News
Tour Mash: The weekend’s winners, and how they got the job done
We’re enhancing the format of Tour Mash this week. For each event, we’ll give you our take on how the winner won, and why the others didn’t. We’ll offer even more crucial information for those Monday office discussions and chat-room chirps. Have a sample and enjoy the flavor.
Steele defends at PGA Tour’s Safeway Open
In the first of two title defenses for the week, Brendan Steele took advantage of faltering golfers ahead to close with 69 for 15-under par, two shots clear of Tony Finau, also on 69 for the day. In 2016, Steele finished at 18-under for a 1-stroke win over Patton Kizzire. Phil Mickelson and Chesson Hadley tied for 3rd spot on the podium at 12-under, three strokes behind the champion
How he won
While Steele was closing with two birdies over his final three holes, the third-round leaders wavered. Despite two bogeys on his inward half, the three-time tour winner kept his composure and closed strong to seal the deal
How he didn’t
How many fellows lay awake on Sunday evening? Tony Finau doubled his 14th hole on Sunday, finishing two back of the top spot. Tyler Duncan had the 54-hole lead, but bogeyed his first three holes on Sunday, falling to a tie for fifth. Chesson Hadley, fresh off the Web.Com tour, bogeyed 10 and doubled 12 on day 4, finishing three shots back. And Phil? Phil was simply Phil, with five bogeys and three birdies on the day for 70.
Talk about adrenaline. @brendan_steele LAUNCHED his tee shot on 18. ???? pic.twitter.com/rlq0iRzhWZ
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 9, 2017
Hatton wins second consecutive Dunhill Links on European Tour
Tyrrell Hatton defended his 2016 Dunhill Links championship by three shots over Ross Fisher, in a battle of Englishmen. Hatton concluded his week at 24-under par, with Victor Dubuisson of France closing with 63 for 17-under, alone in third place.
How he won
Each contestant plays a round over Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and the Old Course, before closing on Sunday again at St. Andrews. Hatton’s high round (68) of the opening three was at St. Andrews, where he shot 66 on Sunday. His twin 65s on Friday and Saturday, at Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, distanced him enough from the field to make Sunday a mid-60s walk along the strand.
How he didn’t
Fisher’s Furious Finish might have been the headline on Sunday, if not for Hatton’s stellar play. Ross Fisher came to the 16th tee on Sunday at 11-under for the round. Birdies on any two-of-the-final-three holes would have granted him a magical 59. Alas, he concluded with pars, including a missed 30-inch putt at the last. Still, his 61 set a new course record for the Old, lowering the mark by one stroke. On the week, Hatton was simply too good: lesson learned.
That chip-in. ???? pic.twitter.com/NWHe7HQzJC
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) October 8, 2017
Kerr’s emotion win at the Open de France on the Ladies European Tour
Cristie Kerr of the USA won the Lacoste Open de France by four shots over Xi Yu Lin of China. Kerr finished at 17-under through four rounds at the Golf de Chantaco course. Third place went to Azahara Muñoz of Spain. Muñoz ended at 8-under.
How she won
Kerr birdied five of her opening nine holes on Thursday, signing for an eight-birdie, 62 in the first round. As if that weren’t enough, she made six more birdies on Friday for 64, going without a bogey in her first 36 holes. Although she hiccoughed on Saturday, the American champion closed with an eagle for 68, then finished on Sunday with another 68.
How she didn’t
“She” could have have been any other golfer in the field, after Kerr’s opening 126 through two rounds. Anne Van Dam of the Netherlands was closest, at 132, but each of her opening rounds was marred with bogey. When she lost three more strokes on Saturday to the leader, the die was cast.
WHAT. A. SHOT! ????????????????????
.@CKGolferChic holing out from 137 yards with an 8 iron on the 18th @LacosteLODF @LACOSTE pic.twitter.com/zaLpSt41dD
— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) October 8, 2017
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Equipment
Rickie Fowler’s new putter: Standard-length Odyssey Jailbird 380 in custom orange
Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
…The Jailbird craze hasn’t really slowed down in 2024, either. According to Odyssey rep Joe Toulon, there are about 18-20 Jailbird putter users on the PGA TOUR.
Most recently, Akshay Bhatia won the 2024 Valero Texas Open using a broomstick-style Odyssey Jailbird 380 putter and Webb Simpson is switching into a replica of that putter at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Now, Fowler, who essentially started the whole Jailbird craze, is making a significant change to his putter setup.
Fowler, who has had a couple weeks off since the 2024 RBC Heritage, started experimenting with a new, custom-orange Jailbird 380 head that’s equipped with a standard 35-inch putter build, rather than his previous 38-inch counter-balanced setup.
According to Fowler, while he still likes the look and forgiveness of his Jailbird putter head, he’s looking to re-incorporate more feel into his hands during the putting stroke.
He told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Championship that the 38-inch counterbalanced setup “served its purpose” by helping him to neutralize his hands during the stroke, but now it’s time to try the standard-length putter with a standard-size SuperStroke Pistol Tour grip to help with his feel and speed control.
Although Fowler was also spotted testing standard-length mallets from L.A.B. Golf and Axis1 on Tuesday, he confirmed that the custom Odyssey Jailbird 380 is the putter he’ll use this week at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Head over to PGATour.com for the full article.
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Equipment
Details on Justin Thomas’ driver switch at the Wells Fargo Championship
Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
So, with a couple of weeks off following his latest start at the 2024 RBC Heritage, Thomas sought to re-address his driver setup with the remote help of Titleist Tour fitting expert J.J. Van Wezenbeeck. About two weeks ago, Thomas and Van Wezenbeeck reviewed his recent driver stats, and discussed via phone call some possible driver and shaft combinations for him to try.
