Opinion & Analysis

Golf in Korea during COVID-19

Published

3 years ago

Jul 24, 2020

It seems like just yesterday when we golfers were free to go about our activities, chasing the little white ball down the fairways. But as Korea enters its seventh month since the outbreak of COVID-19, many golfers here are quick to adapt to the new realities brought on by the novel virus.

Back in February, when the virus was just starting to catch the general public’s attention, Korean golfers remained largely indifferent since golf season hadn’t begun as yet. But with spring came an alarming increase in the number of infections, and most locals took heed and practiced social distancing by staying home and off the golf course.

Although the end of 2019 season showed a significant increase in the number of new golfers taking up the game, experts predicted that the golf industry was headed for a huge financial downturn. Or so they thought.

What had actually happened was the opposite. Except for courses around the city of Daegu where an initial cluster of the outbreak was reported, almost all golf courses in Korea have been enjoying robust business. In fact, the number of golfers during the first half of 2020 has been said to have increased by 30 percent over the previous year. Lockdowns? Courses closed? Not on this peninsula.

Reasons attributed to the increased number of golf rounds vary, but most here agree it is mainly due to overseas travel restrictions. Each year, tens of thousands of golfers travel to Japan, China, and nearby Southeast Asian countries (Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, etc.) to play golf. Since Covid-19 has closed off these options, Korean courses have enjoyed an unexpected rise in the number of golfers staying put. Just not at home.

But aren’t golfers worried about catching the virus? Even though golf is played outside and allows for plenty of social distancing, we still ride the same power carts and use the same lockers. So what drives golfers here to take their chances?

COMBATING COVID-19 IN KOREA

(Effective network of emergency alerts and text updates to help steer clear of affected areas)

Part of the reason that Koreans feel safe to venture outside is the swift and detailed (sometimes even pervasive) information available to the public. In Korea, over 95 percent of the population owns a mobile phone through which the government, both local and federal, provide an endless stream of real-time emergency text warnings.

Without revealing personal information, these messages detail the date, time and all the places an infected person(s) has visited over the past few days. Tracing back all the travel routes of the patient, the information is quickly made public on local government sites and SNS platforms. The visited locations are disinfected and closed for a period of time, and all those who visited the establishments are contacted to take the test.

The quick response measures seem to be working as Korea has managed to keep the number of daily new cases down to single digits. For golf, only one course had reported back in April that an infected individual had visited the course. The news had reached practically every golfer within hours, and the course also acted quickly in shutting down and contacting all golfers within a week of the incident to be tested.

(A new routine in the age of COVID-19 includes masks, heat scans and temperature check at golf courses)

In addition, most golf clubs and courses are now equipped with heat-sensing cameras and thermometer-wielding personnel at the entrance.

Upon pulling up to the front gate a country club, golfers are now greeted by a masked staff member who takes your temperature, name, and contact information. At a minimum, face masks are required to enter the clubhouse and locker room, and hand sanitizers are never more than a few steps away. (I’m still kicking myself for not investing in companies that make heat-sensing cameras and sanitizers.)

(CleanCU film protecting flagsticks and rakes from transferring the Coronavirus at the 42nd KLPGA Championship)

Another safety feature to emerge in the new COVID-age is “Clean CU” flagsticks and bunker rakes. Developed by GKnetworks Inc., the company donated its patented antimicrobial copper plastics and film products for the 42nd KLPGA Women’s Championship in May.

The tournament was broadcast around the world as the first sanctioned golf tournament post-COVID-19 outbreak. According to the company, the inherent properties of copper prevent the virus from surviving on the surface where the film is applied. Clean CU product was also used on doors, handles, desk surfaces and elevators at the tournament, with more courses and businesses following suit.

(Antimicrobial copper plastic film on doors, desks and elevators for day-to-day safety measures)

The last precaution aimed at preventing the transmission of the novel Coronavirus is a new type of face protection shield developed and patented by Atem Korea, a local firm specializing in PVC film for computer and mobile screens. The face shield aims to protect the face, including the eyes, and prevents one from touching their own face.

Admittedly, the ultralight face shield is aimed at the general public for daily use and not specifically for golf. But I found that its outdoor version with UV protection came in quite handy on the course as well. The antimicrobial, anti-fog coating made for comfortable protection from both the sun and the virus, although it did initially draw curious looks from others.

