Former Masters champ Danny Willett withdrew from the Players Championship due to a positive COVID-19 test.
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U.S. Women’s Open at Olympic Club: Not Your Traditional Volunteer Staff
U.S. Women’s Open at Olympic Club: Not Your Traditional Volunteer Staff
March 9, 2021
By Rick Woelfel, from Golf Course Industry
The upcoming U.S. Women’s Open Championship, which is scheduled for the week of May 31-June 6 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, will be played amidst an assortment of historical overtones.
It marks the 76th anniversary of the most prestigious event in women’s golf. It will be the first women’s professional event contested at the historic Olympic Club, which has hosted 10 USGA national championships, including five U.S. Opens.
And it will also be an occasion for women in the turf industry to come together in support of the game they love and the industry that is their passion.
Troy Flanagan, the club’s director of golf maintenance, is planning to supplement of staff of 43 with 50 outside volunteers, about 25 to 28 of whom will be women.
Flanagan, who has been at The Olympic Club since 2014, began contemplating the idea of a more female volunteer corps around five years ago, after the club was officially designated as the host of this year’s Women’s Open.
“I just started thinking, ‘What a great thing to do,’” Flanagan says. “We have the Women’s Open, it’s our first women’s professional golf championship at The Olympic Club we’ve had so many great (championship events) over the years. It’s the first women’s event we’ve done.
“‘Why wouldn’t we want to do something like this?’ And not just make it a volunteer experience, but make it another kind of educational/networking event. Being able to volunteer, and help out, but then during the day, do other things as a group.”
When the pandemic hit last year, the concept had to be shelved until the USGA assured Flanagan that outside volunteers would be permitted on site during the championship. With that assurance, Flanagan reached out to Kimberly Gard, a territory manager for Syngenta, with whom he has an existing professional relationship. Gard started making phone calls and in relatively short order Flanagan had all the volunteers he needed and more. His list includes 31 women, 28 from the United States and three from Canada who, as of this writing, will unlikely be able to make the trip to San Francisco because of COVID-19 restrictions.
The respondents included a high school student who is looking to make a career in the turf industry. “She sent a nice letter to Kimberly saying how much it would mean to her to come and be a part of this,” Flanagan says. “Something like that is just super cool.”
Flanagan is envisioning a week that will see the volunteers not only assisting with the tournament but also taking advantage of educational and networking opportunities.
“The whole thought was they would volunteer in the morning,” Flanagan says. “Each late morning or afternoon it could be one of three things. It could just be a fun day, go out and watch golf relax. It could be a networking day, a day where they all get together and they have speakers. or a day where they get together and have a roundtable.”
Flanagan has drawn up a list of potential speakers for the event that includes several members of his club, including two-time U.S. Women’s Amateur champion, former LPGA Tour player and now television commentator Kay Cockerill; Marissa Marr, the club’s green chair; and 2012 U.S. Curtis Cup captain and veteran amateur competitor Dr. Pat Cornett.
Shannon Rouillard the USGA’s senior director for the U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Senior Women’s Open, will be on site during championship week. Flanagan is hoping to add her to a list of potential speakers as well. Rain Bird will join Syngenta as a sponsor of the program.
Flanagan has a lot on his plate between now and the Women’s Open. But he’s passionate about an event that he hopes that will encourage and inspire women who are currently involved in the turf industry and encourage others to follow in their footsteps.
“The more we can reach to women in the industry, all these different means of getting the word out, that’s what’s huge,” he says. “It’s going to be great for the women that come out, but (also) for everybody else to see that ‘Hey, this is happening, this is becoming more prominent.’ Why wouldn’t I want to do it?”
The post U.S. Women’s Open at Olympic Club: Not Your Traditional Volunteer Staff appeared first on Northern California Golf Association.
Rory: 'Weird' to defend Players' two years later
Rory McIlroy, who won the Players Championship in 2019, says it "feels weird" defending the tournament title two years later after last year's event was canceled due to the pandemic.
Canadian Open canceled for 2nd straight year
The RBC Canadian Open has been canceled for the second straight year because of circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
PGA Tour expects fans to follow mask mandates
Commissioner Jay Monahan says the PGA Tour is doing the best it can to enforce mask mandates among fans attending events during the ongoing pandemic.
PXG 0311 GEN4 Irons: The XCOR Factor
PXG 0311 GEN4 Irons – Key Takeways
PXG announces the fourth generation of its signature 0311 irons.Options include the 0311 T (for Tour), 0311 P (for Player) and 0311 XP (for Xtreme Performance).Big changes include an updated weighting system and new XCOR polymer material.Pricing is $349 per club. Presale starts March 9, ready to ship in early April.The new PXG 0311 GEN4 irons are, literally, a case of less being more.
Not something one would normally associate with PXG, is it?
So, what’s “less” on the PXG 0311 GEN4 irons? First of all, GEN4 represents less time between 0311 iterations than ever before. You’ll also notice there are also 44 percent fewer of PXG’s signature mini-weight screws in each iron.
And maybe the biggest less of all is the price tag. To be fair, we’re not talking TJ Maxx-level discounts here but 18-percent lower pricing than GEN3 definitely counts as less.
