There is always a bit of a letdown after the Masters in April. But that is gone. With just two weeks before the year's next major, we reset things and figure out who's ready, who has work to do and more.
Golfing News & Blog Articles
Stay up-to-date on golfing news, products, and trends from around the world.
'Amazing Amy' set for history-making NJCAA run
Amy Bockerstette is set to become the first person with Down syndrome to compete for a collegiate title when she joins her Paradise Valley Community College teammates at the NJCAA national championships May 10-13.
NCGA Mourns the Loss of Past President Russ Bigelow
NCGA Mourns the Loss of Past President Russ Bigelow
May 3, 2021
The NCGA mourns the loss of past president Russell T Bigelow, who passed away on March 11, three days after his 90th birthday due to complications from stroke and dementia.
Born and raised in San Francisco, the second son of William and Edwina Bigelow, he was a lifelong 49ers fan. He graduated from Washington High in 1949 where he played baseball, basketball, and golf, the latter thanks to his brother, Bill who shared the game with him when he was 14 and it became a lifetime passion.
He attended the University of California, playing three years on the golf team and graduated in 1953 with a degree in accounting. While at Cal he met his future wife, C. Jean Dealey, on a blind date at Sather Gate. After college he and Jean married on Nov. 18 and they were married for over 55 years until her death in 2009.
Upon graduation from Cal he joined the Navy, using his accounting skills as the Disbursement Officer on the USS John Hancock, an aircraft carrier helping to develop the new catapult launch system for jet fighters. After his tour of active duty ended in 1955 he returned to San Francisco and was hired by the “Big 8” Accounting firm Peat, Marwick & Mitchell (today known as KPMG) where he worked for 32 years, becoming a partner. During this time dad and mom had three sons, Russell Jr. (Todd) in 1958, Craig in 1960, and Scott in 1963. He continued in the Naval Reserves and retired at the rank of Commander in 1991. He accepted a two-year transfer to the New York office of Peat, Marwick in 1967, and quickly returned when that was up, settling in Moraga in 1969 where he lived the rest of his life.
Nancy Lopez: Overcoming Obstacles
Nancy Lopez: Overcoming Obstacles
May 3, 2021
Nancy Lopez, who grew up in Roswell, New Mexico, began playing golf at the age of eight, with her father, Domingo Lopez, an avid golfer, as her coach.
Four years later, when she was 12, she won the New Mexico Women’s Amateur tournament. Lopez later told Richard Lemon in People Weekly, “I was so scared I always threw up. I carried a trash can with me. My dad told me, ‘If you’re going to play golf, you’ve got to get over being sick.’ I didn’t want to quit, so I decided to get over it.”
Lopez also faced other obstacles to her progress. Because her family was of Mexican descent, her parents were not allowed to join the Roswell Country Club and she had to play in Albuquerque, 200 miles away. A writer for Latino Sports Legends commented that her intense competitive drive and “the fact that she was a Mexican-American winning so many tournaments did not sit well with others, but that didn’t discourage her.”
Bettinardi and Big League Chew 2021
Bettinardi partners again with Big League Chew to release co-branded accessories and a limited-run putter.Only 12 of the Water Hazard Watermelon putters were produced.Available May 4 at 10 a.m. CST in The Hive at Bettinardi.com.
In what now looks to be an ongoing partnership, Bettinardi is once again releasing a Big League Chew-branded limited-run putter and line of accessories. The timing is pretty good as the 2021 Major League Baseball season is just underway. Big and Little Leaguers both agree that nothing says baseball like a dangerously large wad of Big League Chew in your cheek as you play.
Top of the Second
As I mentioned, this is the second year of the Bettinardi/Big League Chew partnership. For those of you who missed the previous explanation as to how this came to be, here’s a recap.
Founder and inventor of Big League Chew, Rob Nelson, and Founder and President of Bettinardi Golf, Robert J. Bettinardi, teamed up for a limited-edition release combining their two iconic brands. Brought to life by the team at Bettinardi Golf, the co-branded headcovers and golf products bring together our passion for golf and our love for the game of baseball, all the while paying tribute to the only gum ever to be featured at the National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum as well as being part of our childhood memories at the ballpark. Produced in the U.S.A., just like Big League Chew gum, this headcover serves as an inspiration to play well and have fun on the golf course.
This release knocks nostalgia right out of the park. Many of us played baseball as kids with our cheeks chipmunked with Big League Chew. I’m kind of itching for a pouch and a red rope right now.
Golfer’s Choice Survey Results
A few weeks ago, we asked you about the clubs in your bag. We called it the Golfer’s Choice Survey because we wanted to know which brands you chose to add to your bag most recently. The idea was to give us a sense of how brands are performing with our readers and to gauge what impact COVID has had on equipment replacement cycles.
