaments on the women’s tour, and two are majors on the men’s tournament calendar.
U.S. Women’s Open Presented by ProMedica, July 6-9 page 62-63
The longest-running tournament on the LPGA Tour, is run by the USGA and has been ongoing since 1946
The Open, July 20-23 page 66-67
Run by the R&A, The Open is essentially a world championship with the most diverse international field of the four men’s majors. The UK-based event takes place this year at Royal Liverpool Golf Club
The Amundi Evian Championship, July 27-30 page 68-69
Played since 1994, this tournament became an official LPGA Tour event in 2000 and a designated major championship in 2013
AIG Women’s Open, August 10-13 page 72-73
Run by the R&A as the women’s equivalent of The Open Championship, it was originally conducted by the Ladies European Tour, becoming an official LPGA Tour event in 1994
TOUR Championship, August 24-27 page 76-77
The East Lake season-ending event on the PGA TOUR brings together the top 30 players on the FedExCup points list, making an exciting climax to the season-long FedExCup points competition
This is the story of a small specialty hospital that grew and grew to become a nationally ranked pediatric hospital and South Florida’s only healthcare system exclusively for children. Our story is peopled with heroes, including brave children and their families, dedicated doctors and caregivers, and philanthropists devoted to funding the future of children’s healthcare.
And without question, our story’s theme is hope. Nicklaus Children’s clinicians and support teams strive daily to fulfill our mission to inspire hope and promote lifelong health for children and their families. This singular focus defines Nicklaus Children’s as the hospital where your child matters most.
While the Nicklaus Children’s story begins in 1950 with the hospital’s founding as Variety Children’s Hospital, the
narrative surges in 2015 when golf icon Jack Nicklaus and his wife Barbara made a transformational donation. That decision changed the future of pediatric healthcare, forever, across South Florida and beyond.
Today, Nicklaus Children’s is a top-ranked children’s hospital in Florida, with a 309-bed campus featuring state-of-the art equipment and amenities. It’s the place families of the region and beyond trust and turn to when a child needs specialized care or confronts a critical illness.
Each year, the hospital hosts more than 16,000 admissions, 438,000 outpatient visits, 830,000 physician visits and 15,000 surgical procedures to meet the needs of patient families who come to us from throughout Florida and around the world.
Placing children at the center of every healthcare decision and ensuring that Nicklaus Children’s is the place where children matter most, Nicklaus Children’s is a rarity in today’s healthcare landscape. An independent, nonprofit children’s hospital with extraordinary depth of expertise in virtually every pediatric subspecialty – from adolescent medicine to urology and every specialty in between – Nicklaus Children’s offers its leading-edge care in a family-friendly environment that puts the needs of children first.
A standout feature of the hospital is our four healthcare institutes, each representing the pinnacle of pediatric
expertise. The institutes draw children and families from throughout the world in search of the latest treatments.
At Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, care is more than offering healthcare services, it’s about personalized treatment delivered by world-renowned, top-notch clinical institutes to address the depth and breadth of the greatest needs of children all across the region and globe.
Nicklaus Children’s Brain Institute: The first of its kind in the nation, the institute offers comprehensive medical care for the developing brain. Many of its multidisciplinary programs represent the most advanced care offerings available anywhere in the world. Focuses run the gamut, including a comprehensive epilepsy program for children with medically resistant seizures, a neuro-oncology program, craniofacial center, spasticity and movement disorders center and many more. The Nicklaus Children’s Brain Institute is one of only a few centers in the world using MRI-focused ultrasound to treat seizure-causing brain lesions.
Barbara and Jack Nicklaus
Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Advanced Pediatric Care Pavilion
Cancer and Blood Disorders Institute: This institute is the largest provider in the region for children with cancer and hematologic disorders. The program is renowned for offering the latest treatments for the full range of pediatric cancers and blood disorders and is engaged currently in more than 70 clinical research studies focused on new cures, treatments and diagnostic procedures to manage pediatric malignancies. The program’s blood and marrow transplant program features some of the best outcomes in the nation.
Nicklaus Children’s Heart Institute: The Heart Institute is one of the region’s most comprehensive and innovative programs dedicated to children and adults with congenital heart disease. The team is renowned for embracing emerging technologies to offer the best possible surgical and minimally invasive interventions and offers a continuum that extends from fetal diagnosis to birth, and care management from infancy, through childhood and adulthood.
Nicklaus Children’s Orthopedic, Sports Medicine and Spine Institute: This is one of the region’s largest and most innovative programs for pediatric orthopedic care. Areas of special focus include general orthopedics, sports medicine, scoliosis, hip and limb deformities, cerebral palsy, neuromuscular conditions, musculoskeletal oncology and more.
Much like the vision that inspired Jack and Barbara Nicklaus to transform care in South Florida, Nicklaus Children’s is devoted to bringing care closer to home for children throughout the region, with outpatient services and specialty physician appointments available in a steadily growing list of primary and specialty care centers. Convenience is important to today’s busy families and Nicklaus Children’s is leading the way in bringing more pediatric services closer to home. Currently we feature more than 20 outpatient and physician consultative offices throughout South Florida.
What’s next for Florida’s pediatric care leader? In 2022, the hospital broke ground on a new surgical tower set for
completion in 2024. This new 127,000-square-foot facility will be transformative, offering expanded surgical suites to accommodate the latest equipment and multidisciplinary surgical teams required for complex cases. The new tower will also offer spacious and private pre- and post-surgical spaces to make children and families more at home.
In honor of a generous gift from Citadel founder and CEO Kenneth C. Griffin, the tower will be named the Kenneth C. Griffin Surgical Tower. A major campaign to complete funding for the tower gets underway this year.
For more information about how you can support Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and its enduring mission, please visit give.nicklauschildrens.org or scan the code to the left.
Before Ezra was born, his mother learned her baby to be would have a serious heart complication at birth. Soon after his arrival, Ezra was whisked to Nicklaus Children’s via LifeFlight Critical Care Transport for lifesaving care. Today, after several surgeries, Ezra is thriving.
In her junior year of high school, basketball star Ja’Leah learned she would need surgery to correct an advancing curvature of her spine. After spinal surgery and a severalmonths-long recovery, Ja’Leah was back on the courts and nothing could stop her. Today, she is a star on her college basketball team.
At 3 months of age, Bruna was diagnosed with a rapidly growing brain tumor, called a ganglioglioma. Her parents traveled from their home in Bolivia to Nicklaus Children’s so their precious baby could take part in a clinical trial for children with this rare type of tumor. Today, Bruna’s cancer is in remission.
Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, Calif.
Field: 156 players
Format: 72 holes stroke play
Purse: $10 million
Winner’s Share: $1,800,000
Minjee Lee’s 2022 winning 72-hole total of 271 was a U.S. Women’s Open record.
Field: 156 players
Format: 72 holes stroke play
Purse: $14 million (2022)
Winner’s Share: $2,500,000 (2022)
secured his
major victory in 2022 with an impressive comeback from four strokes behind.
Despite being favorite to win, Rory McIlroy fell short of securing a second Open victory in 2022.
Tournament highlights, 2022
Evian Resort Golf Club, Evian-les-Bains, France
Field: 156 players
Format: 72 holes stroke play
Purse: $6.5 million
Winner’s Share: $1,000,000
Brooke Henderson’s 12th victory on the LPGA Tour made her one of Canada’s greatest golfers.
Tournament highlights, 2022
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The Relax Sauna technology delivers instant oxygenation to muscle tissue. Before a round of golf relieve a frozen shoulder, aching elbow, sprained ankle, and back pain in a 5-10 minute Relax Sauna session. This can be achieved while fully clothed, therefore maximizing a golfer’s warm up time at home, in the clubhouse, and even a hotel for the travelling golfer.
The best golfers are relaxed, limber, and laser focused all at the same time. Relax Sauna sessions unlock tight muscles to greatly improve range of motion, reduce inflammation and alleviate tension. Less tension in the body leads to better mobility and mental clarity. This combination provides powerful swings, smooth putts, and increased concentration.
After 18 holes, golfers require proper muscle recovery and deep sleep to reduce fatigue. Supercharge the recovery cycle with a 15-30 minute Relax Sauna sweat therapy session. Wrap in a towel, unwind the mind, and relax while the body removes lactic acid and other metabolic wastes to improve recovery time. The result is an activated parasympathetic nervous system for exceptional rest. Expect to wake up the next morning reinvigorated to play another 18!
Walton Heath Golf Club, Surrey, England
Field: 144 players
Format: 72 holes stroke play
Purse: $7.3 million
Winner’s Share: $1,095,000
Despite letting slip a five-shot lead in the final round, Ashleigh Buhai bounced back to secure her first career triumph on the LPGA Tour.
Tournament highlights, 2022
Every award-winning bottle of Garrison Brothers is overflowing with the finest, gourmet-grade ingredients on the planet. The nectar inside is made from a sweet mash bill and heat-forged in the scorching Texas sun, extracting all the flavor possible from our new American white oak barrels, yielding a darker, richer and fuller bourbon than any out there. We’d love to have you down to our distillery in Hye, TX or simply share a drink with you next time we cross paths. Salud!
©2023 Garrison Brothers Distillery. Garrison Brothers Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey. 47% Alc./Vol. (94 Proof). Cooked, distilled, barreled, and bottled by Garrison Brothers Distillery, Hye, Texas 78635.
East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, Ga.
Field: 30 players
Format: 72 holes stroke play with starting strokes
Purse: $75 million
Winner’s Share: $18,000,000
East Lake’s tranquil setting belies the tension and thrills of the TOUR Championship and the climax of the FedExCup.
If there’s one competition on the men’s pro circuit that requires true grit, determination and a steady nerve, it’s the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup, the season-long event that reaches a climax at East Lake, end of August, with a tighter field and a bigger purse
By Garry Smits
Tense moments are keenly followed by press and fans at every stage of the FedExCup playoffs.
it was intended.
“That was a spectacle out there today, two of the best players in the world going head-to-head for the biggest prize on the PGA TOUR,” he said.
Scheffler was the latest in a long list of regular-season FedExCup leaders to falter in the Playoffs. In the 16 FedExCups, the only three players who led at the end of the regular season and went on to win the FedExCup were Woods in 2007 and 2009 and Spieth in 2015.
And no one—not even Woods in his prime—ran the table: finishing first in points for the regular season and staying there.
Woods came the closest in the inaugural FedExCup season of 2007. He skipped the first playoff event, won by Steve Stricker to take over first place in points. Woods went
back on top by tying for second and winning in the next two Playoffs, and then destroyed the field at East Lake with an eight-shot victory in the TOUR Championship.
Rahm’s lead
Jon Rahm is heading for a Schefflerlike domination of the points race through the 2023 Zurich Classic. It was his 14th consecutive week at No. 1 after Max Homa, Mackenzie Hughes, Keegan Bradley, and Seamus Power took turns at the top.
As history has shown, Rahm can’t feel comfortable until the final putt at East Lake.
Now, consider the 2023 FedExCup race and the possibility of an even greater spectacle.
The eligibility list for the Playoffs has been cut by 55 players. In the past, the top-125 on the points list
advanced to the Playoffs but this year only 70 will go to the TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tenn., on August 10-13 for the St. Jude Classic. From there the top-50 go to Olympia Fields near Chicago the following week for the BMW Championship. The top-30 from there advance to East Lake.
The first-place check rises to $25 million. What that means is 44 percent fewer players battling all season for more money.
Players are not only trying to get to East Lake but also to position themselves for the TOUR’s new calendar-year schedule. Those top-50 players who emerge from Memphis will be eligible for the 2024 “Elevated Events”—eight no-cut tournaments with fields of around 80 players and purses of at least $20 million. The rest of those fields will be filled out by the FedExCup points list at the time of the event.
Points are precious. And nothing is guaranteed, as Scheffler and 12 other regular-season FedExCup points leaders discovered. ■
“That was a spectacle out there today, two of the best players in the world going headto-head for the biggest prize on the PGA TOUR.”
Rory McIlroy
Jon Rahm celebrates his 2023 Masters victory, one that helped propel him to the top of the 2023 FedExCup points table. The FedExCup Playoffs always attract excited crowds, creating an electrifying atmosphere.
The current investment environment is full of unknowns and uncertainty due to the convergence of inflation, Covid-19 pandemic aftershocks and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Stocks and bonds are facing the worst year on record through the first nine months of the year. The first half of 2022 saw the worst market conditions in the last 70 years when combining the equity and fixed income markets.
Due to these current circumstances, it’s more important now than ever to ensure financial security both in the short term and long term.
Since 1929, the chance of a stock investment losing value on a single day stands at 46%. But over 10 years, the probability drops to 6%.1 Despite the current volatility and uncertainty, remaining diversified, balanced and on guard is important for short-term
and long-term financial stability and success. Reset periods like this also produce some of the greatest investment opportunities.
