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FROM THE EDITOR APRIL 2020 / ISSUE 4 / VOL 61

‘Dowereallywant toseeRoryMcIlroy poundingatee shotandseeingit flyaboutthesamedistance asoneofourdrives?’

Just about every man and his dog have had their say in the long-running saga that is the distance debate, so what’s the harm in lobbing a few more opinions into the mix! The golf public and media, including ourselves, have been critical of the R&A and USGA for being slow to recognise and react to an issue that has permeated the sport for decades now. But while that criticism is justified, it is worth reiterating that this is a complex conundrum with many moving parts.

In the spirit of looking forwards rather than backwards, though, there was actually a lot of refreshing material in the recent Distance Report. It’s the first time since the 2002 Joint Statement of Principles that the governing bodies have put a stake in the ground and admitted the game has a problem and needs to change.

In their opinion, if technology remains unchecked, tour professionals will soon be hitting 400-yard drives.

At face value, birfurcation seems to be the obvious and, in commercial, legal and participatory terms, the best solution. After all, rampant distance is an issue that affects only a microscopic percentage of golfers.

Should the tens of millions of amateurs who enjoy the benefits of more forgiving and powerful equipment

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4 Golf World April 2020 | golfworldtop100.com

suffer because a few pros are busting it out of sight? Put it this way, I can’t recall hearing any club golfer complain that they’re just hitting the ball too far these days!

It’s not a perfect solution, of course. A big attraction of golf is being able to use the same equipment as the top golfers – and then benchmarking your performance against theirs. In an ideal world, do we really want to see Rory McIlroy pounding a drive and watching it fly about the same distance as one of our finest? Not really. But I believe that scenario is unlikely. The distance gap between Tour pros and club golfers now is so gargantuan that, even with a roll back of equipment for the top players, they’ll still be light years ahead. In other words, the ‘wow’ factor of watching the top players up close would remain.

Whichever way the R&A and USGA turn, they will likely face opposition from the big equipment brands, which rely on perpetual innovation and the influence of their staff pros to sell product, and the PGA Tour, which uses the sizzle of the big-hitting stars to sell tickets. I can see the introduction of a hybrid bifurcation – perhaps a ‘Tour Spec’ that is mandatory for T our pros and optional (and legal) for amateurs. Plenty of club golfers would still want the tour version, so there would be commercial opportunities for the equipment brands.

Regardless, any solution will require some kind of buy-in from the aforementioned parties, so expect progress to be slow.

Nick Wright, Editor nick.jwright@bauermedia.co.uk @nickjameswright

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Media House, Lynchwood, Peterborough Business Park, Peterborough, PE2 6EA. Tel: 01733 468000 Email (editorial): golf.world@bauermedia.co.uk If you or someone you know are aged between 16 and 24 and are interested in work experience opportunities at Bauer Media go to www.gothinkbig.co.uk EDITORIAL Editor Nick Wright (01733 468633) Deputy Editor Nick Harper (01733 468382) Equipment Editor Simon Daddow (01733 468469) Contributing Editor Rob McGarr Group Art Director Hakan Simsek (01733 465135) Art Director Paul Ridley (01733 468466) Senior Production Editor Rob Jerram (01733 468631) Digital Editor Camilla Tait (01733 468096) Editorial Assistant Stephanie Etchells (01733 468243) Contributors Brian Wacker, Graeme McDowell, Justin Rose John Huggan, Henrik Stenson, Luther Blacklock, Lee Slattery, Jamie Donaldson, Sergio Garcia, Geoff Ogilvy, Dr Josephine Perry, Claude Harmon III, Sean Foley, Pete Cowen, Phil Kenyon, Dr Bob Rotella, Duncan Lennard, Kit Alexander. Getty images unless stated.

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YOUR GUIDE TO THE APRIL ISSUE

58 ROCK STAR

Looking for a better golf escape this month? You really should be. Our guide for the month takes you to Copenhagen, Idaho, North Norfolk and this rock-strewn classic. Aim a little higher and pack your bags.

09 A NEW BEGINNING?

What does the bigger, glitzier Premier Golf League really mean for golf’s status quo?

14 A DAMP SQUIB

Golfers’ games go south when water enters the equation. But help is at hand.

26 JUSTIN ROSE

Guarding against the chase for distance – and why Roger Federer is helping me out.

16

ON T H C O V E RE

44 SWAMPS TO SAWGRASS

The against-the-odds creation of an American icon – the inside story of TPC Sawgrass.

97 HENRIK STENSON

Stripe your drives like the Swede – in three easy steps.

58 FABULOUS FONTAINEBLEU

A hop across the Channel to assess the merits of the fifth finest golf course in all of Europe.

100 XANDER SCHAUFFELE

69 ELEVATE YOUR GAME

Studying the young American’s prolific power.

Golf’s greatest coaches impart their lifetime’s wisdom to take your game to the next level.

102 JAMIE DONALDSON

44

Pitching perfection in six simple tips.

JD shows you how.

103 SERGIO GARCIA

A five-minute tweak from the Masters champ .

104 BYRON NELSON

A celebration of a timeless superstar.

18 REINVENTING THE BALL How Rickie Fowler just reworked the golf ball.

19 ROSE’S REVOLUTION

Meet the AXIS1, Justin’s revolutionary new putter.

94 HEPPLER IS AT HAND

Why Ping’s new Heppler putter might just be the Anser.

54 ON T HEER COV

69

22 GREAT ESCAPES

Where to stay and play and in Copenhagen, an unexpectedly excellent golf escape.

ON T HE COVER

13 LEE WESTWOOD

16 THE WINNING SWING

34 G-MAC REBORN

69 LEARN FROM THE LEGENDS

Five Burning Questions with the evergreen, history-making Englishman.

An exclusive interview with Graeme McDowell, a man with unfinished business.

54 THE BOOK KEEPER

Meet the man with the world’s largest golf book collection... and why he gave them all away.

Studying the rebuilt swing of a rejuvenated Tiger Woods, a study in four frames.

Five superstar teachers who’ve amassed a lifetime of knowledge show you how to upgrade your game.

97 MENTAL GAME MASTERCLASS

How to control your nerves more effectively on the big occasion – it’s all in the body and the mind.

58 FRENCH FANCY

Assessing the merits of Fontainebleau, an understated French classic.

82 A LAND OF OPPORTUNITY

Seventy-two hours on the North Norfolk Coast, a links lover’s paradise.

golfworldtop100.com | April 2020 Golf World 7

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A new beginning?

A new world golf league promises to change the game as we know it. Rob McGarr looks at whether this could be the end of the PGA Tour and European Tour…

Here at Golf World, we’ve been predicting for many years that the game’s future lies in a unification of the PGA Tour and European Tour to create a single, all-conquering, global tour. The biggest uncertainty, in our view, has always been when, not if, this would occur.

Well, it appears the answer could be coming a lot sooner than anyone thought.

And, in a surprise twist, this global tour may emerge in a way few could have predicted, in the shape of a brand new offering that threatens to depose the PGA Tour and European Tour as golf’s top tier.

“I find a lot of greed in the sport now. When someone comes along like this, what do you do? Do you discard the PGA Tour where you’ve played all your life? Are you just going to say ‘to hell with you now?’ I don’t like that. It is crazy to say you don’t like money, but it’s not as though they are struggling.” Gary Player’s take on Premier League Golf.

What’s happening?

A British-based organisation – the World Golf Group (WGG) – are creating a brand new circuit of golf events they’re calling the ‘Premier Golf League’ (PGL).Their aim is to secure 48 of the world’s best golfers to compete in 18 events per year – 10 in the US, the other eight airing during US primetime.

Taking inspiration from Formula 1, the individual championship would run alongside a team format, with four players per team amassing points based on their performances. Each event would be 54 holes, rather than the current standard 72, and feature no cut.

“If you had the chance to start again, you wouldn’t create professional golf as it exists today,” say WGG. “The League is that chance. We believe we’ll succeed because the League is what fans, sponsors and broadcasters want – and the best players deserve. It will revitalise the sport for this and future generations. It is designed, simply, to be the best product golf is capable of producing.”

That is big talk, particularly with WGG targeting a launch as soon as the beginning of 2022 – but will it become a reality?

“Those numbers, Tiger, they can’t be right.” Rory and Tiger contemplate a new beginning for golf.

Will the top stars go for it?

This is the big question, because if the PGL cannot lure the world’s top players away from the PGA Tour and European Tour, it has no chance of success.

But, if it does succeed in poaching the game’s top talents, it virtually cannot fail to establish itself as golf’s new top tier. “If the players support it, then it’s a done deal,” says Ernie Els. “There are a number of reasons we believe the top players will leave their existing tours to join,” say WGG, “the first being money. The world’s best players will have the opportunity to earn more by competing in the League.”

Every PGL event would have a prize purse of $10m, with the winner taking home $2m.

Currently, only the Players Championship, the Masters and the US Open offer a winner’s cheque of that size. And there will be hefty bonuses on top of

‘THE PLAYERS that, with the individual league winner taking home an extra $10m at the end of the season, plus an extra $40m for team prizes, with the winning team splitting $14m four ways.

The average PGA Tour event has a total prize purse of around $8.5m, split between the 65 players who make the cut. On the PGL, players wouldn’t have to worry about missing a cut and earning nothing that week,

10 Golf World April 2020 | golfworldtop100.com

ANTED MORE MONEY

and they’d be sharing the prize pot with fewer hands. Not to mention their workload being reduced by a quarter, playing three rounds instead of four.

Tour players are thus far sitting on the fence, keeping their options open. But, tellingly, not one has yet ruled himself out of making the switch. That’s probably because the most successful PGL player stands to take home $50m a year, more

than double what Rory McIlroy made as golf’s biggest earner last season.

“At the moment, the true global stars subsidise the rest,” say WGG. “The League will rebalance the economics.”

As many as 112 players took home more than $1m on the PGA Tour last season. Your average golf fan probably couldn’t name half of them.

Seventy-three of them didn’t

“Have I been personally approached? Yes, and my team’s been aware of it and we’ve delved into the details of it and trying to figure it out ust like everyone else. Like everybody else, we’re looking into it.”

Tiger Woods discusses the Premier Golf League concept, but refuses to commit either way just yet.

PGL will not be welcome on the PGA Tour. There are even suggestions defectors could lose their very lucrative PGA Tour pensions. That he even felt compelled to comment illustrates that he is taking the threat seriously, however.

TOURS AT WAR PRIZE FUND PER EVENT

$8.5m (avg)

$10m

FIELD SIZE

120-156

48

CUT POINT

65+ ties

None

$1m–$2.7m

$2m

$15m

$10m

EVENTS PER SEASON

49

18

HOLES PER EVENT

72

54

WINNER’S PRIZE END OF SEASON PRIZE

So what’s the likelihood of it actually happening?

AND GOT THEIR WAY. THEY ALWAYS DO’ win an event all season. WGG are attempting to take advantage of the perception among some of golf’s biggest names – those who attract fans, sponsors, and all-important TV money – that their performances are not being fairly remunerated, with prize money being too evenly split among too many less influential players.

Rory McIlroy was reluctant to show his hand at this early stage,

but was likely referring to the Tour’s journeymen in saying the threat of the PGL may “be a catalyst for some changes on the PGA Tour... and reward the top players the way they should be”.

What does this mean for the PGA and European Tours?

The WGG say it is their “intention to work with, rather than challenge, the existing tours,” but if they poach the

best players, the PGA Tour and European Tour will be left in a mess, at best reduced to second-tier PGL feeder tours.

Understandably, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and European Tour CEO Keith Pelley have been quick to make clear that the PGL does not have their backing, with Monahan warning players about the pitfalls of the concept and making it clear that anyone who signs up for the

It’s too early to say. Tour players will follow the money, but not if they see it as an undue risk.

Equally, they won’t want to risk being left behind if they see their high-profile peers making the switch and can sense a sea change coming. WGG only need to convince a few of the game’s biggest stars – Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy would do it – and the floodgates will open.

That effectively happened 50 years ago when the PGA of America and PGA Tour went their separate ways. Top players like Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer wanted to see the influx of TV money used to inflate prize purses, while the PGA of America wanted the money to go into the general fund. The stars got their way. They always do.

To avoid a split this time, the existing tours need to ensure their top players don’t feel they are being taken advantage of.

Otherwise they’ll be open to temptation, be it from the WGG and PGL, or any other big bad wolf ready to blow the PGA Tour’s house down.

It seems a big ask for the PGL to be able to secure 48 top players, finalise 18 events, secure sponsors, reach an agreement regarding world ranking points and qualification for majors, and agree a TV deal, all in time for a 2022 start, but that doesn’t mean the threat will go away. The smart money says this threat will force the PGA Tour to reward its top players even more heavily, likely funded by a new TV rights deal which should see them receive $700m per year from 2022 onwards, up from $400m per year at present.

Whether that happens, or the PGL does take control, it seems that golf’s top players are set to get even richer and have even more power over the professional game as a whole.

golfworldtop100.com | April 2020 Golf World 11

“I’ve still got a lot of things I want to do. I certainly don’t have any reason to want to go curl up in a corner some place with a green banana and hope it gets ripe.” Jack Nicklaus turns 80, but shows no sign of slowing down or turning ripe.

THE NUMBER CRUNCHER

55

408

Jordan Spieth’s current world ranking. He was second at the beginning of 2018 and top of the pile in 2016. #Slump

Number of PGA Tour events played by Brett Quigley, with zero wins. It took the 50-year-old just two starts to get his first win on the Champions Tour, at this month’s Morocco Champions. #LateBloomer

7.3

Strokes gained with his putter during Lee Westwood’s victory in Abu Dhabi. He ranked 161st for SG putting last season, giving up more than half a shot per round against the field. #ChangedMan

2

Number of consecutive pars by Harold Varner III from the beginning of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, a new PGA Tour record. He then went birdie-bogey-birdiebogey to finish level par and miss the cut by one. #Steady

$575 Collin Morikawa is the first player to be paired with Tiger Woods having been born after Woods turned pro.

Morikawa was born February 6, 1997; Woods turned pro in August 1996. #NewBreed

The newly increased green fee for a round at Pebble Beach.

With California sales tax of 7.25 per cent, that means you’ll pay $617, or £467 in our money. For some reference, a round on th Old Course this r will cost you £195. #Hefty

2,037

$15m Total prize purse at this year’s Players Championship, up from $12.5m last year and making it the best-paying golf tournament in the world. The winner will take home $2.7m, up from $2.25m last year. #Inflation

HOW IT STACKS UP US Open $12.5m Masters $11.5m US PGA $11m The Open $10.75m

12 Golf World April 2020 | golfworldtop100.com

Days between European Tour win Graeme McDowell. His Saudi International victory ended a dro dating back to July 2014. #Patien

ODDSON 50/1 Bryson DeChambeau to receive a slow play penalty this season.

40/1 Brooks Koepka to call out a fellow player for playing too slowly this season.

75/1 Patrick Reed to be disqualified from a tournament this season. #SafeBets

72.31%

Percentage of the time the average PGA Tour player hits the green with a wedge in hand (from 125-150 yards). #Expectations

$3.05bn

Total amount given to its chosen charities by the PGA Tour since the initiative began in 1938.

A record $204.3m was generated last year alone. #Philanthropy

“I don’t know. I really don’t feel like I need Twitter in my life right now. Maybe I’ll reach the mid-life crisis like Phil just went into and we’ll see.” Viktor Hovland throws a tongue-in-cheek dig at Mickelson.

FIVE BURNING QUESTIONS

Lee Westwood

With victory in last month’s HSBC Championship, the Englishman became the only active player to have won across four decades...

1

Victory at the age of 46, two years since your last win. That must feel good?

Very good. I felt pretty comfortable the whole week, but I’d been not wanting to say how good I felt, but more trying to keep a lid on it and just see how things went. But I felt I was swinging well and especially I felt good about how I’ve been putting.

I’ve put in a lot of hard work with Phil Kenyon and I’ve been working with Ben Davis on the psychological part of it, but I really felt quite calm on the greens and rolled a lot of good putts. That was the key to winning, really. You’ve got to putt well to win any tournament, but especially these in the desert because the greens are so immaculate, you know that everybody is going to hole their putts.

2

Victories across four decades, the only active player to have achieved that.

Does that make you feel pleased, or just old?

Ha! Yeah, it’s great, to be honest. I do feel really old when somebody points that out, but hearing that gives me a lot of pride that I’ve set new targets for everybody. That’s what sport is about, isn’t it?

I’m surprised I’m the first one to do it. But you know, I’ve been out here a long time, this is my 28th season. So, yeah, I’d like to add a few more to that. But I think it just shows the level I’ve played at for such a long time, longevity in sport is difficult to achieve.

3

What’s the key to winning over four decades and the longevity that requires?

You’ve got to be dedicated and you’ve got to love it and you’ve got to love practising. Because there’s no shortcuts. It’s just hard work. You know, when you think about leaving the range in one

afternoon, going and sitting by the pool or having a beer or something like that [shakes head]... stay on the range another hour. A few years back, Tiger, myself and Vijay were the last three on the range, and it wasn’t a coincidence that the best players are the hardest workers.

4

You’ve spoken a lot in the last couple of years about how the drive to be out there and to keep on competing hasn’t diminished. Where does that drive come from?

I’ve done a lot of work with Ben Davis on the psychological part of it and he’s helped me appreciate that I’m playing the game I love for a living, and I should enjoy it. Sometimes it gets to the point where you don’t enjoy it enough, but we should because we’re lucky to be doing what we’re doing, and a lot of people are far less fortunate.

Part of that is learning to appreciate the good times. In 1998 I think I won eight tournaments in one year, and 2000 I won eight tournaments and in ’99 I won seven or something stupid like that. They were

coming along like taxis, and I didn’t appreciate it enough, I don’t think. I was working hard back then, but winning was coming easy, and I think that’s just because I was a young man and I was rolling with the momentum of it all. Now I appreciate it and I appreciate all the hard work that has to go into it.

5

This victory takes you up to 29th in the World Rankings and that gets you in all the majors and WGCs. But it also opens up the possibility of another Ryder Cup appearance. Is that part of your thinking?

It definitely is, yeah. It’s not only an ambition now, but it’s also at the forefront of my mind that I’ve got a chance to make this Ryder Cup team. I thought I was done in the Ryder Cup as a player, to be honest. I’ve played 10, and it could be 11. You know, now I give myself a chance to play, so yeah, I’ll just play week-in, week-out, just to see.

I would love to play another Ryder Cup as long as I’m good enough. I wouldn’t want a pick, but if I qualified, I would definitely play.

But you can’t control qualifying for a Ryder Cup team. You can only control what you do that particular week, and obviously like this week, you win lots of points and it moves you up the list. I’ll just be trying to do the small things right and it will lead on to the big things, like qualifying for the Ryder Cup team and other things like that.

I’m not going to increase my schedule or anything like that. I’m just going to play week-in, week-out and see where that takes me. But I’ll be playing in all the big tournaments again. The World Golf Championships are all on the calendar now and obviously every major, so who knows?

But I won’t play a massive amount more.

I’m still probably only going to play 24, 25 times a year. That’s just the way I feel like I’ve got to play now to turn up to a tournament and be in the best possible shape to compete. I think gone are my days of playing 30, 40 events a year. I am 47 in April and body and mind just won’t take that quite as well.

golfworldtop100.com | March 2020 Golf World 13

“Er... A hangover tomorrow.”

Lucas Herbert, when asked after his victory in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic what he’s now capable of.

The Australian’s win earned an exemption until 2022 and propelled him into the top 80 in the world rankings.

THE ONE SHOT

Islands of the mind

ISLAND GREENS ARE ON OUR MINDS THIS MONTH. SO HERE’S HOW TO PLAY THEM.

In golf, a game played as much in the head as with the hands, fear is the great paralyser. And nothing raises fear like the sight of water. We’ll see that again this month when the greats of the current game stand trembling on the 17th tee at Sawgrass, even the soundest swings plagued with doubt and uncertainty.

It’s as Butch Harmon said. “What’s amazing is that if that green were surrounded by sand instead of water, those guys would never miss.”

But because the sight of water so often does that, how should you approach a shot over water – be it this shot at Couer d’Alene Resort in Idaho, the 17th at Sawgrass or any other wet test?

“Smart decision-making is as important to good scoring as solid technique,” says GW teaching pro Chris Jenkins. “And nowhere is this more evident than on a par 3 over water. Produce a really bad swing here and you’re likely to get wet. But if you know your yardages, you examine the hole correctly and you think strategically, a mishit might not punish you too severely.

In a situation like this, the secret to walking away with your score intact is tilting the odds in your favour before you hit the shot. In many instances, it’s smart to aim at the deepest area of the green to give you as much confidence as possible.

“It’s also key that before you make a decision on your club or strategy, think about the conditions. How will the wind affect ball flight, for example. Or how will you allow for the downhill gradient?

Once you’ve looked at all the characteristics of the shot facing you and have selected your club and strategy, the final piece of the jigsaw is commitment. Trust your judgement and decision-making, and make a smooth, confident swing.”

14 Golf World April 2020 | golfworldtop100.com

“I think it’s an incredible honour for most athletes who are running 100 metres, gymnastics, anything like that. They wait four years for that, but we have four majors a year.”

Brooks Koepka explains why the Olympics is important, but not so much to him.

THE DETAILS While the Couer d’Alene Resort in Northern Idaho has much to commend it – being one of America’s most beautiful resort courses – all the headlines are always grabbed by its 14th hole, aka ‘the floating green’. A par 3 of anything from 95 to 218 yards, depending on its position that day, you’re aiming at 15,000sqft of island and two attempts to find solid ground – failure to do so results on a drop on the green and a sense of regret.

When all parties are safely on the green, the ‘Putter’ boat shuttles you across. Putt out and the captain of the boat presents you with a personalised certificate, commemorating your achievement, regardless of your score. A cure for slow play it’s not, but no one’s complaining. www.cdaresort.com

“We went onto the putting green and he got me to putt from eight feet. I hit three putts with the putter and holed one of them; three with the sand wedge and holed two of them; and I holed three in a row with the 5-wood.” Rory McIlroy recalls his first, somewhat unorthodox putting lesson with Brad Faxon – designed to teach him to be a little more instinctive with his putting.

PURE FUNDAMENTALS

A ONE-PIECE MOTION

Woods’ fundamentals have always been pure, so there’s no real change at address in the remodelled golf swing. Check out how his arms hang almost vertically from his shoulders and how his hands are fairly close to his thighs.

Woods keeps his hands and the club out in front of him in the early stages of the swing. Rather than move to the inside, the clubhead traces the target line path on the way back. Note how his left shoulder is coiling downwards underneath his chin.

WINNING SWING

Tiger Woods WINNER OF THE 2019 ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP.

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Just as the legendary Ben Hogan had to completely rework his golf swing following his near-fatal car accident in 1949, so Tiger Woods has had to make significant adjustments to his technique in the wake of a stream of injuries and surgeries, including a fusion of the vertebrae in his lower back.

And just as Hogan had to replace his long backswing and ferocious hip clearance with an abbreviated backswing and a much calmer lower body action through the ball, so Woods has had to make very similar tweaks in order to continue playing at a high level. Ironically, Hogan became a much

“I won’t do it. I’m not interested in talking about what just happened or the difficulty of the holes ahead. I’m just focused on one shot at a time, where my ball’s at.” Brooks Koepka jumps off the fence on the subject of mid-round interviews.

SHORTER IS BETTER

Woods used to complain that his arms would get ‘stuck’ or ‘trapped’ ‘behind his body in the downswing. Thanks to the swing changes – and in particular his improved transition – he now has much more room for his arms to really accelerate through the ball.

STATS AT A GLANCE HOT

better golfer following his accident, winning six of his nine majors from 1949 onwards. While it’s unlikely that we’ll see Tiger do the same and notch up another 15 majors in the coming years, his remodelled swing is powerful and consistent enough to compete with the world’s best for the foreseeable future.

Whereas in the past, Woods’ swing was characterised by a large drop in height during a violent transition followed by a standing up move through the ball, he now maintains his height and the transition is smoother. The result is improved synchronisation, more freedom of movement and easier power.

STROKES GAINED (TTG): 2.08 STROKE AVERAGE: 67.85 GREENS/REGULATION: 73.1%

COLD

Abbreviating his backswing length has improved Woods’ synchronisation. Contrary to what you might think, the shorter swing doesn’t mean a loss of power. Enhanced timing and efficiency more than compensate for the reduction in distance the clubhead travels.

RELEASE IN SYNC

SAND SAVES: 75% DRIVING ACCURACY: 62.04 PUTTS PER ROUND: 28.38

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“That’s as good as I can do. I gave it all. This is another change I wanted to make in our team.

I get one opportunity, win or lose. You don’t get a second chance.” Ernie Els confirms that he has no

intention of captaining the International team in next year’s Presidents Cup, his sole shot being the 16-14 defeat last December.

NEW BALL TECHNOLOGY

ll that Rickie designed…

RICKIE FOWLER WORKED WITH TAYLORMADE’S R&D TEAM TO DESIGN THE NEW TP5 PIX BALL. It’s not uncommon to hear golf manufacturers claim that one or more of their team of staff Tour professionals have been involved in the development of a new product. In reality, this player feedback is often limited to reviewing prototypes and offering opinions on styling.

But in the case of TaylorMade’s new Pix ball however Rickie Fowler entire d

too many eyebrows. We’re thinking that the opportunity to get more involved in product development was one of the factors that instigated his high-profile move from Titleist at the beginning of last year.

