Golf Digest Middle East - May 2022

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MAY / 2022

SETTING SUN

Southern Hills marks a new era of more dynamic major-championship setups (the par-4 fourth).

4 Editor’s Letter Old faces and new as Tiger Woods continues to grab the spotlight. by matt smith

The Starter 6 Yas Acres Golf & Country Club UAE’s newest arrival is in the swing and ready to roll day and night.

cover: jesse rieser

Mind / Body 8 Undercover Caddie Did I make a colossal mistake becoming a looper on tour? with joel beall

10 Keeping it All in Line A fine balancing act can be the difference between success and failure off the tee. by matthew brookes

12 LIV To Go Live Series takes huge strides as Trump course signs up for finale.

better from tee to green.

by patrick reed

48 Beat First-Tee Jitters Adjust your focus to get your round off to a good start. by michael breed

66 The Fringe Former tennis star Mardy Fish talks golf and mental wellness.

Hot List

Part 4

by scottie scheffler with matthew rudy

32 What’s in My Bag Scottie Scheffler.

by matt smith

46 Succeed from the Sand The long and short of good bunker play.

by alex myers photograph by brian oar

Features

14 Play It Forward Golf in the UAE is in safe hands thanks to a new pledge from the European Tour Group to develop the game from the ground up.

34 Spacious & Audacious Southern Hills, site of the PGA Championship, he second major of the year, will play nothing like the tree-lined brute of the past.

by matt smith

by derek duncan

20 Next Level From US Junior Amateur champion to No. 1 on the World Golf Ranking, this has been my plan to keep getting

42 Get In The Groove Bigger is better for eGolf Megastore with branch expansion, new technology and J.Lindeberg launch.

51 Wedges Grooves are sharper than ever, but the options will really give your short game new bite.

56 Mallet Putters The winners reveal new ways to improve aim and alignment, forgive your mishits and roll it truer.

62 Blade Putters These old-school shapes offer a modern take on precision without losing the famous feel.

by matt smith may 2022

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EDITOR’S LE TTER

Old faces and new Golf Digest Middle East enters new era

By Matt Smith

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T IS WITH GREAT excitement and honour that I take over the helm of such a prodigious title as Golf Digest Middle East, and hope to continue the journey we have all enjoyed under my editorial predecessors Kent Gray and Robbie Greenfield.

These are no small shoes to fill as we have charted the growth of the game over 13 years and 154 editions of the Middle East’s No. 1 golf publication. We will be part of plenty more to come as golf continues to break new ground in the UAE, Middle East and further afield.

More about the ‘new’ soon, but let’s begin with the ‘old’ and familiar, as timely as it is to my own journey thus far.

It is somewhat appropriate that my arrival at Golf Digest Middle East sees the spotlight in the sport dominated by one man — and it isn’t the one that won the Masters title and the famous green at Augusta National in April. Instead it is the man that already has five golf’s most sought-after garments hanging up at home.

The guy who had fans clamouring for a glimpse of his practice-round swing as part of a record-breaking Masters Monday crowd was one of the reasons I got into the sport.

He has been hitting fairways, greens and — sometimes shocking — headlines ever since, and well before I first saw him play at the Open Championship at Royal Troon way back in 1997, when I was a beginning to find my way as a young(ish) hack.

Of course, I am referring to Tiger Woods as he once again proved why he is simply in a world of his own on and off the course, just by managing to tee it up at the 86th edition of the Masters last month. Tiger — a man who has made a career out of defying the odds — staged arguably his most astounding chapter yet when he carded a oneunder-par 71 on Masters Thursday, only 408 days after he almost lost his legs and his life in a horrendous car crash in Los Angeles.

When Tiger claimed his fifth Masters title and 15th major in staggering style in

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2019 following a series of near-career-ending operations on his spine and creaking legs, the question was who, if anyone, could ever top such a comeback.

Well, there simply was only one man who could, and that was Tiger himself.

Even lining up over that first tee shot on the first hole last month on legs that now seem to be more metal than flesh and bone is an astounding achievement in itself, let alone making the cut while honed athletes half his age and less were packing their bags after round two.

Following his 12-over weekend and a 47th-place finish, the six-deep crowds around the 18th were something we usually only witnessed for the outright winner.

That says something about Woods’ longevity with the dedicated fans as well as his own body.

Following the Augusta frenzy, Tiger will go back to his more secluded lifestyle, work on strengthening his legs further and await the next circus, perhaps at the US Open or Open Championship. With a quiet schedule and cherry-picked events ahead of the remaining majors this year — including at a happy hunting ground on the Old Course at St Andrews — who is to say the old cat is done just yet?

And on to the ‘new’. We are also witnessing an exciting time closer to home with the next generation. Dubai-based youngsters Josh Hill and Toby Bishop are about to embark on their own journey, breaking new ground for the region, thanks to golf scholarships at the University of Tennessee and University of Florida respectively. We are also watching the emergence of a host of promising Saudi youngsters including Faisal Salhab and Saud Al Shariff, who are making great strides.

As Josh showed at the recent UAE Swing, it seems we are getting ever closer to crowning our own locally created champions.

So as Golf Digest enters a new era, it seems our next generation of hopes from the UAE and beyond are striking out on their own, too.

matthew.smith@motivate.ae @mattjosmith / @golfdigestme

editor-in- chief Obaid Humaid Al Tayer managing partner & group editor Ian Fairservice editor Matt Smith art director Clarkwin Cruz editorial assistant Londresa Flores instruction editors Luke Tidmarsh, Euan Bowden, Tom Ogilvie, Matthew Brookes, Lea Pouillard, Alex Riggs chief commercial officer Anthony Milne publisher David Burke gener al manager - production S. Sunil Kumar assistant production manager Binu Purandaran t h e g o l f d i g e s t p u b l i c at i o n s editor-in- chief Jerry Tarde director, business development & partnerships Greg Chatzinoff international editor Ju Kuang Tan golf digest usa editor-in- chief Jerry Tarde gener al manager Chris Reynolds editorial director Max Adler executive editor Peter Morrice art director Chloe Galkin managing editors Alan P. Pittman, Ryan Herrington (News) chief pl aying editor Tiger Woods pl aying editors Phil Mickelson, Francesco Molinari, Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson, Tom Watson

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GOLF DIGEST and HOW TO PLAY, WHAT TO PLAY, WHERE TO PLAY are registered trademarks of Discovery Golf, Inc. Copyright © 2021 Discovery Golf, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. Volume 72, Issue 2. GOLF DIGEST (ISSN 0017-176X) is published eight times a year by Discovery Golf, Inc. Principal office: Golf Digest, 1180 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y., 10036. Discovery Golf, Inc.: Alex Kaplan, President & GM; Gunnar Wiedenfels, Chief Financial Officer. Periodicals postage paid at New York, N.Y., and at additional mailing offices.

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Yas Acres Golf & Country Club

The UAE’s latest addition hitting the right spot

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as Acres Golf & Country Club is now in full swing, following its inauguration in December and is a fine addition to the UAE’s ever-expanding portfolio of courses.

For the budding golfers in Abu Dhabi and further afield looking for a new challenge, the Fry/Straka-designed nine-hole course offers something for all skill levels, day or night thanks to its fully floodlit set-up.

The par-36 course stretches from 2,554 yards at its shortest to a challenging 3,700 yards, from five different tee areas at each hole, overlooking impressive scenery in the heart of the Yas Acres community, with generous fairways, sizeable greens and plenty of water to keep you on your toes.

Visitors can also refuel at the clubhouse restaurants, work on their swing at the largest driving range in Abu Dhabi, alongside chipping and putting areas, hit the gym, play some padel tennis or relax at the pool. –matt smith

photographs courtesy of yas acres gcc

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MIND / ON TOUR

Undercover Caddie

Two decades in, I question whether I made a mistake choosing this line of work

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carry for a guy you know, but you haven’t heard his name much the past few years. Still, given what I do for a living, I’m the subject of envy in social settings, and I’d be lying if I said the attention didn’t feel good.

Recently, however, I attended my high school reunion, the type of biganniversary event that motivates you to lose weight to impress your friends, and maybe more importantly your foes.

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This time I was the one who was envious. I saw how many of my classmates were entrenched in thriving careers with robust families who seemed genuinely happy. On that same trip I ran into an ex-girlfriend, someone who I originally thought was the one, but it didn’t work out because of my transient lifestyle.

It has been four months since that trip, yet I think about it every day and

can’t help but wonder, Did I make a colossal mistake becoming a tour caddie?

I love what I do, and I’m glad I chased this dream. I grew up wanting to play, but that didn’t work out, and this was a nice lifeline. I’m sure if I didn’t chase this, I’d be wondering What if? No doubt some of the folks at the reunion looked at me and wished they could switch places with me. However, I’m two decades into working at the tour

level, and if you told me where I would be — mostly hovering around the middle — I don’t know if I would do it again. Worse, I’m afraid I’m too far in to get out.

Let’s start with my bank account.

It’s OK, but I don’t have to support anybody but myself. I’m still renting a condo because I can’t afford to buy. I can’t tell you the last time I could comfortably go on a vacation, and I always

worry that I misread the special offers when dining.

The past two years I started picking up seasonal work after my player shut his year down early, and that has helped. No offence to anyone who does this full-time, but it’s a blow to my ego to have to grab a holiday UPS route because my main gig isn’t enough. I never thought I’d be rich being a caddie, but I didn’t think it would be this much of a hustle.

I used to embrace the travel, especially when visiting a city or area for the first time. I was up for an adventure every night. But it has become a grind.

A human body can take only so many coach seats and couch pull-outs. All the cities begin to look the same. Splitting a house — sometimes even a room — with three other caddies is great in your 20s, but in your 40s, that gets old.

I couldn’t ask for better co-workers. Being with the boys is great. All the good times I’ve had with my fellow caddies more than compensates for the physical toll of looping all these years. But now I’ve reached the point where I’m reliving the same stories with the same people. Sometimes — maybe even most times — I just want to be alone, but on my budget, I can’t afford it.

It’s also hard to date on the road.

Whatever momentum you might have is broken by a three to four week stretch when you’re gone. That I’m not swimming in cash isn’t helping my prospects either. Plenty of caddies have families though, so it’s an equation I haven’t solved. If I want a wife, kids and a house, I don’t know if this is the way to get there.

As for my player, we have a good relationship on and away from the course.

If I left my bag now, there would be 100 guys happy to grab the strap. We’ve had a rough few seasons, and he hasn’t shown any signs of turning it around. I wonder if the success he had — most of which came before me — is ever coming back. It’s not a dead-end job, I just don’t see much upside.

You’re always one week away from a

six-figure pay cheque and the security that brings. I had a $30,000 cut from one tournament last year and barely made that much during the next four months. If I’m being honest, part of what keeps me around is the hope that I can, eventually, jump on a new bag. I’m right in that range where I have a lot of experience, but I’m not so old where I’m a dinosaur to players in their 20s. I’m not necessarily talking about hitching onto a rising star, just someone who consistently finishes in the top 75 so that I’m not worrying about where I’m going to work next season.

Another reason I stay is I’m not sure what the alternative would be. I played college golf and my degree is in project management. There’s not a lot of realworld application in what I’ve done to put that degree to use. I’ve thought about trying to find a caddiemaster gig, but those aren’t easy to come by.

I could try coaching, but I’d have to start as an assistant, and that’s likely a massive pay cut. When you take a leap of faith in a profession like this, you never really think of how you’re going to leap back.

I know that a mid-career crisis is normal in any profession, so I’m not doing anything drastic yet, but I’m realising that my career in golf is hurting how I feel about golf. I want to be able to watch the Masters and not be filled with dread that we’re not there. I’d love to be able to go out and play and not be mentally and physically exhausted from working 10 hours on the course. I’d love to be on a hole and feel the wind hitting me and enjoy the view instead of blanking that view out because I’m worried how the wind will affect my pay.

Forget finding someone to settle down with. I just want to love golf again. — WITH JOEL BEALL Undercover Caddie was once mistaken for a player by Arnold Palmer.

Best day of his life.

ILLUSTRATION BY ANUJ SHRESTHA

BODY / STRIKE CONTROL

KEEPING IT ALL IN LINE

Alignment of balancing points key to a perfect swing

By Euan Bowden

T h ro u g h o u t t h e golf swing it is crucial to remain balanced in order to control the strike and stabilise the clubface. To remain balanced in the golf swing, we need to ensure that our four balance points are aligned and, in particular, the top and bottom of our spine.

