The post Phil Mickelson’s ‘Tiger Slayer’ club, and why are golfers mad? | Weekend 9 appeared first on Golf.

The post Phil Mickelson’s ‘Tiger Slayer’ club, and why are golfers mad? | Weekend 9 appeared first on Golf.

I’m nice, I like to think. I’m happy when you are. I lead the field in yeses. For the most part, I’m bothered by only petty things, such as a topped shot (it really is the worst) or a beverage cart that first appears on the 18th hole (this is actually the worst).    

But sometimes you hit a tee shot too close to the group in front of you. 

And sometimes a player in that group walks back toward your ball. And picks it up. And heaves it into the trees to the right. 

And sometimes you turn to your group and ask, “Did that player in the group in front of us just walk toward my ball, pick it up and heave it into the trees to the right?” And they tell you the player sure did. And almost all of the time, you brush it off. But a few years ago, the scene lingered with me. And I shouted at the player. And the player shouted back. Things didn’t get ugly, but they weren’t pretty, either — and all of it was stupid, I’ve regretted it and nothing will make me repeat it. 

But I wasn’t alone in my experience. A few days later, in an article on this webpage where I came clean, I asked readers for similar stories — and three years later, I still get the occasional message. And that immediately came to mind this week, when the latest fight-on-a-golf-course video surfaced — this one featured a former hockey pro tossing around an angry player in the group in front of him — and an editor in our staff Slack channel wondered:

“Is there an epidemic of recreational golfer fights? Or is it just that everyone has a camera in their pockets now?

“Bc for all the business we give pro golfers about being surly, we have some work to do ourselves.”

Good points. Here are my thoughts. Clearly, I get the anger — though if tensions do happen to boil over, just make loud noises and move on. I think what’s partially going on is our eternal interest in the sensational, and the fight videos then spike, as do the club-throw and club-break videos captured from the pro ranks, making things seem worse than they actually are. But there’s also the zest to go viral, driving interest in more dust-ups. And everyone does seem somewhat angrier these days. 

But I like to think similar outbursts have gone down in previous generations, and nothing is too out of the ordinary. 

Then again, I’m nice. And maybe a little naive. 

Let’s see if we can find eight more items for the Weekend 9. 

One takeaway from the week — and for the weeks ahead

2. With the start of the Ryder Cup nearing single-digit weeks away (11 more weeks!), talk over the biennial event has naturally picked up, though really it’s mostly centered on one person:

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The U.S. captain. 

Who could be a U.S. player. 

Or a U.S. playing captain. 

As has been well-documented, Keegan Bradley is in an intriguing spot. Since he was named last year to lead the Americans, he’s said he would play on the team only if he were among the six automatic qualifiers — and he’s ninth right now. But isn’t that good enough? If he thinks it is, what happens to the captaincy? Does Bradley remain in the spot? Does a vice captain assume the duties? Is Tiger Woods called in? (Imagine that scene at Bethpage.) 

Friday, after his second round at the Scottish Open, Rory McIlroy said he believed Bradley should play. He said he was among the 12 best Americans. He said the U.S. would be better with him. 

But another thought from McIlroy on captaincy was most interesting. He’d been asked whether it is thought of differently in the U.S. than it is in Europe, which drew this response:

“Yeah, I think they give the captaincy — it’s a different perspective, absolutely. It really feels like it’s a player-led team in America, and obviously we have our input as players on the European Team, but we do have that one figurehead in Luke [Donald]. I think that’s important. I think even going back to Rome, when the Americans got off to a pretty rough start, I think because Zach [Johnson] gave the team so much ownership, they had no one to look to. They were looking at each other instead of having a focal point, tell us what to do. That is something that Europe has done very, very well. But also the players have allowed the captain to be a captain as well.”

The insight is great, as is the criticism. Is he right? Could the U.S. have used someone “to look to” two years ago? Maybe. But the player friendly approach worked well for the Americans in 2021.

I have a feeling this quote will be brought up a few more times in the next couple months. 

One story for the weekend 

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3. A proper leaderboard has taken shape at the Evian Championship, where a whopping 16 players are five shots back of the lead or better. 

That list includes world No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul. And Minjee Lee, who last month won the KPMG Women’s PGA. And Lottie Wood, still an amateur and, by all accounts, the next big thing. 

And world No. 1. Nelly Korda is five back. 

The leader, though, is on some kind of heater. Somi Lee won her last event, the team-event Dow Championship. In her four events before that, she posted three top 10s. 

Saturday and Sunday coverage starts at 4 a.m. ET. 

One story for the weeks ahead  

4. According to a story written by the EIN Presswire (which you can read in full here), an Emmy-winning producer and marketing executive is trying the 10,000-hour plan in an attempt to play a pro tournament. The plan’s thought, popularized by author Malcolm Gladwell, suggests that if you dedicate 10k hours to an activity, you’ll find expertise.   

At least one person, a man named Dan McLaughlin, has tried it for golf, and he posted blogs about his journey under the title “The Dan Plan” — but has not posted since 2017. Now, another Dan, Daniel Baghdasarian, is giving it a go, and he’s posting updates @thenewdanplan on Instagram. 

Said Baghdasarian in the story: “People think they’re too late, too busy or too far gone. I want to break that lie.” 

An instruction tip for your weekend 

5. I thought this was good from Xander Schauffele, who was asked this week what he’s learned about himself as he tries to regain form after suffering a rib injury:

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“Well, I knew I was stubborn. I don’t know if I learned that bit. But I’m not sure. I think I’m — you know, there’s no — I don’t feel too stressed. I’m very upset with how I’ve been playing. I’ve just really taken on this mindset of I looked at sort of how I would behave when things are going really well.

