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Long overdue and a small token of compensation for any number of pitiful actions, Augusta National announced that Lee Elder’s pursuit of a Masters invitation and overall career arc will be acknowledged several ways.

I’m not sure why the honorary starter role isn’t starting this year, but he will be invited to kick off the 2021 Masters according to the club’s press release. Here it is:

Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, announced today that Lee Elder, the first Black man to compete in the Masters Tournament 45 years ago, will be honored by establishing scholarships in his name and inviting him to be an Honorary Starter for the 2021 Masters.

At a press conference at Augusta National, Ridley revealed the creation of the Lee Elder Scholarships at Paine College, a Historically Black College and University located in Augusta. Two scholarships will be awarded annually, one each to a student athlete who competes on the men’s and women’s golf team.

As part of this effort, Augusta National also will fund the creation of a women’s golf program at Paine College. Soon, the Lee Elder Scholarships will help foster opportunities for Black men and women alike as they pursue their dreams on and off the course.

Bryson DeChambeau was hitting his tee shots far past his peers Monday, but still thinks he can add more distance is he lowers his spin rate.

Lee Elder, the first Black golfer to compete in the Masters, will be an honorary starter for the 2021 tournament. Additionally, Augusta National will fund the start-up of a women's golf program at nearby Paine College, an HBCU.

From pristine tees to painted greens, The Masters tournament is known for its posh. But, is it overkill?

0:29 – Checking in after mental health week3:16 – The Masters is moved to November. What will be different?10:20 – Is The Masters too exclusive?20:57 – Love it or Leave it21:08 – Callaway acquires TopGolf25:22 – You can buy Adams again28:39 – Late Masters this year29:50 – HOT SEAT: Who will win the Masters?

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The post Is The Masters Too Exclusive? | NPG 64 appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

Augusta National featured some changes ahead of the first edition of the Masters in November.

Sergio Garcia has withdrawn from the Masters after testing positive for COVID-19.

With a 4-foot birdie putt on the ninth playoff hole, Kevin Sutherland beat Paul Broadhurst on Monday to win the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

The post Stitch Golf’s Birdie Bag – A 3 in 1 Game Changer appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

Distribution of Driver Distance – Key Takeaways

Driving distance drops by 47 yards when comparing the youngest golfer to the oldestFrom 2018 – 2019 driving average hasn’t changedIs driving distance really an issue?

Improved Performance Through Data

Big data is a powerful tool. Not only does it allow golfers to assess individual parts of the game but it provides an opportunity to examine performance from a variety of perspectives.

Golf stat tracking and performance management companies like Shot Scope help golfers better understand their on-course performance. However, by aggregating data from golfers around the world, we get a more complete picture of the realities of amateur performance.

So, as we dive into a relatively straightforward topic, think about how far you hit the ball. Has your distance improved with age? Do you think handicap affects distance?

Distribution Of Driving Distances

Observations

The majority of golfers average between 200 and 224 yards off the tee.Only 4% of golfers drive the ball over 300 yards.The second highest percentage of golfers drive the ball between 225 and 249 on average.

The majority of golfers drive the ball 200 – 224 yards on average with only 4% of golfers hitting it over 300 yards. It begs the question that rolling the ball back should only be targeted to the PGA Tour and not the amateur game?

Driver Performance Average By Handicap

Observations

Across all handicaps, the driving distance has remained stagnant on average.Golfers with handicaps from 10 – 17 have gained 1.2 yards on average from 2018 – 2019The 18 – 28 handicaps lost 0.8 yards off the tee from 2018 – 2019

Golfers only lost 0.1 of a yard from 2018 – 2019 and, let’s face it, that’s no change at all. You have to remember that we don’t know what driver these golfers are using, what model, loft and so on. These variables are something to consider as you wont see that much of a difference in distance in drivers that are 1-5 years old. However, if the golfer plays a wooden driver or a driver thats 10-15 years old you will see an increase in distance with a newer model driver.

