Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2016 i Golf World

The US Open is just a couple of weeks away and, I for one, cannot wait. Not just because the venue – Oakmont Country Club – is one of the world’s truly epic golf courses, but because we’ll finally be able to put the shambles of last year’s championship at Chambers Bay firmly out of our minds. If you’ll remember, the new course on the outskirts of Seattle in the Pacific Northwest was heavily criticised for its extremely difficult set-up and the miserable state of its greens, which Sir Nick Faldo in his column on page 26 describes as looking like “worn doormats”. But no matter how disconcerting the “Chamber of Horrors” was for the world’s top players, it was arguably an even worse experience for the spectators, who had…

UP Bryson DeChambeau Kicked off life as a pro with an every-bit-as-impressive-as-it-sounds T4 on the PGA Tour. That bettered the debuts of Tiger, Phil, Rory, Jason and Jordan. Brian Stuard The journeyman’s Zurich Classic win gives hope to mere mortals everywhere. The 33-year-old averages 265 yards off the tee, but produced a bogey-free event. Andrew Johnston Bearded Brit ‘Beef’ won on the European Tour for the first time and vowed to celebrate by getting “hammered”. He did just that, dressed as a piñata. John Daly In turning 50 in April, Daly won a $150,000 bet struck with Fuzzy Zoeller years ago. Zoeller doubted Daly would reach the half-century. DOWN Tiger Woods Out since August, Tiger has dropped out of the world’s top 500 for the first time since July 14,…

US Open 2010 Three ahead after 54 holes, triple-bogey, double-bogey and bogey in the opening hour leave his hopes in tatters. Five more bogeys see him finish T8. Choke? An 82? He choked. US PGA 2010 Needing just par on 18, a bogey sucks DJ into a playoff – only he’d grounded his club in a bunker on 18, not realising it was a bunker. A two-shot penalty puts him T5. Choke? He needed par: yes. Open 2011 Two off the lead on 14, DJ pulls his 2-iron second shot out of bounds and posts a double-bogey, ending up three adrift and tied for second. Choke? Less choke than bad club selection. US Open 2015 Two in front after the final round’s front nine, DJ wobbles but has a 12ft…

“I don’t even have to think about what was the best shot I ever hit. Which is fitting, as not thinking was all I was thinking about on the first tee at the K Club back in 2006. It was the opening day of the Ryder Cup matches. That’s a pretty big occasion in itself, but the circumstances – my wife had died six weeks before – made it the most pressure-filled moment of my career. I’m not sure how, in such an emotional arena – the roar we got as we arrived on the tee is something I will never, ever forget – but not only did I hit a good drive, I smashed it miles up the middle. I had no idea what I was going to do…

RORY STORY I had to smile when reading your excellent Anonymous Player Survey last month (July issue). Who is best – Rory, Jason or Jordan? The quote said “Rory by a mile – If he putted like Jordan, no-one would be able to lace his boots”. If he did then maybe so, the only problem is that he doesn’t. L Deane, Email RONAN’S A HERO Loved your Perspectives with Ronan Rafferty last month (July). The part about volcanic dust was absolutely priceless – happily that trend didn’t catch on! S Murray, Email…

This is a great tip if your bad shot is a pull to the left like mine. My slightly stronger than neutral grip can cause the club to get a little closed at impact, so I counteract that by keeping my hands low through the hitting zone. You can see here that the butt of the grip is level with the bottom of my pocket. This holds the face square a split-second longer into impact so the ball starts just right of the target. My natural in-to-out swing path puts draw spin on the ball, so it turns back towards the target through the air. Feel for the pocket The butt of the club being level with my right pocket fractionally delays the face closing – enough to help prevent…

I’ve learnt to improve my distance control and consistency with my irons by relying on what I call a ‘hold-off’ swing. This is a technique that discourages the hands from rotating the clubface closed and encourages a soft fade, a shape that is a lot easier to control than a draw and helps the ball land more softly on the greens and stop quicker. This technique is obviously great if you draw the ball too much but it’s also good if you play with a slice because it will help you calm the spin you apply to the ball, turning that wild cut into a controlled fade. IMPACT Hold the face square We all intuitively try to square the face up to the swing path. That’s why in-to-out swingers struggle…

