This weekend’s 32nd annual Chicago Golf Show will be highlighted by Lee Trevino’s two appearances on Saturday, but much more will be going on than that during the event’s three-day run at the Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont.
Winner of six major championships and 29 tournaments on the PGA Tour, Trevino will be joined by Australian David Graham on the main stage at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday. Graham, winner of the 1979 PGA Championship and 1981 U.S. Open, will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame this summer.
Their appearances will be sandwiched in between an array of teaching seminars and booths manned by resorts, courses and golf organizations from around the country. Even with snow on the ground, the Chicago Golf Show has become the unofficial start to the Chicago season, and the first 1,000 attendees each day will receive ticket vouchers for July’s Encompass Championship — the annual Champions Tour event at North Shore Country Club in Glenview.
The Illinois PGA has always played a major role in the Show, and this year its role has expanded with the creation of the IPGA Village where instruction will be the focus.
For Michael Miller, the IPGA executive director, it’ll also be the time to announce major changes for this summer’s Illinois Open. The IPGA has long been looking for ways to expand the premier tournament for Illinois residents, and Miller will remain mum on the subject until Friday’s show-starting luncheon.
Miller had a busy few months since most of the courses called it a season in November. He had to hire a new tournament director after Jared Nowak opted to leave the golf industry following a five-year stint on the job. His replacement will be Robert Duke, who had been running the junior programs for the Northern California Golf Assn.
Though the site of the Illinois Open remains a mystery, the IPGA did announce the move of one of its other four major tournaments. October’s IPGA Players Championship will return to Eagle Ridge, in Galena. It had been held the last two years at Metamora Fields.
In addition, three of the best-established area club professionals — Jim Holmes at Ravinia Green in Riverwoods, Bruce Carson of Onwentsia in Lake Forest and Paul Colton at Chicago’s Ridgemoor – announced their retirements. Holmes was the IPGA’s Professional of the Year in 2014.
Their departures triggered an unusually large transition within the IPGA ranks, with at least 12 new head professionals taking over pro shops in 2015. Nick Papadakes moved from Old Elm in Highland Park to replace Carson and John Warkentien, who had been an assistant at Crooked Stick, replaced Holmes. Among the other newly-named head pros were David Fazio, at Eaglewood in Itasca; Phillip Lenz, at Bartlett Hills; Jason Mannina, at Deerfield; and Joshua Weaver, at Deerpath in Lake Forest.
Additionally, two of the top players in the IPGA ranks, Frank Hohenadel and Rich Dukelow, changed jobs as assistant pros. Hohenadel left Midlothian for Westmoreland, in Wilmette, and Dukelow shifted from Cantigny, in Wheaton, to Medinah.
The Chicago District Golf Assn. will also have a significant presence at the Show. The CDGA will hold a putting contest in conjunction with its membership drive and will announce its Member Days schedule on Sunday. It’ll include new stops at Lost Dunes in Michigan and Flossmoor Country Club.
Show hours are noon to 7 p.m. on Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Golf trails are nothing new. Courses and clubs have formed marketing partnerships for years with varying degrees of impact. Golfers of all abilities have enjoyed Riviera for 62 years.
In the United States alone there are at least 50 trails. Texas has five separate of them. Colorado Golf Trails is one marketing entity, but it promotes 10 different trails within that state, and some of those trails have as many of 12 courses. Go to http://www.golftrips.com/golftrails/ to check out the various trails out there.
Most famous is probably the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, which unites 11 Alabama golf facilities. It’s been a rousing commercial success, but some of the “trails’’ amount to nothing more than websites.
I’ve played all the courses on Indiana’s Pete Dye Golf Trail and some courses on a few of the others, including the Robert Trent Jones. This winter, though, I’ve been introduced to one that is different – and in some ways better – than all the others.
The Florida Historic Golf Trail is a collection of about 50 courses. Most were established between 1897 and 1949. All have been publicly accessible for at least 50 years and remain open to the public. Some have been at least partially updated. Some have conditioning issues. Some have retained much of their old-time charm. All would be worth a visit.
One good way to get a feel for an unfamiliar area is to play its golf courses. While I’ve played only five courses on the Florida Historic Golf Tour, four this year, it’s my belief that you can generally get a very affordable golf experience along with a history lesson if you opt for a stop on this list of links. A fountain in the pond beside the No. 15 green shows Riviera has changed with the times.
Florida’s golf history is one of the oldest in the nation, and courses on this trail are spread throughout the state. They’re listed at FloridaHistoricGolfTrail.com, and the site greatly enhances a visit to one of the courses because it provides historic details on each layout and the area surrounding it.