“Today, investors are most concerned about having a solid financial plan in place that allows them to pursue their goals regardless of the market volatility,” says Steve Alch, Southeast Division Executive, Merrill Wealth Management. “Markets move up and down in the short term, working to stay on track to help achieve your goals regardless of daily market movements can help clients feel more confident in their
For many, wading through the problems of today can cloud their judgment and course of action for the long term. That’s where help from a trusted and experienced financial advisor proves invaluable.
Launched in October, Merrill Advisor Match from Bank of America’s wealth management division is a new digital platform that connects people seeking financial advice with an advisor who best fits their specific needs. This more holistic and personalized approach is designed to democratize access to advice, while demystifying the process through a digital experience.
Advisors help clients look beyond present daily market fluctuations and interest rate hikes to not only focus on securing their long-term financial stability, but also to take advantage of larger opportunities that could likely be underway. Worrisome headlines are kept in perspective as advisors review asset allocations and plans to ensure that their clients are on track for success and stability.
“The big difference between now and years past is the availability of real-
time information and technology,” Alch says. “The days of calling your advisor for a quote on a stock are long over. You have that information at your fingertips. Now, you call your advisor for advice on everything else—your retirement planning, college savings, alternative investments, and provide access to mortgages, boat loans and more.
“That is why it is important to work with a firm that can deliver solutions and advice on a wide range of topics.”
According to new Merrill research, half of people without an advisor are taking the search for an advisor more seriously. One-third of affluent Americans are not working with an advisor today due to a litany of issues including not knowing how to find the right advisor, feeling intimidated to reach out to an advisor in the first place, or the inability to find an advisor who understands their unique needs.
While recommendations from family and friends will continue to be an important way people are introduced to a financial advisor, most people without an advisor (62%) would be the first in their family to have such a relationship, including 76% of affluent Black/African Americans and 73% of affluent Hispanics, according to Merrill research.2 “Referrals are always great, but there are other ways to find an advisor,” Alch says. “Our recently launched Merrill Advisor Match platform allows you to answer a few, simple questions about your current situation and preferences, and once completed, it will direct you to a local advisor3 with corresponding interests and expertise.
Visit ML.com/AdvisorMatch
1 S&P 500; Bloomberg; BofA Global Research. Data as of March 31, 2022. Data reflects probability of negative equity returns going back to 1929 based on S&P 500 performance.
2 Concentrix (an independent market research company conducted a panel-sample online survey on behalf of Bank of America/Merrill from July 22 – August 4, 2022. The survey consisted of 1,095 affluent respondents throughout the U.S. Respondents in the study were aged 18 to 99, with investable assets of $250,000 and above. The margin of error is +/- 2.96%, reported at a 95% confidence level.
3 Choice of advisor does not guarantee future success. Investing involves risk. There is always the potential of losing money when you invest in securities. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Asset allocation, rebalancing and diversification do not guarantee against risk in broadly declining markets.
sponsored, managed, distributed or provided by companies that are affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (“BofA Corp.”). MLPF&S is a registered broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, Member SIPC and a wholly owned subsidiary of BofA Corp. Investment products offered through MLPF&S:
A relationship with the right advisor can make all the difference, especially in uncertain times. Now, you can find the one who’s right for you anytime, anywhere. Our new Merrill Advisor Match tool allows you to choose an advisor based on your personal preferences, priorities and financial goals. It’s a digital tool so impressive, you can’t help but find your match.
Scan to meet your match today or visit:
Investing involves risk including possible loss of principal. Choice of advisor does not guarantee future success.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (also referred to as “MLPF&S” or “Merrill”) makes available certain investment products sponsored, managed, distributed or provided by companies that are affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (“BofA Corp.”). MLPF&S is a registered broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, Member SIPC and a wholly owned subsidiary of BofA Corp. Banking products are provided by Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC and a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation. Investment products:
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With a peace pact now agreed by warring PGA TOUR and LIV Tour, finding equitable solutions remains far from complete
By Ron Green JrThe day may eventually come when the professional golf landscape is dotted only by tournament schedules, major championships, and the starshine brought by the game’s best players.
That day, idyllic as it is, could still be a long time off.
Resolution pending
The disruption that fractured the professional game with LIV Golf’s arrival in 2022 continues to send aftershocks rattling through the sport even as a formal resolution is in the works.
As difficult as it was getting to the place golf found itself with the PGA TOUR in a high-profile, emotional battle with LIV and its deep-pocketed Saudi backers, bringing the people and pieces back together may be equally daunting.
The good news is while there seemed no mutually agreeable path forward when the calendar turned to June, shock waves went through the game when the PGA TOUR and the Public Investment Fund, which underwrites LIV Golf, announced
a framework agreement on the morning of June 6.
A path has been cleared.
Legal requirements
Navigating that path, giving each side what it wants while also satisfying legal requirements, isn’t as simple as ordering a burger and fries.
The announcement of a framework agreement between the PGA TOUR and the leaders of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund resonated beyond golf. Given the PIF’s billion-dollar investment in creating LIV Golf and Saudi Arabia’s human rights issues, the stunning agreement created a firestorm of controversy, jeopardizing its future.
Working through the details, allowing emotions to cool and explaining the whys and hows of the agreement became critical.
Opposition voiced
Many PGA TOUR players—who were as surprised by the news as were the general public—expressed vehement opposition to the agreement.
Legislators and the Department
“PIF, the PGA TOUR, and the DP World TOUR will establish a partnership in global golf.”
of Justice launched investigations into the legalities of the potential arrangement. Fans, angered by the sudden about face by PGA TOUR commissioner Jay Monahan, voiced their disappointment.
Players who signed with LIV Golf were left to wonder about what comes next. Will there be a third season for LIV? What might be their path back to the PGA TOUR? Could this framework fall apart?
Add into the mix the news that Monahan stepped away from his duties for an undetermined period of time due to a health issue and it further muddied the waters.
The way forward seemed to clear a bit during the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club in June when lawsuits filed by both sides were dismissed with prejudice, meaning they cannot be refiled in the future. It was a key piece of the initial agreement, allowing discussions to continue without the weight of having future court cases and their attendant legal fees hanging over both sides.
Nevertheless, a return to what for so long felt normal remains a work in progress.
When the signed agreement that led to the stunning June 6 announcement was leaked in late June, what it lacked in specifics it
made up for with intentions. Among the key sentences was this one: “PIF, the PGA TOUR, and the DP World TOUR will establish a partnership in global golf.”
It landed as the PGA TOUR was finalizing its 2024 season with another round of $20-million designated events dotting the lineup, putting a hold on releasing the new schedule. As attractive as the designated events are to the top players, they also posed a serious financial challenge to the PGA TOUR, which was running up tens of millions of dollars in legal fees fighting the LIV Golf threat, not to mention finding ways to fund their largesse.
That was part of the reasoning behind Monahan’s willingness to sit down with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of the Public Investment Fund, to find a way forward that brings both peace to the professional game as well as redirects the money being spent by each side against the other.
Whether LIV Golf and its team concept exists in 2024 will be determined largely by Monahan, who in addition to his duties as commissioner of the PGA TOUR will
become CEO of NewCo, the for-profit entity created by the TOUR, the PIF, and the DP World TOUR (assuming Monahan returns to his duties after his medical break).
It’s hard to imagine LIV existing in its current form if the agreement is finalized though there is a stated intent to find a way to use the team format on both the PGA and DP World TOURs in the future.
In addition to giving Al-Rumayyan one of 10 seats on the PGA TOUR Policy Board, the agreement also specifies the Saudi fund, or one of its designees, will be the title sponsor of a high-dollar, high-profile event that will likely be co-sanctioned by the PGA and DP World Tours.
Among the most contentious elements of the agreement is establishing a path back to the two tours for players who chose LIV and its multi-million guarantees over the established tours. It is likely to be an expensive and time-consuming process for LIV members to regain their previous TOUR status. There is also the question of finding a way to reward players who turned down LIV’s aggressive offers.
The first and most critical step was agreeing to find a way forward together. Figuring out how the various pieces of that fit together could remain a work in progress for some time. ■
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Jin Young Ko has moved to No. 1 in the 2023 Race to the CME Globe, and is also top of the Rolex Women’s World Rankings.
There are around 80,000 miles between CME-Globe-pointearnings stops on the 2023 LPGA Tour. Those are proliferationplus miles, indeed, in the aptly titled “Race to the CME Globe Champion.”
The competition started with the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Orlando, Fla. on January 19 and will culminate exactly 10 months later with the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Fla. where the tournament winner will be acclaimed the “Race to the CME Globe Champion.”
There are only 185 miles between these tournament sites. Yet, there have been many accomplishments and dejections this season—and there will be more—on courses in the Sunshine State and on those beyond assorted sunsets across the globe.
“It’s amazing to kind of witness that throughout the years that I’ve been on tour,” said Nelly Korda, a
familiar threat or holder of the No.1 Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings position since 2021, at last year’s CME Group Tour Championship. “We’re getting put on a great stage. … Hopefully, it keeps trending in that way, but we’re all very grateful for these opportunities that we have been given, especially by CME.”
Twelve countries and eleven U.S. states are included on this season’s travel itinerary on the record-setting $100.4 million LPGA Tour. From Thailand to Singapore, California to New Jersey, People’s Republic of China to Malaysia, France to Scotland, LPGA members compete for CME Globe points. The better the finish, the more points earned. The winner of most official LPGA events earns 500 points; champions of the five majors each receive 650. The top 60 players (and ties) in the point standings after “THE ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican” qualify the following week for the CME Group Tour Championship, November 16-19.
“In June, South Korea’s Jin Young Ko broke the record for most weeks spent at world No. 1 (159).”
Nelly Korda is currently No. 2 in the Rolex Rankings and also ranks within the top10 in the Race to CME Globe.
By winning the Women’s PGA Championship, Ruoning Yin jumped nine places to reach No. 2 in the Race to the CME Globe.
Last year at this event, Lydia Ko’s birdie putt at the par-3 16th at the Tiburon Golf Club provided her with a two-stroke victory over Leona Maguire.
In addition to securing the most lucrative first-place check ($2 million) in women’s golf history, Ko finished first in LPGA Tour season earnings with $4,364,403. She secured the Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average (68.99) and the Rolex LPGA Player of the Year Award.
The CME Globe trophy and the Rolex LPGA Player of the Year Award gleamed very well as a pair of awards in the post-tournament celebratory photo session. Ko also crept closer, with 25 points, to the 27 required for inclusion in the LPGA Hall of Fame. After capping her season with her third tournament title, she told reporters: “I really could never ask for more to win so early in the season and then, to have won in Korea and then win the last event of the year. I couldn’t have drawn it up any better.”
But in the first four months this year, New Zealand’s Lydia Ko didn’t approach such proficiency with ties for sixth, 31st and 34th and a missed cut in the first major, The Chevron Championship.
South Korea’s Jin Young Ko, meanwhile, moved to No.1 in the Race to the CME Globe standings in the middle of May after her Cognizant Founders Cup playoff triumph over Minjee Lee (May 14, 2023). Ko showcased her steadfastness—one of her trademarks when she was the Rolex Player of the Year with five victories in 2021—with the lowest fourth-round score (5-under-par 67). Her second victory of the year (the first was the HSBC Women’s World Championship) put her at 20 points, as she approaches her life-long quest to be inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame.
Two other certified threats in the CME Globe Champion chase are Lilia Vu
and Nelly Korda.
Vu followed her Honda LPGA Thailand victory with the Chevron Championship. The former was the first LPGA victory for the former No. 1 amateur in the world and the winningest player in UCLA history with eight individual titles.
The latter was a coveted major that required a Vu vault into the pond near the 18th green at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas. This continued the splashy tradition of past champions, celebrating this major triumph.
Currently (July) heading the CME Race is South Korea’s Jin Young Ko who has achieved 15 career victories, two this year, and is currently No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. She’s also now broken the record for most weeks spent at world No. 1 (159 weeks), previously tied with Lorena Ochoa at 158 weeks.
So far this season Nelly Korda (currently Rolex Rankings No. 2) has performed well since surgery last year to repair a blood clot in her left arm. The 2020 Olympic Gold Medalist tied for sixth or better in five of her first six tournaments. She overtook Lydia Ko for the No. 1 position in the Rolex Rankings on April 24, with Lydia
The LPGA CME Group Tour Championship—now in its fifth year as the re-formatted “FedExCup equivalent” on the LPGA Tour—features the season long “Race to the CME Globe,” where LPGA players compete throughout the season to qualify for a season-ending championship tournament. In addition to CME title sponsorship of the tournament and the seasonlong points race, CME Group also sponsors two prominent LPGA players, Brittany Lincicome and Mo Martin.
