Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 474 i Today's Golfer

Golf has a tough time resonating with the general public. For many, it's a rich man's pursuit played at private clubs by people in silly trousers. That's why Rory McIlroy's BBC Sports Personality of the Year accolade was almost as impressive as the results that got him into contention. McIlroy joins Dai Rees (1957) and Nick Faldo (1989) as the only golfers ever to win the public award – but the burden of responsibility was so much greater in a world where his every word would be pored over on social media by millions of people watching. He couldn't come over as a pampered, self-important multi-millionaire who'd flown in on his private jet for the ceremony, especially sharing the stage with England's Women's Rugby World Cup winner Ellie Kildunne, who…

New golf shoes tend to drop every month, but the Tour360 from adidas holds a special place in our hearts – and the new 20th anniversary version demands our attention. Over the past two decades, adidas have launched 11 iterations of their iconic shoe, worn by 12 Major champions across both men's and women's games. And while this one mirrors the looks of the original, almost every component has been re-engineered using the best technology adidas have to offer. Subtle touches nod to the shoe's legacy, including an ‘est. 2005’ silver embossing on the tongue, gunmetal top eyelets engraved with ‘20’, and a silver adidas badge on the heel as a tribute to the original edition. Priced at £180, each pair arrives in a special box that celebrates each and…

RIGHT! Use the prongs to push the grass at the edge of the depression towards the middle. WRONG! Use the prongs as levers to push the bottom of the depression upwards. We all know that repairing pitch marks is expected of us, but when are you allowed to do a little gardening? Learn these rules so you can be kind to the putting green, without being penalised… ■ A player may repair an old hole plug or damage to the green caused by scrapes, spike marks, embedded objects or indentations, regardless of whether the ball lies on the green (Rule 13.1c). ■ The repair may include raising the turf (with a tee or pitch repairer) or tapping down the turf. A ball mark may be repaired more than once. ■…

At first glance, Tommy does not seem to have a truly orthodox set-up. Sure, the basics are there – great lines, perfect balance, hips over ankles, ideal distance from the ball – but his back and upper body are a lot more rounded than we tend to see in the text books, and even out on tour. The main learning we can take from this is that good posture can be a personal thing. Tommy's rounded upper back at address is a natural position for him, possibly caused by being a tall kid for his age and hunching around his friends. But as we can see, it is no obstacle to playing great golf. In fact we could argue that it helps – and here's why… The problem with ‘correct’…

Here we see Tommy in full flow, and one of the most striking things about this position is how low his trail shoulder is. Most top players demonstrate some shoulder tilt – lead shoulder higher, trail shoulder lower – as they swing through impact, But Tommy's is lower than most. As we will see, this is a move that helps him deliver a rare blend of power and control. If you can create a little more tilt in your shoulders through the strike, you can give your own swing a welcome boost at just the right time. Why a ‘low’ trail shoulder is a power move To get to grips with why a lower trail shoulder through the strike is a desirable thing, set up to a ball with a…

THE AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP June 16-21 | Royal Liverpool and West Lancashire, Liverpool Tickets: TBC, randa.org THE WOMEN'S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP June 22-27 | Muirfield, East Lothian Tickets: TBC, randa.org SCOTTISH OPEN July 9-12 | The Renaissance Club, East Lothian Tickets: From £45, europeantour.com WOMEN'S SCOTTISH OPEN July 23-26 | Dundonald, Ayrshire Tickets: TBC, womensscottish.com SENIOR OPEN July 23-26 | Gleneagles – King's Course, Tickets: From £15, legendstour.com LIV GOLF UK July 23-26 | JCB Golf & Country Club, Staffordshire Tickets: TBC, livgolf.com THE WOMEN'S OPEN July 30-August 2 | Royal Lytham & St Annes, Lancashire Tickets: From £37.50, aigwomensopen.com PIF LONDON CHAMPIONSHIP August 6-9 | Centurion, Hertfordshire Tickets: TBC, pif-london.tixr.com WOMEN'S IRISH OPEN August 27-30 | The K Club, Co. Kildare Tickets: From €22.50, kpmgwomensirishopen.ie BRITISH MASTERS August 27-30 | The…