Here at the Academy, we see too many people who lose control of this

in the downswing which can often lead to poor strikes and the clubface becoming very unstable. This can often be a reaction to something that has happened in the backswing so it would be worth looking at previous videos with Golf Digest Middle East to make sure you are correctly rotating the body in the backswing.

Typically, people will let the top of the spine drop behind the bottom of the spine in the downswing which can move your low point back before the ball and cause you to catch the ground before the ball. As a reaction golfers will pull their arms up through the ball to try and ensure the strike and create the ‘chicken wing’.

A good exercise for this is to feel as though you are hitting low ‘punch/ driven’ shots where you finish with your hands as close to the target as you can. In order for your hands to finish as close to the target as possible

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with good extension ▶ Tap/click here to through the ball, you watch Euan bring must keep your body this lesson to life. continuing forward, aligning the balance points and the top and bottom of your spine. Throughout this exercise your arms should feel passive and your body moving forward will very much be in control of your hands and arms. At the end of the exercise, you should notice yourself more forward over your lead foot with your arms extended in front of you towards the target, level with your chest.

This idea of the balance points (top and bottom of your spine) staying aligned throughout, and practice low punch shots will encourage a more stable clubface and better control of your strike. euan bowden is a PGA teaching professional at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club’s Peter Cowen Academy Dubai.

Try the new and improved Golf Simulator at the Dubai Creek Golf Academy now that features a moving floor plate to simulate awkward lies and over 200 world renown golf courses at just AED 120 per hour.

Book now on 04 205 4666 or golf.academy@hyatt.com.

joachim guay

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Visit GolfDigestME.com to read the latest issue in Arabic.

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LIV to go live

Series takes huge strides as Trump course signs up for finale

By Matt Smith

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he LIV Golf Invitational Series took another huge step in April as it confirmed Trump National Doral Miami as the host for the seasonending Team Championship set for October 27-30.

The ‘Blue Monster’ will stage the seeded four-day, four-round, match play knock-out event featuring 12 teams competing for $50 million. The Team Championship is the eighth and final event on the 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Series schedule.

“There could not be a more perfect location to host our biggest event of the year at a course with such a long history, and we are excited to add another piece of history to this famed destination,” said Greg Norman, CEO & Commissioner of LIV Golf. “I am very much looking forward to October to watch these teams go head-to-head to compete for the largest prize purse in tournament history.”

Remastered by Gil Hanse in 2014, the Blue Monster is one of the legendary courses in America having hosted professional elite events for 55 years.

Stretching over 7,600 yards, the course features a series of strategically placed deep bunkers, long flowing fairways, interesting undulating greens, deep Bermuda rough and a challenging assortment of water hazards — all of which combine for a course that requires both length and finesse to score well. The famous 18th hole is traditionally ranked as one of the most difficult by touring professionals.

“Doral is one of the finest golf resorts anywhere in the world and we are honoured to host the LIV Golf Invitational Team Championship in October,” said Eric Trump, Executive Vice President of the Trump Organisation. photograph courtesy of trump international

PLAY IT FORWARD new deal between european tour group and emirates golf federation will allow next generation of hopefuls in uae achieve their dreams by matt smith

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We have had Seve. We have had Tiger.

We have had Rory.

Now is time for the UAE to nurture its own talent and let them blossom on the biggest stages.

The recent announcement by the DP World Tour to continue to invest in the future of golf in the UAE comes with a guarantee the growth of the game is in safe hands for the forseeable future, and the UAE is ready to come out swinging.

In April, the DP World Tour announced a long-term partnership with the Emirates Golf Federation until at least 2031, continuing the tour’s commitment to developing golf in the UAE from the grassroots up. And we are now ready to take the game to the top level.

This is a relationship that goes all the way back to pretty much the beginning of golf in the UAE, and it continues to prosper.

The Emirates and the European Tour Group, which incorporates the DP World Tour, Challenge Tour and Legends Tour, have had a long-standing relationship with the UAE, going all the way back to 1989, when the first Dubai Desert Classic was played at Emirates Golf Club (pictured below).

Collin Morikawa ruled the roost at the DP World Tour Championships last November.

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WHAT THEY SAID UAE’s No. 1 Emirati player

“This deal is very good for the region and I am very excited about the future. For me, I am going to try to take every opportunity possible and play as many events as I can to get better and better.”

Rafa Cabrera Bello

Ryder Cup player, Four-time DP World Tour winner and Dubai resident “I’ve been living in Dubai for more than six years now and I’ve been collaborating with the EGF on a number of different things to help to grow the game in the region. My door is always open to help. ▶ “Over the last 15 years since I’ve been coming to the UAE with the Tour, I’ve seen the courses get better and better, the events get bigger and bigger with more and more top names playing in them. So, we are getting it right and it’s just a matter of time before we see a top player come from the UAE. They have all the facilities and infrastructure, and golf is becoming more and more popular with the kids.”

General Abdullah Alhashmi

Vice-Chairman of the Emirates Golf Federation

“We have been working with the Tour for more than 30 years and with DP World’s involvement now with the Tour, it became even more important for us to work together for the future of golf in this region. ▶ “This partnership will take us to the next level. Having two Challenge Tour events is an important part of this so we can exchange spots with other federations and take our players abroad. That is part of our vision to develop golf here and develop our players to compete in the professional game. ▶ “Hopefully one day we will have a winner on the DP World Tour, but we need the gradual progress, and taking our players step by step through the Challenge Tour first is important. It will provide tournaments in this region to give players from the Arab world the chance to play at a higher level and compete against other players from different countries.”

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“The EGF have been going from strength to strength lately under their new leadership and I think this is a major landmark on that journey. ▶ “The link between the EGF and the European tour just shows the commitment to the development of golf from both parties. Showing such a strong investment in grassroots golf and junior development is a credit to the European tour and can only benefit golf development in the region. ▶ “Having the support of the European Tour & DP will allow them to put more resources than ever into introducing more juniors into the game and give them the best opportunity possibly to follow in Ahmed Skaiks footsteps and play on the biggest stage of all.”

Toby Bishop

Dubai-based amateur golfer

“The new partnership between the DP World Tour and Emirates Golf Federation is a great step in aiding development of the game in this region. To have such a large pool of talented golfers coming through the UAE in recent years, is something very special considering the size of our country. I believe this just highlights the top-class facilities, training academies and continued support golfers are exposed to all year round. ▶ “To be given the opportunity to grow all levels of the game, from grassroots to elite level golfers, brings me great joy as we hopefully see a greater representation of Middle Easternraised golfers on the professional circuits. ▶ “I hope many future generations are able to utilise this, and are as fortunate as I have been to develop their games in such a blossoming region, full of opportunities.”

Danny Jakubowski

Coach at Yas Links, Abu Dhabi

“The future of growing the game golf will continue to get a boost with the EGF now collaborating even more with the DP World Tour. Directing Junior development programmes here in the UAE is one thing that the golf clubs do really well, but the additional boost of introduction, development and ultimately specialisation that comes from these partnerships is vital to growing the game. ▶ “Thanks to the expansion, from a pool of young golfers, talented individuals are given opportunities such as EGF national squads and scholarship programmes. I have seen kids that started as 10-year-olds to now competing at a very high level and looking into the professional ranks and it is only a matter of time until these initiatives come to fruition here in the UAE.”

desert classic : courtesy by emirates golf club

Ahmad Skaik

Coach at Claude Harmon Performance Golf Academy Dubai at The Els Club

•

“We are delighted to confirm this partnership following our four hugely successful weeks in the UAE at the start of the year, delivering on the pledges we made at the launch of the DP World Tour in November.”

Jamie McConnell

page ) dp world tour : getty images

European Tour Group’s Head of Middle East

( previous

Tom Phillips

(above) Tiger Woods was the big draw at the 2012 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. (left) The Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic has

woods , cabrera bello : getty images

become a mainstay of the UAE golf scene.

The ball was rolling. Both the UAE and the game of golf in the region then went off to scale unfathomed heights, with more than 20 top-class golf courses helping transform the landscape of the nation in the years to come, offering green oases amid the skyscrapers. The sport itself exploded on to the global map as the best players came to town.

We saw rapid expansion, with the arrival of the Abu Dhabi Championship in 2006, marquee players such as a certain Tiger Woods, and the inception for the Race to Dubai and Dubai World Championship in 2009.

Since then, the European Tour group has enjoyed an enduring relationship with the UAE, which was underlined when DP World, the Dubai-based supply chain and logistics solutions provider, came in to sponsor the season-ending competition at Jumeirah

Golf Estates and then in November last year as the title sponsor of the group’s main tour.

This season, the UAE will host at least five DP World Tour events, including the inaugural Ras Al Khaimah events that made up part of the historic four-week ‘UAE Swing’ in January and February.

This is a far cry from, not too long ago, the no-grass events that we used to associate with desert golf.

Going forward, we will now see a minimum of two Challenge Tour events in the UAE each year from next season, alongside at least five DP World Tour tournaments, with the focus on giving Emirati and locally based golfers.

Not only will this give the nation more exposure as the go-to destination for golfers, it also presents opportunities for our homegrown best to play against some of the finest in the world

and allow them to forge their own careers in the game.

Along with helping enhance the careers of top players such as Henrik Stenson, Rory McIlroy and Rafa Cabrera Bello, to name a few of the many players who have set up home here, the expansion has allowed our very own stars such as Toby Bishop, Josh Hill and Ahmad Skaik emerge as real hopes for the future.

One of the most refreshing aspects of last week’s announcement was the expansion of the Tour’s support of junior golf development in the UAE to enhance grassroots and player performance programmes, paving the way for future Bishops, Hills and Skaiks.

It is an exciting time and all involved are keen to see the results.

“The DP World Tour committing to a 10-year partnership with the EGF is fantastic news for golf in the Middle East,” Daniel van Otterdijk, Chief Communications Officer of Group Communications at DP World, told Golf Digest Middle East. “It will assist in creating playing opportunities as well as a pathway towards the highest echelon of the sport for our Emirati golfers.

“One of DP World’s key objectives in our partnership with the Tour is to help grow golf at grassroots level, and in doing so we are adding at least two UAEbased Challenge Tour tournaments per year, with 30 entries being granted for EGF members. may 2022

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(clockwise from above) The UAE’s No. 1 amateur golfer Ahmad Skaik, New Zealand’s Ryan Fox celebrates his win at the Ras Al Khaimah Classic in February, Dubai’s homegrown talent Toby Bishop.

“The Challenge Tour has a spectacular history with the Middle East, with several of its previous season finale events being held in Dubai, Oman and Ras Al Khaimah in 2013, 2014 and 2015, so it is excellent news that the region will continue to be a hub for all of the best up and coming golfers that we can only hope are destined for the DP World Tour.

“While we toast the expansion of the game in the UAE, we are also seeing results on the practice greens as the likes of Josh Hill, Toby Bishop and Ahmad Skaik emerge as real contenders.

“Everyone in this region is rooting for a UAE golfer to compete on the DP World Tour,” said Van Otterdijk. “The EGF has worked thanklessly over the 18

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years to help to develop the talents of Khalid Yousuf, Rayhan Thomas and the latest gems: Josh, Toby and Ahmad.

We truly hope it won’t be too long before one of these talented young men are competing and winning on the DP World Tour. Opportunities to play on Challenge Tour events will be wonderful for their development, and allows us an opportunity to see how the best golfers in this region fare on the big stage.

Skaik himself, the UAE’s no.1 golfer and Englishman Hill have competed in numerous DP World Tour events such as the Slync.io Desert Classic and the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, impressing both local and international fans alike, so it will be intriguing to see

them compete on other courses in the region on the Challenge Tour.

The UAE has helped forge careers from Ryder Cup Captain Henrik Stenson and former world No. 1 Rory McIlroy all the way through to Hill, Bishop and female pros Chiara Noja and Alison Muirhead.

But it does not stop here. Van Otterdijk explains the vision for the future: “Dubai has a rich history of golfing icons that have lived here from Henrik to Thomas Bjorn to Rafa and Rory to name a few. There is no better place in the world to live as a golfer — you are able to practise all year round on exceptional courses, whilst having access to world-class training facilities.