Ko currently placed at No. 3 in the Rolex Rankings.
Georgia Hall and Celine Boutier, who were No. 4 and No. 5 in the Race to CME Globe standings after the Cognizant Founders Cup, are also Race to the CME Globe Champion challengers. Hall had two early second-place finishes, and Boutier won the LPGA Drive on Championship, as both Solheim Cup veterans aspire to be European forces in the upcoming matchup with the United States. ■
Established in 1958, the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) is the professional organization of men’s collegiate golf coaches. The GCAA’s mission is to support its member coaches from six divisions, including the NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA, by creating educational opportunities, providing resources, and promoting its members with the purpose of enhancing their overall performance as coaches, mentors, and teachers. The GCAA also recognizes the excellence and achievements of its members and their student-athletes in academic, athletic, and civic endeavors.
The GCAA annually administers or assists with collegiate competitions, including the Arnold Palmer Cup, Patriot All-America, and Folds of Honor Collegiate. Please visit www.collegiategolf.com for more information.
Stan Awtrey spent 25 years as a sportswriter with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. A member of the GWAA, he is editor of Golf Georgia, the official magazine of the Georgia State Golf Association. His work has appeared in dozens of newspapers, magazines, and websites.
Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods are considered the two greatest players in the history of the game. Naturally, their opinions carry a lot of gravitas. Everyone takes notice when the two superstars give their approval on a topic as transformative as the R&A’s and USGA’s proposal to introduce a distance-reducing golf ball.
The new proposal from golf’s governing bodies would put a distance limit on how far the ball can carry. The rule would go into effect in January 2026. The reduced ball—a car-racing comparison would be restrictor plates that prevent the drivers from going too fast—will be mandatory at the elite professional level. It would not affect most amateur tournaments and no one is going to grab that Pro V1 out of your hands for the regular Saturday group.
Nicklaus has been a proponent of dialing back distance for more than 30 years. Woods officially expressed his advocacy for the proposal in April this year at the Masters. And four-time major champion Rory McIlroy, one of the game’s current preeminent players, threw his weight in favor, too.
“It’s a big deal and it could dramatically change the landscape of our game going forward,” McIlroy said. “I’m certainly in the camp that believes it’s the right thing to do.” That means a lot coming from a guy who is one of the biggest hitters in golf.
But not everyone is in lockstep with the change. Two-time major champion Justin Thomas vehemently disagreed and said the move is bad for the game. Thomas deferred to the fans who love to watch the pros rip it. And he pointed out how the current generation of golfers are more serious about their
health and fitness, which allows them to break the old barriers.
“It’s evolution,” Thomas said. “We’re athletes now. We’re training to hit the ball further and faster and if you can do it, good for you.”
Even the media members who cover the sport— an opinionated lot indeed—are split on the issue. In a recent Power Poll Golf report, which gauged the opinion of 500 men and women who cover golf, 46 percent said using a limited-distance golf ball in elite competition was the correct approach. But 43 percent disagreed, and 11 percent were unsure.
Proponents of dialing the ball back argue that new technology has made some of the game’s most famous venues obsolete. Augusta National spent millions to purchase the land needed to lengthen its iconic 13th hole. But not every club, even the old-money blue-blood clubs, have the desire or the available land to do likewise.
Golf has been constantly changing and evolving. The only gutta percha balls you’ll find these days are in a museum. Hickory-shafted clubs are great for nostalgia, but no one wants to abandon their modern-day shafts. And who would be willing to go back to persimmon woods or drivers that don’t have a head as big as a melon?
Golf, like other sports, will continue to adapt to the times. The current National Football League bears only a faint resemblance to the game played 50 years ago. Major League Baseball enacted rules this year to speed up play and help the offense. Golf, too, will work its way through the issues and will figure it out. Putting brakes on the golf ball is just the first step. ■
It’s when you hit that sweet spot. It’s when you’ve read the green just right. It’s when you’re muttering “get in the hole” and it does just that!
These are the moments players
at all levels strive for. And that achievement can come through practice and experience. So, with good advice from professional coach, Michael Jacobs, please play on and enjoy!
Before beginning your round of golf, warming up and getting a feel for the green is important. Don’t dive straight in and warm up with your driver. Starting with a smooth iron, taking a few small shots and then working your way through the bag will give you a much better rhythm and tempo for the day.
Before you take those first few swings, you want to loosen up your body so that you’re ready to move. Start with what’s called a dynamic warm up. Take a golf club out of your bag and start to do some exercises for a minute or two to make you feel more loose and ready to move. To start warming up the lower body, attempt some hips swings. Use your golf club like a prop and then take a stance on one leg opposite of your club, and then swing that leg back and forth. This will help loosen up the hips and lower body. Then to start warming up the upper body, take your golf club, hold it with two hands, raise it up over your head, take a wide stance, and then lower your arms behind your neck. This will get the shoulders loosened up but will also warm up your back and arms.
These tips will ensure you don’t unnecessarily strain any muscles throughout your play.
Everybody wants to hit the ball far. Yet many times, the method used to try to gain distance is not the right method. An important first step in creating power is understanding how to use the body linkage.
Ultimately, what we’re trying to do is move our body consistently well so that we can transfer the speed to the club. A lot of times, people focus too much on trying to hit far and not enough focus on trying to get the correct downward movements. Good body posture is the first step in moving the body linkage well. The back of your head, the middle of your back, and the lower back are areas that should stay consistent in a neutral spine when bending forward from your hips creating the hip hinge. This will help your body move well when going into your swing.
One of the most important things is that the golfer understands the golf swing is a culmination of everything that happens in the body. Furthermore, everything that happens in the lower body has to transfer and work in order to strike your tee shot in the most effective way.
Key areas you will be looking at is the position of your hips and the structure of your knees. Much of the power of the strike is driven by the hip joints—it’s important to focus on these aspects. So don’t try to overpower your club—keep the body rotating.
When swinging back, there shouldn’t be much change in the way of the shape of the arms and wrists.
At the top of the swing, ensure you have done a full torso turn. If you do a half torso turn, the club will get too far out so when you come down, you will come down at a strange angle into the ball. Additionally, not turning your torso enough will cause you to bring your arms across your body and then the plane of the swing will become worse.
So, you want to train yourself to do a full torso turn and then train to have your arms to be as high as your shoulders on the back swing.
Once you have got yourself in that setup position, you can start to rotate the segments of the body and transfer those out to the club. The big rotation movers will be your hip joints, the middle of your ribcage, and the middle of your back. What you’re looking to do to create power to transfer to the club is use the right housing of the body.
It’s a game of intense distance and direction, so being off by a yard or two can make all the difference. There are a few ways that can help you get better at judging your distance, these include: a yarders marker—indicated by poles or bushes—tells you how close you are to the center of the green. There are also hand laser range finders which can tell you how far away that pin is from you. There are GPS devices on smartphones that you can also use to track your distance to different locations on the golf course.
Picking the right club is important when factoring in your distance. There’s normally about a ten-yard gap between each club selection, so ensure you select the most suitable club.
Remember, setting your club before you set your body normally improves your performance and helps you avoid poor aim. When you are training yourself, pay attention to your shoulders, hips, and knees.
Many people focus on clubhead speed—which is important—but it’s the resulting ball speed that ultimately leads to distance. It matters where you hit on the face when it comes to distance. Clubhead speed is great, but is your ball speed where it should be in relation to that club speed? Nothing beats hitting the center of the face, which the best players in the world always do. When you don’t hit center, there is so much twisting of the club that you’ll start gripping tighter, your arms will get tighter, and it will affect the body linkage.
A couple of ways to check where you’re hitting the ball on the clubface is to use a little powder spray. As the ball comes off the face after you’ve made a swing, you’ll be able to see where the impact mark is. You can also use impact tape that can go on like a sticker on the club face.
Another important aspect you could incorporate is using a launch monitor and paying attention to the smash factor. This is the efficiency score of how much ball speed you are producing for the clubhead speed that you are generating. If the ratio is low, then you know that you are not getting center contact. For example, if your ratio is 1.5, you are doing great, if it is 1.35, you have some work to do to improve your ability to find the center of the clubface so you can get more distance out of your shots.
Shots around the green comprise about 65 percent of your score, being able to navigate your way from 30 to 40 yards in is very important. One of the big obstacles near the green is the bunker. What are ways that you can accommodate the bunker and get yourself on the green?
Do not spend too much time trying to overdo the setup. Set yourself up so that your main goal is to shoot the sand where you want the ball to go. That will be a good enough setup to get the job done. Put your focus on sending the sand where you want the ball to go, and you won’t have to go through a setup routine. One adjustment to make is to take your grip and turn your hands slightly so that the club is twisted which will get the back bottom edge of the club into play and help you move that sand in the direction you want to go to.
So, take a setup where you feel like you can shoot the ball and shoot the sand in the direction you want, take your grip and turn it and make a sizeable swing with a sizeable speed to be able to shoot the ball certain distances. When the shot is made, it should look like the shape of a football imprinted into the sand as opposed to a beachball or a circle.
This is never an easy shot, but learning this skill is the easiest way to lower your handicap and achieve lower scores. Players often tend to have a difficulty reading their lie and adjusting to it accordingly.
If the ball is sitting up high in the rough, you want to have more of a shallow swing and approach. Take a narrow stance and keep the swing low to the ground so you can pick up the ball cleanly.
On the other hand, if the ball is down in the rough you need loft and a little angle to get the club into the grass and onto the ball cleanly. Take a more wider stance, lowering the handle to add some loft, and then using a little bit of wrist hinge to get the club working up and down into the grass, you’re going to be able to launch the ball out of the rough cleanly.
By Michael LoRé
Unravelling the financial implications of what led to a surprise LIV-TOUR merger shows that money is the ultimate power on golf’s world stage
It’s not often a quote from an infamous drug lord is relevant in sports, but in the case of the PGA TOUR’s multi-year battle with LIV Golf—that came to a surprising conclusion on June 6 when the rivals announced their new friendship via a merger that not only sent shockwaves throughout golf, but sports and politics—it is perhaps fitting.
“Everyone has a price—the important thing is to find out what it is,” Pablo Escobar said.
While the PGA TOUR’s exact price has yet to be revealed, the merger between golf’s two biggest entities reinforces Escobar’s quote and the adage that money talks.
“Whether you like it or not, the PIF are going to keep spending money in golf,” said four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, who staunchly served as the PGA TOUR’s biggest advocate during the past few years. “At least the PGA TOUR now controls how that money is spent. If you’re thinking about one of the biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world, would you rather have them as a partner or an enemy?
“At the end of the day money talks, and you’d rather have them as a partner.”
The initial rumors and reports of a new golf league that would rival the PGA TOUR first came about in 2019 with the announcement of the Premier Golf League. Later rebranded as LIV Golf—a name paying homage to the 54 holes its tournaments comprise—the PGA TOUR’s rivals went from rumor to reality in October 2021 with two-time Open Championship winner and World Golf Hall of Fame inductee Greg Norman serving as CEO.
“This is only the beginning,” Norman said in a statement. “LIV
Golf Investments has secured a major capital commitment that will be used to create additive new opportunities across worldwide professional golf.”
Backed by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia that manages more than $600 billion in assets and is a major catalyst in the Middle Eastern nation’s Vision 2030, a “transformative economic and social reform blueprint that is opening Saudi Arabia up to the world,” LIV began offering jaw-dropping figures to some of the game’s biggest stars including Tiger Woods, who turned down a reported $700 million, while Phil Mickelson ($200 million), Dustin Johnson ($125 million), Bryson DeChambeau ($125 million), Brooks Koepka ($100 million), and others took the money and ran.
Johnson, a two-time major winner, said the opportunity was in “his and his family’s best interest,” and “too compelling to pass up,” while others cited “growing the game” as their justification for defecting.
Mickelson’s was the loudest voice in support of the breakaway league, and when he made the jump to the LIV Tour he reasoned it was “a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA TOUR operates.” Turns out, Mickelson’s confidence was correct.
As conversations (and betting odds) grew louder about which player would defect next—and for how much—PGA TOUR commissioner Jay Monahan firmly put his foot down, being quoted as saying: “As long as I’m commissioner of the PGA TOUR, no player that took LIV money will ever play the PGA TOUR again.”
Not only did Monahan get to work on the media and public relations side as the battle of “us vs. them”
“Everyone has a price—the important thing is to find out what it is”
Pablo Escobar
teed off, but behind the scenes an evolution had begun thanks to LIV’s golf revolution.
Knowing the TOUR could soon be bled dry with other stars favoring more money for less play, the nonprofit 501(c)(6) began counting its own cash to introduce a slew of changes as the TOUR ushered in “a new era” of competition via a series of high stakes designated events with larger purses as well as a Player Impact Program (PIP), which rewarded players who “generate the most positive interest in the PGA TOUR.” The PIP pool even doubled from $50 million to $100 million spread across 20 players, who were also required to play in all of the elevated events they were eligible for, although they were permitted to skip one.