For instance:
Riviera Country Club, in Ormond Beach, started as the cornerstone of a housing development called Rio Vista on the Halifax in 1924. About all that’s left from that development are the elaborate arches that formed the entryway. The Meyers family has owned Riviera since 1953 and it’s the home of the longest-standing mini-tour event in the country, the Riviera Open, which made its debut in 1960.
New Smyrna Golf Club in New Smyrna Beach, might be the last 18-hole course designed by legendary architect Donald Ross. Now a municipal course, New Smyrna lists its opening in 1948 — though the Donald Ross Society says it was a year earlier. Only one other Ross designs, Lianerch-McGovern in Haverton, Pa., was listed in 1948 by the Society. Ross died on April 26 of that year.
Ross, who designed over 400 courses world-wide — most notably Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina, N.C. — was in the process of completing his last course at Raleigh (N.C.) Country Club at the time of his death.
Other Ross courses are included on the Florida Heritage Golf Trail. Palatka was another that I played. Ross designed it in 1925 and it’s been the home of the Florida Azalea Amateur since 1958.
The Bobby Jones Golf Complex in Sarasota also had a Ross influence, but a relatively minor one. He designed the first 18 of the 45 holes now there. The nines of Ross’ course are now split among the two existing 18-holers and a nine-hole executive course is named in honor of Scottish-born Colonel John Hamilton Gillespie. Gillespie built a two-hole practice course in Sarasota in 1886 and because of it the city has claimed to be “the Cradle of American Golf.’’
While Ross courses are prominent, other famous designers like Seth Raynor and Tom Bendelow have courses on the trail as well.
Another course in the mix is Dubsdread, in Orlando. The late Joe Jemsek liked the name so much he used it for his famed No. 4 course at Cog Hill in Lemont, IL. – for 20 years the site of the PGA Tour’s Western Open. Orlando’s Dubsdread was a PGA Tour site, too. It hosted the Orlando Open from 1945-47 and such legendary players as Patty Berg, Jimmy Demaret, Sam Snead and Babe Zaharias were frequent visitors in the 1940s and 1950s.
A Chicago architect named W.D. Clark designed the Jacksonville Beach Golf Links in 1928. Ten years later Golf Magazine rated it with Pebble Beach, Oakmont and Pine Valley as among the hardest courses in the nation. That course eventually became what is now the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club’s Ocean Course. The Italian restaurant inside the New Smyrna Beach clubhouse isn’t your ordinary post-round pub.
All these places have a different feel about them, something you don’t find at the newer facilities.
The Florida Department of State created this golf trail with funds from the National Park Service. The courses on the trail, strangely, haven’t embraced their membership as much as they could. The promotional literature consists simply of a scorecard listing of the courses, with places to record the date and score posted for each round. Those promotional scorecards were hard to find at some of the courses we visited.
One aspect of this ongoing golfing adventure is noteworthy, however. Most of our nearly 20 rounds played this winter were on much newer courses, and there was rarely a delay in play on any of them. That wasn’t the case in our visits to Palatka, Riviera or New Smyrna. Those courses may be old, but they were packed with people having a good time and many of them were staying after their rounds to socialize in the clubhouses. There’s a message there some place.
The U.S. Golf Assn. has finally committed to holding a national championship for senior women players, though the first such tournament won’t be held until 2018.
While the USGA conducts 13 national championships, the first U.S. Senior Women’s Open was long overdue. The only other major event for senior women is put on by the LPGA Legends Tour, and it’s limited to professionals only. There will be plenty of differences between that one and the first U.S. Senior Women’s Open.
The Legends Championship has been played the last two years at the Pete Dye Course in French Lick, Ind., which is also the site of the Legends Hall of Fame. The Legends event is over 54 holes; the first U.S. Senior Women’s Open will be over 72 holes.
Players can ride in the Legends event, won the first two years by Lorie Kane and Laurie Rinker. As per USGA tradition in open championships, the Senior Women’s Open will be walking-only. And, of course, the Legends is for former LPGA players while both amateurs and professionals can compete in the Senior Women’s Open.
Age requirements could be the most significant difference, however. The Legends Tour is for players 45 and over. The Women’s Senior Open is for players 50 and over.
Those differences will be the subject of discussion leading into the first Senior Women’s Open but, in the end, they may not matter all that much. The big thing is, senior women finally have their own open championship and another designated “major.’’ That figures to be a big boost for the serious players in that segment of golfers.
USGA president Tom O’Toole made the long-awaited announcement at the USGA’s annual meeting in New York.
“We have studied and discussed the need for this championship for many years, and now we can celebrate its introduction,’’ said O’Toole.
The field size and prize breakdown for the first Senior Women’s Open haven’t been set. No dates or sites have been determined, either.
For comparison purposes, the LPGA Legends Tour will start its 15th season in March. It’ll have nine tournaments, but only the LPGA Legends Championship will be as long as 54 holes. It offered $500,000 in prize money the last two years and its third staging will be Aug. 28-30, also at French Lick.