With the addition of the two Challenge Tour events for 30 EGF members each season, the UAE has got to be one of the best places to grow and nurture a young golfer with the ambition to one day compete on the DP World Tour.”.

eid mubarak from all of us at the els Club, dubai here’s a little gift to all golf digest readers.

TAKE YOUR GAME TO THE

FROM GREEN TO TEE HERE’S MY PLAN

FOR BETTER GOLF

BY SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER PHOTOGRAPHS BY JESSE RIESER

I’ve only ever wanted one job: to play on the PGA Tour.

I wanted to have all the Pro V1s I could hit on the practice range, to play all those amazing courses week in and week out and to have the big staff bag with my name on it. Everything I did was to try to get one level closer to that dream.

I was lucky to have many tour players practising at my home course, Royal Oaks in Dallas, where they would come to work with my coach, Randy Smith. From the time I was 7, I got a front-row seat in a class that taught what it would take to play at the highest level, from the shots to the preparation to the attitude. Pros such as Justin Leonard, Harrison Frazar and Gary Woodland were so much better than I was, but they provided a list of things to emulate if I wanted to make it.

Then it came down to putting in the work and focusing on ascending one level at a time, from junior golf to college golf to Q school. As a professional, it has been about making small, incremental improvements to my game and body and keeping my focus on the short term.

Winning multiple times and getting to No. 1 in the world — something beyond my capacity to dream about back in elementary school — has been an incredible byproduct of keeping things simple and as normal as possible, and I’m not going to change that now.

That’s a good strategy for you, too — focus on making steady, gradual improvement. With help from Randy (one of Golf Digest’s 50 Best Teachers in America), I want to show you things that I’ve done that will help you get to your next level. You’ll get better at golf’s core skills, have a wider selection of shots for different situations and more confidence to pull them off successfully. —WITH MATTHEW RUDY 22

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CONNECT YOUR AIM TO YOUR LINE One big improvement has been my putting. It was one of my strengths growing up, but I didn’t putt that great when I first got to the PGA Tour in 2019. Getting back to some pre-putt basics, and sticking with them, has made me a lot more consistent. That’s crucial to closing out tournaments.

I break a putt into thirds and read each segment separately, paying most attention to the segment closest to the hole (opposite page). Why the last third? When the ball slows down, it reacts the most to slope. Also, by reading a green this way, I can see the full picture of the route the ball will take to the hole. I find it’s much more reliable than just picking out a spot on the green where the putt will break. When you do that, you often unconsciously cheat your body toward the hole and then your alignment won’t match your read. I want to make sure my arms and feet are parallel to the putt’s start line, and my knees have some flex to take tension off my upper body (left).

COACH RANDY SMITH SAYS

LEARNING THE GAME BACKWARD

“Scottie wasn’t even a mediumlength hitter until he was 16 or 17, so he had to first learn to compete with accuracy, short game and putting. He did it by thoroughly analysing every hole at Royal Oaks and thinking, Where can I roll the ball onto the green? How does the break come into play on an approach shot?

Most players just read the greens when they’re ready to putt. Not Scottie. One time when he was a kid, he was playing with my son Blake at Royal Oaks and on the second hole, he hit a 5-wood into the green and almost holed it.

Blake was up ahead and yelled, ‘You lipped out!’ Scottie yelled back, ‘Which side?’ ”

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SIMPLIFY YOUR SHORT SHOTS Getting better around the greens means improving your average result. To get more consistent, rethink how you use your hands on these shots.

For example, to hit a stock bunker shot, I’ll set up with the ball forward in my stance and my hands slightly behind it so the shaft is leaning away from the target. Then I’ll make a centered turn back and through (above) with a lot less wrist hinge and release than a lot of players use. You don’t need to use your hands all that much to hit a good shot.

The only time my hands are more active is if I want more spin. I’ll use them to speed up the clubhead’s release.

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For a pitch shot, the same holds true. My hands aren’t all that involved. I like to hit this “hook spinner” (opposite page), because it makes the ball land and roll out under control. To execute it, set up with the face square and feel like you’re returning the shaft to the same position it was at address as you strike the ball. The idea is that you’re not pulling the handle and using hand action to get the club back to the ball. Keep turning your chest and rotating the club, and you’ll skid the clubhead along the ground and pick the ball clean.

If you’re taking big divots when you hit pitch shots, you’re probably using your hands too much.

RANDY SAYS

PREP SCHOOL

“Scottie has watched a lot of great players come through here, and he has always been a sponge.

He even wore long pants to practice because that’s what the tour players wore. One day, Kris Cox was zipping shots out of a bunker while Scottie watched intently for an hour. When Kris left, Scottie jumped in and started spinning his own bunker shots, even though his wedge had all the grooves worn out. Those pros — Kris, Justin Leonard, Harrison Frazar, Gary Woodland, Martin Flores, Martin Laird, Paul Haley — helped Scottie so much. Now he has a handful of junior golfers who follow him. That’s the culture here. It’s a library you take from and you contribute to.”

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LESS IS MORE WITH IRONS I understand that when you watch a tour pro hit a 7-iron 200 yards, you want to go out and smash your irons, too. But to get the most out of these clubs, you should focus more on hitting the ball solidly than swinging all out. Quality of contact is the biggest difference between a tour player’s performance with an iron and an amateur’s — even a good club player.

The sound coming off the club is just different.

So how can you improve consistency with your irons?

Start with your backswing. My arms only swing back as far as my body can fully turn, and the back of my left hand 26

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matches the clubface (above). When the arms over-run your turn and you start twisting the clubface open with your hands, you have to spend the first part of your downswing getting reorganised just to make any contact with the ball.

Another tip: Randy likes to tell me to stay balanced and think of the swing as a gathering of speed and flow down through an explosion at impact. There’s no slashing or jerking or twisting on the handle from the top. A good way to avoid that is to keep your lead arm soft, even having a slight bend in your elbow when you get to the top. When you’re relaxed, you’re less likely to jerk the club down.

FLIGHT IT WITH YOUR SETUP When the wind, shape of the hole or competitive situation is telling me to do something other than bombing it with my driver, I listen and put that club back in the bag. Instead, I often go with a low, cut 3-wood because it’s easier to control. On my way to winning the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, my strategy was that position was more important than distance. On the relatively short and firm Austin Country Club, especially when holes were downwind, I aimed at the left edge of the fairway, hit it under the wind and watched it cut back in and tumble down the fairway.

To play my low cut, choke down on the handle slightly and move a hair closer to a ball teed very low. This will make your swing more vertical (right) and the attack angle more vertical like when you hit a hybrid. You might even take a small scuff of a divot. Adjusting your ball position will influence shot shape. I fade it from a mid-stance position, but when I play it back and swing more to the right, I’ll hit a low trap draw instead. You might see that at the Open Championship this summer.

RANDY SAYS

HANDLING THE STAGE

“When I watch my players in pressure situations, my fear is weaknesses will be exposed. But with Scottie the last two years?

Nothing. He has hit some terrible shots, but the worse they are, the better his recoveries. In Phoenix, he scrambled by hooking a wedge 50 yards off gravel to 10 feet. There’s so much creativity in his game, and he wants to show it all. At the Ryder Cup, the crazier it got, the better he played. He embraces what’s going on around him and feeds off of it. That’s the way to play instead of trying to hide in a bubble. If you don’t pull a shot off, feel the disappointment but quickly move on to what you need to do next.”

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Exclusive paintings, sculptures, photography and timepieces from award-winning international artists.

Painting by Ali Kashwani

Photograph by Anthony Lamb

The United Arab Emirates 50th Anniversary Clock Limited Edition by David Galbraith

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PHOTOGRAPH BY NAME SOMEONE

PRE-SET YOUR SEQUENCE When my driver gets out of wack, it’s almost always because of a chain reaction that starts at address.

I sometimes set my hips with a bump away from the target and that causes me to slide back and squat down instead of making a good turn. Then my spine gets too upright, and the club goes up instead of around me into a position where the shaft is pointing right of my target. This across-the-line position at the top throws off the sequencing of my downswing, and I lose the sense for where the clubhead is.

I try to save the shot with my hands, but that rarely ends well.

A good setup for me — and for you — is to get my hips over my knees, and tilt my belt and shoulders slightly up (left). From that more balanced address position, I can easily turn into my right hip socket and load onto my right leg (right). When you turn instead of slide, you can get your hands deeper and farther away from the centre of your chest — and you have more room and time to swing down with speed.

So get your setup right, and you can swing with confidence!

RANDY SAYS

WHY IT’S EASY TO ROOT FOR SCOTTIE “The day Scottie was picked for the Ryder Cup, we’re at Royal Oaks doing some work, and his followers come out to watch like they do all the time. When we get done, he takes those kids over to the putting green.

I go and give my next lesson.

Almost two hours later, he’s still out there with them, and I take a video of it on my phone. At Whistling Straits, Steve Stricker comes up to me and says, ‘That kid has everything, doesn’t he?’

I say, ‘Yep, he’s a Swiss Army knife. He can fit in anywhere.’

Then I show Steve the video.

‘He could have been doing anything,’ I said, ‘but this is what he was doing.’ That’s next level.”

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WHAT’S IN MY BAG : SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER DRIVER

AGE

SPECS TaylorMade Stealth Plus, 8°, Fujikura Ventus Black 7X shaft, 45 inches, D-3 swingweight.

25 Dallas

LIVES

I picked up ball speed with this driver, and it goes as straight as my old one.

Since putting it in play, I fiddled around with the adjustable weight on the sole, moving it about half an inch from the fade setting to a more neutral position.

STORY

Winner of four PGA Tour events including the Masters and an elevation to No. 1 in the world as of March 27.

FAIRWAY WOOD

BUILDING TRUST

Before joining the TaylorMade staff in March, I had avoided signing an equipment deal for a very long time because I liked being able to choose the clubs I play. I don’t put anything in my bag if I believe it might sacrifice performance. You have to be able to trust your equipment.

—WITH MIKE STACHURA

This 3-wood went in the bag at the match play and worked really well. I used it a lot off the tee on downwind holes.

I get consistent distance across the face, especially when I hit it off the heel.

IRONS SPECS Srixon ZU85 (3-iron), Nippon Pro Modus3 Hybrid Tour X; Srixon ZU85 (4-iron); TaylorMade P•7TW (5-PW), True Temper Dynamic Gold X100; Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips.

I grew up playing Nike irons like Tiger, so these had appeal. I found I could hit these lower and higher than my previous irons. That’s more options into greens.

yards*

driver

300

3-wood

265

3-iron

240

4-iron

226

5-iron

212

6-iron

198

7-iron

184

The lofts are altered so that my wedges are actually 51, 55.5 and 61 degrees. That lets me make sure I’m hitting the proper distance gaps that I need to.

8-iron

170

PUTTER

9-iron

156

pw

143

SPECS Scotty Cameron by Titleist Special Select Timeless Tourtype GSS prototype, 36 inches, 3 degrees of loft.

50˚wedge

130

56˚wedge

118

60˚wedge

104

WEDGES SPECS Titleist Vokey SM8 (50, 56 degrees); Titleist Vokey SM8 WedgeWorks prototype (60 degrees); True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts.

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HAND-ME-DOWNS

When I was a kid, tour pros hanging out at Royal Oaks in Dallas would give me clubs.

Justin Leonard gave me a few wedges (pictured is one of them), and I used Anthony Kim’s putter for a long time.

GUIDING STAR

The Scotty Cameron guys gave me this putter at the WM Phoenix Open in February because they were tired of applying lead tape to my previous one to make it heavier. This one has adjustable weights on the sole, which eliminates the need for lead tape.

* carry distance

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I put two green dots and cover the Pro V1 stamp with a black line in case I want to line up my ball. I use Nos. 5 through 8 to help me ID my ball faster. I’ve been guilty of hitting the wrong ball!

I mark my ball with the same coin every time. It’s a Dallas Cowboys ball marker. I’m not superstitious, though. If I lost it, I’d probably just use a quarter. But for some reason I always bring it out.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JESSE RIESER

scheffler: ben jared/pga tour/getty images

club

SPECS TaylorMade Stealth, 16.5°; Fujikura Ventus Black 8X shaft.

NUMBERS GAME

EXTREME MAKEOVER

Previously ringed in rough, the bare shoulders of the short par-4 17th typify the new look of Southern Hills.