Tournaments like the Waste Management Phoenix Open, RBC Heritage, and Travelers Championship saw their purses balloon to $20 million each, enticing the world’s best players to ply their trade more frequently, which then in turn boosted sponsors and brand partners as well as attendance, TV/ streaming viewership and social media engagement.
It was a win-win.
“When you have the top OWGR players playing each other, that level of competition is very special and you just see a different kind of engagement in the telecast and with fans there locally,” said Mary DePaoli, Executive Vice President and Chief
Marketing Officer at RBC. “Having these designated events is helping elevate the sport. When you’ve got the best players doing that, you create new storylines for fans to grab onto.”
Top players like Jon Rahm felt the responsibility to play week in and week out, despite some questioning the Spaniard’s participation in the RBC Heritage shortly after winning the 2023 Masters. In doing so, Rahm became the first Masters champion since Jordan Spieth in 2015 to tee it up the week after donning the iconic green jacket.
“People pay their hard-earned money to watch me perform,” Rahm said. “It’s my job to perform. They don’t care if I slept good or bad, I feel good or bad. It doesn’t matter. As a competitor, I’m not ducking anything.”
The changes quickly paid dividends for the PGA TOUR. Through the year’s first seven events (excluding the Masters), CBS broadcasts averaged 2.42 million viewers, up 3 percent compared to the same point in 2022. The final round of the elevated RBC Heritage, highlighted by a playoff between Matt Fitzpatrick and defending champion Spieth, was the most-watched final round of the season at that point, excluding the Masters, with 4.152 million viewers on CBS.
Average weekly digital visits on PGATOUR.com were up 8 percent in Q1 compared to 2022, while the
number of TOUR app downloads on iOS in Q1 were up 60 percent compared to last year.
“I love the new changes,” Max Homa said ahead of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. “The product is important. … This is to make it better for the fans. It is a guarantee on who will be at events and leaning more on the more there.
“It is more opportunity for the top players to battle it out late on Sundays. Which, you look back at times of Phil [Mickelson] and Tiger, the two best players growing up for me watching, and they had like maybe two real battles. So we’re going to have more of that.”
Not only was the PGA TOUR hemorrhaging money in an effort to keep pace in the cash arms race against LIV, the TOUR was also embroiled in a costly legal battle with its wealthy rivals, spending nearly $50 million in the process.
The two organizations had filed a series of antitrust claims against the other with LIV Golf suing the PGA TOUR alleging anti-competitive practices for banning its players, while the TOUR countersued, claiming LIV was stifling competition.
Knowing their well would dry up long before the bottomless pit that the PIF-backed LIV could draw from, the PGA TOUR eventually conceded, announcing a newly formed commercial entity to “unify golf” consisting of the PGA TOUR, DP World Tour, and PIF. Monahan will serve as Commissioner, while PIF’s Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan will join the PGA TOUR Policy Board.
“This transformational partnership recognizes the immeasurable strength of the PGA TOUR’s history, legacy and pro-competitive model and combines with it the DP World Tour and LIV—
including the team golf concept—to create an organization that will benefit golf’s players, commercial and charitable partners and fans,” Monahan said.
The announcement left many stunned, including PGA TOUR loyalists, with the news only being trumped by Lionel Messi’s massive move to Inter Miami CF of Major League Soccer garnering more headlines and reactions.
“I think the general feeling is that a lot of people feel a bit of betrayal from [TOUR] management,” Rahm told reporters ahead of the 123rd U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club. “I understand why they had to keep it so secret. I understand we couldn’t make it through a PAC [Player Advisory Council] meeting with more than 10 minutes after people spilling the beans right away in some article by you guys already being out there. So, I get it. I get the secrecy.”
Collin Morikawa, a two-time major winner, was just as baffled.
“I think for a lot of different parties there’s a lot of different reasons of why it’s happening,’’ he said. “We all want to know the ‘why.’ Like what’s the purpose behind it?”
While players, fans, and pundits are still seeking answers to a laundry list of questions, PGA TOUR policy board member Jimmy Dunne told ESPN that TOUR loyalists would be rewarded for their steadfastness. Those who rebuked LIV will receive equity in the
new for-profit company based on a yet-to-be determined formula, while those who left for LIV wouldn’t receive those shares; no harm no foul since they already got paid handsomely before their colleagues.
According to reports, PIF’s cash infusion in the yet-to-be-named joint commercial venture will be calculated as “the difference between the value of its LIV stake and the total value of the golf enterprise,” and while it is not finalized, “can be greater or less than $3 billion depending on the value of the overall transaction.”
That may be approximately double what the PGA TOUR is currently valued at, as a $1.5 billion business earning much of its revenue from tournament revenue ($660 million), domestic and global media rights ($634 million), Tournament Players Clubs ($142 million), corporate licensing ($65 million), and investments ($21 million). The DP Tour reportedly generates about $144 million across its 39 tournaments.
While there are still so many uncertainties and details to be determined and announced, including the name of the new entity, schedule, prize money and bonuses, eligibility and more, one thing is for certain: money talks, and maybe more importantly, wins.
“We cannot compete with a foreign government with unlimited money,” Monahan told The Wall Street Journal “This was the time. … We waited to be in the strongest possible position to get this deal in place.” ■
“We waited to be in the strongest possible position to get this deal in place”
Jay Monahan
By Adam Mackey
NCAA Division I
Biondi Wins 2023 NCAA Division I Arnold Palmer National Individual Champion Award in Final Round Thriller
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Fred Biondi, a senior at the University of Florida, claimed the 2023 Division I Arnold Palmer National Individual Champion Award this evening (Monday, May 29) for earning medalist honors following the NCAA Division I National Championship.
Entering the final round five shots back, Biondi carded six birdies on Monday en route to a three-under round of 67 and the one-stroke victory. The senior from São Paulo, Brazil was able to two-putt the 18th hole and finished the tournament with a seven-under 273 (69-68-69-67).
With the win, Biondi became the first player from South America and the first international player since Thomas Pieters in 2012 to win the individual national championship. He was also the first Florida golfer to win since Nick Gilliam in 2001. The win was Biondi’s third of the season.
NCAA Division II
Riley Wins 2023 NCAA Division II Arnold Palmer National Individual Champion Award
WARREN, Ohio – Andrew Riley, a sophomore at Palm Beach Atlantic University, claimed the 2023 Division II Arnold Palmer National Individual Champion Award this evening (Wednesday, May 24) for earning medalist honors following the NCAA Division II National Championship.
Riley carded three birdies and an eagle on Wednesday en route to his second five-under, bogeyfree round of 67 in three days and the two-stroke victory. The sophomore from St. John’s, Fla., finished the tournament with a 12-under 204 (67-70-67).
The win was Riley’s second of the season and second consecutive following the 2023 NCAA South/Southeast Regional.
NAIA
Johnson Wins 2023 NAIA
Arnold Palmer National Individual Champion Award in Playoff MESA, Ariz. — Easton Johnson, a freshman at The Master’s University, claimed the 2023 NAIA Arnold Palmer National Individual Champion Award this afternoon for earning medalist honors following the NAIA National Championship.
Johnson carded six birdies in regulation and two in as many playoff holes Friday to defeat Bellevue’s Hugo Ronnberg for the title. The 2023 NAIA Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award presented by Strackaline recipient and PING First-Team
All-American turned in a fourunder 68 on the day for an eight-under 280 tournament finish (71-70-71-68).
The win was Johnson’s first as a collegiate golfer.
NCAA Division III
Hebrink Wins 2023 NCAA Division III Arnold Palmer National Individual Champion Award in Final-Round Spectacle
NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. – Josh Hebrink, a junior at Piedmont University, claimed the 2023 Division III
Arnold Palmer National Individual Champion Award this afternoon (Friday, May 19) for earning medalist honors following the NCAA Division III National Championship.
Entering the final round four shots back, Hebrink turned it on in the most pivotal moments on Friday, carding a season-low sixunder 66 that included five birdies, a 130-yard eagle from the center of the fairway on the 17th hole, and a 15-foot par putt on 18 that clinched the championship. The three-time PING All-Region and 2023 PING
First-Team All-American finished the tournament with a seven-under 281 (69-74-72-66).
The win was Hebrink’s third of the season.
NJCAA Division I
Ramirez Wins 2023 NJCAA
Division I Arnold Palmer
National Individual Champion Award
NJCAA Division II
Beach Wins 2023 NJCAA
Division II Arnold Palmer
National Individual Champion Award
The following top six players from the final ranking from both the United States and International ranking, men and women, are among the
individuals who were selected to compete in this year’s Palmer Cup (see also pp.124-125)
Below are the top-ranked players
from Team USA (three women/three men), followed by six top-ranked players from Team International (three women/three men).
Crystal Wang
(Senior from Diamond Bar, California)
University of Illinois
▷ 2023 WGCA First-Team AllAmerican
▷ 2023 Big Ten Individual Champion
▷ 12-under 201 (including a nineunder 62 in the final round) to win by 12 strokes and propel Illinois to their first-ever Big Ten Championship
▷ 2023 Big Ten Golfer of the Year
▷ 2023 Big Ten Mary Fossum Award winner for lowest stroke average relative to par
▷ Two-time Augusta National Women’s Amateur participant
▷ 14-under at the 2023 Illini Women’s Invitational set the program record for lowest 54-hole total
Rachel Kuehn
(Senior from Asheville, North Carolina)
Wake Forest University
2020-22 Arnold Palmer Cup
1-2 team record
3-4-5 individual record
▷ 2023 NCAA Team Champion
▷ The first in program history to receive two ACC Player of the Year honors
▷ Four-time WGCA All-American
▷ Three-time Augusta National Women’s Amateur participant
▷ Two-time Curtis Cup participant
▷ Two-time WGCA All-American Scholar
▷ Has won at least one individual title in each of her six semesters of college golf
▷ Three-time First-Team All-B1G (2019, 2022, 2023)
▷ Three-time WGCA All-American Scholar
(Sophomore from Valencia, California) University of California, Los Angeles
▷ 2023 WGCA First-Team AllAmerican
▷ Finished 2nd at 2023 NCAA San Antonio Regional
▷ 2023 First-Team All-Pac-12
▷ First two collegiate victories came in back-to-back weeks this season
▷ Two-time Pac-12 Golfer of the Week
▷ Team-leading 71.52 scoring average, seven top-10 finishes, and 12 under-par rounds this season
▷ Advanced to Round of 64 at 2022 U.S. Women’s Amateur
Zoe CamposVanderbilt University
2022 Arnold Palmer Cup
0-1 team record
3-1-0 individual record
▷ Two-time PING First-Team AllAmerican
▷ 2023 Ben Hogan Award Finalist
▷ 2023 Jack Nicklaus Award Finalist
▷ Five career victories, most in program history
▷ 2023 SEC Player of the Year
▷ 2023 Masters Tournament participant
▷ 2022 NCAA Individual Champion
▷ 2022 Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman
▷ 2022 First-Team PING AllAmerican
▷ Represented Team USA at 2022 World Amateur Team Championship
University of North Carolina
▷ 2023 PING First-Team AllAmerican
▷ 2023 ACC Player of the Year
▷ Lowest career scoring average in program history
▷ 2023 Ben Hogan Award Semifinalist
▷ Two-time PING All-East Region
▷ 2022 ACC Freshman of the Year
▷ 2022 Southern Amateur Champion
Arizona State University
▷ 2023 PING First-Team AllAmerican
▷ 2023 PING All-West Region
▷ 2023 First-Team All-Pac-12
▷ Five top-five finishes this season, including third place at 2023 NCAA Las Vegas Regional
▷ 2023 Thunderbird Collegiate winner
▷ 2022 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year
▷ Second-best stroke average by a freshman in program history (71.33)
▷ 2019 U.S. Junior Amateur Champion
Gordon Sargent (Sophomore from Birmingham, Alabama) David Ford (Sophomore from Peachtree Corners, Georgia) Preston Summerhays (Sophomore from Scottsdale, Arizona)Florida State University
▷ Three-time WGCA All-American
▷ Finished T7 at 2023 NCAA Championship
▷ Program-record best scoring average this season
▷ Three-time All-ACC
▷ Finished 25th in 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur
▷ Two-time Curtis Cup participant
▷ 2022 World Amateur Team Championship participant
Mississippi State University
2022 Arnold Palmer Cup
1-0 team record
3-1-0 individual record
▷ Two-time WGCA All-American
▷ 2023 NCAA Westfield Regional CoMedalist
▷ 2023 SEC Player of the Year, the first in program history
▷ 2023 SEC Individual Champion
▷ Six top-five finishes this season
▷ 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur participant
▷ 2022-23 Mississippi State Athletics Female Athlete of the Year
▷ 2022 SEC Freshman of the Year
Augusta University
▷ First woman from the Southland Conference to be selected for the Palmer Cup
▷ 2023 WGCA Second-Team AllAmerican
▷ 2023 Southland Conference
Women’s Golf Player of the Year, the first in program history
▷ 2023 Southland Conference Freshman of the Year
▷ Six top-10s in seven spring tournaments
▷ Finished T5 at 2023 NCAA Athens Regional
▷ Competed for the Malaysian National Team
Julia Lopez Ramirez (Sophomore from Málaga, Spain) Charlotte Heath (Junior from Bailiff Bridge, England) Mirabel Ting (Freshman from Miri, Malaysia)Christo Lamprecht
(Junior from George, South Africa)
Georgia Institute of Technology
2022 Arnold Palmer Cup
1-0 team record
3-1-0 individual record
▷ Two-time PING All-American
▷ 2023 PING All-Central Region
▷ 2023 Ben Hogan Award
Semifinalist
▷ Two-time All-ACC
▷ 2023 ACC Team Champion
▷ Eight top-10 finishes this season, including T3 at 2023 NCAA Salem Regional
▷ 2022 World Amateur Team Championship participant
▷ Believed to be the tallest player in Georgia Tech history (6-foot-8)
Christiaan Maas
(Freshman from Pretoria, South Africa)
University of Texas
▷ 2023 PING Second-Team AllAmerican
▷ 2023 PING All-Central Region
▷ Led team in stroke average, rounds in the 60s, and rounds of par or better
▷ Five top-10 and 10 top-20 finishes this season, including T20 at 2023 NCAA Bath Regional
▷ Runner-up at 2023 Southern Highlands Collegiate
▷ Made two DP World Tour cuts in December
▷ Golf RSA National Team member
Herman Sekne
(Junior from Oslo, Norway)
Purdue University
▷ 2023 PING Third-Team AllAmerican
▷ 2023 Unanimous First-Team AllBig Ten
▷ Shattered Purdue’s single-season stroke average record this season
▷ 13 rounds in the 60s this season, most in program history
▷ Two-time First-Team All-Big Ten
▷ Two-time PING All-Midwest Region
▷ Seven-time Big Ten Golfer of the Week
▷ Three-time Norwegian Team Champion
▷ 2019 The Amateur Championship participant ■
It’s said that the professional players participating in these team events enjoy the hardfought contests more than any other tournament they play. There’s the special team camaraderie, a lot of serious fun for players and for the fans, and there’s powerful national pride to play for—and no elevated purses to reach for.