Are you tired of putting everything you have into your game, only to see the ball literally limp off the club face after each swing? There’s just no return on the energy you’re putting in. Today I’m going to show you how to get the sizzle back into your ball striking. Watch this video first…

I often ask my students which club imparts the most energy into the ball relative to club speed. The answer? Putter. Why? It has the least loft at impact and delivers the least oblique strike to the ball. Learn to reduce the loft coming into impact in order to start compressing the ball off the club face.

Get the club face in place early in the downswing. This is done by bowing/flexing the lead wrist which in turn will de-loft and strengthen the club face by the time impact occurs.

Try the Preset Club Face Drill. Using a 7 iron, take the club back so that the shaft is parallel to the ground making sure the lead wrist and leading edge are tilted down towards the ground slightly. Wind the arms back 1 foot and rotate through, working to maintain the face and wrist angles. The ball flight should be low and penetrating with a slight draw.

Make sure that the low point of the swing arc is forward of where impact occurs. This can be rehearsed by making two practice swings between each shot you hit on the range where the sole of the club bottoms out well in front of where it was resting on the ground. The handle and weight must be forward at impact in order for this to occur.

Everyone knows Bryson DeChambeau bulked up and now hits far - very far. What we don't know is how this will translate at Augusta National. Is Bryson DeChambeau about to tear the Masters apart?

It's been 19 months since Tiger won the Masters. But most people remember everything from that week. Still, there are some things you don't know about his victory.

True words and yet the lack of patronage at this week’s Masters will be impossible to ignore. Nonetheless, a nice head on approach here from The Masters team to set the table:

View this post on Instagram

The Masters plays on. #themasters

A post shared by The Masters (@themasters) on Nov 8, 2020 at 1:01pm PST

The Bryson DeChambeau show arrived in Augusta for the November Masters and he’s got the 201 mph ball speed ready to go:

US Open Champion Bryson DeChambeau on the range at Augusta National #TheMasters

📽️: @kharms27 via Instagram pic.twitter.com/qrBKH4OnUD

— Foresight Sports (@ForesightSports) November 9, 2020

On top of that, DeChambeau’s recent round at the course included some eye-opening approach yardages:

During a recent round at Augusta National with Sandy Lyle, Bryson had some eye-popping club selections into holes, including:

#1: Sand wedge
#2: 8-iron
#8: 7-iron
#10: Pitching wedge
#11: 9-iron
#13: 7-iron (hit 3-wood off tee)
#15: 9-ironhttps://t.co/lC8P1Wa1hN https://t.co/nYTmgveKbS

— Brentley Romine (@BrentleyGC) November 8, 2020

Of course this is all how it should be. The best player in the world right now is arriving at Augusta National with a game and distances like we’ve never seen. The opportunity to dismantle the place and render the course obsolete is real. That is easily the top storyline and one most of us who’ve seen the distance complacence by multiple governing bodies come to this fruition (including during Masters Chairman Fred Ridley’s USGA days).

The final round of the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship will be played on Monday after Kevin Sutherland and Paul Broadhurst traded pars through six playoff holes in near darkness.

Scotland's Robert MacIntyre clinched his maiden European Tour title at the Cyprus Showdown on Sunday, finishing one shot clear of Japan's Masahiro Kawamura.

Carlos Ortiz closed with a 5-under 65 to win the Houston Open on Sunday, becoming the first Mexican to win on the PGA Tour in 42 years.

A diverse set of playing styles highlighted the huge success of Memorial Park’s renovation and Carlos Ortiz punctuated his win in 18th hole-birdie style before dam of emotions burst.

There's nothing like your first. 😊

Soak it in, @CarlosOrtizGolf. pic.twitter.com/S7j4ZBuwIF

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 8, 2020

He is the first Mexican to win a PGA Tour event in 42 years. The finale and strong showing by Memorial made for great viewing and was unquestionably better with fan support.

(And no, Ortiz was not in the 2020 Masters field so he will not be headed to Augusta. That’s how things roll this strange year.)

About the “2000” fans a day.

There were so many pivotal moments: Tiger's run-in with a security guard, a loaded leaderboard collapsing at No. 12 and hugs behind the 18th green. We remember them all.

The world's biggest names -- Bill Murray and Michael Phelps, Condoleezza Rice and Peyton and Eli and so many more -- remember where they were and what they thought as it happened. We asked them all.