BY DEREK DUNCAN PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRIAN OAR

SOUTHERN HILLS, SITE OF THE PGA CHAMPIONSHIP IN MAY, WILL PLAY NOTHING LIKE THE TREELINED BRUTE OF THE PAST

Southern Hills Country Club in the oil-rich territory of northeast Oklahoma is the setting for one of major championship golf’s most memorable opening tee shots. For close to 90 years players have been launching drives toward the distant Tulsa skyline off the property’s highest point, attempting to gauge the coordinates of the fairway below as their tee shots fall to Earth.

Over the decades those calculations have intensified as trees have matured, others were planted, and the fairway lines gradually shrank. Missing the landing zone meant entanglement in the uncompromising Bermuda rough that swelled seasonally in proportion to the rising heat index, and instead of being one of the round’s most anticipated moments, the first drive became a cautionary tale that set expectations for a tough day of mandatory fairway finding.

During each of the seven previous majors at Southern Hills, tree-lined fairways and wiry warm-season grasses were the constants, especially the 2001 US Open and the 1994 and 2007 PGA Championships. Oaks, sycamores, elms, cottonwoods and other ornamentals ringed tee boxes and greens and leaned out over the punishing roughs. Playing well usually came down to the old major championship formula of drive it straight and approach with caution.

When the eyes of golf return to Southern Hills in May for the 2022 PGA Championship, the late-moment replacement venue after the PGA of 36

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America moved the tournament from Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in early 2021, viewers will notice the target-golf tee shots have been largely taken off the ledger. Though the opening drive still soars from new tees staged just outside the golf shop, the fairway is nearly as spacious as the day the course opened in 1936 after Perry Maxwell and his teeming crews fabricated the course from 160 acres of overgrown countryside. A wall-to-wall restoration of Maxwell’s foundational design ideals conducted by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner in 2018 thinned out many of the course’s trees and pushed fairway

lines out to the original Depression-era dimensions. With freshly opened holes, new bunkers and exposed green edges, Southern Hills won’t look or function much like the restricted layout that Tiger Woods dissected in 2007.

Compared to other recurring majorchampionship hosts, Southern Hills has always scored modestly on the star-quality scale, perhaps fitting for its Dust Bowl roots. The course is No. 32 on the Golf Digest America’s 100 Greatest Courses list, and few individual holes aside from the first spring to mind, though both Arnold Palmer and Ben Hogan cited the par-4 12th as one

of the country’s best. (Doling out “best hole” compliments was not uncommon for Hogan and was probably the only way he was ever considered liberal.)

Southern Hills has never been known for spectacular greens the way Oakmont, Pinehurst No. 2 or Winged Foot are, and it lacks dramatic risk-reward holes like Augusta National, the diminutive charm of Merion, the windswept topography of Shinnecock Hills or the oceanside drama of Pebble Beach.

The course has produced great winners but rarely great tournaments — Tommy Bolt cruised to the US Open title in 1958 on a four-shot cushion, and

A Creek Runs Through It

One of the most striking elements of the Southern Hills restoration is the rehabilitation and expansion of the creeks that channel water across the property. Although they once came into play on at least eight holes, tree maturation and the piping of other sections underground removed much of their threat.

Newly developed branches crossing fairways at 10, 17 and 18 will have an impact on strategy, and misjudged shots can also bound into the water at two (above), four, six, seven, eight and 11.

in the most recent PGA Championships, Raymond Floyd won by three (1982), Nick Price by six (1994) and Tiger Woods by two. The excitement it has generated has often been more ominous than inspiring, whether via tournament offi-

cials needing to slow down the runaway ninth and 18th greens, Stewart Cink and Retief Goosen missing shockingly short putts on the 72nd hole in 2001 (Goosen’s to win, Cink’s to make it into the playoff), or the call-in death threat against may 2022

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CONSEQUENTIAL CORNER

Creeks and hard slopes will make pars challenging at the 10th, 11th and 12th (foreground).

Hubert Green on the Sunday of his 1977 US Open victory. (Police were informed by an anonymous caller that three men were there to shoot Green on the 15th hole. Green, leading by one, was told of the threat and decided to play on as police officers and cameras surveilled the gallery.)

“And it’s hot — that’s what everyone always talks about because the tournaments were always played in June or August,” Hanse says. “Southern Hills has got a great list of major champions, but we tend to focus on what went wrong or what else defined the conversation.”

Where Southern Hills has been proficient is in fulfilling the role of the heel, the brutish foil golf’s governing bodies 38

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THE FAIRWAYS AT SOUTHERN HILLS HAVE GONE FROM ABOUT 28 YARDS IN WIDTH TO 40 YARDS. have historically believed was needed to crown a worthy champion. Over the years and through renovations before the 2001 Open and the 2007 PGA, a kind of omnipresent tournament setup was forged into the architecture, wresting it from what Maxwell built. For generations, doctoring courses ahead of major tournaments has been standard prac-

tice, whether at the hands of Robert Trent Jones or George Fazio (both performed tournament prep at Southern Hills, in 1957 and 1976, respectively), or more recently at other sites by Rees Jones, Tom Fazio or Pete Dye. In almost every case the impulse is to make the design less flexible and more stringent, usually by narrowing the fairways, pinching targets with bunkers and elevating the rough to conform to notions of proper championship mettle.

At Southern Hills, this evolution led to saucer-shaped, ivory-sand bunkers that mimicked the laser-cut look of Augusta National and slender holes with accentuated doglegs. Perhaps most restrictive were skirts of rough that extended up to the collars of the putting

The Sands of Time

The bunkers at Southern Hills evolved significantly over the decades. Once quite varied, they morphed into uniform shapes of clamshells and saucers, a vogue look for the times but one that added a degree of artificiality. The recent restoration re-created the enigmatic outlines and edging that existed in the 1930s and ’40s when large teams of men, looking for work during the Great Depression, cut them into the ground by hand.

surfaces, muffling many of the inclined shoulders Maxwell used to prop them.

When players missed a green, they had just one club selection for recovery: the lob wedge.

The work Hanse, Wagner and superintendent Russ Myers completed is simultaneously a repudiation of these prevailing championship presumptions and an affirmation of the wisdom of the architects of the 1920s

and ’30s. Hanse believes that clubs, organisations and tournament directors have for too long lacked faith that their classical designs could weather the demands of high-level golf as is.

“One thing that’s become increasingly clear to me and Jim is that those older architects were really good at challenging the best players of their day, and a lot of those elements that they put into their golf courses are still completely

relevant,” he says. “It’s never felt like we’ve had to go in and boost Maxwell’s greens or Tillinghast’s greens at Winged Foot or any of the greens at The Country Club. We’ve never felt like we needed to ramp stuff up.” It might be necessary to extend tees or shift bunkers downfield for the professional game to ensure they serve the purposes they were designed for, but “we trust implicitly that those guys knew what they were doing.”

This idea — placing implicit trust that the original design ideas behind golf’s greatest courses can still be challenging and produce trustworthy outcomes — will be tested. In the coming decade Hanse and Wagner will have restored three upcoming PGA Championship venues in addition to Southern Hills (including Aronimink, The Olympic Club and Baltusrol’s Lower Course, not to mention the new PGA Frisco that will host the event in 2027 and 2034) and four US Open destinations (The Country Club this June, Los Angeles Country Club next year, plus Oakmont and Merion). Unlike previous designers who have practised this type of major remodelling, Hanse doesn’t believe his job is to dictate play or help defend the course.

“If we do our job right, then we’ve restored Maxwell and presented a picture that’s consistent with what he created and left [chief championships officer of the PGA of America] Kerry Haigh with options that were always part of Maxwell’s design,” Hanse says.

“Then he can set the golf course up on any given day and in any given conditions so that it challenges the best players in the world.”

In the past, the fairways at Southern Hills played to widths of 27 or 28 yards, and the threat of gnarly Bermuda rough was the primary defense. “When they played it in August [of 2007], it was like hitting out of a thick Brillo pad,” says Myers, who left Southern Hills in 2010 to become superintendent at Los Angeles Country Club and returned to Tulsa in 2016 before the restoration. To avoid the rough, Tiger Woods, and many other players, hit only a handful of drivers all week. Most fairways are now in the 40-yard-wide range, and with the PGA being played in May when it’s much cooler, the rough won’t have nearly the same impact on play. “It’ll be full and uniform,” Myers says, “but it’s not going to put up the same fight against the club that it would in August.” may 2022

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The course no longer requires excessively dense grass to be formidable.

“I don’t know how much it matters with the restored design,” Myers says.

Hitting and holding greens has never been more challenging after most perimeter hole locations have been recaptured, and even a shorter, lighter cut of rough will make controlling spin and distance difficult.

The old bunker structures sat higher in relation to the putting surfaces and propped up the sides of the greens, creating level or concave tie-ins that held balls up. In addition to re-creating Maxwell’s irregular, tool-gouged edging, the bunker restoration lowered the top edges, creating room for the putting surfaces to roll off into the hazards or short-grass recovery areas. Taking on the newly accessible hole locations around the edges will require precision, 40

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meaning players who need to make up ground on the field might feel the need to pull more drivers for shorter approach clubs. The 425 yards that have been added, taking the length to 7,556 yards, will amplify that calculation as will a tournament par of 70 that includes just two par 5s, both measuring more than 630 yards. The par-5 13th has been lengthened nearly 100 yards, and with a small green tucked behind sideby-side ponds the decision to go for it in two will be one of the most tantalising moments of the second nine.

Playing to the centre of the greens and trying to make putts will be a winning strategy only if the fairways and Pure Distinction bent greens are bone hard and level par becomes a great score.

That’s not likely in the PGA where the average winning score in relation to par since 2000 is nearly 11-under, including

Tiger’s 2007 win at eight-under. Also, most of the contour at Southern Hills is around the orbit of the green surfaces.

“It’s so hard to get close to the pins because the greens are not large, and they’re compartmentalised,” Myers says. “You can go out and hit 18 greens and two-putt each one and shoot 70 and be disappointed because you feel like you should’ve shot 64.”

“We hear all the time about the ‘Maxwell rolls’ and some of the internal contours you see on so many of his greens,” Hanse says, “but at Southern Hills the rolling really occurs on the periphery of the greens. A lot of them roll off to the edges. The players are going to learn to respect the edges of those greens because if you get anywhere near them, [the ball is] going off.”

Myers also says the green speeds aren’t likely to be as fast as is typical

PLAYERS ARE GOING TO LEARN TO RESPECT THE EDGES OF THOSE GREENS, OR ELSE THEIR BALL IS GOING OFF.

RISKY APPROACH

Players will have to decide how far to press their luck with drives on the par-4 third.

in majors, rolling between 11 and 12 on the Stimpmeter. “We won’t be out there with 13 or 14 speeds,” he says. “You just can’t do it — you lose too many good hole locations. I don’t know exactly where Kerry is going to have us, but we’ll be pretty close to where we are for everyday play.”

The two holes that have changed most significantly since the restoration are the seventh and 10th holes.

The green at the par-4 seventh, a hole that flows over a cresting slope, was originally moved to the right of its first location around 1960 to improve air circulation. Members of the era said it lacked the character of the old green, and the 384-yard hole was one of the most innocuous during previous tournaments. A new green has been constructed even farther back and to the right, tucked tight against a creek. Now

playing 489 yards, the seventh will get the players’ full attention this year.

The par-4 10th, moving downhill off the tee then back uphill to a blind green benched into a hillside beyond frontal bunkers, now features a creek crossing the fairway 90 yards short of the green.

It bends through a low created during construction when additional fill was needed but looks like it has been there forever. The putting surface, one of the most severe on the course, is canted to the left toward a shaved bank that slides toward another indigenous creek.

“I’m most curious to watch [the creek] in play on 10 to see if players really try to get close to it for that angle and to have a much shorter club in their hands,” Hanse says. Myers believes the downhill par-3 11th is sneakily difficult as shots that miss the green on the left have about a one-in-three chance of

bounding down into the creek. Another pivotal hole could be the 17th, a gorgeous short par 4 that also has a newly developed creek cutting in front of the crowned, angled green. The tees are likely to be set up, at least on some days, to lure players into trying to drive it.

With Southern Hills now a secondshot golf course, the 2022 PGA Championship could resemble the 2014 US Open at Pinehurst No. 2. The courses reside on very different properties, with Southern Hills cambering up, down and across elevations and inclines that serve up all types of awkward lies, but the relatively open fairways and fallaway greens with wicked hole locations could inspire similar tactics and situations if the course is set up to maximise the variability.