A great swing starts from getting the fundamentals right – grip, alignment and posture. The good thing is that all three are easily controllable. Because there’s no movement involved, anyone can get them right, no matter their level of athletic ability. “Starting your swing from a good spot is vital. If you’re out of position at address, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to make the swing or hit the shot that you want. But if you find your fundamentals and you can control them before you even take the club away, you give yourself the best chance you can to make a good swing. “When it comes to the swing itself, I like to focus on two thoughts. The first is to make a good takeaway that sets the club…

There is an ancient Chinese proverb which – roughly translated – says: “We live in the present. We dream of the future. We learn truths from the past.” At Cherry Hills Country Club, in the 1960 US Open, that proverb sprang to mind as the game’s past (Ben Hogan), present (Arnold Palmer) and future (Jack Nicklaus) fought an epic battle which many believe is still the greatest, most dramatic US Open ever witnessed. It’s very rare at a golf tournament that the protagonists you want to see going head-to-head actually do so. But on this occasion, it could have been a Hollywood script. On the afternoon of June 18, the era of Hogan finally finished, Arnie was crowned ‘The King’, and a chubby college kid from Ohio called Jack Nicklaus…

The statistics reveal the real favourite. Mark Broadie invented the ‘strokes gained’ statistic that’s used by the PGA Tour. He’s identified the four areas the players will need to excel in to contend at Oakmont, based on previous course and US Open data. We’ve combined the PGA Tour rankings of the top 15 players in the world rankings in these four key stats to identify who’s best suited for victory. THE FOUR KEY STATS Driving distance (DD): Oakmont is a beast of a course so long tee shots are a big advantage. Proximity to the hole (P): The quality of a player’s approach shots is always an indicator of success. Scrambling (S): The rough is long, so more greens will be missed than normal. Strokes gained – putting (SGP): US…

When I first went to America I was told to find tournaments and courses I liked and stick to them. And, conversely, never return to those I don’t like. Which is sound advice and easy to do. Almost every event carries a big purse, so money never really enters into the equation. How much cash is on offer has rarely been the basis for any decision I’ve made on whether or not to play somewhere. I look at Ernie Els’ experiences as an example or case study for me. We’ll never know for sure, but there is a strong possibility that Ernie could have been even more successful than he has been – and he’s had a fantastic career – if he had flown around the world a little less…

What’s the oldest club in your bag and why have you kept it? I’ve got my trusty 20° Callaway Heavenwood. I think it’s been in the bag for 10 or 11 years. I just love it. It’s so adaptable and the main reason it stays in the bag is that I can dig it out of the rough, divots and really bad lies so well – and I’ve been in a few over the last few years, so I’ve needed it. It goes the same as my 3-iron but I get more versatility. Tell us about your St George’s Cross putter headcover. It’s just a bit of patriotism. I like to represent a little bit, especially when you’re travelling around the world. I like having it there so you don’t…

TaylorMade M2 The light carbon composite crown in the roof of the M2 helps engineers to lower CG, moving more mass under the ball. Even the light, fluted hosel helps lower CG. The speed pocket also helps generate speed and lift from low-down strikes. Mizuno JPX EZ The extra mass in the series of ridges that make up the Shockwave sole lowers the club’s CG. Mizuno suggest this promotes easy launch, a higher trajectory and a steeper, softer landing. A waffle crown also helps move weight lower. Ping G The club aims to assist launch by moving the leading edge some 3.5mm lower – a design tweak that gets more of the face under the ball and shifts impact higher in the face. It also lowers CG through a thinner…

TAYLORMADE M2 WHAT WE LIKED: Easy launch, strong power, cracking looks WHAT WE DIDN’T LIKE: Lack of adjustability, slightly harder to control MIZUNO JPX EZ WHAT WE LIKED: Low-down strike quality, adjustability, forgiveness WHAT WE DIDN’T LIKE: Similar performance to JPX 850, hard to see effect of upright settings PING G WHAT WE LIKED: Confidence-boosting, excellent forgiveness, easy consistency WHAT WE DIDN’T LIKE: Power lags behind rivals, slightly lower launch We reported recently how US PGA champion Jason Day took yards off his TaylorMade M2 fairway wood – which he was bombing 300 yards – to have it fit in with his set. It’s a good example of how power in itself should not be the defining criterion for woods. The shorter results our team registered with the Ping G…