LAST SEASON INDIVIDUAL CHAMP Jon Rahm MOST WINS Joaquin Niemann (5) TEAM CHAMPS Legion XIII TEAM WINS Legion XIII (5) KEY STORYLINES Brooks Koepka is gone, a new TV partner has yet to be found, and CEO Scott O'Neil has ripped up LIV's entire identity by switching all events to 72 holes. The new format should clear one potential hurdle in their latest attempts to gain World Ranking recognition, which they desperately need to strengthen their hand in negotiations with sponsors, TV partners and players. Trevor Immelman, Chairman of the Official World Golf Ranking, does seem more amenable than his predecessor Peter Dawson, though O'Neil still has a job on his hands to convince him that there is sufficient promotion and relegation into and out of LIV. It does add…

YOUR COACH At this time of year, the one club in your bag you really need firing is your hybrid. It is of course a year-round club, but in winter its value doubles thanks to its unique design. The shallow head means a low centre of gravity, promoting a soaring flight ideal for carry distance and holding distant, soft greens. Meanwhile, its curved and slender head slides against that snaggy, soggy turf and wet grass, giving it huge performance and versatility advantages over the angular iron. But while the hybrid is one of golf's more forgiving clubs, its longer shaft and smaller head ensure consistent ballstriking remains a challenge. So let's look at three skill-oriented avenues for better hybrid play, starting as ever with the golfer looking to crack that…

The fault: Clubhead rising through impact Thin chips are rooted in a poor attack angle. If the club is moving from low to high – into its upward arc – at the point of contact, its low, leading edge will almost inevitably strike the ball. That means a thin – and possibly a duff-thin if the club bottomed out into the turf behind the ball. The most common cause of this is leaning back and helping the ball up; but with a simple set-up change, you can train a more effective, slightly downward attack angle that puts the sweetspot behind the ball, and squeezes it out solidly. YOUR COACH The fix: Raise the trail heel Take your regular stance, but now lift your trail heel off the ground so you…

The biggest influence in the performance of any golf club, especially hybrids, is the loft. So having the right one to fit the gap in your bag as well as balance your needs for proper launch, good control and more distance is vital. Most manufacturers now offer a large variety of lofts, going from 2-hybrids at 17° up to 6-hybrids at 30°, with some offering even more than that (PXG have a 34° 7-hybrid in their new Lightning family). CALLAWAY QUANTUM MAX £309 Lofts: 19°/21°/24°/27°/30°/33° A clean, midsized hybrid built for players looking for balanced performance. With a neutral CG and moderate face height, it offers a versatile mix of launch, forgiveness and shot control - making it a reliable choice at the top of the bag. The new Speed…

AYRSHIRE (& ARGYLL) Western Gailes (£95) and Prestwick (£170) if you want a short trip is simply superb. If you can be away for, say, three days, from there drive down to Kintyre for Machrihanish (£35 if a fourball) and Machrihanish Dunes (£75). BOURNEMOUTH Parkstone and Broadstone in the same day for £165? Incredible value. Add in Ferndown for £110 if you want an overnighter. A fabulous heathland trip. SANDWICH Add Royal St George's (£215) to Cinque Ports (£185) as well as the £220 play-and-stay deal at Prince's and it is two days you'll never, ever forget. BALLYLIFFIN €60 for the Glashedy and the Old is sensational – you do have the cost of getting there, and in that case I'd be sorely tempted to add on Portsalon, Narin and…

The cost of everything in life rises, and that includes running a golf club – so increases in green fees are inevitable. My club has inevitably followed that trend - albeit, I would argue, later than most. It doesn't seem that long ago that we charged £75, and breaking the £100 barrier felt like a significant milestone. The turning point came during the 2023 Open at Hoylake, when we went online at £130 and sold out very quickly. I suspect many international travellers do not know the actual price of a green fee, as it is often built invisibly into a broader package. And it is often said that international golfers only consider courses charging £250+. We remain aware of neighbouring clubs who charge considerably more, but our intention is…