There is of course a fourth major team event which is the Presidents Cup, alternating every other year with the Ryder Cup, but it’s the latter taking its turn this year. The upcoming Ryder Cup (pp.120-21) in September demands our attention like no other Ryder Cup that’s gone
before—the hot topic being, will elite players who switched to the LIV Tour be eligible for the gladiatorial showdown in Rome and, if so, might that famous camaraderie be a little more tense?
Also with a September slot, played over three days, we have the Solheim Cup (pp.122-23) taking place in southern Spain. In this biennial event, the transatlantic team matchplay competition features the 12 best European players from the Ladies European Tour (LET) and the 12 best U.S. players from the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour. Since the inaugural event launched in 1990 to much acclaim,
the Solheim Cup has increased in popularity with the fans year on year, and this year a huge fan following is expected Spain, as we see the world’s top women players in action.
The significance of the Arnold Palmer Cup (p.124-25), which took place in June, can’t be overestimated, matching as it does collegiate team players from Europe and the USA in what’s been described as a young players’ version of the Ryder Cup. The Cup is an important part of Arnold Palmer’s legacy, a legacy promoting young talent, one that ensures that the new generation of ambitious players get a taste of the big stage as they aim high for the future.
The Ryder Cup will be played in Rome this fall as scheduled (September 29 – October 1). But the question regarding player eligibility and the makeup of the teams, already complicated by the earlier creation of LIV Golf, has been muddled further by its recently announced merger with the PGA TOUR.
With only three months remaining before the world’s most intensely watched team competition begins, the situation is as clear as a pint of stout and may drag on for the rest of
the summer.
The matter is clearer on the European side, where DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley reiterated in a published statement that a player must be a member of the European Tour to be considered for the Ryder Cup.
“They [European players who joined the LIV Tour] would have to ask for reinstatement and there would have to be proof of an exceptional circumstance to allow it,” Pelley wrote. “I stress again, it would be difficult and highly unlikely that that would happen.”
But the American Ryder Cup team operates under the auspices of the PGA of America, not the PGA TOUR, and no official statement has been forthcoming from the organization.
“The Ryder Cup is run by the PGA [of America], not the PGA TOUR,” said World Golf Hall of Famer Lee Trevino, a six-time Ryder Cup player and the captain in 1985. “Even if the TOUR says you can’t do it … baloney! The CEO of the PGA asked me what I would do and I said Brooks Koepka is the first guy I’d invite. He’s got to have a spot.”
Koepka, by winning the recent PGA Championship at Oak Hill, essentially forced his way onto the U.S. Ryder Cup team. It would be virtually impossible to leave him off the roster after he nearly won the Masters in April and decisively claimed his fifth major in May. To omit Koepka because he competes for LIV Golf would be widely viewed as short-sighted and vindictive.
“The LIV guys are still members of the PGA of America, so they’re still getting points,” said Steve Stricker, who captained the Americans to victory in 2021 at Whistling Straits. “I think it would be difficult to finish within the top six just because they’re only playing the four majors to get points and these other guys are playing a lot of weeks. They’re still eligible to make the team, but whether they get a pick or not, would be up to Zach (Johnson, U.S. Captain).”
The drama will continue through the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool in July, the final chance for the LIV players to earn OWGR points. Zach Johnson is being coy about using any of his six captain’s picks on players from LIV Golf, while European captain Luke Donald said he is considering all his options.
Johnson brushed aside any discussion of LIV players being named for the U.S. team during a briefing at the PGA Championship. He said, “It’s too premature, frankly irresponsible, to even have any sort of opinion about that.” Johnson said he has not begun to have conversations with those in his inner circle about possible choices.
Team Europe captain Luke Donald has a tougher task on his hands when it comes to the makeup of the team and probably can’t afford to be as picky as his American counterpart. Donald took the job after Henrik Stenson had the captaincy revoked when he joined LIV in 2022.
But, based on Pelley’s unyielding stance, Donald finds himself without Ryder Cup stalwarts like Stenson, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, and Lee Westwood, who all resigned from the DP World Tour and are therefore
not allowed to be chosen. Westwood has played on a record 11 Ryder Cup teams. Garcia has been on 10 teams and is the all-time points leader. Poulter has been on seven teams and Stenson has played on five. Their combined Ryder Cup record is 71-48-17.
That leaves Donald to round out his team with Ryder Cup rookies like Victor Perez, Yannik Paul, Adrian Meronk, Jorge Campillo, and Seamus Power—even Ludvig Aberg, the world’s No. 1-ranked amateur who turned pro after finishing his college career this spring. None have played under the hot emotional conditions that abound during the Ryder Cup.
The Americans have their own tough choices to make regarding LIV players. Koepka moved up to No. 2 on the Ryder Cup points lead after winning the PGA Championship. The next LIV players on the OWGR following the PGA Championship were Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, and Bryson DeChambeau, who tied for fourth at the PGA.
Koepka, Johnson, and DeChambeau were members of the winning 2021 U.S. team and all want to represent their country when the Ryder Cup is held at the Marco Simone Golf Course in Rome.
Koepka said, “If I handle my business out here, everything will take care of itself. If I handle my business, I feel like I should be fine. But it’s not up to me. It’s up to Zach and what
goes on. I’ll just play my best and see what happens.”
Dustin Johnson went 5-0 in the 2021 Ryder Cup, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished since Larry Nelson in 1979. Despite those credentials, he said, “I have no idea if I’d get picked. If I continue to play well for the rest of the year, then obviously there’s a chance. I would definitely like to play in the Ryder Cup. It’s one of my favorite events to play in.”
But the problem goes deeper than just results. If there are lingering bad feelings between the PGA TOUR players and the LIV players, it could feed into the team room and disrupt the chemistry. All parties have played “nice” at the two first two major championships, but Stricker isn’t sure it would work during the Ryder Cup.
The Ryder Cup is played in odd-numbered years between 12-member teams from the United States and Europe. It consists of five match-play sessions played over three days.
1927-(June) 2023:
“It’s not a great situation,” Stricker said. “I don’t really know if it would work if they made the team to be quite honest. Some of the [LIV] players have said some things and I don’t think that set well with the current guys who have stuck with the TOUR and supported the TOUR.”
DeChambeau [LIV player], who carried a Ryder Cup umbrella during the PGA Championship, is optimistic the problem will get solved. He pointed out that there was no money involved, only national pride.
The Solheim Cup is the women’s match-play event, equivalent to the men’s Ryder Cup event. It doesn’t have as long a history as the Ryder Cup, the 44th this year, but the first 17 matches (since 1990) in the series—between the best players on the LPGA Tour and their European counterparts—were every bit as spirited as the more recent Ryder Cups.
Europe won the last two Solheim Cups, in 2019 at Gleneagles, in Scotland, and in 2021 at Inverness Club, in Toledo, Ohio. This year’s 18th event is at Finca Cortesin in Andalusia, Spain, from September 22-24. The Solheim, however, is a competition in transition.
It was planned as a biennial competition but the global Covid-19 pandemic forced a change. After this year’s event, the 19th Solheim will be in 2024 at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, in Gainesville, Va.
The 2024 event will mark the second Solheim Cup to have been played in consecutive years, the first being 2002 and 2003. The even numbered year rotation for the Solheim Cups will return with that staging, making the women’s version opposite the odd numbered years that will be used for the Ryder Cups.
The next scheduled Solheim Cup after that is in 2026 at Bernardus Golf, Netherlands—the site for the Dutch Opens in both 2021 and 2022.
The last Solheim Cup, from September 4-6, 2021, turned into the
Team captains
Backstory
Player selection
Stacy Lewis (b. 1985, Toledo, OH) has one of the most successful careers in women’s professional golf, including 13 LPGA victories, two majors (the Kraft Nabisco Championship in 2011 and the Women’s British Open in 2013), two visits to World No.1, two Vare Trophies, two Player of the Year titles, an Olympic appearance, four Solheim Cup appearances, and the title of both assistant and two-time head Solheim Cup captain. In 2012, Lewis won four tournaments, and became the first American player to win the LPGA Player of the Year award since Beth Daniel in 1994.
In her 19-year professional career, Suzann “Tutta” Pettersen (b. 1981, Oslo, Norway) won 15 times on the LPGA Tour and 7 times on the Ladies European Tour including two major championships: the 2007 LPGA Championship and the 2013 Evian Championship. She also had runner-up finishes in the U.S. Women’s Open, the Women’s British Open, and the ANA Inspiration. Her career best world ranking was second and she held that position several times. Pettersen retired on 15 September 2019 after making the winning putt for the European team at the 2019 Solheim Cup.
In an evenly matched team contest held at Laurel Valley Golf Club in Ligonier, Penn., Team USA strengthened their lead over Team International in Round 3. Team USA added 10.5 points to their total and led Team International 23.5-12.5 after 36 matches.
The afternoon began with Nick Gabrelcik and Jennie Park carding four birdies en route to a 4&3 Team USA victory over Team International’s
Maddison Hinson-Tolchard and Christiaan Maas.
“I putted it really well and he hit the ball really well,” said Park. “Having a partner there to have your back always helps. It’s our soil and we want to win.”
Tyran Snyders and Chiara Tamburlini won Team International’s lone match of the round, 3&2 over Ashley Menne and Preston Summerhays.
“We played really steady and kept
giving ourselves chances,” Tamburlini said, “Both groups played pretty well, and Tyran and I didn’t make many mistakes.”
David Ford and Amanda Sambach birdied four of their first five holes en route to the 3&1 win over Team International’s Max Kennedy and Lauren Walsh, avenging an openinground loss for the duo.
Other highlights of Round 3 included Illinois Fighting Illini Tommy
Kuhl and Crystal Wang carding three birdies to beat Team International’s Herman Sekne and Lottie Woad 3&2.
Holding off a charge
Team USA did just enough to hold off a late Team International charge and win the 2023 Arnold Palmer Cup 32-28.
Entering Saturday’s final round down 11 points, Team International won 14 singles, twice as many their USA counterparts, but Zoe Campos secured the Cup for Team USA in tying her match against Maddison Hinson-Tolchard.