All of that less, according to PXG, equals more. More what? Let’s find out.
PXG 0341 X GEN4 Fairways and 0317 X GEN4 Hybrids
PXG has introduced its GEN4 fairway wood and hybrid lineup.Key technologies: AV carbon crown construction and two interchangeable weight portsRetail price is $429 (fairway) and $379 (hybrid).
Included in PXG’s GEN4 deployment are the 0341 X fairways and 0317 X hybrids.
As with the GEN4 driver collection, the pricing indicates where PXG wants to position its marquee line. Apparently, that range is a step below previous PXG offerings but a notch above other mainline brands.
PXG rarely does anything quietly. But one could argue that its fairway woods and hybrids have remained somewhat on the periphery of equipment discussions.
Part of that is likely because the success of a manufacturer’s metalwood line begins (and sometimes ends) with the driver. It might be the star of the show but it never hurts to have a solid supporting cast.
PXG 0811 GEN4 X, XF and XT Drivers
PXG has introduced its GEN4 driver lineup.The three models range from ultra-forgiving to specialized for high swing speed players.Retail price is $549.
The days of discounting the flagship lineup are over … at least for now. PXG’s new 0811 GEN4 drivers aren’t as spendy as their prior premium driver offerings but their release suggests they have designs on going toe-to-toe with the industry leaders on performance and price.
Toss in the 15 new player signings announced last week (the list includes Sung Kang, Danny Lee and Hudson Swafford) and every indication is that PXG is once again serious about becoming a significant player in the golf world.
Welcome back.
PXG 0811 GEN4 Driver Lineup
As has become the custom, the 0811 GEN4 driver lineup includes three models. The X and XF models occupy the same roles in the lineup as their GEN2 equivalents. The XT is an entirely new model. It’s reasonably distinct in the market and should garner some attention within its admittedly narrow target demographic.
What happened to Rickie Fowler?
He hasn't won in two years. He's tumbled down the world rankings. He isn't qualified for next month's Masters. What went wrong and can he find his way?
The Best Blade Putters of 2021 | NPG 75
Do you play a blade putter? More importantly, SHOULD you? Find out on today’s episode where we break down the best performing blade putters of 2021.
1:03 – The Best Blade Putters of 20213:25 – What to look for in a putter fitting12:57 – Who should play a blade putter?17:19 – Ping’s Stroke Type Study23:21 – 2021 Most Wanted Men’s Spiked Shoes27:28 – 2021 Most Wanted Women’s Spiked Shoes31:26 –Are Boas superior in securing your shoe?46:56 – Callaway’s new Chrome Soft X LS promises more tour, less spinWatch Now
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The post The Best Blade Putters of 2021 | NPG 75 appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
Dotch First African-American Woman PGA Member to Serve as GM of a Golf Facility
Dotch First African-American Woman PGA Member to Serve as GM of a Golf Facility
March 8, 2021
Maulana Dotch, PGA was named General Manager at Hermann Park Golf Course in Houston, becoming the first African-American woman PGA Member to serve as a General Manager of a golf facility.
A native of Irving, Texas, Dotch, 40, earned her PGA Membership in 2010. At the time, she was the second-ever African-American woman to become a PGA Member, following in the footsteps of her inspiration, golf trailblazer and PGA Hall of Fame Member Renee Powell. Dotch spent the past 12 years at Cedar Crest Golf Course in Dallas and served as PGA Head Professional since 2014.
In 2018, Dotch was selected for PGA LEAD, the Association’s leadership development program created to identify, mentor and progress PGA Members from diverse backgrounds into volunteer leadership positions in the Association.
2021 MOST WANTED BLADE PUTTER
INDEPENDENT & UNBIASED
All products featured on MyGolfSpy are independently selected and tested by our staff. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
22
Products
Considered
80
Hours
Researched
10,560
Total
Putts
60.7m
Readers
Our Job is Your Game
The most comprehensive blade putter test of 2021 is complete.
At MyGolfSpy, our job is to provide independent, unbiased and objective testing so you can make more confident purchasing decisions. Our 2021 Most Wanted Blade test is an indispensable guide for the off-the-rack buyer or for anyone looking for insight before their next fitting.
As always, we don’t want you to spend a dollar unless what you’re buying outperforms what’s in your bag.
If you’re in the market for a new putter, this test is for you.
'Nobody knew what was going on': How golf and sports stopped at the Players Championship
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Mickelson falls out of top 100, first time since '93
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Bryson DeChambeau, like Arnold Palmer, is stubborn and won't change his hit-it-far approach
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DeChambeau outduels Westwood for Bay Hill win
Bryson DeChambeau holed a 40-foot birdie putt on the front nine and a 50-foot par putt early on the back nine, before closing with a nervy 5-foot par putt for a 1-under 71 and a 1-shot victory over Lee Westwood at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Ernst wins Drive On Championship by 5 strokes
Austin Ernst won the Drive On Championship at Golden Ocala on Sunday for her third LPGA Tour title.
P. Stewart's family selling late golfer's collection
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Koepka (knee) will sit out Players Championship
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Stricker hopes Tiger can be part of Ryder team
U.S. Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker said he hopes Tiger Woods can be part of the September competition in some capacity.