I don’t actually see it catching on with the general golfing public, though I did get some inquiries from the caddies and non-golf activities like fishing and customer-service related fields.

(Personal trainers, sports fishermen, and drive-thru service attendants all seem to see the benefits of the face shields)

Whatever the case may be, it doesn’t look like the virus will be going away anytime soon. At the same time, it apparently takes more than a life-threatening novel virus to keep Korean golfers off the golf course—even if it means looking like a faceless alien while playing

What is the golf course situation in your corner of the world?

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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s Sanderson Farms Championship betting preview: Eric Cole ready to show his class in Jackson

Published

1 day ago

Oct 2, 2023

Matt Vincenzi

After a dominant performance by Europe at the Ryder Cup, the PGA TOUR heads to Mississippi for the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson.

The course is a 7,461-yard par 72 with fast Bermudagrass greens. The tournament had been an alternate-field event up until the 2019-20 season, when it was upgraded to a standalone event.

The field is largely as expected for a swing-season event, but there are some talented players teeing it up in Jackson this week looking to play their way into next season’s singature events. Some notable golfers in the 156-man field this week include Ludvig Aberg, Eric Cole, Keithy Mitchell and Emiliano Grillo.

Past Winners at Country Club of Jackson

2022: Mackenzie Hughes (-17)
2021: Sam Burns (-22)
2020: Sergio Garcia (-19)
2019: Sebastian Munoz (-18)
2018: Cameron Champ (-21)
2017: Ryan Armour (-19)
2016: Cody Gribble (-20)

Let’s take a look at several key metrics for the Country Club of Jackson to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their last 24 rounds.

Strokes Gained: Approach

SG: Approach will be important this week as the club was renovated in 2008 and tried to imitate some classic Donald Ross course features. This means the greens will be relatively small, and finding the right level on approach shots will be crucial.

The course will generate plenty of low scores, so it’s important that players give themselves plenty of birdie looks. Sergio Garcia gained 7.0 strokes on the field in his victory three seasons ago, which was third in the field. Sam Burns gained 8.3 in 2021, which was good for second.

Last season, Mackenzie Hughes gained 5.3 strokes on approach in his victory.

Total strokes gained: Approach in past 24 rounds:

Chez Reavie (+26.8)
Alex Smalley (+23.7)
Sam Ryder (+23.1)
Kevin Streelman (+18.1)
Eric Cole (+17.5)

Strokes Gained: Off the Tee

Placing an emphasis on who the best drivers of the golf ball is a smart strategy. This stat has driving accuracy built into it, and though the fairways are relatively easy to hit at the Country Club of Jackson, long and straight is always a big advantage.

I am looking for golfers who are going to have the shortest approach shots and are coming in from the fairway. In 2020 and 2021, respective winners Sergio Garcia and Sam Burns led the field (+5.5) and (+6.1) in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. In 2023, Mackenzie Hughes was roughly average off the tee, but that seems to be an outlier when examining the winners in totality.

Total strokes gained: Off the Tee in past 24 rounds:

Brent Grant (+27.0)
Ludvig Aberg (+26.8)
M.J. Daffue (+17.5)
Kevin Yu (+17.1)
Trevor Cone (+16.8)

Driving Distance

With the rough not being a major problem this week, the bomb-and-gauge approach should be very successful.

Driving Distance gained over past 24 rounds:

Peter Kuest (+20.9)
Brandon Matthews (+20.3)
M.J. Daffue (+17.2)
Garrick Higgo (+17.2)
Kyle Westmoreland (+15.1)

Strokes Gained: Par 5

Three of the four par 5s on the course should be reachable by the longer hitters, with the longest par 5 hole measuring 587 yards. Finding eagle and birdie opportunities on the Par 5s this week may be the difference in determining a winner.

Total Strokes Gained: Par 5 in past 24 rounds:

Stephen Thompson (+19.3)
Scott Harrington (+14.1)
Stephan Jaeger (+14.0)
Grayson Murray (+13.8)
Jason Dufner (+12.4)

SG: Putting (Bermudagrass Greens Fast or Lightning)

Historically, SG: Putting at the Sanderson Farms Championship has weighed as the most indicative score of the tournament winner. While this isn’t necessarily rare in PGA TOUR tournaments, it was 10% more important at Country Club of Jackson than the average course on TOUR.