“I know we struggled out there a bit with the individual matches [today], but I’m glad to get it done,” Campos said. “Honoring Mr. Palmer is something I’ll never forget.”
In his 3&2 victory over Team International’s Frederik Kjettrup, Ben James carded an albatross on the 534-yard, par-5 third hole with a 7-iron from 178 yards out.
“I didn’t see it go in, but the pitch mark was like three feet in front of it, so I imagine that I landed it and it hopped in,” said James.
James then chipped in for eagle on the par-5 sixth hole.
“I stayed in control and drove really well after being up early,” he said. “I kept it in the fairway and gave myself opportunities to make birdie. This week was definitely one of the best memories of my life.”
Emilia Migliaccio concluded her record-fifth Palmer Cup by never trailing in her 2Up victory over Wake Forest teammate and previously unbeaten Lauren Walsh.
“It was really special that we got to play all 18 holes together in our last amateur tournament,” said Migliaccio. “To have Lauren and Rachel (Kuehn), two of my closest friends, here is something we’ll always remember.”
“I feel the legacy of Arnold Palmer here at the Palmer Cup. This week, you’re constantly reminded of the values that are important. Everyone wants to win and we’re all extremely competitive, but it’s about the bigger picture and the camaraderie between both teams. Each Palmer Cup has kind of felt that way, but to be able
to do what I did, not play college golf for a year and come back was really, really special. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.”
Tyran Snyders of Team International won every match he played during the 2023 Palmer Cup, including Saturday’s 3&2 victory over Maxwell Moldovan, who entered the morning 2-0-1 on the week.
“It honestly means a lot,” Snyders said. “I had a pretty good year going, and towards the end [of the season], I had some tough rounds and tough days. I’ve seen a lot of good things this week, which is showing that what I’m working on is working. To go and do this at such a prestigious event and contribute every point I could to the team means a lot to me.”
In his third-straight Palmer Cup appearance, Team USA’s Nick Gabrelcik won every match he played in this week, including Saturday’s 1Up victory against Sampson Zheng. Campos (2-0-2) and Gordon Sargent (3-0-1) also finished unbeaten.
Team International’s Mirabel Ting defeated Amari Avery, who entered the day 7-0 in career Palmer Cup matches, 2&1 with four birdies and an eagle on the par-5 third hole.
“I got a really good start,” said Ting. “Even though there were a couple of up and downs today, it was fun playing against Amari. The formats here this week were really cool and it’s awesome to know where your weaknesses are when you’re not in the fairway. I learned a lot today and this week.”
Christiaan Maas used two eagles and four birdies to earn the 5&3 win over previously unbeaten Caleb Surratt.
Each year, a man and woman are voted upon by their peers to receive exemptions into the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard and Amundi Evian Championship. The 2023 recipients were David Ford and Rachel Kuehn.
“I was thinking back to when I caddied in the Palmer Cup a few years
ago, remembering so vividly that there was one player designated to get an exemption into that event,” said Ford. “To have my name called is really cool and comes full circle.”
“I’m really honored because I got voted in by the rest of the players,” Kuehn, who celebrated her 22nd birthday Saturday, said. “I feel really lucky to be given the opportunity to represent the Arnold Palmer Cup and everyone here well that week.”
The Arnold Palmer Cup was cofounded by Arnold Palmer and the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) and began at the Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando, Fla., in 1997. The event is a Ryder Cup-style tournament featuring the top men’s and women’s university/college golfers matching the United States against a team of International players. The Palmer Cup has been played at some of the world’s greatest courses, including The Old Course at St. Andrews, The Royal County Down, Royal Portrush, Baltusrol, The Honors Course, and Cherry Hills. Beginning with the 2018 matches at Evian Resort Golf Club, the Palmer Cup is the only major tournament which features men and women playing side-by-side as partners. ■
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OK, here’s a quiz question: when the Official World Golf Ranking was launched in 1986, then known as the Sony Ranking, who was the first recorded world No. 1 (week ending April 6, 1986)?
Yes, it was Bernhard Langer, with 1056 points, chased by Seve Ballesteros (1002). And it was Langer’s Masters triumph the previous year
that had caused him to rocket to fame. During that decade, Langer was rarely out of the top 5 in events played. Then he won the Masters a second time in 1993.
Bernhard Langer (b. August 27, 1957), who turned pro in 1972, continued his high-profile career throughout the
80s and 90s, and, many would argue, well into the new century, too, also being elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2006, recognizing his contribution to golf, the German national was awarded the British OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order on the British Empire). In his native Germany, Langer has also received numerous honors.
Relentless senior
Aged 50, Langer made the mandatory transition from the PGA TOUR to the PGA TOUR Champions, the senior tour for players aged 50+, and in 2008 he was voted Rookie of the Year on that tour.
2015 saw Langer become the first player since Arnold Palmer (1984–85) to win the Constellation Senior Players Championship in backto-back years. The following year, Langer claimed the Regions Tradition title for his sixth senior major championship in 2016.
Today, Langer has the legendary status of golf’s iron man, continuing his impressive form at the senior level. He won three more senior majors in 2017 (Regions Traditions, Senior PGA Championship, Senior Open Championship) to become the most decorated player of all time in the senior ranks.
It was on a beautiful morning, February 17, 2023, that Langer bounced out of the locker room with a spring in his step to defend his champions title at the Chubb Classic, Tiburón Golf Club’s Black Course, Naples, Fla. Cheerfully telling us he was “All loose and limbered up now and ready to go,” having just made a two-hour drive to reach the venue.
During the event, Langer seemed to defy his 65 years. Getting into his stride, he shot his age or below twice in three days at the Chubb. He opened with a 64 and closed with a 65. Langer finished 17-under to win the tournament in back-to-back years, receiving $270,000 of the event’s $1.8 million purse, along with rapturous applause from the fans. ■
US LBM is home to some of the most historic and successful brands in building materials distribution, and we’re thrilled that another icon has found a home with US. A champion both on and off the course, Bernhard shares our passion for excellence and building communities, and US LBM is proud to support him as he continues building a legacy as one of golf’s all-time greats.
Amongst leisure players, common golf injuries are often caused through lack of preparation and an eagerness simply to get out there and play away. This is why elite players—who already have a high level of fitness—will routinely prepare with a warm-up session. But the average pro player’s warm-up would tire most weekend player like a 36-hole session in 100-degree heat! So for your regular preparation, keep it simple. Some brisk distance walking is a great starter, and simple flexing joint movements are better than no warm-up at all. Here are some advice points that can help you be at your best on the first tee.
Having a correct club-fit to your body specifications, as well as playing consistently, and also using a long putter may decrease stress and strain on your lumbar spine throughout a round of golf. Carrying a golf bag with a single strap can be hazardous to the lower back, shoulder, and ankle. Increased bodyweight is also a significant risk factor for low back pain among players.
Golfers who carry their own bags have higher rates of shoulder and back injuries than other golfers. Don’t jerk heavy clubs out of the trunk of your car, you could injure yourself before you reach the first tee. Use proper lifting technique: Keep your back straight and use the strength of your legs to lift. Remember: a full golf bag can weigh around 30lb.
Out on the golf course in the summer months when UV is at its strongest means it’s important to ensure that you have adequate UV protection.
Out on the golf course in the summer months when UV is at its strongest means it’s important to ensure that you have adequate protection. Without this, unprotected skin can be damaged in as little as 15 minutes. Here are some essentials to take with you:
▷ Sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher
▷ Lip balm with SPF 30 or higher
▷ Hat with a wide brim
▷ Long-sleeved shirt
▷ UV-rated sunglasses
When a player at any level suffers a painful injury, the important advice is: don’t try to press on. You should stop, rest up and get medical advice. Treatment options will likely include rest from playing golf, icing for acute injuries, and antiinflammatory medications for pain and reduction of swelling. Additional treatment options might include physical therapy, chiropractic care, acupuncture, and massage therapy. Remember: if in doubt, always seek medical advice.
When returning to the greens following an injury, along with the recommended rest-up period, take it slow. Map out a plan prior to teeing off and do use a golf cart. Aim to maintain strength by performing gentle mobility exercises and lowlevel resistance exercises before and after the round. No see-how-goodI-am bravado! Just play easy and relaxed to make sure you enjoy your return to your favorite golf course. ■
Golfers who carry their own bags have higher rates of shoulder and back injuries than other golfers.When a player at any level suffers a painful injury, the important advice is: don’t try to press on. You should stop and get medical advice.
BY NICHOLAS HERSHFIELD
The shoulder, a crucial joint in golf, plays a pivotal role in achieving an optimal swing and maximizing your game’s performance. It is involved in the backswing, downswing, and follow-through phases, creating power and stability that translate into clubhead speed and accuracy. A shoulder requires 90 degrees of abduction and 90 degrees of external rotation at the top of the backswing and follow through, for most professional golfers. If achieving this range of motion is challenging, swing adjustments are necessary. Such adjustments will foster correct biomechanics and movement patterns, thereby improving swing efficiency and reducing injury risk.
However, it’s worth noting that the shoulder joint can be prone to dysfunction and injury, which can substantially impair a golfer’s swing mechanics and overall performance. To prevent shoulder injuries and boost performance, golfers should focus on the following key areas:
Adequate shoulder joint mobility is vital for an efficient and reproducible golf swing. Limited mobility can trigger compensatory movements and muscle imbalances, affecting the shoulder’s function adversely. Optimal mobility is typically characterized by a 90-90 position. In other words, you should be able to get your arm into a position like you are signaling a touchdown or like you are throwing a baseball. To analyze mobility, you can simply stand with your back against the wall, arm raised to even with your side, and try to touch the back of your hand to the wall. If you are unable to, you may want to consult with a physical therapist or a TPI certified instructor to improve the shoulder mobility aspect of your game.
The shoulder joint needs both strength and stability to function effectively. Weakness or instability can precipitate compensatory movements, potentially causing injury and decreased performance. A simple test to assess shoulder stability involves standing again in an upright 90-90 position. Then bending forward into your golfer’s stance, you should be able to achieve that same motion while bending forward as you did while standing upright. If you struggle to achieve the same range of motion, consider incorporating scapular and rotator cuff strengthening exercises into your fitness routine.
Correct movement patterns are key to an efficient golf swing. Ideally, the hips should initiate the movement, followed by the shoulder joint, with the hands coming last. Disrupting this sequence may result in a loss of power output in your swing and lead to shorter ball flight.
Good posture is integral to optimal shoulder function. Poor posture can trigger compensatory movements that may impair the shoulder’s function. Having good rotational mobility and upright posture at the spine and hips will reduce stress placed on the shoulder.
Appropriate equipment is crucial to maintaining shoulder health and maximizing performance. Ill-fitting clubs or improper equipment can provoke compensatory movements, leading to increased stress on the shoulder joint. For the best fit, golfers should go to their local PGA professional.
By concentrating on these key areas, golfers can enhance their shoulder function, minimize the risk of injury, and optimize their performance on the course.
Nicholas Hershfield, PT, DPT, is a Physical Therapist at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). He has a special interest in treating patients with upper extremity, lumbar, and post-operative conditions, particularly in athletes. Nicholas is an orthopedic clinical specialist, Titleist Performance Institute certified, and Mechanical Diagnosis & Therapy certified for the lumbar spine.
The time for a long summer golf vacation is at hand …
The dull term “bucket list” hardly seems appropriate for our sparkling selection of wished-for experiences that more fittingly lie in the land of heart’s desire. So, kicking the bucket aside, some of us do indeed have that long list of golf courses that shape our golf vacation
choices, while others fall in love with a single destination and return there year after year. Whichever path you tread, Essential Golf sets out to present an array of vacation choices that offer not only memorable golf experiences but also entertaining variety and warm hospitality.
Indian Wells Golf Resort, Palm Springs, California.
The Golden State of California has upwards of thirty public golf courses that are highly rated. In this issue of Essential Golf we’ll visit just one, returning to others in the next issue.
One of Southern California’s highly rated golf destinations is Indian Wells Golf Resort (IWGR), a 36-hole premier golf resort located near Palm Springs, just minutes from Palm Springs International airport. Surrounded by four luxury hotels, the IWGR stands out as one of the few golf properties in California with two courses ranked in the top-20 “Best Courses You Can Play” in California.
The family-friendly resort has an “exclusive” atmosphere with genuinely warm hospitality. The panoramic views of the surrounding Santa Rosa Mountains are a rugged
backdrop, with magnificent waterfalls and brooks that flow through beds of wildflowers, adding a great splash of color throughout this remarkable setting.
Designed by Clive Clark, the Celebrity Course is a challenging yet highly playable course design. While the Players Course, designed by John Fought, looks back to other great designs such as Riviera, Winged Foot and Augusta National. The bunkers placed throughout the undulating topography of the Players Course complement the mature trees and natural desert arroyos. While playable at all skill levels, the Players Course was also designed to challenge the most skilled players, which makes the course the perfect broad challenge for competitive golf.