The lines, colours, shape and positions of the graphics on the TP5 Pix ball have all been devised by Fowler Twelve

the TaylorMade logo and TP5/ TP5x stamp to create a ClearPath Alignment aid, which illustrates when you’ve started the ball on your intended line and if you’ve hit a quality putt. “When we started developing the new design, one of my first comments was that if we didn’t have the full TaylorMade logo in two places, we would have space to create a

With the help of researchers at Indiana University – the same team that helped design the alignment features on Spider X putters – TaylorMade and Fowler came up with multiple designs, which Fowler then tested in secret before settling on the final finish.

Pix will be available on both the 28.

PERFECT PATHWAY

THE SPIN CORRIDOR

A single TaylorMade logo is perfectly aligned to the TP5/ TP5x stamp to form the natural pathway around the centre of the golf ball.

The 12 images on the top and bottom hemispheres of the Pix create a ‘corridor’ where the logos are to show the amount and direction of spin when putting and chipping.

TaylorMade call it ClearPath.

‘THE DRAWBACK OF A PLAIN WHITE GOLF BALL IS THAT THERE’S NOTHING TO FOCUS ON. THE PIX GRAPHICS GIVE YOU A PRECISE FOCAL POINT TO WORK WITH’ RICKIE FOWLER

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“Last couple of years I feel like I’ve been fighting for my card, so things have changed.” Nick Taylor wins the AT&T Pebble Beach

Pro-Am, takes home a life-changing $1.4m and a two-year exemption. The Canadian’s win ends American dominance of the event, dating all the way back to 2005.

HOW RICKIE DESIGNED THE TP5 PIX TaylorMade category director Mike Fox worked with Fowler on the design of the new ball. Equipment editor Simon Daddow talked to him about the project.

SD: How much collaboration was there between Fowler and TaylorMade in the design?

MF: The work with Rickie was a true collaboration. It’s not TaylorMade putting Rickie’s name on something – he genuinely designed it. We talked to him monthly, if not weekly, about Pix. SD: Where and how did the design process start?

MF: Initially, Rickie came out to Carlsbad, and we spent two or three hours sketching stuff out, looking at inspiration boards. We had hundreds of ideas, and used those to come up with 50 or so concepts.

We sent prototype boxes under a cloud of secrecy for him to test. He’d try different variations of the design – different colours, different styles, things like the width of the lines – until he settled on this final version.

SD: It looks like a complicated piece of graphics. How complicated was Pix to create?

MF: It truly is a feat in manufacturing – making sure the consistency and performance from ball to ball is the same.

Each piece of colour on every ball is hit 15 times. The exact same spot. And then hitting it with a completely new colour is crazy. It’s really not easy.

PERFECT BALANCE

…and the putter that Justin crafte

ROSE HELPED DESIGN THE REVOLUTIONARY NEW AXIS1.

Justin Rose’s high-profile switch from TaylorMade to Honma last January made headline news the world over, but it wasn’t the only key equipment change the 2013 US Open champion made in 2019. Rose also put a new putter into play.

Rose first came across the AXIS1 brand several years ago, but his interest was piqued at the 2016 Pebble Beach Invitational, where the company’s founder, industrial engineer, Luis Pedraza, showed him the distinctive Joey model. Rose was intrigued by the head design and how it placed the centre of gravity

directly in the centre o the face and in direct with the axis of the sh to keep the face squa impact. In layman’s te AXIS1’s technology mitigates misses and improves accuracy.

Shortly afterwards, however, Rose signed a new 14-club deal with TaylorMade and so the relationship stalled until he found himself a free agent again early last year. After reconnecting with the brand, Rose worked with AXIS1’s designers to craft a mallet version of the putter that incorporated the same forward weight and zero twist technology.

How the Tech Works The AXIS1 range is 100% perfectly balanced by pushing the weight forwards thanks to a heel counterweight that places the centre of gravity on the centre of the clubface and perfectly in line with the shaft axis. Since the clubface doesn’t twist open at impact, there is minimal loss of ball speed on off-centre hits, which enhances distance control.

ROSE’S 2019 CAREER BEST PUTTING STATS Total Putting (13th), Putting Avg (5th), Overall Putting Avg (3rd) , One-Putt pct (3rd), Three-Putting Avoidance (8th).

Rose also won last year’s Farmers Insurance Open and tied for the lowest round ever at the US Open at Pebble Beach, needing only 22 putts to compile a score of 65. Rose also shot his lowest ever nine-hole score of 28 at the Dunhill Links with his AXIS1 ROSE putter.

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“I really don’t think about it because I have to think about all the things I need to do to win the golf tournament. There are so many different shots I have to play and strategy and thinking my way around the golf course that I’m more consumed in that.”

Tiger Woods is absolutely not thinking about where his 83rd PGA Tour win is coming from.

THE FLASHBACK

KEY MOMENTS FROM THIS MONTH IN GOLF.

MARCH 21, 1940 Aged 27, Ben Hogan

finally breaks his winning duck, almost 10 years after turning professional, picking up his first individual title at the North and South Open. “I had finished second and third so many times I was beginning to think I was an also-ran,” he says. “They’ve kidded me about practising so much. Well, they can kid me all they want because it finally paid off. I know it’s what finally got me in the groove to win.” After their reporter phones in the results, the Greensboro Daily News mistakenly credits the victory to Walter Hagen. When the reporter phones to tell them they got it wrong, the typesetter replies, “Who the hell is Hogan?”

Hogan answers that question emphatically by going on to win the next two tournaments and picking up the 1940 Vardon Trophy, kickstarting a career that included 64 PGA Tour victories and nine majors.

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March 2, 1932 13-time PGA Tour winner and trick shot specialist Joe Kirkwood shoots an impressive 83 over 18 holes using only his putter. The Australian’s round includes six pars and a birdie.

March 5, 1972 Jack Nicklaus wins the Doral-Eastern Open and picks up a cheque for $30,000, seeing him reach $1,447,286 in career earnings and overtaking Arnold Palmer as golf’s all-time money winner.

March 13, 1878 Oxford beat Cambridge in the first ever University Golf Match.

It is the oldest amateur event in golf — the Amateur Championship first played in 1885 – and the oldest team event in

English golf. Cambridge currently lead the series 65-58, with seven halved.

March 13, 1960 Arnold Palmer wins the Pensacola Open for his third straight victory, following the Texas Open on February 28 and the Baton Rouge Open on March 6. He goes on to win eight titles that year, including the Masters and US Open.

March 14, 2017 The world’s oldest golf club, Muirfield in Scotland, votes to admit women as members for the first time in its 273-year history.

March 16, 1988 LPGA player Mary Porter saves the life of a three-year-old boy during a qualifying round for the Turquoise

Classic, administering CPR after he had fallen into a swimming pool. The Mary Bea Porter Award has been awarded annually ever since to an individual in golf who saves or betters the lives of others.

March 20, 1937 Six-time Open champion Harry Vardon dies aged 66. His overlapping ‘Vardon grip’ he popularised remains the most widely used golf grip to this day.

March 22, 1934 The inaugural Masters tournament, officially called the ‘Augusta National Invitation Tournament’ for the first five editions, tees off at Augusta National. Horton Smith prevails and takes home a cheque for $1,500.

“It’s a big win for me personally and then for them as well. I hope this can bring them a bit of joy.” Marc Leishman dedicates his victory in the Farmers Insurance

Open to his compatriots affected by the Australian bushfires.

NAME TO KNOW Atthaya Thitikul

Just 17 and still an amateur, Atthaya Thitikul has already made a big impression on the professional game, breaking records for achieving things at a younger age than any man or woman before her.

Here’s all you need to know about golf’s latest teenage sensation.

SHE IS MAJOR-READY Winning pro tour events is one thing, but it’s majors that define a golfer’s career. Luckily, Thitikul looks to have what it takes to excel in those, too. She finished Low Amateur at the 2018 and 2019 British Open and the 2018 ANA Inspiration, and also made the cut at the Evian Championship. Lydia Ko is the youngest woman to win a major, at 18 years, four months and 20 days. Thitikul has over a year and potentially five or six opportunities to break that record.

SHE DOMINATED THE AMATEUR GAME Thitikul has 16 amateur wins so far, including back-to-back victories at the World Junior Girls Championship in 2018 and 2019.

Her performances saw her reach the top of the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking.

1

2

5

SHE IS THE YOUNGEST EVER WINNER OF A PROFESSIONAL GOLF EVENT Thitikul took her first Ladies European Tour title – the 2017 Ladies European Thailand Championship – less than five months after her 14th birthday, beating Lydia Ko’s previous record by more than a year. The youngest European Tour winner is Matteo Manassero at 17 years and six months, the youngest PGA Tour winner Charles Koscis at 18 and a half when he won in 1931. In the modern era, Jordan Spieth is the youngest PGA Tour victor; he was just shy of his 20th birthday upon winning the 2015 John Deere Classic.

SHE’S WON TWO PROFESSIONAL EVENTS AND IS STILL AN AMATEUR Thitikul skipped the 2018 Ladies European Thailand Championship as it clashed with preparations for an international team event, but won it again last year, meaning she’d picked up two senior titles as an amateur and before turning 17. The youngest ever two-time winner on the LET, she’s expected to turn pro this year – a good move as she’s already had to forgo over £100,000 in prize money due to her amateur status.

SHE’S AN OLYMPIC GOLD WINNER Thitikul took gold at the 2018 Youth Olympics in the Mixed Team event and another at the 2017 Southeast Asian Games in both the Women’s Individual and Women’s Team events. She is fiercely patriotic and adored by golf fans in Thailand.

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“I didn’t know if you took milk in your coffee so I had to go and get milk this morning, and toilet roll (laughs), I didn’t have any toilet roll! So I went to the local garage and (posed for) three photos on the way out. So it’s a little more difficult.” Rory McIlroy reflects on the loss of anonymity, speaking to the Independent’s Paul Kimmage.

GREAT ESCAPES

Cop

THE HAPPIEST CITY IN EUROPE ALSO HAPPENS TO BE HOME TO SOME OF THE CONTINENT’S BEST GOLF. Regularly ranking top of the greatest places on Earth to live, visit Copenhagen and you’ll quickly appreciate why.

Historic, hip and contagiously happy, the Danish capital is large enough to boast all the attractions of a big city but small enough to explore on foot and squeeze into a long weekend. Add in several excellent golf courses and one of Europe’s finest and you have an essential escape. Here’s all the detail you’ll need.

GETTING THERE Copenhagen Kastrup Airport lies just eight kilometres outside of the city centre. Fly in and you can be into the heart of the city within 15 minutes by taking the train or metro.

GETTING AROUND Flat, compact and with a very walkable core, everything revolves around the very central City Hall Square and the Central Station. To save your feet, the city also boasts one of the world’s most progressive cycle systems with more bikes than inhabitants and 375 kilometres of cycle tracks.

WHERE TO STAY For its location, The Square ticks the box, overlooking City Hall and as central as they come. From there you’re 16 miles south of The Scandinavian, the golf club pictured right and the one you’ll want to play during your stay. Other excellent hotel options include the historic D’Angleterre and the kooky, intimate, oneroom hotel at THEKRANE – which is located in a former coal crane.

WHAT TO SEE, DO AND EXPERIENCE Get your bearings on the city early by heading for the Round Tower. Europe’s oldest functioning observatory stands 36 metres high and looks down on many of Copenhagen’s most historic streets.

Amalienborg Palace was constructed in the 1700s and is considered to be one of the finest examples of Danish Rococo architecture.

It also happens to be home to the Danish royal family, and while you may not catch sight of Queen Margrethe II, arrive at noon and you’ll see the changing of the Royal Guard.

If you prefer your history under a roof, the National Museum is the standout in a city full of museums and home to, among so much else, an astonishing array of Viking artefacts.

If you have enough time for more, head to Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, whose displays of ancient and modern art are contained in a building every bit as impressive.

The city’s most iconic landmark stands on a rock by the waterside at the Langeline promenade, north-east of City Hall.

Bronze and granite and in place for more than a century, welcoming travellers to Copenhagen harbour, The Little Mermaid was inspired by the fairy tale of the city’s most celebrated storyteller, Hans Christian Andersen. She’s usually surrounded by tourists wielding mobile phones.

Just south of the statue lies the old harbour at Nyhavn. Packed full of

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colourfully renovated townhouses dating back to the 17th Century, it’s also home to a growing number of chic cafés, sophisticated restaurants and popular with tourists and locals alike.

WHERE TO EAT As home to one of the world’s most decorated restaurants, Copenhagen is a gastronomic heavyweight.

If you can get a seat at Noma, get a seat at Noma.

If you can’t, you have plenty of excellent alternatives in Gemyse, the three Michelinstarred Geranium and Amass, to merely scratch the city’s culinary surface.

For more worldly fare, Sanchez and Bæst offer some of the best Mexican and pizza in any city. Don’t head home without having sampled the classic Danish staple of Smørrebrød (open sandwiches). Done well everywhere, but particularly at Restaurant Kronborg, Fru Nimb and throughout the epic food market at Torvehallerne. And for sweet treats, seek out La Glace, a Copenhagen institution sating sweet teeth since 1870.

WHEN TO GO Attracting tourists throughout the year, Copenhagen’s busiest months come during the summer run of June and particularly July and August, when the climate is at its warmest and the city is in full bloom.

Temperatures hit the heights in July, averaging 20°C (68°F). If you don’t mind trading a few degrees, May, early June and September are better, slightly quieter options.

“It means I’ve been out here a while.” Tiger Woods puts a positive spin on

learning that one of his playing partners at the Farmers Insurance is Collin Morikawa, age 22.

For the first time, Tiger is teeing it up with someone who was born after he turned pro.

WHERE TO PLAY With at least 10 excellent options scattered within an hour’s drive of the city centre, you won’t lack for options, which include the very central Royal GC and the slightly further afield Royal Copenhagen and Rungsteds. They are all worth the additional journey, but serve as mere preludes to the main event. Fifteen miles north of the city centre lies the 36-hole Scandinavian Golf Club.

It’s home to the New and the Old courses, built from the proceeds of tech millions, on the grounds of a former rifle range and around an ultra-modern cathedral-like clubhouse. The latter – shown here – is the essential option, Old by name but opened as recently as 2010, a year ahead of its younger sibling. Robert Trent Jones II’s lead architect Bruce Charlton laid the 36 holes out and placed a premium on accuracy on the Old, employing clever illusionary tricks to keep your gung-ho tendencies in check. The results are spectacular, with the Old ranking 38th in our most recent Top 100 Continental Europe. While the New course is time and a green fee very well spent, do all you can to get on to experience the Old during your stay.

‘OF THE 10 OR SO COURSES WITHIN EASY REACH OF COPENHAGEN’S CENTRE, THE SCANDINAVIAN GC’S OLD COURSE IS THE ONE YOU HAVE TO PLAY’

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“We believe that golf will best thrive over the next decades and beyond if this continuing cycle of ever-increasing hitting distances and golf course lengths is brought to an end.” Distance is damaging the game, announce the USGA and R&A in their latest report.

Solutions to the problem are yet to be established, however.

Y TAKE Time to limi pro equipment

DISTANCE INSIGHT REPORT PROVES PROS ARE HITTING IT TOO FAR AND BIFURCATION MIGHT BE THE ONLY ANSWER, SAYS KIT ALEXANDER. The R&A and USGA have finally admitted the pros are hitting the ball too far. Having read the Distance Insights Report, not only is it surprising that it took so long to reach that conclusion, but it’s also plain to see that things must change quickly to safeguard the future of golf.

The findings are pretty stark.

Hitting distances and the length of golf courses have been increasing for more than 100 years, with driving distances in the elite game increasing by

about one yard per year since 2013. These increases are leading to a reduction in the variety and creativity of shots played and greater emphasis on power over other skills.

From a golf course perspective, many courses are becoming obsolete and extending existing layouts and building longer new ones cost more money and put greater strain on natural resources, like water usage. The report states that these trends are all

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expected to continue if no action is taken.

But there will be no quick or simple fix. The focus is on equipment changes – and that will take years, perhaps even a decade. The report states, “Our next steps will be to develop and assess potential future solutions to pursue these objectives, recognising that this is a complex subject involving many issues, perspectives and interests.” It’s hardly a sentence that fills you with hope of

immediate action. The process for implementing equipment rule changes is a slow one, and it won’t be without a fight from the manufacturers if it involves them rolling back technology or threatens their business. To put this into perspective, it was just over three years from the proposal of the anchored putter ban until it came into effect, so don’t expect any actual rule changes until 2024 at the absolute earliest.

Perhaps the most significant

“There’s more than just guys, you know. It just makes sense.

We should do this more often. The fact that this happens only once in a year is just nonsense.” Ever the voice of sanity and reason, Geoff Ogilvy urges the governing bodies to introduce more mixed gender tournaments to the calendar.

STROKE SAVERS

THE RULES REFRESHER Rule 8.1a RESTORE ORIGINAL PLAYING CONDITIONS AND ESCAPE A PENALTY.

The purpose of Rule 8.1a is to support the principle of playing the course as you find it and restricts what a player may do to improve certain ‘conditions affecting the stroke’ for the next stroke the player will make. It remains the case that you can’t alter the lie of your ball at rest, the area of your intended stance, the area of your intended swing, your line of play or the relief area where you will drop or place your ball. But there has been one very significant change to the latest version of this rule that not all club golfers are aware of. You are now able to avoid a penalty by restoring the conditions you improved in a breach of Rule 8.1a. For example, if a player mistakenly removes an out of bounds stake that is interfering with their backswing, they can avoid the penalty by replacing the stake in its original position before playing another stroke. Previously, once the OB stake had been removed you received a two-stroke penalty. It’s the same if you bend a branch out of the way to take your stance or move a bramble or something similar lying behind your ball. As long as they remain intact and you can return them to their original position, you avoid the penalty.

line in the entire report is, “We will assess the potential use of a Local Rule option that would specify use of clubs and/or balls intended to result in shorter hitting distances.” Essentially, that means the potential for separate professional tournament equipment and mass-market amateur gear.

Bifurcation is now very much on the table. There is far less data for recreational golfers, but the report suggests driving average has increased from 200 yards in 1996 to 216 yards in 2019. It’s clear that while the pros keep getting longer, handicap players still need all the help they can get.

Something has to change, and this report is a vital first step. As

the old saying goes, better late than never. Pros are hitting the ball further every year through a combination of reasons – equipment, athleticism, technique, agronomy. This trend cannot continue, and the best way to halt it is through renewed limits on equipment.

At the same time, amateur hitting distances are way below the pros and the average handicap remains largely unchanged in modern times. It pains me to say it, but bifurcation might be the only way to preserve the integrity of the sport at the elite level while maintaining the enjoyment for millions of beginner and handicap golfers around the world.

With thanks to PGA Fellow Professional and Lead Tournament Director for PGA EuroPro Tour, Ashley Weller.

‘WITH THIS REPORT, BIFURCATION IS NOW ON THE TABLE – ONE SET OF RULES FOR THE PROFESSIONALS, ANOTHER FOR US AMATEURS’

GW VERDICT: It’s great to see players allowed to correct a mistake before it’s too late if they realise they’ve breached a rule before playing their next shot. Of course, it won’t always be possible to restore the original conditions once you’ve altered them, but this is definitely going to save a few people shots as Rule 8.1a is one that’s broken all too often, whether by accident or otherwise.

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MAJOR CHAMPION

JUSTIN ROSE

If I start chasing distance numbers, it’s going to hurt me and my golf swing

I

’m always making subtle changes to my game and it’s no different as we approach the start of the season proper. I felt like I really started to get some momentum going at the very back end of last year during the Hero tournament in the Bahamas. So when I managed to get my swing grooved, I didn’t want to put my clubs down too much during Christmas. I played more than I normally would over the holiday period just to keep a little bit of that momentum going, so I feel very clear with my swing.

I’m working on the sequencing of my backswing and the way I set the club. I think it was getting a little bit too deep too quickly and that started a chain of events that was showing up in the transition. I’m working on not turning the body too early so I can improve that sequencing away from the ball. It helps so many other things later on in the swing, as well.

In terms of equipment, Honma has come out with a new TR20 line, which I’m really enjoying. The irons are absolutely fantastic and have a lot of shelf appeal. They look awesome. I think people are going to love looking down at these beautiful blades. The new driver is a lot more forgiving than the Tour World 747 that I was using last year. It’s a full carbon composite head and I’ve gone from a 440cc head to a 460cc head with the goal of accuracy over distance. The driver has plenty of speed and I just want to up the percentage of fairways hit this year.

I’m in the same stage of my career as Roger Federer.

There are guys on the tennis circuit who can serve at 135mph, but Roger serves at 121 in the corners. It’s incredibly effective for him. I’m never going to be a 185mph ball speed guy now. If I start chasing distance numbers like that, it’s going to hurt me and it’s going to hurt my golf swing. It’s easy to forget that your body has to reabsorb all of that force. But if I can drive it the equivalent of Roger’s 121 in the corners, that’s the same as 172 to 175mph ball speed. It’ll enable me to carry the ball 300 yards in the air.

And if I can do that and hit more fairways, I can compete on any golf course against any player. So that’s kind of my benchmark for the season.

My schedule this year is based around trying to stay fit and fresh for the majors, with one eye on the Olympics as well. It all gets very condensed in the summer so I’ll try to keep some gas in the tank so I can have a really strong second half of the season and push on through to the Ryder Cup in the United States as well. I think it’s very difficult to

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peak, valley, peak, valley, peak, valley – which is what I’ve tried to do for majors in the past. With the new condensed major schedule, you now need to just try and give yourself the overall reserves to power through the major season. I’m looking to keep my game at a high level during that fourmonth spell. Hopefully, I can time it right!

One way I’m going to do that is by structuring all my weeks off at home. I’m going to use my team more when I’m at home so I can practise and get more of the work done away from tournaments. Last year, I felt like I was always trying to tinker and fix my game on the road so I’m really trying to do all the hard work at home. It’s like an actor learning his lines away from the set. When I get to a tournament, I can deliver the performance.

It’s a slightly different tournament schedule early in the year for me, with the big change being that I’m probably going to play the Valero Texas Open the week before the Masters. My track record at Augusta is pretty good when I’ve played the week before. It’s always important to carry form at any time of the year. One of the reasons I decided to start 2020 in Singapore was because I gained a whole day flying back to America for Torrey Pines the following week, so it gave me plenty of time to get over the jetlag.

As I run into the Masters, it becomes a bit of a work/ life balance as I’ve got my kids’ half terms, which I decided to be around for, so that’s why I missed the WGC in Mexico. But I’ve added the Honda Classic this year, which is a tournament I haven’t played in a while. I’m going to have a really strong Florida swing.

Justin Rose is a US Open champion and Olympic Gold medallist who has played on the European and PGA Tours for 20 years.

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PRIZE LETTER

NEW WORLD ORDER

I have to say that all the recent talk of the new world tour – the Premier Golf League – is just what the game needs. I appreciate that golf is a game of traditions that should be respected and where possible upheld, but for too long the game has been treading water at best and going backwards at worst. The old adage that you adapt or die is entirely applicable to golf.

Failure to embrace a changing landscape and to appeal to new generations who have not been brought up on 18 holes, shirts and ties and annual memberships is now clearly damaging the game. It’s not what the vast majority of younger golfers want, so unless we can find ways to appeal to what they do want, we can expect the game’s popularity and participation to wane.

The Premier Golf League plan is all part of addressing this problem. I admit it

ALL NOISE, NO ANSWERS The news of the R&A and USGA’s joint investigation into distance and how it has damaged the game has grabbed plenty of headlines, but it hardly inspires confidence that change is going to come – or any time soon.

The Distance Insights Project has taken many months to conclude that distance is out of control and damaging the game –

something most of us had realised several years ago.

Jack Nicklaus voiced his concerns over the ball many, many years ago – stating that the ball should be reigned in rather than courses lengthened. Sadly, unforgivably, they chose to ignore him and preserve the status quo – for that is always the easier option.

Clearly the golf manufacturers wield too much influence and have been allowed to be the tail wagging the dog for too long. Finding the solution will require strong leadership and most likely a costly legal battle. I’m not sure the USGA or R&A possess the stomach for the fight, but it is at least a step in the right direction.

Craig Davies, Email

WE ASK, YOU ANSWER

Premier Golf League would see the world’s top-48 players play 18 54-hole no-cut events each with a guaranteed prize fund of $10m ($2m winner’s prize) and a $10m end of season prize.

What do you think?

IT’LL DESTROY OTHER TOURS 63.1%

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28 Golf World April 2020 | golfworldtop100.com

PREMIER LEAGUE LOVE IT, GREAT IDEA 27%

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WE ASK, YOU ANSWER

Geoff Ogilvy has advocated having more mixed-gender tournaments, saying “It’s more than just guys in the world who play golf.” Your reaction is…

I COMPLETELY AGREE 63%

MIXED MESSAGE I PREFER SEPARATE EVENTS 37%

Tiger and Rory: until Premier League Golf arrives, just about getting by on Tour.

element of green-eyed envy involved, but the suggestion that the elite golfers are somehow being undervalued and underrewarded by the PGA Tour is a nonsense that reflects shamefully on those complaining and upon our moneygrabbing society as a whole.

You’re paid an astonishing amount for simply hitting a small white ball into a small distant hole, Rory. Granted, you’re very good at doing that and you’re better than most of your peers, but to complain that you need more money is an insult.

