Indholdsfortegnelse for January - February 2025 i Golf Magazine

GOLF MAGAZINE GATHERS ITS TOP 100 TEACHERS IN AMERICA, among other instruction luminaries and researchers, each December for a summit so the group can learn new theories and methods and network for a few days. Their willingness to share ideas and use the platform to become the best coaches they can be is one of the main reasons why they’re Top 100 Teachers in the first place—you can always improve, even when you’re at the top of your game. The same can be said for this issue’s cover subject, Scottie Scheffler, who, at the time of this writing, has held the top spot in the OWGR for 85 consecutive weeks. To put this accomplishment in perspective, Scheffler will pass Greg Norman for the third-longest streak of all time by the…

THE PROMISE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE is that it will make our lives easier—and, really, who among us doesn’t want things to be a little bit easier on the golf course? Callaway’s newest irons offer considerable promise. Though created with help from A.I. and a dozen data scientists, the Apex Ai200, Apex Ai300 (both starting at $1,400 for 4-AW) and Apex TiFusion irons (starting at $2,100), alas, don’t swing themselves. But, like the Ai Smoke drivers, fairways, hybrids and cast irons preceding them, these models take full advantage of A.I.’s capabilities—here to improve your approach play in forged Apex chassis long favored by better players. Unlike ChatGPT, which excels at mimicry, Callaway’s A.I. was used to help devise three distinct—and distinctive— irons. Apex Ai200 is the company’s newest players-distance offering, one…

You can learn more and purchase all of these new drivers at Fairway Jockey when you scan above. PING G440 FORGIVING VERSATILITY The main goal of PING’s G440 lineup ($650 each) is to increase ball speeds through advancements in weighting and thinner face technology. Each model boasts PING’s deepest center of gravity (CG) to date, improving launch conditions, spin and ball speed. The G440 MAX is the most forgiving, ideal for a wide range of golfers, while the G440 LST (Low Spin) is designed for players with faster swing speeds who need lower spin and greater control. The G440 SFT incorporates specific technology that helps golfers reduce or even eliminate their slice. Key innovations include free hosel technology, which repositions weight to lower the CG and improve performance, and a…

TIGER 2000 SOUNDS LIKE AN ITALIAN SPOR TS CAR BUT IS actually a useful shorthand to describe the greatest season in the history of modern tournament golf. Nine wins, three of them majors, in 20 starts, and $9 million in PGA Tour prize money, back when $9 million in PGA Tour prize money was a lot of money. Tiger’s nemesis, Phil Mickelson, who had four wins, was second on the money list—and earned half of what Woods earned. Half the earnings and maybe one-tenth the attention. Phil was a golf star. Tiger was a star, period. You can make the case that what Tiger Woods did 25 years ago is the most dominant yearlong performance by any athlete, anywhere, in any sport, at any time. We respect that the editors of…

TIGER WOODS Wins: 9 (Mercedes Championship, AT&T Pebble Beach, Bay Hill Invitational, Memorial Tournament, U.S. Open, Open Championship, PGA Championship, WGCNEC Invitational, Bell Canadian Open) Majors: 3 Runner-up finishes: 4 Top 10s: 17 Top 25s: 20 Events played: 20 Cuts made: 20 Official money: $9,188,321 Pivotal stat: Round 4 Scoring Average: 68.42 (2nd) PHIL MICKELSON Wins: 4 (Buick Invitational, BellSouth Classic, MasterCard Colonial, Tour Championship) Majors: 0 Runner-up finishes: 3 Top 10s: 12 Top 25s: 18 Events played: 23 Cuts made: 21 Official money: $4,746,457 Pivotal stat: Round 4 Scoring Average: 70.12 (28th)…

TRUE SPEC GOLF The game’s most trusted clubfitter finished 2024 by helping more than 11,000 golfers find the best gear that’s right for their swing across its international collection of 39 shops. They’ll surely top that number in 2025 with new locations opening in Nashville, Tenn.; Orange County, Calif.; Philadelphia; Houston; and at Chelsea Piers in New York City. To find a fitting center near you or to book an appointment, visit truespecgolf.com. FAIRWAY JOCKEY 8AM’s online golf retail outlet— already the go-to site for any golfer’s club, apparel and accessory needs— has recently added a slate of stalwart brands to its product family, including Nike shoes, Club Glove, UNRL apparel, Rypstick speed training aids, Nikon range finders and Payntr shoes. Find it all at fairwayjockey.com. MIURA GOLF The renowned…

