Golfing News & Blog Articles

LIV pro Sam Horsfield got off to a disastrous start at a 2025 Open Championship Final Qualifier, then walked off the course without a word.

The post LIV pro DQ’d after disappearing mid-round from Open qualifier appeared first on Golf.

Gamble Sands' aptly named Tower of Tots stands like a starchy, protein-packed skyscraper before collapsing on your plate.

The post This golf resort’s signature dish drops out of a can — and it’s delicious appeared first on Golf.

Learn about everything available to you as an InsideGOLF member from discounts on golf gear, to exclusive content and more.

The post Welcome to InsideGOLF! appeared first on Golf.

The Titleist GT1 3Tour fairway wood follows an interesting trend of Tour pros gravitating toward the higher launching model.

The post Titleist’s GT1 3Tour fairway wood blends Tour-grade performance with forgiveness appeared first on Golf.

The Titleist GT1 fairway wood was supposed to be simple. When it launched, the story was straightforward: a lightweight fairway wood designed for moderate swing speed players who need help getting the ball airborne. Sure, the updated model had that flip weight system that could be used to build it to a more conventional fairway wood spec but the GT1’s primary mission was clear—to help golfers who struggle to generate enough spin and launch with traditional fairway woods.

Then something weird happened.

In February, Titleist started quietly offering a 14.5-degree prototype version to PGA Tour players. Much to nearly everyone’s surprise—including Titleist’s—they started putting them in the bag. Today, roughly 20 percent of Titleist fairway woods in play on Tour are GT1s.

The appeal isn’t hard to understand once you’ve experienced it. GT1’s shallower head profile makes hitting off the deck almost foolproof. While that might sound like a moderate swing speed golfer’s problem, it turns out Tour players appreciate a fairway wood that sets up behind the ball in such a way that suggests it’s impossible not to get it airborne.

About those lofts

There’s a bit of nuance to this story worth understanding. While it seems odd to launch a line extension that’s, on paper anyway, all of half a degree stronger than what’s on store shelves, the 15-degree model we told you about in January is actually closer to 16.5 degrees of loft.

What do you do if your match-play opponent concedes your putt, but on your way to pick it up, it drops in the hole? Rules Guy has the answer.

The post Rules Guy: My opponent conceded my putt — then it dropped in the hole! What now? appeared first on Golf.

My first encounter with Runner Putters, a unique putter company from France, was not my proudest moment.

It was the 2023 PGA Show and Runner founder Simon Linot was walking me through his rather fascinating putter fitting system. My mind, unfortunately, was focusing on this club that looked more like a foot than a putter.

Linot was laying out a perfectly sound and logical explanation as to why his putters deserved my attention. All I could think of, however, was that this was maybe the goofiest-looking putter I’d ever seen. Even when he showed me empirical evidence of how much my stroke had improved, I kept thinking that this was maybe the goofiest-looking putter I’d ever seen.

I would soon learn, however, the truth behind an old French saying.

L’habit ne fait pas le moine. (The outfit doesn’t make the monk.)

Growing up, my dad was a die-hard Phil Mickelson fan. As a lefty, he loved seeing a left-handed player succeed on the PGA Tour. Every week, he’d cheer Phil on—and every week, after another missed putt, my sisters and I would inform him (as only kids can) that righties are clearly better than lefties.

But when Phil won the 2021 PGA Championship at the age of 50, becoming the oldest major winner of all time, I saw him differently. He was holding on to something we all hope for: that we’re never done and that golf gives us a way to keep competing.

Regardless of how you feel about Phil, his comments, his move to LIV or his unorthodox style, some of the things he’s done on the course work. I wouldn’t follow any pro blindly but these are three tips Mickelson has repeated for years. And that’s probably because they work.

Weight forward and hands ahead

Phil Mickelson is famous for high-spinning flop shots in pressure situations. Those are the shots we remember but they aren’t the ones that led him to 45 PGA Tour victories.

In one of his short-game clinics, Phil breaks down what he calls “Chipping 101”, the foundation that everything else around the green builds from. These are the three keys he uses to hit solid chip shots.

Golf is a social game. There are times when a solitary walk down a fairway brings solace and comfort. The silence can put a busy mind at ease and reset a rabbiting heart. 

But isolation is not sustainable.  

There is a rich history of clubs across the globe. Storied traditions lining the halls of these sporting and social cathedrals are rarely seen by the uninitiated. Originally a divide of the haves and the have nots, the who’s who and the elites, an escape for those desirous of the seclusion of an upper-class lifestyle. 