Hanse insists that Haigh and others who set up tournament courses in the coming years “control the architecture.” He and Wagner — and Maxwell — have merely expanded that architecture and provided a degree of freedom and flexibility not typical in the chastening mire of major championship golf design. With respect to Hanse’s work at Winged Foot, Southern Hills will be the first full example of this more nuanced approach to tournament golf and the conviction that the original architecture of great courses, with minor adjustments for length, can stand up without modifications. Let the dead have their voice.

“We know we’re about to go on this incredible run of major championships on courses that Jim and I and our team have been involved in restoring and renovating, but I’m hopeful that we’ll be the only common thread between them,” Hanse says. “So when someone looks at Southern Hills in May and then looks at The Country Club in June, they’re going to be like, ‘Whoa, the same architects were involved in presenting both of these?’ because they won’t look anything alike, and there will not be a consistent thread, other than we were there.” may 2022

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GET IN THE EGOLF MEGASTORE HELPS MAKE THE GAME SIMPLER FOR ALL, THANKS TO GROUND-BREAKING TECHNOLOGY, SOME LUCKY BREAKS, OH, AND A HUGE NEW STORE IN AL QUOZ

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he uae is now at the forefront of the global golfing

scene, and more and more players — from pros to beginners — are coming to the region to enhance their game. ▶ Of course, this is not possible without the right equipment, and eGolf Megastore has always been on hand to guide golfers in the right direction, from picking up your first set of clubs to a bespoke bag, just right for you. ▶ With a new-look store in Al Quoz, Dubai, we caught up with Dean Cheesley, the man behind the whole operation at eGolf to explain how everyone can get involved.

▶ head start (above) eGolf Megastore has introduced a SST PURE Shaft Alignment machine at its expanded outlet in Al Quoz, Dubai. (right) eGolf boss Dean Cheesley with J.Lindeberg CEO Hans-Christian Meyer at The Dubai Mall store

It has been quite a journey for you and the company. Can you sum up how we arrived where we are? It has been a journey indeed! We are largely where we are today due to our loyal customers and the decisive leadership from our department heads and store managers. In retail terms, although it seems longer to many that we have been operating stores, eGolf is still a young company with only six years since opening our first physical retail store in Dubai.

This month in particular commemorates the anniversary of 10 years since eGolf’s first customer, an online sale which took place when eGolf was a start-up from home. A lot has changed since then, for sure, and we are very thankful for our customers and their ongoing support towards the eGolf Megastore brand, we’ve been fortunate and caught a few lucky breaks in between.

You have recently expanded your Al Quoz flagship store. What was the thinking, demand and vision behind this? Customer feedback over the past couple of years was that our club-fitting area had gotten too busy and the lack of physical space was having an impact on their overall experience in the store. It became clear that our once subscribed notion of making the area ‘cosy’ for our customers had since become too ‘cosy’ to continue to offer a first-class fitting experience.

So with that in mind, the decision to increase the number of club fitting bays from two to four and modernise the area allowed us to keep pace with the growing demand and offer a premium fitting experience that our customers were looking for.

The technology you now have in store is cutting edge. Tell us a bit about your latest arrivals and how your team help cater to each golfer’s individual needs and playing style. Our latest arrival is a SST PURE Shaft Alignment machine which is a rare piece of technology present at every Tour event and is the company’s largest capital investment into its club fitting technolmay 2022

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▶ bigger and better The eGolf flagship store has expanded to help cater to demands

“Anyone who plays golf can benefit consistency and accuracy gains from the SST process, not just the elite and tour players.”

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ogy to date. SST ‘Pureing’ is a process which is used by more than 75 per cent of players on the PGA Tour including Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland for greater consistency, accuracy and distance from the golf clubs and has seen over $2 billion made by players on the PGA Tour using the technology. In its simplest terms, all golf shafts have imperfections caused by the manufacturing process and these imperfections are known to cause off-line twisting and bending during the golf swing. When a shaft is analysed by the SST PURE machine, its most stable or ‘Pure’ position is identified and marked before it is installed into the clubhead. Anyone who plays golf can benefit consistency and accuracy gains from the SST process, not just the elite and tour players who use SST ‘Pureing’ on their own clubs each year.

What other changes and technologies have you introduced to the new extension area? We have also introduced the first Accredited Quintic Ball Roll Putting Lab in the UAE to offer advancedlevel putter fittings. Quintic Ball Roll System is often referred to as the ‘Trackman for Putting’ and utilises a high-speed camera which tracks an significant amount of club and ball roll data the first 20 inches. Quintic is the preferred putting analysis software used by the major club manufacturers including TaylorMade, Callaway, Bettinardi, SIK and Ping during product development and Tour-player putter fitting. The addition of our new Quintic Putting Lab is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure that golfers in the region have access to the very best Tour-level technology which is available in other markets around the world. may 2022

You recently opened the J.Lindeberg store at Dubai Mall, which their CEO referred to as the new global flagship store during his recent visit to Dubai. What was the thinking here and why open a single brand only store?

J.Lindeberg has been one of the top selling golf apparel brands in the Middle East over the past couple of years. Its popularity continues to rise following the injection of new executive management, design and production teams under the direction of new Chief Executive Officer, Hans-Christian Meyer. Coupled with this, rising stars such as Viktor Hovland and Nelly Korda have brought additional focus and attention to the brand with their ascension into the top five and world No. 1 rankings respectively. As one of the world’s most desirable fashion-forward brands, our decision to open a new global flagship store at the Dubai Mall allows us to introduce J.Lindeberg’s luxury fashion, athleisure, ski and racquet lines to the Middle East and the high-volume of tourists that visit the Dubai Mall each year, and we’re very excited about the new store.

What has been your biggest learning about the UAE golf retail landscape over the past decade? Today the consumer is far more astute than they have ever been. Before coming into our stores, customers are well read up about the latest products and brand offerings and have high expectations around product knowledge, service levels and in-store experience. This bodes well for the continued evolution of the golf retail space in the UAE, as eGolf Megastore will continue to elevate its standards to meet and exceed our customer demands.

The platform for branded content that delivers big results Marketing Partner

Marketing Partner

Creative Partner

Media Partner

+971 4 427 3000 vamp-brands.com

B

BODY / TOUR TECHNIQUE

SUCCEED FROM THE SAND The long and short of good bunker play

By Patrick Reed

YOuR gOAl fROm A gREENSIdE buNKER is simple: Give yourself a reasonable chance to hole out with your next shot.

That’s it. You can do that if you come up with a simple strategy and stick with it. Here are my keys: DIG IN AND CHOKE DOWN

From an open stance, play the ball close to your front heel and keep your chest hovering over it.

The key is to get low with your hands and stance.

This will help you skim the club through the sand.

FLARE YOUR KNEES OUT

Bowing your knees away from each other at address helps keep your lower body stable when you swing.

CHANGE CLUBS

For longer greenside shots, like I’m hitting here, you can open or close the clubface to regulate distance, but a more fail-safe option is to change clubs. For a longer greenside bunker shot, you can even go with a 9-iron. The beauty is, the technique stays the same.

DON’T LOOK AT THE BALL

Stare at a spot about an inch and a half behind the ball and never take your eyes off of it. That’s where you’ll make contact.

THUMP IT

The back side of your wedge — the bounce — is your best friend. It should strike the sand first, and you should hear a loud thump when it does.

LET YOUR DOMINANT HAND CONTROL THE SHOT

Around the ball, it feels like my left hand stops, and my right hand passes it and keeps moving up and across my body (right). Don’t stop at impact.

—WITH RON KASPRISKE PATRICK REED, top 20 in sand saves over the past

three seasons on the PGA Tour, gets up and down from greenside bunkers three out of every five attempts.

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DAY AT THE BEACH The average sand-save percentage on the PGA Tour this season through late March:

< 10 Yards 54.6% 10-20 Yards 53.1% 20-30 Yards 49.6% 30+ Yards 32%

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN LOOMIS

B

BODY / GOLF DIGEST SCHOOLS

SET, SLIDE AND SCORE Put some touch into your chipping game

By Mike Bender

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There’s more Than one way to chip, but no matter the method, one goal stays the same: You need to use the clubhead’s bounce, or trailing edge, to consistently hit good shots around the greens. By striking the ground with the bounce first — and not the leading edge — you can execute these shots without worrying about hitting them fat. You can even be super aggressive with your swing, and the club will still skim along the turf.

I recommend two chipping methods for

the recreational golfer: The hinge-andhold method I’m demonstrating (above) and a stiff-wristed technique that is executed exactly how it sounds.

The hinge-and-hold method requires more practice but can really add some touch to your short game when performed properly. Set up in a very open stance. As you swing back, hinge your wrists fully, which opens the clubface.

Now here’s the key: When you swing down and through impact, leave the shaft of the club leaning toward the

target, making sure to maintain the hinge in your wrists while leading with the club’s heel. This exposes the club’s bounce, allowing the back side of the wedge to glide along the ground. Hold the finish with the face open and the clubhead below your hands.

Don’t have a lot of time to practise?

Then go with the stiff-wristed technique, which should help create consistently good contact. To use it, set up with the shaft neutral or leaning slightly back (for higher shots). That

“The hinge-andhold method requires more practice but can add some touch to your short game.”

will put your hands even or slightly behind the ball, which allows the club to rest on the bounce, making it difficult to chunk the shot. Then rotate your body back and through while keeping your arms and wrists stiff. Return the shaft to the same position it was at address, and you’ll give yourself the best chance to chip it close and get up and down. —with dave allen

MIKE BENDER, one of the 50 Best Teachers in America, runs the Mike Bender Golf Academy in Lake Mary, Florida.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY J.D. CUBAN

in association with

finding the perfect wedge is about having choices: these 14 have 230 loft/bounce combinations

illustrations by simoul alva

may 2022

gdme hot list

51

wedges

performance

★★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★½

c a l l away

RRP AED 795

JAWS MD5/FULL TOE

look • sound • feel

★★★★½ demand

★★★★ p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“A smaller head profile than most.

You don’t have to tolerate an OK shot in one area to play good ones in other areas.”

what it does: The two wedges here include the conventionally shaped MD5 and the larger, high-toe-weighted Full Toe. Each model features groove shapes that help more edges grab the ball, and the Full Toe stretches those grooves across the face. Instead of more vertical walls, the grooves have a more oblique angle from the base. This exposes the edges for a sharper angle at the top where the ball and wedge meet. This especially benefits partial shots around the green. why we like it: The Full Toe (available only at 54 degrees and above) uses a weight pad in the high-toe area to raise the centre of gravity for more spin. Extending those grooves across a raw face makes more sense with the open-face shots played by these higher lofts. The lower lofts are sleeker for an easier transition from the pitching wedge. specs 28 options (46-64 degrees); 6 sole grinds; 3 finishes

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae

performance

★★★★½

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★★

clevel and

RRP AED 645

CBX ZIPCORE/FULL FACE

look • sound • feel

★★★★½ demand

★★★

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“A huge sole.

But if you’re going to get help, you might as well get all of it. It pretty much deletes fat shots.”

what it does: The CBX wedges brought the most aggressive tourstyle grooves to “game-improvement wedges”. That design adds more help because it now brings the weight savings of ZipCore, a low-density aluminum silicate compound that fills the inner lowheel area. That redistributes 14 grams to increase the overall stability in the head for better consistency in launch, distance, spin and feel — a good thing, given the inconsistency of game-improvement golfers. why we like it: Cleveland has simplified sole grinds for those who have day jobs. Yes, there are three sole grinds, but only one per loft.

Each grind matches how that loft will typically be used. The grinds get more versatile as the lofts increase because as lofts increase more types of shots are played. specs 13 options (44-64 degrees); 4 sole grinds; 2 finishes

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae

performance

★★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★★

clevel and

RRP AED 675

RTX ZIPCORE/FULL FACE

look • sound • feel

★★★★★ demand

★★★

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“Good out of the rough, especially with the fuller face. Extra surface area on the face really grabs the ball.”

what it does: The most important, paradigm-shifting aspect of this design is what you don’t see. A low-density compound fills up a section inside the lower heel. This removes the much heavier steel and redistributes that weight so that the centre of gravity is more in line with the face centre. This improves head stability for better spin and distance consistency across the face. why we like it: Physics and engineering are really nice, but it’s all about the grooves, man. These feature a new focus on improving performance out of the rough. How? Highlights include sharper edges to better grab the ball, tighter spacing so that more grooves and edges meet the ball at impact, and deeper volume so that more of the grass can be channeled away for cleaner contact. specs 23 options (46-62 degrees); 7 sole grinds; 3 finishes

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae

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listed alphabetically

in association with

performance

★★★★½

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★

mizuno

RRP AED 795

T22

look • sound • feel

★★★★★ demand

★★

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“You don’t have to hit just one kind of bunker shot with this club.

