Youth on Course Awards 20 Members With Scholarships

May 11, 2021

Youth on Course – the non-profit organization dedicated to opening doors, supporting dreams and transforming the lives of young people – has announced its 2021 scholarship awards granting $296,000 to 20 deserving high school graduates, continuing its commitment to providing youth with access to life-changing opportunities on and off the course.

Since the inception of the scholarship program in 2008, nearly 300 Youth on Course members have been awarded with financial support totaling $2 million. The graduation rate among all alumni and current recipients is 93 percent.

The class of 2021 will be attending the country’s most prestigious universities including Dartmouth College, University of California – Berkeley and the United States Naval Academy, among others. The average GPA of this year’s winners is 4.39 and six of the recipients will be playing college golf with five others possibly joining their collegiate team.

“Pursuing higher education, much like the game of golf, shouldn’t hinge on the financial burdens it places on young people,” says Michael Lowe, vice president of programs for Youth on Course. “These 20 students are among the brightest in the country and we, along with our scholarship donors, are proud to help them continue to work towards their dreams on and off the golf course.”

TaylorMade Sold – Key Takeaways:

Breaking News: TaylorMade sold to a Korean Private Equity firm for $1.6 billion.KPS Financial bought TaylorMade from adidas in 2017 for $425 million.Sold comes amidst reports of the highest industry-wide Q1 golf equipment sales on record.

We’re hearing rumblings this morning the rumored sale of TaylorMade is now a reality. Today’s Korea Economic Daily Global Edition is reporting that TaylorMade has been sold to Centroid Investment Partners, a Korean Private Equity firm for $1.6 billion.

The newspaper reports it is the largest-ever acquisition in the golf industry. The deal is expected to be finalized in July.

$1.6 billion is a hefty price tag. KPS Financial LP, a New York-based private equity firm, purchased TaylorMade, Adams and Ashworth from adidas four years ago for $425 million. At the time, it was believed KPS would streamline and restructure TaylorMade with an eye towards selling it at a tidy profit.

We’d say $1.6 billion – roughly four times the original investment – qualifies as mission accomplished.

TaylorMade Sold: Four Years Under KPS

Reports that TaylorMade was on the block first surfaced this past February. The New York Times reported the asking price would be in the $2 billion range.

Dustin Johnson won't play this week at the AT&T Byron Nelson, with the world No. 1 citing knee discomfort.

Tim Tebow is expected to sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars, which got us thinking ... what other sports comebacks can compare?

The Spectrum of NCGA Clubs: Happy 25th to Fore Women Golf Association!

May 10, 2021

We would all like to get the ball up and down from inside 100 yards, but the reality is that for majority of us we are more likely to take four to get down than we are to take two. Most of the top players and coaches I’ve discussed pitching with over the years have shared that they utilize some form of a template to encourage feel and familiarity with all the different shots we encounter from inside 100 yards. Here are a few ideas that I’ve found to work best for the everyday golfer. Watch….

I have three primary wedges that I might use for playing pitch type shots. There’s a strong chance that you have a slightly different wedge make up to the one I have. The idea here is to limit the two most lofted clubs to a comfortable distance less than a full swing. Here are my thoughts with each of my clubs:

58º

A full swing will carry 85 yards with this club but I never will attempt to hit it that far

I will use this club outside of the chipping zone all the way up to 60 yards and no further

A sensible “core distance” to practice with this club is 50 yards

The Travelers Championship, held the week after the U.S. Open, will welcome back fans but with a reduced crowd of about 10,000 each day. They expect to ask fans to continue wearing masks and maintain a social distance from one another.

As we look for ways to keep the ball rolling and leverage our Ball Lab to provide insights into the too-often overlooked golf ball category, we again wanted to step back and listen to what you have to say about the golf ball.

This 2021 iteration of our  Golf Ball Survey is an opportunity for us to learn about your buying (and playing) habits. In addition to taking the survey, feel free to share additional thoughts on all things golf ball in the comment section.

Oh … for those of you who have been asking, yes, another robot ball test is in the works for this summer. Stay tuned for details.

Take the Survey

Click here to take the survey.

The post 2021 Golf Ball Survey appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

Alex Cejka won in only his third PGA Tour Champions start, beating defending Regions Tradition champion Steve Stricker in a playoff.

Rory McIlroy found his comfort zone at Quail Hollow, closing with a 3-under 68 on Sunday for a one-shot victory in the Wells Fargo Championship and ending an 18-month drought since his last victory in the HSBC Champions in Shanghai.

Nathaniel Crosby, the son of late singer Bing Crosby, became the first U.S. captain with back-to-back victories since Buddy Marucci in 2007 and 2009.

Rory McIlroy has been searching for his game. With a full gallery at the Wells Fargo Championship, he found it.

Bryson DeChambeau shot 68 on Sunday at the Wells Fargo Championship to move into the top 10 after traveling home when he thought he missed the cut and having to fly back early Saturday.

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Former world No. 1 Ariya Jutanugarn hit a flawless nine-under-par 63 in the final round of the Honda LPGA Thailand on Sunday to become the first local winner of the $1.6 million tournament.

The Americans take a 7-5 lead into the final day of the Walker Cup. Cole Hammer and Ricky Castillo led the way by winning both their matches.

Defending champion Steve Stricker made a long eagle putt on the final hole for 7-under 65 and the third-round lead Saturday in the Regions Tradition, the first of five PGA Tour Champions majors.

- Keith Mitchell straightened out his putter and delivered big tee shots Saturday that carried him to a 6-under 66 and a two-shot lead over Rory McIlroy and Gary Woodland in the Wells Fargo Championship.

Bryson DeChambeau took a private jet back to the Wells Fargo Championship, had less than an hour to get ready for the third round at Quail Hollow Golf Club and shot a 3-under-par 68.

Patty Tavatanakit recovered from a slow start on the front nine to shoot a 2-under 70 and will enter the final round of the LPGA Thailand tournament with a one-shot lead.