It’s always tricky to control the ball when it’s resting up against a collar of rough, because you’re inevitably going to get grass trapped behind clubface and ball. Instead of a risky wedge shot, use your hybrid to bunt the ball onto the green like a putt. Take a narrow stance with the ball a fraction forward of centre and choke down on the handle with your putting grip. Make a putting stroke with minimal wrist hinge and the ball will pop out and run forward onto the green.…

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2018 Thomas Bjorn vs. Fred Couples With three Ryder Cup vice-captaincy stints under his belt and a fourth likely this year, the Dane is Europe’s obvious front-runner for Paris. Former World No.1 Couples has a great record as Presidents Cup skipper. Overlooked for 2016, he’d “jump at the chance” to lead in 2018. 2020 Steve Stricker vs. Lee Westwood Having cut his teeth as a vice-captain in 2014 and 2016, Stricker will be a worthy favourite to take ‘the big job’ in Wisconsin in 2020. Nine-time Ryder Cupper Westwood recently announced that he would like to captain the team at Whistling Straits in 2020. Given his status in European golf, it is difficult to see anyone voting against him. 2022 Ian Poulter vs. Jim Furyk Poulter will be 46 when…

What kind of test will the course throw up? Rumour has it the links-like Reserva Marapendi Golf Course has echoes of Royal Melbourne and the Blue Monster at Doral. No big names turned up for the recent test event, citing schedule issues – they were fighting for the $1.62m first prize at Doral – so we only have creator Gil Hanse’s view to go on. He says the wind will have a big influence, and all the drama will come on the final three holes, a par 4, par 3, par 5 finish. GW SAYS One of the game’s great architects, despite many local ‘issues’, Hanse will have created a layout fit for the Olympics. Will golf’s return really benefit the game? As always, it’s all about “the Olympic legacy”.…

Hahn had missed his previous eight cuts on the PGA Tour but he started the final round of the Wells Fargo Championship just two shots behind leader Rickie Fowler. By the time Hahn reached the 545-yard 7th, he was level par for the round and still in contention. He found the green in two but faced a 51-foot eagle putt downhill and sweeping left-to-right on some of the Tour’s slickest greens. He holed a miraculous putt and rode the momentum to his second PGA Tour victory, defeating Roberto Castro on the first hole of a sudden death play-off. “Eight straight missed cuts is tough,” Hahn said. “You start to question yourself. It’s crazy to call myself a two-time PGA Tour champion.”…

Golf’s Big Guns USA vs Europe? It’s now far larger than that. In Juli Inkster vs Annika Sörenstam, the best players of their generation collide and make 2017 as much a battle of captains as of continents. Will To Win Inkster favours a battle cry brand of captaincy, Sörenstam a quieter, more composed approach. What they share is a fierce will to win – they amassed 17 major titles between them. Their teams will be suitably fired up. Bad Blood? Last year’s Solheim Cup was overshadowed by Alison Lee’s refused gimme. Inkster and Sörenstam were later seen in an inaudible but highly animated exchange of opinions. Will that hang over into 2017? Peace Talks Both captains have attempted to play down the animosity of 2015. Upon her unveiling, Captain Sörenstam…

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME When did you enjoy golf most? I bet anyone who started the game young will look back on those summer holidays off school at the local club with your mates, spending every waking minute laughing round the course and trying to be Seve or Tiger. This is exactly why I enjoyed Rickie Fowler et al and their recent adventure in the Bahamas so much. I know many will have been offended by their potentially anti-etiquette behaviour, but I say ‘lighten up!’ These guys are continuing to live the dream that we all had as kids, and if golf courses allowed us to walk around the course laughing, joking and having fun like Smylie clearly was, then I guarantee more kids would take to the…