“You know, there’s no need to be bipolar. Just make it as genuine as possible. If I’m shooting 80, I really don’t want anyone to look at me on the course and be like, that kid’s shooting 80. Doesn’t matter. I don’t care if guys get mad or sad or smash clubs or whatever. This is just a me thing. I know when I’m playing really well, I behave a certain way and my mind is in a certain place. I’m just trying to rinse and repeat and plug myself in that position.”

Another instruction tip for your weekend 

6. A video that made the rounds recently showed LeBron James playing one of his first rounds of golf — and on the “Up and Adams Show” this week, Jordan Spieth offered a tip for him to gain 30 yards.

“It’s he can use his wrist more,” Spieth said. “It’s just kind of an arm swing. So, he’s just going to — he could just get a lot more power if he let that club float a little, use his wrist a little bit as he goes back. The club only gets like what looks like a half swing. So, he gets a little bit more of a turn, throws his wrist into it a little bit, he can gain 30 yards in 30 minutes, which is kind of cool, I think, for whoever’s going to — if he cares — whoever’s going to get to coach him on that, he’s going to be pretty excited about that, I think.”

You can watch the clip by clicking on the video below. 

A golf story that may interest only me 

7. A video posted this week to Grant Horvat’s YouTube channel showed Horvat and Phil Mickelson playing Bryson DeChambeau and Garrett Clark — and showed Mickelson talking about his “Tiger Slayer” putter. 

You can watch the clip by clicking on the video below.  

Another golf story that may interest only me 

8. This week, pro Michael Kim posted the money he takes home, and you can read his post below. 

One more golf story that may interest only me 

9. Did McIlroy really use a “not” joke in the video below?

A golf video that may interest only me 

10. Let’s do 10 items! I NEED the item in the video below. 

What pro golf is on TV this weekend?

11. Let’s do 11 items! Here’s a rundown of pro golf on TV this weekend:

— Saturday 

4 a.m.-10 a.m. ET: Amundi Evian Championship third round, Golf Channel 

7 a.m.-8:55 a.m. ET: LIV Golf Andalucia second round, FS1

9 a.m.-noon ET: LIV Golf Andalucia second round, Fox

10 a.m.-noon ET: Genesis Scottish Open third round, Golf Channel 

Noon-3 p.m. ET: Genesis Scottish Open third round, CBS

2 p.m.-5 p.m. ET: Dick’s Open second round, Golf Channel  

5 p.m.-7 p.m. ET: ISCO Championship third round, Golf Channel 

— Sunday 

4 a.m.-10 a.m. ET: Amundi Evian Championship final round, Golf Channel 

5:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. ET: LIV Golf Andalucia final round, FS1

10 a.m.-noon ET: Genesis Scottish Open final round, Golf Channel 

Noon-3 p.m. ET: Genesis Scottish Open final round, CBS

2 p.m.-5 p.m. ET: Dick’s Open final round, Golf Channel  

5 p.m.-7 p.m. ET: ISCO Championship final round, Golf Channel 

Where should I play? 

12. Let’s do a dozen items! 

In two weeks, I’ll be traveling to Olympia, Washington for a story, so I’m wondering: Where should I play when I’m out there? Where should I get a beer? Please email me your recommendations! 

The post Phil Mickelson’s ‘Tiger Slayer’ club, and why are golfers mad? | Weekend 9 appeared first on Golf.

The post Open Championship early betting guide: 5 picks our gambling expert loves appeared first on Golf.

The post Open Championship early betting guide: 5 picks our gambling expert loves appeared first on Golf.

“Glory’s Last Shot” and “Champion Golfer of the Year” are two of my favorite phrases associated with a sporting event. And both are in play next week with the start of the Open Championship, which is the last men’s major of the year (hence “Glory’s Last Shot”) and honors its winner distinguishedly. (“Champion Golfer of the Year” is hard to beat.) 

So, who will win at Royal Portrush?

I started making plays to win the Open immediately following the U.S. Open last month. My first move was on Jon Rahm.

Jon Rahm (14-1)

Rahm played tremendous golf from tee-to-green at Oakmont — one of the very best in the entire field — but his putting was awful. He finally found a hot putter on the final day, shot a 67 and finished seventh. Not only am I looking for the top players and good current form, but I also want golfers who are well-versed in links-style golf. Rahm fits the bill as he has finished top-7 at the Open Championship in three of the past four years and has won the Irish Open three times.

Tyrrell Hatton (30-1)

Rahm’s LIV colleague nearly won the U.S. Open at Oakmont. Hatton exuded excitement and confidence after the fact, feeling this was as close as he’d ever come to winning his first major. He was pretty close at Royal Portrush in 2019 when he finished sixth. Having spent many years on the DP World Tour, Hatton is plenty familiar with links golf. He’s finished top-5 at the Irish Open twice and won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship a record three times.

Jordan Spieth (50-1)

The American was crowned Champion Golfer of the Year in 2017 at Royal Birkdale. He has seven other top-25 finishes at the Open Championship, including a 20th at Royal Portrush in 2019. He clearly has the artistry it takes to play links golf, and I have liked what I have seen out of the former world No. 1 as of late. It feels like he could be ready to win a major championship again. He finished seventh at the Memorial last month, which was his third top-10 of the season. He had three consecutive top-20 finishes among the Valero Texas Open, The Masters and the RBC Heritage, and he was impressive in finishing 23rd at Oakmont.