ON THE DRIVING RANGE AT MEXICO’S PUNTA MITA GC, FILMING AN EPISODE OF GOLF.COM’S ‘WARMING UP’ Dylan Dethier: What does golf mean to you these days? How much is it a part of your everyday life? Lee Trevino: Well, it’s not what it used to be because I’m not competitive anymore. I’m too old. At 85— most people are in the ground when they’re 85. But golf still means everything to me because this is what I did for a living. This has been my whole life. Every day we come out [hits crisp wedge shot] and we hope that we haven’t lost it. And it doesn’t make any difference because we’re not gonna play a competition, and there’s no reason to hit these balls every day. But this is what…

REMEMBER LIFE BEFORE smartphones? It’s hard to imagine going back to a time when your phone didn’t serve as your second brain. The same can be said for golf practice—once you’ve used a launch monitor, it’s tough to go back to practicing without one. The Stack Radar Launch Monitor ($289; thestacksystem.com) brings swing speed, ball speed, smash factor and distance monitoring to the masses in a compact, portable design. While you can use it independently, it pairs via Bluetooth with the Stack App, which, combined with the Stack Speed Training System, can help you ramp up your swing speed, whether you’re hitting balls or not. Made for both indoor and outdoor use, the bright yellow Radar is hard to forget and features an easy-to-use interface for quick setup. It also…

THE FIRST TIME SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER’S COACH saw that he was different was, in fact, the first time he saw Scottie Scheffler. Randy Smith knows talent; the head pro at Dallas’ Royal Oaks Country Club has mentored more than a handful of players from his club to the pro ranks. But even by his lofty standards, this golfer looked different. “Every ball he hit was tied to a target,” Smith says, remembering their first range session. “He’d keep switching targets and ballflights. He’d hit one high and one low. He liked to see the ball do different things because he loved creating these shots. And he got really excited when he would pull them off.” Scheffler was seven years old. Now, two decades later, at age 28, Scheffler has played his…

RANKED 1ST ON TOUR IN… Total Driving: 56 (2nd in distance, 54th in accuracy) Greens in Regulation: 75.15% Birdie or Better Conversion Percentage: 3.61% Scoring Average (Adjusted): 67.794 Scoring Average (actual): 68.17 Birdie Average (per round): 4.92 Total Eagles: 19 Eagles (holes per): 72.0 Par Breakers: 28.73% Bounce Back: 36.51% Par-4 Birdie or Better Leaders: 21.11% Par-5 Birdie or Better Leaders: 61.89% Bogey Avoidance: 9.80% Round 1 Scoring Average: 69.11 Round 2 Scoring Average: 67.53 Round 3 Scoring Average: 67.65 Par-3 Scoring Average: 2.91 Par-4 Scoring Average: 3.91 Par-5 Scoring Average: 4.37 Front-nine Scoring Average: 33.89 Back-nine Scoring Average: 34.28 Consecutive Cuts: 59 YTD Par or Better Streak: 47 Official Money: $9,188,321 RANKED 2ND ON TOUR IN… Driving Distance: 298 Putting Average: 1.717 Par-3 Birdies or Better Leaders: 19.80% Round…

1. Tiger Woods-2000 Nine wins, including three majors Woods didn’t just win a bunch in 2000, he won by a bunch—the U.S. Open by 15, the Open Championship by eight, the Memorial by five— then polished things off the next spring, winning the ’01 Masters Tournament to complete the Tiger Slam. 2. Byron Nelson-1945 18 wins, including one major In this astonishing year, Nelson set a few records never to be broken, not only winning a preposterous 18 times but taking 11 tournaments in a row. From early March to early August of ’45, not a single player beat him. 3. Bobby Jones-1930 Four wins, including the Calendar Grand Slam It might be the most famous season of golf ever, with Jones winning every major (which then included the U.S.…

