19th Hole

EA Sports PGA Tour Review

Published

2 months ago

Apr 12, 2023

2023 marks the first year since 2015 that golf fans have been treated to an EA Sports video game, with Rory McIlroy PGA Tour having been released in June of 2015.

The game features an abundance of aesthetically pleasing golf courses with fantastic graphics and a loaded roster of elite golfers. Augusta National is a playable golf course for the first time in a video game since 2011 and doesn’t disappoint. The tricky green complexes, sloping fairways and pink azaleas make gamers feel like they’re playing in The Masters.

Swing Mechanics

The swing mechanics in the game are a bit tricky to figure out. It took me quite a long time to get a grasp of where I needed to pull the analog stick back to when making a full swing. My approach shots when over the green almost every time forcing me either to club down or make an abbreviated swing.

There are a great deal of new shot types which add realism to the game, but it can be a bit overwhelming trying to figure out which shot to use when the basic swing is so hard to get right to begin with. For advanced players, the abundance of shot types should be a welcome benefit.

The difficulty of the swing and figuring out how to use all of the different mechanics to play a round of golf was most definitely the biggest drawback of the game. Simply put, it will take a lot of time and effort to master EA Sports PGA Tour and those looking to pick it up quickly are in for a disappointment.

Career Mode

Career Mode is far and away the best part about EA Sports PGA Tour. While it’s certainly a grind to build your player’s stats and XP up enough to be competitive in the events, it’s worth the struggle. The game has all four of the majors, which is fantastic and truly gives the player incentive to improve and play well.

The choices of new clubs and gear is expansive and offers all of the big brands, but gaining the XP to purchase them in conjunction with the difficulty of the game can be frustrating.

Career Mode also offers players an option to play alongside a computer controlled professional player, which gives the tournament a much more authentic feel. However, playing alongside a pro slows the pace of play down considerably. There’s an option for players to choose Quick Play” which speeds up the round and only gives players the chance to play the most important shots of the tournament. However, there isn’t an option to change a tournament to two or three rounds instead of four.

The Verdict

The Career Mode is enough to make EA Sports’ return to the golf game world successful. Access to all four majors, the ability to play at historic courses like Pebble Beach and Augusta National, and the deep roster of stars makes this game worth buying.

The swing mechanics and overall difficulty of the golf simulation will be tough for players to adapt to, but patience and determination will pay off. Once the time is put in to master the swing and different shot types, the experience feels like the real thing.

EA Sports PGA Tour 2023 is a great start to golf video games on next generation consoles, but there is undoubtedly room for improvement for the series in the future.

Score: 8.1/10

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19th Hole

Report: LIV exec calls McIlroy a ‘little b***h’ and says they can now finally get these 2 PGA Tour stars

Published

6 hours ago

Jun 8, 2023

GolfWRX Staff

As the fallout from one of the craziest weeks the sport has ever seen continues, speculation is rife over what the future of golf will now look like.

Related: Report: Despite rumblings of LIV’s demise, a meeting took place yesterday that tells a different story

Speaking during his hotly anticipated pre-tournament presser at the Canadian Open, Rory McIlroy made his thoughts clear, hoping the merger would now see LIV Golf vanish.

“I still hate LIV. I hope it goes away. And I would fully expect that it does. And I think that’s where the distinction here is. This is the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the PIF. Very different from LIV.”

However, per a report from Alan Shipnuck of the FirePit Collective, Rory may not get his wish.

According to Shipnuck, following the merger announcement, a meeting took place where Greg Norman addressed LIV employees and stated that there would be “no operational changes into the future.”

“Norman radiated confidence, saying that the 2024 LIV schedule was nearly finalized. “There will be no operational changes in 2023, 2024, 2025 and into the future,” he said. Then came the mic drop: ‘LIV is a stand-alone entity and will continue to be that moving forward. And that comes right from the top.’

Furthermore, a LIV executive told Shipnuck that every top name will now get a LIV offer but that McIlroy will be snubbed as “nobody wants that little bitch on their team.”

