Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2016 i Golf Magazine

You finished second to Jordan Spieth at Colonial in May, your third top-10 finish in 2016. At 27, you've got two Tour wins under your belt. Does that make you an overachiever or an underachiever these days? The first year out on Tour, you just want to keep your card! I did that. I came out the next year [2013] and won in Memphis and then in Mexico. I lost a playoff last year at Torrey Pines to Jason Day. I wouldn't say I've underachieved or overachieved. I feel like this game's always a process, and I'm trying to learn more every single year. You learn pretty fast: You made 22 out of 27 cuts as a Tour rookie. But you must have had some rookie mishaps, right? As a…

Rules Guy: While I was playing in Nebraska's Sandhills country, a tumbleweed rolled into the hole just before my putt stopped…on top of the tiny tumbleweed! My ball hovered above the hole. My buddy said to replace my ball just outside the hole because it never fell below the rim of the cup. I said my ball would have dropped, so it's a holed putt. Help! —DON BYERS, OMAHA, NEB. Hoss, I reckon this rule ain't big enough for the both of you. Your friend is right. Now, had a tumblin' tumbleweed deflected your ball, your stroke would have been replayed, under Rule 19-1b. But in this instance, your ball is not considered holed because it didn't fall below the lip of the hole. You must remove that knot of…

IRON PLAY IS PERHAPS the most underappreciated part of the game. We all admire long, towering drives. We know that wedges, the "scoring clubs," can erase mistakes. And as we've heard repeatedly, you "putt for dough." In fact, iron play—or approach shots—accounts for the biggest scoring difference between the best pros and average pros. It's been a secret for so long in part because iron play has been the hardest aspect of the game to measure. Not anymore. I've been consulting with the PGA Tour for quite some time on their implementation of Strokes Gained statistics. The Tour recently changed the golf-stats game by making their biggest upgrade in performance information in years. Since 2011, Strokes Gained putting data has been available to the public. But since June (at pgatour.com),…

Puma Ice Stripe Polo, $70 Puma PWR Warm ¼ Zip, $80; cobrapumagolf.com Bold. Colorful. Fun. The words have always described both Rickie Fowler and the Cobra Puma collection. With Fowler's help, the brand has attracted legions of young fans. Now, the face of Puma unveils a new look that's matured as much as he has. Head-to-toe orange? That is so 2011. The fall 2016 collection, modeled by Fowler (right), has a sophisticated vibe, with a more muted color palette, including navy blue and olive green to offset flashes of his beloved orange. The sharp style is still quintessential Rickie. If they can't copy his swing, his fans will no doubt copy his latest look. On Rickie: Cobra Tour Fade Cap, $28; Puma #GoTime Roadmap Polo, $75; Puma High Flyer Belt,…

Great wedge players hold the club lightly—about a 2 on a pressure scale of 1 to 10. More importantly, they maintain this pressure from start to finish. Everyday players tend to change pressure mid-swing, gripping harder in the transition or as the club nears impact, a move that destroys any sense of feel. Stone hands make your scores sink like a rock! Follow these steps to get a surgeon's touch in 30 seconds. Light grip pressure here… …and here. [The following text appears within a chart. Please see hardcopy or PDF for actual chart.] 10 secs 1 GRIP IT LIGHT IS RIGHT Get into your chip setup and hold the club very lightly. Before you swing, gently—almost imperceptively—hinge the clubhead off the turf. It should feel heavy in your hands.…

Most everyday golfers are backswing obsessed. They incessantly tweak wrist hinge, pivot and club path in search of that "perfect" top position. If you think this is the path to pure shots, well, good luck. Being a backswing fanatic is a form of mechanics paralysis, and it's not pretty. Focusing on your finish, however, can have lasting, positive effects. The better your finish, the better the swing positions that came before it—backswing included. And becoming less backswing-centric will allow you to avoid the dreaded "paralysis by analysis." Try this: Make practice swings, but concentrate only on how your motion ends. Don't even think about your backswing. Try to achieve the following finish positions: BODY: Belt buckle points at or slightly left of the target, with your weight over your left…