‘The top players are so good these days, you almost have to take a course over the edge to really challenge them’ After all the controversy that surrounded Chambers Bay last year, it’s great that the US Open is heading back to a tried and trusted venue in Oakmont. When I tuned in to watch the play during last year’s first round, the first thing I saw was Ian Poulter missing an eight-foot putt by more than a foot. The USGA can protest all they like about how the course was playable, but when you have the champion Jordan Spieth walking up the 18th fairway in his second round, saying live on camera, “This is the dumbest par 4 I’ve ever played in my life,” something is amiss. It still…

Fairway bunker shots strike fear into the hearts of many golfers, but they don’t have to be a catastrophe waiting to happen. This is actually one shot where a slightly thin contact is a good thing. You’ll get the ball out the sand first time and, depending on the contact, it’ll run on landing, which will squeeze out a few extra yards. The secret is guaranteeing that clean strike. For these shots, I stand a little taller than normal and hold my head higher. I want room for my shoulders to turn. If your chin is jammed against your chest, you force your shoulders down and that steep plane will cause the club to dig down into the sand. You want a nice shallow attack into the ball, so keep…

A lot of amateurs are impressed by how much spin the world’s top players generate. But in all honesty, we’re looking to take spin off our short shots most of the time. I’m very much in the camp of Ryder Cup player Steve Stricker in that I like to reduce hand action in my chipping and pitching and simply let the clubface and my upper body control the shot. Here’s how I play a greenside flop – a shot that seems difficult until you realise you don’t have to get your hands involved. Shaft leans from the target You can play this shot with a square face, but if you want to get the ball up really quickly, lay it open. Just ensure you have the ball forward in a…

Henrik Stenson has tee-to-green’. For won five times on the ‘strokes gained: European and PGA putting’, however, he Tours since his is down in the mid-resurgence in late 80s. Not terrible, of 2012. This is a very course, but put it all good return, but it’s together and the perfectly reasonable reasons why the to argue that he 40-year-old Swede should have amassed racks up an almost more trophies from endless stream of high the quality and finishes – but consistency of his play relatively few victories over the last three- – becomes clear. and-a-half years. Quite simply, So why doesn’t he Stenson doesn’t hole win more often? enough putts to beat Stenson’s coach Pete his fellow contenders Cowen is in no doubt. – men playing at or “Tee to…

‘Tiger didn’t play a lot. Nor did Jack. Greg Norman didn’t either. So I’m not doing anything revolutionary, I just followed their example in a way that suited me’ ADAM ON… SCHEDULING “I think a lot about every aspect of my golf game. I do everything with a purpose, even if I’m not right every time. But there is always a reason for all that I do. I try to control all the things I can control. “I played a ‘normal’ schedule out here for 10 years and had zero success in major championships. There might not be a direct correlation there, but I felt like I needed to change something if I was to be a better player at the big tournaments. And the way I thought I could…

BRILLIANT CHARGES 1960 The Masters Augusta National Chain-smoking L&M cigarettes and swigging Cokes, Palmer realised he was going to have to birdie the final two holes at Augusta (never easy) to beat Ken Venturi. He did so, by holing from 35ft and 7ft. 1962 The Masters Augusta National After a last-round 75 allowed Finsterwald and Player into a play-off, Palmer sat three adrift on the 10th tee. A brilliant 31 sealed a 68 and a three-shot victory, as cheers exploded once again among the azaleas. 1962 The Open Royal Troon Arnie’s charge came in the penultimate round, with a 67 which he would later describe as “my best round of golf ever”. In wild weather, impressive putts on 13, 15, 16 and 17 set up a stirring six-shot victory. BITTER…

Rory McIlroy’s physical gifts seem limitless. He routinely drives the ball well north of 300 yards, he’s the only player in the modern era not named Tiger or Jack to have won four majors by age 25 and his physique fit enough to be splashed across the pages of Men’s Health magazine (shirtless). After coming up short in his bid to complete the career Grand Slam at the Masters, however, it is the six-inch space between his ears that concerns. McIlroy makes his share of birdies and often in bunches, but ill-timed and senseless bogeys (or worse) have set up a roadblock in his head. Like a gambling man chasing his lost bets, he has often found himself chasing a score. Take his third round at this year’s Wells Fargo…