GATEWAY TO WALES GOLF FESTIVAL (SPRING) May 23-25 | £180 per pair Make the most of the bank holiday weekend by playing three parkland courses in the UK's adventure capital. The competition begins at Hawarden, just six miles from Chester, before moving to Northop and finishing 800ft above sea level at Holywell. The format is 4BBB Stableford off the yellow and red tees, but any combination of pairs is permitted. Overall and day prizes up to fourth place are included. golfempire.co.uk EDEN VALLEY MIXED GOLF TOURNAMENT 66 June 24-26 | £180 per pair The name probably needs some work, but this mixed pairs event is brand new for 2026 and mixes incredible scenery in the Lake District with two underused golf formats. It begins with double greensomes at Cockermouth, followed…

GET IN TOUCH As well as email (editorial@todaysgolfer.co.uk) and post (Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, PE2 6EA), you can contact us using any of these social platforms… @Thetodaysgolfer @TodaysGolferBauer @Todaysgolfer @Todaysgolfer PLAYING FAVOURITES LETTER OF THE MONTH I fail to understand why some prominent and influential figures in golf are opposed to the PGA Tour giving popular players invites to tournaments. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that in any sport, spectators will always come to watch their favourites play, irrespective of current form. Golf galleries look forward to applauding and cheering their favourites, even when they are past their best. Full marks to the PGA Tour for issuing invites to those players who will clearly enhance the crowd's enjoyment. I'd much rather watch a Jordan Spieth…

As some readers will know, Tommy's swing owes a lot to a practice drill that worked so well that he effectively adopted it on the course. Known as the Windmill drill, it involves swinging with straight arms – locking out the elbows, hands and wrists to allow pure core rotation to drive the movement. Of course Tommy's swing is still a blend of arm swing and body rotation, but the shorter arm travel and dynamic body action he developed through the Windmill drill are very much in evidence in his connected, three-quarter backswing. Let's take a closer look at how this helps him deliver his famous, consistently pure striking, and a technical change you can make to train a similar feel into your own swing. No: Trail-arm collapse In many…

We finish where we began – with a theme of contained arms moving around an aggressive core. We've already seen how this helps Tommy build a powerful and coordinated backswing, but his famous sawn-off finish shows those same principles are at work right to the end. As with the backswing, we can't afford to let the arms run riot while the body stalls out; it‘ll lead only to unstable, handsy releasing and inconsistency. Once again, those straighter arms encourage the core to contribute, and allow Tommy to retain the feeling of body/arms connection right to the finish. Here is a finish-related way to work on this more connected motion. Short… and sweet Take an 8-iron and see how far you can hit the ball without the club passing your lead…

Whisper it, but the Solheim Cup might just be the most dramatic team event in all of sport. Its history is as controversial as it is compelling, full of incorrect rulings, contentious concessions and nail-biting finishes. Charley Hull and Alison Lee were famously reduced to tears after Suzann Pettersen refused to concede a putt in 2015, but there are other examples, too. Eight years prior, Dottie Pepper referred to Laura Diaz and Sherri Steinhauer as “choking freaking dogs” in the commentary booth, which understandably riled the Americans. There was even greater outrage in 2013, when Spain's Carlota Ciganda took an incorrect drop (and got away with it), and again in 2021 when a tearful Madelene Sagstrom was penalised after picking up Nelly Korda's ball too early. The two most recent…

Fairway bunkers don't get a lot of press… and that's probably because at most courses, round-to-round, we face their challenge relatively rarely. Yet the data shows that we ignore them at our peril. If we drive into two fairway bunkers per round, we will on average add three shots to our score over drives that found the fairway – and two shots over drives that found rough. This effectively makes fairway sand as penal as chip-outs. Improving our skills here will not only help our scorecard; it will give us greater freedom on the tee, both in terms of shot selection and execution. So here's a simple plan for a clean strike that can take your ball within touching distance of the green - if not all the way to…