Get a grip, please.

D.N. Edwards, Email

all sounds very ambitious, to the point that some are writing it off as unachievable.

But I applaud that someone has the ambition and vision needed to at least try to challenge the status quo.

Doing what we’ve always done and hoping for a different outcome is the definition of insanity. For the good of the game it is time for change in some form or other. I for one hope that change is finally coming.

David Clifton, Email

ALL A BIT RICH

I read Rory McIlroy’s comments regarding the possible new Premier Golf League and almost spat out my Toblerone!

“I think it might be a catalyst for some changes on the PGA Tour that can help it grow and move forward, and reward the top players the way they should be,” young Rory is quoted as saying. The key part of that is the phrase “reward the top players the way they should be”.

This from the man who last season

walked away with around 25 million dollars – a figure I’m going to write out in full to emphasise the amount we’re talking here. This from the man who last year hit the 50 million dollars in PGA Tour career earnings alone! Yet Rory feels he is being underpaid by the PGA Tour. Interestingly, Rory broke through that $50 million milestone at the same time as Sergio Garcia (one major) and Matt Kuchar (no majors at all).

Perhaps it’s just me. Perhaps there’s an

BIGGER IS BETTER

I have been reading your magazine for a number of years now and I particularly like your Talking Points letters from your readers.

Speaking of which, I have just read your article ‘Hard Yards’ in your February edition, in which the argument was made that us amateurs should accept our limitations and play off the shorter tees, rather than taking the course on off the back. I have to say that I completely disagree with that argument.

Take me, for example. I hit my driver probably 250 yards plus. I hit my 5-iron 170 yards and my 7-iron 150. My home course off the competition tees is 6,600 yards and usually damp as I live in Spain and the courses are heavily watered.

I have a handicap of 5.2 and just to add to it, I am 74-years-young.

Obviously if I played a shorter course I could play faster and better, but I would not enjoy it quite as much as I would miss

golfworldtop100.com | April 2020 Golf World 29

Dialogue

YOUR VIEWS

The R&A and USGA Distance Insights Project concluded that distance has an undesirable effect and is detrimental to the game’s long-term future. But how would you solve the problem? @Sharkface28 A “professionals” ball like Jack Nicklaus has been advocating for so long.

Justin Rose wins Olympic gold in 2016. Will we see a stronger field in this year’s event.

@dmbrenna Bifurcation. @doctorgolf247 Ban the tee peg! Takes driver out of most players hands... only the bravest would take it from the tee.

the challenge. So, put simply, I disagree.

@kylerevive Put hazards in at 290 carry, tighten and slow down fairways and grow rough longer. Messing with equipment is a ridiculous idea.

When the first YouTube videos started appearing, several years ago, I thought it was a great innovation for golf. Suddenly, we had access to specific online tips, equipment reviews and vlogs from great courses to try out, and all at our fingertips and whenever we wanted. There were also some real characters around and it all felt very fresh and exciting.

Now, however, just a few years later, everything has changed. The market has become completely saturated and there are now so many sites online, all fighting for the same air space and for the golfer’s attention, that they are doing more damage than good. If you are look at more than one site for advice, the information can end up contradicting itself and becoming rather confusing.

I am a 50-year-old traditionalist and I still love reading Golf World. The advent of the internet and YouTube has had an impact on golf magazines, but with the increase in the number of YouTubers vying for your attention, the quality has clearly diminished.

Just as I prefer to read physical books over those you get on the Kindle, I will always subscribe to the printed word.

Having a copy of Golf World to hold in my hands is part of the reason I love the game, and that will never change.

@DavidBelshaw Leave the amateur game alone, especially the seniors and ladies. For the pros, narrow fairways, don’t rake the bunkers and remove all free drops for line of sight and grandstanding. @paulmcm6 The issue is the pro game. Make bunkers real hazards. Nicklaus promotes this. Tighten fairways with graduated rough. Ban free drops from grandstands. And make pros observe the time to play a shot. Sorted!! @hackhawk Bring back hickory... @Richard97859136 Grow the grass, slow the fairways make the rough longer. Shrubs at 325 yards.

Small ponds. Use nature as the penalty. @Gonzo999 Develop an 85-90% ball for pros only.

Feeder systems like uniprograms can adopt the ball if they wish. Leave the equipment rules alone for now. Threeyear transition to a full Tour schedule. @chrisrob999 Course design only equitable way to deal with it. No one wants two tier market with balls/equipment. @codycolorado Reduce driver clubhead size to 390cc. @davidleaworthy Make the courses harder for the pros.

Pro snooker tables have much tighter pockets than club tables after all.

30 Golf World April 2020 | golfworldtop100.com

David Dalton, Email

THE VOICE OF SANITY

After the uproar over players competing in Saudi Arabia because of its atrocious human rights record, wouldn’t it help if players competing in Japan wore some sort of badge or bracelet – from Amnesty international for instance – to highlight golf’s backing of human rights?

Moreover, as this tournament only takes place every four years, I’m sure most of the current top players will be present if they can make their respective nation’s team.

After all, think of any of the great players of the past – the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Lee Trevino – and they would surely have jumped at the chance.

Stephen McCarthy, Glasgow

WE ASK, YOU ANSWER You’re given £300 which must be spent on golf. Are you more likely to spend that money on...

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CASH

Simon Thorpe, Southampton

GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY

Although it isn’t considered one of golf’s majors, I believe this year’s Olympic golf tournament could well be a true landmark in the sport. Not only because it is such an important event that will be seen worldwid, but as much for the opportunity it offers to represent golf in a positive light.

PLAYING A TOP-100 COURSE 31.5%

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Graeme McDowell

RETURN OF G-MAC

MISSION ALMOST 10 YEARS ON FROM HIS US OPEN VICTORY AND NOW THE WRONG SIDE OF 40, AGE AND ODDS MAY BE AGAINST GRAEME MCDOWELL. BUT AS HE TELLS BRIAN WACKER, HE’S READY TO CONTEND ONE MORE TIME.

W When Graeme McDowell won the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach, where he ended a four-decade long drought for Europeans in the event, he was a dashing bachelor whose career was just beginning to take off. From 2010 through 2015, he won 10 times around the world and climbed to as high as fourth in the World Ranking.

Along the way, he dazzled fans as much with his impeccable accuracy, precision ball-striking and deadly short game as his million-watt charm, personality and smile.

He became one of Europe’s leaders on the course and, as an integral part of three victorious Ryder Cup teams, in the team room. Along the way, he has also become a respected voice within the game for his thoughtful and insightful answers on an array of subjects.

The highs wouldn’t last, though, as other distractions crept in and then took over.

In 2013, McDowell married the former Kristin Stape, whom he’d hired to decorate his house in Lake Nona in Orlando.

A daughter and son soon followed for the happy couple. Throw in the distraction of an expanding business empire that includes a restaurant and clothing line, along with equipment and swing changes, and McDowell found himself with shaky PGA Tour status and on the outside looking in for last year’s Open Championship in his hometown of Portrush.

With the flame flickering, McDowell fought back to win in the Dominican Republic in March of last year for his first title in five years. Then he holed a 30-footer on the 72nd hole of the Canadian Open to claim his place in the field at Portrush.

Now 40, a winner again recently in Saudi Arabia, a father of two kids and a stepdaughter, a partner in a thriving business, Nona Blue Tavern in Orlando, and with another Ryder Cup on the horizon, McDowell is ready to take

36 Golf World April 2020 | golfworldtop100.com

‘I ALWAYS FELT IF I GOT THE OPPORTUNITY AGAIN I WAS GOING TO APPRECIATE IT AND NOT TAKE IT FOR GRANTED’ another crack at becoming one of the best players in the world. One thing is clear as we sat down to talk: His game may have endured its bumps along the way, but his perspective remains as insightful as ever.

My mood this year is very different from what it was going into last year, when I

was coming into the season needing invitations to certain tournaments. That was a weird feeling. It was sobering. It was great to win in the Dominican Republic and then again in Saudi Arabia. That got me back on track.

I was ranked in the top 50 in the world for five or six years. When you’re on the

outside looking in – when you’re not in

those WGCs and the majors – it feels an awfully long way away. So climbing back into the top 50 in the world was a big goal coming into this year. I don’t want to say I achieved it faster than I expected, but we need to establish ourselves inside of that number because you could be one week away from falling back outside of it. So just to be back in the WGCs, I think I’ll appreciate them a lot more this time around. I think all those years where it’s expected, maybe you don’t appreciate what it is and what they are and how important they are at the time. I always felt like if I ever got the opportunity again I was going to appreciate it and not take it for granted, because you just don’t know when this is going to go away.

Graeme McDowell

G-MAC’S GAME#1

A THREE-STEP SWING TIP FOR BETTER DRIVES DISTANCE AND ACCURACY IN THREE SIMPLE STAGES.

I don’t believe in the drive for show, putt for dough adage.

Driving is huge and it can be your key weapon. Break your swing down into three swing thoughts: Takeaway, Transition and Through Impact. Like a lot

of good right-handers, I fight hitting it left and have for all of my life – the dreaded hook.

To avoid those hooks, my takeaway thought is to make sure during those first three feet the clubhead works away

wide and outside my hands, with a nice bit of loft on the club. On the downswing, it’s crucial that I’m calm and quiet coming down from the top, and that I avoid getting quick with my legs and feet. When

my downswing is quiet, the club drops back into the proper position on its own. And if it does that, it leads automatically on to the third stage – I’m fully extended and covering the ball with my chest at impact.

PRACTISE WITH FOCUS When you’re on the range, pick a target and focus on hitting that every time. I like a small target, something at eye level, to give me the accuracy I need. Practise with focus then take it to the course.

golfworldtop100.com | April 2020 Golf World 37

G-MAC’S USE BOUNCE FOR GAME#2 BUNKER CONSISTENCY THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO GET THE BALL OUT EVERY TIME. A vital component of good bunker play is using the bounce on your wedge by opening the clubface and setting up correctly. I choke down the grip to compensate for my feet digging into the

sand and to encourage me to stay a little lower and get into the sand. At address, the shaft should be pointing to the right, matched by the body aiming a little left of target. Swing along your body line and trust the

bounce of the club to prevent it digging, especially in soft sand. If the sand is firmer, open up less, activate less bounce and get a little steeper.

Hit the sand an inch behind the ball in soft sand and half to

quarter-of-an-inch in firm sand. If you have a lot of shaft drive you probably need a little more bounce and if you have a bit too much flip you probably need a bit less bounce.

ACTIVATE BOUNCE A vertical shaft and open clubface increases loft and activates the bounce. Then match your body to that shaft position. This enables you to get into the sand a bit better without digging.

38 Golf World April 2020 | golfworldtop100.com

Graeme McDowell

‘I’D BECOME TOO CONCERNED WITH DISTANCE AND LAUNCH MONITOR DATA. THAT CAN DRIVE PEOPLE CRAZY. I STARTED HITTING EVERYTHING VERY HIGH IN AN ATTEMPT TO GAIN DISTANCE, WHICH ISN’T MY GAME’ Probably the biggest thing the last three or four years for me is just realising that you’re not invincible and that this sport is

very fickle and it will go away some day. I tasted a little bit of mortality the beginning of last year and realised that, if I ever got the chance again, I was going to work my ass off and do the best that I possibly could with that opportunity.

Pete Cowen has been a massive supporter of mine for the last 12 years, but falling

outside the top 50 meant I wasn’t seeing him enough. He’s busy and we were heading in opposite directions. So I really felt that I needed a coach based in the States to get where I wanted to be with my swing and to have more consistency.

I’m not a guy who can self-coach. I need a pair of eyes to steer me. So I asked around

and Kevin Kirk’s name came up. At the end of the PGA Tour season last year, I called him and asked if he would be interested in

coming down to Orlando for a few days.

We sat down and talked about where I was in my career and what I was trying to do.

I had become too concerned with distance and what the launch monitor data was telling me. That can drive people

crazy. I also struggled with my irons and started hitting everything very high in an attempt to gain some distance, which is not my game. I’ve always been a low-ball hitter, which serves me well in the wind. I’ve always been a good tough-course player because of my ball flight, too. So one of the first things I said to him was that I wanted to get that ball flight back.

My attack angle with my driver had gone from about two degrees down to about two or three degrees up, so I changed my

attack angle by nearly five degrees. That’s a lot. I drove the ball really well for a period but then it really started to affect the way I was hitting my irons. So my good wind

game disappeared a little bit and I was struggling to flight those balls back down into the breeze. And that’s probably one of the most significant changes that he’s made with me is really getting my flight back down. He’s got me teeing my driver back down a lot lower than I was.

I would go for fitting sessions with these equipment companies with drivers and they’d be like, “Have you ever tried teeing it up a little higher?” And I’m like, “You’re about the 85th person that has said that to me.” I liked teeing it low but everything’s high launch, low spin, so let’s tee it up and hit it four on the up and spin it low. So I tried that for a while and I drove it OK, but it just affected everything.

So I’ve got that ball teed low again, I’m squeezing it back out there. And now my iron play is looking as good as it has in a long time.

Kevin has been a breath of fresh air. The

fact that he also worked under Pete, he

golfworldtop100.com | April 2020 Golf World 39

shares a lot of the same philosophies. It’s a holistic approach and about being better prepared and practising the right way.

Kevin has created drills and the right habits for me in practice so when I show up at a tournament I can try to win. He’s highly motivated and brought a really good energy to my team. We put away the Trackman for a while and got back to old school golf, hitting different shots and playing golf and not trying to be so accountable to the numbers on the machine.

As 2019 wound down, I found myself quietly playing some very good golf with top-20 finishes in Italy and Korea and more good play in Mexico and into Hawaii and Saudi Arabia. I’m quite bullish on having a pretty big year this year.

People try to simplify the game — you’re just golfers, just go out and play golf. But

we also have a life. I didn’t get married until I was 35-years-old, and there’s more to life than the game of golf. Off the course, there were some businesses I wish I hadn’t gotten into and some that I’m glad I did. But you have to ignore that stuff.

What I’d say to these young guys is make sure you have great people around you to help you filter all that noise. You get to a point in life and a lot of stuff comes at you. It’s very hard to know what’s good and what’s bad. Get people to help you out so you can focus on the game.

But it’s hard to be focused on the game 24/7. The flip side is that I’m probably as

‘WHAT I’D SAY TO THESE YOUNG GUYS IS MAKE SURE YOU HAVE GREAT PEOPLE AROUND YOU TO HELP FILTER THE NOISE’

highly motivated as I have been in a long time to play well. Life is under control off the course. I’ve got three young kids, I’m very happy, things are great and some businesses are doing well and we have great people looking after them, so I’m very focused on trying to have a good year and make the Ryder Cup team.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees said something recently that got my attention. He said he’s going to play

every season like it’s his last. He’s going to work his ass off and enjoy it while he’s doing it. That struck a chord with me. You never know how long you can play, how long you’re going to have out here. I like that attitude and I’m going to try and have that kind of an attitude this season and the next couple of seasons.

But it has to be golf ball first, attitude second. You can’t think your way out of a

really bad swing. If you’re just not swinging it good, it doesn’t matter how good your head is. You’re just not going to be able to think your way around a golf course when you’re not hitting it good. It’s easy to think good and have a great attitude when the ball’s going in the general direction you’re aiming it. When it’s not, that’s when the toys come out of the pram a little bit.

I teamed up with Ian Poulter at the QBE Shootout in Naples, Florida, last December and that was a nice little Ryder Cup reunion. We’re both at similar stages

in our career. He’s 44, I’m 40. We’ve each had a win in the last couple of years. And we’re both on that precipice of either kicking on or falling off the cliff. That’s the great thing about golf. There’s no reason you can’t be successful in your 40s.

My coach has said that to me a lot, there’s no reason my best golf can’t be ahead of me.

To play on another Ryder Cup team, that’s one of my biggest goals for the year. To win another would be special. I

have sat on the couch and then stood on the sidelines the last two at Hazeltine in Minnesota and then in Paris, and that’s been hard. To be back on that team, especially under Padraig [Harrington], this September at Whistling Straits would be incredible. I’m going to have to work hard to get there but it’s achievable. I really believe that.

The 10-year anniversary of my US Open win at Pebble Beach is in June. I have

40 Golf World April 2020 | golfworldtop100.com

Graeme McDowell

G-MAC’S GET THE BALL RUNNING GAME#3 TO CHIP IT CLOSE TWO KEYS FOR MORE CONSISTENT AND EFFECTIVE CHIP SHOTS. I play a lot of pro-ams where shot choice around the greens is the biggest mistake amateurs make. People chip with too much loft in their hands – 56° and 60° wedges – and try to fly the ball all the way to the flag

and make it grab. Situations where you need to fly it all the way are few and far between.

Most of the time you’re better off using just enough loft to lift the ball over the fringe and get it running on the green as

quickly as possible. Pick a landing area that is as flat as possible, and use the release to make the ball roll close to the flag. The ball is going to run when it lands, so read the green like a putt.

Feel is very important. You can improve yours by spending time on the chipping green and seeing how different types of shots from various situations react when they land and release.

SIMPLIFY THE SWING Keep your technique as simple as possible. Use less loft and swing back and through with your arms and chest, keeping your wrists firm through to the finish.

KEEP IT STEEP

Backspin comes from a steeper attack angle.

Swing the club more aggressively through impact to generate more backspin, but only do this when you really need to.

AIM TO STAY NEUTRAL

Stand a little closer to the ball and get the shaft a bit more upright from down the line. The more upright you can get the club, the more it wants to return to the ball on a neutral path.

golfworldtop100.com | April 2020 Golf World 41

G-MAC’S PLAY THE STIFF ARM PITCH GAME#4 FOR GREATER CONTROL KEEP THINGS SIMPLE FOR A CRISPER CONNECTION. I often see amateurs pitching with too much loft. They drive the shaft forwards with their 60° or 56° wedge to make the ball go far enough, which gets the hands too far ahead of the ball and brings the dreaded

chunk into play. Use less loft like a 52° or 54° wedge. Set the loft at address and try and return the club to that same position at impact without driving or flipping the clubhead over. Play the shot with minimal

wrist break and use your body and arms. Really feel like you play the shot with body turn with a stiff-arm type of feel. You don’t need to use your wrists to create loft because the club is designed to pop the ball in the

air. Ultimately, it all comes down to practice – spend your time learning how to hit basic, simple pitch shots well and it will really boost your scoring.

These are the key fundamentals of my pitching.

1

NEUTRAL ADDRESS POSITION A pitch is hit from a fairly normal set-up with a slightly narrower stance. I like to have the shaft with a little forward lean, but very close to vertical. The ball position remains similar to a full shot, in the centre. If the lie is particularly tight, like it is here, I’ll open the clubface a little to introduce more bounce to the shot.

2

STAY CENTRED OVER THE BALL

3

Turning your body away from the target should drive your backswing. You should alter your carry distance by varying the length of your arm swing. Stay centred with your chest over the ball on the way back and use a gentle wrist cock to keep the clubface neutral while maintaining a still feel in the arms.

RETURN SHAFT AT IMPACT Return the shaft to the same nearvertical position it was at address.

This ensures you present the bounce to the turf and encourages a shallow attack angle. If the shaft leans forward too much at impact the attack angle gets too steep. If the shaft leans back, the clubhead is likely to be rising at impact, causing thin shots.

42 Golf World April 2020 | golfworldtop100.com

Graeme McDowell

lots of great memories from that week, but coming up the last and having two putts from 25 feet to win a US Open is up there. You visualise that as a kid – standing on the putting green and then all of a sudden you’re like, I’ve got two putts to win a major championship here.

That kick-started a pretty amazing five or six years of my career and I can’t believe it’s going to be 10 years in June, but a lot of good stuff has happened.

I’m excited to be kicking back up into the top 50 in the world. And one of my big goals is get myself back up in the top 20 and have a chance to experience that back nine at a major championship again with a chance to win. So that’s really the goals for the next three or four years. Winning in Saudi Arabia gave me a bit of a boost, gave me an opportunity to get in back of some of the big fields, which is where I want to be.

Seeing Tiger win another major was great for golf. It was amazing for

business. If you look at the stock market for golf, last year was a bumper year for the sport. But it’s great just to have him back. It was also amazing to see how up and down he looked physically last year.

One week, he was the old Tiger and he’s back. The next he seemed very frail and hurt again. But he looks good now after another surgery at the end of last year.

You see lots of quotes from these young players about Tiger and wanting to play against him because they never got to experience that. Well, careful

what you wish for about the chance to go down the back nine against Tiger.

The way he won at Augusta was so Tiger-esque. He was a guy who made no mistakes. That’s how he plays the game. He’s obviously phenomenal, but the discipline he has and the control of his ball flight, there’s no one better.

While everyone else was hitting it in the water on 12 on Sunday, he stayed away from the flag and hit the shot you’re supposed to hit. He’s just so clinical when he’s on.

The times I’ve had a chance to play with Tiger in a final round have been some of the best memories of my career. I didn’t get a chance to beat him

enough, but then not many did. The only time I got the better of him was at his event, the Hero World Challenge when it was played at Sherwood Country

Club. But I have great memories playing with him at Doral and Bay Hill. It’s fantastic to get the opportunity to create more of those memories before he’s gone.

We’d love to see Tiger beat Jack’s record of 18 major championships because I do think Tiger is the greatest of all time and it would be nice to cement that and take the argument out of it. Until he does there’s

always going to be that question: Is he the greatest of all time? I think he already is.

I think what happened with Patrick Reed in the bunker in the Bahamas is definitely going to follow him and definitely going to make things very difficult for him.

We’ve already seen it. Tournaments like the one in Maui are about as quiet an event as you’re going to see on tour, so when he gets to Florida and other places that are more boisterous people aren’t going to forget about it. It’s going to make it very difficult for him to do his job at a high level.

Greg Norman said to me recently that the only way he could have walked away from that situation at Albany with a clean slate was to disqualify himself on the spot and say he wasn’t comfortable with what he saw, that there was no intent but after seeing the video evidence that he didn’t feel good about it. When he didn’t do that, he is then fighting a losing battle. People are not going to give him the benefit of the doubt – players, fans, anyone involved in the sport. He’s going to have this cloud that’s going to follow him around and I don’t see it ever going away.

It’s a pity because he’s a pretty good kid.

I’ve never had any problems with him. I don’t feel comfortable with what happened, but only he knows inside what happened.

If there was no intent, fair enough. Only he knows. But it’s going to affect him in the short term and maybe even long term.

My career is hard to assess for me. You

look back and you think you could have always done better. I think I got a lot out of the game, but I could have done better. It can be hard to stay in your lane, though.

I’m not going to just wake up one day and drive it like Dustin Johnson or Brooks Koepka or Rory, so I have to get better with my own style of golf. That means getting better with my wedges, better with hitting more fairways and chipping and putting better.

The game has changed a lot but it’s still the same game for me. If I sharpen my tools, I can still compete out here.

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PREVIEW

“I JUST DON’T KNOW IF WE CAN TURN A SWAMP INTO A GOLF COURSE” With its lush fairways, slender pines and manicured greens, TPC Sawgrass today is a picture-perfect spectacle. But, as Nick Wright discovered during a recent visit, the land upon which one of the world’s great courses is built was anything but ideal for golf.

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Immediately following the 1983 Tournament Players Championship – the second year the PGA Tour’s flagship event had been staged at its brand new TPC of Sawgrass Stadium Course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida – the famed golf course architect Pete Dye received a brusque call from the then PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman. “I’ve got a near mutiny on my hands, Pete,” Beman barked into the phone. “You have to get back down here and make some changes to the golf course.”

A few days later, Dye and his right-hand man Bobby Weed, now a very successful architect in his own right, stood on the 1st tee surrounded by 10 disgruntled tour

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professionals. The freshly assembled ‘design committee’ included the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Ben Crenshaw and Hale Irwin.

Over the next few hours, the group walked the entire golf course. Weed took notes as the players vented their frustrations and unleashed their opinions on the Stadium Course’s design. “It turned into an 18-hole grill and roast of Pete Dye,” Weed recalls.

“But in my entire career, I’ve never seen anybody conduct themselves on a more professional level than Pete that day. It was excruciatingly difficult, but Pete was polite and gracious throughout.”

No aspect of the Stadium Course layout was spared the players’ vitriol. They didn’t

The building of TPC Sawgrass

The stadium-style seating was placed to the sides of the tees and fairways, but never directly behind the greens.

care for the straight lines off the tees because they didn’t have reference points in the fairways to aim at. They didn’t care for the angular nature of the holes or the steep runoffs around the greens that they claimed made the players look foolish when chipping. They disliked also the penal pot bunkers, the tight landing areas and the unkempt areas just off the fairways.

But it was the greens complexes that raised their hackles the most, however.

Intentionally designed with four distinct quadrants to accommodate a different Thursday through Sunday pin position, each zone housed an almost spirit-level flat putting surface. Tour players prefer a

slightly breaking putt to a dead straight one, but the real problem was that the quadrants were separated by mammoth undulations, prompting Jack Nicklaus to state, “I’ve never been good at stopping a 5-iron on the hood of a Volkswagen.”

“The greens were radical and ahead of their time,” admits Weed. “And as the speeds went up and the grass was cut shorter, it got even worse. They became a massive issue. In 1982 and ’83, TPC Sawgrass was a very unpredictable golf course. Over the next five years, we made a lot of changes. Many were justified, but some I regret to this day.”