The Senior Women’s Open will become the 14th national championship conducted by the USGA.
“We feel strongly that factors such as the international strength of the LPGA and the increasing number of age eligible quality competitors from around the world, as well as the growth of women’s golf, are key to reaching this historical announcement,’’ said Mike Davis, the USGA executive director. “We hope this new championship will inspire both amateurs and professionals.’’
The U.S. Golf Assn. has finally committed to holding a national championship for senior women players. Though long overdue, that’s good news. French Lick’s Pete Dye Course hosts the only major championship for senior women now, but that will change in 2018.
On the other hand, the first such tournament won’t be held until 2018 and there will be differences between the first U.S. Senior Women’s Open and the only other major event for senior women, which is put on by the LPGA Legends Tour.
The Legends Championship has been played the last two years at the Pete Dye Course in French Lick, Ind., which is also the site of the Legends Hall of Fame. The Legends event is over 54 holes; the first U.S. Senior Women’s Open will be over 72 holes.
Players can ride in the Legends event, won the first two years by Lorie Kane and Laurie Rinker. As per USGA tradition in open championships, the Senior Women’s Open will be walking-only. And, of course, the Legends is for former LPGA players while both amateurs and professionals can compete in the Senior Women’s Open.
Age requirements could be the most significant difference, however. The Legends Tour is for players 45 and over. The Women’s Senior Open is for players 50 and over.
Those differences will be the subject of discussion leading into the first Senior Women’s Open but, in the end, they may not matter all that much. The big thing is, senior women finally have their own open championship and another designated “major.’’ That figures to be a big boost for the serious players in that segment of golfers.
USGA president Tom O’Toole made the long-awaited announcement at the USGA’s annual meeting in New York.
“We have studied and discussed the need for this championship for many years, and now we can celebrate its introduction,’’ said O’Toole.
The field size and prize breakdown for the first Senior Women’s Open haven’t been set. No dates or sites have been determined, either.
For comparison purposes, the LPGA Legends Tour will start its 15th season in March. It’ll have nine tournaments, but only the LPGA Legends Championship will be as long as 54 holes. It offered $500,000 in prize money the last two years and its third staging will be Aug. 28-30, also at French Lick.
The Senior Women’s Open will become the 14th national championship conducted by the USGA.
“We feel strongly that factors such as the international strength of the LPGA and the increasing number of age eligible quality competitors from around the world, as well as the growth of women’s golf, are key to reaching this historical announcement,’’ said Mike Davis, the USGA executive director. “We hope this new championship will inspire both amateurs and professionals.’’
OCALA, FL. – The first event of the LPGA’s 66th season wasn’t held very far from the site of the circuit’s very first tournament, in 1950. That one was at Palma Cella Country Club in Tampa.
The 2015 debut also wasn’t far from the organization’s headquarters. It was played at Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club, a beautiful facility nestled in the horse country of northwestern Florida. It’s about 100 miles from Palma Cella and it’s not much further to LPGA headquarters in Daytona Beach. Golden Ocala offered everything the LPGA needed for its season opener.
This season opener, though, was an indication of how far the LPGA has come, and the inaugural Coates Championship could trigger the biggest year yet for the premier women’s circuit.
The event drew great crowds, and organizers had no problem recruiting over 850 volunteers to help in putting the tournament on. The competition was excellent, as well. South Korea’s Na Yeon Choi captured her eighth win on the LPGA Tour, shooting a final round 68 to finish at 16 under par 272 and one better than 17-year old sensation Lydia Ko, Jessica Korda and Ha Na Jang.
That gave Choi the $225,000 top prize. Ko, though, gave the tournament a place in history. Her second-place finish in the Coates Championship boosted her to No. 1 in the Rolex World Rankings. That made Ko the youngest golfer — male or female — to reach No. 1.
LPGA commissioner Mike Whan called the whole Golden Ocala experience “impressive.”
“We could not be happier with the response we received,” said Whan. “The spectator support has been among the best on the LPGA Tour.”
This LPGA opener represented a departure from recent years, when the circuit usually played its first tournament outside of the U.S. (Four of this year’s first five events, though, will still be beyond U.S. borders – in the Bahamas, Australia, Thailand and Singapore).
The Coates Championship at Golden Ocala didn’t have the traditional Thursday-Sunday run. This one started on Wednesday and concluded on Saturday to avoid a conflict with the Super Bowl. Coates Golf’s sleek, black clubs are an intriguing new addition to the golf marketplace.
Coates also wasn’t your usual golf tournament sponsor. It’s a golf equipment manufacturer that is new to the market. Mollie and Randall Coates are Golden Ocala members who entered the golf business only recently. After several years of planning the Coates introduced their products at the 62nd PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando a week before hosting their tournament.