The stay-and-play packages are
offered in partnership with four nearby luxury hotels— Miramonte Resort & Spa, Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort and Spa, Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa and Indian Wells Resort Hotel. This gives guests the best opportunity to experience both the Players and the Celebrity courses while enjoying a variety of accommodations and facilities. Each property mentioned above has its own unique amenities, from spa treatments to fine dining. So you can book the perfect package to suit your idea of an ideal golf vacation.
These stay-and-play packages are available for two- or three-nights stays and of course include two or three rounds of golf. The advice is to book early because the golf stay-and-play packages are already (June) proving very popular.
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Of the 140 or more golf courses in Mississippi, (known as the Magnolia State for the magnolias that thrive in the long, hot and humid summers, and short, mild winters) there are many designed by prominent names such as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Jerry Pate, Tom Fazio, Davis Love III and Bob Cupp. With many golf vacationers keen to find new challenges, there’s an impressive array of choices here, where the varying terrain has helped these big-name designers create some of their masterpieces.
Shell Landing Golf Club is a championship-level course in Gautier, designed by Davis Love III, making innovative use of the interesting and diverse topography. The Shell Landing course also has the benefit of being located on the waterfront along the beautiful Mississippi Gulf Coast. The lush
fairway features five sets of trees, water hazards, slopes, dog legs and bunkers. Even the most experienced players are happy to find that this is a challenging course to play. The public course is considered one of the best, and one of the prettiest, in Mississippi.
Approximately 90 miles northeast of Jackson, Dancing Rabbit Golf Club is built on the ancestral lands of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. Located in the heart of the state’s Pines region, the club features two courses with challenging terrain, the Oaks and the Azaleas. Designed by Fazio and Pate, these 36 holes are situated adjacent to the Pearl River Resort (see below). Dancing Rabbit has a public course that offers several golf package options designed for both individuals and small groups.
Also, on the on the ancestral lands
of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, the Pearl River Resort, the Southern States’ premier gaming and entertainment enterprise. Pearl River Resort’s portfolio includes Silver Star Hotel & Casino, Golden Moon Hotel & Casino, Dancing Rabbit Golf Club (mentioned above), Dancing Rabbit Inn, and Geyser Falls Water Theme Park located in Choctaw, Mississippi and Bok Homa Casino located in Sandersville.
The Silver Star and Golden Moon Casinos feature two entertaining hotels-casinos with a variety of slot machines, table games, Sportsbook, over 1,000 hotel rooms, an awardwinning steakhouse, a sports bar and grill and a variety of other dining options, a full-service spa and live entertainment. The Dancing Rabbit Golf Club with two championship golf courses, as well as family fun at the nearby Geyser Falls Water Park.
The coastal towns of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach continue to gain popularity with golfers, with the area attracting many with its attractive climate along with no fewer than 171 holes of golf, all within a 15-mile radius. The lodging options are attractive too, with many including beachfront condos and houses, on-site golf condos, as well as traditional hotels.
Just north of the white beaches of Gulf Shores is the 36-hole Arnold Palmer signature golf course at Craft Farms Golf Resort, which has shaped the area’s golf landscape.
The first Arnold Palmer design in the area, Cotton Creek, has a unique setting, featuring rolling fairways and large undulating greens, playing over 7,000 yards. The more recent of the two Palmer designs in Gulf Shores is Cypress Bend at Craft Farms. The layout features sprawling bunkers, classic greens and year-round perfect golfing conditions. The resort owners tell us that here you’ll find “Pure Palmer Golf,” and indeed 18-hole
Cotton Creek golf course and 18hole Cypress Bend golf course are considered the best public courses in the South.
Here there are fun challenges for golfers at every skill level, with a backdrop that gives a peaceful environment of the natural Baldwin County Alabama landscape. There are massive oak tress dripping with Spanish moss, pine forests, numerous lakes and creeks that are the habitat for a variety of native wildlife. And these courses do have a distinctively coastal feel, with dwarf Bermuda grasses and numerous lakes that meander throughout the property. The style of play is both friendly and relaxed. To play Craft Farms, you can book online.
Directly along the coast is Kiva Dunes, a world-class resort located on the Fort Morgan peninsula of Gulf Shores. The resort has one of Alabama’s most acclaimed public courses, with vacation rentals ranging from beach homes to condos overlooking the 18th green. Each accommodation gives access to the resort’s four pools, two restaurants, and over 3,000 feet of private beachfront.
The course layout was created by Jim Edgemon, the property’s developer, together with longtime friend and former U.S. Open Champion, Jerry Pate. Between them Pate and Edgemon developed a linksstyle course that today is ranked the No. 1 public golf course in Alabama.
The exhilaration of watching a drive soar onto the fairway. The smell of freshly cut grass. The putt that sinks perfectly to earn the coveted eagle. These are just a few of the reasons that explain why travelers choose to plan golf getaways. It’s all for the love of the game: for its technical nature, its social opportunities, and its propensity for being played in the most picturesque settings.
Enter the Championship Golf Course at Inn of the Mountain Gods. Situated high in the Sacramento Mountains just outside of Ruidoso, New Mexico is the Ted Robinson-designed course known for its spectacular scenery and fast-breaking greens. With age-old pines, vibrant greens and towering Sierra Blanca peak with big sky views, the Championship Golf Course encapsulates all of the natural scenery New Mexico has to offer.
Set on tree-lined fairways, the 7,206-yard course is surrounded not only by forest and high desert terrain, but also by the resort’s spring-fed lake, Lake Mescalero, demanding skill and accuracy
from golfers aiming to stay in regulation.
Making the most of the mesmerizing scenery, Robinson struck a brilliant balance between challenge and fun. The 18-hole Championship Course is known for creative and challenging sand and water hazards such as the No. 10 island fairway. The course features meticulously manicured bluegrass fairways and bentgrass greens, making it ideal for competitive play. And, nestled in the canyons of the surrounding Sierra Blanca, the course sits at an incredible 7,000 feet, helping balls fly nearly 10 percent farther than at lower elevations.
A par-72, a course rating of 72.1 and a slope rating of 132 on bluegrass, the course is complex yet fair, making it perfect for golfers of all skill levels. Since its opening in 2007, Golfweek has consistently named the course among the 50 “Best Casino Courses” in the United States, among other accolades including “Best Courses You Can Play” in New Mexico.
As a part of Southern New Mexico’s only AAA Four Diamond rated resort and casino, thriving traditions, lush wilderness, indulgent luxury and endless recreation come standard at Inn of the Mountain Gods.
Guests can forge new memories horseback riding, hiking, paddle boating, kayaking, fishing, big game hunting, or soaring over Lake Mescalero on a zip line at 50+ mph, year-round. The tribalinspired architecture, which compliments striking views of the surrounding range, is a testament to the reverence the Mescalero Apache tribe has for their rich culture and Mother Earth’s abundance.
Ski Apache offers more excitement just a short drive away, where adventure enthusiasts can check off bucket lists by mountain biking or riding the Apache Wind Rider ZipTour.
The property also boasts award-winning dining options for the
entire family. Broken Arrow Tap House invites guests to sidle up to the bar and sample from over 70 beers on tap. Stop by The Market at the Mountain, an all-new food court that features a great selection of fast-casual options such as Wahlburgers, Samurai Sam’s Teriyaki Grill, Sbarro, Warshield Tacos and more. Or indulge in the gourmet offerings at Wendell’s Steak and Seafood Restaurant.
Bring the whole family out to play at Topgolf Swing Suite. This state-of-the-art social experience is fun for both golfers and non-golfers alike and features a variety of multi-sport games.
Guests can enjoy their evenings in style, whether that’s trying a hand at a blackjack table, exploring some of the biggest headliners and up-and-comers in music and comedy, or grabbing a nightcap in the lounge. Once it’s all said and done, guests can retreat to a luxuriously appointed and remodeled guest room or suite, where spectacular views come standard with a good night’s rest.
Santa Fe has long been a popular destination for its local color and culture, food and of course golf (for which the climate is perfect for almost 300 days of the year). There are many great golf experiences to enjoy such as the Marty Sanchez Links de Santa Fe just eight miles west of downtown. This is a high-end municipal course of country club standard, designed by Baxter Spann, of Finger, Dye and Spann, based in Houston. The 7,415yard, par-72 championship course has five sets of tees, suitable for players of all levels, along with 360-degree panoramic mountain views that surround the Sangre de Cristos, Jemez, Ortiz and Sandia mountains, and scenic high-desert landscape.
Also with this region, the Club at Las Campanas, Santa Fe, features two Jack Nicklaus Signature courses,
both consistently rated among the top courses in New Mexico. Members enjoy the strategic course design and thoughtful layout that weaves through the beautiful high desert area of northern New Mexico. Both award winning 18-hole courses offer an exceptional golf experience.
Also high in the New Mexico popularity rating is Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort, situated in spectacular Sierra Blanca Peak region. The resort is located on the Mescalero Apache reservation in Mescalero, recognized as the sacred land of the Apache tribe. The resort offers a very wide range of vacation activities. Here you can enjoy zip-line rides, boating, biking and horseback riding—and of course all the fun of the casino, as well as the challenges of the golf experience.
The resort’s championship golf
course (6,834 yards, par 72) was designed by Ted Robinson. Opened in 1975, it features an island fairway as well as fast-breaking greens that are not only beautiful to see, but they’re also quite challenging to play.
And the casino? Well, what’s in the bag is the full, fun range of games you would expect in any high-class casino. It all happens in the 45,000-square-foot casino where there’s a great range of slots, along with all the favorite table games, including poker, blackjack, craps and roulette.
The hotel has a variety of accommodations from Presidential, Royal and DeLuxe suites to Superior and Standard rooms. There are often promotions and deals available, so it’s well worth checking out what’s available well in advance of your vacation dates.
“The isle is full of noises, Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight …,” reassuring words spoken by Caliban in Act III of The Tempest, in the setting of Bermuda that’s said to have inspired Shakespeare. This beautiful north-Atlantic island is but a short hop (flights operating daily) from our east coast mainland—the island is also a favorite port of call for cruise liners sailing out of New York and Miami—cruise liners being mode of arrival is especially memorable for those aboard.
So why not just take that Atlantic cruise to Bermuda or that hop across by plane, if you’re looking for a great golf vacation on this pearl of an island?
For a relatively small island, Bermuda has a remarkable number
of golf courses. There were eight courses last time we counted, with island authorities and entrepreneurs investing heavily in the developments and renovations in the last thirty years or so.
Designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. in 1970, Port Royal features ocean views from nearly every hole. The course underwent an extensive 2009 renovation spearheaded by original design team member Roger Rulewich. Yardage: 6,828; par 71.
The 16th is one of the most visually spectacular holes in golf and is also considered extremely challenging. The 235-yard par 3 plays over an ocean inlet to a long but narrow green perched high above the water on a peninsula, with the ocean to the left.
The Port Royal Golf Course is a public course owned by the Bermuda
government and it’s open to all every day of the week from 7am to 6pm.
There are many 4- and 5-star rated accommodations within a short distance of Port Royal. The Fairmont, Southampton, is a regular favorite for many golf fans who return to the island year after year. Anticipate unsurpassed luxury and you won’t be disappointed—sumptuous guest rooms and suites, with private balconies showcasing sweeping ocean views.
The Fairmont beach resort comprises some 100 acres (with complimentary trolley shuttle service) and offers ten dining destinations, private beach club, a full-service spa and an 18-hole, par 3 golf club. This club is the Turtle Hill Golf Club featuring 18 challenging par 3 holes, most with impressive views of the Atlantic Ocean.
Tee off on the greens with magnificent Caribbean views best experienced at Sandals ® Resorts. Enjoy an all-inclusive vacation that features gourmet dining, unlimited premium liquors, and luxury accommodations – not to mentionthe finest, white sand beaches you’ll ever set foot on.
Choose from four golf courses in The Bahamas, Saint Lucia or Jamaica, two of which are 18-hole championship caliber golf courses, featuring layouts by Greg Norman Golf Course Design. Swing into paradise with complimentary green feesand more when you stay at one of Sandals Resorts premier golf destinations.
On the north coast of the island is the newly opened Sandals Dunn’s River resort which has a backdrop of lush tropical foliage and majestic mountain scenery.
The major golf attraction is the Sandals 18-hole course (6,404 yards, par 72), a short drive away. Guests of any Sandals Resorts in Ocho Rios can enjoy complimentary greens fees and daily transfers to play at the impressive Upton Estate Golf & Country Club. There are roundtrip transfers and greens fees included at nearby golf resorts for Sandals (and Beaches) guests during your resort stay which includes, in addition to Sandals Dunn’s River, Sandals Royal Plantation and Sandals Ochi, as well as Beaches Ocho Rios.