To understand how the PGA Tour came

to host its flagship tournament on such a controversial golf course, we have to consider the commercial context of its creation. When Deane Beman was appointed commissioner in 1974 – just six years after the PGA Tour had cut ties with the PGA of America – one of his first tasks was to negotiate a new TV deal. While players like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player were international stars who commanded big-money endorsements, the PGA Tour itself was spluttering. The annual total purse was less than $8 million and the schedule was a mishmash of events, several of which were underwritten by celebrities such as Bob Hope, Dean

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The 13th hole emerges from between the Sawgrass oaks.

The 9th and 18th holes during construction in the late 1970s.

The building of TPC Sawgrass

Martin, Andy Williams and Bing Crosby.

“A couple of big-name players and a hotdog stand at the turn,” was tour player turned TV commentator Peter Jacobsen’s succinct description of the situation at the time.

To compound matters, golf’s four flagship events, the Masters, US Open, Open and US PGA, were owned and controlled – as they still are – by other organisations. Tennis was the hottest property in sport in the US at the time, while golf, in terms of TV exposure at least, ranked way down the popularity list.

It even lagged behind such small-time sports as ten-pin bowling. In short, Beman had very little leverage. “We were a minor sport with major stars,” he stated.

To survive and grow, the PGA Tour needed to identify new revenue streams. In the 1970s, the major TV networks covered only a handful of golf events outside of the major championships due to the high production costs. One of Beman’s early big decisions was to replace the celebrity hosts with mainstream sponsors. Although seen as controversial at the time, the cash injection from Corporate America boosted tournament purses and enabled the Tour to offer the networks’ pre-sold sponsor advertising packages that helped underwrite their production costs. The initiative paved the way for future yearround TV coverage of key events.

An even riskier gambit saw the Tour venture into staging its own tournaments.

In 1974, the very first Tournament Players Championship was played at Atlanta Country Club in Georgia.

The following year, the event moved to Colonial CC in Texas then onto Inverrary GC in south Florida before finding a temporary home for a few seasons at the windswept Sawgrass Country Club, near Jacksonville. Several years later, Beman would further bolster the Tour’s schedule by transforming the World Series of Golf from a small four-player exhibition into a full-field international event, collaborate with Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer to launch The Memorial and Bay Hill Invitational tournaments, and create the Tour Championship – a big-

THE STORY BEHIND THE ISLAND GREEN HOW TPC SAWGRASS’ ICONIC PAR-3 17TH HOLE REALLY CAME TO FRUITION. The generally accepted story of how TPC Sawgrass’ famous 17th hole was conceived is that Alice Dye, the wife of architect Pete Dye and an accomplished golfer in her own right, came up with the idea of creating an island green after visiting the site at the end of the first day’s construction. While that is true, Dye had originally planned for the hole to play alongside a very small lake.

It is common practice in Florida for architects to dig out sand on the property to create mounding and other course features. The deep, empty pits later become lakes and water hazards in a practice known as “cut and fill”.

The area adjoining the 16th hole was simply that. Dye had dug a huge hole to create quality landfill for the rest of the golf course and had little idea as to how he was going to finish the 17th hole.

Alice suggested he leave the pit as a lake and simply insert an island green right in the middle of it. The rest, as they say, is history.

money, end-of-season shootout for the top 30 players on the official Money List. “I was quite certain,” Beman said, “that the Tour had to have its own events to compete for the sports and entertainment dollar.”

The idea that just wouldn’t go away

A decade or so earlier, when he was still playing on Tour, Beman had approached the United States Golf Association (USGA) with the idea of developing a portfolio of purpose-built, spectatorfriendly golf courses that could host US Opens and other USGA-owned events, as well as double up as state-of-the-art turf science facilities. Although the USGA elected not to pursue his proposal, the idea lingered at the back of Beman’s mind.

It resurfaced during the 1975 Phoenix Open when, as the newly appointed PGA Tour commissioner, he decided to take a closer look at the fan experience. “I had to buy a periscope to see anything. No wonder we didn’t have huge galleries,” Beman said. “It became apparent that trying to compete with other sports at stadiums where fans are seeing the action in one place was a real challenge. If you walk four or five miles, you ought to be able to see what you want to see.”

Beman’s vision for the new iteration of the Tournament Players Championship was multifaceted. First, the event would need to deliver an enhanced viewing experience closer to the action. Second, it had to showcase the Tour’s best-in-class tournament-hosting capabilities. Finally, to avoid sharing revenues with third-party course owners, the event would need to be owned 100 per cent outright by the PGA Tour. To achieve all three objectives, there was only one solution.

The PGA Tour would have to build or acquire its own golf course.

Since the PGA Tour didn’t have the money to fund a completely new development, the first step was to approach the owners of the current host, Sawgrass CC, with an offer to purchase the club and the land.

However, the chairman of the Arvida Corporation, Charles Cobb, not only

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Still flanked by dry ground, the 17th hole begins to take recognisable shape.

An early view from behind the 13th green.

An alternative view of the first tee and stadium-style seating.

refused to sell, he bet Beman $100 he would never obtain the financing to buy the facility he needed to achieve his dream.

A win-win deal that changed everything

Just across the street from Sawgrass CC, however, was a 5,300-acre stretch of wooded wetlands owned by local property developers Jerome and Paul Fletcher. At the time, the brothers were slightly behind on their mortgage payments on the property and were being ‘encouraged’ by their bank to strengthen their collateral.

Recognising that the construction of a world-class golf course would drive further leisure development in the area and, in turn, significantly increase property values in the long run, the Fletchers agreed to sell a 417-acre parcel of land to the PGA Tour for just $1. It was a classic win-win.

Sourcing the land and ironing out the financial logistics were only half the battle, though. At a policy meeting in 1978, the

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‘ENCOUNTERS WITH VENOMOUS WATER MOCCASINS AND RATTLESNAKES OCCURRED ON AN ALMOST DAILY BASIS’ PGA Tour’s board agreed to fully support Beman’s initiative on the condition that the majority of the players were also on board.

Gaining consensus proved easier said than done. Many of the players, including Nicklaus and Palmer, struggled to see any commercial value in the Tour owning and operating golf courses. “There were not a lot of people who were real supportive when we started,” Beman stated in an interview. “Our top players were more interested in themselves than they were in

the organisation and advancing the game.”

Beman used every trick in the book to garner support from the players. He went out on Tour for eight weeks, during which time he would set meetings at inconvenient times – very early in the morning and during pro-ams – to ensure as few people as possible showed up. “I didn’t want more than five or six players at any one meeting,” Beman admitted in an interview with Golf Magazine. Beman’s final ploy was to place a notice on the bulletin board, then approach the dozen or so players he knew would be supportive and have them sign in the ‘yes’ column. The rest of the players quickly fell into line and the vote passed 100-4.

Reluctant to commit any of the PGA Tour’s own money to his pet project for political reasons, Beman ventured into the local business community for financial support. Memberships were sold to 50 investors at $20,000 apiece to contribute to the start-up costs, while bank financing

The building of TPC Sawgrass

The par-5 16th from the back tees, the lake now greatly enlarged.

Water begins to fill the pit surrounding the 17th green.

Pete and Alice Dye look over the plans on site.

covered the remaining $5 million in construction expenses for the golf course and clubhouse. “Not one nickel of the Tour’s money was spent here,” Beman told Sports Illustrated in a 2004 interview. Pete Dye, the designer of Beman’s favourite tournament course, Harbor Town in South Carolina, was hired to build the Stadium Course. Dye’s brief was simple: create a spectacular golf course with equally balanced nines and finish with three exciting risk-reward holes to encourage the pros to play aggressively.

The transition from boggy wetlands to a championship-calibre layout wasn’t seamless, however. On his first visit to Sawgrass, Dye was taken out to inspect the only dry part of the property. He would later continue his assessment of the rest of the site alone… in a rowing boat!

The land the PGA Tour acquired for its single dollar investment has often been referred to as a swamp but, alligators and

all manner of dangerous creatures aside, the terrain was actually several feet above sea level and would comfortably have been able to dry out if the construction of the adjacent Highway A1A hadn’t blocked all of the natural drainage routes. “It was a man-made bog,” Weed says. “If you look close enough today, you’ll still see a lot of big oak tree snags burned black. If it dried out and a fire started from a lightning strike, it would just burn.”

For the first six months, Dye and Weed focused their efforts on building an 18,000-foot canal around the perimeter to drain the property. In doing so, they were able to install a pump and lower the water table. “When we first arrived, the water level was at the same elevation as the ground in some areas,” Weed says. “But we could pump out up to 60,000 gallons of water per minute and that allowed us to control the water level. That control was put to the test a couple of times in 1983 and 1984

when we had massive rainfall before and during the tournament.”

After the excess water was channelled away, the next step in bringing Beman’s vision of a spectator-friendly course to life was lowering the fairways. The excavated material – largely decaying organic matter – was piled high, then covered in grass and sand to create the large viewing mounds alongside the fairways. The steepest mounding was placed to the right side of fairways so that spectators would be able to see the players hit shots without looking at their backs. “Frankly, stadium golf evolved as much because of the bad material we had to get rid of as anything else,” Weed says.

Rattlesnakes, gators and machetes!

Throughout his career, Dye often stated that Sawgrass was one of the most challenging and, at times, precarious sites he was ever given to manage. Encounters with venomous water moccasins and

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In Dye’s original sketches, the 17th hole was a longer short hole that played alongside a small lake.

rattlesnakes occurred on an almost daily basis, while it was not unusual for workers to find themselves wading through bog water armed with a machete to clear the thick Palmetto swamp grass and ward off unwelcome advances from the wildlife.

It didn’t help the stress levels that Dye’s firm was often juggling multiple projects.

At one point, Dye and his construction team were staying at a condo in Hilton Head, South Carolina, while they worked on Long Cove GC. “One night, I remember Pete coming back to the house at 1am, having driven two-and-a-half hours up from Ponte Vedra Beach,” Weed says. “He would take off his old muddy shoes and I would hear him walking up the steps.

Then at 5.30am, he was beating on my bedroom door, saying, ‘Get up. You can’t build a damn golf course lying in bed!’

Eventually, the project took its toll. On one occasion, Pete came in and said, ‘I just don’t know if we can finish this course down in Ponte Vedra. I just don’t know if we can turn a swamp into a golf course. It may not have been meant to be built on that site’.”

One of the biggest construction challenges was sourcing the sand needed to provide the course’s foundations. The budget didn’t stretch to purchasing the material, so the design team had to go looking for it on the property. Eventually,

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‘GOATS WERE BROUGHT IN TO CONTROL WEED GROWTH… UNTIL THEY LEARNED TO CLIMB A BERM AND ENDED UP ON THE CLUBHOUSE ROOF!’ they discovered a large seam adjacent to the 16th green. “When we found it, we went as deep as we could until it ran out,” Weed says. “That’s why the lakes between the 9th and 18th, and the one around 17 are as big as they are. It’s where we found the most sand.”

But solving one problem created another.

By the time the construction team had exhausted the sand supply next to the 16th green, there was a huge pit where the par-3 17th hole was supposed to be. In Dye’s original plans, the hole was to play alongside a relatively small lake, but that was no longer possible. The problem perplexed Dye until his wife, Alice, suggested that they simply fill the pit with water and create an island green. Dye agreed… reluctantly.

The Stadium Course’s eye-catching features actually disguised a very low budget construction. The original greens

were built using native soil, while singlerow fairway irrigation meant that areas of arid ground lurked on the peripheries of the course. A flock of goats were brought into control weed growth. They were kept on the property until, one day, they learned to climb up a berm onto the clubhouse roof.

Four years after first breaking ground, Beman and Dye unveiled their creation to the world at the 1982 Tournament Players Championship. The stadium aspects were immediately well-received, but the extreme design irked many of the players.

Many, many changes would be made to the course over many years. Dye and Weed softened the contours of the greens. They widened several fairways. They eliminated a hungry pot bunker in front of the 18th green. They installed marker mounds to give golfers something to aim at from the tees. “There’s no doubt that the initial design was compromised, but all courses evolve,” Weed says. “Pete and I would laughingly say that we should have 90 holes here because we’ve changed the design so much over the years, but I think it has constantly been shaped and moulded into a better course. I have some significant reservations and regrets about what I had to do to make some changes, but at the end of the day it’s a far superior golf course in every respect.”

The building of TPC Sawgrass

STRENGTH, STRATEGY AND SURPRISE

PETE DYE’S FORMER RIGHT-HAND MAN, BOBBY WEED, EXPLAINS JUST WHAT MAKES THE STADIUM COURSE SUCH A GREAT ALL-ROUND TEST OF GOLF.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CHALLENGE “Great golf courses equally test a player’s physical and mental agility. Many tour pros these days say they don’t care where the ball goes off the tee as long as it’s way out there. Well, here it matters. You can easily get into a position where your approach shot becomes extremely difficult. Getting up-and-down, even more so. If you can get a tour player putting his hand on several different clubs on the tee, you’ve mentally engaged him.

Whatever selection he makes, if he doesn’t pull the shot off, he’ll have to put it behind him and move on.”

HAZARDS, HAZARDS EVERYWHERE! “While modern tour players can find a way to shoot lights out on any course these days, including TPC Sawgrass, you can put a ball in a penalty area on damn near every hole. Hazards lurk everywhere. Here, you’ll often hear players say, ‘That was a really good bogey’ because it could have been a lot worse. Although we have greatly softened the perimeter of the golf course over the years, you can still get yourself in trouble pretty quickly.”

THE TOUGH HOLES “Pete always had a very strong belief that if you want to toughen up a golf course, you go find the hardest holes on the golf course and you make them even harder. That’s how you strengthen any golf course. At Sawgrass, for example, you wouldn’t go to the short par-4 6th and add length because it’s a short hole to begin with.”

1

PERFECT BALANCE “You can’t predict the winner very easily at Sawgrass because the course has great balance and doesn’t favour a one-shape hitter or a bomber. Overall, it has as many left-to-right holes as right-to-left. In several cases, you have both on the same hole. For example, the first hole calls for a fade off the tee and a draw into the green. If you’ve only got one shot shape in your armoury, you’ll get exposed here eventually.”

3

OPTICAL ILLUSIONS “Nobody really understands that the spectator mounds were positioned only to the sides of fairways for a reason. With the exception of the 4th hole, you won’t see any of those mounds behind the greens. Pete only wanted native and natural vegetation beyond the greens in order to make depth perception more difficult. As architects, we only have a few tools at our disposal to create illusions that can make the top players think twice. Messing with their depth perception is one of them.”

5 6

AN INCREDIBLE CLOSING STRETCH “People always talk about the famous trio of closing holes at Sawgrass, but the stretch from 14 onwards – with the exception of 16 – is an incredible run in because it’s full of risk/reward. I discount 16 because of its shortness as a par 5. One of our deep regrets is redesigning that green. The original green complex there would rival anything in the world. Although we need a little more length on 15 these days, it’s a left-toright tee shot and a right-to-left shot into the green.

And 14 was a great hole from the very outset because it was right-to-left off the tee and right-to-left into the green as well. I remember playing the course before it opened and hitting 3-iron in there. The next thing you know, Fred Couples is hitting 8-iron in. I think we’ve backed the tee up on 14 three times now.”

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COMPLETIST

TH KE

Alastair Johnston’s almost 30,000-strong golf book collection has been gifted to the R&A. Here he explains why.

Book collector

H

Having amassed a collection of almost 30,000 titles, Alastair Johnston is, perhaps, the world’s most prolific golf book collector. Born in Scotland but long ago relocated to the United States, he began collecting more than 50 years ago, the books spanning more than 400 years and filling his home in Cleveland, Ohio.

Last month news broke that he would gift the collection to the R&A, allowing them to create the world’s largest golf library, set to be based in St Andrews.

Here, he explains how that decision came about, but first takes us back to how his collecting initially began.

Cleveland, Ohio, from my home in Scotland to spend the summer as an intern with IMG, the sports management and marketing company that had been founded by Mark McCormack. He had risen to prominence as the business manager of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. In the storeroom I spotted stacks of books written by these clients and, little appreciating at the time what I was doing, I selected one copy of each volume and took them back to my office and placed them on a shelf. As I scanned the 20 or so volumes lined up side by side, I realised that I had become a golf book collector.

As it turned out, like many new golf hobbyists, I laboured under the misimpression for several years that I was the only person on this planet who considered himself a golf book collector.

Thus, it was a pleasant surprise to read a column in the Sunday Times in the mid’70s about a golf collector/dealer in England named David White.

As it happened, I knew the writer, Dudley Doust, the newspaper’s golf

‘AS I SCANNED THE 20 VOLUMES ON MY SHELF, I REALISED THAT I HAD BECOME A GOLF BOOK COLLECTOR’ “In the late spring of 1969 I experienced the defining moment in my avocation as a collector. I was in a stamp dealer’s shop in Central London when I overheard the customer in the adjoining cubicle order and spend seemingly indiscriminately at financial levels that were way in excess of what I could ever have afforded at that time.

Stamp collecting had been something my father introduced me to as a young kid but, at that moment, I realised that no matter how much money I spent, how much effort I expended, or however much time I committed to the mission, I would never have a really great collection of postage stamps.

I abruptly stood up, mentally acknowledged I was through with the hobby, and strode out of the shop.

A few weeks later, I headed off to

correspondent. He provided me with the contact information for the dealer who in turn sent me his golf book list for sale.

That provided me with a guide to the market value placed on golf literature and thereby confirmed that there was indeed a demand from ‘collectors’ for these items.

Major auction houses, such as Christies and Sotheby’s, started to sense value and business opportunity in golf collectibles in the 1980s and began hosting dedicated golf sales. For a period of 10-15 years, these auctions were widely publicised and flourished as many of the more eminent collectors with financial wherewithal bid up the prices of vintage golf memorabilia, including literature, to the extent that the media in general became more aware of the rather astonishing values that

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were realised for certain items.

Less glamorously, but more cost efficiently, the primary source for adding to one’s collection in that evolving era were the ubiquitous antiquarian and secondhand bookstores. For a time, this was fertile hunting ground for the intrepid collector as one could still find bargains waiting on dusty bookshelves where the proprietor was not familiar with the astonishing run-up in the demand for vintage golf literature.

Nowadays, of course, with the advent of the internet and access to real-time auctions and dealer websites, one can sit comfortably at home seeking elusive volumes or discovering little-known

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publications that one would never have found on the shelves of the major book retail chains.

The treasure trove derived through cyber space was of significant assistance in allowing me to assemble a golf library

of almost 30,000 volumes.

Ironically, the new technically enhanced world is now having a reverse impact on the quantity and indeed the quality of new golf books coming on the market. E-books and compatible digital

‘THE TWO TITLES I VALUE MOST ARE THE GOFF AND THE CHRONICLES OF GOLF, THE LATTER OF WHICH I WROTE WITH MY FATHER’

Book collector

If you can’t find your desired golf book among Alastair’s collection, you probably won’t find it at all.

devices on which to consume them have significantly reduced the number of printed editions, especially those produced by the major publishing houses. Collectors now, to a greater extent, are reconciled to the somewhat unappealing task of evaluating which of the myriad ‘print on demand’ books are worthy of being deemed collectible.

Sadly, this genre is dominated by selfstyled vanity publications which in content and appearance can be swiftly dismissed as junk.

Of my entire collection, the titles I hold dearest to my heart are probably The Goff, the earliest book devoted to the game, and the Chronicles of Golf: 1457-1857,

which I wrote with my father, James F Johnston, but clearly there are so many highlights among the collection.

Why have I chosen to gift the collection now? Over the last 25 years I’ve worked very closely with the R&A in my capacity at IMG, so I got to know the principles and the primary members and I became a member myself many years ago.

I spent a lot of time in St Andrews and during that time I noticed that while they had a nice collection and some unique items that only the R&A could own, they had gaps in their collection.

I’ve always thought it would be good if the collection could come back to

Scotland, rather than go to another institution which would have liked the collection but would have taken the best stuff and discarded the rest.

My insistence was that the R&A would display, present and make accessible the entire collection, and they were in complete agreement about that.

My ambition was to collect every book ever written about golf. I don’t know if I’ve achieved that, but I’ve tried very hard and the library is a reflection of that. As a native Scot, I am thrilled that many unique publications will now be returning to their rightful location in my homeland.”

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FONTAINEBLEAU No.5

ROCK STAR

Just 35 miles from the Eiffel Tower, Fontainebleau’s sublime expanses of sloping, boulder-strewn woodland make it a rare and special place to play golf. But Duncan Lennard believes it could be even better.

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Of all great clubhouse debates, one of the most enjoyable is ‘What is the perfect terrain for golf?’ For while it is just about possible for a JCB to shunt a dull piece of land into a tolerable hole, we all know nature does it better. As architect Tom Doak once said, “The fact remains that most great courses are first and foremost the product of beautiful pieces of ground.”

Of course, we all have our favourites. Links aficionados will evoke the duneland corridors of Birkdale or the crumpled, windswept spaces of Royal Dornoch; those of us who were hunters in a former life will push for the forested islands of Pine Valley or Sunningdale. Still others will find themselves drawn to the clifftop drama of Turnberry and Pebble Beach.

But dig a little deeper and certain commonalities emerge. Irrespective of the setting, we all love the crisp turf and sense of firmness bestowed by sandy, freedraining soils, not to mention the year-round playability; active, rolling terrain fires variety, unpredictability and interest into the experience. And then there is that curious itching for something indefinable – a unique feature – that sets the course apart from the herd.

All of which explains why it is hard to imagine a landscape more perfect for golf than Fontainebleau.

Some 35 miles south east of Paris, the course sits on the southern fringes of an expansive and ancient royal hunting forest. Teeming with deer and wild boar despite the best efforts of French nobility through the centuries, Fontainebleau forest’s gorgeous mix of oak, silver birch and pine has inspired artists for centuries, and drew Victor Hugo to comment: “A tree is a building; a forest is a city, and among all the forests, the Fontainebleau forest is a monument.”

But the beautiful woodlands are just the start. Thirty million years ago, give or take an epoch, this region was underwater as tropical lagoons swamped areas of what we now call the Paris Basin; but when the waters receded, they left a singular legacy of sandy subsoils, dynamic gradients and giant boulders formed from gris – a sandstone/salt water composite. There are times at Fontainebleau where you gaze at the rockstrewn slopes and conclude a massive river must have burst its banks and cascaded across the course. You’d be on the right lines.

Access to the French capital – plus the enviable regal connections with the momentous nearby palace inhabited by French monarchs and emperors from Louis VII to Napoleon III – already made

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Top 100 Spotlight

‘There are times where you gaze at the rock-strewn slopes and conclude a massive river must have burst its banks and cascaded across the course’

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Fontainebleau attractive to France’s golfing pioneers. But make no mistake, here was a piece of land just aching to have 18 holes draped across it. It didn’t take them long to reach the same conclusion.

Early French golf was centred around the magnificent settings of its Atlantic coast, at places like Biarritz, Dinard and Deauville. But in 1907 Arnaud Massy became the first Frenchman to win The Open. His victory triggered a new interest in the game across the country. That same year a group of local dignitaries, captivated by the possibilities for golf in Fontainebleau forest, petitioned the conservators of the forest for a lease of land on which to build a course. Among them was the artist Paul Tavernier, a lover of Fontainebleau and its woodlands. Tavernier adorned the new clubhouse, constructed in 1908, with three immense frescos, depicting the local environs through three seasons. More than a century later, they still dominate this elegant stone-built, norman-style edifice.

Fontainebleau is regarded as the creation of Tom Simpson – the arch-strategist who built Morfontaine, Chantilly and remodelled Ballybunion. However, Simpson’s role at Fontainebleau is a tough one to gauge.

Certainly the original nine holes were laid out in 1909 by La Boulie professional Julien Chantepie. It is also known

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that Fred W Hawtree – the father of Fontainebleau’s consultant architect Martin – created three new holes (7th, 8th, 11th) in a major shake-up after extra land became available in 1963, . But while there is some suggestion that Simpson was involved in the redesign that saw the course expanded to 18 holes in 1911, the club’s official history does not introduce him until 1920.

“Simpson delivered a comprehensive report with detailed analysis on each hole,” says the club’s president Jean-Paul Panie. “He left the routing mostly as it was, but he redid the tees, greens and bunkers and reworked the playing lines to make the holes less like boulevards.”

An inveterate tooter of his own horn, Simpson claimed of his revisions: “I do not hesitate to say that, if we do this work as I indicate, you will have an absolutely modern and first-class course, and I would like to meet the man who could show me a better one in France or in any other country.” In fact Golf World now rates it only the second best in France, behind Simpson’s own Morfontaine. But of course, this came a few years later. If Simpson was crowing, he was surely crowing accurately.

Drama queen

For such a well-regarded golfing venue, Fontainebleau fails to make a great first impression. An unremarkable

Top 100 Spotlight

‘Gorgeous though the clubhouse is, the panoramic view of the 1st hole makes it a tough place to linger’ entrance gate leads off the busy Route d’Orleans and on to an unpaved and pot-holed track, which runs alongside the 9th fairway to the equally unpaved car park. Your first course glimpses are contrastingly promising – a swathe of stately pines on the far side of the 9th, an eyecatching burst of purple heather around the 10th tee, and the growing appreciation that the course routing takes you into the forest, and away from the road.

Things continue to improve as you walk up the heather-flanked path, past a sizeable boulder on which a sculpted lizard perches, to the clubhouse. Pleasing inclusivity means a third of Fontainebleau’s members are female – in keeping with the national average – and it also has a thriving junior set-up. Yet it remains a private club of just 300 members, welcoming visitors on weekdays and throughout the month after July 10.