You can easily control ball flight out of the sand.”

what it does: Everything here maximises each wedge’s specific job. There are four sole grinds with increasing heel and toe relief to accommodate lofts, shots and players who demand more maneuverability. The grooves get sharper and more durable by infusing the carbon steel with boron. That makes the edges more effective for the full shots played by the low lofts’ narrower grooves or the partial shots played by the higher lofts’ wider grooves. why we like it: Like politics, wedges are about spin, and these get it. The thicker top half provides more consistent spin and solid feel.

Even the between-groove milling pattern shifts depending on loft.

It gets more angled toward the toe on the higher lofts to create more friction for those open-face shots that need to stop quickly. specs 13 options (plus custom, 45-62 degrees); 4 sole grinds; 3 finishes

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae

performance

★★★★½

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★

ping

RRP AED 1,110

GLIDE 4.0

look • sound • feel

★★★★½ demand

★★★

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“This is an instrument of precision.

It’s an attack club from the fairway.

Always know where the club is through chip shots.”

what it does: The 17 options in this full-service line of wedges all benefit from a new face story. First, the grooves are milled differently depending on the loft. The lower lofts feature steeper sidewalls to more effectively channel debris on full shots, and the higher lofts (54 to 62 degrees) use a more angled wall for better performance on partial shots. A new emery blast to the face also creates more friction for increased grab and spin. why we like it: The four grinds endeavour to match a player’s swing type and the way the club meets the ground to better take advantage of that face’s technologies. This includes the bunker benefits of the E-grind, a new take on Ping’s famous Eye2 L-wedge shape and sole — a longtime favorite of golf-equipment aficionados. specs 17 options (46-60 degrees); 4 sole grinds; 1 finish

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae

performance

★★★★½

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★

tay l o r m a d e

RRP AED 795

MILLED GRIND 3.0

look • sound • feel

★★★★½ demand

★★★½ p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“Feels dynamic and lively off the face on full shots.

An exciting trajectory.

Just the right check on short shots, too.”

what it does: For the discerning eyes of better players (like TaylorMade’s impressive tour staff ), a wedge needs to embrace minimalism. That’s why the aggressive efforts here on creating spin stay fairly hidden. This includes an unplated finish on the face that allows the grooves to be cut closer to the edge. Between the grooves, tiny ribs (.02 millimetres) protrude to generate additional friction on the shortest shots for maximum spin. why we like it: Of course, the shape here is a technology. The way the upper part of the blade increases in thickness as lofts increase yields a flatter trajectory with more spin. And of course the milled soles make those bounce angles and curves precisely consistent from Rory McIlroy’s wedge to yours. specs 17 options (46-60 degrees); 4 sole grinds; 2 finishes

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae

may 2022

gdme hot list

53

wedges

performance

★★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★½

titleist

RRP AED 795

VOKEY SM9

look • sound • feel

★★★★★ demand

★★★★★ p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“A club for short-game connoisseurs.

Feedback is satisfying.

Brilliant versatility.

Spin is remarkably consistent.”

what it does: When talking about a club’s centre of gravity, most think of it in terms of inside the head. A better wedge, according to Vokey’s thinking, requires moving that CG outside the head. Specifically, the new SM9 moves the CG forward of the face and higher than in past models. That combination controls excessive dynamic loft, yielding a lower, more consistent flight for optimal launch and spin. why we like it: Although the matrix of 23 loft-bounce options sounds confusing, it’s purposeful. Swings and course conditions vary. If you’re not making contact between the second and fifth groove, you’ve got the wrong grind. The master’s guidance: A higher-bounce sand wedge and lower-bounce lob wedge provide the most adaptability for all conditions. specs 23 options (46-62 degrees); 6 sole grinds; 4 finishes

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae

performance

★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★

cobra

RRP AED 699

KING COBRA SB

look • sound • feel

★★★★ demand

★★

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“This club is a flop machine.

Really like the softness at impact for the little shots.

The darkfinish model reduces glare.”

what it does: If you’re excited about manufacturing tolerances to the ten-thousandth of an inch, you probably don’t get out much.

But you’re the right mind for making a better wedge. Through such extreme improvements in manufacturing, Cobra pushes its grooves to be meaningfully sharper. That gives those partial shots better grab and adds volume to the groove to better channel away more debris for control out of the rough. why we like it: Manufacturing tolerances are still not cool. But spin is. That’s why beyond the souped-up grooves are three sole grinds that improve turf interaction so that club and ball (and groove) make more direct contact. Extending the grooves from heel to toe on the higher lofts makes them more effective on open-face shots, too. specs 13 options (48-60 degrees); 3 sole grinds; 2 finishes

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae

performance

★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★

ping

RRP AED 1,150

GLIDE FORGED PRO

look • sound • feel

★★★★½ demand

★★½

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“It cuts through the earth creating that perfect divot. Really good stopping power, but you have control over that.”

what it does: A better player might be the target of a compact forged wedge like this one, but not just because of its size. Like its sister, the Glide 4.0, it ramps up the spin thanks to a new emery blast and milled face and grooves. This creates extra friction for additional spin on all shots. The lower lofts use a steeper sidewall, for better spin on full shots, and the higher lofts use an oblique sidewall so that more groove edges grab the ball on partial shots. why we like it: With a name like Glide Forged Pro, it’s no surprise the shape grew from the input of Ping’s tour staff. One result is how the centre of gravity is tighter to the hosel, making these heads responsive to those with gifted hands. A 59-degree high-toe option is available for those yearning for a lob wedge akin to the iconic Eye2. specs 10 options (50-62 degrees); 2 sole grinds; 1 finish

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae

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listed alphabetically

in association with

performance

★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★

pxg

RRP AED 2,695

SUGAR DADDY II

look • sound • feel

★★★★ demand

★

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“Anyone will be a good bunker player with this club.

The weighting is perfectly balanced. You feel the head on delicate chips.”

what it does: In addition to both narrow- and wide-sole options for each of its seven lofts, this forged design features a higher-toe shape that adds stability on off-centre hits and raises the centre of gravity. That not only allows for controlled flight on full swings but for consistent performance on open-face shots. why we like it: Some mill the grooves, or the face, or even the sole, all in the name of precision. PXG decided to mill every aspect of the head, which is first forged from a soft 8620 carbon steel. The millwork includes the final shape, sole, face and grooves. The precision is complete with the addition of a central rear weight that can be adjusted to match each player’s specs. If 60 degrees is not enough, PXG also offers a 62-degree model. specs 14 options (50-62 degrees); 2 sole grinds; 1 finish

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae

performance

★★★★½

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★

tay l o r m a d e

RRP AED 735

HI-TOE RAW

look • sound • feel

★★★★ demand

★★

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“Love the bronze finish. Gives a player touch who doesn’t have any.

The grooves give you spin anywhere on the face.”

what it does: Though it has become a company staple, TaylorMade did not invent the high-toe wedge (Ping’s early Eye2 L wedge from the 1980s was a forerunner). But TaylorMade’s version certainly has taken the form in its boldest directions, including the 100-percent milled sole design. Not only does the large shape and toe mass push weight higher for a flatter trajectory with more spin, but those cutouts low in the back further shift the centre of gravity upward so that the face stays open longer on open-face shots. why we like it: This club has gone from specialty club to a full line of wedges. Even the way TaylorMade designs its full-face grooves seems like a paradigm shift. The raw face means the groove pattern can push the limits, and laser etching between grooves adds friction. specs 9 options (50-62 degrees); 3 sole grinds; 1 finish

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae

summit snapshot: no day at the beach Wedge testing is among our most complex tasks ▶ nothing takes more time during player testing than evaluating wedges. That’s because wedges are used in a variety of ways. We ask manufacturers to submit 50and 58-degree models in as many bounce/grind options as they have. Eight players test wedges during a session, and we rotate our player groups during the day so that not all players hit the same clubs at the same time. In other categories, we mainly pry panelists for thoughts on performance, the look and sound/feel. But in wedges, it’s those three, plus performance on full shots, sand shots (shown here by testers Gary Abbott in the foreground and Peter Lee) and greenside shots. And, yes, we fix the ball marks made by those flop shots. —emj

may 2022

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55

no club carries as much emotional capital as the putter. it restores as much as it frustrates. maybe that’s why the word we associate most with putters is feel

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in association with

mallet putters

performance

★★★★½

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★½

bettinardi

RRP AED 2,095

INOVAI 6.0/8.0

look • sound • feel

★★★★½ demand

★½

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“It naturally wants to ride the train tracks of alignment.

Good distance control; no need to manipulate your stroke.”

what it does: The challenge? Emulate the feel of the company’s classic milled putters with the forgiveness of a mallet. The answer?

Milled stainless steel up front with an aluminum body. The stainless-steel face was engineered with an asymmetrical groove design — called “roll control” — that gets the ball running true quicker. why we like it: The 303 stainless steel, the source material for the company’s proven milled blade putters, also provides a tour-requested feel at impact here. The Inovai 6.0 offers parallel wings seen in previous models (although this update is more compact), and the 8.0 uses a squarish shape that includes an armlock version with 5 degrees of loft. Both aluminum bodies allow for mass distribution in the rear for high stability on off-centre hits. specs 6 models; head weight 358, 400 grams; length 32-42 inches

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae

performance

★★★★½

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★½

clevel and

RRP AED 895

FRONTLINE

look • sound • feel

★★★★ demand

★★

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“I love the low profile.

It promotes staying low on your stroke. The alignment is easy to follow.

Balanced weight.”

what it does: Unlike most mallets, which move weight back in the clubhead, the Frontline — true to its name — places the weight close behind the face in the heel and toe areas. Cleveland believes that the majority of mallet designs actually steer mishits off-line because the deep centre of gravity causes the face to twist open at impact. why we like it: We like rebels, and the Frontline challenges this category’s status quo. Another highlight: The milled face pattern is designed to normalise speed, meaning off-centre hits roll more like center strikes. Finally, the aiming line is set at 21.35 millimeters above the sole, exactly half the diameter of a ball. By lining up with the center of the ball, proper alignment gets easier regardless of the golfer’s eye position at address. specs 9 models; head weight 360-370 grams; length 33-35 inches

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae

performance

★★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★

cobra

RRP AED 1,395

KING VINTAGE

look • sound • feel

★★★★½ demand

★½

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“It releases itself. It wants to help you swing. The aiming is intuitive, too.

A minimalist mallet shape that still has a lot of help.” listed alphabetically

what it does: Cobra takes the traditional mallet design and packs as much modern help into it as possible, highlighted by a face featuring SIK Golf’s descending loft pattern. why we like it: The Vintage line’s names are inspired by the classic-car catalog, and in a sense, so is their essence. As sharp as these babies look on the outside, what makes them purr is what’s under the hood. The descending loft pattern means that if a player is hitting upward or downward at impact, putts will launch off the face at the same ideal degree. Further helping the roll is the use of repositioned weight via ports in the sole. This provides increased stability and a lower center of gravity. Plus, there’s no shortage of head and hosel options among the seven models available. specs 7 models; head weight 350, 365 grams; length 34, 35 inches

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae

may 2022

gdme hot list

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mallet putters

performance

★★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★½

o dy s s e y

RRP AED 2,350

TOULON DESIGN

look • sound • feel

★★★★★ demand

★★

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“It’s so well balanced and so consistent; every putt feels the same.

It’s so soft you can feel the cover on the face. That’s a feel I like.”

what it does: With a variety of hosel offerings, the Toulon line keeps that blade-like, fully milled feel and sound while bringing a new sole-weighting pattern to maximise performance. why we like it: Unlike some mallets—whose increased forgiveness often comes at the expense of look, sound and feel—the Toulon line ensures there’s no Faustian bargain to be had. Forward weighting on the head and sole tighten up dispersion, and a new deep-diamond groove milled face improves sound, feel and performance.

