Innehållsförteckning för May 2019 från Golf Australia

I STILL remember, quite vividly, the moment I fell in love with the game of golf. It was the spring of 1979. My dad took myself and a schoolmate to play our first game of golf at Parramatta Golf Club – a nine-hole public track laid out on either side of a clubhouse built on the crest of a hill. Parramatta didn’t offer any great standard of course design or presentation, but my mate and I didn’t know any better, nor did we care. We were there to have a crack at a new game. As any 11-year-old would, I stood on the 1st tee and made a lusty swing at the ball with an old driver, which would not be out of place in a museum today. Two more…

IT WAS the first American major championship I attended. And 32 years later it remains, by a considerable distance, the worst.The 1987 US PGA Championship was played August 6 to 9 at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Yes … Florida. In August. The temperatures hovered around 100 degrees; the humidity somewhere around 95 percent. The course, not very good to begin with, was in terrible shape. The greens were the worst aspects of that inglorious state of affairs. Grass was hard to come by, mostly they were dirt. Shorts putts were a complete lottery, the bumps and bounces legendary. It wasn’t a complete farce, but it was close. Tom Kite summed things up. “There isn’t a good green on the back-nine,” said the future US Open champion. “There…

IT’S A QUESTION I’ve been asked, oh, maybe a few hundred times since I moved back to Australia at the start of this year: what are your plans going forward, Geoff? The answer is, “I’m not 100 percent sure yet. Not exactly.” Firstly, I’m not sure I’m ever again going to be a tour pro in the true sense of the words. The ideal scenario for me would be to create my own cool summer schedule in Europe with the odd event in the United States to take advantage of the status I still have over there. That will probably increase too, as my kids get older and it becomes easier for us to travel as a family. That all sounds good to me. I’ve been a tour pro a…

Two years ago, Francesco Molinari and his long-term coach, Denis Pugh, sat in the clubhouse at The Wisley, where the Italian is a member, and pondered the next steps in his career. The pair had worked together for 15 years and had enjoyed a decent level of success. Molinari had won four times on the European Tour and represented Europe in the Ryder Cup. But they wanted more. They decided that, in order to take his game to the next level and achieve one of his goals of winning on the PGA Tour in America, Molinari would have to add distance and power to his compact and efficient swing. The plan the pair devised that day involved not only an overhaul of Molinari’s technique but a totally new approach to…

1 TAKE YOUR RANGE SHOT TO THE COURSE When you’re on the range before you play, look carefully at what the ball is doing. You’ll most likely find that one predominant shot shape comes easily to you on the day. That’s just how golf is. Instead of trying to fight it, like a lot of players do, just go with it and use it to your advantage off the tee and into the greens. 2 DIAL DOWN YOUR SWING SPEED Another simple score saver is to swing within yourself. Take your normal swing speed and just take it down a notch. Another tip: Don’t try and do anything you are not comfortable doing. If you play your own game and to your own strengths, you will score better. 3 GET…

MODEL PLAYED: ST190 with 9.5° loft and ST190G with 9° loft, both fitted with Fujikura Atmos Black 6 shafts. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: I was very excited to get my hands on the ST190 drivers and start my testing. One of my old favourite drivers was Mizuno’s MP-600 that had classic looks and reliable performance. Although very different to that model, the ST190s really impressed. Firstly, I underwent a fitting with Mizuno’s custom-fitting specialist Simon Davey that helped pick the best loft and shaft. Trackman readings confirmed instantly that both models were outperforming my own driver in both distance and dispersion. The launch angle and spin rates of both drivers were right in the ideal spot for my swing speed. Straight away, from my first hits with the ST190 and ST190G, I…

MODEL PLAYED: Apex 19 irons (4-iron to pitching wedge), fitted with True Temper Elevate 95 stiff steel shafts. FIRST IMPRESSIONS: The previous Apexs were a seriously good set of irons and Callaway took its time producing the replacement to ensure it improved upon a model with an almost cult-like following. The time and effort seemed worthwhile to me upon unboxing a sleek-looking set of forged irons with serious technological advancements that performed tremendously. Still rounded in shape and recognisable as a Callaway forged iron, the new Apex is slightly smaller in the short irons – a look that really improves on the CF16 model for me – while there is still enough size and offset in the longer irons to inspire a little confidence when faced with a tight tee…

BARWON HEADS RENTAL PROPERTIES If you have a golfing foursome or two, who want to stay in a house while visiting the Bellarine Peninsula, here are two great options almost tailor-made for visiting golfers. Black Swan @ Barwon is a five-bedroom house that can accommodate up to eight guests. Situated in a quiet court in the exclusive Seabank Estate you will find this luxury home caters for all your holiday needs. There is a large decked area with a full outdoor kitchen, a three hole synthetic putting green in the backyard, open plan dining and living area with large LCD TV and Foxtel. Checkout www.airbnb.com.au/ rooms/16150877 for more details. Corymbia @ Barwon is a luxury five-bedroom home also found in the exclusive Seabank Estate and can be configured to accommodate two…