After receiving Van Wezenbeeck’s personalized shipment of product options while at home, Thomas found significant performance improvements with Titleist’s TSR2 head, equipped with Thomas’ familiar Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 60 TX shaft.
Compared to Thomas’ longtime TSR3 model, the TSR2 has a larger footprint and offers slightly higher spin and launch characteristics.
According to Van Wezenbeeck, Thomas has picked up about 2-3 mph of ball speed, to go along with 1.5 degrees higher launch and more predictable mishits.
“I’d say I’d been driving it fine, not driving it great, so I just wanted to, honestly, just test or try some stuff,” Thomas said on Tuesday in an interview with GolfWRX.com at Quail Hollow Club. “I had used that style of head a couple years ago (Thomas used a TSi2 driver around 2021); I know it’s supposed to have a little more spin. Obviously, yeah, I’d love to hit it further, but if I can get a little more spin and have my mishits be a little more consistent, I felt like obviously that’d be better for my driving…
“This (TSR2) has been great. I’ve really, really driven it well the week I’ve used it. Just hitting it more solid, I don’t know if it’s the look of it or what it is, but just a little bit more consistent with the spin numbers. Less knuckle-ball curves. It has been fast. Maybe just a little faster than what I was using. Maybe it could be something with the bigger head, maybe mentally it looks more forgiving.”
Head over to PGATour.com for the full article.
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News
5 fall golf trip destinations you should book right now
The 2024 golf season is in full swing with the warm weather settling in and those long summer days right around the corner, but what if we told you that you should be thinking about golf this fall? While it may seem to be a ways away, now is the perfect time to start putting together your end-of-season fall golf trip.
Courses are in great shape, the weather is more enjoyable as temps cool off, and your golf game is in peak condition after playing all summer! The best part about fall golf trips is that there are some great deals to be found at golf destinations across the country! Additionally, you can get away to the Caribbean on an all-inclusive trip or travel across the pond for some links golf in the UK or Ireland before the end of their golf season in October.
If you are happy to stay stateside this fall, here are the best golf destinations you should book for your fall trip.
Myrtle Beach, SC
Commonly known as the “Golf Capital of the World”, this coastal destination is home to over 200 golf courses making it the ideal location for a golf trip! If you’re looking for golf and accommodation onsite, choose from a wide range of resorts including favorites like Barefoot and Legends. Alternatively, you could rent a house or stay by the beach and play top tracks like Caledonia, Grande Dunes, Pine Lakes, True Blue, TPC Myrtle Beach and many more! With a plethora of options, you will be able to customize your trip to stay within budget! Fall in South Carolina is a golfer’s paradise with minimal rain, sunny skies, and temperatures in the low 80s (dipping into the 70s in later fall with lower humidity), the perfect combination for a golf trip.
If you’ve never played golf in the desert, fall is the best time to do so and there is no better selection of desert layouts than Scottsdale. With a wide variety of golf resorts, courses, and attractions, it is easy to see why many professional golfers call this place home. Enjoy a golf and city trip with a stay close to the nightlife in Old Town and a tour of the local courses like Raven, McCormick Ranch, and Ocotillo. Head north of the city with a resort stay at The Westin Kierland or Hyatt Regency and play some Championship courses like TPC Scottsdale, Troon North, or Grayhawk. Or head out to the fabulous We-Ko-Pa Resort and Golf Club and indulge in the ultimate desert golf experience. The weather in Scottsdale will be very warm (mid to high 80s), with cloudless skies and green grass contrasting the desert landscape.
The golf mecca in the state of Florida, Orlando is a great golf destination any time of the year, but fall is really where it flourishes. Course conditions are impeccable, the weather is warm with fading humidity, and there are a multitude of off-course activities for the whole family. Stay & play at some of the best golf resorts like Reunion and Omni Championsgate or tick off a bucket list course when you visit Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill. A few other reasons this destination is so popular is the wide variety of rental houses throughout the area, perfect for a large group and the quality courses to choose from including Waldorf Astoria, Celebration, Shingle Creek, and the three Disney courses! With easy accessibility through the MCO Airport, Orlando is a no-brainer for a fall golf trip.
A destination often overlooked when it comes to golf, Las Vegas in the fall is a wonderful treat! A stay on the iconic Las Vegas Strip gives you a wide range of 3 to 5-star hotel options within walking distance to the city’s biggest entertainment venues, casinos, restaurants, and more! For golf options, you will need to travel outside of the city (roughly 20 mins) to play some incredible desert layouts like Rio Secco, Revere, Cascata, and the trio of courses at Paiute Golf Resort. If you fancy a longer day trip, you can always take the hour-long drive up to Mesquite and play Wolf Creek and Conestoga for a pure desert golf experience.
Alabama – Robert Trent Jones Trail
If you’re a golf nerd (like me) and you’re looking for something a little different for your trip, look no further than the incredible RTJ Trail in Alabama. The Trail spans 11 different locations across the state with over 400 holes of golf all designed by legendary course designer Robert Trent Jones, Sr. The more popular courses on the trail are in Birmingham, Montgomery, and Auburn, making it perfect for an extended trip. Some of the best courses on the trail include Ross Bridge, Grand National (2 courses) and Capitol Hill (3 courses).Weather-wise, fall is the best time to hit the trail with average temps hovering around 80s (dipping into the 70s as fall goes on) with a limited amount of rainfall. The summer months are usually where the pricing is the highest so you can find the best deals in the fall with courses still in good condition.
There has already been a huge uptick in fall golf trip bookings, so make sure to start planning now to get the travel dates and tee times you want for your group!
Editor’s note: This article is presented in partnership with Golfbreaks. When you make a purchase through links in this article, GolfWRX may earn an affiliate commission.
RELATED: 7 PGA TOUR courses you need to play
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