Dustin Johnson has had quite the run. He has earned some serious cash. But in this altered season, he's not done yet. The U.S. Open is coming soon. The Masters lurks two months from now. Can he keep it going?
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Utilizing some critical putts late in the round, Dustin Johnson finally won the FedEx Cup on Monday, outlasting Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele in the Tour Championship.
The “3-iron into some guy’s bedroom” (Hogan) at 190 yards will play 214 this time around, so 3-irons are unlikely even with the added length to offset better absorption of Vitamin D fueling linebackers-turned-golfers.
What is so charming about Winged Foot’s 10th when, on paper, it’s seemingly pretty simple?
There is the aesthetic factor, for starters. As Tom Nieporte, the club’s long time pro once said, “it’s like a painted picture, every time you play it”.
The hole is undeniably beautiful, simple and crying out to be painted. Most of the best holes sit on a landscape in ways that are attractive to an artist.
There is also the 10th’s location in the round. Buried elsewhere on the West Course it would undoubtedly be a much-talked about par-3. But put it in front of the clubhouse and the 10th takes on a different majesty, particularly since so few clubhouses in the world are accented by views of a par-3.
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Game improvement irons are a constant in the golf industry, promising ego-boosting distance mixed with forgiveness across the face. While blades are sexy, game improvement irons are the foundation of nearly every manufacturer’s lineup. Good, bad or ugly, they offer something for almost everyone.
We are here to help you navigate the “Wild, Wild, West” that is the game improvement market. The category is loaded with distance, forgiveness and, believe it or not, looks. This stagecoach has 18 different models on board so hop on, strap in and get ready for this wild ride.
If you are in the market for game improvement irons, the 2020 Most Wanted Game Improvement Iron test is for you.
Most Wanted: Titleist T300 and Mizuno JPX 921 Hot Metal
Performance Grades
Below is the Best Player’s Distance Iron 2020 broken down by performance grades for each iron length. The percentages displayed for each iron represent the frequency at which each was among the best performing irons for each tester across the test pool. For more information about how we arrive at these results, see our How We Test page.
2020 has been positive in one very small sense: it has spawned some spectacular, even unprecedented “playoff” naps. We’re talking circa 2012, 2014 level melatonin injections after mere minutes of tuning into the PGA Tour’s three season-ending non-thrill rides.
While I enjoyed some drool-inducers during Olympia Fields week, nothing has come close to Sunday’s third round siesta extraordinaire.
You know the kind: wake up to a golf telecast with no idea what day it is, what year it is, or what tournament is making that background noise.
The affairs at East Lake have been made worse by a random confluence of factors. There is the soul-crushing sight of watching the Johnson brothers reading greens, Feherty buttoning up in fear of a 904 party-pooper questioning his jokes, and the traditionally energy-light venue which somehow feels even more moribund than usual. I’m almost pining for the East Lake Cup college mascots to make a cameo. Almost.
Juxtapose this stagnant $45 million snoozer against compelling NBA games, NBC’s impressive Kentucky Derby coverage (where no controversy was ignored), and Sunday’s bizarro Djokovic U.S. Open antics, and the PGA Tour’s Super Bowl seems more unimaginably dull than normal.
He started this FedEx Cup out in front, giving him the benefit of a few shots on the field at the Tour Championship. Even though Xander Schauffele has played better so far in this FedEx Cup finale, it likely won't matter.
Dustin Johnson is now is one round away from capturing the FedEx Cup and its $15 million prize.
Titleist TSi Driver – Key Takeaways
Two Titleist TSi drivers (TSi2 and TSi3) have hit the USGA Conforming ListThe TSi3 features an updated track weighting systemReplacements for the TS1 and TS4 are not listed at this timeThe surprisingly good TS2 and TS3 did plenty to shake Titleist’s reputation as a company that makes spinny drivers. With the new for 2020 TSi Drivers (TSi2 and TSi3), it seems reasonable that Titleist will look to build on that to further make the case that it belongs in the same conversation with Callaway and TaylorMade when golfers are deciding which clubs to take into the hitting bay.
The Tsi2 and Tsi3 are hitting the PGA and European Tours this week. The official story is that the Titleist TSi drivers are undergoing their final validation before average golfers will get a crack at them.
Hopefully, everything goes well. I’d hate for reality to ruin a good story, but final validation or not, the TSi drivers well past being done. There’s no doubt the factory is already hard at work cranking them out in the numbers necessary to be ready for launch day.
And speaking of, this isn’t going to be a PING situation where the driver hits tour now, but golfers will have to wait until 2021 to get their hands on it. There was certainly plenty of COVID-related should we go, or should we wait at Titleist, but ultimately the company appears to have decided to launch. I can’t give you an exact date, but I don’t think we’ll have to wait long for the TSi drivers to hit retail.
John Catlin became the first American since Tiger Woods to win at Valderrama on Sunday and denied Martin Kaymer another chance to end a six-year drought.
The first par-5 reduced to a par-4 in 2006 returns to its three-shotter roots for the 2020 U.S. Open.
However, due to the influx of brussel-sprout based dieting and more players incorporating standing one-arm preacher curls into their workouts, a driving hitting the fairway should set up a long iron into the green.
The putting surface shape and contouring here is masterful, with the wide front gradually shrinking as the green goes. A simple looking green has so much going on with seemingly random contours and bumps, meaning even with its reachability, it should serve as a much better short par-5 this time around.
No. 9 at Winged Foot is a straightaway, 565-yard par 5 that played as the longest par 4 in #USOpen history to that point in 2006. Its greenside bunkers will pose a challenge for players attempting to reach the green in two.