Swap full wedge swings for easy-to-control knockdowns. Let the number 2 be your guide. From 100 to 120 yards out, it's tempting to grab a gap or pitching wedge and take a full swing. After all, the extra clubhead speed will give you the backspin you need to hold the green, right? Unfortunately, the faster you swing a wedge the more likely you are to leave the face open, resulting in short misses to the right. There's a better, easier way. Keep your wedges in the bag, pull your trusty 9-iron and make the following adjustments. It's hard to forget them— they each require a two-inch movement. 2 Choke down on the handle two inches. This effectively shortens the shaft. A shorter club is a stiffer club, which makes it…

WHO PLAYS The International Olympic Committee has restricted the men's and women's fields to 60 players each, statistically making this one of the easiest events to win. Nations (like the U.S.) with more than four golfers in the Official World Golf Ranking's top 15 may enter up to four players. Other countries may enter two players, provided they don't already have two or more in the top 15. Players will accrue World Golf Ranking points through July 11. Those chosen for the Games must be in good standing with their national associations and pass the Olympics' more stringent drug-testing protocols. The Format Don't sweat the meaning of "dormie," or even the difference between foursomes and four ball. And fear not the soul-crushing chorus of "Olé, olé" from the Euro contingent.…

Mario Gonzalez can be in two places at once. There he is, immortalized in bronze at the entrance to Gávea Golf & Country Club, Rio's oldest track. He's a young man, his arms extended in mid-swing. And there he is, 50 feet away in the flesh, seated poolside in a patch of patio shaded by a mango tree. Gonzalez calls this his "office." He spends most mornings here watching play, greeting those who pay their respects. They call him mestre, professor, padrinho. Master. Teacher. Godfather. A young male admirer approaches, kneels and kisses the 94-year-old's hand. If this is unusual, Gonzalez doesn't betray surprise. "He's a good boy and a good golfer," he says, as if one follows the other. Gonzalez is the most celebrated golfer in Brazil's history. His…

TIN CUP TURNS 20 this month. I consider it the best golf movie ever. Caddyshack is hilarious, but it's all jokes and no depth. Tin Cup has heart. It trades in truth. As Kevin Costner's title character says, "This game ain't about hittin' a little ball in some yonder hole. It's about inner demons, self doubt, human frailty—and overcomin' that s---." We can relate to his vulnerability. He plays with his gut, not his head, and it costs him. But sometimes you have to go for that par 5 in two. You have to let the big dog eat. In a GOLF exclusive, Entertainment Weekly's Chris Nashawaty conducted all-new interviews with the movie's cast: Costner, Don Johnson, Cheech Marin and many more. As you'll learn on p. 80, Tin Cup…

GOLF'S RETURN to the Olympic Games after a lengthy exile was supposed to be a global celebration on one of sport's grandest stages. Instead, the run-up to the Games has brought to mind one of Dan Jenkins's pet phrases: point-missers. The sport that brought you national controversies about racial discrimination in the 1990s (Shoal Creek) and sexism in the 2000s (Augusta National's membership practices) has now made its myopia international news, as player after player has announced he won't show up in Rio. So much for love of country. Excuses range from the busy summer schedule—don't NFL players strap it on 16 weeks out of 17?—to Zika concerns, which is funny, because nearly 11,000 other Olympians haven't been scared off by a pesky mosquito. Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player used…

IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT news that Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem plans to retire at the end of the 2016 season, I got to thinking: What changes would I make if I were Jay Monahan, his likely successor? I came up with three ideas that would be healthy changes for players and fans alike—but that will never, ever happen. No. 1: Shorten the season The golf season should extend from early January to Labor Day weekend. Period. That would give us 30 to 35 events per year, which is plenty. This sort of compact schedule would more often draw the very best players. And besides, why fight an unwinnable ratings battle with the NFL? Golf can't compete with football, and the FedEx Cup playoffs deserve a showcase without interference from…