Consequently the place is rarely busy, and if you time your visit right you might just have the place to yourself.

Gorgeous though the clubhouse is, the panoramic view of the 1st hole through its dining room window

makes it a tough place to linger. There are harder openers than this 320-yard par 4, but few more inviting. Yes, three vicious-looking bunkers span the fairway and draw the eye, but a modest carry of just 140 yards or so renders them more a psychological obstacle. A neat pitch away, the sloping green is backed by the course’s signature feature – a quirkily steep hill creating a stunning, impeccably silent gallery of rock, heather and indigenous grasses that glow red at the right time of year. Just ten minutes in, you can already feel Fontainebleau’s magic.

“If I had to single out a characteristic of the course,” says Martin Hawtree, “it would be ‘drama.’ The rockscape behind the green at the 1st is the first taste of this. But as you move on through the course, you realise it is not an isolated example; the rocks blend with the topography, the giant bunkers, even the isolated specimen trees, to create a dramatic experience throughout.”

While the 2nd hole is a neat enough mid-length par 3, the drama swiftly returns at the elevated tee of the par-5 3rd. Perched on the back of the same elevation that

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Top 100 Spotlight

borders the 1st green, this teeing area affords some of the best views of the course – the 5th, the 13th, the 17th and 18th. Every year Fontainebleau holds a maverick tournament in which holes are made up randomly from its tees and greens. This panorama shows how much fun that would be… but what a great idea for any club.

The view down this slight left dog-leg is one of the course’s highlights, even if it is blighted slightly by a 1970s tower block in the distance – the building of which, apparently, cost Fontainebleau’s mayor his job.

Reachable in two in theory, the 3rd fairway is bisected by an epic bunker that, for ordinary mortals, demands a lay-up. Fontainebleau’s fairways are generous but their clever bunkering, traps positioned and angled to promote thought and caution on the tee, are a feature of the course.

A trio of strong par 4s follows through a beguiling landscape of rock, pine, lilac and heather. Stretching limbs to the right of the 4th, plus the arboreal guard of honour that greets you on the 5th tee, are the first real experience of how the trees affect – some would say compromise – the lines of play. These are also the holes where it starts to dawn on you that there is no real rough at Fontainebleau. For the most part the fairways span the spaces between the trees, and while at first glance that seems a blessing, it becomes less so when you realise there is little to stop a mistruck ball finding trouble.

The sporty par-3 7th, its green as readable as Finnegans Wake, leads to a straightaway par 5, the line of heather recently introduced across the fairway not quite disguising the hole’s relatively ploddy nature. The 8th, though, remains a work in progress. “The present, partial blindness of the green and approach rather denies any strategic layout of bunkering that might add interest and strategy to the second shot,” says Hawtree. “I would like to lower the fairway to create a visible, fine green as a climax that would draw the player better through the hole.”

The route to the 9th tee – another fragrant interlude fringed with lilac and lily-of-the-valley – takes you past a cottage that reminds you of the course’s link with royalty; it was built expressly for the royal hunt to change their boots before retiring to Fontainebleau’s stunning palace.

Leading back to the clubhouse, the 9th is a charming par 4 arcing smoothly right to a tricky, perched green.

A strong par 3/par 5 combination starts the back nine before we reach the course’s next true talking point – the astonishing sea of rocks that spans the ideal landing area of your second shot on the par-5 12th. Completely in play, this fantastic feature looked doomed in the 1950s after a member, declaring his lie unfair, insisted on a free drop. His opponent disagreed. In the heated argument that followed, the protagonists decided the only way to settle the matter was by sword duel the following morning. The matter was resolved before blood was shed, but the club decided to grass over the rocks to prevent similar disputes. Mercifully they were exposed again not long afterwards.

“Of course, it makes you think about going for it in two,” smiles Panie. “Your shot can bounce anywhere – even up on to the green, although I’ve never heard of anyone holing out off the rocks. But the approach to 12 remains a defining feature of the course.”

Another ‘wow’ moment swiftly follows at the par-3 14th, whose angled cross bunkers not only foreshorten this super par 3 but give the hole a Redan vibe. In fact the semi-blind green is set down below the bunker crest but you leave the hole wondering how so many dramatic traps and confounding angles can be fitted into a 160-yard par 3.

So begins a run of four par 4s back to the clubhouse.

With its blind tee shot, blind approach and bunkers 50 yards short of the green, the lumpen and dastardly 15th is perhaps as close as we come to the “mad masterpieces” Simpson enjoyed creating. The green though is uncharacteristically flat, almost as if the architect acknowledged he had inflicted enough cruelty earlier in the hole. A tight drive on 16 gives way to a gem of an approach, downhill to a green with another Fontainebleau trademark – a false front. The driveable 17th terminates at a classically contoured Simpson green, before the treelined 18th fairway delivers you to the largest green on the course. If the end feels slightly routine, it’s only because of the thrills the course has thrown up over the past three hours or so.

“The overriding strength of Fontainebleau resides in history,” Hawtree adds. “This is a venerable and charming club, producing one of the great clubhouses and a wonderful playing atmosphere.

And then you have a course that remains a remarkable tribute to the work and artistry of a master strategist. To cap it all, you have a landscape that delivers a unique combination of topography, vegetation, rocks, sand, variety of view and first-class playing conditions. Mix it all together and the magic of the setting becomes all powerful.”

‘The lumpen and dastardly 15th is as close as we come to the “mad masterpieces” Simpson enjoyed creating’

Trunk call

Somewhere down the right of Fontainebleau’s par-5 11th hole, there is a majestic oak. On its trunk is a simple plaque: ‘1595: Henri IV’. This is a tree that took root just eight years after golf’s first lady, Mary Queen of Scots, kept her head still for one, final swing. Comfortably back from the playing line of a hole which shapes away and to the left, its limbs are relatively safe from errant golf balls and backswings that refuse to be restricted. It does, however, raise the question fundamental to the golf course’s challenge, and its future.

“The surrounding woodland has always been a distinguishing feature of Fontainebleau,” Hawtree asserts. “As on all wooded golf courses there is a mixture of emotional and intellectual attachment to the trees. But today, shade is one of the biggest threats to the firm, fast, healthy surfaces that should most certainly be part and parcel of a heathland golf course like Fontainebleau. But who will now have the courage to fell the oak trees of considerable age which surround the 8th and many

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other greens, the removal of which would certainly benefit the health of the greens?”

An excellent question. Yet the determination of Monsieur Panie and the club’s greens committee to find an appropriate answer should not be questioned.

“The preservation and the improvement of the golf course is our most important duty,” Panie insists.

“This is an issue we have given much thought to, and continue to do so.”

Indeed, despite the many branches that invade golfing airspace above the course’s fairways, the signs of a careful and responsible tree-clearing program are very much in evidence. It was not so long ago that the spectacular hill behind the 1st green was hidden by foliage. Oaks at the back of the 14th green, critical to the improvement of shade problems, have been carefully selected for removal. Trees blocking the left of the par-4 6th will also be thinned and pruned; meanwhile on the other side of the hole, the trees will remain but the growth below will be stripped out to allow a swing and a shot. The tough par-4 16th has also seen some branches removed.

Important as these works are, they are just one part of a broader picture of continual development at

‘The extraordinary riches create a potential that, in over a century, has never quite been tapped’ Fontainebleau. Since his association with the club back in the 1980s, Hawtree has worked on no fewer than 10 holes, mostly repositioning tees and reworking bunkers. More recently sand has been flashed up the face of bunkers at the 7th to make them more visible; a new bunker has been added on the left of 17 to defend this short par 4; the par-5 3rd will shortly receive a new bunker to tighten the lay-up, and a raised section of green to increase pin position options. The entire course is also in the middle of an annual fescue seeding program which is slowly turning the fairways into the thinner-leafed, more drought-resistant grasses. “They are at about 60% fescue now,” says Panie. “We are preparing for a time in the future when we will not be allowed to water the fairways.”

All of which gives rise to the feeling, strange for such an established course, that Fontainebleau is a work in progress. And yet it is rightly so. The extraordinary riches of this place create a potential that, in more than a century, has never quite been tapped. Blessed with a truly exceptional piece of land, a well-connected location and a bona fide Golden Age designer, it would be easy for a traditional club like Fontainebleau to become complacent. We can be thankful that they are not.

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Top 100 Spotlight

HOW WE RANKED FONTAINEBLEAU DESIGN

Muirfield-like layout of an outer and inner loop ensure constant changes of direction; subtlyangled fairways leading to dramatic, shelving greens.

26.0

OUT OF 30

SETTING

PLAYABILITY

The sandy, boulder-strewn and muscular heathland terrain on the southern borders of Fontainebleau forest is perfect golf land.

Broad fairways and modest length ensure an inclusive challenge. Tree removal programs mean fewer branches overhang fairways.

17.0

12.5

OUT OF 20

OUT OF 15

TOTAL The splendour of Fontainebleau’s location and design ensure an indelible heathland experience… albeit one that can be improved.

84.0

OUT OF 100

MEMORABILITY

CONSISTENCY

A rare combination of exposed rock, dynamic landforms and pristine, ancient forest make each hole easy to recall.

Eclectic bunker shaping and depth. Some small areas of fusarium in otherwise excellent greens. Fescue seeding is sharpening the fairways.

8.5

8.0

OUT OF 10

OUT OF 10

PRESENTATION

Ongoing bunker renovation and reworking plus tree clearance are causing some short-term scarring. Tees a little ordinary, greens and aprons faultless.

12

OUT OF 15

golfworldtop100.com | April 2020 Golf World 67

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T H E

C O A C H E S ’

GOLF’S GREATEST COACHES HAVE A LIFETIME OF KNOWLEDGE THAT CAN ELEVATE YOUR GAME TO THE NEXT LESSON. HERE THEY OFFER THEIR EXPERTISE – AND THEY WON’T CHARGE A PENNY!

RIP YOUR DRIVES

BY CLAUDE HARMON III P71

A-GRADE IRON PLAY

BY SEAN FOLEY P73

A SHARPER SHORT GAME

BY PETE COWEN P76

THE MENTAL GAME DRAIN MORE PUTTS

BY PHIL KENYON P78

BY DR BOB ROTELLA P80

You are not Dustin Johnson, but you may have more in common with him than you think.

CLAUDE HARMON III ON...

I

POWER AND ACCURACY EVERY TIME.

f you’re looking for more distance off the tee, look no further than to the man who has fine-tuned the swings of Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka, grandson of Claude, son of Butch. And though you may laugh, take heed when he says you have more in common with DJ and Brooks than you may realise.

There are parallels between what I might coach a Tour pro and a mid-to-high handicapper. There have been times with

Brooks where he’s been happy with how he’s hitting the ball and he’s said “I don’t need a lot this week. I’m swinging really good. Just make sure my lines are good.” By his lines he means his basics, making sure his grip, stance, posture and alignment

To straighten your ball flight and achieve a centred strike, you need to set up in straight lines. So the feet, hips and

shoulders all need to point in the same direction. When hitting a driver, the weight should favour the right side more – 60/40 – and the right shoulder – for right-handers – should tilt down slightly, which gets the club swinging on the up into impact. If you struggle to get through the golf ball and have some rotational issues in the hip, try flaring your left foot out. If you find there’s a restriction in your backswing as well, flaring the right foot out can also be beneficial.

To cure your slice, focus on two things.

Firstly, to keep the club on plane, practise taking the club back straighter, so it stays in line with your feet. Try pausing at this point – just like Rickie Fowler does – to make sure you’re not rolling the wrists back and taking the club massively on the inside.

Then, make a conscious effort to move your weight on to your front foot as you begin your downswing. This will drop your arms to the inside, allow the body to rotate fully and keep the clubhead behind your hands into impact. That one move is key to unlocking power.

Most golfers do slice the ball, and try to fix it with an anti-slice set-up. They’ve

The average golfer has an iron swing with their driver, and a driver swing with their irons. Meaning, when they hit irons, they

probably read that you need a closed stance

don’t take divots because their angle of

‘IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO HIT CONSISTENT SHOTS IF YOUR FUNDAMENTALS AREN’T RIGHT. THINK OF IT LIKE THIS. IF THE HOUSE IS POORLY BUI IT WILL CRUMBLE’ were good. What applies to Brooks can also apply to you.

Very few golfers pay enough attention to their set-up. It really takes no athletic

ability – or even golf ability – to get into a good set-up. But most golfers are in such a bad position to begin with that they really struggle as the golf swing gets into motion and it all falls down. If you look at the great drivers of a golf ball – people like DJ, Brooks, Rory and Jason Day – they look like they were born with a driver in their hands. It’s very difficult to hit consistent golf shots if the fundamentals aren’t right.

Think of it this way: If the house is poorly built, it will crumble.

to hit a draw, but because their ball position is too far forward, their feet are then pointing right of the target and their shoulders are pointing to the left. That encourages an out-to-in swing, which then causes a slice.

The slice is easily one of the most destructive shots in golf, and the problems nearly always start at set-up. Most golfers

think they need to angle their shoulders left to hit a draw, when actually they need to do the opposite. They also tend to get left-side dominant, thinking that it will help to release the club more, when actually all they are doing is limiting their shoulder turn and promoting a steep angle of attack.

attack is up and they are trying to help the ball into the air. If you go to most golf clubs in the UK, look at the tee box on a par 5 and you’ll see divot marks. Go to a 625-yard par 5 at a PGA Tour event, and there are no divots on the tee. The average golfer tends to hit down, get steep with their driver and sky it. What you really want is to swap your driver swing for your iron swing, where you’re hitting up on it and not taking a divot.

When you go out on the course, play golf.

Only work on your swing when you’re on the driving range. Most people go out to play and try stuff, as opposed to allowing for their shot shape and working with

golfworldtop100.com | April 2020 Golf World 71

what they’ve got. So, if you do suffer from a slice, aim down the left side of the fairway to give yourself more room.

If you’re suffering from a two-way miss off the tee, get to the range and work on hitting one shape well. Whether it’s a slice,

sensation is key to getting the whole body swinging the club, not just the arms.

The single most important thing I work on with players is contact. I don’t care whether

hook, draw or fade, you’ve got to be able to do something consistently. If you have to play a 15 or 20-yard slice or hook, stand up and do it so you know where to aim when you’re on the golf course.

they are hitting a fade or draw. The average golfer is obsessed with the direction the ball is going and uninterested in contact.

But if your path is out-to-in and you hit it solid, you will hit a fade. Whereas, if your path is out-to-in and the contact is bad, you will hit a weak, pop-up slice.

So many golfers set up with the ball position too far forward in their stance.

The easiest way to improve your contact is to focus on the quality of strike first and

This then sets the shoulders open at address, which, in turn, encourages a slice.

The optimum position is in line with the left heel – pop an alignment stick or a club on the ground to make sure you’re lined up right.

The average golfer takes the club too far inside on the way back, and then comes over the top into the downswing. Most

problems I see stem from an incorrect weight transfer, which starts in the backswing and with the weight favouring the left side. As they transition into the downswing, their brain tells them at the last minute to swing left, and the more they do so, the more the weight shifts to the back leg and causes a weak slice.

The power Brooks and DJ generate comes from loading the backswing, or coiling into their right side. You can’t unwind if you

don’t wind up. Most golfers stay static and never make any kind of turn. This drill encourages dynamic movement and stops a reverse pivot. Standing with your feet close together, step back with your trail leg as you take your backswing. With your weight planted in your right instep, the transition into the downswing will naturally engage the core and drive that weight towards the target, unloading all the power that you’ve stored.

Another easy drill which adds extra speed to your swing and extra yards to your drives is to step into the shot. You may

have seen videos of Padraig Harrington trying something similar on the range; I liken it to Happy Gilmore because you’re basically stepping into the shot. Again, you start with your feet close together, but this time take a step forward as the arms take the club back. Doing so creates some separation between your backswing and downswing, and makes it easier to feel how the weight shifts during the swing. That

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the direction second.

Understanding the fundamentals and what makes the golf ball launch with a driver is key, which is why making a series of waist-high back, and waist-high through swings is so beneficial. Imagine a clock face with your head at 12 o’clock and your hands at six.

As you swing back, stop at nine o’clock, swing down and finish the follow through at three o’clock.

By stripping the golf swing back, you’ll quickly learn what works and what doesn’t, and find it easier to hit the centre of the clubface when you graduate back into a full swing.

‘THE EASIEST WAY TO IMPROVE YOUR CONTACT IS FOCUS ON THE QUALITY OF STRIKE FIRST AND YOUR DIRECTION SECOND’

SEAN FOLEY ON...

H

FORGING A MECHANICAL ADVANTAGE.

is coaching résumé includes world number ones Tiger Woods and Justin Rose, his reputation for approaching the game from a slightly different angle precedes him. Here, the Canadian zeroes in on improving your iron play.

A lot of my coaching focuses on alignment and ball position. That stuff is vital

because the ball is just sitting still. You can stand to it in a way that gives you a mechanical advantage to leverage power and accuracy. In golf, so many people aim right, get the ball position too far forward and then try to get the ball back to the target. One thing we are always focused on is making sure everything is neutral.

It’s not very sexy, but it helps with consistency and competency.

With any iron, the ball position should be in the middle of the stance, just behind your left pec, with the hands slightly forward. That presets a downward strike

at impact, with the low point of the swing coming in front of the ball position.

When I watch amateurs preparing to hit an iron, some set up like they’re going to hit a driver. They look ready to scoop it, not compress it. Keeping a little bit more pressure in the lower body and on the left side will help to produce a better strike.

Watch the really long hitters and you’ll notice that they make a big movement to their right side and stay over there.

You don’t want to do that with a 9-iron.

The way you come into the ball and attack the ball with an iron is slightly different. Where most golfers go wrong is that they sway too much and move off the ball in the backswing. They then have to stand up through the shot to achieve a full body turn, which affects their sight line and hand-eye co-ordination, and throws the swing out of sequence. When you set up to the ball, try to picture a pole running straight down your head, down your spine and into the ground. Staying

grounded, rotate around that pole (central axis) in your backswing, and let your pelvis turn away from the target to complete a full backswing. As you swing down, focus on moving that pole – the centre of your sternum – forwards and towards the target in the downswing.

That will ensure you compress the ball and strike down on it, just like the pros do.

Most amateurs would benefit from making a bunch of swings from a downhill lie. That will keep you more centred.

It will also shallow out the attack angle, which makes the shot a lot more difficult.

Most people massage their ego by trying to do stuff they’re good at already. But to learn, you need to make it more difficult. If you’re having a hard time with your wedge play, don’t just hit shots from a perfect lie. Hit from the dirt. That way you’ll figure out, within the set up, what’s imperative before you even start the motion.

Swap your long iron for a hybrid.

Most players struggle to hit a long iron because the club has less loft, is moving at a higher speed and is further away from the body.

Even on the PGA Tour, I’d guess that only half the players still have a 3-iron.

The rest have rescue clubs because trying to get a 3-iron to land on the right trajectory and land soft isn’t easy. Most people struggle, simply because it’s a lot harder to hit. That’s why I would recommend amateurs swap their long irons for hybrids. Spin is your friend and the more the ball spins, the softer the landing. Plus, the gear effect helps as well.

So, if you toe a hybrid, it will draw back and if you heel it, it will fade back. It’s a big advantage.

Technology can give you an advantage. If

you want to maximise your game, understanding data is important. Launch rate, spin rate, clubface position, path and attack angle are the numbers you should be looking at in a fitting or if you’re hitting on TrackMan. Spin axis is the one people forget about as well and shows

Embrace better habits.

A lot of tour players put an alignment stick on the ground, and then put a ball position stick down to make sure they set up correctly.

Over time, their eyes get used to that position, but they still keep using them on the range so they don’t slip into bad habits. Most amateurs think it takes too much time, so they don’t bother. There are many ways to get better, but you need to be disciplined.

Shaping the ball is easier than you think.

As far as set up goes, you need to know that where you want the ball to start is where the clubface points. So, if you want to draw it, you’ve got to get the clubface closed to the path and if you want to fade it, you’ve got to get the clubface open to the path. People try to hit different shots from the same set-up, but that just doesn’t work. There are nuances in how you can set up to make the ball curve differently, so play around with and use an alignment rod. Get the stick pointing to the right, set the feet to that line and try to draw the ball back to

‘MOST AMATEURS MASSAGE THEIR EGOS BY DOING THE STUFF THEY’RE ALREADY GOOD AT. YOU ONLY IMPROVE IF YOU MASTER WHAT YOU CAN’T DO’ how much the ball is tilted right or left. A ball with a two-degree spin axis to the right is just a little fade, whereas a ball with a 30-degree spin axis to the right is a big slice. So, that tells you a lot about your shot shape. Justin [Rose] and I have spent a lot of time on TrackMan over the last decade, and I think one of the reasons he is one of the better ball strikers on tour is because of his understanding of the why.

He knows enough that if he’s hitting a certain shot, he knows how not to hit that shot again. When you know the why, you can play ugly better.

You have to understand the principles of flight. Most amateurs have the wrong idea

of why the ball is doing what it’s doing.

The only way you can change and improve is if you understand the principles of ball flight. If I deliver 20 degrees of loft and I’m five degrees down with my attack angle, I’m going to have 25 degrees of spin loft. You need that “a-ha” moment that if you hit down, the ball goes up with an iron. If you top it, it’s likely because you’re trying to scoop it.

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the target. If you want to fade it, just do the opposite.

You won’t improve if you just practise hitting your favourite club. My dad, for

example, hits a lot of wedges during a round. So, it makes complete sense that he spends time practising hitting them on the range. Get an idea of which clubs you use the most often, and then try to get better using them. For instance, because Cameron Champ is such a long hitter, 80 per cent of his practice time is hitting shots from 160 yards and in. I love watching Cameron hitting 4-irons, but he’s really not going to hit that many.

Getting fitted is key to your game

I look at the detail Justin Rose goes into making sure that the set he has is optimal and it takes my breath away. Justin’s an elite professional, of course, but why would the same process not help you? Golf is not a cheap game, but often you get out what you put in. If you’re going to invest in it, try to get the most out of it by getting fitted. You will benefit by doing that.

If you want to become a better ball-striker, then you need to use a launch monitor and understand the data.

PETE COWEN ON...

A

HIS 10 COMMANDMENTS.

former tour champion himself, Pete Cowen has reinvented himself as one of the most in-demand teaching professionals in the game. His work with Rory, Henrik Stenson and Brooks Koepka has seen him amass more than 250 PGA Tour victories and eight majors. Here he presents his 10 short game commandments.

1

Don’t swing to stay in balance, swing in balance. If you watch

someone who hits it down the middle all the time, they swing within themselves, finish perfectly in balance and can hold that position for 20 seconds. Most golfers can’t do that because their mechanics aren’t good enough.

The swing is like a spiral movement. If you want to create a

torque in the body, which is e the power comes from, you need more than just turn the shoulders. You need to use your lower body and feel like you’re turning a screw with your feet so you can wind up into the backswing. As you swing back, the weight should move like a spiral, from the left foot to the right ankle, left ankle to right shin, left shin to right knee, left knee to right thigh and left thigh to right hip. When you go from left hip to right ab, you can then start to match the positions with the hands.

So when you go from left ab to right chest, your hands are at chest height. When you go from left chest to right shoulder, your hands are at shoulder height. Thinking like this will get the body working properly and

76 Golf World April 2020 | golfworldtop100.com

create a set of reference points for different lengths of shots. It’s much easier than consciously putting your hands at nine, 10 or 11 o’clock.

3

Save shots by keeping it simple.

When I was watching Vijay Singh at the Masters a long time ago, he was right of the green on the 15th and playing a flop to a pin just over the bunker. In the practice round, he was

shot would you play?” He said “If my life depended on it, I would putt!” He finished fourth that week and got his Tour card.

Martin Kaymer won and he’s not a great chipper. What did he do? He putted most of the time. Everybody thinks that they need to chip when they’re off the green, but the short game is about getting the ball in the hole. Sometimes, we force ourselves to chip and ignore the simplest shot.

7

One of the biggest faults I see is people standing too far away from the ball, and having little control of the butt end of the club.

If the butt travels too far back or forward when chipping and pitching, it causes the bottom of the arc to change which causes inconsistencies. The more you minimise the movement, the better your consistency.

‘SO MUCH OF THE TIME IT’S ABOUT PLAYING THE PERCENTAGES. IT’S ABOUT KNOWING WHEN NOT TO PLAY A SHOT THAT CAN PUT YOU IN TROUBLE’

landing it right by the flag, no problem at all. But in the tournament, he chose to chip it to the back of the green. He didn’t even try the shot, despite having practised it. He knew he could get himself into a lot more trouble by trying something so risky. At worst he was going to make par. A lot of the time it’s about playing the percentages.

4

If you want to play a release chip, use a 7-iron. If you want a slightly

flighted chip, use a 9-iron. If you want a high chip, use a lob wedge.

But regardless of the club change, stick to a vertical set-up. That’s why a lot of pros stand with their feet close together when they’re chipping, so they can keep the centre of the sternum over the ball a lot easier. The truth is that 90 per cent of players would be better playing with their feet together. Why? Because they will turn around a more consistent centre, and so the bottom of the arc will be more consistent as well. Plus, research proves they will only lose 10 per cent of their usual distance.

5

There’s a lot of confusion about hinging and cocking, especially when it concerns shorter shots.