The big launching came at the LPGA season opener – and that was most appropriate. Coates Golf is producing clubs made strictly for women. Other companies have offered “women’s clubs’’ over the years but not like the slick black ones that Coates put on the market. Theirs aren’t men’s clubs with adjustments made for women. This club-maker is all about producing equipment strictly for women.
Coates clubs, understandably, haven’t caught on with the top players yet. Only Alexandria Jacobsen, who lives in Palm City, FL., and got into the tournament on a sponsor’s exemption, played their clubs in the LPGA opener. But women golfers will learn about Coates clubs quickly, now. The company isn’t just sponsoring this one tournament. Coates has signed on to sponsor LPGA events for two more years.
The company has a full line of its sleek black and golf-colored clubs available along with bags, towels, gloves and hats. A full apparel line is expected to be offered in the fall.
For its first tournament Coates chose an interesting place that has more advantages than just being close to home. Golden Ocala’s 6,541-yard par-72 course was designed by well-regarded Florida architect Ron Garl. His creation includes eight tribute holes, three of which are patterned after holes at Augusta National – the Georgia site of the Masters every April. Golden Ocala has its own Road Hole, which is much like the famous one at St. Andrews in Scotland.
Garl’s other tribute holes were patterned after holes at St. Andrews, Royal Troon, Muirfield and Baltusrol. Golden Ocala also has a 10-acre short game area and two practice holes in addition to its spacious driving range. It wasn’t exactly a mystery to the 120 LPGA players who showed up. Golden Ocala was the site of the Golden Flake Classic, a stop on the LPGA’s Futures Tour 20 years ago. Australian Karrie Webb made that event her first professional victory, and she was also in the field for the Coates Championship.
The field had other noteworthy players in the $1.5 million tournament, since 19 of the top 20 in the Rolex Rankings, nine of the top 10 on the 2014 money list and 28 of last year’s tournament champions competed in the Coates Championship.
Of more historical note, the LPGA had two African American players in one tournament for the first time since 1971 when Cheyenne Woods and Sadena Parks earned places on the tee sheet. Woods, nephew of Tiger Woods, made her debut as an LPGA member. She earned playing privileges at last fall’s Qualifying School. Park earned her privileges off her play on the Symetra Tour in 2014.
Though several others have played in tournaments on sponsor exemptions over the years, Woods and Parks are only the fifth and sixth African American players in the history of the LPGA. The first was the great tennis player, Althea Gibson, who competed on the golf circuit from 1964-71. Renee Powell had the longest such run, from 1967-80 and LaRee Sugg was on the circuit for two stints, from 1995-97 and 2000-01. Prior to Woods and Parks and last African American woman to play as an LPGA qualifier was Shasta Averyhardt in 2011.
The Coates Championship was the first of 34 tournaments on the LPGA schedule. The circuit will have a record 390 hours of television coverage on NBC and The Golf Channel.
The recently-concluded PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, FL., (SHOW WAS JAN. 20-23) with Chicago’s two major club manufacturers playing lead roles.
Batavia-based Tour Edge got its usual jump on the competition by formally introducing its line of new irons and putters a day ahead of the 62-year old main event, which drew 40,000 attendees and had over 1,000 exhibitors at its four-day run at the Orange County Convention Center.
David Glod, who founded Tour Edge out of his own garage in 1986, has held his season preview a day ahead of the show the last 10 years. This time he admitted “there’s so many new products it’s almost daunting.’’
The key to Tour Edge’s new club offerings is “robotic laser beam bonding.’’ You’ll be hearing more about that as the season progresses.
Wilson celebrated its centennial in 2014 but Tim Clarke, head of the company’s golf division, thought the milestone year would be just a springboard for things to come.
“Our first century had an exciting finish with (Kevin) Streelman getting a birdie win (a record seven straight birds to finish off a victory at Hartford), Marcel Siem won in Europe and Padraig Harrington won in Asia,’’ said Clarke. “But 2015 will be our best yet. Our product line is as good as we’ve ever had.’’
In addition to unveiling its new clubs and golf balls, Wilson announced the additions of Troy Merritt and Brendan Steele to its staff of touring pros and introduced the latest in its popular four-year TV ad campaign, “Seriously!’’ that features Guy Johnson.
According to PGA of America estimates, if you walked through every mile of the Orlando show to check out all the offerings relative to instruction, fashion, equipment, accessories and technology you would have covered about 10 miles. The two Chicago shows coming up in February won’t be nearly that big, of course.
The Tinley Park Golf Expo runs Feb. 6-8 and the Chicago Golf Show, bolstered by new presenting sponsor Encompass Insurance, will be staged Feb. 27-March 1. By the time they’re over there might well be enough snow off the ground to allow for play on at least some of the Chicago courses. At least one can only hope.