Odyssey’s Stroke Lab shaft redistributes weight closer to the hands, increasing stability in your delivery. The line’s six models, all with a white line on a midnight black finish, offer the kind of alignment help that’s as quietly confident as you want your stroke to be. specs 6 models; head weight 360 grams; length 32-37 inches

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae

performance

★★★★½

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★½

o dy s s e y

RRP AED 1,595

ELEVEN

look • sound • feel

★★★★ demand

★★★

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“Very stable, back and through. Great for long putts and distance control but easy to keep in line on short putts, too.”

what it does: By mixing lightweight aluminum and polymers with targeted use of heavier steel, this large mallet boasts extreme forgiveness with a forward centre of gravity for easier release. why we like it: Think of the Eleven like an all-pro fullback. It’s big with a ton of muscle yet strikingly nimble for its size. A new sole design puts weight forward in the heel and toe to help keep the putterface square through impact. The Eleven has three alignment options, and the White Hot insert bestows a soft, responsive feel at impact that tour players wanted. The putter also features a lighter, more stable Stroke Lab shaft in which the graphite-steel composition redistributes the weight closer to the hands for better consistency in path, tempo and impact location. specs 3 models; head weight 370 grams; length 33-35 inches

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae

performance

★★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★½

o dy s s e y

RRP AED 1,395

WHITE HOT OG

look • sound • feel

★★★★★ demand

★★★★★ p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“A classy looking putter. Soft at impact, like it’s catching the ball, yet the ball leaves the face in a solid manner.”

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what it does: When something is called “the OG,” that means the original was as good as it gets. This line, which is built on the famously soft-yet-resilient White Hot polymer insert that’s nearly old enough to drink, includes three familiar mallet shapes, three hosel variations for different stroke types and a new model that looks like it’s been around almost as long as that OG of face inserts itself. why we like it: The insert delivers a soft feel at impact with a strong rebound for better ball speed. But this is more than a retread.

The White Hot adds a bit of modern touch to the OG thanks to the milled finish and the Stroke Lab shaft. This graphite-steel composition redistributes the weight of the putter closer to the hands for consistency in the rhythm and results of your putting action. specs 6 models; head weight 355-365 grams; length 33-37 inches

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae

listed alphabetically

in association with

performance

★★★★½

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★½

ping

RRP AED 1,425

PING 2021

look • sound • feel

★★★★½ demand

★★★★ p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“I like how pure the roll is.

It gets rolling immediately so that you’re focusing on alignment instead of getting it to the hole.”

what it does: Using a two-layer face insert, Ping brings a soft, responsive feel to a variety of multimaterial designs and shapes within this line to increase stability and improve long and short putts. why we like it: Ping knows a mallet-user comes to this side of the putter spectrum for forgiveness, but it appreciates the need for feel, too. Each model in the series is built using top-level materials, like aerospace-grade aluminum. Combining them, especially with the use of dense tungsten, enhances how those off-center hits perform.

The Harwood model leads the way in stability with 93 grams of tungsten in all four corners of the head. The dual-durometer face insert is soft in front for touch on short putts and firm in back for extra oomph on longer rolls. Shallow grooves provide a consistent feel. specs 7 models; head weight 360-385 grams; length 32-38, 41.5 inches

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performance

★★★★½

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★★

pxg

RRP AED 2,295

BATTLE READY

look • sound • feel

★★★★½ demand

★½

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“Such a consistent acoustic to it, guitar string vibrancy and resonance.

Always the right response with every impact.”

what it does: With an interchangeable hosel and adjustable weight fitting system, these mallets emphasise personal and repeatable alignment with a face pattern that optimizes distance control. why we like it: A number of our testers asked if these were Batman’s putters, and though they were crestfallen to learn Batman is indeed fictional, there’s nothing fake about the commitment here. The pyramids dotting the face vary in density to normalise ball speed across the face, and they ‘bite’ into the ball for consistent launch and spin across the face. These mallets mix top-grade aluminum in the body with heavy tungsten in back and adjustable sole weights for customised stability. The four hosels include two with toe hang, one that’s face-balanced and an armlock version. specs 5 models; head weight 330-470 grams; length custom

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performance

★★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★★

tay l o r m a d e

RRP AED 1,575

SPIDER GT

look • sound • feel

★★★★½ demand

★★★★½ p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“I love the variety of options. Light and pleasant feel off the face. Lively, but controlled.

Ball tracks easily and quickly.”

what it does: The Spider line’s complete re-imagination combines the forgiveness from previous models with the feel and performance of the front-loaded Spider FCG for a best-of-both-worlds putter. why we like it: TaylorMade took a risk by altering the look of one of the most popular putters in the game. But the line’s high-stability lineage and roll-enhancing face are both improved. The GT’s multiple designs use a multimaterial approach. The top plate uses light 6061 aluminum that eliminates excess weight in the middle of the putter. Heavy steel weights, plus tungsten, put 82 per cent of the weight on the outer perimeter for help on off-centre strikes. The face insert, which has downward facing grooves that give to promote forward roll, is a touch firmer based on tour and consumer feedback. specs 4 models; head weight 350-365 grams; length 33-35 inches

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may 2022

gdme hot list

59

mallet putters

performance

★★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★½

titleist

AED TBC

PHANTOM X (2022)

look • sound • feel

★★★★★ demand

★★★★½ p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“Futuristic without being outlandish.

Great weight balance and distribution with a firm impact.”

what it does: The Phantom’s unencumbered but intelligent use of multiple materials augments the tour-approved feel and sound of the face. Golfers of just about any handicap want forgiveness, and this putter delivers it. why we like it: Like Darlene Love singing ‘Baby Please Come Home’ during the holidays, this hits all the right notes and feels thanks to a precision-milled stainless steel paired with aircraftgrade aluminum. The latest Phantom X line features 10 models, including a new No. 7 that seems almost like a next-generation Newport with stabilizer wings. The slant-neck versions of the X5, X7, X9 and X11 mallets carry a “.5” designation and work better for strokes that have more of a blade-like natural arc. specs 10 models; head weight 350-370 grams; length 33-35 inches

Coming soon to eGolf Megastore

performance

★★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★½

look • sound • feel

★★★★½ demand

★★★

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“I really love how the offset shaft is just enough. The whole feeling of the head is light but substantial.

It’s very workable.”

titleist

SCOTTY CAMERON SPECIAL SELECT

RRP AED 2,375

what it does: Not all mallets have to look like tools from the International Space Station. But these classics bring a familiar look, sound and feel to the present with subtle weighting enhancements. why we like it: Many companies pound their chests about technology. This putter gently extols craftsmanship. Gone is the face inlay of recent versions. In its place is a traditional milled construction from a single piece of stainless steel. Spurred by feedback from tour players, the switch improves consistency and enhances feel across the face. Still, modern-mallet stability comes from the aircraft-grade aluminium soleplate. That frees up weight to be redistributed to perimeter sole weights for better off-centre-hit performance. specs 4 models; head weight 340-360 grams; length 33-35 inches

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performance

★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★★

cobra

RRP AED 1,795

KING 3D PRINTED

look • sound • feel

★★★★ demand

★½

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“It has good balance front to rear to keep the putter’s back end from dragging on longer swings.”

what it does: In putters, the face gets most of the attention, but what about the guts? That area needs to be light, but it can’t be air, or every mallet would sound like a tin can. Cobra constructed its middle using a 3-D-printed lattice structure that’s never been seen before to create stability and support while improving sound. why we like it: Your middle-school self is lucky this bad boy wasn’t at the science fair or it would have put those baking-soda volcanoes to shame. The putter’s internal nylon cartridges are lightweight but strong enough to house heavy tungsten. The weights occupy the extreme heel and toe, front and back. Cobra also uses SIK Golf’s descending loft face pattern to ensure proper launch angle regardless if the player is hitting up or down on the ball. specs 7 models; head weight 380-385 grams; length 34-41 inches

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listed alphabetically

in association with

performance

★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★

look • sound • feel

★★★★ demand

★★★½ p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“An extremely responsive and lively face. You don’t have to force the ball with any more energy than required.”

tay l o r m a d e TP COLLECTION HYDROBLAST

RRP AED 1,125

what it does: This traditional, clean aesthetic matches well with weighting that maximises stability and an insert that optimises roll. why we like it: Like a cast-iron skillet or Cal Ripken Jr, this thing is dura-

ble. The line is milled from stainless steel that’s finished with a high-pressure water application for better resilience to dents and scratches. The company’s “pure roll” insert, featuring downward facing grooves, gets the ball moving end over end sooner to help with consistency and dispersion. Those grooves, which are just 0.5 millimeters deep, give slightly during impact. That in effect grabs the ball, which mitigates initial backspin to promote that forward roll.

Not just effective and efficient, it feels soft, too. Adjustable heel and toe sole weights help with identifying the player’s preferences. specs 3 models; head weight 345-355 grams; length 34-35 inches

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae

summit snapshot: duly noted Our editors, player-testers and more than 100,000 words of comments ▶ one of the more underrated aspects of the Hot List is that an editor is assigned to a group of two player testers. The editors are prolific note-takers, although what you see in this issue is just a sample (more are available online). In aggregate the editors routinely gather more than 100,000 words of player comments each year that help guide our decision-making process. More than just writing down comments verbatim, they are there as watchful interrogators, too. (Near left, Golf Digest’s Jared Goldstein interacts with player-tester veteran Sean Harper). The editors keep a careful eye on shots being hit so that they can question scores that don’t match up to the eye test and squeeze relevant feedback from the players. If they’re satisfied with the answer, they move on to the next. The job of the editors isn’t to change a score. They just makes sure the players are confident in the one they give. As for the note-taking, there are some light moments. Such as when a tester calls a mallet putter “as stable as a six-legged basset hound.” On the other end, not every club resonates with every player, leading to more negative thoughts such as “It sounds like a cat after you step on its tail.” Whatever the reaction, we are there to jot it down. Word for word. —emj

may 2022

gdme hot list

61

bl ade putters

performance

★★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★

bettinardi

RRP AED 1,995

BB SERIES (2022)

look • sound • feel

★★★★★ demand

★★½

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“It’s the classic blade you’d expect but with a modern, expensivelooking finish.

The offset makes it easy to line up.”

what it does: It’s easy to see Bettinardi’s milled putters as a series of jewelry pieces. However, these shapes and combinations of hosels yield distinct functions through different degrees of toe hang and off-centre-hit stability. That means depending on how much arc there is in your stroke, only one is ideal for you. The BB1F has the most toe hang and is best for feel putters, and the BB1 is the traditional plumber’s-neck blade for more of a moderate face rotation during the swing. The new BB8W features a wider sole for the least arcing motion and a measure of forgiveness. why we like it: Of course, they are still works of art in 303 stainless steel. That includes a sleek grey PVD finish and the Bettinardi ‘fly mill’ face pattern for a soft, yet responsive feel. specs 3 models; head weight 350 grams; length 32-36 inches

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae

performance

★★★★½

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★★

cobra

RRP AED 1,795

KING 3D PRINTED

look • sound • feel

★★★★ demand

★½

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“Perimeter weighting keeps it from twisting at impact.

Performs like a mallet, not a blade. The roll is very responsive.”

what it does: Is a blade putter the simplest design in golf? The Cobra King 3D Printed putters feature 11 distinct parts, and the most crucial isn’t cast or forged or even milled. It’s so complex that it’s 3-D printed. These putters use an intricate nylon lattice structure within the head that’s only possible through the 3-D printed-layering process. This weight-saving, sound-enhancing element makes space for tungsten heel and toe weights that increase stability on off-centre hits by 20 percent over a typical milled putter. why we like it: We like the face almost as much as we like the process. Using SIK’s idea of decreasing the loft on the face from top to bottom, this blade is designed to produce the same optimal launch whether you hit down or up on your putts. s p ec s 2 m o d e l s ; h e a d w e i g h t 3 7 5 , 3 9 0 g r a m s ; l e n gt h 3 4 , 3 5 , 3 7 . 5 , 4 1 i n c h e s

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performance

★★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★

o dy s s e y

RRP AED 2,350

TOULON SERIES

look • sound • feel

★★★★½ demand

★★½

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“Matching dark materials makes for a cohesive package. My stroke feels smooth. I always know where the head is.”