THE SPARROWHAWK This superb and homely gastro pub in the heart of the countryside (five kilometres from Formby) features crackling log fires, squashy leather armchairs, intimate nooks and crannies, rustic dishes that combine the best of seasonal fare and a variety of cask ales on tap. Not to be missed. www.brunningandprice.co.uk/sparrowhawk SHANTII Jordan Spieth, the 2017 Open Champion, made a visit to this popular Indian restaurant in Formby, just days before the tournament held at nearby Royal Birkdale. Owner Ali Tabaruk said: “Open champion Jordan Spieth called in for a curry on a night before he stepped out at Royal Birkdale. I really do think my Lamb Moussaka, a particular favourite at Shantii, helped Jordan win the Open.” The menu also features traditional Indian classics plus some specialities like duck,…

Biggest achievement? Winning three times. The best was the Maybank Championship in 2016. I thought I was done and dusted, having not won for six years, so that was pretty special. Biggest disappointment? Missing out on winning the 2004 Scottish Open. That was just my second year out on Tour. I was leading going into the last day, so that was one that got away. Best advice you’ve been given? Probably from one of my first coaches. When you practise, try and hit the same length shot with three different clubs to create feel and awareness. Best advice you’d give someone else? Get the basic fundamentals right. Also, stick to the shot you can hit. Don’t try and force other shots you’re not comfortable with. Some people hit a slice,…

MASTERS Champion Adam Scott has partnered with Swing Index – the world’s first artificial intelligence technology that enables millions of golfers to improve their golf swing. The groundbreaking Swing Index app, developed by SwingAI, provides every golfer a two-way interaction between student and coach creating a solid and necessary foundation on which to facilitate game improvement. “When you improve someone’s golf swing, golf becomes more enjoyable and people play more. This app ticks all those boxes and then some,” Scott said. Here’s how it works. Your mobile phone camera is now your golf coach and golf instruction is now about you, your goals, your swing, and your schedule. SwingAI provides you with an AI-driven two-way, on-demand golf instruction experience from the world’s top golf instructors, anytime, anywhere. Your golf swing…

To submit your quiz answers, visit the WIN page on our website, www.golfaustralia.com.au The person with the most number of correct answers will a dozen of Mizuno’s new release RB Tour golf ball. The RB Tour is a very soft compression premium ball that offers lower driver spin, and high greenside spin. The four-piece ball also boasts a new Cone Dimple, which are designed to keep fast-flowing air close to the ball’s surface longer – reducing drag and strengthening trajectory. In the event of a tie, the winner will be randomly drawn. Entries close 11.59pm on May 22. The winner and the correct answers will be published in the July 2019 issue of Golf Australia magazine.…

IF LIFE is a series of stages, it seems I have entered the next one. I’m through the lots of pre-marriage golf, to slightly less just-married golf stage. Then there was the having babies and some golf, followed by the kids are playing sport and no golf – except for mid-week sneaky golf, which seemed to go forever – on to the kids aren’t playing Saturday sport anymore so knock yourself out stage. It’s been utterly brilliant, to be honest. And now, a new dawn beckons. It’s the “my wife might actually understand me” phase. She’s taken up golf, you see. Which means she will be a holder of empathy and sympathy on my bad days, a hooter and a hollerer on the good ones. Well, maybe. That’s to be…

DENIS PUGH SWING COACH “A couple of years ago, we decided that, in order for Frankie to become a Top-10 player, he needed to be 20 yards longer. In the past year, he has increased his driver swing speed from 110mph to 117mph. He now drives the ball almost 290 yards. The extra speed and length have been achieved by working closely with trainer Rob Goldup. Frankie now has the springy strength of a high jumper, not a shot putter. The initial increase in power came with a loss of accuracy but we’ve worked very hard to get to a position where he’s now straight and long.” DAVE ALRED PERFORMANCE COACH “The biggest change in Fran has been his mental resilience. A lot of people on Tour are convinced that…

Golf is a game that tests patience and resilience. The best drive of your life can find a sand-filled divot, or a ball can roll off a green into a bunker and an un-raked footprint. And it is the players able to deal with this frustrating element of the game without losing their cool that thrive. So it perhaps comes as no surprise that from the mental side, someone like Juan Postigo, who has had to overcome so many hurdles in his life, has become such an impressive golfer. Once you consider the 23-year-old doesn’t have a right leg, his achievements in the game become almost unbelievable. But as Postigo always says, it is the only life and way to play golf he has ever known. Born without a knee…