Sandals Dunn’s River is the newest in the Sandals portfolio. Among its many attractions are Jamaica’s first SkyPool Suites—the
only one of its kind on the island. These accommodations have an infinity pool stretching the length of the balcony, giving an impressive view of where the ocean. Another first for Sandals are the Coyaba Rooftop Rondoval which give access to a winding Swim-up pool that’s connected to each of the secluded Rondoval Suites. The suites also have a private pool and an open-air rooftop deck enabling you to enjoy the views of Jamaica’s mountains by day and the Caribbean skies by night.
While the championship golf course may be top of your activity list, Sandals Dunn’s River also has many other fun activities to enjoy such as water sports of all kinds, hiking up Dunn’s River Falls, or you can take a raft ride to explore a three-mile stretch of the lush Martha Brae River.
After a day’s activities, there’s
nowhere better to simply chill out by enjoying unlimited fine dining at twelve restaurants as well as a choice of nine convivial bars.
And what makes Sandals unique?
“All Sandals Resorts are all-inclusive and for adults only, designed for couples in love.” Let’s go!
One of the Caribbean’s best-known resorts for families is Beaches Ocho Rios which is only minutes from the golf course. Upton Estate Golf & Country Club is situated 700 feet above sea level and stretches out over a rolling landscape with views of the sea and mountains. The resortstyle course features three sets of tees and is fun for golfers of all skill levels. Guests can also enjoy weekly complimentary group clinics led by a pro at Upton Estate Golf & Country Club in Ocho Rios (private golf instruction upon request is available at an extra cost).
AU.S. state is a welcome homefrom-home vacation choice for many. Perhaps for that reason the islands of Hawaii offer some of the most popular golf resort choices, where many return for a vacation year after year. But before you get there you have some difficult but fun choices to make because there are tempting courses on many islands.
There’s O‘ahu, with more courses than any other island; Maui, known as the “Magic Isle,” with 14 courses (several of which are ranked in the “world’s best” lists) designed by noted course architects such as Arnold Palmer and Ben Crenshaw; Lana‘i, where there are some top-ranked
courses including the 18-hole Manele Golf Course at Four Seasons Lana‘i. And there’s the choice of the island of Hawaii itself which is considered the “golf capital” of the archipelago.
Opting for a high-end luxury vacation in the “golf capital” would be a sound choice. And you could do no better than book into the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai. This will give you special access to a course that’s restricted to Hualalai residents and Four Seasons Resort Hualalai guests.
This is the 18-hole Jack Nicklaussignature Hualalai Golf Course. The championship course winds its way across 7,100 yards of bright green fairways contoured against black lava,
then returning to the ocean for the final holes.
As well as great golf, the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai is perfectly situated for all kinds of other island adventures, such as private charter of the 30-foot Maka’ala ribcraft to explore hidden beaches and secret snorkel spots along the northern Kona Coast, or perhaps we’ll take a Private Island Helicopter Tour—just two of a wide range of choices for some memorable vacation experiences. The accommodations are luxurious, as you would expect from Four Seasons, and indeed may be beyond expectations, given the resort’s unique location setting and the extravagantly beautiful coastal and ocean views.
Four Seasons Resort Hualalai golf course located on the Kona-Kohala coast.For many of us, planning a golf vacation to the South Pacific islands of Fiji promises the vacation of a lifetime. Offering a warm tropical climate on a yearround basis and home to some of the friendliest people on the planet, Fiji is an idyllic South Sea travel experience that remains firmly fixed as one of the world’s most spectacular golf holiday destinations.
This is the land of the “Bula Spirit,” with its collection of more than 300 volcanic islands and coral atolls, and its famously friendly people, along with many scenic golf courses to play.
Fiji is top-rated by families, couples and honeymooners who, traditionally make up the majority of the islands’ annual visitors. Indeed, today Fiji seems to cater for all tastes and budgets—from romantic hideaways to family vacations, from luxury island resorts to boutique cruising, world-class spas and a huge range of adventure activities and, most importantly of all, for golfers Fiji has a great range of courses
designed for all skill levels.
Choose from hacker-friendly pitch and putt nine-hole courses to the challenging greens and fairways of the internationally acclaimed, worldclass Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course.
It doesn’t seem to matter where you are in Fiji, there are always great opportunities to swing a club. Many of the courses—including several championship courses—are located on the main island of Viti Levu. Other golf courses are located on Vanua Levu, Taveuni and there’s even a private championship-rated, Red Bullowned island style course on the very exclusive Laucala Island.
Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course is the most prestigious and most challenging of links. The par 72, 7,000-yard course at Natadola Bay on the western side of Viti Levu is a 45-minute drive from Nadi International Airport. Sitting alongside Fiji’s first-ever 6-star resort, the Intercontinental Fiji Golf & Spa Resort, the course is both a golfer’s
dream as well as a fun challenge, with 10 of its 18 holes following the coastline, with up to five different tees per hole.
Situated close to some fine 5-star resort hotels, Denarau Golf and Racquet Club has par 72, 7,164-yard championship course, described as a “thinking-players’” course due to the water hazards featured on 15 of its 18 holes. Facilities include a driving range, two practice putting greens, golf and tennis Pro Shop, adult and junior clinics, private lessons and mini-golf.
The Pearl Championship Fiji Golf Course and Country Club is just a short drive from Suva. Set among tropical rainforest and winding canals is the Robert Trent Jones-designed par 72, Pearl Championship Fiji Golf Course & Country Club. The course has 66 bunkers and multiple water hazards on 12 of the 18 holes. Measuring 6,908 yards from the tee, the links are described as one of the most adventurous golf courses in Fiji. What fun! Enjoy! ■
Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course, 18th green.Selecting the appropriate golf apparel can greatly improve your performance while playing by offering utmost comfort, unrestricted movement, and effective moisture-wicking features. However, it is crucial to prioritize sustainability when making your attire choices. By doing so, not only will you feel and appear well-prepared, but you will also have the satisfaction of knowing that you are contributing positively to the environment.
CON.STRUCT’s Green Collection highlights both sustainability and style. The collection is produced in factories that hold a Gold certification from the Worldwide Responsible Accreditation Production agency. Products feature:
▷ 4-way Stretch: This fabric provides remarkable freedom of movement.
▷ Quick dry wicking: Beat the sweat! Moisture-wicking fabric keeps you dry, cool, and comfortable all day.
▷ Anti-microbial: Treated with advanced technology that works against odor-causing bacteria.
▷ UV 50+ Protection: Protected fabric reduces your exposure to the sun’s harmful rays.
▷ Recycled Material: Entire collection is made from 87%-100% recycled yarn.
CON.STRUCT Green has received high praise from the likes of NBC’s Golf Channel, GolfPass, and Golf Today. For more information on the collection, visit https://conxstruct.com/con-green ■
A sponsored roundup of what’s new in the world of golf, covering everything from cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art golf equipment, to stylish and fashionable apparel and other emerging products
Winner of this year’s MyGolfSpy ‘Most Wanted’ award, the new M7 GPS REMOTE, priced at $1,899, is the only remote controlled electric caddy with touchscreen GPS, offering fast, accurate mapping for 40,000 courses.
An impressive selection of hi-tech features are available through the caddy’s 3.5-in. responsive touchscreen display, including full-hole mapping with moveable target for ultimate shot planning; a dynamic green view showing the shape of the green and greenside hazards with drag and drop pin; score and statistic tracking; performance analysis through the free Motocaddy GPS App; real-time mapping updates, and automatic software downloads making it one of the most complete caddys around. When connected to a compatible cell phone, golfers can also receive a wide range of Bluetooth notifications direct to the caddy screen.
The ultimate choice for walking golfers, the M7 GPS pocket-sized rechargeable remote handset can navigate the caddy with ease thanks to its powerful dual motors and can also instantly switch from remote to handle control when preferred. ■ www.motocaddy.us/m7-gps-electric-caddy
Say goodbye to bothersome aches and pains with the award-winning Celluma PRO. FDA-cleared, and designed to treat a wide variety of muscle, joint, and skin conditions, this medical grade light therapy device is your secret weapon for playing pain-free.
With increased micro-circulation and decreased inflammation, Celluma PRO also significantly reduces recovery time from post-exercise soreness, injury recovery, and even surgery. Plus, with its large treatment area and shape-taking design, this device conforms easily to any body part, making it perfect for targeting debilitating golf injuries in your elbows, wrists, shoulders, knees, and lower back.
Whether you’re on the green or on the road, Celluma travels with you for relief wherever and whenever you need it. Don’t let pain slow you down on the course – teeoff with the game-changing, fully portable Celluma PRO.
For more information on the benefits of light therapy, visit www.celluma.com ■
Each time you go out on the course, you aim to enhance your golf game and improve your score. Medical science is similar to golf—it’s constantly evolving to improve the outcome. Scientists have discovered that a high number of blood cells called eosinophils (e-o-SIN-o-phils) can be a common cause of severe asthma.
For people with asthma, this can get in the way of their golf game. Seth Dickman, 41, of Freemont, OH, went from completing triathlons to not being able to carry his golf clubs due to his asthma.
“Before my asthma was under control, I probably still played golf 4 times a month, but I had to use a cart. There was no way I could walk. I played from the cart and when I couldn’t use a cart, I just didn’t play.”
If you’re skipping activities, using your rescue medication more than 2 times per week, or take oral steroids to control your asthma, you should talk to your doctor— eosinophils may be causing your asthma to be uncontrolled.
Everyone has eosinophils, but for some people with asthma, too many can cause inflammation and lead to asthma symptoms. This type of asthma is called eosinophilic asthma (e-asthma). Approximately 4 out of 5 adults with severe asthma may have e-asthma*, but the good news is that there are specific treatments for e-asthma.
A simple blood test can help determine if eosinophils are playing a role in your asthma. You or your doctor may already have this information—a sk your doctor about your eosinophil number.
Golf can be challenging…so can asthma. After Seth’s doctor prescribed a targeted treatment, he is able to breathe better so he can get back to the things he loves— like going for another birdie.
For more information, visit www.easthma.com
*A registry study considered patients likely to have e-asthma based on several factors including blood eosinophil levels.
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are
Trekking on and around so many fairways and greens, I’ve witnessed for the best part of four decades some sterling and sorrowful golfing exploits from premier and pedestrian players. In their chase of the little white orb, they’ve elicited some smiles and laughs then, and still do today.
Chump, dump, champ
Stewart Cink’s drive was heading out of bounds on the second hole in the final round of the 1997 Canon Greater Hartford Open. When it bounced off a cart path and started its descent, fans yelled. “Get in there”—in this Connecticut heartland where UConn basketball reigns in all seasons. The ball did—right into a trash barrel. The man-made hazard afforded Cink a free drop. A wedge and birdie putt followed. He carded a 66 and won his first PGA TOUR title by one shot. Afterwards, Cink said his playing partner Brandel Chamblee had told him: “The saying on the tour is, ‘If you have a really good short game, you can get it up and down from a trash barrel.’ Well, you did it.”
Justin Leonard didn’t have his PGA TOUR card yet and was initially denied access into the parking lot in his rookie pro debut at the 1994 Canon GHO. After some discussions, he finally was allowed in. “I’ve got this thing,” he later smiled to reporters while holding up a GHO
contestant card. Five years later and, oh, about 100 miles away at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. countless fans in New England and the United States would not only remember his name, but also revere it after his birdie putt clinched the 1999 Ryder Cup for the U.S.
Right was wrong
Billy Ray Brown’s initial drive of the 1991 GHO (at No. 10) was waved right by a marshal in the rough. Believing the marshal had signaled an out-of-bounds ball, Brown sent his next shot on the same line. The marshal pointed right again. The third drive was in the fairway. When Brown arrived, the marshal said the first two drives were inbounds in the rough. Brown later told the media, “I almost walked back in.” Thankfully he didn’t. He made a par 4 on the hole, and three days later won his first PGA TOUR title in a playoff.
And your name is?
“Next on the tee from Boca Raton, Fla., Joey Cylinder.” Joey Sindelar (pronounced SIN-deh-lahr) winced after the pro-am public-address announcement. “Oh, my name has been mispronounced so many times,” he said at the 1988 Sammy Davis Jr. GHO. “But that’s OK, I just go about my business.” He certainly did in the first round, which merited a story and this befitting headline in the July 22, 1988 edition of The Hartford Courant: “Cylinder or Sindelar, it’s still a 65.” ■
Tom Yantz worked 42 years for The Hartford Courant and covered the PGA TOUR’s tournament in Cromwell, Conn. from 1984-2017.“I’ve witnessed for the best part of four decades some sterling and sorrowful golfing exploits from premier and pedestrian players.”
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