‘It wasn’t like I had just Duffy Waldorf to catch. Everybody and their dog was ahead of me. I felt I had no chance’ A score of 63 was bettered on no fewer than 49 occasions by players on the PGA and European Tours last season. And in the current campaign that feat has been accomplished 14 more times (and counting) as talented players on hot streaks have blazed their birdie and eagle trails. It’s strange then, that in over a century of major championship golf no one has ever managed a score of 62 or lower. It’s as if an impenetrable wall stands in the way of anyone impertinent enough to make a bid for one of the game’s more illustrious crowns, a barrier against anyone who tries to…

My approach at 18 from a divot had finished at the bottom of a “false front” six feet below the level of the green. I couldn’t see the putting surface and only the top third of the pin. I had to fly the ball 20 yards, land it on a downslope with some spin and then have it trickle down 10 yards to the hole. It would have been easy to hit it to 15 feet because there was a nice backstop behind the pin. But to get it really close I had to hit the perfect shot. It had to land in the right spot. It had to have the right flight and it had to spin just the right amount off a really tight lie. In the end,…

Odyssey Toe Up putters Odyssey’s new Toe Up putter (so named because when you balance the club on your finger, the toe actually hangs upwards!) is designed to reduce torque so there is minimal twisting during the stroke. In theory, this makes it easier to keep the putter face square to the target line. Odyssey achieved this by placing more weight towards the face, aligning the centre of gravity (CG) with the centre of the face. In addition, a unique hosel design aligns the shaft axis to the CG. GW: What’s the thinking behind the new Toe Up? The idea is that the smaller blade-style putter reduces the torque (twisting) you feel in the hands during the stroke. That torque can change your grip pressure and how you present the…

Rangefinder + Precise distances to any pin position. + Can use slope adjustment to understand elevation changes. + Quick and easy to use out of the box. - Doesn’t enable you to see the hole layout, including hazard positions. A rangefinder is ideal if you play lots of golf on the same course so know the layout and would benefit from exact yardages to pins. GPS unit + Shows view of the entire hole, including distances to hazards. + Allows you to work out exact lay-up distances and yardage that leaves. + Record and analyse shots and scores. - Hard to get precise yardage to the pin. Premium GPS units cost more but the extra functions make them ideal for new courses, planning strategy and analysing your game.…

Luke Donald has switched to a centre-shafted version of the Odyssey Works Versa #7H putter he uses. “I just felt like I hadn’t seen the ball go in enough with the putter I’ve been using the last couple of years, so I just wanted something different to look at,” he said. Bubba Watson put a sexy new set of Ping blade irons in his bag at the Players Championship. They must be good because it takes a lot to make the double Masters champion switch irons. He had his previous S55s since September 2013 and the same S59 models for nearly a decade prior to that. Dustin Johnson has had an Edel The Brick putter built for him after trying the one Bryson DeChambeau uses. Designer Dave Edel tweaked the…

TaylorMade M2 M2’s fourth-generation speed pocket is reckoned by the brand to be their most flexible yet, prompting senior director of product creation Brian Bazzel to label the club “a distance machine”. Extra flex also optimises spin rates for more distance. Mizuno JPX EZ According to Mizuno, the Shockwave technology at the front of the sole is designed to help more of the face contract on impact, increasing face spring and boosting ball speeds. The club’s larger profile also affords greater spring-like effect. Ping G G seeks to improve face spring and ball speeds through the use of thin Carpenter 455 steel. A new cascading sole has been re-engineered to engage more of the face and boost impact spring. Impact higher in the face should also make for a springier…

‘Lightning struck the TV aerial of the press tent and ruined the enjoyment of a World Cup football match’ The elite amateurs who travel to south Wales in June to play in the Amateur Championship of 2016 will compete over a course that is not only widely regarded as the finest in the Principality but also one deemed capable of hosting The Open. While the first statement might be contested by supporters of Royal St David’s and Aberdovey – both of which have significant merit – most prefer Porthcawl, illustrated by its rise to No.30 in our 2016 GB&I Top 100. The second assertion is more open to debate, yet largely owing to factors not pertaining to the course. “It is a gem. It can certainly measure up with any…