In collaboration with @DeloitteUS. pic.twitter.com/FlvkEKZjO9
Golfweek.com’s Adam Schupak reports on the Sanford International (September 11-13) becoming the first COVID-19 era event to welcome back the paying public.
Played at Sioux Falls, South Dakota’s Minnehaha Country Club the event is sponsored by the PGA Tour’s official COVID-19 testing partner and while typically well-attended, will be playing it extra things carefully knowing they are the first.
Schupak spoke to tournament director Hollis Cavner and writes:
All spectators are encouraged to take their own temperature before heading to the tournament. Upon arrival, FDA approved non-contact wrist thermometers will be utilized at each parking lot prior to spectators getting on a shuttle bus. Temperature checks will also take place at the main entrance for those that arrive without taking a shuttle. Anyone with a temperature of 100 degrees or higher will be turned away and asked to seek medical attention.
Fans will be given free masks, if needed, as well as gloves, if requested. The golf course has been roped so fans won’t be able to get as close to the players as usual. Stationary hand sanitizer units will be placed at entrances to public bleachers, hospitality structures, and the clubhouse. Portolets and restroom trailers will each be equipped with sanitizer pumps and handwashing stations as well. For the safety of the players and gallery members alike, autographs will be prohibited.
“We’re on 250 acres. Spacing people on 250 acres is like 12 people inside a Super Wal-Mart,” Cavner said. “We’re the guinea pig for bringing people back to golf with live crowds, so we’ve gone overboard to make sure we don’t have any issues.”
Not likely to be welcome at the tournament: retired company founder T. Denny Sanford, who is currently under investigation.
He's not in the Masters field, despite being sixth in FedEx Cup points and 13th in the world. His people reached out, and the folks at Augusta National didn't say yes to a special exemption -- but they didn't say no, either.
Dustin Johnson didn't have a great day, but it still led to an even-par 70 and a 1-shot lead over Sungjae Im after the second round of the Tour Championship on Saturday.
American golfer John Catlin takes a two-shot lead into Sunday's final round of the Andalucia Masters.
Originally 413 yards in A.W. Tillinghast’s 1922 plan, the 8th is up to 490 yards for the 2020 U.S. Open. A distinctive left-to-right shape and overhanging trees forces an obvious shot shape. We might even see more than 8-iron hit into a par-4!
Another fantastic green complex restoration is on display, highlighted by the mid-right area jutting out into the bunkers and supported by slope. It’s not pinnable, but just adds one more fun feature that gives a player something to work a ball off of, but also a more pronounced penalty should they miss right.
No. 8 at Winged Foot is a dogleg-right, 490-yard par 4. The angle of the fairway will require precision in choosing and executing the line of play.
In collaboration with @DeloitteUS. pic.twitter.com/odK0S9H0kX
Jon Rahm shot a 65 on Friday to end the first round of the Tour Championship tied with Dustin Johnson, who began the event with a 2-stroke lead.
American golfer John Catlin will take a two-stroke lead into the weekend at the Andalucia Masters after being the only player in the field to have carded two under-par rounds at Valderrama.
The great start to the Tour Championship was nice and all. But he arrived with no expectations, given the biggest part of the week, the birth of his and wife Erica's first child, a daughter, had already happened.
Oooh back to school, back to school. To prove to Dad that I’m not a fool. Got my lunch packed up, my shoes tied tight. Hope I don’t get in a fight. Ohhhh! Back to school….
Little Billy might not be waiting at the bus stop this fall, but the kids are headed back to school and you’re the teacher. You’re probably brushing up on your 5th grade math and middle school history lessons, but don’t forget that the kiddos need some physical education too. So whip out your track pants and your whistle, coach. These backyard golf games (or some golf inspired games) are a great way to help your little golfers practice their skills and have fun learning all the rules of the course. And there’s no reason you can’t make use of these too!
The 11 Best Backyard Golf Activities
1. Set of Junior Clubs
Isn’t it every golf parent’s dream to eventually be able to play a round of 18 with your kids? If you’re hoping to use the extra time at home to build your kids into little golfers, a set of junior clubs is a great way to start. Not to mention, this particular set is a crazy deal.
$499.99 / $119.99 (76% OFF)
There’s a lot of sound recap info from Brian Wacker at GolfDigest.com explaining how the PGA Tour has made it to the 2020 Tour Championship in a pandemic. With a large, often unwieldy band of egomaniacs to coral, it’s hard to imagine a better outcome for pro golf’s return after June’s inevitable rocky restart.
Yet in reading the piece, it’s also quite easy to imagine how the PGA Tour needs to remain vigilant both with safety practices, scheduling and welcoming back fans. The early wake up call is a good reminder of how things evolved:
Having a plan helped. And while it wasn’t without its holes, continued adjustments made a difference. One such change included an update during the Travelers that a player would not be eligible for the tour’s $100,000 stipend if he tested positive after not following the outlined safety protocols. Monahan emphasized that the onus was on everyone involved and said, “We need you to do your part.”
It was a wake-up call, indeed. And, for the most part, the players, caddies and all involved got the message.
As Wacker notes, the lack of a positive test in some time might also be a result of players taking the at-home tests before boarding a plane.
While some unidentified players, according to multiple sources, have tested positive at home in recent weeks and as a result did no play again until returning a negative result, no one has tested positive on site at a tournament in nearly a month. The tour hasn’t canceled any more tournaments, and earlier this week, Monahan unveiled a robust 50-tournament schedule for its 2020-’21 season that will begin next week in California.