It’s well-accepted that the typical replacement cycle (how frequently golfers replace their clubs) is three to six years, depending on the club category and how avid the golfer is. We’d expect the average MyGolfSpy reader falls on the shorter end of that range but, nevertheless, what that means is that in any given one-year period, approximately 15 to 30 percent of you will replace some of your clubs.
Drivers are replaced most often while fairway woods tend to linger more than five years. Data for hybrid replacement is sketchy as many golfers are still playing the first hybrid they bought. Even for avid golfers, the typical replacement cycle for wedges is just under four years. (That’s not good.)
Did you buck the trend over the last year?
More than 9,500 (9,640) of you completed our survey. Some of the numbers are eye-popping.
Weir wins 1st senior title when Daly hits into water
Former Masters champion Mike Weir won his first PGA Tour Champions event Sunday when he held steady with pars down the stretch for a 4-under 68 and let John Daly made the last mistake in the Insperity Invitational.
Burns wins by 3 at Valspar for first PGA Tour title
Eight times this season, Sam Burns has been atop the leaderboard after every round except the one that mattered. That changed, finally, at the Valspar Championship, as he finished with a 3-under 68 on Sunday for his first PGA Tour victory.
Burmester races to five-stroke win in Tenerife
South Africa's Dean Burmester captured his first European Tour title in just over four years on Sunday at the Tenerife Open.
Kim wins Singapore title after Green's bogey finish
Kim Hyo-joo won the HSBC Women's World Championship at Singapore's Sentosa Golf Club on Sunday as Australian Hannah Green bogeyed the last two holes to hand the South Korean victory.
Bradley, Burns stay tied with 1-shot Valspar lead
Keegan Bradley and Sam Burns put a positive spin on a sloppy finish Saturday at Innisbrook as they finished the day where they started: tied for the lead in the Valspar Championship.
Prestigious Pine Valley to allow women members
Pine Valley Golf Club, long held in high esteem in the golf community for its architectural features and stern test to high-end players, is set to break from tradition and allow women members for the first time.
Stan Smith Golf Shoe – One For The Memories
The Stan Smith Golf Shoe
The iconic Stan Smith silhouette is now a sustainable golf shoe. The first design was introduced to the world more than 50 years ago.
You might have seen his latest version covered in green for the first major which was received well by the public. Now Stan Smith and adidas have come out with a golf shoe for the classic and versatile golfer.
adidas is on a mission to end plastic waste by making shoes out of recycled materials and this shoe fit their mission. The Stan Smith has a PRIMEGREEN upper, PU cushioning in the midsole and the die-cut sockliner. Throw in a one-year waterproof warranty and you have the new Stan Smith golf shoe.
The shoe is available for purchase TODAY worldwide at $120 so grab yours while they last.
Stan Smith Golf Shoe
$120.00
The post Stan Smith Golf Shoe – One For The Memories appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
Lin Xiyu leads in Singapore heading into final day
China's Lin Xiyu carded a superb five-under-par 67 on Saturday to take a one-shot lead heading into the final day of the HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore.
Bradley eagles final hole for share of Valspar lead
Keegan Bradley ended his round with an eagle from 100 yards out Friday, putting him in a tie with Sam Burns for a four-shot lead at the Valspar Championship.
Mickelson misses cut, worried about lack of focus
Phil Mickelson said he is struggling to maintain focus on the golf course, which has kept him in a prolonged slump.
Von Dellingshausen has 3-shot lead in Tenerife
Germany's Nicolai von Dellingshausen took a three-shot lead of the Tenerife Open after matching a career-best 62 through the second round on Friday.
Rule of the Month: Making a Stroke
Rule of the Month: Making a Stroke
May 1, 2021
Topic Overview:
To help encourage prompt pace of play, the Rules now suggest making a stroke in no more than 40 seconds, and even quicker than that for most shots. In making a stroke, it must be free flowing, not anchored, and the ball must be struck with the head of the club. You may use a distance-measuring device to measure distance only, but it must not measure slope or other conditions that may assist you.
During a round, you must not ask for or give advice to anyone (except for your partner or caddie). You are also allowed to listen to music but should be considerate of other players on the course.
FAQs:
Can I anchor my putter to my body while making a stroke?May I play music?How long do I have to hit my shot?
Four Testers Wanted – Inesis Spikeless Shoe
The Inesis spikeless shoe is arguably one of the most comfortable pairs of golf kicks we’ve ever tested. In fact, the phrase, “walking on newborn kittens” is as apt a descriptor as any. (With apologies to cat lovers. No kittens were harmed in our testing.)
Additionally, it consistently ranks near or at the top of the “Best Value” category in Most Wanted testing.
With that said, we’d like to get some feedback from MyGolfSpy readers.
TESTERS WANTED
Matsuyama receives Prime Minister's Award
Hideki Matsuyama received the Prime Minister's Award in Tokyo on Friday for winning the Masters golf tournament.