But times change, and golf evolves. 

With the explosion of the internet and social media, we’ve seen the arrival of a new “country club” without a physical embodiment of structure or routing. One built on connection and appreciation. A community of like-minded individuals in pursuit of a singular goal.

The “Online” Country Club

Golf shot tips are different than golf swing tips. Shot tips are all about the ability to adapt to lies, control ball flight and get the golf ball to do what you want it to do. It doesn’t matter if you are a scratch golfer or a 25 handicap. These shot tips could be what make or break your next round of golf. These are simple, practical adjustments to help you play better and smarter golf.

How to hit off a downslope

Downslope lies around the green can turn even simple chips into disasters. The key is learning how to match your body to the slope so you don’t chunk or blade it.

Ball Position: Move it back in your stance.Weight: Stay forward, don’t fall back or try to help it in the air.Shoulders/Hips: Tilt to match the slope so you can swing with it.Club choice: Use more loft than usual, a 60-degree wedge instead of a 56 offsets the lower launch.Swing thought: Low finish, clip the ball and let it run.

This shot comes out lower but more consistently once you know how to set up for it.

Learn to set the clubface square at setup

Before adjusting your swing path or ball position, ensure the face is aligned correctly. An open or misaligned clubface at address ruins your shot before you even take the club back. Don’t just align your feet; make sure the clubface is pointing where you want the ball to start.

Set the face square and then place your hands on the club. Some golfers twist the face shut or open it as they grip it.

Here’s something to add to my never-ending and ever-expanding List of Things I Didn’t Know:

Shorter people often struggle to find clothing that fits well off the rack.

At just under 5’11”, I honestly did not know that.

According to that dauntless source of knowledge known as the worldwide web, standard sizing assumes people of average height or taller. That can lead to all kinds of challenges for the shorter of those among us, particularly men. Pants that are too long, shirts with sleeves that extend past the wrists or torsos that bunch up and jackets that can swallow up smaller frames are common frustrations.

The fashion world, however, appears to be catching on. Companies such as Peter Manning, Ash & Erie and Under 5’10” are specializing in casual wear for shorter guys. Nicholas James, however, is focusing on premium apparel for male golfers 5’9” and under.

Pro Hannah Gregg called Ladies European Tour officials on her way home from the Amundi German Masters. She had to report a DQ.

The post Pro calls tour officials on way home. She had to report disqualification appeared first on Golf.

Eddie Pepperell was in the midst of his strongest start since a six-week break from pro golf to recover from burnout. Then came a brutal WD.

The post Why this struggling pro’s WD was more wrenching than most appeared first on Golf.

The golf term “birdie” — meaning one stroke under par on a hole — actually comes from early American slang.

---

Origin Story

In the early 1900s, the word “bird” was popular slang for something excellent or impressive, much like saying “cool” or “awesome” today.

According to golf lore, the term was first coined in Atlantic City, New Jersey, at the Atlantic City Country Club:

• During a round, golfer Ab Smith hit a great approach shot and called it “a bird of a shot.”

• After sinking the putt for one under par, the group agreed to call such a score a “birdie.”

---

Why It Stuck

• The term caught on quickly in American golf circles and spread internationally.

In this edition of Play Smart, we break down Padraig Harrington's mantra that helps him deliver under pressure.

The post The ‘simple’ mental trick Padraig Harrington uses to perform under pressure appeared first on Golf.

Mizzen+Main's stylish, comfortable apparel transitions seamlessly from the office to the course. Shop Sepp Straka's favorite pieces here.

The post Sepp Straka’s favorite Mizzen+Main pieces work on and off the course appeared first on Golf.

The Callaway Ti Fusion set of irons blends speed, forgiveness, and clean lines beautifully into a players distance club that looks the part.

The post Callaway Ti Fusion irons: Forged power for the modern player appeared first on Golf.

Shane Lowry spoke with GOLF's Dylan Dethier about his Irish roots and what part of the 2025 Open at Portrush he is most excited about.

The post Shane Lowry on his childhood, his family and the Open’s return to Portrush appeared first on Golf.

Lexi Thompson came close (and brought jokes), Padraig Harrington won big (and spoke wise), the PGA Tour's newest winner overcame his Airbnb.

The post Lexi’s close call, Paddy’s In-N-Out, Airbnb checkout time | Monday Finish appeared first on Golf.

Pound for pound, two-time major winner Justin Thomas is among the longest players on the planet. Here's how he generates so much speed.

The post Justin Thomas’ 5 basics for pounding longer drives off the tee appeared first on Golf.