The key word for 2026 is options. Fitting options, to be more specific. Callaway, Cobra and PXG each now have four drivers in their new families, while TaylorMade have five (including one specifically designed to use on a launch monitor). Choosing the best model for your swing off the shelf is now almost impossible, so a fitting has never been more important. The other milestone that's been broken this year is the £600 barrier – Callaway's Triple Diamond Quantum options are £650, while Ping's G440 K is £600+. CALLAWAY QUANTUM MAX £599 The key story for Callaway's 2026 drivers is the new Tri-Force face, which layers three materials (titanium, poly mesh and carbon-fibre) into one. The ultra-thin, high-strength titanium is designed for pure speed; the poly mesh is a military-grade…

Name: Louis Oosthuizen Nationality: South African Age: 43 Tour: LIV Pro wins: 16 What is your most treasured possession in life? A 1986 Toyota Land Cruiser, it's fully restored. My wife got it for my birthday, and it's something I'll probably always keep. What would you have been if you hadn't become a golfer? A struggling farmer. Have you watched Clarkson's Farm? Oh yeah. I think I know a little bit more about farming than him. If you could edit your past, what would you change? I'd probably see if there's any way I could get Bubba to not make that shot at Augusta [Louis lost in a play-off at the 2014 Masters]. What's the oldest or coolest piece of golfing memorabilia you own? I've got a signed picture from…

WINNERS EDDIE PEPPERELL DP World Tour: If ever there was an award for the most relatable pro, Pepperell would win it hands down. Last year he turned up late for a tee time, bought a $500 putter from a pro shop and took a six-week break from golf after walking out of a tournament. Against all the odds, he battled his way through Q School despite breaking his putter (and phone) during the second stage, and secured an emotional return to the DP World Tour with an epic quadruple birdie finish. SADOM KAEWKANJANA DP World Tour: You won't find a better backstory in golf. The nine-time Asian Tour winner came 11th on his Open debut at St Andrews, made north of a million dollars during LIV's inaugural season, and then…

With thanks to the stunning Forest of Arden Hotel and Country Club, Birmingham, home to two fabulous 18-hole courses including the Championship Arden layout. Visit forestofardenhotel.com Let's face it: we all wish we swung the golf club like Tommy Fleetwood. His action may lack the classic lines of a Tiger or the balletic drama of a Rory, but there is something in his compact, punchy motion that makes us feel we are witnessing pure golfing technique in action, the swing stripped down to its bare essentials. Immense power, soft draw, eerie consistency… it's all there; and all from a guy measuring just 5ft 11in and weighing in at under 12 stone. So how does he do it? And what can we mere golfing mortals take from his action to fire…

The transition is instrumental in setting up the downswing's path, and Tommy exhibits two key change-ofdirection traits that ensure he attacks the ball powerfully from inside the ball-target line – a path that in turn sets up a powerful draw shape. His moves contrast sharply with the typical amateur start down, which tends to throw the club outside the path to deliver an out-to-in, slicing impact. Addressing each of Tommy's traits, here are two drills that will help you reverse that pattern… and find Tommy's. Drill 1: Trail elbow/trail hip This first exercise picks up where we left off in part two, with a backswing constructed around the feeling of a more extended trail arm. Tommy's first move down sees his trail arm gain flex with the elbow working downwards,…

‘HE HAS THE SKILLSET TO PLAY WELL AROUND AUGUSTA. HE PUTTS WELL, HE'S AN EXCELLENT CHIPPER, AND HE'S GOT THE HEART OF A LION’ Paul McGinley's original thinking and insightful commentary are now as crucial a part of a Major week as yellow scoreboards at The Open, knee-high rough at the US Open, or that music at the Masters. Whether in the Sky Sports commentary booth or in the studio for his revered Live From… double act with Brandel Chamblee on US channel NBC – which is appointment-to-view television in Major week – no-one will be more informed or compelling than McGinley across the big events in 2026. The fact he has played a key role in shaping the DP World Tour's response to the advent of LIV Golf makes…

