Golfing News & Blog Articles

COBRA RADSPEED Irons – Key Takeaways

COBRA RADSPEED irons are sleeker and slimmer than last year’s SpeedZone irons.3D-printed medallion helps maintain the lowest CG in the game improvement category.ONE Length option features even lower and deeper CGs for improved launch.Combo sets and a black PVD finish are optional.

Every golf journalist going is wearing out the rad references today in their launch articles on the new COBRA RADSPEED irons. Just so you’re forewarned, we’re going there, too.

If you’ve already read Tony Covey’s article on the COBRA RADSPEED drivers, you know RAD stands for Radius of Gyration. If you haven’t, go read it now, as Radius of Gyration is what makes the COBRA RADSPEED irons so gosh-darned rad.

I’ll wait…

OK, now that we’re all caught up, COBRA acknowledges its last two game improvement irons, the F9 Speedback and the SpeedZone, had a couple of issues. While both – particularly the F9 – performed well in our Most Wanted testing, it’s fair to say golfers weren’t terribly enamored of their looks.

So, yes, the COBRA RADSPEED irons are getting prettied up. But while beauty may be only skin deep, this makeover goes to the bones.

Cobra RADSPEED Fairway Woods and Hybrids – Key Takeaways

For 2021, COBRA is introducing three RADSPEED fairway woods and two RADSPEED hybrids.The RADSPEED Draw fairway wood is the first dedicated draw-biased fairway wood in COBRA’s flagship line up.The retail price is $279 fairway and $229 hybrid – full availability Jan. 29, 2021.

As with the COBRA RADSPEED driver family, the RADSPEED fairway woods and hybrids are built on a gnarly foundation of some pretty hella smart weighting technologies and bodacious engineering.

Hey, COBRA opened the door  – I’m just walking through it.

1980s lexicon aside, the COBRA RADSPEED fairway woods and hybrids maintain a good bit of the tech platform and aesthetics of the RADSPEED drivers. However, the most integral underpinning being the keystone radius of gyration.

After all, that’s what the RAD is for.

Cobra RADSPEED Driver – Key Takeaways

For 2021, Cobra is introducing three RADSPEED models.Low spin and forgiveness are key elements of all three designs.The retail price is $449 with full availability beginning Jan. 29, 2021.

If we’re going to wrap our heads around the story behind the new Cobra RADSPEED Driver family, we’re going to need to establish a basic understanding of where the name comes from.

“Speed” is because it’s fast. Every driver is fast. But even if we all know it, there remains a compulsion to say it.

“RAD” is an obvious play on 1980s’ slang. In that context. it’s short for “radical” which I suppose could apply to Cobra’s weighting strategy across the RADSPEED lineup – though that’s not it entirely.

The RADSPEED name itself is meant to be both memorable and fun in much the same way as Rocketballz and Big Bertha were for TaylorMade and Callaway. That’s some of it but far from all of it.

No Spectators for 2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

Dec. 7, 2020

The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, preparing to commemorate its 75th anniversary, announced today spectators will not be permitted at this year’s event, scheduled for Feb. 8-14, 2021.

“Unfortunately our ’21 event will be unlike any of the previous editions of the tournament since Monterey County remains in a tier that will not permit live audiences at professional events in California,” said Steve John, CEO of the Monterey Peninsula Foundation. “Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our guests, partners, vendors, volunteers, PGA TOUR professionals, caddies, their families, and our community. We continue to work closely with the PGA TOUR, as well as local officials, to determine what our event will look like in February.”

John added that everyone associated with the tournament is “incredibly grateful” for the support the event has received from the community throughout the years. Since 1947, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am has generated more than $176 million for charities in Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties. Last year;s tournament was won by Canadian Nick Taylor (pictured, above), who edged co-record five-time champion Phil Mickelson.

Despite the ongoing challenges being faced by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, along with the PGA TOUR, remains committed to supporting its charitable partners. John said opportunities to give are still possible and pointed to a recent example where an anonymous person donated $50,000 to the non-profit Foundation.

Srixon ZX Drivers, Fairways and Hybrids

Key Takeaways

The entire lineup features Rebound Frame – face flexing technology designed for ball speed.ZX5 is the more forgiving, higher launching driver; ZX7 is targeted at the better player with adjustable sole weights for fade/draw bias.ZX fairways feature low/forward weighting – called Cannon Sole – for penetrating launch.Crown Step in fairways and hybrids helps lower the center of gravity.

If you feel the need for speed, the new Srixon ZX drivers – and their companion fairway woods and hybrids – are doing their damnedest to feed that need. The entire Srixon ZX metal wood lineup is all about ball speed for one simple reason.

That’s what people buy.

