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KRAIG KANN LIVE Q&A

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CHAT ENDED: CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE CHAT!

The Chief Communications Officer of the LPGA answers your questions! With the LPGA’s resurgence over the last year, what better time to have Kraig Kann for some LIVE Q&A with GolfWRX members. You’ll no doubt recognize Kraig from his 17 years on Golf Channel and now as CCO of the LPGA, he answered your questions at 2PM Eastern Time, on Tuesday, January 17th.

Recently, the LPGA 2012 schedule was announced and things are looking good. Highlights include:

  • The addition of five (5) tournaments with 100-plus player fields and official money, four (4) of which are in North America.
  • An increase in total purse from $40.4 million in 2011 to $47 million in 2012.
  • 100 percent of Golf Channel’s weekend telecasts of the LPGA’s North American tournaments will have live weekend coverage on Golf Channel and the percentage of overall live telecasts is projected to be at least 90 percent.
  • The return to a historically strong venue in Toledo, Ohio for the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic
  • The dates of the major championships have been strategically scheduled as the pillars of the season. The Kraft Nabisco Championship, won in 2011 by Stacy Lewis, will take place March 29 to Apr. 1, followed by the Wegmans LPGA Championship, which returns to Locust Hill Country Club in Pittsford, N.Y. from June 7 to 10 – two weeks earlier than 2011. The U.S. Women’s Open returns to Blackwolf Run in Kohler, Wisc. – site of Se Ri Pak’s historic 1998 victory – July 5-8, where Yani Tseng will look to become the youngest player in history to win the Career Grand Slam. The final major, the RICOH Women’s British Open, will for the first time be played at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake, which has previously hosted 11 Men’s Open Championships including Tiger Woods’ 2006 victory. The tournament will be played in mid-September to avoid conflict with the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Thanks to Kraig for taking our questions. Welcome to GolfWRX!

More on Kraig Kann

  • Chief Communications Officer, LPGA
  • Broadcast Talent – 25 years experience
  • Media Consultant – Founder and Managing Director; HTK Media www.HTKnow.com

Career Highlights:

  • CCO, LPGA since August 2011 and charged with shaping and delivering all media messaging for the world’s largest women’s professional sports organization.
  • Founder/Managing Director of HTK Media.  Seminars, Media Training and Consulting.  Kraig leads athletes, sports organizations, executives and other professionals in the quest to become more media savvy.  Shaping the message, sharpening the delivery, selling the brand and sharing the success through real communications experience is Kraig’s aim.
  • One of Golf Channel’s originals, Kann was a major part of the on-air talent team from the network’s debut in 1995 until 2011. He served as primary studio host for Golf Central, hosted various talk shows including Grey Goose 19th Hole and Morning Drive, anchored LIVE FROM coverage at major championships and was also the network’s lead play-by-play host from 2000-2003.
  • Also worked in local television markets including Columbia, MO., Columbus, GA., Ft. Myers, FL., and Kalamazoo-Grand Rapids, MI., from 1987 – 1994.
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Whats in the Bag

Ben Kohles WITB 2024 (May)

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Driver: Titleist TSR3 (9 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 X

3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth Plus (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 8 X

Hybrid: Titleist TSR3 (19 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue HB 9 x

Irons: Titleist T200 (4, 5), Titleist 620 CB (6-9)
Shafts: Project X 6.0

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (46-10F, 50-12F, 54-12D, 60)
Shafts: Project X 6.0

Putter: Scotty Cameron P5 prototype

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

 

 

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Whats in the Bag

Kris Kim WITB 2024 (May)

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Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees @7)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 60 TX

3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour (15 degrees @13.5)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana WB 73 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P770 (2, 4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX (2), Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 120 X

Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (50-09SB, 56-12SB, 60-11TW)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 WV 125

Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord

Check out more in-hand photos of Kris Kim’s equipment here.

 

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Equipment

Welcome to the family: TaylorMade launches PUDI and PDHY utility irons

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TaylorMade is continuing its UDI/DHY series with the successor to the Stealth UDI and DHY utility irons: PUDI and PDHY (which the company styles as P·UDI and P·DHY). TaylorMade is folding the designs in with its P Series of irons.

TaylorMade outlined the process of developing its new utilities this way. The company started with the data on utility iron usage. Not surprisingly, better players — i.e. those who generate more clubhead speed and strike the ball more precisely — were found to gravitate toward the UDI model. DHY usage, however, covered a wider swath than the company might have expected with six-to-18 handicappers found to be bagging the club.

TaylorMade also found that the majority of golfers playing UDI or DHY utilities were playing P Series irons at the top of their iron configurations.

Can you see where this is going?

Matt Bovee, Director of Product Creation, Iron and Wedge at TaylorMade: “As we look to the future, beyond the tech and the design language, we are excited about repositioning our utility irons into the P·Series family. P·UDI is an easy pair for players that currently play P·Series product and P·DHY is an extremely forgiving option for players of all skill levels. It is a natural fit to give these players the performance in this category that they are looking for.”

 

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TaylorMade PUDI

TaylorMade PUDI technology cutaway (via TaylorMade)

Crafted with tour player input, TaylorMade sought to develop a confidence-inspiring utility iron that blends with the rest of the P Series irons. Also of note: Interestingly, the PUDI has a more compact head than the P790.

In comparison to past UDI products, the PUDI has a more traditional iron shape, slimmer toplines, and less offset with a little of the backbar visible at address.

TaylorMade PDHY

TaylorMade PDHY tech cutaway (via TaylorMade).

Larger in profile than the PUDI, the PDHY seeks to position center of gravity (CG) lower in the club for ease of launch. The toe height is larger and the profile is larger at address — roughly five millimeters longer than PUDI — the sole of the club is wider for improved forgiveness.

Club Junkie’s take

Golfers who feel like they are missing something at the top of the bag could find the PUDI or PDHY a great option. The look of the PUDI should fit the most discerning eye with a more compact look, less offset, and a thinner topline. If you want a little more confidence looking down the P-DHY will be slightly larger while still being a good-looking utility iron.

For being small packages both models pack a pretty good punch with fast ball speeds, even off-center. The feel is soft and you get a solid feel of the ball compressing off the face when you strike it well. Your ears are greeted with a nice heavy thud as the ball and club come together. The PDHY will launch a little higher for players who need it while the PUDI offers a more penetrating ball flight. Both utility irons could be the cure for an open spot in the top end of the bag.

PUDI, PDHY, or Rescue?

TaylorMade offers the following notes to assist golfers in filling out their bags:

  • PUDI has mid-CG right behind the center face to create a more penetrating mid-to-low ball flight
  • PDHY has a lower center of gravity to produce an easier-to-launch mid-to-high ball flight.
  • Both PUDI and PDHY are lower-flying than the company’s hybrid/Rescue clubs.
  • PUDI is more forgiving than P790.
  • PDHY is the most forgiving iron in the entire TaylorMade iron family

Pricing, specs, and availability

Price: $249.99

At retail: Now

Stock shafts: UST Mamiya’s Recoil DART (105 X, 90 S and 75 R – only in PDHY)

Stock grip: Golf Pride’s ZGrip (black/grey)

PUDI lofts: 2-17°, 3-20°, 4-22° in both left and right-handed

PDHY lofts: 2-18°, 3-20° and 4-22° in both left and right-handed

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