Jason Day (80-1)

We saw 44-year old Australian Adam Scott make what I thought was going to be a winning run at the U.S. Open back in June. Why not 37-year old Aussie Jason Day in July? Day has been playing his best golf this season in the biggest events. He has a top-15 and two top-10 finishes in Signature Events this season. He has a top-10 and a top-25 in major championships. He has twice finished top-5 at the Open Championship, including a runner-up finish in 2023 at Royal Liverpool.

Ryan Fox (85-1)

As our selections continue to represent the globe, I have landed finally on a New Zealander. Next week will mark the ninth time that Fox has played in the Open Championship. His best-ever finish was at Royal Portrush in 2019 when he took 16th. He has played plenty of links golf all over the world, finishing top-5 at the Irish Open four times, including runner-up twice. As for current form, Fox’s past six starts have been win-28-20-win-19-17.

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The post Bryson DeChambeau’s weakness? Brandel Chamblee has thoughts appeared first on Golf.

The post Bryson DeChambeau’s weakness? Brandel Chamblee has thoughts appeared first on Golf.

Thing is, DeChambeau (we’re fairly certain) isn’t Superman, and even if he is, even Superman wasn’t invincible. DeChambeau’s kryptonite? It comes around every July in the form of baked-out fairways, pot bunkers and salty sea breezes that wreak havoc on ballooning irons. The setting: the Open Championship. In seven Open starts, DeChambeau has just one top-10 finish (2022, St. Andrews); in those remaining six appearances he only once finished better than 51st and missed three cuts, including at last year’s Open at Royal Troon.  

DeChambeau’s bugaboo surfaced this week on a conference call with Golf Channel’s excellent “Live From” crew: Rich Lerner, Brandel Chamblee and Paul McGinley. When a reporter asked the analysts whether they’d seen anything in DeChambeau’s game that made them think that next week’s Open at Royal Portrush might better suit DeChambeau, Chamblee, speaking first, said:

“I would say no, not as it relates to the Open. His only top 10 came at St. Andrews, which is understandable — the fairways are 150 yards wide. He missed the cut here in 2019. He was a different player. That was pre-Covid. Since he’s come out of Covid, he’s certainly transformed his game, but it’s just so important to have control on the fairway at Portrush.”

DeChambeau can, of course, still put golf courses in chokeholds. But in recent years he has employed less of the hammer-and-hack approach that won him the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot. Or, at least, he said he has. “I’m a little more strategic more often than not,” he said several days before he won the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst. “I’m not such a risk-taker. I do take risks. I love taking being risks. But there are times for it. I feel like as time has gone on, I realize when that time is and when essentially not to go for it, when it doesn’t make any sense.”

That’s a difficult claim to fact check. DeChambeau still murders the ball; his LIV-leading average driving distance this season is 331 yards, and he also led the category in 2023 and ’24. So it’s not like he’s now hitting 4-irons off of every tee. But if DeChambeau says he’s playing a more conservative brand of golf, who are we to doubt him?  

Chamblee continued on the particular challenges that links golf pose to DeChambeau’s game: “You don’t see him working his ball flight down as much. I don’t see him hitting as many left-to-right shots when there’s hard right-to-left wind. If you can’t fight the crosswind, you’re very limited on what you can do coming into the green, especially if there’s a hole location on the windward side. It just requires a lot of nuance and savoir-faire, just playing an Open Championship under windy conditions, and especially so, I would argue, at Portrush.”

Savoir-faire, as in know-how, as in knowing how to flight your ball, a skill that, when the wind blows at the Open, isn’t a nice-to-have but a necessity.

That’s not just Chamblee preaching from on high. DeChambeau echoed a similar sentiment about his own game before last year’s Open. Speaking of his iron play, DeChambeau said: “For me it’s going to be about controlling that height through just length of backstroke for me this week. It’s going to be tough. It’s always tough, right to left into the wind, left to right into the wind, and down. It’s very diabolical, and just trying to keep it low underneath the wind is key for me this week.”

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DeChambeau also cited the rollout on his titanic drives as a “difficult challenge” on fairways that could double as runways. “I wouldn’t say it’s a problem; it’s a challenge.”

DeChambeau shot 76-75 and missed the cut by three.

Back on the call, the topic of DeChambeau’s iron play had piqued Lerner’s attention. Morphing into host mode, he asked Chamblee and McGinley a provocative question: Does DeChambeau need to “figure out how to be a more nuanced and polished iron player before you would consider him a truly great all-around player?”

“Yeah, definitely,” Chamblee said. “If he has any chance of being the player he wants to be, he’s got to improve his iron play. That is certainly a weakness of his. It is the weakest aspect of his game, and it is part of the game that matters the most.”

LIV statistics are limited so it’s hard to know exactly how DeChambeau’s iron play stacks up against his peers. But he has hit 70.78% of his greens in reg this season (7th best on LIV), which more or less matches his greens-in-reg percentage in each of his previous two LIV seasons. Also, for what it’s worth, in each of his last three U.S. Open and PGA Championship starts, DeChambeau has picked up strokes on the field in SG: Approach the Green. Yes, we’re dealing with a small sample set here, but it’s still evidence that if DeChambeau’s iron play isn’t elite, it’s still sound.

Then McGinley weighed in.   

“I would echo what Brandel said,” he began. “I think the high ball flight doesn’t play into his strengths. He struggles to knock the ball down and play three-quarter shots. Again, that’s not a strength. He struggles to hit the ball left to right with his irons, that’s not a strength.” McGinley added, “Certainly with the strong crosswinds last year at Royal Troon, Bryson was left wanting.”

But, McGinley allowed, the forecast looks good for next week, and Portrush isn’t the brute that some other Open sites can be. And, yes, Bryson is still Bryson.