HOT TRACKS Playa Grande Rio San Juan, Dominican Republic 7,259 yards, par 72 Architect: Rees Jones, 2015 playagrande.com In 1971, Pete Dye and a crew of laborers took sledgehammers and pickaxes to coral rock and created Casa de Campo's Teeth of the Dog. Ever since, there's been no shortage of reasons to trek to the Dominican Republic for an exceptional golf vacation— and here's one more. Along Hispaniola island's northeast shore, architect Rees Jones has recrafted a modern marvel called Playa Grande. Opened in November 2015, Playa Grande is the centerpiece of a Dolphin Capital–developed resort and community that also features the striking, cliffside Amanera hotel. This is the first golf property for luxury-branded Aman Resorts. Jones and senior designer Bryce Swanson had a head start: a preexisting 1997 layout…

We're drinking 12-year-old Macallan. You're a scotch man! Very sophisticated. Bourbon and scotch were those mystical drinks that, when you were little, old people drank. They seemed to enjoy it differently than college kids drinking beer did. So I'm trying to move out of that phase of drinking for the wrong reasons and drink for the right reasons. In addition to being the most decorated American alpine skier ever—with an Olympic gold medal to your credit—you're an avid golfer. How'd you get hooked? As a kid, I carried my grandmother's bag while she played. I never really swung a club, but after high school, a bunch of friends and I picked it up, and ever since then I've wanted to play every day. The Summer Games come to Rio this…

IF YOU NEED MORE Distance TRY AN Overlap Grip Max hinge (and power) on downswing. It Frees Up Your Wrists Put your right pinkie on top of your left index finger. One less digit on the grip lets your wrists hinge like they've been treated with WD-40, creating more speed. IF YOU NEED MORE Accuracy TRY AN INTERLOCK GRIP Less hinge (and rotation) on backswing. It Firms Up Your Wrists Nestle your right pinkie between your left index and middle fingers. Connecting your hands like this limits hinge—and unwanted face rotation. IF YOU NEED MORE Height TRY A Baseball Grip Sweep it up! It Makes Your Right Hand "Strong" With all fingers wrapped around the handle, your right hand becomes the "strong" hand. The result? A dynamic, sweeping arc and…

Degree of Difficulty 7/10 When it's useful: The ball sits in a steep-sided bunker. It's so steep, in fact, that you'd have to squat like a sumo wrestler in order to get the clubhead near the ball, or bend so far forward that you'd be in danger of toppling into the hazard. How to hit it: Drop to a knee. Even from this awkward stance, you're in better position to maintain posture and balance than if you create extreme angles in your knees and spine tilt. 1. Avoid the Tilt There's a problem with bending your knees to the max to reach the ball: At some point in the swing, one of your knees may interfere with your swing path. Test the waters first. Take a practice swing. If your…

Meet Leo Brunk, the Golf Association of Philadelphia's Most Improved Golfer of the Year (yep, it's an actual award). The 14-year-old from Newtown, Pa., cut his index by 71 percent last season. "Big changes are always possible," says Top 100 Teacher Dom DiJulia (Jericho National G.C., New Hope, Pa.), who guided Leo on his remarkable path. "I tended to hit down on the ball with driver, and I never felt balanced," Brunk says. "Mr. DiJulia had me point my left knee toward my left foot during my backswing (picture, below), instead of letting it drift away from the target." It worked—big time. Says DiJulia, "Stabilizing the left side nixes the tendency to swing too steeply and over the top. That stability going back is shot-saving power coming down." NO! YES!…