At any rate, this is my opportunity to reveal the products I found the most interesting in Orlando. They underscore how inventive and innovative the people in the golf industry really are.
My favorite was GolfBoard, which brings the concept of surfing to golf. You ride an electric board and it feels similar to snowboarding, surfing or skateboarding. The GolfBoard carries one golfer, who is standing, and his bag. This device speeds up play and makes the player more active than he would be sitting in the traditional cart. Dave Weretka, long-time publisher of GolfChicago magazine is GolfBoard’s representative in the Chicago area.
Swing trainers are frequently innovative, and DST Golf introduced one that is literally and figuratively “Ahead of the Curve.’’ PGA Master Professional Nigel Blenkarne demonstrated how to use what looks like a pitching wedge with a bent shaft. The bent shaft would make the club illegal, according to the Rules of Golf. For practice and warmup, though, it’s fine and Blenkarne said “some PGA guys are practicing with it.’’
In addition to the bent shaft, the club has a white line on the clubhead and a wide, flat sole angle that encourages the proper swing for chip shots. It forces you to be in the optimal impact position.
Ray Rapcavage, a New Jersey resident who considers himself “a good amateur player,’’ brought along the Golf Swing Shirt – a striking orange pullover endorsed by Harrington, a three-time major champion, and teaching guru Jimmy Ballard. You put the Swing Shirt on over your own shirt, insert one arm at a time into the center sleeve and then head for the range.
You may look and feel funny, but those who tried Swing Shirt felt they were striking the ball with body turn rather than the flipping of the hands, and the hands were always slightly ahead of the ball at impact. That resulted in a more reliable motion through the ball.
Putting also traditionally inspires new products. Ed Klein, of Aberdeen, Wash., didn’t come with a new putter. He came with a new grip that could catch on as the USGA’s ban on anchored putting closes in for 2016. Klein’s Arm-Lock Converter Putter Grip. You simply have a new (bigger) grip installed on your present putter. It comes in two models – round and flat – and fits any putter. Klein says either model will make you an arm-lock putter and eliminate the issues presented by anchored putting.
Ball technology may be more ongoing than any area in golf, and OnCore Golf has come out with “the world’s only hollow metal core golf ball.’’ It just gained USGA approval last May.
ORLANDO, FL. – The PGA of America has been holding its Merchandise Show for 62 years. In recent years it’s been generally overwhelming, frequently chaotic and always informative. It’s also, for many, a hint that spring – and the heart of the golf season –isn’t all that far away.
This year’s PGA Merchandise Show at the Orange County Convention Center drew the usual 40,000 attendees and had over 1,000 exhibitors. According to PGA estimates, if you walked through every mile of the show and checked out all the offerings relative to instruction, fashion, equipment and technology you would have covered about 10 miles.
All the major manufacturers, of course, were on hand to introduce their new product lines. So were plenty of others who hoped that their products would captivate the golf industry in the months ahead. Some will, some won’t. Dave Weretka, GolfChicago publisher, is a big believer in the GolfBoard.
This is my opportunity to reveal the products I found the most interesting – not necessarily the best. The bottom line is, these products underscore once again how inventive and innovative the people in the golf industry really are.
My favorite from this 2015 show was also among the best. GolfBoard was selected Best New Product of the 2014 PGA Merchandise Show, but it’s still fairly new as far as even hard-core golfers are concerned.
GolfBoard brings the concept of surfing to golf. You ride an electric board and it feels similar to snowboarding, surfing or skateboarding. The company calls it GolfBoarding and insists it isn’t difficult to learn. The GolfBoard carries one golfer, who is standing, and his bag. In short, you “surf the earth’’ when you take it on the course.
The device speeds up play and makes the player more active than he would be sitting in the traditional cart. Dave Weretka, long-time publisher of GolfChicago magazine is GolfBoard’s representative in the Chicago area.
Damaged club? Nope, it’s DST’s Ahead of the Curve pitching wedge. SWING TRAINERS always underscore the creativity involved in golf. DST Golf introduced a warmup tool and practice club that is literally and figuratively “ahead of the curve.’’
PGA Master Professional Nigel Blenkarne demonstrated how to use what looks like a pitching wedge with a bent shaft. The bent shaft would make the club illegal, according to the Rules of Golf. For practice and warmup, though, it’s fine and Blenkarne said “some PGA guys are practicing with it.’’
In addition to the bent shaft, the club has a white line on the clubhead and a wide, flat sole angle that encourages the proper swing for chip shots. It forces you to be in the optimal impact position. DST also offers an 8-iron that is legal for competitive play.
Ray Rapcavage, a New Jersey resident who considers himself “a good amateur player,’’ brought along the Golf Swing Shirt – a striking orange pullover endorsed by three-time major champion Padraig Harrington and teaching guru Jimmy Ballard.