“A lot of us have been wrong over how consistently he’s competed in these major championships, especially considering he’s not flying at full power in terms of his limitations with his iron play and finds himself in contention four of the last six major championships,” McGinley said. “With benign weather conditions in terms of wind and not the heavy crosswinds you had last year at Royal Troon, maybe this is an exam that will suit Bryson better.”

The test begins Thursday.

The post Bryson DeChambeau’s weakness? Brandel Chamblee has thoughts appeared first on Golf.

The post The truth about swing weight and what’s really important appeared first on Golf.

The post The truth about swing weight and what’s really important appeared first on Golf.

That’s not to say swing weight doesn’t matter. It absolutely does — just not in the way most golfers think. 

Swing weight is a feel measurement. It tells us how the head weight of the club feels relative to the grip and shaft during your swing. That’s it. It’s not an exact science, and it’s certainly not a number you should chase or try to “match” across the board.  

In fact, if you’re getting fit properly, especially in a brand-agnostic environment where you’re testing different heads, shafts and grips, you’re going to see a wide range of swing weights during your session. And you likely won’t even notice. 

Why? Because your body doesn’t care about the number. It cares about feel. And performance. 

So, what is swing weight, really? 

Let’s keep it simple: swing weight isn’t the total weight of the club. It’s a measurement of how heavy the head feels as you swing the club.  

Technically, it’s a ratio of weight distribution — how the club balances from grip to head — and it’s measured on a scale that runs from A0 to E something or other. But unless you’re building clubs or making a bar bet at the local golf shop, the number itself doesn’t mean much. 

Swing weight is just one way for club builders and fitters to quantify feel. It helps us recreate a sensation you liked, so when we’re assembling your set we can get all the clubs to behave similarly. That’s really it. 

Gear

What swing weight doesn’t do? Guarantee performance. If your 7-iron is a D2 and your 6-iron is a D1, and you flush both? Guess what… they’re both fine. You don’t get extra points on your card for having a perfectly matched set. 

It’s all moving anyway 

Now here’s the part most golfers don’t realize: swing weight is constantly shifting during your fitting. You’re swapping heads, testing different shafts, trying new grips, and all of those things affect swing weight: 

– Heads vary in weight depending on model, loft and internal design 

– Shafts have different weights and different balance points 

– Grips come in a wide range of weights, even within the same size 

– Playing length: longer clubs feel heavier, shorter clubs feel lighter 

So yeah, if you’re trying five different combos in a fitting, you’ve also hit five different swing weights. Did you notice? Probably not. You noticed what felt good. You noticed what launched the ball better, what flew straighter, what sounded and felt right. That’s what matters. The number is just the math behind the feel. 

All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy a linked product, GOLF.COM may earn a fee. Pricing may vary.

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The 2 biggest club-feel killers

Want to know how golfers unknowingly mess up swing weight — and totally change the feel of a club — after their fitting? 

1. Grips 

Changing grips can absolutely wreck the feel of a club if you’re not paying attention. Here’s why: every 5 grams of grip weight alters the swing weight by about 1 point. So, if you were fit with a standard 50g Tour Velvet, and you swap in a 66g MCC Plus 4 midsize without telling your builder, you’ve just dropped swing weight by more than 3 points. The head will now feel lighter, the load in your swing changes, and it won’t feel like the club you fell in love with during the fitting. 

2. Length 

Every half inch of club length adds or subtracts about 3 swing weight points. Meaning, if you cut your driver down for “control” AND toss on a heavier grip while you’re at it, you might be dropping swing weight by 6 or 7 points. That’s a totally different club in feel and performance… whether you meant to or not. 

And for what it’s worth? Most players don’t feel a 1-point difference. Some can’t even feel 3 or 4. But they know when a club feels wrong. And it usually has nothing to do with a number; they just know it doesn’t swing the same. 

Feel first. Then build around it

Let’s be clear: weight matters. But not in the way that makes every club in your bag need to be D2. What matters is which weight helps you find the center of the face more often. Once you find it, we match it. We build to it. That’s where swing weight is valuable. It’s the result, NOT the starting point. 

If you hit your best shots with a club that happened to be D0 or D5, then that’s your swing weight. Stick with it until your game or your body tells you it’s time for a change. And if you need to make grip or length adjustments, do it through your fitter, because that one little change can quietly undo a perfectly fit club. 

Your job vs. our job 

Your job? Tell us what feels good. Swing the club. Be honest in your feedback. 

Our job? Worry about the numbers. We’ll make sure your final build matches the feel and performance you had during your fitting. And we’ll know how to tweak swing weight, if it even needs tweaking, without throwing off the balance. 

Gear

So no, you don’t need to stress over swing weight. You don’t need to memorize your club’s number. You just need to swing the one that helps you play better golf. 

Let the club do the talking 

Let’s all agree to stop obsessing over the number stamped on a build sheet. You’re not trying to impress a scale. You’re trying to play better golf. 

If you’re serious about dialing in your gear, do yourself a favor: get fit. Not by your buddy in the garage, not by someone guessing off your handicap, but by a professional in a brand-agnostic environment. A professional fitter with all the right tools and zero assumptions. 

At True Spec Golf, we don’t chase swing weights. We chase results. We’ll walk you through the process, test the right combinations and build your set to match what actually works for you, not just what someone on a forum said you should play. 

Book a fitting, bring an open mind, and swing what feels right. We’ll take care of the rest. 

Find your nearest True Spec location and schedule your fitting today.

The post The truth about swing weight and what’s really important appeared first on Golf.

The post Should you use feel or yardage on wedge shots? appeared first on Golf.

The post Should you use feel or yardage on wedge shots? appeared first on Golf.