Cameron Champ was born in 1995 – the same year Callaway brought out the Brobdingnagian all-titanium Great Big Bertha (250cc, gulp) and Titleist began experimenting with multi-layer golf balls. In hindsight, it was a very good year for a future golfer to be born. By the time Champ was beginning to get serious about the game – he was nine when he paid his first visit to his first coach, Kip Puterbaugh – the golf industry was still spinning from a decade of astonishing progress. The titanium-headed, ultra-stable and spring-loaded 460cc driver was the new norm. The low-spinning and equally stable solid-core performance ball was also newly established with Titleist’s Pro V1, the ball credited with a six-yard distance spike on the PGA Tour in 2001, into its third incarnation.…

Follow the social media platform of the world’s best golfers these days and you are just as likely to see images of them in the gym as on the course. To grasp the correlation between power and performance in the modern game, check out the driving power of some of the world’s top players, and their long-drive ranking on the 2018 PGA Tour (average driving distance 295yds). 1. Justin Rose 303.5yds .......................................T34th 2. Brooks Koepka 313.4yds .....................................8th 3. Dustin Johnson 314yds ........................................6th 4. Justin Thomas 311.8yds ...................................11th 5. Bryson deChambeau 305.7yds ..............25th 6. Jon Rahm 308.9yds ................................................16th 7. Xander Schauffele 304.9yds .....................28th 8. Rory McIlroy 319.7yds..............................................1st 9. Francesco Molinari 301yds ....................T52nd 10. Tony Finau 315.1yds....................................................4th…

There are few golfers with more natural ability than Dustin Johnson. But after he finished 2015 ranked eighth in the world, it was beginning to look as if he would fail to deliver on his incredible potential. Yet just 14 months later, DJ was US Open champion and World No.1. He remains only the fifth golfer in history to retain that spot for a full year. And though he was overtaken in 2018 by Justin Rose and Brooks Koepka, he returned to the very pinnacle of the game in 2019. Here, with the help of his team, Johnson exclusively reveals the multi-faceted approach he used that allowed him to realise his potential and turn his career around. You may not play golf at the elite level DJ plies his trade,…

SUITABILITY: The adjustable shaft system allows the ST190 to suit players with loft requirements from 7° all the way to 12.5° across the two available heads, while the shaft options can suit any player. SHAFTS: A range of shafts offering various ball flights and weight options are available at no upcharge. LEFT-HANDED: The ST190 is offered in 9° and 10° degree lofts in both right and left-handed. MIZUNO SAYS: The ST190 drivers offer Mizuno’s lowest spin rates and incorporate every known factor to enhance ball speed. The ultra-fast forged SP700 Ti face now boasts a lighter ‘Cortech’ structure to deliver consistently higher ball speeds. The Forged SP700 Ti face is over 10 percent stronger than 6-4 titanium with a fine grain structure that allows a more complex geometry in the…

SUITABILITY: The Apex 19 will suit a range of players from low handicapers looking for more forgiveness and ball speed combined with soft feel, especially those who struggle to get out and practise, to players wanting forged iron feel without the ball-striking requirements of a players’ cavity or blade iron. SHAFTS: True Temper Elevate 95 steel and True Temper Project X Catalyst graphite shafts in various weights are offered as standard in the Apex 19 irons. LEFT HANDED: Offered in right and left handed from 3-iron to sand wedge. CALLAWAY SAYS: Apex is the ultimate forged players’ distance iron, and it stands alone for its premium craftsmanship and amazing sound and feel. This is an exceptional new multi-piece construction that lives up to the Apex standard for performance. And its…

THE COURSE LOCATION: Dent Island, near Hamilton Island in the Whitsunday Passage. CONTACT: (07) 4948 9760. WEBSITE: www.hamiltonislandgolfclub.com.au DESIGNERS: Peter Thomson and Ross Perrett. PLAYING SURFACES: Bermuda TifEagle (greens), Greenlees Park couch (fairways, tees and rough) COURSE SUPERINTENDENT: Brad Hole. GREEN FEES: $160 (18 holes, including ferry transfers from Hamilton Island and GPS-fitted electric golf cart). FACILITIES: The stunning clubhouse is ideally perched to catch the sea breeze and offers views of Passage Peak and the Coral Sea. There is an aquatic driving range overlooking Lake Melaleuca, which is perfect to have a hit or giggle or some serious practice time. There are also chipping and putting greens available. ACCOMMODATION PACKAGES: Hamilton Island has a large range of golf accommodation available from premium luxury through to affordable island bungalows. The…