“The whole product line is focused on ball speed,” Dustin Brekke, Srixon’s Director of Engineering R&D, tells MyGolfSpy. “If we can’t stand up to a launch monitor and see the ball speeds we see with competitive products, then you don’t even get a seat at the table.”

The driver table is particularly crowded, with more butts than seats. Srixon is hoping its new ZX drivers are fast enough to at least grab a share of a chair. There’s some interesting tech in the new Srixon ZX drivers so let’s take a gander.

The 151st Open Championship will be played at Royal Liverpool in 2023 and the 2024 tournament will be at Royal Troon, golf's governing body the R&A said on Monday.

Peter Alliss got away with things no one other broadcaster could. He’d grunt, gargle, mock, violate the “norms” of broadcasting and when Alliss turned serious, you knew the tournament was about to be decided. For this American viewer, he joined a cast of legends that marked the Golden Age of golf television and every year at The Open, Alliss’ solo stints were always a highlight of the championship. And it was his general gravitas and light touch that made an otherwise slow sport worth watching.

“The Great Man” was far more than a broadcaster, however, with a Royal Air Force stint, over thirty professional wins, two European Tour Vardon trophies, books (illustrated, fiction and non) and his proudest accomplishment, a long Ryder Cup run including playing on the same team as his father Percy.

He would undoubtedly have loved seeing the start of Reuters’ obituary:

Former Ryder Cup player Peter Alliss, who won 31 tournaments in his career before a successful stint as a commentator in which he was referred to as the "voice of golf," has died at the age of 89, the European Tour said on Sunday.

From Ewan Murray’s excellent Guardian obituary:

Pairings/Results 

Bayonet/Black Horse GC | Carmel Valley Ranch

Dec. 6, 2020

Chris Balough won the championship, but Corey Eagle took home the bigger prize.

Balough, a 42-year-old E-Club East Bay member (pictured, above), shot a final-round 5-over 75 at Carmel Valley Ranch to edge Eagle by a shot in the 36-hole finals. In the opening round at Bayonet/Black Horse, shot a 4-over 76. Helping Balough nab the title was a clutch net birdie on the closing 18th.

“I feel like I didn’t play that well. It was difficult, I think for all of us,” Balough said. “I feel fortunate that I played in the last group with Corey. I’ve gotten to know him from the Tour and he helped ease the nerves a bit. I enjoy playing with him.”

Viktor Hovland holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole Sunday for a 6-under 65 and a one-shot victory in the Mayakoba Golf Classic, his second PGA Tour victory this year.

Angela Stanford won her home LPGA Tour event in front of her parents, closing with a 4-under 67 for a two-stroke victory Sunday in the Volunteers of America Classic.

Former Ryder Cup player Peter Alliss, who won 31 tournaments in his career before a successful stint as a commentator in which he was referred to as the "voice of golf," has died at the age of 89, the European Tour said on Sunday.

Tom Hoge, without a win in his PGA Tour career, birdied four of the last five holes to shoot a 65 and pull within one shot of Emiliano Grillo at the Mayakoba Classic.

Yealimi Noh fell into a three-way tie atop the Volunteers of America Classic on Saturday after she double-bogeyed the par-4 18th.

Frenchman Antoine Rozner claimed his maiden European Tour title in his rookie season by winning the Golf in Dubai Championship by two shots at the Jumeirah Golf Estates on Saturday.

Jessica Korda shot her second straight 2-under 69 on Friday and was tied atop the Volunteers of America Classic with Anna Nordqvist and Yealimi Noh.

Emiliano Grillo will take the Mayakoba lead into the weekend, but don't expect Rickie Fowler and Brooks Koepka to be around to chase him as both appear likely to miss the cut.

 

The post NCGA Mid-Amateur Qualifying appeared first on Northern California Golf Association.

Inaugural NCGA Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship  | Poppy Hills  |  June 12-13, 2021

 

The NCGA Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship was created in 2021 as a partner of the annual NCGA Mid-Amateur Championship.

ENTRIES CLOSE: April 19, 2020

ENTRY FEE: $135 per player. Exempt players pay an additional $30 per player.

QUALIFYING for the 2020 Mid-Amateur Championship takes place May 13-16 at the following courses:

England's Andy Sullivan stayed ahead of the chasing pack at the Golf in Dubai Championship on Friday with a steady third round of 68 at the Jumeirah Golf Estates for a two-shot lead.

The Rapsodo MLM  launch monitor claims overall accuracy within 2.5 percent of TrackMan — at 2.5 percent of the price.

That’s an audacious claim.

But who wouldn’t be excited about the possibility of a personal launch monitor for roughly the same price as a new driver?

We’d like to get some feedback from MyGolfSpy readers.