The greens have been either “fast” or “lightning” in every round the tournament has been played. Whoever wins this week will need to catch a hot putter, so the best putters on Bermuda should have the best chance to do that.

Total Strokes Gained: Putting (Bermuda+Fast or Lightning) past 24 rounds:

Martin Trainer (+25.0)
Chad Ramey (+24.3)
Brian Gay (+22.3)
Alex Noren (+19.8)
Ben Taylor (+16.2)

Statistical Model

Below, I’ve reported overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed.

These rankings are comprised of SG: APP (25%) SG: OTT: (25%), Driving Distance (18%), SG: Par 5 (18%), SG: Putting (Bermuda) 14%.

Peter Kuest (+8000)
Stephan Jaeger (+2500)
Kevin Yu (+6500)
Trevor Cone (+20000)
Callum Tarren (+6000)
Chad Ramey (+9000)
Scott Harrington (+30000)
Luke List (+5500)
Matthias Schmid (+10000)
Joseph Bramlett (+20000)

Sanderson Farms Championship Picks

Eric Cole +2000 (DraftKings)

With the PGA Tour’s new fall format, there are a few very talented players that will be looking to parlay a strong fall into an invitation to all of the big money signature events come the beginning of 2024. Eric Cole, who’s looked excellent since his emergence on the PGA Tour, is among the players who has the skill and motivation to challenge for one of the spots up for grabs.

The Florida native is extremely comfortable playing on fast Bermudagrass greens. In the field, he ranks 14th in Strokes Gained: Putting on similar surfaces and has some strong results on Bermuda tracks to back up the statistics. Cole missed the cut at the Country Club of Jackson last year, but he’s a much different player now.

In his most recent start at the Fortinet Championship, Cole finished 4th and gained 12.4 strokes from tee to green, which led the field. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 5th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach.

Cole was among the most impressive performers in the fall swing’s first event. Now, he’ll have a much weaker field to grapple with and will benefit from Sahith Theegala, Max Homa and Justin Thomas not being in the field.

S.H. Kim +3300 (BetRivers)

S.H. Kim had one of the most impressive ball striking displays at the first event of the fall series. Kim finished 2nd at the Fortinet Championship and gained 11.0 strokes from tee to green, which was good for second in the field. He also gained 6.0 strokes on approach and 3.2 strokes off the tee.

If his strong performance at Silverado wasn’t enough, he also has an encouraging history at the Country Club of Jackson. Kim finished 13th at the course last season and should be much more comfortable in contention this year with some strong PGA Tour finishes under his belt.

Kim has had two runner-up finishes on the Korn Ferry Tour, both of which came on Bermudagrass greens. If he can build off the best ball striking performance of his career, he will be difficult to beat this week in Mississippi.

Sam Ryder +5000 (BetMGM)

I followed Ryder closely during the Fortinet Championship and he put on a ball striking clinic, which has been the case consistently since July. He finished 14th at Silverado and gained 6.4 strokes on approach, which was good for 2nd in the field. Over his last 24 rounds, Ryder ranks 3rd in Strokes Gained: Approach.

The 33-year-old didn’t have his best putting week in his most recent start (-2.6 strokes), which makes some sense considering the putting splits he’s shown us throughout his career. He typically putts field average on POA greens but he’s statistically a positive putter on Bermudagrass throughout his career. The fast Bermuda greens should be a welcome change for Ryder this week, who grew up playing in Florida.

Ryder’s history at the Country Club of Jackson isn’t spectacular by any means, but he’s yet to play the course when he’s in the type of form he’s in at the moment. If he continues his superb ball striking, he should have a good chance to contend this week in Mississippi.

Ben Griffin +5500 (PointsBet)

Ben Griffin is a player who loves playing on Bermudagrass greens. He has top-5 finishes in his career at the Wyndham Championship and the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. After playing in the final few groups over the weekend, I believe he’ll feel much more confident when he finds himself in that position again.

In his past 24 rounds, Griffin ranks 20th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 15th in Strokes Gained: Putting on fast Bermuda greens. Griffin is one of the better putters on Tour and can get hot in a hurry on the greens. Last year, we saw a shorter hitting good putter win this event, so the bombers can be beaten at the Country Club of Jackson, despite having an advantage.