You cock the wrist up and down, and hinge the wrist back and forward. You need to hinge when you chip, and then use a combination of the two when you’re pitching. If you try to cock the wrists like a hammer when you chip, that’s what throws the club miles out of plane and adds unwanted height. If you keep the shaft more vertical and have a slight hinge, the action almost resembles a brushing motion which gets the ball running on the ground a lot quicker.

6

If you’re chipping as opposed to pitching, the goal should always be to get the ball running on the ground, as quickly as you can.

When I helped Brooks at the US Open at Pinehurst, we were talking a lot about chipping because there were so many run-offs. I put him in six different spots and said “If your life depended on it, what

8

Chip with a rescue club to eliminate the fat shot. The

thickness of the sole can almost bounce through the grass. Plus, because it’s hard to get underneath the ball on a links course, it’s easy to thin a chip with a wedge. That’s why golfers who suffer from the yips, or play a lot of links golf, could benefit from using a rescue club and playing it like a putt. The little bit of loft on the face will get the ball up and over a patch of grass, and running on the ground a lot quicker.

9

I wouldn’t recommend playing a flop shot unless the lie is near perfect. You need grass

underneath the ball, but most people attempt it when the lie is bare. The timing has to be perfect, and a lot of the time people don’t swing back far enough and then decelerate into impact. They’re scared basically and if you’ve got no confidence, your short game will suffer.

10

One shot I think people should practise more is the ‘belly wedge’. When the

grass is up against the ball, trying to play a normal chip or even a flop shot is almost impossible because there’s usually so much grass between the ball and club that it just doesn’t come out. When you don’t have any control, sometimes you just need to get the ball tumbling forward, even if it doesn’t look pretty. Using your lob wedge and trying to thin it with the leading edge to cut through the grass and hit the back of the ball is far more effective.

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PHIL KENYON ON...

MASTERING THE FUNDAMENTALS.

A

n apprentice to the great ‘Putting Doctor’ Harold Swash, Phil Kenyon is perhaps the greatest golf coach you’ve never heard of. This lowprofile is through choice, but since taking on his first client in 2008, one Henrik Stenson, Kenyon has forged a reputation as the go-to guy putting coach among the world’s best players. Rory McIlroy Francesco Molinari, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood and Gary Woodland have all enlisted his expertise and the softly-spoken Lancastrian has to limit who he works with. Despite the demand, he was happy to offer Golf World an insight into his teaching methods and share his expertise. Better still, as he explains here, any player of any standard can reap instant rewards by following his advice.

“Putting is one area of the game where you can make a big improvement quickly.

Irrespective of your handicap or status, everyone can putt well. I’m never going to drive it 320 yards like Brooks Koepka or Rory McIlroy, no matter how hard I work in the gym or on the range. I’m limited and I know that. But in putting, that’s less of a problem. It’s not like you need a certain amount of physical talent to putt well. I teach guys who play low-level golf, but putt well. I don’t see many 20 or 10 handicappers drive it like DJ, but I see some putt it better than some tour pros.

Teaching a high handicapper is a completely different kind of challenge to teaching an elite player, but the

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fundamentals are very much the same.

With both, I’m trying to get someone to understand the right concepts and co-ordinate themselves better. The analysis procedure doesn’t change; the only difference is that elite players have a greater adaptability and hand-eye co-ordination to do what is asked of them quickly and effectively.

There’s no such thing as a ‘textbook’ set-up. We’ve measured over 100 tour pros using 3D technology and not one person stood square to the target. The average tour player aligns seven degrees open, ranging up to 20 degrees open. My point is that their set-up is geared towards helping their stroke function. If you cut across the ball and hit pulls, standing open won’t help. Working more towards square will neutralise that. Whereas, if you’re someone who hits pushes and swings in-to-out, standing open is likely to benefit you.

Most amateur golfers don’t control their speed or swing length very well, and hit putts using the same backswing. Any variance in speed comes from acceleration.

One of the biggest myths perpetuated in golf is that you need to accelerate into impact, when actually the best putters in the world tend to decelerate slightly.

Think about it: You hit every putt with your backswing; you don’t hit a putt with your follow-through.

Technology shows that everyone moves the putter head differently and, as a consequence, I don’t believe you can prescribe a remedy or recommend one

grip which will suit everyone. It’s more about matching the hand placement with the pattern of your stroke. It’s a bit like a puzzle, because it’s not only the placement and pressure of the hand which has a big impact on the wrist sequence, and the orientation of the clubface, but also your arm position and how your shoulder and elbow sits. The type of putter you have is important, but I do think it is overstressed at times. Most peoples’ strokes are so inconsistent that a slight change in putter head doesn’t have much of an effect.

Different head shapes and how they affect the rate of rotation may be more important for the better player, but more so it’s

‘PUTTING IS MENTAL BUT YOU DO NEED SOME DECENT TECHNIQUE. A COACH HAS TO DO THEIR JOB BEFORE A PSYCHOLOGIST CAN FINE-TUNE’ about the length, lie and loft. All three affect your set-up, which then influences your technique.

A large part of putting is mental, but unless you’ve got some decent technique, it doesn’t matter how positive you are.

If your clubface is open, the ball isn’t starting online. You’ve got to have some resemblance of technical ability before

you can start layering in the mental stuff.

A golf coach has to do their job first before a psychologist can help to fine-tune things.

To really improve your putting, you need to understand what you are doing wrong. Only then can you get the appropriate fix for it. And the only way you can do that is by going for a lesson.

Putting doesn’t get anywhere the amount of attention it should get. It amazes me how many club golfers don’t have enough lessons – and have never been custom fit.

The two go hand in hand. There’s a lot of myths about putter fittings and how certain head shapes suit certain strokes, which is largely not true. But length and lie of the putter can affect certain aspects of set-up and technique. Alignment configuration and head shapes can also influence aim, so there’s a lot of aspects to a fitting which play an integral part in any lesson. Sadly, the average golfer doesn’t pay for instruction and ends up buying a putter off the shelf which, in most cases, is ill-fitting. It’s little wonder they don’t see positive results.

The biggest fault I see in amateurs is too much body movement and too much hand and arm movement, but then every player is different. Ultimately, you’ve got to get help which is relevant to you. Once you’ve done that, it all comes down to the quality of practice.

I get asked a lot about what my best tips are, but putting is a very individual part of the game. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. I’ve worked with tour players who use alignment lines on balls and others who totally ignore them. It all comes down to personal preference. If you struggle to aim the putter but you class yourself as a pretty good green reader, using an alignment line can be a very useful tool. But if you’re not very good at green reading by sight and rely a lot on feel, I think a line can be very constraining.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach and the key is to find out what works for you.

If I had to narrow things down, the most important thing, I believe, is your ability to hit your start line. I often create a drill relative to each player and the parameter of their stroke, which they can use to calibrate what they are doing on a daily basis. A lot of times it’s as simple as finding a straight putt and creating a gate, usually about 5cm wide, which they have to putt through.

You can use two tee pegs, or you can buy ready-made gates that have different widths for different degrees of error. I try to encourage most tour pros to do this, because it highlights any tendencies and tells you if your read was any good.

It’s the best and most effective kind of drill and if it works for tour pros, it will work for you too.”

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1

DR BOB ROTELLA ON...

THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING A CLEAR HEAD.

B

ob Rotella is the world’s foremost sports psychologist and author of the best-selling sports pyschology book of all time; Golf Is Not A Game Of Perfect. He has worked with the likes of Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy to deliver more than 300 PGA Tour titles and a total of 74 majors.

The key to better performances, he says, is to control your fears and doubts and quieten the mind. “I believe that it’s impossible to overestimate the importance of the mind in golf,” he explains. “Despite what you will have heard, there is no such thing as ‘muscle memory’ because your muscles have no capacity to remember anything. Memory resides in your head, so no matter how long you practise and no matter how skilled you become, your muscles alone can’t remember it and execute it when the need arises on the golf course.

“Your mind controls everything and if your head is filled with bad thoughts, your scorecard will be full of bad strokes.

People play well when they have their head in a very quiet, very clear place.

Here are five key ways you can quieten your mind and find better focus.”

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2

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

PICK A SMALL TARGET

You need to take inspiration from major winners like Tom Kite, Padraig Harrington and Pat Bradley. The game came to them very slowly, and they had to deal with people questioning why they ever thought they would be great, but piece by piece they figured the game out.

They are proof that if you keep believing in yourself, even if no-one else believes in you, then you can build your confidence one brick at a time and eventually succeed. This is the same for all golfers of all abilities.

I like my players to aim at a small target that is off the ground. That target should be small enough that you have to narrow your vision, but not so small that you have to squint or try hard to look at it.

Your eyes are like an automatic focus lens on a camera. When you look at a small target they narrow and it is a beautiful thing. So before every shot, I would like your eyes and your mind to be narrowed in on where you want the ball to go to the exclusion of all else.

3

4

5

ACCEPT YOUR MISTAKES

BE HONEST

LET YOUR MIND GO

Accepting mistakes is a big part of the puzzle, because if you dwell on your errors and get upset about them, eventually you are going to start fearing them. This is a big problem because knowing how bad each mistake makes you feel leads you to start trying harder, which, in turn, leads to you messing everything up. Overcoming this is a heck of a challenge, but improving your short game and studying the top professionals will help. I tell people to get really good at the short game, because it means you can make all kind of mistakes and still score. And I tell them to watch the top players, because they miss their fair share of shots, fairways and greens, but they still manage to get the ball in the hole. No matter where you end up, you have to have confidence in your ability to get the ball in the hole.

When it comes to the mental side of the game, golfing dishonesty comes in two forms. The first sees people lie to themselves about their ability to hit the shot and is easy to fix. If you can’t hit a pitch shot, your mind cannot help you. You have to go and develop that skill. The second sees people lie to themselves about their inability to hit a shot and is a little more complicated. A lot of golfers lie to themselves in the negative when they don’t have confidence. I see this happening all the time on tour. A player will hit a shot 15 times in a row on the practice range and then pretend they can’t hit it on the course. It is a fascinating mental position, and the only way to overcome it is to think positively, then let go of conscious control and surrender to your subconscious.

Which means look at where you want the ball to go and just let it happen.

To really get to the point where golfers want to be mentally, you need to be so lost in your own little world that you are unconscious about what you are doing. It’s very much like playing a musical instrument. Yes, you can be competent while thinking consciously, but to really make beautiful music or perform your best on the golf course you need to let go of conscious control and just look and do. This is not easy to achieve, but if you can get comfortable with a quiet mind it will give you a huge advantage on the golf course.

‘THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS MUSCLE MEMORY. YOUR MIND CONTROLS YOUR MUSCLES AND IS THE KEY TO EVERYTHING’

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72 HOURS

Brancaster GC

THE NORTH NORFOLK COAST How to plan and execute a long weekend golf break on England’s Deep History Coast.

Tony Dear guides you through.

I

t has become increasingly difficult to find a corner of England that hasn’t been transformed by technology, messy politics, rapidly-changing demographics, and other 21st Century bustle, especially one within twoand-a-half hours of London. But the north Norfolk coast retains a charm and a degree of separation that keeps it truly distinct and wonderfully seductive for weekenders seeking a little peace and quiet. Designated in 1968 an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty covering 175 square miles that prevents development of a stretch of cliffs, coastal marshes, dunes, mud flats, shingle, and glacial moraine inhabited by a world-renowned collection of birdlife, and a hinterland of rolling chalk terrain and arable land, human life has been sustained here for 800,000 years, long, long before golf arrived.

More recently, the Romans, Anglo-Saxons (including the East Angles), and Normans have all occupied the region whose coastline fishing communities have grown into popular seaside resorts without ever losing their character – the visitor retains a vivid sense of place wherever he or she may be. The north Norfolk coast is a cherished place of relaxation and recreation for beach-goers, hikers, ornithologists, windsurfers, boaters and golfers who can work their way along the coastline, playing a beguiling mix of links and clifftop courses that will satisfy every golfing bone in their body before having to return to all that 21st Century mayhem. There are many ways to fill 72 hours, but we’d suggest you do it like so…

STAY

In previous regional guides, we’ve proposed lodging at a single establishment whenever possible and using it as your base for the duration of the trip. It cuts down on tedious packing and repacking, and gives you one less thing to worry about when you

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Cromer

North Norfolk

Sandringham

Holkham beach

could be thinking about golf. You can certainly stick to that routine if that’s how you prefer to go, finding a hotel/B&B in Hunstanton, Wells-nextthe-Sea or Sheringham, but this time why not move along the coast?

If you intend moving west to east, your first stop will be at Hunstanton GC, just a short drive north of King’s Lynn. Separated from the newer town by cliffs where the Old Lighthouse stands, the village of Old Hunstanton is where the golf course is located as well as the stately Le Strange Arms Hotel where guests enjoy great food, really comfortable rooms, and sea views. Elsewhere in Hunstanton, The Lodge on Old Hunstanton Road sells itself short rather by describing itself as a ‘pub with rooms’. Technically that’s what it is, but the pub/restaurant is really top-notch and the guest rooms are lovely. After 18 in the morning at Hunstanton GC, you face another life moment in the afternoon at Royal West Norfolk GC (Brancaster) from where you can head either to the welcoming and well-run Victorian farmhouse of Titchwell Manor, or continue east for 10 miles to Wells-next-the-Sea. A fishing village in its earliest days around the 14th Century, the town became a major malt exporter in the 18th Century, and in the 19th Century began transporting grain to London and other parts of the country. Today it’s easy to see why it’s a very popular seaside resort.

There are numerous great choices of where to stay in town – the Old Custom House at East End, the splendid Victoria Inn in the village of Holkham a mile west of Wells, the handsome Crown Inn on the Buttlands, and the slightly quirky but very cool Bang in Wells, which has four very comfy rooms.

Sheringham Golf Club lies 16 miles west and is where you play next. The Links Country Park Hotel in the nearby village of West Runton is an immediate choice. Within the grounds of the hotel is a nine-hole course (18 tees) that opened in 1903 and was designed by five-time Open Champion JH Taylor. It’s a lovely layout that whets the appetite ahead of the main event, Sheringham GC.

PLAY

MUST PLAY

The golf club at Royal West Norfolk ranks 14th in our most recent Top 100 of England, making it one of the absolute must plays along this coast. Far better known as Brancaster, the club held royal status from the very beginning when Edward VII accepted an invitation from London solicitor Holcombe Ingleby to become the club’s patron.

Four members of the Royal Family have captained the club over the years – the Dukes of Gloucester, of Windsor, and two of Kent.

Ingleby had come to Norfolk after marrying Harriett Jane Neville Rolfe of Heacham Hall in

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Fallow deer at Holkham Hall

1886. Not much is known of him as a golfer, but he was clearly a devoted swinger judging by his desire to find golf ground in his adopted county. “Up clubs and at it,” he is thought to have cried in excitement to his brother as they came across a string of impressive sand dunes near the village of Brancaster, six miles to the east of the links at Hunstanton.

With the sea to the north and, to the south, a significant stretch of salt marshes which flood at high tide (be sure to check the tide times before booking your tee-time), the narrow strip of sandy ground in between was ideal for golf and Ingleby wasted no time in laying out a course with the help of Horace Hutchinson.

The layout has changed little over the years, though erosion from the sea and sky has accounted for the loss of a few tees and the narrowing of playing areas, calling for minor changes.

With its thrilling walk between the dunes and through the gate to the 1st tee, boarded bunker faces, tiny pot bunkers, blind greens, sunken greens, and occasionally fierce breezes, Brancaster is wildly unconventional and not well-suited to the golfer who prefers a sedate 18 over predictable ground. It is, however, ideal for those seeking a golf adventure they’ll remember fondly for years to come.

The members like to play quick – it’s singles and foursomes golf here. So if you come with three buddies, pick a partner, choose your team’s ball, elect which tees you’ll hit from, and don’t hang around chatting about nothing. Afterwards, repair to the splendid clubhouse overlooking the sea and peel off your soggy raingear if necessary. Then chat over beer about what an amazing round of golf that was, and how you can’t get back here soon enough.

During the summer, the singles rate is £90 and it’s £60 per player in a foursome. For details, visit: www.rwngc.org Though only 6,741 yards long according to the scorecard, Hunstanton Golf Club (ranked 28th) can be something of a beast in any sort of wind. The front nine is the longer of the two sides, but it is here where you should make your score, for the back is decidedly tougher. The course starts with one of Hunstanton’s most memorable holes – a short par 4 where the tee shot carries a huge bunker cut into a ridge that lines the left of the first two holes. The River Hun flows down the opposite side of the first five holes and, though it doesn’t really come into play, it is remarkable how it splits the wonderfully firm and sandy linksland of the golf course from the drab, featureless, arable land the other side.

George Fernie’s nine-holer opened here in 1891 and was improved and extended by James Braid in 1907, then later modified by James Sherlock, Ken Cotton and, most recently, Martin Hawtree. It has often been said that while Hunstanton has never been held in the same affection as neighbour Brancaster, it is the more challenging, championshipworthy of the two. Indeed, it has hosted more than

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Old Hunstanton

North Norfolk

Sheringham

Hunstanton GC

40 events of national significance, including 12British&EnglishLadiesAmateurChampionships, five Brabazon Trophies and three English Amateur Championships.

The firm and sandy turf at Hunstanton is terrific, the fairways tight and undulating, the greens wonderfully pure. It is a marvellous test of your skill and one you’ll relish from that opening drive over the sand to your final putt in front of the clubhouse.

The green fee from April to September is £100. For details visit www.hunstantongolfclub.com The late 19th Century was clearly a busy time for golf on the north Norfolk coast. Hunstanton GC opened in March 1891, Royal West Norfolk in January 1892 and Sheringham Golf Club came on board three months later. Twenty-five miles east of Brancaster and ranked 90th in our most recent Top 100 of England, Sheringham GC was conceived when Henry Broadhurst brought in Scottish pro and course designer Tom Dunn from Tooting Bec GC in South London to lay out nine holes.

Broadhurst was the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department and the man behind the forming of Royal Cromer GC, five miles further east.

Dunn returned six years later to add a second nine, the course full of the cross carry bunkers so common in the Victorian era. Sheringham has seen several changes since Dunn’s time, the most significant being the removal of several of those very bunkers, the moving of the 17th green into the slope of Skelding Hill, the loss of the 3rd hole due to safety issues and construction of the new short 8th at the western edge of the course, and the moving of the 5th and 6th greens away from the cliff edge for safety. Many big names have enjoyed the clifftop challenge down the years. James Braid, Harry Vardon, Arnaud Massy and JH Taylor played a competition here in 1908 (Taylor won), and the Bernard Matthews Pro-Am attracted Gary Player, Lee Trevino, Brian Huggett, Sandy Lyle and Nick Price in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Perhaps Sheringham’s greatest moment, however, came in 1920 when an 18-year-old Joyce Wethered overcame the mighty Cecil Leitch to win her first English Ladies Amateur Championship – and went on to win the next four as well. As she putted out on the 17th green, a steam train whistled past, but she appeared unmoved. Later, when asked if the offending engine had affected her, she famously replied “What train?” Should the North Norfolk Railway steam past as you putt out with your match on the line, let’s hope you can summon a similar focus. As with many clubs today, Sheringham posts its open tournament schedule on its website. In 2020, there are 11 adult events and one junior tournament that non-members are welcome to enter.

What a wonderful way to experience a club like Sheringham for the first time. The summer green fee is £90 from Sunday to Friday and £95 on Saturdays.

For details, visit: www. sheringhamgolfclub.co.uk.

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Sheringham GC

THE OPTIONAL EXTRAS

Three years older than Hunstanton but six younger than Great Yarmouth and Caister a little way around the coast, Royal Cromer GC is the second oldest course in Norfolk and was originally laid out by Old Tom Morris. As at Brancaster, Edward VII was the Royal Family member who bestowed Royal status on the club, and similarly to Sheringham, erosion and safety issues have forced the club to make changes down the years – JH Taylor James Braid, Frank Pennink, and Donald Steel all making alterations at various stages. Royal Cromer was likewise important to the development of the women’s game, being instrumental in the founding of the Curtis Cup. A clifftop course with relatively lush turf compared to the sandy links of Hunstanton and Brancaster, Royal Cromer is invariably kept in superb condition and, though it doesn’t quite make our Top 100, who’s to say it couldn’t be your favourite course of the trip? For the experience, you’ll pay £45 for 18 until the end of March, then £65/£70 (Saturdays) from April 1. For details, visit: www.royalcromergolfclub.com Though not technically on the north Norfolk coast, Great Yarmouth and Caister is such an interesting course, we couldn’t not include it (and it’s only 30 miles from Cromer). It began life in 1882 with 12 holes, upgraded to 18 and revised in 1921 when the Great Yarmouth racetrack moved to its current site (www.caistergolf.co.uk). Another excellent detour will take you to King’s Lynn GC, two miles north of the town and one of East Anglia’s finest courses. Weaving its way through beautiful woodland with more than a hint of Wentworth, it offers an excellent change of pace in a land of such glorious links (www.kingslynngolfclub.co.uk).

EAT & DRINK

Often touted as Hunstanton’s finest restaurant is the Neptune on Old Hunstanton Road (just half a mile east of the Lodge. In fact, the Neptune has rooms too, so you can add this to your lodging options).

The dinner menu has just four options – Monkfish, Goosnargh Duck Breast, Norfolk Venison or Pollock – but each is exceptional and justifies the Michelin star awarded in 2009.

The pork belly, as well as the steaks and the Stilton, are exceptional at the Steak and Stilton on St. Edmund’s Terrace. And you have a few choices for best fish and chips in town, but the White Horse on Kirkgate is a good option.

In Wells, the Crab House on Freeman Street achieves ‘must-visit’ status, and Ollie’s at the Edinburgh Inn is another popular stop. French’s on The Quay gets the nod for fish and chips, but Plattens and Sands Restaurant are excellent options.

You have to visit Fat Ted’s Streat Food on Barcham’s Yard in Sheringham for amazing flat

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Holkham Hall

North Norfolk

PLOT YOUR TOP 100 TRIP

1. ROYAL WEST NORFOLK Top 100 England #14

2. HUNSTANTON GC Top 100 England #28 3. SHERINGHAM GC Top 100 England #90 4. GREAT YARMOUTH Top 100 England #NA 5. ROYAL CROMER GC Top 100 England #NA

1

3 5

2 4

NORFO LK Coastal salt marshes, Stiffkey

breads, burgers, beef brisket, nachos, and dirty fries.

Visit Marmalade’s Bistro on Church Street for a touch of sophistication and an incredible dinner menu. And there’s something very special about having a pot of tea and a ploughman’s on an outside table overlooking the sea at Whelk Coppers Tea Rooms on the Driftway.

SEE & DO

Royal Cromer GC

We never like to encourage sightseeing when there’s so much good golf to be played, but everywhere you go on this amazing island there’s something interesting to see or do. And this is very definitely the case in north Norfolk, where whatever non-golf time you find can be spent idling on fantastic beaches at Old Hunstanton, Brancaster, Wells-next-the-Sea, Sheringham and Cromer, which also boasts a pier, one of only five end-of-pier theatres in the UK. Holkham Hall is also well worth a detour, a Palladian mansion that opened in 1764 following 30 years of construction.

Bird-watching nature reserves at Titchwell, Cley, Holkham, Blakeney, Snettisham and Welney offer sightings of marsh harriers, bitterns, stone curlews, hobbies, peregrines, oyster catchers, nightjars, great spotted woodpeckers, treecreepers, redwings, blackcaps and so many more.

And while they may not be on the coast, the short drives to either the Queen’s private home at Sandringham or magnificent Norwich Cathedral are well worth the petrol money. Those, plus so many other options, make the north Norfolk coast an essential long weekend getaway.

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CALLAWAY CHROME SOFT BALLS ★ SRIXON Q-STAR TOUR BALL ★ TAYLORMADE TOUR RESPONSE BALL ★ TAYLORMADE TRUSS & SPIDER S PUTTERS ★ PING HEPPLER PUTTERS

Callaway Chrome and Chro Soft X LARGER CORES ANDM FOR MORE DISTANCEA

The original, low compression C Soft, launched in 2014, was an a innovation. For the first time, clu could play a tour-level ball that the soft feel they desired. And b it came in at £34 a dozen. The c sparked a trend that pretty muc manufacturer has followed. Now every ball brand has a soft, low compression model in its line-up However, early in 2019 Callaw themselves embroiled in a prod controversy amid claims from a equipment testing website that in some of their Chrome Soft ba misaligned, leading to inaccurac perfect shots. Following a $50 m investment in their ball factory i Chicopee, Massachusetts, that s introduction of new robotics, m X-ray machines, every Chrome S now three-dimensionally scann ensure every core is centred, an layers and covers are a consiste thickness. The investment in pro also paid dividends in that it ena Callaway to not only enhance its Soft and Chrome Soft X balls bu more differentiation between th The covers are 10 per cent and 2 cent thinner respectively, and b larger cores and higher speed m Cover material: Urethane Construction: Four-piece Models: White, Triple Track, Trip Yellow, Truvis – Red/White & Ye Black

Price: £39.99 www.callawaygolf.com

Marginal gains everywhere!

Callaway say the new Chrome Soft gains incrementally from a larger core, higher speed dual mantle, thinner cover and new aerodynamics. It all adds up to five more yards over the 2018 ball.

CHROME SOFT OR CHROME SOFT X?