“Now we can finally get Hideki [Matsuyama] and Jon Rahm. I would say every big name on the PGA Tour will get an offer. Except Rory. Nobody wants that little bitch on their team.”

What happens next remains to be seen, but it looks as if the wild and whacky drama is set to continue for quite some time.

Report: Despite rumblings of LIV’s demise, a meeting took place yesterday that tells a different story

Published

7 hours ago

Jun 8, 2023

Matt Vincenzi

After the shocking PGA Tour/DP World Tour/PIF merger, there was plenty of speculation that the deal would put an end to LIV Golf in the near future.

In the PGA Tour meeting Tuesday, commissioner Jay Monahan said “that a full review of LIV’s commercial viability would be conducted at season’s end”. Those who were in the meeting took that as a bad sign for the future of LIV, including Rory, who spoke about LIV in his press conference on Wednesday.

As for Rory McIlroy:

“I still hate LIV,” the four-time major winner said. “I hope it goes away. And I would fully expect that it does. And I think that’s where the distinction here is. This is the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the PIF. Very different from LIV.”

Despite the rumors of its demise, Alan Shipnuck of the Firepit Collective wrote on Thursday morning that the feeling after Greg Norman’s press conference with LIV employees that isn’t going anywhere.

Shipnuck, who’s had his ear to the ground for almost two years on everything LIV Golf, shared the feeling he got when watching the Norman-led meeting.

“By way of an opening, he said, ‘Congratulations, you changed golf, and you did it in less than a year.’ The employees on the call had taken huge professional risks to join LIV and were understandably jittery. Norman radiated confidence, saying that the 2024 LIV schedule was nearly finalized. “There will be no operational changes in 2023, 2024, 2025 and into the future,” he said. Then came the mic drop: ‘LIV is a stand-alone entity and will continue to be that moving forward. And that comes right from the top.’

The author of “LIV and Let Die” then explained who is really calling the shots in the world of golf going forward: Yasir Al-Rumayyan.

“The man at the top is not Monahan. Or Rory McIlroy or Tiger Woods. Or the the lords of the Seminole grill room, Jimmy Dunne and Ed Herlihy, who brokered the truce with LIV in their roles as PGA Tour board members. No, Norman was referring to the new boss of all of them, His Excellency Yasir Al-Rumayyan. H.E., as he is referred to around LIV, is the governor of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which can alter economies and disrupt industries with its $650 billion warchest. He is also the chairman of the board of Aramco, the state oil company, making H.E. easily the most powerful person in the world who is not a head of state. His latest title is chairman of the board of the new PIF-Tour entity.”

“That means Monahan reports to him”.

Per Shipnuck, a high ranking LIV executive describes LIV as “Al-Rumayyan’s baby” and find it hard to believe he would let it disintegrate so quickly after how much effort he put into the venture.

“What people fail to understand is that LIV is H.E.’s baby,” said the LIV executive. “He has poured his heart into its creation.” This included numerous meetings in which Al-Rumayyan fussed over every detail, down to the look of the LIV logo.”

“We all went into the call with our heads hanging low, feeling so defeated,” says the LIV executive. “Then it became like in The Wolf Of Wall Street when Leonardo DiCaprio gives that speech and the whole room goes crazy. When His Excellency finished speaking we were all high-5’ing. It was like, Let’s fucking go! We’re gonna fucking do this!”

Time will tell how it will play out, but as Shipnuck describes, the future of golf is in the hands of Yasir Al-Rumayyan.

Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (6/8/23): SIK blacked-out slant neck putter

Published

7 hours ago

Jun 8, 2023

Gianni Magliocco

At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a SIK blacked-out slant neck putter.

From the seller (@Brooks_CupCake): “Sik Pro C. Short Slant. 365g headweight. Amazing shape. Right at 35” depending on grip. 69.5*. 3.5*. Brand New SS Grip. $385, OBRO (and emphasis on reasonable) USD Shipped via UPS and can work with the buyer for faster shipping if needed.”

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: SIK blacked-out slant neck putter

This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules