Golfing News & Blog Articles

Spirit of the Game: Jon Rahm’s Spanish Breakthrough

July 5, 2021

Torrey Pines delivered again. Seventy-second hole. Birdie putt. A delirious crowd going wild for one of the pre-championship favorites.

Thirteen years ago, it was Tiger Woods who delivered the “Expect anything different” putt heard around the world.

On a cool, overcast Sunday in 2021, it was Jon Rahm hammering home the most memorable 24-foot birdie putt of his young career, one that gave the fiery Spaniard a one-stroke victory over Louis Oosthuizen in the 121st U.S. Open Championship.

The heckling has been going on for weeks. On Tuesday, they finally meet on the golf course, where Rodgers' future, DeChambeau's breakup with his caddie and so much more could be put on the table alongside their golf games.

It is estimated that roughly 10 percent of all golfers in the U.S. maintain a handicap. With a total golfing population approaching 25 million, that means we’re really looking at a pool of about 2.5 million golfers.

It’s not surprising that most golfers don’t have a registered handicap. The vast majority play recreationally, may (or may not) keep score and kinda/sorta follow the Rules of Golf.

All that aside, here are a couple of nuggets you might find interesting.

Citing the most recent USGA data, the average index for men is 16.4. For women, it’s 27.3.

Fewer than 2% of all male golfers are scratch (0.0 index) or better. For female golfers, that number drops to 0.7%.

A professional golfer and two other men were killed in a shooting at an Atlanta-area country club and the suspect is still at large, authorities said.

After a dominant run, Ko had failed to finish in the top 10 in four of her previous five starts before Sunday.

Merritt missed a 6-foot par putt on the fifth hole of a playoff at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, which gave Davis the victory.

Cameron Beckman ran off five straight birdies to start the back nine and then held on at the end for a 4-under 68 and a one-shot victory over Ernie Els in the Dick's Sporting Goods Open in New York Sunday, his first title on the PGA Tour Champions.

Australian golfer Lucas Herbert completed a wire-to-wire victory at the Irish Open on Sunday, shooting 4-under 68 in the final round to win by three strokes.

Jin Young Ko chipped in for eagle on the par-4 15th and finished a bogey-free 32-hole Saturday in near darkness with a one-stroke lead in the Volunteers of America Classic in Texas.

Troy Merritt aced the 219-yard 11th hole at Detroit Golf Club and shot a 5-under 67 on Saturday for a share of the lead with Joaquin Niemann in the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Michigan.

Ernie Els opened a three-stroke lead Saturday in the Dick's Sporting Goods Open, reeling off five straight birdies on the front nine in a 7-under 65.

Australia's Lucas Herbert fired a two-under-par 70 to take a one shot lead over American Johannes Veerman heading into the final round of the Irish Open.

The graphite composite/multi-material putter shaft is far from ubiquitous. However, things are changing.

Callaway nearly made it mainstream with Stroke Lab. Bryson has 14 graphite shafts in the bag, including an LA Golf Partners putter shaft.

The most recent addition to the growing cadre of steel alternative putter shafts is the second generation of MC Putter shaft from Fujikura.

While it may not come with a side of fries or a plastic toy, the MC Putter is yet another option that suggests that maybe, just maybe, the future of shafts is graphite.

But, because it’s tough to evaluate a putter shaft without, well, the putter, we have a little bonus. Each selected tester will receive a Fujikura MC putter shaft and Evnroll V-Series putter head.

Overnight leader, Australia's Lucas Herbert, opened up a two-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Irish Open on Friday.

Castren shot a 5-under 66 after a six-hour storm delay in the second round of the Volunteers of America Classic.

Niemann and Lewis each shot 3-under 69 on Friday to reach 10-under heading into the weekend.

Phil Mickelson says he would consider coming back to Detroit if enough fans signed a petition and committed to doing a random act of kindness.

Bernhard Langer had a borrowed putter and a backup caddie Friday in the Dick's Sporting Goods Open, but he still shot a 5-under 67, leaving him a stroke behind first-round leader Wes Short Jr.

People Who Play the Game—NCGA CEO Joe Huston Interview With Frank LaRosa

July 2, 2021

Recently, NCGA CEO Joe Huston sat down with Northern California golf media icon Frank LaRosa to talk about the state of the game. Among the topics covered were the NCGA’s new Mission Statement, which focuses on diversity and inclusiveness. Huston also talked about how the NCGA is helping its members to enjoy the game more. The interview appeared on LaRosa’s ‘Golf to Go” show on KHTK 1140 Sports Radio.



Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, saying he "will take all the necessary precautions to ensure the health and safety of others," has withdrawn from the Rocket Mortgage Classic after testing positive for COVID-19.