You have to go back to 1998, when Jack Nicklaus was captain, for the last time America lost the Presidents Cup. The fallout from so many Internationals joining LIV – and thus being banned from the event – hasn't helped matters in recent years, but it's not like this current group of Americans have shown much in the way of chemistry or coherence to foster a whole lot of positivity recently. Back-to-back Ryder Cups defeats, coupled with so many big names struggling for form and fitness (we're looking at you, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth), means this is probably as good a chance as any for the Internationals to finally spring an upset and pull off their own Miracle at Medinah. They've even brought in Geoff Ogilvy as…

Watch hundreds of video tips at todays-golfer.com HERE TO HELP YOU SAVE SHOTS QUICK TIP PUTTER PEG GUIDE On longer putts on slow winter greens, we need to get more speed into the ball… and that can create problems. One of the biggest traps we fall into is creating speed at the wrong end of the club. If we drive the handle too aggressively with our hands, we will tend to create a sharp forward lean in the shaft, deloft the putterface and deliver a poor roll, just at the time of year when we need the ball to leave the face as smoothly and cleanly as possible. To avoid falling foul of this, focus less on shifting the handle and more on swinging the clubhead. Head on to the…

Golfers the world over are chasing better technique - but all too often, those improved movement patterns are thwarted by poor mobility. This month's topic is a perfect example. Ankle flexibility is hardly a hot topic in golf technique, but as we will see, it can make or break your ability to rotate and clear your lead side through the ball. This can lead to a host of damaging swing traits, but it can also create real problems for the health of your lead ankle. Let's take a closer look and learn a stretch that can give you a more reliable and pain-free delivery. Always consult your GP before adopting any new fitness regimen. As we approach impact, we must rotate through our lead hip and core to deliver the…

The number here, generated by data from performance-tracking specialists Shot Scope, is not the most important thing; it's the fact left and right misses are identically distributed – the very definition of a two-way miss. Ideally, our drives would show a miss pattern bias as it suggests a predictability of shape – a valuable asset when it comes to targeting and strategy. There's no better example than World No.1 Scottie Scheffler, whose consistent fade sees him so rarely in big trouble off the tee; he misses almost twice as many fairways left (14%) as right (8%). This even miss pattern is repeated throughout the amateur game, with even a scratch player missing both left and right 23% of the time. It's an easy thing to monitor; just mark an L…

The size and shape of the clubhead can now make a big difference in the overall characteristics of a fairway wood. More compact, tour-shaped fairway woods such as the TaylorMade Qi4D Tour offer a more penetrating ball flight with less versatility and forgiveness. Compare this to the TaylorMade Qi4D Max, which has a larger profile and offers more launch, more forgiveness, and can be used by a lot more golfers. If in doubt, go for the model that will help your game rather than hinder it. CALLAWAY QUANTUM MAX £359 Lofts: 15°/16.5°/18°/20° HW/21°/24°/27° Designed for easy, high launch and built-in forgiveness, giving players more confidence over the ball. Its shallow face design enhances consistency and its versatility makes it a good choice for a wide range of golfers. The new…

Finding the best wedges isn't just about data. Though launch numbers and spin rates matter, it's also about confidence, consistency and feel. Like putters, wedges are personal tools that need to suit your technique, personal preferences and short game style. But unlike putters, wedges wear out. Over time, the grooves dull, spin drops, and control fades – meaning you will need an upgrade. The problem? Your trusty model has probably been replaced by something new as brands subtly tweak designs year after year. These are some of our 2026 picks – but more are on the way, likely including updated models from Titleist and Cleveland. CLEVELAND CBZ £159 Lofts: 44º-60º in 2° increments The CBZ replaces the brilliant CBX4. CB models are defined by their larger size, a design that…