Griffin played this event last year. He finished 24th in his first trip to the course and gained 6.2 strokes on approach, so the course layout seems to fit his eye. After making the FedEx Cup playoffs last year, the 27-year-old is ready to take the next step in his development on the PGA Tour.

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Opinion & Analysis

The Wedge Guy: 3 surefire ways to never get better at golf

Published

4 days ago

Sep 29, 2023

Terry Koehler

That may seem like a rather strange title for an article, but hear me out.

I’ve written this blog every week for nearly 20 years so that I can share some observations from a lifetime in this game and over 40 years in the golf equipment industry. If you read many of my posts, you know that one of my favorite areas of subject matter is the process of learning how to play this game at a higher and higher level. I can’t begin to number the hundreds of instruction books and articles I’ve digested or the innumerable hours I’ve spent watching golfers of all skill levels.

The simple fact is that the more often you hit your best shots – and the less frequently your worst ones show up – the more enjoyable the game becomes. What amazes me is how many golfers I encounter who must really not want to get better at this game. How else can you explain the fact that, in spite of all the gains in equipment technologies and the unlimited amount of instruction available (much of it free), so many golfers just cannot achieve any measurable semblance of success?

So, a bit tongue in cheek, this week I want to share what I believe are the three surefire ways to never get better at golf.

Ignore the importance of a proper grip

I was taught from the very beginning that the first fundamental of golf is learning how to hold the club properly. Doing so takes no athletic ability whatsoever, and you can practice it to perfection anywhere. I’m a firm believer that there is really only one way to do that, and close observation of elite players on the PGA and LPGA tours seems to verify that.

It doesn’t matter whether you opt for the traditional overlap (Vardon) grip, or the interlock grip, which has become increasingly more popular since the best player of the modern era made it his own. You can even choose the full-finger (not “baseball”) grip on the club, particularly if you are not as strong in the hands (ladies and seniors take note). Your grip can be rotated a bit stronger or weaker, but the fundamentals are the same:

The club has to be controlled with the last three fingers of the upper hand, and the grip needs to be positioned under the heel pad, not across it.
The lower hand pressure is also in the fingers, more specifically the middle two fingers – the thumb and forefinger have to be more lightly engaged, if at all.
The upper or lead hand has to be “in control” of the movement of the club.

Very simply, if you are not holding the club in this fundamentally sound manner, the body and club just cannot move properly through the swing motion.

Disregard the importance of proper posture and setup

Likewise, it requires little to no athletic ability to “just stand there” in the proper posture for the athletic move that is a sound golf swing. And again, watch the best players in the world – there is little-to-no variance from one to the other in the way they position their body to be prepared for a fundamentally sound and powerful, repeating golf swing. I don’t need to describe it – just look at pictures and video of good players – they all start from basically the same posture and set-up. If you think you can become a solid player when you are starting from an unsound, “homemade” set up, you are sadly mistaken. The biggest mistakes I see in this area are that the hands are too high, eliminating the Secret Angle of Success, or that the hands are positioned way too far ahead of the clubhead at address.

Take instruction from your buddies

Golf instruction is part art and part science, and your buddies — even those who seem to be pretty good players — are not likely versed in either facet of golf instruction. But tips and advice are cheap, and I cannot begin to count the number of times I’ve watched or heard a golfer who can’t break 80 (or even 90) try to “coach” someone who also can’t break 80. Unless your buddy has spent hours and years studying the golf swing and can play a pretty good game himself or herself, close your ears and eyes when they offer advice.

Compared to all the costs associated with golf, availing yourself of professional instruction is pretty darn cheap. My Dad had a wise saying: “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.” And my bet is that you have already committed to the fact that golf is certainly “worth doing.” So, please, engage a professional instructor who “gets” you and see him or her regularly.

So, there you have it. Frank Sinatra made a fortune singing “My Way,” but that certainly isn’t the pathway to better and more consistent golf.

5 examples of how Lexi Thompson has been treated harsher than any of her peers

Published

1 week ago

Sep 25, 2023

Gianni Magliocco

Following Lexi Thompson’s Solheim Cup post-round presser on Friday evening, the 28-year-old has been the topic of much discussion.