Some top pros elected to skip this year's Olympics in Brazil. Not Lexi Thompson. She'll be in Rio, no two ways about it. America's golf sweetheart explains what winning gold would mean, and why she can't wait to play for her country—mosquitoes be damned. I've never been to Brazil. I'm looking forward to it. I heard it's a beautiful place, and the course is brand new. There's been a lot of stuff in the media about Zika, but I think the Olympics will be well prepared for it, and I'm absolutely not missing this opportunity. My caddie, Benji Thompson, [no relation] is excited to be going as well. I've worked with him for two or three years. My parents will be down there, too. I don't think my brothers will…

ROUND AND ROUND WE GO…FOR THE GOLD A century has passed since Olympians put a golf ball in play. Time to roll the rock in Rio. With the Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro upon us, all eyes are on golf's return to the Olympics. But there's no looking forward without glancing back. The year: 1900. The place: the Compiègne Club, just north of Paris, where golf made its Olympic debut. Glory in the event went to the American Charles Sands, who shot 82-85 in 36 holes of stroke play, a less than Hoganesque performance that was still good enough for gold in a field of only 12 players. As claims to history go, the greater one that year belonged to Margaret Abbott. The champion in the women's division, she…

DRIVER 1) Nike Vapor Fly, 10.5°, Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 shaft, X-flex, 44.875", 311 yards; $350 IRONS 2) Nike Vapor Fly Pro (3), Graphite Design Tour AD DI 105 graphite shaft, X-flex; Nike Vapor Pro (4-PW), Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 125 steel shafts, Tour X-flex; $1,000, set of eight 3-iron: 260 yards 4-iron: 235 yards 5-iron: 220 yards 6-iron: 202 yards 7-iron: 188 yards 8-iron: 175 yards 9-iron: 162 yards PW: 150 yards WEDGES 3) Nike Engage, 50° (Square sole), 137 yards; 56° (Square sole), 123 yards; 58° (Dual sole), 108 yards. All with Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 120 shafts; $120 each PUTTER 4) Nike Method Converge S2-12, 35"; $170 BALL Nike RZN Tour Black; $48/dozen FAIRWAY WOOD 5) Nike Vapor Fly, 15°, Graphite Design Tour…

JUST IMAGINE FIRING a final-round 61 to come from seven shots back and win your first PGA Tour title—in just your second event! Or playing in the final group on Sunday at the Masters with defending champ Jordan Spieth. Or going viral on social media during a spring-break romp in the Bahamas with some of golf's brightest stars. Yep, it's been a heck of a rookie season for Smylie Kaufman, whom I've had the pleasure of coaching since he graduated from LSU in 2014. Like most young players, Smylie, 24, is lean, long and strong—he can blow it past his 298-yard driving average at will. And his swing isn't quirky or gimmicky. We hammer home fundamentals long proven to create speed, balance and power in any motion. One of the…

On sloping greenside lies, use a less-lofted club, choke down, and swing harder than you think you should. UPHILL LIES challenge short-game skills (and nerves) like no other. Case in point: The situation I face in the photo above. I've short-sided myself with my tee shot on the par-3 17th at my home course (Escondido C.C. in Marble Falls, Texas) and I'm in a heap of trouble. To salvage par, I have to catch the ball cleanly and choose the club that lets me fly the ball high enough and far enough to avoid the junk and stop near the pin. Oh, and my stance won't make things any easier. (I have to watch my step or I'll tumble back into the stream!) Because the ground in front of the…

When you completed eighth grade, you didn't go directly to college—you had more to learn. It's the same in golf: If you try to copy the swings of the Tour pros without the necessary fundamentals, you're basically skipping grades and will probably flunk out. The pros have mastered swing elements such as clubface control, attack angle, balance and rotation. You can't graduate to their level—yet. Our advice: Go back to school. Top 100 Teacher Peter Kostis has designed a curriculum of drills to help you ingrain the key moves and positions that will help you make better contact with all of your clubs. Like any assignment, the more you apply yourself, the better your grade will be. There's the bell—class is in session. GOLF 101 I've learned two very important…