NO MATTER WHAT CLUB you’re swinging, a move to avoid is letting your trail arm straighten prior to impact. It’s a tough pattern for a lot of players to get away from, but here’s a drill that can definitely help. Grab one of your lower lofted wedges and set up to the ball. As you take the club back, make a wide turn and avoid hinging your wrists. Pause slightly at chest height, then swing forward using only your legs and core. Similar to your backswing, finish below chest height. This load through drill is a dramatic version of a real swing, but, by overdoing these feels, you’ll find a happy medium when you’re on the course making full and partial swings. Among many things, it helps you keep your…

Aside from nailing your setup (weight forward, hands in front of the clubhead, the right ball position to generate the correct shot height and spin), shoulder turn is critical when chipping. Much like in the full swing, if you don’t turn your shoulders, you won’t be able to get the club out in front on a good path. Also, when you fail to turn and instead just use your arms and hands, you create a steep angle of attack, making it difficult to find the bottom of your swing arc. And when you struggle to find a consistent low point, it’s difficult to create solid contact. To guard against this, focus on using your shoulders from the very start. Even though you’re breaking your wrists and getting your hands ahead,…

NO! YES! FOR YEARS, GOLFERS were taught to rotate hard through impact, keep the hands in front of the club and the wrists firm (above left). Turns out that’s a recipe for missing a shot to the right, to say nothing of robbing you of speed. Today, the best iron players in the world do just the opposite: They unhinge their wrists like crazy, getting the trail wrist to flex and the forward wrist to bend through the hitting zone (above right). You still have to turn, but no need to prioritize it above all else. The feeling you’re after is that your wrists are active, as in the motion you’d use to throw a baseball underhand and sidearm, like you see so many MLB shortstops do. You know you’re…

Scan here to visit Fairway Jockey, where you can pick up your own Tomo Ninja Kit. The Tomo Ninja Kit Divot Tool ($25) is the most intimidating ball mark repair tool we’ve ever seen. It looks like a weapon from a classic martial arts flick (which you must see for some peak campiness). Made from an aluminum alloy with a waxed nylon handle, the Tomo Ninja Kit helps you eliminate ball marks with precision and strength. Plus, it’s sure to turn heads on the green. Better yet, if you’re ever ambushed by a band of rogue evil ninjas on the 14th hole, this tool’s ready for action. The kit includes a carrying case and is available in three bold colors: Katana Silver, Blood Red and Shadow Black. Without a doubt,…

A PLUGGED BUNKER LIE isn’t the round wrecker you think it is. All you need to do is generate a steeper approach and make contact with the sand as close to the ball as possible without hitting the ball first. Here’s how. Start by standing slightly closer to the ball than normal. This almost automatically makes your swing more vertical. As far as how you set the clubface, it varies, but if you’re short-sided (not a lot of green to work with), turn the face slightly open at address to add some “softness” to the shot. Position the ball in the middle of your stance. As you start back, feel like your backswing is very wristy, handsy and narrow. These are all steepening elements. On the way back down, actively…

CHUNKING A CHIP is no fun. It’s equal parts wasted stroke and bruised ego. In my experience, there are five errors you can make to chunk one: 1) a strong grip, which invites the lead edge of the club to dig in too early; 2) titling your shoulders like you’re setting up to hit driver—that again can cause a dig behind the ball; 3) swaying on or off the ball; 4) swinging too far in-to-out; and 5) unduly closing the face on the backswing. Fixing No. 1 is easy—take a slightly weaker grip. The next two? Set up with even shoulders and keep your nose in front of the ball from start to finish. The last two? A chunk-proofing chipping station can help. Grab a wedge and place one of…

ASK ANY FASHION DESIGNER and they’ll tell you that blending classic styles with modern performance is easier to ask for than to accomplish. In golf fashion, a typical classic look features polos with reinforced collars, subtle branding, muted patterns and a nod to craftsmanship in thread stitching and button design. The modern component relates to how a garment fits and/or the fabric it’s made of— which is usually form-fitting, stretchy and comfortable in any type of weather. New from PING, the Karsten Apparel line features a variety of polos ($99; ping.com) available in three distinct models: the cactus-inspired Cholla for lightweight breathability, the Barracuda with Pima cotton for a suedelike feel and the Driver for maximum stretch and resilience. In addition, the Karsten line includes caps ($40) and quarter zips…