Golf pundits and fans alike have been weighing in with their takes after this exchange with a reporter surrounding an untimely shank on Friday afternoon went viral:

Confounding answer from Lexi and subsequent reaction from the US side. It was one of the pivotal moments of the entire day and somehow that's off limits? pic.twitter.com/9std3LFlmN

— Tron Carter (@TronCarterNLU) September 23, 2023

After the incident, LPGA Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez said that Lexi has “been picked on and drug through negative comments. She is tired of it”

So has the criticism of Lexi Thompson been justified, or is this yet another example of her being unfairly treated?

Well, here are five times, in my opinion, that Lexi has been scrutinized far differently over the years than her peers.

2022 KPMG PGA Championship

At the 2022 KPMG PGA Championship, Lexi Thompson held a two-stroke lead with three holes to play. She couldn’t close the deal and lost the tournament.

Afterwards, she was fined $2k (as were the rest of the group) for slow play.

Lexi declined to speak to the media and got hammered on social media for doing so…

Lexi Thompson has declined to speak with the media here at Congressional.

Not a great look?

— Zephyr Melton (@zephyrmelton) June 26, 2022

Almost every golfer at some point has skipped a media session following disappointment on the course, and nobody has really batted an eyelid.

Tiger skipped back-to-back post-round media briefings at the 2019 WGC Mexico after being frustrated with his putting. Remember the backlash over that? Nah, me neither.

Donald Trump

@TheWhiteHouse

Every (or nearly every) big-name golfer under the sun has played golf with Donald Trump. Tiger Woods, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy etc. Nobody really cared.

For whatever reason, when Lexi Thompson did, it was a story, and she took herself off social media soon after the photo was posted.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lexi Thompson (@lexi)

2021 U.S. Women’s Open

In the final round of the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open, Lexi Thompson had a 6-foot eagle on her opening hole. She missed and made birdie to lead by five.

She then lost the tournament.

Following the round, Brandel Chamblee said on ‘Live From’:

“She’s got 6 feet away. Now professional golfers don’t miss the center of the face by a pinhead. Look where she hits this putt on the very 1st hole. Look where this putt comes off the face. She would have missed the center of the putter there by a half an inch. I have never — I have never — seen a professional golfer miss the center of the putter by a wider margin than that. That was at the 1st hole. “

Honest? Absolutely. Correct? Brandel usually is. Has any other LPGA golfer been handed the full-on Chamblee treatment? Not to my knowledge.

2023 Solheim Cup

Lexi Thompson spoke the words, “I don’t need to comment on that” when a reporter asked her about a failed shot, and the golf community collectively lost their minds.

Lost on many people is the fact that she literally answered the question instantly after.

Jessica Korda described the reporting of the awkward exchange with the media member as yet another example of the golf media shredding Lexi, but in reality, it was really just golf media covering the furore created by golf fans reacting to the viral clip.

So sad seeing golf media , yet again, shred Lexi. It’s easy writing about other people’s mistakes. It’s
Golf, bad shots happen- give the girl a break. She grows the game more than anyone on tour… And she’s a great player!!

— Jessica Korda (@Thejessicakorda) September 23, 2023

Lexi then won her next two matches, collecting 3 points from 4 for the U.S. team. But nobody seems to care about that.

Instagram

‘yOu ShoUlD PrAcTIce puTTinG’

There’s very few golfers that have been plagued with such inane posts on their Instagram page as Lexi Thompson has.

I’ve tracked golfer’s social media accounts over the past few years (job requirement, sort of?). I can categorically say that Lexi gets some of the angriest and most aggressive responses to her posts of any golfer. Male or female. (She also gets some very nice ones too).

Despite countless posts of Thompson relentlessly practising her putting, the number of comments from dummies accusing her of neglecting that area of her game is both bizarre and alarming. Notice how the comments have been disabled on the post below? Probably not a coincidence.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lexi Thompson (@lexi)

Go on any other golfer’s social account, and it will be hard to find the same dynamic.

Throw in the scandalous rules decision at the 2017 ANA Inspiration that cost her a second major title and spawned the “Lexi rule,” and it’s hard not to think Lexi has had a bit of a raw deal at times.

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