You put the Swing Shirt on over your own shirt, insert one arm at a time into the center sleeve and then head for the range. You may look and feel funny, but those who used the Swing Shirt on the huge circular practice range at Orange County National Golf Center felt they were striking the ball with body turn rather than the flipping of the hands, and the hands were always slightly ahead of the ball at impact. That resulted in a more reliable motion through the ball. At least one LPGA Tour player was intrigued enough by the product to take one home. The Swing Shirt keeps you from making a bad swing.
PUTTING also traditionally inspires new products. Ed Klein, of Aberdeen, Wash., didn’t come with a new putter. He came with a new grip that could catch on as the USGA’s ban on anchored putting closes in for 2016.
Klein’s product is the Arm-Lock Converter Putter Grip. You simply have a new (bigger) grip installed on your present putter. It comes in two models – round and flat – and fits any putter. Klein says either model will make you an arm-lock putter and eliminate the issues presented by anchored putting. The grip doesn’t require modifications to the loft of the putter but must be fitted properly.
Of course there are plenty of new putters on the market as well, the most unusual looking being produced by Cure – a company formed in 2013 by retired architect Steve Davis and Florida teaching pro Jeff Ryan.
Here’s what the OnCore ball looks like from the inside.Cure putters, which come in five models, feature a larger lightweight head with extreme heel/toe weighting. The creators claim that provides “unmatched stability, forgiveness and distance control.’’
BALL TECHNOLOGY may be more ongoing than any area in golf, and OnCore Golf has come out with “the world’s only hollow metal core golf ball.’’
The company, based in Buffalo, N.Y., claims it’s “the first major upgrade in golf ball design in decades.’’ The ball came out in 2009 but wasn’t approved by the U.S. Golf Assn. until last May.
“There was a little hesitation because of the technology involved,’’ said co-founder Curt Rogers. The creators claim it has perimeter weighting that leads to an increase in vertical spin and reduces a slice up to 30 percent.
ORLANDO, FL. — Chicago-based Wilson Sporting Good celebrated in 100th anniversary in 2014 and more good things could be coming down the road.
Guy Johnson spent a day signing autographs at Demo Day, the lead-in to the 62nd PGA Merchandise Show.Wilson certainly has had the most entertaining TV ad campaign in golf the last few years. The latest version of the “Seriously!’’ ads, featuring Guy Johnson, made its debut on Golf Channel during the 62nd PGA Merchandise Show at Orange County Convention Center.
“It was shot in Arizona about four months ago,’’ said Tim Clarke, president of Wilson’s golf division. “It’s funny, our best one yet. Guy does a wonderful job articulating our brand. These ads have taken a life of their own.’’
Johnson has been featured in the campaign for four years. Clarke gave a sneak preview of the latest creation.
“This commercial is about Guy Johnson imposters,’’ said Clarke. “The reality is, there’s only one Guy Johnson just like there’s only one Duo golf ball – the original low compression ball.’’
Johnson was the focal point of Wilson’s section at the Demo Day, posing for pictures and signing autographs for visitors. Clarke wasn’t surprised by Johnson’s popularity.
“We had an LPGA player with him at the first PGA Show that we brought him to,’’ said Clarke, “and Guy had a bigger line for autographs. That shows the power of TV.’’
The Demo Day had 100 participating companies, more than 300 hitting bays and four practice greens. An estimated 6,000 attendees made the trek to the 42-acre circular range at Orange County National Golf Center and Lodge and more than 150,000 shots were taken during the day designed for testing new equipment.
Masters champion Bubba Watson had a crowd five-deep watching his ball-striking demonstration that kicked off the Demo Day. Wilson doesn’t have a player of his caliber in its growing stable of touring pros, but the company has re-signed Kevin Streelman to a multi-year contract and has added up-and-coming PGA players Troy Merritt and Brendan Steele to its other stars – European-based Padraig Harrington and Marcel Siem, Illinois coach Mike Small and PGA journeyman Ricky Barnes.
“Our first century had an exciting finish, with Streelman setting a birdie win (seven straight to close out his victory at Hartford), Siem winning in Europe and Padraig in Asia,’’ said Clarke. “But 2015 will be our best yet. Our product line is as good as we’ve ever had.’’
Staying in one place for very long isn’t easy for a golf touring pro. Carlos Sainz Jr. was able to do it from Thanksgiving through New Year’s, when he spent most of the holiday season with family and friends in Elgin. Now, however, the PGA Tour rookie is on the road again and looking forward to the opportunities immediately ahead.
Though he’s calling Ponte Vedra, FL., his home base now – it’s where the PGA Tour headquarters are located – Sainz made a stopover to visit his brother Michael in Phoenix this week before heading to what he expects will be his first tournament of 2015, the Sony Open in Hawaii.