One of the best ways to shoot lower scores is by taking advantage of your scoring clubs. Whether it’s knocking your approach close with a wedge on a par-5 or getting up and down to save par when you miss a green, having a strong wedge game is crucial for scoring.

When you get in this wedge range, precision is key. If you miss your number by 5 yards, it can be the difference between rolling in a birdie and settling for par, so it’s essential that you know how to control distance with your wedges.

There are competing theories about the best practice for controlling these distances. Some rely on feel while others are much more regimented — but which is optimal?

In the video below, GOLF Teacher to Watch Parker McLachlin — a.k.a. the Short Game Chef — explains when he thinks you should use feel and yardage with a wedge in your hands.

Feel vs. yardage — which is better?

When it comes to using feel or relying strictly on yardage, McLachlin says he keeps it simple. Inside of 30 yards, he relies on feel, while outside that number, he gets a little more regimented.

“One you get to around 30 [yards], that’s when I really want you to know your number,” McLachlin says. “And what I mean by know your number is know your carry number.”

One big mistake McLachlin sees amateur golfers make is that they get the number to the flagstick and then use that as their target number. However, usually you want to land it a little bit shorter than that to account for bounces and roll out.

“You’ve got to think about where you’re going to land the ball,” McLachlin says. “And then you train that to understand what it feels like.”

One popular method for training the feels of different distances with the wedges is using a “clock” method. If you opt to do this, though, it’s important that you think of the shaft — not your lead arm — as the arm of the clock.

Once you get those feels down, you can dial in your distances on the range and know exactly how far you need to take the club back to hit your carry numbers.

ShortGameChef.com, created by PGA Tour winner Parker McLachlin, provides golfers with a comprehensive resource to improve their short game. Through personalized tips, drills, and expert insights, Parker helps players of all levels gain more confidence and a deeper understanding of their short game to lower their scores. You can browse membership options here.

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The post LIV Golf renews pursuit of world ranking points. Up-and-down journey continues appeared first on Golf.

The post LIV Golf renews pursuit of world ranking points. Up-and-down journey continues appeared first on Golf.

OWGR chairman Trevor Immelmann shared an official statement Friday, acknowledging that LIV submitted its most recent application on June 30 and that the board has commenced a review of it. It is far from the first chapter in the saga, though all previous iterations have ended in refusal. 

“We appreciate the interest of LIV Golf — and all Tours — in contributing to the global landscape of men’s professional golf through OWGR,” Immelman’s statement read. “Further updates will be provided as the review progresses.”

And for now, that was that, a fittingly vague update on a journey that has been riddled with vagueness. The OWGR has often noted that it has largely taken around 18 months for applying leagues to lead to points being offered for tournaments. Why? Because the OWGR needs a sample size of tournaments to assess how the league meets various criteria. 

The OWGR does not publicly acknowledge the criteria needed for a successful application, but according to one past LIV executive, it is things like 1) the number of events per season, 2) getting an endorsement from another tour, 3) having a minimum purse size — all of which LIV accomplishes. Other criteria, though, like the overall size of field needing to be, on average, 75 or higher, LIV has failed. Is 54 holes, at every single tournament, a sufficient amount, particularly when most pro tournaments globally are played over 72 holes?

Additionally, how do players work their way onto the LIV tour? Was there an open qualifying tournament or just players signing annual contracts regardless of their performance? The OWGR wanted answers to these questions. It takes time. 

The Timeline

LIV first applied for world ranking points when it launched, in the summer of 2022, working off the assumption it would be granted without issue. Players who had contractually committed their future schedules to LIV had been told by executives that they would be receiving points, but it never came to fruition. Every week that passed — the OWGR ranks players based on the most recent two years of performances — meant LIV players dropped further and further down the ranks. 

The travails continued into the fall of ’22 when LIV golfers signed an official letter urging officials to expedite their acceptance. Two weeks later, in a rush, LIV then announced a “strategic partnership” with the MENA Tour — based in the Middle East — on the belief that it would suddenly grant them points, since the MENA Tour had established that via the OWGR. But the ranking board stepped in and clarified it had not finished its review and no points would be added so quickly. 

It wasn’t until a full year later, in October 2023, that the OWGR came to an official ruling: LIV would not receive points.

“It is entirely technical,” board chairman Peter Dawson said at the time. “LIV players are self-evidently good enough to be ranked. They’re just not playing in a format where they can be ranked equitably with the other 24 tours and thousands of players trying to compete on them.”

Things were very different then. The Framework Agreement between the PGA Tour and the Saudi PIF (LIV’s uber-wealthy parent company) had just been signed. Reunification seemed to be on the horizon. Greg Norman was at the helm of the league, at least publicly. But as time passed without advancements toward a deal, or even just points, LIV Golf soured on the slog of it. In March 2024, Norman made public that the league had mostly given up its pursuit and two months later withdrew its application. 

But of course, nothing in pro golf stays the same for long these days. Norman was replaced as LIV head by Scott O’Neill in January, and in May there were reports of serious conversations between LIV and the OWGR again. Immelman, now officially in his chairman role, told the Associated Press that LIV had not reapplied but that the “ball is in their court.”

When reached for comment, LIV released this statement:

“We thank OWGR Chairman Trevor Immelman for his continued leadership and willingness to move the sport of golf forward for the benefit of all players and most importantly, the fans. LIV Golf is committed to working together with the Official World Golf Ranking and its board to ensure the very best players are competing in the game’s most prestigious events. We are confident our application addresses the outstanding questions that exist to support a more global, all-encompassing, and accurate ranking system. We are hopeful the review and approval process can progress ahead of the 2026 major season.”