Striking a full shot off the sand is a real test of your ball-striking as there isn’t as much margin for error compared to hitting off grass. If you hit the ball a fraction heavy it won’t go anywhere and a little thin runs the risk of smashing the ball into the face of the bunker. But you can increase your margin for error by tweaking your set-up and technique like this. Take enough loft that you will still clear the lip even if you catch it a little thin – even if this won’t quite reach the green. Swing within yourself at about 85 per cent to ensure your lower half remains stable and you return the clubhead accurately to hit the ball before the sand. MOVE THE BALL…

It’s very difficult to hit accurate pitch shots in a headwind and side winds because the normal high and soft ball flight will really be affected by them. In this situation, it’s much easier to control a lower ball flight that won’t move as much in gusty conditions. IS THE LOW PITCH CORRECT? A lower trajectory is beneficial in side winds or into the wind. If it’s downwind, you might need the height to stop the ball quickly or even play a bump and run to take the wind out of play. The lower pitch is also effective when you need the ball to release to a pin at the back of the green.…

1 TAKE A LESS LOFTED CLUB Taking a pitching wedge or even a 9-iron is a simple way to launch the ball lower than with a sand wedge. But remember, the reduced loft means the ball will launch off the face faster, so choke down and swing shorter to compensate. 2 BALL BACK, HANDS FORWARD Put the ball just back of centre in your stance at address with your hands ahead of the ball. Simply try to return to this position at impact so you compress the ball and produce a strong and penetrating flight. 3 USE YOUR BODY TURN You can reduce the backspin you impart on the ball by powering the motion with your upper body turn and breaking your wrists less than you would for a normal…

STICK TO A GAMEPLAN You should have a strategy for how you play every hole based on your ability and what constitutes a good score for each hole based on your handicap. This should target holes where you can realistically pick up shots with shots you’re comfortable playing and avoid risk on more difficult holes where a bogey isn’t a bad score. Stick to this gameplan for all 18 holes no matter how well you’re playing. HAVE A PRE-SHOT ROUTINE You can make sure you stay ‘in the zone’ by sticking to a good and repeatable pre-shot routine. This will help you maintain your rhythm so you don’t speed up or slow down, and the familiarity will enable you stay calm and in control of your emotions. A good pre-shot…

‘Two days into my first job, dad sacked me and sent me to play golf’ When was the last time you cried and why? Watching the movie Southpaw on a plane a few weeks ago. It’s fair to say I had a tear in my eye twice during that movie. There’s one bit that’s pretty harrowing when the main character’s wife gets shot and his kid gets taken off him. That was pretty hard-hitting. What’s the closest you’ve ever been to death? The first Old Firm game I went to at Parkhead (laughs). I was 18 and I wasn’t allowed to go before then. Obviously you’re not close to death, but with the atmosphere with 50,000 Celtic fans and 10,000 Rangers fans, it feels like it. What’s your worst or…

What are you doing on September 30 this year? If the answer to this question is anything other than locking your door, switching off your phone and watching the opening day of the 41st Ryder Cup matches, then we suggest you rearrange your plans immediately. And we suggest you do this, because this year’s event is shaping up to be a titanic battle between a new generation of golfing superstars. Hammering out 300-yard drives from the blue corner will be Rory McIlroy and Danny Willett. Both have won major championships, both play a fearless brand of golf that is perfect for matchplay, and both are eagerly anticipating Hazeltine this September. “I am going for my fourth win in a row,” says McIlroy, while Willett describes his upcoming Ryder Cup debut…

The bookies make the US odds-on favourites to regain the Ryder Cup and when you compare our two proposed line-ups it is easy to see why. The home side has more major winners, far more players in the world top 20 and, crucially, half the number of rookies. If Davis Love III picks pairings as well as he did when his US team held a four-point lead going into the singles at Medinah in 2012, then it is difficult to see the hosts coming out second best for the fourth time in a row. We hope we are wrong, but at present we predict 16.5-11.5 US win.…

