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19th Hole

Tony Finau says he’s hitting 8-iron the same distance he did at 16; no need to roll back ball

Published

6 years ago

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Tony Finau is currently second on the PGA Tour in driving distance. He pounds his driver an average of 317.6 yards off the tee.

18Birdies’ Josh Hayes spoke with Finau on the aptly named 18Birdies podcast about distance in the game and proposals to roll back the golf ball.

“Where are you at with the distance debate?” Hayes asks. “Do we need to roll the ball back? Do we need to leave it alone?”

Finau says we should leave the ball alone, saying “We have to believe in evolution,” and adding, “athletes get better and stronger. To this, Finau adds the thought that technology gets better and players have more knowledge and technology at their fingertips to enhance performance.

“Things progress…part of that is guys hitting the ball farther,” Finau says. “Maybe there’s a debate that the average is a little bit longer, but guys have been hitting it far for a really long time. John Daly was hitting it 300 yards 15-20 years ago.”

He did make an interesting point with respect to distance across all clubs.

“If I look at how far I hit an 8-iron today, I was hitting my 8-iron the same distance when I was 16 years old…I don’t know if the debate is about the ball or the driver. From what I hear, it’s the ball, and I don’t know if I believe that. The only club I’m hitting farther is the driver.”

Finau also mentioned that he doesn’t think rolling back the ball will help grow the game or make it attractive to new players, “Kids like to hit it far…hitting it 280 yards isn’t even cool,” Finau said, adding, “It’s not as fun to watch someone hit it 280 yards as it is to watch Dustin Johnson.”

Finau agreed with Josh Hayes that the responsibility to challenge players lies with the PGA Tour and course setups, rather than with governing bodies imposing regulations.

You can check out the full pod below

What do you think, GolfWRX members? Certainly, it’s interesting to hear what one of the Tour’s most impressive natural athletes and longest hitters has to say. Do you agree with his remarks? Should his opinion carry extra weight given his “bomber” status? Less? Let us know!

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19th Hole

LET pro gives detailed financial breakdown of first week on tour…and the net result may shock you

Published

4 hours ago

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Apr 26, 2024

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On Friday morning, Ladies European Tour player, Hannah Gregg, took to social media to share her weekly expenses playing on the LET.

“Expenses of my first week on Ladies European Tour: Flights: $2600 Work Visa: $350 

  • Food: $377 
  • Caddie: $0 because I have an amazing Fiancé 
  • Hotel: $0 because  @GregChalmersPGA sorted me host housing for the week!  
  • Rental Car: +0 because the Tour Tee guys GAVE me their car  
  • Gas: $165 
  • Entry Fee: $130 
  • Lounge Pass for caddie: $50 
  • Gym: $0 
  • Yardage book: $0 
  • Total expenses: $3672 

Made cut, finished 54th, total earned: $1244 Factor in 35% tax on earnings. To break even, needed to finish 24th. To make money, 21st. Guess we have our goals laid out for next event!”

When factoring in Gregg’s free housing, free caddie and free rental car, it’s evident that most LET players would have to finish well inside of the top-20 to make any money.

With ridiculous amounts of money being thrown around in professional golf these days, it’s important to remember the other side of the coin as well. There are countless professionals out there who struggle to get by on their golf salary.

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19th Hole

54-hole golf tour deemed eligible for OWGR points…but it’s not LIV

Published

1 day ago

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Apr 25, 2024

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After a seventeen-month application process, a 54-hole golf tour was deemed eligible for OWGR points.

Unfortunately, for LIV Golf and their fans, it was the Clutch Pro Tour.

After the decision, which is effective immediately, OWGR chairman Peter Dawson issued a statement.

“This is a significant milestone for golf, and OWGR is deeply encouraged by the achievement and the continued efforts in developing the sport of golf in the United Kingdom.”

“We look forward to watching the progress of the Clutch Pro Tour as it continues to play a key role in the development of players from the region,” Dawson added.

The Clutch Pro Tour operates in the United Kingdom and features a 36-hole cut. It also has an open qualifying school.

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19th Hole

Charlie Woods attempting to qualify for spot at 2024 U.S. Open

Published

1 day ago

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Apr 25, 2024

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As first reported by Bob Harig of Sports Illustrated, Charlie Woods will be attempting to qualify for this year’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.

The first stage of qualifying for this year’s tournament will be an 18-hole local event on Thursday, April 25th, in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

There will be 84 players in the field, five of which will reach the 36-hole qualifier that will take place in June.

Earlier this season, Charlie attempted to qualify for the Cognizant Classic, and struggled, shooting an 86.

If the younger Woods is able to qualify, he will tee it up in the same field as his father in a few months at one of the more historic U.S. Open venues.

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