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what it does: The rightfully subdued changes to these classic milled putters still result in fully felt effects. Take the sole weighting. Centered in the past, weight ports in the sole now sit forward in the heel and toe. That stabilizes off-centre hits and keeps the overall centre of gravity lower and forward for better distance and dispersion control. They’re adjustable to better match the golfer’s specs. why we like it: Milled blade putters and technology meet about as often as beer commercials and 19th-century Danish existentialism, but there’s serious work here. This includes the graphite and steel Stroke Lab shaft that provides a higher balance point for increased consistency. The new full-groove face pattern also enhances friction for quicker initial forward roll. specs 3 models; head weight 360 grams; length 33-35 inches

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listed alphabetically

in association with

performance

★★★★½

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★★

o dy s s e y

RRP AED 2,195

TRI-HOT 5K

look • sound • feel

★★★★½ demand

★★★½ p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“I like the twotone finish, shiny not intrusive. Love the nostalgic firmness at impact. Mishits feel like the centre of the face.”

what it does: This distinction between mallet and blade seems so binary, especially when you look at a multimaterial putter like this one. Although the multiple versions here all look like slick blades, each head is infused with enough tungsten to account for half its weight. This creates a moment of inertia (stability on offcenter hits) never before realised in an Odyssey blade. The heavy tungsten helps position the center of gravity slightly forward, all of which controls side spin and produces more consistent ball speed.

In short, more putts get to or stay near the hole. why we like it: For all the manufacturing and technical complexity, these blades still look timeless. That’s why the venerable, smoothly responsive White Hot face insert makes the ideal match. specs 5 models; head weight 360 grams; length 33-35 inches

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae

performance

★★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★½

o dy s s e y

RRP AED 1,395

WHITE HOT OG

look • sound • feel

★★★★★ demand

★★★★½ p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“The softest insert out here.

Sometimes really soft faces don’t transmit feel, but this one is soft yet responsive.”

what it does: Thomas Wolfe seemed certain you couldn’t go home again, but it seems he never had much of an understanding of the unique flex modulus properties of the two-part urethane mix used in Odyssey’s White Hot putters. Popular for decades among tour players for its unique combination of soft feel with higher rebound, it was resurrected last year and became a top-seller all over again. why we like it: What’s interesting about this insert is that for all its reliability in soft feel and performance, there’s also a remarkable consistency in sound. The range of sound in terms of pitch and amplitude is tighter across all distances than some milled putters.

The graphite-steel Stroke Lab shaft and its higher balance point enhances that consistency, improving tempo and face control. specs 2 models; head weight 350-360 grams; length 33-35 inches

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performance

★★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★½

ping

RRP AED 1,425

PING 2021

look • sound • feel

★★★★½ demand

★★★½ p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“The strikes sounded solid, and the ball started on line every time with a consistent end-overend roll.”

what it does: There are four blade models in this line: Two are designed for golfers with strong-arcing strokes and the other two are for golfers with slight-arcing strokes. The putterface features a soft material for the front section and a firmer material on the back section to dial in the feel recommended by the company’s tour staff. why we like it: The multimaterial designs promote forgiveness on mis-hits. The three Anser versions (Anser, Anser 2, Anser 4) and the Kushin 4 all use a stainless-steel head with tungsten heel and toe weights to provide the highest stability ever in a Ping blade. The grooves on the face are a uniform five-thousandths of an inch deep, which results in a softer impact but with the full retention of ball speed as if you had a perfectly smooth face. specs 4 models; head weight 350-360 grams; length 33-36 inches

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may 2022

gdme hot list

63

bl ade putters

performance

★★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★

pxg

AED TBC

0211 SERIES

look • sound • feel

★★★★ demand

★½

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“When you set it down behind the ball, the graphics practically produce a laser beam toward your target.”

what it does: As incongruous as it might seem that the luxury golf-equipment brand PXG has the least-expensive product on the Hot List, don’t think that this affordable putter is without gameenhancing features. The company’s four blades cater to four strokes, and the face has the same variable pattern of pyramids found on the more expensive PXG Battle Ready lineup. That pyramid texture gets less dense toward the heel and toe to equalise the energy transfer all across the face for more consistent distance control. why we like it: The refreshing price point will naturally appeal to a lot of newer golfers, many of whom are looking for an easier way to understand aim. That’s where this putter excels: The runway pattern of angled stripes really help golfers line up correctly. specs 4 models; head weight 350-365 grams; length 33-38 inches

Available for custom order at eGolf Megastore

performance

★★★★½

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★½

pxg

RRP AED 2,295

BATTLE READY

look • sound • feel

★★★★ demand

★½

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“The face neatly grabs the ball for a good roll.

A perfect combination of firm and soft.

Everything is stable.”

what it does: As the name implies, these putters offer a full assault on fitting each putter precisely to each player. This is accomplished through four distinct blade models and four hosel options. In addition, a host of tungsten and other weight screws make achieving the perfect set of specs more likely than not. The tungsten sole weights in the heel and toe bolster the club’s stability, keeping the head on its intended path and improving off-centre hits. why we like it: Even a perfect fit doesn’t guarantee perfect impact.

After all, like a good marriage, golf is about surviving your mistakes.

That’s why the pyramid shapes across the face are so essential. The shapes are less dense at the extremes so that ball speed is more uniform whether impact is off-line or dead centre. specs 4 models (4 hosels); head weight 325-405 grams; length custom

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performance

★★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★

seemore

RRP AED 1,699

M7X PRIVATE RESERVE

look • sound • feel

★★★★½ demand

★½

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“Instant feedback on alignment even when I’m a millimeter too far. Deadly on short putts; it’s just so easy to set up and putt.”

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what it does: Nothing this side of a helicopter parent at the local putt-putt does more to keep a player on target than SeeMore. By hiding the red dot at address, the golfer knows not only are these putters aimed properly, but the golfer’s body, eyes and hands are perfectly square to the target. That setup position also ensures the putter’s loft at impact is correct so that putts will roll more consistently. why we like it: Of course, there’s more to putting than alignment.

That’s why this model combines the soft feel of an aircraft-gradealuminium inner-core face insert (with deep milling for a better roll) and a soft 303 stainless-steel body. Also, the putter’s balance keeps the face square to its lie angle. This reduces how much the hands manipulate the face during the stroke for better consistency. specs 1 model; head weight 365 grams; length 33-35 inches

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listed alphabetically

in association with

performance

★★★★½

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★

tay l o r m a d e TP COLLECTION HYDRO BLAST

RRP AED 1,125

look • sound • feel

★★★★ demand

★★★

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“The line that goes to the back focuses my aim, and the insert has a consistent soft-tomedium feel.

Weighting is balanced.”

what it does: The clean aesthetic is the result of a high-pressure application of water to the surface-milled 303 stainless-steel body.

This gives these blades a similar look, but they are very different putters for different strokes. The longer, narrower Soto is designed for strokes with the most natural rotation. There are two versions of the squatty Del Monte: The plumber’s neck version works for slightly arcing strokes, and the other is face-balanced, which is best for strokes that move straight back and through. why we like it: Whatever your style of stroke, it’s the face that makes it all come together. Specifically, the soft, resilient polymer blend’s 12 urethane-filled grooves give at impact, adding forward spin to help get the ball rolling end over end more quickly. specs 2 models; head weight 345-355 grams; length 34, 35 inches

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae

performance

★★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★

look • sound • feel

★★★★★ demand

★★★★★ p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“When you think of a blade putter, this is exactly how you want it to look, and it somehow has a tendency to square itself at the ball.”

titleist

SCOTTY CAMERON SPECIAL SELECT

RRP AED 2,375

what it does: When Scotty Cameron, who has been at this putter thing for more than three decades, decided to take his most famous models back to their roots, he clearly knew where he was going. That classic milled 303 stainless-steel construction produces the consistent impact, feel and response preferred by his ever-expanding stable of tour players. Their input also shaped his subtle changes, like thinner, flatter toplines, a slightly shorter plumber’s neck and a new small-slant option that caters to strokes with maximum arc. why we like it: This is a museum piece, sure, but Cameron crafts a seamless injection of technology, too. Those hefty tungsten heel and toe sole weights add meaningful stability to expand the sweet spot. specs 4 models; head weight 340-360 grams; length 33-35 inches

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae

performance

★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★

look • sound • feel

★★★★ demand

★★

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“A beautiful, smoky gray finish looks really expensive to impress your buddies. Firm without being harsh in any way.”

clevel and

HUNTINGTON BEACH SOFT PREMIER

RRP AED 795

what it does: The slightly different shapes and hosels target different strokes (more straight on the No. 8, more arcing on No. 3 and No. 4). But although plenty of putters use a milling pattern on the face, these models use a specific pattern for each head. The milling helps normalize distance across the face, but it’s different because each head has a slightly different stability on off-center hits. The face-milling works with the head stability for more consistent roll. why we like it: The Cleveland team goes a step further to individualise performance with this putter than others at three times the cost. It offers two grip styles catered to your stroke: one standard for straighter strokes and one thinner for strokes with more arc. specs 3 models; head weight 345-365 grams; length 33-35 inches

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae

may 2022

gdme hot list

65

M

MIND / THE FRINGE

Speaking Out for Mental Wellness Former tennis star Mardy Fish has been open about his struggles with anxiety and how golf has helped

By Alex Myers

M

ardy Fish gave his liFe to tennis, but he sure looks like a golfer in retirement with a smooth, powerful swing that prompted Jack Nicklaus to declare him “the best non-professional golfer I’ve ever seen play”. Nicklaus undoubtedly would have been even more impressed if he knew that Fish has never taken a golf lesson.

Fish recalls a less-structured setting in which he developed his left-handed golf swing as a toddler in Edina, Minnesota, because it’s the same place where the righty tennis player grooved his backhand that “paid the bills”.

“My mom tied a string with a tennis ball to the ceiling in the basement,” says Fish, who carries a plus-2.8 Handicap Index at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles. “I’d pick up a baseball bat, tennis racket or whatever and whack it with two hands on that side.”

Fish played junior golf before focusing on tennis, and he’s pretty sure he made the right decision. What’s certain is that he wound up having one of the most interesting career arcs of any athlete, a story that was chronicled in the gripping 2021 Netflix documentary “Untold: Breaking Point”. The film focuses on Fish’s late-career renaissance when he turned to a strict diet and training regimen that took 30lbs off his 6-foot-2 frame. At 29, Fish peaked by reaching No. 7 in the world.

Fish’s surge was derailed by cardiac arrhythmia and a severe anxiety disorder. The panic attacks became so debilitating that they kept him from taking the court in potentially the biggest match of his career, a fourth-round

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GOOD MATCH

Fish is one of the best golfers on the celebrity tour.

meeting with Roger Federer at the 2012 US Open. Fish rarely played the next three years, retiring after the 2015 US Open, but not before deciding to open up about his struggles with mental health in hopes of helping others.

“I was in bad shape, and I got out of it and thrived,” Fish says. “It’s not something that will go away for good, but I have really good days almost every day.

The pandemic has added to the mentalhealth talk, so it’s a nice time to share a success story for people who are locked in their house or scared of whatever.”

Fish says during his tennis career he used golf as an escape from competing in tournaments. In retirement, it’s the opposite. He loves playing in celebrity events, plus about once a month recreationally when he’s at home in LA with his wife, Stacey, and their two children.

Fish calls golf a “positive stress” in his life, and after decades of pushing his body to the limits to play tennis, you won’t find him pounding range balls.

“Honestly, the less I play, the less that’s in my head,” says Fish, who serves as captain for the US Davis Cup team. “I think it helps that I play minimally.”

The lack of play hasn’t kept Fish from being a force on the celebrity golf scene.

He won the celebrity division of the LPGA’s Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions three times and the American Century Championship — the Super Bowl of celebrity golf — in 2020, breaking Lee Trevino’s Edgewood Tahoe course record with a 63.

“I love the feeling of leaving a city without losing. I got that in tennis a few times,” says Fish, a six-time winner on the ATP Tour. “You’re chasing that feeling. In tennis, we call it Title Town.”

Fish, 40, is content to chase that feeling on the celebrity circuit, but he shares a dream that many other golfers have—playing the senior tour. “I’d need years to train, but I know what it takes.”

It’s a lofty goal, but one that seems achievable for this gifted athlete. Just ask Jack Nicklaus.

Alex Myers’ high school doubles record would have been much better with this guy as a partner.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JENSEN LARSON

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