Michael, at 25 four years younger than Carlos, also has tour aspirations. He’s playing on the Arizona mini-tours now. Carlos knows all about that. The Larkin High School graduate succeeded in the small pro tournaments after finishing college at Mississippi State, then moved through the smaller tours to make it to golf’s big time. But he still isn’t able to play every week.
“For me it’s all about being ready to play whenever I get in a tournament so that I can establish a schedule for the rest of year,’’ said Sainz. “I’m trying to do my job, like everyone else. I’m young, working hard, looking forward to what I do and cherishing it.’’
Sainz has a history of playing good at the right times. He finished out 2013 with a win in on the Canadian PGA Tour, a runner-up finish in the Illinois Open and a victory in the Chicago Open. Those events led to him earning playing privileges on the PGA’s Web.com Tour.
In 2014 he had just one top-10 finish on the PGA Tour’s satellite circuit, but finished strong in the Web.com Playoffs to earn his PGA Tour card for the 2014-15 season.
Under its new split-season schedule the PGA circuit started with six events prior to the New Year. With limited playing status Sainz got into only three of them and missed the cut in two. But he had one strong showing, a tie for ninth in the Sanderson Farms Championship in Mississippi, that earned him $100,000 – more than he had earned in the entire Web.com season. That one good tournament boosted his playing position from No. 49 at the start of the PGA Tour season to No. 35 on the PGA Tour’s eligibility list.
New players are subject to re-shuffling of their tournament eligibility based on their immediate play, and the big jump in status means Sainz can get his PGA Tour career off to a fast start.. He will be in the field at the Sony Open in Hawaii, which tees off on Thursday, and will get into the first three events of the circuit’s California swing – the Humana Challenge, Farmers Insurance Open and AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
He’s also pushing to get into the fourth and final stop in California, the Northern Trust Open, via a sponsor’s exemption. He hopes that the Chicago-based tourney sponsor will look kindly on a Chicago player when invitations are handed out. The second re-shuffle of new players will be made after the Northern Trust Open.
The PGA’s top players usually fill the field at Phoenix (Waste Management Open in February) and then turn out in big numbers for the Florida tournaments in March. Sainz may find it difficult to get into those events.
“I’m not sure which tournaments I’ll get into by then,’’ said Sainz. But he knows he’ll get into plenty of them if he plays well the next two months, and there’s another, more long-range incentive to consider. It’s not unrealistic to think he could compete in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil when golf returns to the Games.
Sainz’ parents are from the Philippines and Bolivia. As “a token of respect’’ he acquired dual citizenship in the Philippines when he played in a tournament there and he plans to apply for similar status in Bolivia. That would make Sainz eligible to play for those countries, neither of which is rich in golf touring pros.
WINDERMERE, FL. – Tiger Woods’ return to competitive golf figured to be the most noteworthy event in the sport last week. Now, maybe it wasn’t.
Woods played hurt, and tied for last in his Hero World Challenge at Isleworth. Just an hour away his niece, Cheyenne Woods, earned her playing privileges on the LPGA Tour in the Qualifying School’s 90-hole elimination in Daytona Beach. She’ll be a focal point on the women’s circuit at times next season.
And that’s not all that may have overshadowed the Tiger return. Jordan Spieth’s victory at Isleworth was astounding — a 10-shot win on the heels of his six-shot victory in last week’s Australian Open.
And that still wasn’t all. John Daly announced his engagement, then won his first tournament in 10 years at the Beko Classic in Turkey. Padraig Harrington, whose world ranking had dropped to No. 385, won his first tournament since the 2008 PGA Championship by taking the Bank BRI Indonesia Open and English golfer Danny Willett overtook Luke Donald in the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa.
Still, that was a great showing by Donald — on his 37th birthday after his world ranking had dropped to No. 37. Donald shot 63 in the third round and was the 54-hole leader before struggling to a 73 in the final round. His strong showing came shortly after he announced he’s working again with Pat Goss, his college coach at Northwestern.
As for Woods, at least he’s playing again — and healthy. That suggests he’ll be a factor during the rest of the 2014-15 season.
When Woods hosted his World Challenge in 2013 he was the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world. A lot has changed since then for the player whose success, many claim, is critical to the growth of the game.
Woods lost the title of his own charity tournament in a playoff with Zach Johnson a year ago, when the event was played in California, and his year went downhill from there. This year the main storyline of the World Challenge figured to be Woods more than the competition. Could he come back again after all that happened?
Unfortunately, no definitive answer came from the Hero World Challenge. He was understandably rusty (as underscored by nine chunked chip shots during the course of the 72 holes), but Wood was also sick during most of the tournament — so sick, in fact, that he experienced vomiting and nausea on the course.