The Future 

Pro golf is as bifurcated as it’s ever been, which would imply an element of straightforwardness. Everyone largely knows where everyone will be playing and where they won’t be. But the future remains murky. LIV’s continued acceptance in the pro golf world creeps along, but at a glacial pace. Negotiations between the Saudi PIF and the PGA Tour have stalled entirely. Bryson DeChambeau will enter contract negotiations with the league later this fall. The same is likely for Brooks Koepka. 

What will have to be moved around or altered for LIV to cross the threshold and be fully accepted by the OWGR? Golf fans will have to stay patient. 

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The post ‘Too soon’: How Rory McIlroy trolled J.J. Spaun at the Masters appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘Too soon’: How Rory McIlroy trolled J.J. Spaun at the Masters appeared first on Golf.

As the in-studio interview was wrapping up, Subpar co-host Drew Stoltz asked Spaun, “Have you ever received any words of wisdom before the start of a playoff?”

Spaun cursed and then laughed. “I have,” he said.

First, let’s revisit the 2025 Players Championship. Spaun and McIlroy faced off in a three-hole aggregate playoff on a windy Monday morning — McIlroy looking for his second Players title and Spaun desperately searching for the biggest victory of his career.

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McIlroy birdied the 16th and Spaun parred. On the famous par-3 17th at TPC Sawgrass, however, the three-hole playoff was all but decided. McIlroy found the green, but Spaun flew it and landed in the water. He made 6, and McIlroy won the tournament a hole later.

“I was never thinking anything other than 8-iron,” Spaun said afterwards. “… Even after Rory hit 9, he’s easily a club longer than me. I don’t know if I flighted it too well, but it just went through the wind. I couldn’t even tell where it was going to be. I didn’t know what to tell it, like sit, go. If anything I was leaning more towards go. But it was a great shot. It was probably six, seven feet left of the pin, just perfect if it was the right distance. I couldn’t believe it was long.”

A few weeks later at the Masters, Spaun and Nico Echavarria were tied at the Masters Par-3 Contest. Sure, the annual Wednesday event is for fun, but they still hold a playoff to decide the winner. Spaun was making his way back to the Par-3 Course for the playoff when he crossed paths with McIlroy, who was leaving the range.

“[Rory’s] like, ‘Are you doing a playoff for the Par-3 Contest?'” Spaun said on Subpar. “I’m like, yeah, I guess. And he’s like, ‘Better get the club right this time.'”

“That hurt, that hit me deep,” Spaun said, smiling. “Shane Lowry was there, he’s like, ‘F—ing hell, Rory.’ Granted, it was a little rinky-dink par-3, but doesn’t matter, but it was still a little too soon to hear that. [The wound] was not healed yet.”

Spaun’s tone proved he wasn’t holding any grudge, and he can laugh about it now anyway (although he didn’t win that playoff either). After all, he gave this interview with the U.S. Open trophy sitting next to him.

You can listen to the complete Subpar interview with Spaun here or watch it on YouTube below.

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The post This Happy Gilmore hockey-stick putter is incredible. Here’s how to get one appeared first on Golf.

The post This Happy Gilmore hockey-stick putter is incredible. Here’s how to get one appeared first on Golf.

To celebrate the forthcoming release of Happy Gilmore 2, the long-awaited sequel of the Adam Sandler cult-classic golf comedy, Odyssey is dropping a limited-edition Hockey Stick putter. The version hitting the retail market in limited quantities is an modified version of the putter Happy, played by Sandler, used to chase down Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald) and win the season-capping Tour Championship.

In the original film, Chubbs Peterson, played by the late Carl Weathers, gifted the hockey stick putter to Happy just before the Tour Championship.

Odyssey’s updated version of the putter will be featured in Happy Gilmore 2.

Coming in at 44 inches and with a 57˚ lie angle, the new Happy Gilmore hockey stick putter has specs closer to a driver than a typical putter and features a 21″ grip that makes it optimized for anyone who would want to use Happy’s famous slap-shot putting method.

Unfortunately, a Callaway spokesperson said, because the back of the hockey stick putter is flat, it is non-conforming for play under the Rules of Golf, but that shouldn’t stop you from taking it out on the course and giving it a whirl.

The putter is outfitted in the primary hitting area with Odyssey’s iconic White Hot insert, perhaps the largest of its kind, as well as two extra inserts toward the heel and toe.

It also comes with a custom Happy Gilmore tube sock headcover; stitched into the sock are Happy’s name and the famed “Just tap it in” quote from the movie.

In conjunction with the Hockey Stick putter, Callaway is also releasing a limited-edition box of Chrome Tour golf balls, the same ball Happy will play in the sequel, with special hockey-themed icons and quotes from the original movie like “Just tap it in” and “It’s all in the hips” printed on them.

“It’s so exciting for us to be part of one of the most iconic golf franchises and to be able to update the famous Hockey Stick Putter, as well as bring the exclusive Chrome Tour Balls to the market,” said Nick McInally, Callaway vice president of global marketing.

Price and Availability

Odyssey Limited Edition Happy Gilmore 2 Hockey Stick Putter

Happy Gilmore 2 debuts on Netflix July 25th, and today in celebration of the upcoming film release, Callaway Golf is proud to announce the launch of the Limited Edition Odyssey Hockey Stick Putter and Callaway Golf Balls inspired by the movie. Odyssey has continued to dominate as the #1 Putter for over 25 years on every major worldwide Tour. The Hockey Stick has also been one of the most famous putters in golf lore for nearly 30 years, and this updated model is available in an enhanced design with the unique shape, Odyssey’s best technologies, plus a new Happy Gilmore 2-inspired sock headcover. 