Triple Track tech Both new Chrome Softs are available with Callaway’s alignment technology. The design helps the brain better process alignment. Research says 86% of golfers who use it improve, and the more you use it the better you get.

EQUIPMENT EDITOR’S VERDICT

Golfers with slower swing speeds will likely fit best into the Chrome Soft, while faster swing speeds will be more suited to the Chrome Soft X. There will be some crossover in the 100-105mph range.

Feel Chrome Soft Softer Chrome Soft X Soft

Forgiveness Best High

“We haven’t compared the new Chrome Softs with competitor products yet, but early signs are the new models nudge the Chrome Soft up a level. Even though my swing speed is nowhere the recommended 100+ mph for the Chrome Soft X, I was impressed with the performance. Callaway are targeting elite golfers with the X since many amateurs already love the standard Chrome Soft. We can see serious players switching out of the Titleist Pro V1 on performance alone, even before factoring in the cost savings.”

Flight Straight Workable

Long game spin Low Low

Short game Spin High High

An elite player’s ball flight While the regular Chrome Soft promises gains through the bag, the X is optimised for a lower, tour-preferred flight with particular focus on driver distance. It’s ideal for golfers who don’t need extra iron distance .

CALLAWAY CHROME SOFT & CHROME SOFT X BALLS ★ SRIXON Q-STAR TOUR BALL ★ TAYLORMADE TOUR RESPONSE

// SRIXON Q-STAR TOUR A name change for popular AD333 Tour Srixon’s AD333 Tour ball was launched in 2014 on the back of its super successful AD333 marquee ball.

The AD333 Tour combined wood and iron distance with excellent wedge spin and a soft responsive feel for moderate club golfer swing speeds. In 2017, Srixon introduced a new ball to America. Because AD333

Tour wasn’t in their range at the time, Srixon decided to call the ball ‘Q-Star Tour’. So with Srixon revealing a third generation Q-Star ball in America this spring, now seemed like the perfect time to bring Europe and America back in line. So if you’re an AD333 Tour fan, be warned you’ll need to look for Srixon Q-Star instead.

Cover material: Urethane Construction: Three-piece Models: Pure White, Tour Yellow

Price: £34.99 dozen www.srixon.co.uk

Spin Skin cover Srixon developed their own ball coating (Spin Skin with SeRM), which is found on the Z-Star. Q-Star Tour has the same coating. Its enhanced elasticity means the cover squeezes into wedge and iron grooves to generate more spin.

Less drag, more glide

Tour level distance, short game spin The new Fastlayer Core has thousands of layers – from a soft inner core to a firmer outer.

Srixon say it “delivers explosive distance without compromising soft feel”. It means you get tour-level distance and short game spin, but also the softer feel you generally don’t find on tour balls.

EQUIPMENT EDITOR’S VERDICT

“Tour level balls – soft, urethane covered models – designed to work at club golfer swing speeds are a huge trend. Some of that spike can be attributed to the Q-Star Tour’s predecessor the AD333 Tour. The Q-Star Tour features all of Srixon’s best tech so we have no doubt it will be a roaring success with serious but more average swing speed club golfers. This year, club golfers have been indulged with golf ball choices.

Deciding between Q-Star Tour, TaylorMade’s Tour Response and Callaway’s Chrome Soft is a tough call.”

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New Speed Dimples defy drag. By cutting drag the dimple shape and pattern boost distance and keep shots straighter, even in tough windy conditions. The new design also adds extra lift, which keeps the ball in the air for longer.

BALL ★ TAYLORMADE TRUSS & SPIDER S PUTTERS ★ PING HEPPLER PUTTERS

GEAR

// TAYLORMADE

TOUR RESPONSE 100% urethane cover for under £40 TaylorMade have made huge strides in the tour ball category since launching their five-piece TP5 a few years ago. Four of the world’s top 10 now regularly play TP5 or TP5x. Most recently, Rickie Fowler ditched his Titleist Pro V1 for one. So with the likes of DJ, Rory, Jon Rahm, Rickie and Jason Day all content, TaylorMade’s golf ball engineers have turne attention to you – th golfer.

TaylorMade say t per cent of the balls in the US are either t (over $40 a dozen) o budget buys (below dozen). This clearly l huge gap in the midd After surveying thou of average golfers, TaylorMade develop brand new Tour Resp has many of the hallm a market-leading tou including three layer 100 per cent urethan – but comes in a lot c As a result, it is targe Titleist Pro V1 and Ca Chrome Soft custom

Tour-level spin A 100 per cent urethane cover is soft enough to bite into the grooves of a wedge just like a tour ball, meaning you get great spin and control without the tour ball price tag.

Responsive to your game An ultra-low compression core (40 point) and an overall compression of 70 gives the softer feel golfers have come to love from lower compression balls. A three-piece construction maximises energy transfer and rebound at impact.

EQUIPMENT EDITOR’S VERDICT “It’s no great secret that TaylorMade threw the kitchen sink at developing their highly successful TP5 and TP5x. But it’s fair to say the success didn’t run too deep throughout their ball line – especially in the mid price-point range. The Tour Response addresses that issue.

Soft feel Tour-calibre balls is a growing category – and a potentially lucrative one. If the Tour Response performs as the company claim, there’s going to be one hell of a shoot-out between Callaway, Srixon and TaylorMade this season.”

Cover material: Uret Construction: Three Models White, Yellow

Price: £39.99 dozen www.taylormadego

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CALLAWAY CHROME SOFT & CHROME SOFT X BALLS ★ SRIXON Q-STAR TOUR BALL ★ TAYLORMADE TOUR RESPONSE

Multiple support

Precision finishing

Since the putterhead is supported in more than one place, impact vibration – which transmits to feel – is slightly different from a normal putter.

TaylorMade say the increases in stiffness help dampen vibration, improving sound and feel.

Each head is cast then CNC milled for the sharp, clean appearance common to all premium blades.

Eighty per cent of the surfaces are milled to ensure precision and eliminate the differences that can arise from hand polishing.

Forward centre of gravity

Torsional stability vs MOI

Many blade aficionados like to release the putter through impact. High MOI designs can hinder that preference.

Truss has a centre of gravity 10mm (TB1 & TB2) and 20mm (TM1 & TM2) from the face. In contrast a Spider’s is 33mm away.

It’s really important not to confuse torsional stability with MOI forgiveness. The pair are just two different ways to arrive at extra stability.

//TAYLOR ADE TRUSS PUTTERS

Whosaysaclassicbladecan’tbestable?

TaylorMade have enjoyed huge success on Tour and at retail with their family of super-stable Spider putters.

The model has been instrumental in convincing some 60 per cent of Tour pros to ditch their trusty blades for a high MOI design in the past decade. But what about the 40 per cent of Tour pros who haven’t yet seen the light?

For several years, TaylorMade’s R&D team have been searching for a design breakthrough that would

convince them to jump ship into the high stability world, too. The Eureka moment came when a company engineer read a white paper on tennis racquet design.

The report highlighted the stability benefits of using two connection points, like you see on modern racquet necks, as opposed to the one connection point you see on old wooden racquets. That raised the obvious question – could the same theory be used to create a more stable blade putter?

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The challenge? Finding a way to support the putterface and increase torsional stability without compromising the simple lines and address cosmetics blade aficionados crave. TaylorMade’s engineers looked at how much of the putterface is supported by the hosel – the only area of the putter that doesn’t twist open or closed at impact – and calculated that two connection points increased the supported area almost five-fold.

The Truss TB1 boasts 50

per cent face stability compared with the 10 per cent face stability of a traditional blade.

TaylorMade tests also revealed a 60 per cent improvement in face deflection at impact compared to a traditional blade – a large gain in stability and forgiveness, which means more holed putts.

Price: £269 www.taylormadegolf.co.uk

BALL ★ TAYLORMADE TRUSS & SPIDER S PUTTERS ★ PING HEPPLER PUTTERS

GEAR

THE TRUSS COLLECTION Four super-stable blade style putters.

TB1 Heel-shafted blade

A traditional narrow body, toe and heel weighted blade with single sight line. Like all four Truss models, there’s a cobalt blue PureRoll insert for great sound, feel and roll. Twin sole weights mean each head can be weighted for 33”, 34” and 35” lengths.

TB2 Centre-shafted blade

A centre-shafted narrow body blade. Unusually, another benefit of Truss is how designers can introduce hosel offset (not really possible in centre-shafted models before), which helps how models set up.

TM1 Heel-shafted mallet

A compact fanged mallet with single sightline. Like all Truss models, a KBS CT Tour shaft, which weighs 120g, is designed specifically to reduce deflection during the stroke and at impact, improving accuracy consistency.

TM2 Centre-shafted blade

The new Spider S (stability) keeps the company at the forefront of the forgiving putter conversation. Unlike the Spider X, the S is made from lightweight aluminium, which means the engineers have been able to add a significant amount of discretionary weighting to enhance forgiveness. The head is loaded with two 48g forward tungsten weights plus a 65g rear tungsten bar to maximise stability. The multi-material construction means an improvement of 500 MOI points over the Spider X. It’s available in navy or a cool chalk colour and comes with a Super Stroke Pistol GTR 1.0 grip.

Price: £299 www.taylormadegolf.co.uk

A compact fanged mallet with a centre shaft. Whereas centre shaft putters used to be the least stable when hit off-centre, Truss makes them the most stable. TM2 has 100 per cent of its face supported; it was less than 10 per cent.

EQUIPMENT EDITOR’S VERDICT

“While we were shocked when TaylorMade showed us images of Truss during our exclusive 2020 product presentation, you can only judge when you have the putters in your hands. TaylorMade’s approach in developing a stable blade required serious outsidethe-box thinking – and it is superbly executed. The stability gain is obvious, yet the putter doesn’t look any different to a normal blade at address. There are big benefits for golfers who love centre-shafts because the stability boost simply can’t be matched by others.”

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CALLAWAY CHROME SOFT & CHROME SOFT X BALLS ★ SRIXON Q-STAR TOUR BALL ★ TAYLORMADE TOUR RESPO

// PING HEPPLER PUTTERS The next Anser?

Multi-material construction A steel and pressure-cast aluminium chassis allows Ping engineers to precisely position the centre of gravity in each head to boost forgiveness and deliver an extremely high MOI.

Designing a putter to sell in huge volumes is a hit-and-miss affair. When a brand gets it right and its new model is adopted by Tour pros, who then go on to win tournaments, golfers will buy in droves. Think Odyssey’s 2-Ball, TaylorMade’s Spider and, of course, the Ping Anser. The Arizona-based firm built their brand and reputation on the Anser, but while Ping have achieved plenty of success over the years with countless models, it has been a while since the company created a putter that really captured the golfing public’s imagination and delivered massive sales. Ping say their new Heppler range can hit that spot.

The Heppler line comprises six mallets and two blades, all of which deliver super high MOI performance thanks to an aluminium/stainless steel construction.

Surprisingly, Ping are also turning their back on insert and face groove tech, and instead focusing on delivering a firmer feel and more pleasing sound at impact.

New grip options Every Heppler putter is available with four grip options as standard. The grips vary in shape and size to ensure you get a grip that gives you the perfect fit and feel.

Price: £250-£275 www.ping.com

THE EIGHT HEPPLERS There’s one here to suit every preference.

FETCH

ANSER 2

ZB3

PIPER C

The Fetch has a sneaky high MOI since the putter head has a ballsized hole in the centre. The whole head also fits inside a hole to retrieve a ball without bending.

It’s no surprise to find that the most copied putter design of all time is part of the Heppler line.

A good option for slight arc putting strokes.

A narrow body, short slant hosel design with lots of toe hang. A good fit for strong arc putting strokes. It’s the simplest single dot alignment aid you’ll find.

A centre-shafted mini mallet that’s also available as a longer armlock model. Two white sight lines frame the ball beautifully.

Good for straighter strokes.

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★ PING HEPPLER PUTTERS

Adjustable standard The Heppler is Ping’s second putter family to offer adjustable length shafts as standard. The shafts are stiffer and come in a sleek black chrome finish. Length is adjustable from 32-36 inches.

Bronze/black contrast Colour contrasts can provide visual cues to help refine your alignment. Heppler mixes black and copper with either white sightlines or a black alignment dot to create a distinctive look at address.

TYNE3

FLOKI

KETCH

TOMCAT14

A modern ‘fang’ design that spreads mass and increases stability. A slant neck hosel offers toe hang, which is best suited to slightly arcing strokes.

Just the sort of MOI model that wasn’t available until recently. A short slant hosel means a good amount of toe hang. Ideal if you like to release the putter.

With its wide body, MOI head and bent hosel design, the Ketch suits straight and slight arc putting strokes. Plenty of path and target cues for alignment.

Large MOI putters are a growing trend. Back wings increase forgiveness while the 14-dot alignment system replicates an airport’s runway.

g

20 Golf World 95

NEXT MONTH

THE WAIT IS OVER!

YOUR FULL AND GLORIOUS PREVIEW OF THE 84TH MASTERS TOURNAMENT.

+

DAVID LEADBETTER

One of the game’s most influential coaches opens up on the lessons he’s learned.

THE ART OF THE PAR 3

An ode to the short hole, golf’s truest test of a player’s guile and guts.

OM N SALE ARCH 26

POWER PLAY

Stripe it like Stenson The Swedish star is known as one of the Tour’s ‘flushers’. Here he reveals his key power moves.

Ball-striking has always been the heart and foundation of my game.

I place a great deal of emphasis on creating a consistent and stable address position that enables me to keep everything connected and use the ground as I swing. Over the years, this has created a golf swing that produces powerful and accurate iron shots. Overleaf, I’ll explain what I focus on to strike the ball purely with my irons.

POWER MOVES ★ CHIPPING ★ SWING STUDY ★ PUTTING ★ TOUR INSIGHT ★ FIVE-MINUTE LESSON ★ STRATEGY ★ PUTTING ★ LEARN FROM A LEGEND ★ THE ARCHIVE ★ MENTAL GAME

INSTRUCTION FROM THE GAME’S TOP PLAYERS AND COACHES

POWER MOVES ★ CHIPPING ★ SWING STUDY ★ PUTTING ★ TOUR INSIGHT ★ FIVE-MINUTE LESSON ★ STRATEGY ★ PUTTING

My key thought as I address the ball is to ‘get in and over it’. I do this for one key reason – to maintain the connection between my arms and body during the backswing and downswing. This set-up thought encourages me to tilt my upper body forward enough for my arms to hang freely away from my torso. This gives them the space and room to powerfully load and unload.

In the past, I would stand a little too upright at address, with the result that my arms would end up working too far away from my body during the swing.

Then all kinds of chaos would ensue.

My own personal method for ensuring that I create enough room between my hands and body is to initially address the ball with the clubhead just inside it.

This helps me feel that I’m getting in close to the ball.

BACKSWING “Good posture permits a co-ordinate move away from the ball. Here, my arm are swinging in sync with my bod motion. The worst thing you can do in th takeaway is to let your hands manipulat the face. If you do that to either close o open the face, at some point you will hav to compensate to get the swing back o plane. Instead, get your arms, hands an upper body working together by rotatin your shoulders

‘I try to feel that I make a three-quarter lengthswing’ People often ask me if I change my ball position for different clubs. I really don’t. If I’m hitting a 7-iron, I’ll have it just forward of centre in my stance. If I’m hitting a 4-iron, the ball will be in the same place relative to my left foot, but I’ll move my right foot slightly farther away from the target to create a wider stance. This keeps the base of my swing arc consistent from club to club and from swing to swing.

After that, I’m simply thinking of staying connected in the backswing and trying to ensure that everything arrives at the top together. A good upper body coil helps the swing come to a natural stop with the shoulders loaded over a stable base. I don’t like a lot of hip rotation. For me, a comfortable arm swing is a three-quarter motion. A long and loose move with your arms makes it almost impossible to come back to the ball precisely. A more controlled swing will give you plenty of speed and a more consistent and efficient strike.

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HALFWAY DOWN

“My lower body initiates the downswing. I like to slot into this position before unloading my top half. One of my key swing thoughts is to grind down into the turf with my feet as I transition from backswing to downswing. That gives me the magic combination of stability and power. A split-second later and you’ll see the shaft bisecting my right forearm. That’s the perfect delivery position coming into impact.”

★ LEARN FROM A LEGEND ★ THE ARCHIVE ★ MENTAL GAME

GREENSIN REGULATION

2019 2018

66.11% (118th) 73.51% (1st)

2017 2016

69.07% (5th) 72.1% (1st)

2015 2014

73.52% (1st) 69.03% (6th)

2013

71.96% (1st)

LEARN

CHIPPING

CHIPWITHEVERYCLUB

USE YOUR PUTTING TECHNIQUE WHENEVER YOU CAN

My philosophy on the short game has always been to keep things as simple as possible. That means your thought process any time you find yourself within 60 yards or so of the green, should go something like this: First, ask yourself if you can putt the ball. If you can, then do… always. Your worst putt is likely to be better than a mediocre chip or pitch if the conditions are appropriate. If you can’t putt, consider playing a running chip with a mid-iron. If you can’t stop a running chip, play a lofted chip.

If it’s too far for a lofted chip, then and only then, think about pitching. As a rule, though, you should try to keep wrist action out of your short game technique.

If you can apply putting mechanics to the nine irons in your bag, all of a sudden you have 10 putters in your bag, too. That’s a huge help in gaining consistency.

Your putter is the shortest club with the most upright lie and the flattest face. To get your irons to behave similarly to your putter, you’ll need to replicate the address characteristics. To achieve this, feel as though you pull the club up your sleeve to create the steeper shaft angle. You’ll find that with your sand wedge you hardly have to go down the grip because the club is short. But with a 5-iron, for example, you’ll find your index finger will be near the chrome on the shaft.

– Luther Blacklock is a Master PGA Professional

IMPACT

To turn any club into a putter, pull the grip up your sleeve to steepen the lie angle.

“Better co-ordination gives me extra stability and the confidence to rip it with my arms and hands. Another key focus is to fully release my arms through impact. If you use your upper body too much, you tend to drag the butt of the club through the ball. That’ll send it right every time.”

golfworldtop100.com | April 2020 Golf World 99

POWER MOVES ★ CHIPPING ★ SWING STUDY ★ PUTTING ★ TOUR INSIGHT ★ FIVE-MINUTE LESSON ★ STRATEGY ★ PUTTING

SWING STUDY: XANDER SCHAUFFELE

THE AMERICAN’S FLUID GOLF SWING DISGUISES A FEROCIOUS UNLEASHING OF POWER If you glance at Xander Schauffele’s driving stats, you probably wouldn’t guess that he stands at 5ft 10in and weighs a little over 170lbs. In 2019, he averaged 304 yards off the tee – good enough to rank 24th on Tour. So where does the power come from?

While many golfers swing ‘through’ the ball, Schauffele was

taught by his father and coach, Stefan, to think about impact like hammering a nail. “My dad had me hammer nails to understand the concept,” Schauffele says. Schauffele Sr also taught his son to swing on a very wide arc and to push down – or ‘squat’ – into the ground with his thighs to amplify the power of the strike.

ADDRESS

BACKSWING

AT THE TOP

COMING DOWN

Xander’s posture at address can be described as ‘sturdy’.

His spine angle is a little more upright than that of, say, Rory McIlroy, and he stands further away from the ball, too. Overall, though, it’s difficult to find fault.

Width, width and more width, please! Halfway back, both of Xander’s arms are still almost fully extended.

The right elbow, in particular, remains high and there’s minimal wrist action. This is a strong player’s move only.

Backswings don’t get much better. Clubface at 45-degrees, elbows level, hands above the right shoulder and knees retaining their address flex. It ticks all the right boxes. It’s difficult to hit a bad shot from here.

Talk about getting onto your front foot early! Xander’s left hip has just started to clear, yet his weight is already transferring off his right foot. The American is only slightly built. This move explains his power.

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★ LEARN FROM A LEGEND ★ THE ARCHIVE ★ MENTAL GAME

HOT

STATS AT A GLANCE SCORING AVG: 69.24 (8th) BIRDIE AVG: 4.89 (4th)

COLD

GREENS IN REG%: 75 (10th) SAND SAVE%: 62.50 (20th) DRIVING ACC%: 66.67 (50th) DRIVING DIST: 300 yards (80th)

LEARN

Putting

STARTPUTTSONLINE USE AN ALIGNMENT GUIDE FOR PEACE OF MIND

There aren’t too many players on the European Tour these days who don’t incorporate some type of alignment aid on their golf ball – whether that’s hand drawn, or part of the ball’s paintwork or design. My preferred alignment guide is the simplest and most common of all – a straight black line. I draw one on every ball I use – in practice and out on the course in tournaments.

For me, it’s all about peace of mind, especially on those three- or four-footers where confidence is absolutely everything. I want to know that I’m going to start the ball rolling on my chosen line every single time. The European Tour stats tell us that holing putts from three to 12ft is the most important factor when it comes to good scoring. Having a line on my ball helps me accurately line up putts within that range every time. It’s reassuring to know I have one less thing to think about once I’m over the ball. I can trust where that line is pointing as I get into my address position and set the putter head down square to that line.

You can learn a lot from watching the line as your ball rolls. The line will stay straight as the ball rolls end over end if you’ve struck it out the middle of a square face. If the line is wobbling, it tells you your face wasn’t square or you’ve not hit it out of the centre of the face.

I advise you to go through your pre-shot routine and use the line for every putt in practice. It might take a little more time, but it will stop you being lazy in practice and it will groove the routine so that putts on the course don’t feel any different.

– Lee Slattery is a European Tour Professional

IMPACT The epitome of the modern power swing. Xander’s hips are almost facing the target at the point of impact. It’s a young person’s move, for sure, but it reinforces the point that if you want distance, you need fast hips and a very active lower body.

Learn from watching your alignment aid as your ball rolls. It will stay straight as the ball rolls end over end if your strike was out the middle of a square face.

golfworldtop100.com | April 2020 Golf World 101

POWER MOVES ★ CHIPPING ★ SWING STUDY ★ PUTTING ★ TOUR INSIGHT ★ FIVE-MINUTE LESSON ★ STRATEGY ★ PUTTING

JAMIE DONALDSON

PITCHING PERFECTION

The affable Welshman became the hero of a nation and a continent when he stiffed a 146-yard wedge on the final day of the 2014 Ryder Cup to set up a tap-in birdie and help Europe regain the trophy. He explains how you can pitch it closer, too.

FOCUS ON YOUR NEXT SHOT

“My approach shot into the 15th green on the final day of the 2014 Ryder Cup was ‘only’ a pitching wedge, but the circumstances made it a shot I’ll never tire of talking about.

At the time, there were lots of people building around my group but I was just trying to concentrate on what I was doing. That’s the first lesson – focus on the next shot you face, no matter what’s going on around you.

Clear your mind of complicated swing thoughts and the pressure of the situation – and focus on the fundamentals of the shot.”

SET UP AS YOU MEAN TO FINISH

“My set-up is pretty standard, but it needs to be right. I like the ball a hair back of centre in my stance and my hands a hint ahead, so the shaft leans ever so slightly towards the target.”

TAKE A SHALLOW CUT OF TURF

“My set-up helps to produce the shallow divot I want to see with this shot. If you position the ball way back in your stance, which a lot of amateurs do, it encourages a steeper path into impact and a deep divot.

That leads to all types of heavy contact and inconsistent distance control. I actually want to take a nice smooth cut of turf through the ball.”

CREATE GOOD PICTURES TO HIT GOOD GOLF SHOTS VISUALISATION IS A KEY TO PLAYING GREAT GOLF, SAYS PGA TOUR STAR JUSTIN ROSE “Good golf is generally around seeing good pictures, and being able to react to those images. People often think of me as a very technical player when I’m rehearsing my swing. However, I’m nearly always rehearsing a specific feel. I’m not stepping through conscious positions or moves. I’m trying to create the overall movement to support the picture of the shot that I’ve seen in my mind. It’s always just good self-talk, telling yourself a good story all the time. Simple, but you’ve got to do it.”

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CONTROL YOUR BACKSWING “I don’t really have any specific swing thoughts - there’s no secret pitching move! It’s just good, solid fundamentals and a smooth swing.

That’s the secret to good wedge play.

Look at the world’s top players with a wedge in their hands. They never force the issue. Their rhythm on these shots is so fluid and smooth.”

HOLD THAT FINISH “I don’t just pose the finish position for the cameras! It is part of the swing. How you finish reflects what has happened before. Focusing on finishing in balance will help you swing with good tempo and rhythm.

A wedge shot is a precision shot.

Never thrash at it. Swing with positive intent, but don’t throw yourself at it.”

KNOW YOUR ‘REAL’ YARDAGES “I hit a good drive down the 15th and, with it being downwind, it left my perfect wedge yardage of 146. I could be aggressive with that swing simply because I know my distances. Do you know yours? Do you know how far you hit each club, with a half, threequarter and full swing – and with each wedge? With that knowledge, you have all the pitching yardages covered. Then you just need to focus on making a good contact.”

★ LEARN FROM A LEGEND ★ THE ARCHIVE ★ MENTAL GAME

LEARN

STRATEGY A SHORT PAR 4 STILL REQUIRES STRATEGY A short par-4 like the 18th at St Andrews still demands respect.

POINT 1 It’s easy to aimlessly

smash your tee shot when you’ve got such a wide target to hit, but that’s when you get into trouble.

Apply the same focus as any other tee shot. Pick a specific target, visualise the shot and commit to its execution.