Still, he finished at even par and in a tie with Hunter Mahan for 17th in the star-studded 18-player field. If a sick Tiger can do that, what can a healthy one do down the road? Time will tell.
At least Woods wasn’t deflated by the slow start in his first tournament back.
“I made some progress. I hadn’t played in four months, and I’m in absolutely no pain,” said Woods. “That’s nice.”
What was even nicer Spieth’s record 26-under-par 262 performance. The score was a tournament record, and Spieth became the first wire-to-wire winner of Woods’ charity event.
“The best I’ve ever played, which is what I said in the Media Center in Sydney (after his win in the Australian Open),” said Spieth. “I played better this week.”
The flu-like symptoms that Woods experienced at Isleworth didn’t compare to what he went through since the World Challenge of 2013. He had back surgery on March 31 and tried to salvage the 2013-14 PGA Tour season but his attempt was futile. He was in too much pain.
During the season he played in only eight tournaments world-wide, and his best finish was a tie for 25th place. That’s why he entered this week’s newly-named Hero World Challenge with just a No. 24 world ranking. A motorcyle manufacturer based in India, has taken over sponsorship of Tiger Woods’ charity event.
Still, hopes were high for the game’s long-time No. 1 player who turns 39 on Dec. 30. The Challenge was his first competitive event since he limped off the Valhalla course in Louisville after missing the cut in the PGA Championship in August.
Since then Woods underwent extensive rehab on his back, rarely touching a golf club until the last few weeks. He dropped swing coach Sean Foley and named Chris Como his“swing consultant.’’ Together they’ve begun work on a swing change to accommodate his potentially vulnerable back.
There’s been one big positive for Woods recently, too. He landed his biggest endorsement contract since his fall from grace in the aftermath of the car crash in the Isleworth community here five years ago. Hero Moto Corp, a motorcycle manufacturer based in India, will pay Woods upwards of $6 million per year for the next four years as part of his latest endorsement deal.
Woods has never ridden a motorcycle, and said he doesn’t intend to, but he was photographed sitting on his new sponsor’s products this week. Hero will continue sponsorship of Woods’ World Challenge, which will be played in the Bahamas the next three years. Next year’s Challenge will be played at the luxury resort Albany, which is jointly owned by Woods, Ernie Els and the Tavistock Group — the developer of Isleworth. Els designed the course at Albany.
All looked good in the world of Tiger before the first ball was struck on the long, challenging Isleworth layout on Thursday. Woods looked lean and strong, suggesting he had lost weight during the rehab. He was in good spirits. The back, he said, felt fine. He said he had regained his explosiveness and just needed to hit more balls. Tiger Woods was closely followed on Isleworth’s jumbotron, but the real Hero has been Jordan Spieth.
That became obvious as soon as it was time to compete. His first tee shot on Thursday went out of bounds. He made bogeys on his first two holes and added another on a par-5. That put him in a hole early and he never got out of it, shooting 77 in his first round back.
Patrick Reed and Woods were the first twosome off the tee in Round 2 and their games couldn’t have been much different. Reed was 8-under-par after 10 holes and envisioned shooting in the 50s. He settled for a course-record 63 and didn’t considered the disparity in scores — Woods improved to a 70 — as a cause for concern for his playing partner.
“His game seemed fine,” said Reed. “Of course he didn’t like the score he had. He had a couple loose shots out there, but he knows what he’s doing.”
Tiger Woods used to be Isleworth’s premier golf-playing resident. Now it might be Bubba Watson, who owns Tigers’ former home.
Woods did admit that his latest swing change hasn’t fully kicked in yet.
“The good news is, I know the process,’’ said Woods. “I’ve
made changes before in my game, and it takes time.’’
Steve Stricker, like Woods, had been on rehab duty and was in his first competition in three months. He had 67 in the first round but struggled after that and was paired with Woods in the third round.
The hip that had troubled Stricker most of the 2013-14 season turned out to be a herniated disc in his back. He could sympathize with Woods’ plight.
“There’s a comfort level with this game, and if you don’t have that comfort it’s difficult to play,’’ said Stricker. “So, it’ll take some time, I’m sure…It’ll be a challenge for Tiger, but he’ll be fine.’’
Woods finished the third round with three straight birdies while posting a 69 — his best round of the week. On Sunday he avoided solo ownership of last place by shooting a 72 that pulled him into a tie with Mahan.
So, while there were some positives, Woods may not be seen in competition for awhile now. Without giving specifics he said his schedule for 2015 will be a bit different than in previous years and that he expected to be very busy beginning in the middle of the year. Tiger Woods and his rivals had to deal with lots of challenging holes at Isleworth, but none was more striking than the bunker-filled sixth hole, a 411-yard par-4 that has been dubbed The Ledge.