1 Grip to promote a hinge Place the putter grip running up the lifeline of your lead hand, positioned so that the shaft and your forearm form a straight line. This grip promotes a back-and-through stroke rather than too much face rotation. 2 Visualise the break Work back from the hole, tracing the break and where the ball will fall in. Visualising the break accurately helps you hit the ball at the right pace. You should instinctively hit the ball too hard if you under-borrow. 3 Start the ball on line Setting the ball off rolling even a couple of degrees offline could mean a big miss on long putts. Practise by setting up a tee gate a couple of feet in front of you and making sure you hit…

1 Relax your muscles The key thing to note from Lexi’s swing is that it is free of tension. Tight muscles simply cannot create the freedom and power you need to generate distance. 2 Get your hands high Like many of the world’s big hitters, Lexi has a high arc. This means her hands are high at the top of her swing. This gives her room and time to build downswing power. 3 Use the ground As you can see from the image of Lexi at impact (left), she uses the ground as a platform to create speed. Both her heels are airborne as she makes contact with the ball.…

‘At some point, these gifted young men start to covet time away from golf more than playing significant events ’ The year was 1984 and Tour pro Mike Clayton was on quite a roll. Over the course of 24 consecutive weeks, the Australian entered 23 tournaments in Asia and Europe. In one nine-week spell he teed up in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, India, Taiwan, Korea and Japan without a break. “What else was I supposed to do?” he asks. “It was too expensive to fly home.” It was the same in Europe. As was the case back then, by making successive cuts Clayton made himself exempt for the next event. So he kept playing. At a cost, of course. Eventually, his swing and his body started to break…

We all have good and bad putting days. How you perform on the greens can often be the difference between a good and a bad score. The best way to make sure you have more good days than bad is to improve your consistency. Hitting putts with greater consistency starts the ball rolling at a constant, predictable speed. And knowing how fast the ball is coming off the face makes it a lot easier to control distance and adapt to different green speeds. To gain greater consistency, try to hit the putt through the front of the ball. By this I mean the putter should be skimming the ground and travelling parallel from the back of the ball to where the front was at address. If you hit up on…

A long par 3 with water on the right is about as scary as it gets for club players who struggle to strike long irons consistently and fight a fade or slice. Even pros will note the danger. The first part of a good strategy is identifying which holes are birdie chances and which holes you’ll happily take a par on and walk to the next tee with your score and momentum intact. This is one of those holes where par is a good score, so your strategy can be a little more conservative. Choose a club and target line that eliminates – or at least minimises – your chances of hitting the ball in the water, visualise exactly where you want the ball to go and commit to the…

To lose a major championship is never easy. To lose one in a play-off to your biggest rival on your hometown course is a bitter pill to swallow. Oakmont Country Club is 35 miles from Arnold Palmer’s hometown of Latrobe; and he knew every blade of grass on the property. Huge crowds arrived to see his opening round, which pitted him against burly 22-year-old Jack Nicklaus. Despite Nicklaus’ confidence, ‘The King’ seemed set to secure his second US Open. With thousands of partisan Palmer fans lining the fairways, he turned around a slow start to lead with one round to play. That lead remained until Nicklaus drew level on the final hole to secure a play-off the following day. The wise money remained on Palmer to see off the plucky…

There’s not much similarity between Augusta National and Oakmont – and Jason Day is banking there won’t be in his final rounds at each venue this year either. Going into the last day at the Masters, he was just three off the lead and primed to challenge for his second straight major. Instead, he shot what he later termed a “blah” 73 as he struggled with a changing wind and finished in a tie for 10th, six strokes back. “I handled myself pretty well at Augusta,” he said. “I just need to focus on what I did well, the way I’ve been playing and take it into the US Open.” That would indeed be a good place to start. In his last 16 tournaments through this year’s Zurich Classic of…

Often matched but never bettered, what makes a 63 so hard to beat? Is it a jinx or is it just plain difficult? The answer one feels has to be a bit of both. Majors tend to be on demanding courses where governing bodies, especially the USGA, treat par as the yardstick to greatness. Augusta National, too, has baulked at the prospect of someone racing around its set-up in 20 under the card, hence Tiger-proofing the course and adding 500 yards since the days of 63s by Nick Price and Greg Norman. When Miller set the bar at Oakmont, he could not have known that it would be the cornerstone to a wall of such an impregnable nature. “It was sort of an easy 63. It can be done, is…