POINT 2 You want the easiest

angle into the flag for your second shot, especially if there’s a tricky feature like the Valley of Sin in play. Decide where you want to play your second shot from and hit your tee shot into that position.

Allow enough margin for error that your usual miss will still be OK.

POINT 3 The pin position

dictates how aggressive you can be. If it’s close to a hazard, you play to the safe side of the flag, especially if you’re not hitting a full shot so won’t be able to generate the height or spin you need to stop the ball quickly.

FIVE-MINUTE LESSON

– Geoff Ogilvy is the 2006 US Open Champion

SERGIO GARCIA

3

The Spanish Ryder Cup hero and 2017 Masters champion is renowned as one of the game’s premier ball-strikers. We quizzed him for a few pointers that we could use.

GW You’re known for the huge ‘lag’ you create in your downswing? How do you do it?

SG: “Anytime I see an analysis of my swing on TV or in a golf magazine, I can guarantee the observer will always reference the amount of lag I create in my downswing. I’m often asked how I create it, but in all honesty it’s just one part of a chain of downswing movements that start when I drop my hands and rotate my hips to initiate my move towards the ball. If you want to take anything from my swing, look at my hips and see how open (aiming left) they are at impact (above). That’s the key to my ball striking.”

2

GW What is the next stage of your practice putting routine?

SG: “My focus is maintaining my smooth tempo and staying down through the shot, so the ball launches straight and I finish in a balanced position. It’s really nothing more complicated than that, to be honest.”

GW Do you prefer a backswing or downswing thought to keep your swing on track?

1

SG: “I don’t really have any backswing thoughts. The only thing I consciously focus on is starting the downswing by feeling like I’m pulling a chain down with both hands. I make sure my right arm stays connected to my body to stay on plane and to deliver maximum pressure on the ball through impact.”

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POWER MOVES ★ CHIPPING ★ SWING STUDY ★ PUTTING ★ TOUR INSIGHT ★ FIVE-MINUTE LESSON ★ STRATEGY ★ PUTTING

FROM OUR ARCHIVE

TOMMY HORTON 1987 “Tilting the shoulders and hips is a common cause of swaying. Many golfers believe it creates a wider swing, but too much lateral movement inhibits the swinging of the club.”

GARY PLAYER 1993 “Golf is played from 100 yards and in. Surely it makes sense to have the equipment you need from those distances, but a lot of people don’t – and that amazes me. ”

LEARN FROM A LEGEND BYRON NELSON’S TIMELESS ELEGANCE Byron Nelson was one of the most graceful and elegant golfers of his time – of any time, in fact. There’s so much to admire and enjoy in this photograph, taken on the practice range at Augusta National in the 1950s. And the golf swing is only a part of it. For a start, although Nelson is not wearing his usual trademark sweater, his polo shirt is neatly buttoned all the way to the top. He has the deep baseball cap of the time with the cord resting above the peak. His tailored trousers are perfectly creased and he’s sporting a pair of pristine black-and-white brogues without the kiltie. The image captures a beautiful moment in time.

Even though modern swing theory has evolved greatly during the past few decades, there’s still so much to learn from Nelson’s classic fundamentals. You can see here that his left arm is in perfect line with the ball, that his right elbow is soft and that his grip is as pure as the driven snow. His weight has rolled calmly onto the outside of his right foot and his head, neck, spine, and even his tie, are all in perfect alignment. With just a handful of balls on the ground, he has just ‘bruised’ the turf with the flange of the club through impact.

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NICK FALDO 2006 “With a buried lie close to the flag, I play the ball back, rest the back of my right hand on my knee, cock my wrists parallel to the ground and then drop the club on the ball.”

★ LEARN FROM A LEGEND ★ THE ARCHIVE ★ MENTAL GAME

LEARN

Always focus on the target, not the trophy TO NAVIGATE THOSE TOURNAMENT NERVES AND PLAY WELL ON THE BIG OCCASIONS, FOCUS ON YOUR PROCESS GOALS INSTEAD OF SCORES AND OUTCOMES

N

erves are good. They make us excited and up for the challenge ahead. They help us focus and pump performance driven chemicals around our body.

Some golfers use nerves really well.

Whenever Tiger Woods is asked about them, he’ll say he is nervous in every tournament. But he sees them as positive and that they show he cares. “The day I don’t get nervous is the day I quit,” he says.

But for other golfers, nerves are negative and often debilitating. In response, they tense up, feel nauseous or upset and their inner voice starts telling them over and over again that they shouldn’t be anywhere near the golf course.

Nerves are often described as butterflies in your stomach. They indicate how ‘activated’ you are.

This activation affects muscle tension, fatigue and co-ordination, heart rate, adrenaline and cortisol levels. Importantly for golfers, the activation impacts our attention, concentration and visual search patterns – all vital to play at our best. When we ‘over-activate’, however, our nerves cause anxiety, which tightens our muscles and reduces our confidence and co-ordination.

Not only does this anxiety cause headaches and nausea, it can create a strong negative inner voice that pushes us to focus on tasks that are unrelated to the tournament ahead of us. None of this helps with performance.

The trick is to get those butterflies flying in formation, so that our nerves are in anticipation of excitement rather than a stressful situation. When we achieve that, we will be ‘psyched up’, fully aware of our surroundings and focused on each hole. This is your zone of optimal functioning.

To find your zone, you need to get really self-aware of how you are feeling before each event

Two tips to beat the nerves 1

Get your body into a power pose with shoulders back, chest forwards, feet firmly planted and apart. It increases oxygen intake and helps your head feel more in control.

2

Focus on a mastery goal for your tournament. An outcome goal can be influenced by things outside your control but if you aim to master a skill or a specific hole, you’ll feel more in control.

and to reflect afterwards how it impacted your performance. Once you spot some positive correlations, you can incorporate them into your pre-tee-off routines.

When you fall below your optimal zone, it is often because you don’t care enough. In this situation, you might find it hard to keep your mind on the golf or the task at hand. When you go above your optimal zone, it is usually a result of focusing on the trophy – the score you might achieve, the impact it could have on our handicap or the competitors you might be able to beat.

However, to perform at your very best, you have to shift your focus away from outcomes and instead develop mastery-orientated thinking. That means paying attention to process goals rather than outcome goals. Then you can go into each tournament with the aim of nailing a skill you have been working on, pushing through when you feel like quitting, or wanting to learn something about yourself so you can improve in the future.

Each of these processes gives you a positive task to focus on and takes the pressure away from ‘winning’.

To boost your chances of keeping your eye on the target, use a pre-tee-off routine. It should capture the full 24 hours before the tournament and, ideally, cover equipment, nutrition, travel, parking, sleep, gadgets, timings, mental practice and warm up.

Practising this for every tournament will ingrain it over time, so that you can feel confident of getting into your zone of optimal functioning.

Then your butterflies can fly in perfect formation!

- Dr Josephine Perry is a sport psychologist at Performance in Mind. performanceinmind.co.uk

golfworldtop100.com | April 2020 Golf World 105

TOUR INSIDER 2020 PRESENTED BY

WELCOME TO #TEAMCALLAWAY MATT WALLACE LEADS AN ALL-STAR LINE-UP WHO WILL PLAY CALLAWAY ON THE EUROPEAN TOUR IN 2020.

F

our-time European Tour winner Matt Wallace has been joined by Oliver Fisher, Adrian Otaegui and Guido Migliozzi as Callaway strengthens their player presence on the European Tour in 2020. Wallace is one of the game’s rising stars, comfortably ranked in the world’s top 50.

The 29-year-old kicked off his 2020 season in Abu Dhabi,

WHAT’S IN MATT’S BAG DRIVER Callaway MAVRIK Sub Zero 9°, Rogue Silver 130 70g shaft FAIRWAY Callaway MAVRIK Sub Zero 15°, Rogue Silver 130 70g shaft IRONS Callaway Apex Pro, Nippon 120 X flex shafts WEDGES Callaway MD5 JAWS 60°, 55°, 50°, Nippon 120 X flex shafts PUTTER Odyssey prototype

106 Golf World April 2020 | golfworldtop100.com

putting the new MAVRIK Driver and Fairway Woods straight into play. MAVRIK Drivers feature Callaway’s new Flash Face designed by A.I., with a more expansive area that delivers ultra-fast ball speeds working in conjunction with Callaway’s proven Jailbreak Technology.

He will also use a host of other market-leading Callaway products including the new

JAWS MD5 Wedges in 50°, 55° and 60° degree lofts. The wedges feature the new JAWS Groove and Groove-in-Groove Technology, to deliver excellent spin and control around the greens. He said: “I’ve been a Callaway fan since I was young, so it’s a thrill and an honour to become a member of the Callaway tour staff. I can’t wait to start working with

Callaway’s tour team to get my new equipment dialled in.”

Wallace turned pro in 2012 and has risen rapidly, winning five consecutive Alps Tour events in 2016 to secure fulltime European Tour status.

He’s also made a big impact on the PGA Tour with a T3 at the PGA Championship, T12 at the US Open and T6 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH TOUR INSIDER FOR NEWS, INTERVIEWS, COMPETITIONS & MORE...

Visit www.todaysgolfer.co.uk every Wednesday

OLIVER FISHER

The first player to shoot 59 on the European Tour has also joined #TeamCallaway for 2020.

Oli Fisher – who made history at the 2018 Portugal Masters with a blemish-free round containing an incredible 10 birdies and an eagle – qualified for the European Tour while still an amateur in 2006, becoming the youngest Brit to win a Tour card. He went on to win his first title at the 2011 Czech Open.

WHAT’S IN OLI’S BAG DRIVER Callaway MAVRIK Sub Zero 9°, Aldila, Rogue 130 Silver 70-X shaft FAIRWAYS Callaway MAVRIK 13.5°; MAVRIK Sub Zero 18° IRONS Callaway Apex MB 4-9 WEDGES Callaway JAWS MD5 46°, 52°, 56°, 60° PUTTER Odyssey Toulon San Diego

@CallawayGolfEurope @TodaysGolferBauer

@CallawayGolfEU @TheTodaysGolfer

GUIDO MIGLIOZZI

Guido, a 2018 Q-School graduate, enjoyed a sensational start to his rookie 2019 European Tour season, winning both the Magical Kenya Open and the Belgian Knockout.

He said: “Callaway are one of the biggest golf brands in the world and have a great reputation on Tour.

I’m looking forward to putting my new bag of clubs into competitive play as I start the next stage of my life on Tour and build on last season’s successes.”

WHAT’S IN GUIDO’S BAG DRIVER Callaway MAVRIK Sub Zero 9°, Graphite Design, Tour AD DI 6-X shaft FAIRWAYS Callaway MAVRIK 15°, MAVRIK Sub Zero 18° IRONS Callaway Apex Pro ‘19 4-PW WEDGES Callaway JAWS MD5 50°, 54°, 58° PUTTER Odyssey Toulon San Diego BALL Callaway Chrome Soft X

@callawaygolfeu @ odaysgolfer

ADRIAN OTAEGUI

The 27-year-old Spaniard, who won the 2017 Paul Lawrie Matchplay and the 2018 Belgian Knockout, will now play a full bag of Callaway and Odyssey products. Adrian also starts 2020 as a new ambassador for TravisMathew – one of the fastest growing apparel brands in the world. Inspired by southern California style and culture, TravisMathew make premier men’s clothing for both work and play, for on-course and off. Owned by Callaway Golf, TravisMathew also became an Official Partner of the PGA European Tour last year.

WHAT’S IN ADRIAN’S BAG DRIVER Callaway Epic Flash Sub Zero 8.5°, Mitsubishi Chemical, Tensei AV 65-X shaft IRONS Callaway Apex Pro ‘19 4-6; Apex MB 7-PW WEDGES Callaway JAWS MD5 50°, 58°, 61° PUTTER Odyssey Stroke Lab #10

“I LIKE THE LOOKS AND I HAVE PICKED UP 2MPH OF BALL SPEED SO IT CARRIES FURTHER” KIRADECH APHIBARNRAT ON HIS NEW MAVRIK DRIVER

golfworldtop100.com | April 2020 Golf World 107

BRANDNEWANDINTHEBAGFOR2020

#TEAMCALLAWAY GIVE THEIR VIEWS ON THE GEAR THEY’RE PLAYING IN 2020.

NEW MAVRIK DRIVERS BRANDEN GRACE “I love the sound, it feels hot and the numbers have been great, so it has gone straight into the bag.”

Erik van Rooyen “It’s a beautiful club.

I love the way it sits on the ground and really like the sound.”

GUIDO MIGLIOZZI “The driver is very good. It’s very consistent, easy to control and it’s easy to hit fairways with it.”

OLI FISHER “It’s gone straight into the bag for me. It sits great and I can shape it really easily.”

KIRADECH APHIBARNRAT “I like the looks and I have picked up 2mph of ball speed, so it carries further.”

THOMAS DETRY “I’ve been hitting it far and I’ve been hitting it straight! It is really, really stable and I love it.”

RRP: £469 www.callawaygolf.com

NEW ODYSSEY PUTTERS

OLI FISHER “I line the ball up anyway and I am pretty good at it, but in testing with the Triple Track it showed that I’m a lot more consistent.”

ADRIAN ORTAEGUI “I’ve just put the Stroke Lab 10 into a play and I love it. I feel like the No.10 keeps the face square and I get a great roll from the new insert.”

MIKE LORENZO-VERA “I have always putted with a blade, but the Stroke Lab 10 is so well balanced, it has helped me stop controlling the clubface. The putter returns

Triple Track. RRP: £239-£269 www.odysseygolf.com

NEW CHROME SOFT X BALL DAVID HORSEY “It’s awesome. It’s qui tough to make a big leap in performance this day and age, but this ball does it. I ha gained 2-3mph more ball speed.”

JAMES MORRISON “I have gained about 2mph ball speed on the driver and the spin is amazing, it’s so consistent.”

THOMAS DETRY “It’s better in the win and around the green I love the feel.”

108 Golf World April 2020 | golfworldtop100.com

£39.99 callawaygolf.com

TOUR INSIDER 2020 PRESENTED BY

Q&A ERIK VAN ROOYEN The European Tour star reveals his musical talent, how out of touch he is with supermarket prices, and the one pro-am partner who left him speechless.

1. What’s your biggest achievement/disappointment?

Biggest achievement obviously was winning [the Scandinavian Invitation] in Sweden. Biggest disappointment, jeez, I don’t think there are many. I feel privileged to be a professional golfer playing on the European Tour. Who wouldn’t be?

2. The course you’d pay to play...

Goodness, let me think. For some reason, Carnoustie sticks in my mind. I love that place.

3. How did you spend your first big pay cheque?

On petrol to go to the next event!

9. Who would play you in a movie of your life?

Zach Efron would be a pretty good choice.

4. Most extravagant purchase?

I bought my wife a Rolex for her birthday last year.

10. What’s the last box set you binge-watched?

That would be Peaky Blinders.

5. Who’s the most famous person in your phonebook?

It’s either Rory or Ernie.

11. What one song gets you on the dancefloor without fail?

We were in Prague and went to this place which played ’60s music. Good ’60s pop is pretty fun and that always gets me up and dancing.

6. The last time you were star struck?

Probably during the Open at Carnoustie, seeing Tiger walk up to the range. I haven’t played with him yet, but I’d probably prefer to do it in a social setting and pick his brains a little bit.

7. What’s your hidden talent?

I play guitar but I don’t keep it a secret. I played in a band and we played anything from acoustic style to hard rock.

8. Who’s the biggest ladies’ man on tour?

Robert Rock. He’s pretty smooth.

12. What’s your nickname on tour?

I don’t have one, unless there’s one I don’t know about. My friends back in the US call me Freddie, because my full name is actually Frederick.

13. Describe yourself in three words Tall, dark and... handsome.

14. What’s your signature dish?

A good, South African braai [similar to a barbecue].

ERIK VAN ROOYEN IN PROFILE Turned pro in 2013, but had to wait until October 2017 before he earned his European Tour card.

Ended his rookie season 38th on the Race to Dubai.

Claimed the 150th European Tour win by a South African in Sweden at the 2019 Scandinavian Masters.

Van Rooyen now boasts a win apiece on the European Tour, Challenge Tour and Sunshine Tour. A T12 in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship has taken him into the world’s top 50.

15. Do you know how much a pint of milk costs?

I’ve no idea. Who drinks a pint of milk? I don’t know, £2?

16. Best pro-am story?

One of my first years as a pro, I rocked up to a pro-am in South Africa and I was on the tee. A guy showed up and started unwrapping the plastic off his clubs. It was his first ever time playing golf. It was an interesting day to say the least. After about two holes in, I was like, “I’m done searching for balls”.

17. Should the European Tour implement a shot clock at every tournament?

No, because I don’t think it’s necessary. The way the Tour is handling it is actually really good and pace of play has actually picked up a lot as a Tour anyway.

18. And finally, your dream fourball would be...

Dave Grohl from Foo Fighters, Simon Neil from Biffy Clyro, and my dad. That would be cool.

golfworldtop100.com | April 2020 Golf World 109

THE WINNERS LIST The men and women taking home silverware since our last issue.

Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship European Tour Abu Dhabi GC, January 16-19 Champion: Lee Westwood, €1,047,741.36 Omega Dubai Desert Classic European Tour Emirates GC, January 23-26 Champion: Lucas Herbert, €490,323.18 Farmers Insurance Open PGA Tour Torrey Pines North & South, January 23-26 Champion: Marc Leishman, $1,350,000 Gainbridge LPGA LPGA Tour Boca Rio GC, January 23-26 Champion: Madalene Sagstrom, $300,000 Waste Management Phoenix Open PGA Tour TPC Scottsdale, January 30-Feb 2 Champion: Webb Simpson, $1,314,000 Saudi International European Tour Royal Greens GCC, January 30-February 2 Champion: Graeme McDowell, €529,337.57

‘I HAVE TO SAY I’M PRETTY PROUD OF WINNING EUROPEAN TOUR EVENTS IN FOUR DIFFERENT DECADES. THERE’S LIFE IN THE OLD DOG YET!’ LEE WESTWOOD

ISPS Handa Vic Open European Tour 13th Beach Golf Links, February 5-9 Champion: Min Woo Lee, €162,915.90 ISPS Handa Vic Open LPGA Tour 13th Beach Golf Links, February 5-9 Champion: Hee Young Park, €162,915.90 Pebble Beach Pro-Am PGA Tour Monterey Peninsula Shore, Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, February 6-9 Champion: Nick Taylor, $1,404,000

RACETODUBAI 1. Lee Westwood 2. Lucas Herbert 3. Graeme McDowell 4. Victor Perez 5. Tommy Fleetwood

FEDEXCUPSTANDINGS 1,183.2pts 802.0pts 710.0pts 604.5pts 592.0pts

110 Golf World April 2020 | golfworldtop100.com

1. Justin Thomas 2. Webb Simpson 3. Brendon Todd 4. Lanto Griffin 5. Sebastian Munoz

RACETOCMEGLOBE STANDINGS 1,307pts 1,078pts 1,041pts 965pts 914pts

1. Nasa Hataoka 2. Madelene Sagstrom 3. Hee Young Park 4. Gaby Lopez 5. Inbee Park

600pts 551pts 508pts 500pts 323pts

TOUR INSIDER 2020 PRESENTED BY

THEDIARY

Key events for the month ahead.

Feb 27-March 1 The Honda Classic PGA Tour PGA National (Champion), Palm Beach Gardens, Florida Purse: $7,000,000 Oman Open European Tour Al Mouj Golf, Muscat, Oman Purse: $1,750,000 HSBC Women’s World Championship LPGA Sentosa GC, Singapore Purse: $1,500,000

Purse: €1,100,000 Investec South African Women’s Open LET Westlake Golf Club, South Africa Purse: €200,000 March 19-22 Valspar Championship PGA Tour Innisbrook Resort, Palm Harbor, Florida Purse: $6,900,000

Women’s NSW Open LET Dubbo Golf Club, Australia Purse: €210,000

Hero Indian Open European Tour DLF G&CC, New Delhi, India Purse: $1,750,000

March 5-8 Arnold Palmer Invitational PGA Tour Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando Purse: $9,300,000

The Saudi Ladies Championship LET Royal Greens Golf & Country Club, Saudi Arabia Purse: $1,000,000

March 12-15 The Players Championship PGA Tour TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida Purse: $15,000,000

Volvik Founders Cup LPGA Wildfire GC, Phoenix, Arizona Purse: $1,500,000

Magical Kenya Open European Tour Karen CC, Nairobi

Brooks Koepka will be targeting a quick return to World No.1.

March 25-29 WGC Dell Technologies Match Play PGA & European Tour, Austin Country Club, Austin, Texas Purse: $10,500,000

OFFICIALWORLDGOLF RANKING Name

Ave. points

Total pts

1. Rory McIlroy

9.1870

440.98

2. Brooks Koepka 3. Jon Rahm

9.1555 8.6661

384.53 407.31

4. Justin Thomas 5. Dustin Johnson

7.6319 6,9073

358.70 290.11

ROLEX RANKINGS Name 1. Jin Young Ko 2. Sung Hyun Park 3. Nelly Korda 4. Nasa Hataoka 5. Danielle Kang

Ave. points 8.52 5.99 5.94 5.57 5.55

Total pts 434.68 281.55 267.39 284.01 266.18

CURRENTRYDER CUP R NKINGS

Rory McIlroy defends his Players Championship title next month.

USA 1. Brooks Koepka 2. Dustin Johnston 3. Webb Simpson 4. Xander Schauffele 5. Gary Woodland 6. Tiger Woods 7. Tony Finau 8. Justin Thomas + 4 captain’s picks

3817.38pts 3240.0pts 2635.75pts 2298.44pts 2134.41pts 2111.32pts 1908.32pts 1853.34pts 1774.79pts

5647.

3571.0 3186.7 3049 2997.

2646.

2523.

2367.1

All stats correct as of February 14.

Europe 1. Tommy Fleetwood 2. Jon Rahm 3. Victor Perez 4. Rory McIlroy 5. Matthew Fitzpatrick 6. Bernd Wiesberger 7. Danny Willett 8. Tyrrell Hatton 9. Lee Westwood + 3 captain’s picks

golfworldtop100.com | April 2020 Golf World 111

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THE FINAL SAY

JOHN HUGGAN

Whyhas it taken ourrules-makers solong to admit theyscrewed up?

M

y initial reaction to the long-awaited results of the “Distance Insights Project” initiated by the R&A and the United States Golf Association was one of pleasure.

Finally, the message was getting through. Finally, the blue-blazer brigade was listening. And finally, some acknowledgement of what everyone involved in the game knows: Allowing Tour professionals to hit turbo-charged golf balls with frying-pan drivers might appeal to the loud-mouths who yell mindless inanities like “mashed potatoes,” but the reality is that longer and longer drives are a cancer in the game at the top level.

My second thoughts were a little darker. “Angry” might be too strong a description of my mood; “frustrated” not quite enough. Why, when the dire implications have been so obvious for so many years, has it taken the self-appointed rules-makers so long to admit they screwed-up? Are their egos so massive that their own reputations have until now mattered more than the future of our great game? Sadly, the answer to that second question has to be “yes.” Had, say, 15 years ago, the R&A and the USGA publicly conceded that the boffins working for the equipment companies were smarter than their own men in white coats, many of golf’s greatest stadiums would have been saved from the obsolescence in which they currently languish.

Think about it. What other sport has so cravenly protected its apparatus at the expense of its venues? Tennis slowed the ball. The javelin was reined in. Cricket and baseball banned metal bats. But golf has done the opposite.

In order to appease the brand names on the clubs and balls we all use, our not-so brave leaders allowed our most storied courses to either disappear completely from the professional game or be reduced to not much more than pitch-and-putt.

They should be ashamed of themselves.

Of course, not everyone feels this way. There are those – Phil Mickelson is one – who think the increases in driving distances have nothing to do with the modern equipment.

These misguided souls claim that it’s the time pros spend in the gym that’s responsible for the explosion in yardage.

Others shift the narrative by pointing out that they have never heard a “recreational” golfer say they are about to quit because they are hitting the ball too far. Give me strength.

Part of the problem is that the aforementioned blazers are obsessed with the notion that amateurs and professionals

114 Golf World April 2020 | golfworldtop100.com

must play by the same rules. “Bifurcation” – different regulations for each code – is an anathema to these noble individuals. But by doing what amounts to nothing in their feeble attempts to control distance, the authorities have actually created the bifurcation they find so repugnant.

The game played by us recreational types has never been more divorced from that practised by professionals.

Besides, golf has already seen a “rollback” of distance.

There is nothing to be afraid of. In the early 1980s, every golfer on the planet – except (significantly) those in the United States – was 20-yards shorter when we switched from the 1.62in diameter ball to the 1.68in. Maybe I missed it, but there was no massive rush to give up golf because it was suddenly “too difficult.”

Besides (2), the horrible truth is that the majority of amateurs wouldn’t notice the tiny decrease in yardage an overall roll-back would cause. But, just to reassure everyone, the R&A and USGA should publish a chart showing how much distance every clubhead speed between, say, 80mph and 110mph would actually lose.

And besides (3), if the R&A’s and USGA’s track record is anything to go by, nothing is happening any time soon.

My suspicion, though, is that the 2021 Open Championship at St. Andrews might just be the tipping point in this saga. Given nice weather, the prospect of multiple rounds in the high 50s over golf’s most famous venue is real. That really would make me angry.

John Huggan follows the PGA and European Tours. He is the author of seven books and has written for Golf World since 1992.

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