Half-an-hour of yoga each week may significantly improve your golf swing, according to new research from Scotland. The study by Abertay University in Dundee, had golfers take part in two 15-minute yoga sessions each week for a period of six-weeks. The main focus of the exercise was the rotation of the hips to the torso, a key aspect of the golf swing commonly known as the X-Factor stretch. Sport scientists recorded a two to three degree difference in this range of motion, which can equate to increased clubhead speed during the golf swing. They also recorded a slight improvement in hand speed. Each yoga session was designed to be simple to execute, with participants following an online tutorial after having a demonstration from the lead researcher. “A common issue with…

The GOLF AUSTRALIA TRIVIA QUIZ #3 winner from our March issue was Keith Rodda, of Essendon, Victoria. He was one of several entrants with a perfect score and was randomly selected as our winner. Congratulations. ANSWERS: 1. March, 1982. 2. $1. 3. Pete Dye’s wife, Alice. 4.Martin Kaymer (2014) or Jason Day (2016). 5.Brad Fabel (1st round, 1986). 6. Eight. 7. 12, made by Bob Tway in the third round in 2005. 8. Peter Lonard (2nd hole, 3rd round 2007). 9. One. 10. No player has won the Players Championship in consecutive years.…

There is one sure way to improve your game and that is through custom-fitting your golf clubs. One lucky Golf Australia reader will be taking a step in that direction when they win and are fitted for a complete set of PING clubs, including the recently released G410 driver, fairway, hybrid, Crossover and irons. To be in with a chance, go to our website www.golfaustralia.com.au and take part in our 2019 Reader Survey, which should only take five to 10 minutes to complete. Opt in to receive our weekly newsletter and you will be in the running to win these game-changing clubs from PING. Entries close 11.59pm on May 22, 2019, and the winner will be announced in our weekly newsletter on May 23.…

“For my generation, Tiger has obviously been an idol and a role model. I was still an amateur when he was winning all over the world so the first time I played with him, it was a big shock. But, like anything, when you do it over and over again you get used to it and you come to understand that he’s only human like the rest of us! Obviously, I have huge respect for his golf but I try my best to compete with him in the same way that I compete with everyone else. It’s great to see him back in form and winning again because he brings a lot to golf. From what I have seen, he is the best player of all time. I have never…

Another factor in favour of the New Power Generation is a modern, progressive coaching ethos that refuses to sacrifice power for orthodoxy. Where teachers of a certain generation were busy trying to drum one-piece takeaways and neutral leading edges into us, the modern coach is far more interested in the all-out, native power created by Bubba’s walkabout feet, DJ’s strong-faced delivery and Justin Thomas’ tip-toe impact. Here there is no finer example than 19-year-old prodigy Matthew Wolff, a student at the University of Oklahoma. Wolff recently delivered TrackMan stats that showed swing speeds reaching 134mph, ball speeds of 190mph and drives sailing past 350 yards. Wolff’s action is idiosyncratic; a curious pre-swing flinch followed by a vertical backswing that points the club way across the line at the top. His…

When Sean Foley first witnessed 14-year-old Cameron Champ’s swing, the coach’s reaction was one of disbelief – with an expletive thrown in for good measure. Today, nine years later, with Foley still his coach and Champ less than a year into his professional career, the youngster’s drives continue to elicit that kind of reaction. Standing just shy of six feet and weighing in at a bulked-up 180 pounds, Champ is by some distance the longest player in professional golf – 30-yards-longer-than-Dustin-Johnson long. Averaging 320.5 yards, Champ’s drives launch at only four or five degrees, significantly lower than the 11 degrees or more most PGA Tour pros launch at, staying in the air for 300 yards before landing and rolling on. To understand how the young American generates such power, we…

THE COURSE LOCATION: Main St, Currie, King Island, Tasmania. Ocean Dunes is a 10-minute drive from King Island Airport at Currie. CONTACT: (03) 6462 1633. WEBSITE: www.oceandunes.com.au DESIGNER: Graeme Grant (2016). PLAYING SURFACES: Bentgrass (greens), fine fescue (fairways and tees). COURSE SUPERINTENDENT: Martin Rose. GREEN FEE: $175. THE LOCATION GETTING THERE: Flights to King Island operate from the rest of Tasmania and Melbourne (from Tullamarine, Essendon and Moorabbin airports) via several airlines, including Regional Express, Vortex Air, Sharp Airlines, Kirkhope Aviation and King Island Airlines. Various tour package providers also include King Island in their golf holiday offerings. ACCOMMODATION: Ocean Dunes also operates the King Island Hotel at Currie. The 13 beautifully modern decorated rooms are available as twin, double or a mixture of both, plus two connecting rooms for…