Phil Mickelson is willing to deal with Saudi Arabia to put pressure on the PGA Tour, according to a new book.
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Oakland Hills Clubhouse Appears To Be A Total Loss
As well as achieving the natural and artistic side of golf course construction, Riviera retains a fascination and serves as a supreme test for every golfer, placing it among an elite few. The golfer is confronted with eighteen separate problems which require that extremely rare balance of mental and physical, or skilled effort. BEN CRENSHAW
THE BEST STAND BAGS OF 2022
2022 Stand Bag Buyer’s Guide
Golfers who like to walk need a stand bag. A couple of reasons: weight and the fact it stands up on its own. You might sacrifice a little storage compared to a cart bag but who needs to pack the kitchen sink?
This year, we tested 38 different bags from 21 different OEMs, ensuring we provide the best possible advice for you. The stand bag category has expanded from the traditional slim design to hybrid and ultra-slim categories, making your buying decision even tougher.
That’s where we come in. We have identified which bag is best in each category to suit your personal preference.
Keep reading to find out what to look for when purchasing a new stand bag.
Winner – Vessel Player III DXR
The Best Stand Bags of 2022 – What to Look For
Storage
When it comes to storage, more is often better—provided it’s usable. Good storage design is often more about the layout of the pockets than the number. What good is a pocket if it’s difficult to access or is rendered useless because you put something in a different pocket?
Reminder: PGA Tour Live From Riviera To Include 10th Hole Featured Coverage
As well as achieving the natural and artistic side of golf course construction, Riviera retains a fascination and serves as a supreme test for every golfer, placing it among an elite few. The golfer is confronted with eighteen separate problems which require that extremely rare balance of mental and physical, or skilled effort. BEN CRENSHAW
Whoa: Drone Flies 100 M.P.H. To Capture A Rory Shot At Riviera
As well as achieving the natural and artistic side of golf course construction, Riviera retains a fascination and serves as a supreme test for every golfer, placing it among an elite few. The golfer is confronted with eighteen separate problems which require that extremely rare balance of mental and physical, or skilled effort. BEN CRENSHAW
Major(s) News And Notes February 17th, 2022
As well as achieving the natural and artistic side of golf course construction, Riviera retains a fascination and serves as a supreme test for every golfer, placing it among an elite few. The golfer is confronted with eighteen separate problems which require that extremely rare balance of mental and physical, or skilled effort. BEN CRENSHAW
Rory, Rahm unswayed by 'not-so-super league'
World No. 1 Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy said Wednesday they remain disinterested in the proposed Saudi-backed Super Golf League. Adam Scott, meanwhile, said he'd consider it, noting the shorter schedule is appealing to him.
100: Riviera First Tee Tribute To Charlie Sifford
When you watch this week’s Genesis Invitational you may notice first hole signage sporting “100”. It’s a TGR Foundation tribute to Charlie Sifford, the namesake for the annual sponsor’s invitation going this year to Aaron Beverly. Sifford would have turned 100 this June.
Tiger Woods explained the tribute in the pre-tournament press conference Wednesday.
TIGER WOODS: Well, Charlie was a person, he was a pioneer. I mean, he was the person that he broke down the Caucasian clause that was part of the Tour. I think that he should have been the first person to ever play in the Masters but unfortunately that didn't happen after his win here in the Los Angeles area at Rancho Park. Charlie was the grandfather I never had. He was -- to me, he was Grandpa Charlie. I would see him at Firestone every year. I was telling Aaron over here that I would get these yellow teletexts in my locker every time I had a chance to win a tournament and I'll summarize it by saying "go out and win." If you guys know Charlie, it wasn't exactly in those words but that was the summary of it. Grandpa Charlie was fantastic. It was great to have President Obama award him the Medal of Freedom before he passed.
You know, I named my son after Charlie, he meant that much to me and my family. My dad would never have been able to play the game of golf, he would have never taken it up if Charlie hadn't broken down the Caucasian clause. It's very important for us to honor what he has done, has meant to this great game of golf. To have Aaron here be a part of it, he'll talk here in a little bit, what he's doing, what he's going through, for him to be part here at Riviera.
I just asked him, what do you do on the first hole. He said, "I'll pipe it 200 right down there and hit it right on the green." Oh, yeah, that's what I used to think, too. I remember when I hit my first tee shot there, I hit my little 3-wood out there, I looked like the size of a 3-wood, but it was neat to be a part of that first tee shot.
Tiger irritated at pace of recovery: 'Still working'
Tiger Woods is frustrated at the pace of his recovery almost one year after his SUV wreck, saying he's 'still working' just on walking and that his golf activity has been "very limited." Said Woods: "I want to know [when I'll play again], but I don't."
Flash From The City: PGA Tour Considers Off-Season
Daniel Rapaport shares a few insights gleaned from the PGA Tour’s Player Advisory Council meeting and stunner of all stunners, it appears the creative juices are warming. A possible fall team series was discussed—a light version of the PGL franchise concept—and in a stunning twist, an actual off season concept. Novel as it may seem.
A separate but potentially related topic of conversation during the meeting, however, focused on possible alterations to the fall portion of the PGA Tour schedule, which has been mentioned as a target for change in recent years. While nothing is finalized, a source told Golf Digest that the council discussed the idea of having a fall series that is not tied to the FedEx Cup or the Official World Golf Ranking and instead uses the fall to experiment with different tournament formats. Multiple team concepts were discussed, including a model similar to a college golf tournament that could feature six-man teams with a certain number of scores counting each day.
Something fresh and who knows, a potential Olympic golf format trial? Getting ahead of myself again.
There was also this nice visual:
Take your Brain to the First Tee!