The quality of your iron play is at the heart of your golfing ability. How powerfully, accurately and consistently you hit your irons is the difference between scrambling for par or hitting a green; between leaving yourself a long two-putt or a makeable birdie chance. Mark Broadie proved a direct link between how close you hit your irons to the hole and your score in his book Every Shot Counts. Improve your iron play by mastering the basic set-up, technical essentials and crucial strategy outlined over the next three pages and watch your scores and your handicap tumble. LEVEL 1 SET-UP BASICS Present the club how it’s designed to be used Hands ahead of ball Irons are designed for a downward attack angle with the shaft leaning forwards to compress…

The temperature is (finally) rising and the big brands have just released their spring/summer ranges. All the manufacturers’ polos have their own unique colours, styles and fits to help golfers with a variety of tastes look good and feel confident on the course. But they also boast unique materials and technologies to help you stay dry and cool when things heat up. Here are five great-looking new shirts that will help you stay comfortable on the course under the summer sun. Galvin Green Macoy, £95 The flagship model in the Ventil8 shirt range provides UV protection to a factor of 20+ and permanent anti-bacterial technology to keep it fresh. The fabric is twice as breathable as normal polyester and doesn’t need to be ironed. Adidas Climacool Primeknit, £39.99 Engineered fabric…

Q Should I stick with the weight positions I was given when my TaylorMade M1 driver was fitted or move them around to suit conditions and different shots? PETE CORNISH, BIRMINGHAM Ideally, you shouldn’t need to adjust the weights on any adjustable club. If it’s been fitted correctly it should be set up to work with your swing and produce your optimum flight irrespective of the course conditions. That said, by all means have a play with the technology and weights to see what it will do to the flight and your shot patterns. But be careful as too many adjustments will wear out the screw and could confuse you and your swing. As the saying goes, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. Q What bounce and grinds should…

TaylorMade M2 Engineers adjusted the brand’s speed pocket to make it wider, while ensuring the sole and face are unattached. They both improve face spring low down while enlarging the sweetspot – both protecting ball speeds across the face. Mizuno JPX EZ The heavier ridges of the Shockwave sole have been extended deep into the toe and heel, adding weight to those areas and boosting the clubhead’s stability. The sole’s ability to improve spring on low strikes also adds forgiveness. Ping G The club’s lower leading edge improves forgiveness performance on low-down strikes; but the thinnest ever crown on a Ping fairway, allied with a rear weight port, gives a strong low back CG position i.e. excellent mis-strike performance. THE RESULTS Smash factor reveals the club’s head speed to ball…

It must have been nice to experience a classic British links new to you when you played Porthcawl in 2014? Just getting there was a great trip. I drove down through the centre of Wales on the A483 with Neil Oxman, my caddie, from Liverpool. I went that way because one of the drivers at The Open at Hoylake said I must, to see the countryside. And it’s beautiful. I love the country; I live on a farm, and to see the hills and spectacular glens, it was beautiful. We got lost though – it took us about five hours. It should take, going the motorway, three-and-a-half or four? The roads wind a lot, but I saw all the horse boxes, and it made me feel right at home –…

To casual observers, Italy landing the 2022 Ryder Cup might have appeared as much a shot in the dark by the European Tour as if it had gone to Poland, Russia or Bulgaria. In fact, Italy has tremendous pedigree in the sport, and just as the 2018 Ryder Cup has helped shine a light on the wealth of courses – both traditional and modern – in France, the matches four years later ought to do the same in Italy. There are historic and modern courses established in our Top 100 and there are an increasing number of high-class resorts with a wealth of attractions on and off the course. Here are a quintet that we especially like.…

There are some tee shots when the reward of getting an extra 10 or 15 yards out of your driver is worth the extra risk, such as making a par 5 reachable in two or hitting it onto a driveable par 4. Addressing the ball in a position that encourages a level attack angle, producing an in-to-out swing path, and increasing your clubhead speed will help you do exactly that. 1 High launch, low spin Set up with the ball just inside the left heel, your spine tilted slightly away from the target so your left shoulder is a little higher than the right and the shaft vertical or leaning slightly away from the target. Keep your weight evenly spread and through the arches of your feet. 2 Lag on…