Let’s put it in sports betting terms, since wagering is all the rage these days: It’s a lock that 2025 will be the last year men’s professional golf looks the way it does right now. This has already been decreed the final season that the top 125 players on the PGA Tour will keep their exempt status, with that number getting squeezed down to 100 in 2026. Field sizes will shrink then too. Looking for a parlay? It seems only a matter of time before the PGA Tour and LIV Tour will work out a consolidated framework for the highest-earner brackets in golf. And though who wins it is always a pick ’em, the international event set to conclude this year—the 45th Ryder Cup, at New York’s notoriously tough Bethpage…

15 Margin of victory in strokes 51 Greens in Regulation 1 Rank in Greens in Regulation and Driving Distance 71 Percentage of putts that were for birdie 29.2 Strokes gained against the field 10 54-hole lead over final round playing partner Ernie Els 2 Bogey-free rounds (The entire rest of the field, 155 players, combined for just one that week.)…

SPEED FACT NO. 1 AMONG THE WINNERS OF THE LAST 100 MAJORS, THE MAJORITY HAD A TIGHTER BACKSWING-TO-DOWNSWING-TIME RATIO SPEED FACT NO. 2 MOST WINNERS OF THE LAST 100 MAJORS TOOK LESS THAN 1.2 SECONDS TO GET FROM TAKEAWAY TO IMPACT Truth in Data Tour Tempo, cocreated by John Novosel Jr. and his father, is a training platform that includes an app, a series of instruction books and an accumulation of illuminating data about the swing. Their extensive research shows that the world’s best golfers are super-speedy, not supersyrupy, especially in their backswings. SPEED FACT NO. 3 IN THE LAST 100 MAJORS, 75 PERCENT OF WINNERS COMPLETED THEIR BACKSWINGS IN 0.75 SECONDS OR LESS Seeing Is Believing: Jon Rahm FAST! To add effortless speed, your backswing must be dynamic, not…

COMING OVER THE TOP is the bane of rec golfers. All you get is a heavy dose of pulls, slices and a ton of missed fairways. Here’s how to practice making an on-plane downswing by better syncing your arms and body. 1. Lay down a club extending from your front foot, settle into address and place your gloved hand on your sternum, making sure your front elbow points at the target. 2. Using only your trail arm, swing to the top, turning your upper body until your front elbow points well behind the ball. 3. Now, the secret sauce: Shift your lower body toward the target while allowing the club to drop. This move is the exact opposite from the cast you’re probably doing now. The goal is to keep…

You can use any putting style you want on the greens. Just make sure you adhere to the following: 1. Set up with your shoulders over the ball instead of setting your eyes over the ball. This makes it easy to swing your putter “straight back and straight through.” 2. Putt like you swing. Everyone has a tempo and timing that’s naturally theirs. If you deviate from these, your stroke simply won’t work. 3. Keep your thumbs on top. With your thumbs positioned on top of the handle, you have better feel, no matter what kind of grip you use. 4. Avoid the three-putt. A good stroke won’t make a difference if you make a bad read. Green-reading practice is a must. 5. Stay steady. Easy—keep your head and lower…

There are three ways you can hit a fat shot. In no particular order: 1) unduly swaying off the ball in your backswing; 2) hanging back as you swing back down (as if you’re hitting a driver and not an iron); and 3) heeding the bad advice of keeping your head down or keeping your eyes on the ball through impact. The first two are surefire ways to move the bottom of your swing arc behind the point of contact, thus the fat shot. The third fault? I ask: How do you keep your eyes on the ball when it’s rocketing off your clubface at more than 100 miles per hour? Keeping your head down and watching the ball are two ways that make it easy to catch it fat.…

G: You didn’t take up golf until you were an adult but said you were immediately addicted to the game. What about it do you love so much? JS: Golf is the perfect mix of challenge and chill. It pushes you mentally and physically, but it’s also one of the most relaxing things you can do, especially when you hit the green with friends. I love how every day on the course is different, and you never play the same round twice. As this sport continues to evolve, the vibe is also unmatched— you’re out there with friends, soaking up the sun, hitting shots, just enjoying life. It’s a totally different energy from basketball, but it’s still competitive, and that’s what hooked me. G: What’s the best and worst part of your…