You really need to take your BRAIN with you from the Practice Range to the First Tee. It’s easy to hone your swing for each type of club at the practice range. The lie is flat and your mind is calm and relaxed. Whether you know it or not, your anxiety and adrenaline are building at the 1st Tee (and every other tee). You need to manage your mental state and get on with your game.
In a recent blog, Hank Haney summarized his 1st Tee experience with Tiger Woods. As his trainer for a number of years, Hank was amazed to see Tiger’s absolute perfection at the range and then he would lose it on the First Tee. I was surprised to learn this but I do recall seeing Tiger in the rough off the first tee in many key tournaments. Fortunately for Tiger, he is a great scrambler and could get his game back on track.
Tiger has been one of the best golfers for years, so if he finds it difficult to make a perfect first tee drive, it means we all need a great solution to control our minds on the first hole. You need a consistent process to focus your mind on your swing and NOT on your success or failure.
Strategy to for Success on the First Tee
Humans can only think one thought at a time. So to eliminate external thoughts, you should SAY A PHRASE IN MY MIND using the rhythm of your back and forward swing. “FLATaaand Balance” are the KEY WORDS that I now use as swing reminders:
“FLAT” is my reminder to keep a straight leading arm and a flat wrist,
“aaand” gives me time to complete my hip and shoulder rotation while I cock my wrist for lag,
“Balance” The B in Balance starts my downswing to a balanced finish
Rahm voted European tour's Player of the Year
Jon Rahm was voted as the European tour's Player of the Year for the second time in three seasons on Wednesday.
Sub 70 849 Series Drivers and 949x Fairway Woods
The Sub 70 849 series drivers and 949x fairway woods give golfers more of what we’ve come to expect from the value-centric brand.
According to our consumer survey data, Sub 70 is the No. 1 direct-to-consumer golf equipment brand. The model isn’t unique: cut out the middle-man and pass the savings along to the consumer. But, as with any model, it comes down to execution. And it’s difficult to point out any real flaws in how Sub 70 has established itself as the leader in this segment of the market.
That context is important, in part, because it sets a level of expectation. What Sub 70 delivers is an appealing combination of performance, value and customer service. And if past is prologue, I expect Sub 70 to augment its line by updating several existing models and strategically adding pieces geared toward lower-handicap golfers.
That said, let’s recap the two most recent Sub 70 metalwood offerings as both give us a good idea as to what we might expect from Sub 70 in 2022.
849 Series Drivers
PGA Tour best bets for the Genesis Invitational
Tourney favorite Jon Rahm heads a star-studded event at Riviera Country Club. Here are our best bets for the event.
How to watch the PGA Tour's Genesis Invitational on ESPN+
The PGA Tour heads back to California for the Genesis Invitational, which is hosted by Tiger Woods. Here's how to watch on ESPN+.
Seen And Heard Tuesday At Riviera
My love affair with Riviera began way back in ‘46 when I caught my first golf tournament there. Byron Nelson won it. Ben Hogan was second. Stars won golf tournaments those days and stars attended. I remember how impressed I was. Ted Williams was there. So was every movie luminary, actor, director, producer who was anyone in Hollywood. Bogart used to sit under the tree at the entrance to the 12th green wearing a trench coat and holding a Thermos filed with God knows what. Clark Gable was around. So was Danny Kaye. Bing Crosby was there. Hope. Howard Hughes, even. JIM MURRAY
Cantlay: Prefer Tour to reward play, not popularity
Patrick Cantlay is no fan of the PGA Tour's Player Impact Program -- which awards $50 million to players for their appeal and popularity on social media -- calling himself "old-school" in that he thinks the money should be doled out relative to play.
Today In Saudi Silliness: Player Claims 17 Are On Board, Morikawa Declares Himself A PGA Tour Man
As the Tour wars seem headed for some sort of clarity, PGA Tour player Kramer Hickok claimed 17 players have officially enlisted to the Saudi-backed league. Speaking on the Stripe Show podcast, Hickok said:
“You're going to see a lot of big names jump over there. I think there have already been 17 guys that have jumped over, I can't say who they are but there is going to be some big names going over there.”
Meanwhile at Riviera, where both PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and DP World Tour Chief Keith Pelley were on hand as are more VP’s than normal. A Tuesday night Player Advisory Council meeting is on tap, as is some schmoozing of sponsor Genesis, host this week and later this summer in Scotland.
The PGA Tour received a better-than-most endorsement from Colin Morikawa, reigning Open Champion.
Q. It feels like news about the competing Saudi league continues to percolate. As one of the top young players on the PGA TOUR, how are you dealing with all the noise and do you find it sort of distracting?
Morikawa sticks with PGA Tour: 'Where I belong'
Collin Morikawa said Tuesday that after listening to an offer from organizers of the Saudi-backed Super Golf League, he was "all for the PGA Tour."
The View From Scotland: WM Open Post Hole-In-One Scene “Simply can’t be allowed to happen again.”
Everyone, pray for Martin Dempster.
The Scotsman’s golf correspondent will be subjected to the inevitable mindless millennial rage after daring to suggest the unthinkable in two different pieces: the downturn on decorum—a.k.a. Live Under Par 3.0—is out of hand.
He’s writing in a follow up story of the Wasted Open scene where fans heaved nearly full beers onto the 16th green after hole-in-ones by Sam Ryder and Carlos Ortiz. And even kept throwing them as crews were out trying to return the hole to playability. Of course, in any other sport, this would lead to ejection but in the latest and most embarrassing cry of desperation to lower that viewing demo, the behavior was not discouraged.
Dempster writes this “simply can’t be allowed to happen again.”
It’s a disgrace that the tournament organisers have not come out and condemned such behaviour at a golf event and don’t give me that nonsense about “golf had a brief glimpse of a crowd and players having fun”.