3,174 The number of greenside bunker shots that Phil has attempted as a Tour professional, converting 1,717 of them (54.1 percent). 1 KEEP THE FACE OPEN Even this far into his release, Phil is holding the face wide open—it's the secret to high, soft bunker shots. Imagine that the clubface is a soup spoon. Through impact, try to keep the soup in the spoon. In other words, don't roll your wrists. 2 PICK THE RIGHT WEDGE Elite bunker players like Lefty choose clubs based on the sand conditions. In fluffy stuff, he'll pull the wedge with the most bounce—this allows the club to glide through the bunker instead of digging. Firm sand? Less bounce makes all the difference. 3 SWING THE SHAFT Phil's clubhead has moved past the ball, which…

Whether you're trying to can a straight three-footer or lag one across the full width of the green, your stroke needs to be close to even on both sides of the ball. Matching the length of your backstroke with the length of your through-stroke instills rhythm and tempo, which helps your sense of feel dial in the correct speed and distance. On short strokes, your putter should hug the ground both going back and through. On longer ones, it shouldn't. From waaay downtown, it needs to elevate noticeably off the ground near the ends of your stroke, as in the swing of a pendulum (photo, right). If you keep the putterhead low to the ground on long lags, your backstroke won't reach the needed length to roll the ball all…

Gold Standard The last time a golfer teed it up in the Olympics, the King (Arnie, of course) had yet to be born. Now, more than a century later, the game's new royalty will be gunning for international glory. WHAT'S INSIDE 60 A Viewers Guide to Olympic Golf Who's creating the biggest buzz (besides the mosquitos). 63 The Course After a rocky start, Gil Hanse's Rio-ready links will run fast and firm—and play hard. 64 The Brazilian Bobby Jones Mario Gonzalez isn't merely a local legend. He planted his peg next to the game's greats. 70 Lexi Thompson: Golden Girl? She nails it off the tee, but does she have the mettle to medal?…

By the time you read this, I will have played my 10th consecutive U.S. Women's Open (I first qualified in 2007, as a 12-year-old), and I'll be prepping for the Women's British Open and the Olympic Games. What a summer! You can bet I'll be leaning on my driver to give me an edge—it's the biggest weapon in my bag. My swing is pretty simple, but there are things I do at setup and throughout my motion to help boost power. If you're short of my 284-yard driving average (I'm closing in on the all-time LPGA Tour record), then follow my lead. Explosive tee shots are just a few moves away. my setup Feel Firm, Stay Loose I learned long ago that tense muscles react more slowly than relaxed ones…

[Stats Tracker] ARCCOS DRIVER $80; arccosgolf.com The sensor pops into the top of the driver grip and syncs to a smartphone for immediate statistical feedback, including distance, dispersion, even a "smart average" that omits anomalies. The app supplies yardages to the front, center, and back of each green, and also includes a gaming element that lets you compete against other Arccos users. [Swing Analyzer] BLAST GOLF REPLAY $150; blastmotion.com Listen up, videophiles. Simply connect the 0.3-ounce sensor to a grip attachment on the butt of your club, set the camera on your smartphone, and swing away. The app's patented technology trims your video into a series of swings overlaid with data for swing speed, lie, loft, tempo, etc. You can review swings individually and share the best ones on social…

FOR MORE INSTRUCTION THAT FITS YOUR GAME, GO TO GOLF.COM STRAIGHT HITTER You keep the ball in play, but a lack of distance puts pressure on your game. POWER SHIFT YOUR WAY TO MORE DISTANCE You don't hit the ball with your backswing; you hit it with your downswing. That's why it's critical to shift your weight onto your front side before impact—it allows you to extend your arms fully toward the target and launch the ball with maximum power. You won't hit the ball very far if you're falling backward as you reach impact. To practice this key power move, take your address position with a mid-iron (you don't need a ball for this drill), then remove your left hand from the grip and extend it toward the target,…