$499.99 from Fairway Jockey

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Callaway Limited Edition Happy Gilmore 2 Chrome Tour Golf Balls

Happy Gilmore 2 debuts on Netflix July 25th, and today in celebration of the upcoming film release, Callaway Golf is proud to announce the launch of the Limited Edition Callaway Golf Balls inspired by the movie. Happy Gilmore uses a Callaway Chrome Tour Ball in the Netflix movie, and the Happy Gilmore 2 Limited Edition Balls prominently feature popular visuals and quotes including the hockey jersey design, hockey sticks, along with iconic lines like “just tap it in” and “it’s all in the hips” to add some fun.

$59.99 from Fairway Jockey

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Happy Gilmore 2 Odyssey Hockey Stick Putters will be available starting Friday, July 25 (see link above), the same day Happy Gilmore 2 releases on Netflix. Each one will cost $499.99.

The limited edition Happy Gilmore 2 golf balls are available starting Friday, July 11 (see link above), and will cost $49.99 while supplies last.

Want to find the best putter for your bag in 2025? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

The post This Happy Gilmore hockey-stick putter is incredible. Here’s how to get one appeared first on Golf.

The post 2025 Genesis Scottish Open Friday TV coverage: How to watch Round 2 appeared first on Golf.

The post 2025 Genesis Scottish Open Friday TV coverage: How to watch Round 2 appeared first on Golf.

How to watch Genesis Scottish Open on Friday

After one round at the Renaissance Club, a tight leaderboard has developed. Four players are tied for the lead at six under after firing matching 64s: Nico Echavarria, Jake Knapp, Sepp Straka and Victor Perez.

And there are a lot of chasers close behind that should make those leaders nervous, including Viktor Hovland and Tom Kim.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler fired a 67 in Round 1, which featured a long eagle make on his first hole of the day, to get within three shots of the early lead. Rory McIlroy will start the second round another shot back at two under.

You can watch the second round of the Genesis Scottish Open on TV via Golf Channel, which will provide coverage starting at 11 a.m. ET on Friday. PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ will provide exclusive early coverage and featured group streaming coverage beginning at 2 a.m. ET.

Below you will find everything you need to know to watch the second round of the 2025 Genesis Scottish Open.

Get ESPN+

With an ESPN+ subscription, you gain access to PGA Tour Live, where you can stream the best PGA Tour events live from wherever you want.

$11.99/month from ESPN+

How to watch on TV Friday

Golf Channel will carry second-round TV coverage of the 2025 Genesis Scottish Open on Friday from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. ET.

How to stream online Friday

You can stream the second round of the 2025 Genesis Scottish Open via PGA Tour Live on ESPN+, which will offer early general coverage and featured group coverage beginning at 2 a.m. ET. NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports App will provide a live simulcast of Golf Channel’s Friday coverage for viewers with an active cable subscription.

2025 Genesis Scottish Open Round 2 tee times (ET)

Tee No. 1

2:00 a.m. – Bud CAULEY, Jacques KRUYSWIJK, Dan BRADBURY
2:11 a.m. – Matti SCHMID, Niklas NORGAARD, Matthew JORDAN
2:22 a.m. – Danny WILLETT, Antoine ROZNER, Richard MANSELL
2:33 a.m. – Kevin YU, Taylor PENDRITH, Julien GUERRIER
2:44 a.m. – Erik VAN ROOYEN, Francesco MOLINARI, Sebastian SÖDERBERG
2:55 a.m. – Nick TAYLOR, Keith MITCHELL, Adrian OTAEGUI
3:06 a.m. – Chris GOTTERUP, Tom HOGE, Simon FORSSTRÖM
3:17 a.m. – Matt WALLACE, Alex NOREN, Ashun WU
3:28 a.m. – Alejandro TOSTI, Dale WHITNELL, Sam BAIRSTOW
3:39 a.m. – Matteo MANASSERO, Jorge CAMPILLO, Grant FORREST
3:50 a.m. – Patrick RODGERS, Jesper SVENSSON, Dylan NAIDOO
4:01 a.m. – Max GREYSERMAN, Yuto KATSURAGAWA, Wooyoung CHO
4:12 a.m. – Luke CLANTON, Junghwan LEE, Todd CLEMENTS
7:15 a.m. – Sami VÄLIMÄKI, Isaiah SALINDA ,Ockie STRYDOM
7:26 a.m. – Paul WARING, Bernd WIESBERGER, Sean CROCKER
7:37 a.m. – Davis RILEY, Richie RAMSAY, Guido MIGLIOZZI
7:48 a.m. – Maverick MCNEALY, Christiaan BEZUIDENHOUT, Nicolai HØJGAARD
7:59 a.m. – Aaron RAI, Haotong LI, Jordan SMITH
8:10 a.m. – Corey CONNERS, Padraig HARRINGTON, Calum HILL
8:21 a.m. – Wyndham CLARK, Sungjae IM, John PARRY
8:32 a.m. – Sepp STRAKA, Justin THOMAS, Laurie CANTER
8:43 a.m. – Scottie SCHEFFLER, Robert MACINTYRE, Adam SCOTT
8:54 a.m. – Ludvig ÅBERG, Collin MORIKAWA, Martin COUVRA
9:05 a.m. – Thomas DETRY, Sam BURNS, Adrien SADDIER
9:16 a.m. – Danny WALKER, Johannes VEERMAN, Alejandro DEL REY
9:27 a.m. – Rikuya HOSHINO, Joe DEAN, Ryggs JOHNSTON

Tee No. 10

2:00 a.m. – Michael KIM, Samuel STEVENS, Jordan GUMBERG
2:11 a.m. – Jacob BRIDGEMAN, Victor PEREZ, Pablo LARRAZÁBAL
2:22 a.m. – Brian CAMPBELL, Si Woo KIM, Shaun NORRIS
2:33 a.m. – Andrew NOVAK, Rasmus HØJGAARD, Daniel BROWN
2:44 a.m. – Harry HALL, Luke DONALD, Rasmus NEERGAARD-PETERSEN
2:55 a.m. – Harris ENGLISH, Byeong Hun AN, Kristoffer REITAN
3:06 a.m. – Brian HARMAN, Matt FITZPATRICK, Ewen FERGUSON
3:17 a.m. – Aldrich POTGIETER, Ryan FOX, Justin ROSE
3:28 a.m. – Rory MCILROY, Viktor HOVLAND, Xander SCHAUFFELE
3:39 a.m. – JJ SPAUN, Tommy FLEETWOOD, Connor SYME
3:50 a.m. – Tom KIM, Daniel BERGER, Marco PENGE
4:01 a.m. – Thriston LAWRENCE, Nicolai VON DELLINGSHAUSEN, Alex FITZPATRICK
4:12 a.m. – Alex SMALLEY, David FORD, Francesco LAPORTA
7:15 a.m. – Joel DAHMEN, Ryan GERARD, Marcel SCHNEIDER
7:26 a.m. – Henrik NORLANDER, Darius VAN DRIEL, Ugo COUSSAUD
7:37 a.m. – Dylan FRITTELLI, Denny MCCARTHY, Romain LANGASQUE
7:48 a.m. – Matt MCCARTY, Gary WOODLAND, Eugenio CHACARRA
7:59 a.m. – Nico ECHAVARRIA, Taylor MOORE, Marcel SIEM
8:10 a.m. – Matthieu PAVON, Lee HODGES, Keita NAKAJIMA
8:21 a.m. – Karl VILIPS, Joe HIGHSMITH, Thorbjørn OLESEN
8:32 a.m. – Jhonattan VEGAS, Jake KNAPP, Daniel HILLIER
8:43 a.m. – Andrew PUTNAM, Brandon STONE, Frederic LACROIX
8:54 a.m. – Mackenzie HUGHES, Nacho ELVIRA, Elvis SMYLIE
9:05 a.m. – Ryo HISATSUNE, Yannik PAUL, David RAVETTO
9:16 a.m. – Brandt SNEDEKER, Andy SULLIVAN, Angel HIDALGO
9:27 a.m. – Max MCGREEVY, Aaron COCKERILL, Hongtaek KIM

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The post Bombers use this key move with their feet to hit long drives appeared first on Golf.

The post Bombers use this key move with their feet to hit long drives appeared first on Golf.

Hitting the long ball isn’t just for show these days. If you want to compete among the game’s best, you’ve got to be able to generate some serious speed — and players are only getting faster.

Just 10 years ago, the average ball speed on the PGA Tour was 167.67 mph. This season, the average ball speed is all the way up to 174.5 mph, while the median from a decade ago ranks outside the top 150. It’s never been more important to generate speed.

But players aren’t just getting stronger — they’re also the beneficiaries of modern equipment and modern technology. One such piece of modern equipment is force plates, which monitor how golfers use the ground during their swings.

Recently, the folks at the Titleist Performance Institute published a video with Dr. Greg Rose explaining their findings on how the longest players in the world use the ground to generate speed. Check it out below.

How bombers use the ground

Swinging the club fast requires you to turn with tons of force. And one of the key ways to generate this force is by creating torque with your body.

So, how does one create this torque? It all starts with using your feet in the correct way.

“Imagine if you’re trying to open up a bottle cap,” Rose says. “You don’t just try to [turn] one side and then [turn] the other side. You do both at the same time and it creates more torque.”

The same principle applies when trying to generate swing speed. You want to be using each foot to push into the ground in opposite directions to create maximal torque.

“I’m going to push the ground back with my right foot and forward with my left foot and that creates this counterclockwise torque,” Rose says. “One of the secrets here is using both of your feet in the golf swing.”

Once you engage both your feet in the swing and push with both at the same time in opposite directions, you’ll create much more torque than before. And with that torque comes more clubhead speed and longer bombs off the tee. Give it a shot.

TheStack | Speed Trainer | Award Winning App

A leader on the market in golf swing speed training. The Stack Speed trainer is a weighted swing trainer paired with an iOS app designed to increase your swing speed through guided training sessions. TheStack Hardware 5 milled Stack weights enable 30 weight combinations between 0g and 300g Dual-purpose weight case / phone stand Highly engineered training club – Adult (41.5″) or Junior (38.5″) version (see Fitting Juniors) Stack training requires a speed device that can measure swings without ball impact.  We recommend bundling with Stack Radar (Bluetooth connectivity).  View all compatible devices here. TheStack App Training Rated 4.9 with 5,000+ Reviews on App Store Includes 1-Year Membership to TheStack App, accessible on iOS Adaptive speed training formulated by Dr. Sasho MacKenzie Guided workout timer for reps, sets, and rest intervals Custom speed metrics to track your gains Bluetooth Connectivity to integration devices.  Hands-free data entry using voice entry technology for non-integrated devices Membership includes Bundled access to Stack Putting ($59 value) and the Learning Library Train and track up to twenty local (i.e. family) users under one login.  App works with Family Sharing so the entire family can train easily on separate devices Connect to any other Stacker using Share Codes Are you a Coach?  Learn about our Coaches License  Access TheStack App from the App Store when your order arrives. Requires iOS 15.0 or newer.  See our FAQ pages for questions about membership access. * Speed radar not included, view all compatible devices here

$299 from Fairway Jockey

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The post Bombers use this key move with their feet to hit long drives appeared first on Golf.