Innehållsförteckning för February 2021 från Golf Monthly

Across 7 Winner of The Open in 2013 (4,9) 8 Scotsman who won four US Open titles (8) 9 Score after adjusting for 20 (4) 10 Spaniard who won Paul Lawrie Match Play in 2017 (7) 12 Ends a jog with Sam (5) 14 Number of Ryder Cups played by Peter Alliss (5) 16 Wise old shot below hole (3,4) 19 Last shot of French golfer (4) 20 Way club golfers are rated (8) 22 Winner of 2020 Portugal Masters (6,7) Down 1 Lean towards a miss-hit (4) 2 Ends with hand on pack of balls (6) 3 Runs round hole and stays up (4,3) 4 Family in boat hold competition (5) 5 Latest about solitary Finnish player (6) 6 Arrive at harbour to reach Royal Troon course (8) 11…

What a week for you – your second win at the DP World Tour Championship. Can you sum up how it felt? Yeah, amazing. The start I got off to, four birdies in the first four and five-under through seven, it’s a dream. Fortunately I managed to pull away after that and really create some distance. I’m going to be honest – at The Masters, I felt my game was nowhere to be seen. I was struggling. I didn’t want to play the RSM Classic the following week, but Billy and Mike [caddie and coach] convinced me. We spent some good time on the range, put the off-season plan into place on things that Mike saw in my swing that I needed to work on and we took it from…

In the three new Radspeed drivers, Cobra has managed to significantly increase the radius of gyration – the distance from the club’s centre of gravity to each weight location – to produce more yardage in different ways. The 460cc Radspeed driver has forward-biased weighting for low spin, as well as two interchangable weights to fine-tune launch and spin performance. The Radspeed XB (Xtreme Back) is for players who want distance through consistency across the face. This comes thanks to an oversized profile and 20g of weight in the very back of the head. Finally, there’s the Radspeed XD (Xtreme Draw), a new addition for 2021 for golfers who want extra distance by reducing their slice. All three drivers continue to feature Cobra’s optimised CNC-milled ‘Infinity’ face and a lighter T-Bar…

Justin Rose is one of the most successful golfers Britain has ever produced. He’s been a fixture at the top of the game for the last two decades and remains as determined as ever to add to his incredible CV as he embarks on his 24th season as a professional. Despite missing his first 21 cuts as a pro, he’s gone on to build a career that’s seen him become a Major and Olympic Champion, win 22 times on six different continents, play in five Ryder Cups, top the European Tour’s Order of Merit and the PGA Tour’s FedExCup and spend the majority of the last nine years inside the top ten on the Official World Golf Ranking, including 13 weeks as number one in 2018 and 2019. For someone…

REMOTE WORKING The remote control is a handy modern-day invention, not only for changing the channel but for checking your golf grip. Can you place your hands firmly enough on the grip (I mean, the remote control) without changing the channel? This is probably best done while you’re watching telly on your own! WRISTY BUSINESS Long winter nights are the perfect opportunity to work on your chipping technique. Whether you need to prevent your wrists from breaking down or you’re looking to shallow out your angle of attack, this is the time to get creative… and to take full ownership of your golfing obsession! TIME TO REFLECT The non-golfers in your house might laugh, but regularly checking your takeaway in the mirror could help you stop whipping the club away…

Let’s be honest, not many of us knew too much about John Catlin at the start of 2020. The Californian, who has lived in Thailand for the past four years, has seven wins out in the Far East, but his status on the European Tour was rather limited until recently – he was relying on invites after a finish of 155th in his debut Race to Dubai season in 2019. Fastforward a year and the 29-year-old is a twotime European Tour winner edging closer to his ultimate goal of reaching the world’s top 50. He’s produced some stunning performances on the Asian Tour, with his biggest win coming at the 2019 Thailand Open after three victories and player-of-the-year honours in 2018. This all followed a successful college career at the…

Three months after my marathon day at Wentworth, there have been some significant changes to my golf game. One that shines brightest is that I am enjoying it much more. It had become so bad that I’d stopped looking forward to playing golf. Now I have some very clear swing thoughts, especially with my grip and swing path, and these have really helped me. I have even started visiting the driving range again. On my third visit to the range, I hit the ball better than ever before, and the ‘new’ swing was feeling very comfortable. It was amazing to get some practical tips from Paul. His advice around putting through a goal on the greens, instead of aiming for a small spot, has helped me hole a few monster…

Photography: Getty Images, Kenny Smith hris Wallace, Rules manager at The R&A, looks at an unusual but not uncommon situation from the CJ Cup, where Tyrrell Hatton’s caddie accidentally stepped on Matthew Wolff’s ball during a search. At the par-5 16th hole at Shadow Creek GC, Wolff’s second shot found trouble in some thick rough just short of the green. Unable to find his ball, Wolff, along with his playing partners and their caddies, began searching. After a short time (comfortably within the permitted three minutes), Hatton’s caddie, Michael Donaghy, stepped on a ball, which was identified by Wolff as being his. Not being 100 per cent sure how to proceed, Wolff called in a Rules official to make sure he got the process for getting his ball back into…

1 Fergus’ ball comes to rest against a large stick in the rough, which he removes, but as he does so his ball moves several inches. What is the ruling? A. There is no penalty. B. Fergus gets one penalty stroke and must replace the ball. C. He gets one penalty stroke and must play it as it lies. 2 In match play, before playing out of a greenside bunker, Jezz smooths footprints in the sand in front of his ball on his line of play. What is the ruling? A. There is no penalty. B. Jezz gets one penalty stroke. C. Jezz gets the general penalty (loss of hole). 3 In stroke play, Fergus’ ball lies on the fringe, but before making his next stroke, he repairs damage on…

GM Verdict The new FootJoy Stratos shoe promises sky-high levels of comfort as well as that spikeless, off-course versatility, and having worn it for a few rounds, we can’t really argue with those claims. Visually, you can’t help but compare Stratos with the Ecco Biom Hybrid 3 shoe, but once you slide your feet in, the sensations you experience are slightly different. Stratos feels a little softer underfoot and you notice the rebound with each step, like the floor is pushing back up into your legs. We could see how this would be a huge help during the last few holes of a tough round. The grip on offer from the outsole also impressed in the wet conditions and is certainly a step up from the Flex XP. The sole…

Words: Rob Smith Photography: Geoff Ellis If ever there was a course that offered up a game of two halves, Pyle & Kenfig is it. While the front nine works its way up and down over gently undulating linksy turf that is actually some way from the sea, the back nine rises slowly at first, like a rollercoaster, before hurtling you up and down through the dunes. Happily, no matter how you play, you are accompanied all the way by everchanging views that take in the Bristol Channel, the Gower Peninsula and a number of mountains to the north. The club is situated just a five-minute drive from what is generally regarded as the finest course in the country, Royal Porthcawl. Despite its proximity, Pyle & Kenfig offers a different…

Photography: Tom Miles, Jeremy Ellwood Like Jeremy, I’ve been doing some counting! The greatest benefit of my role with Golf Monthly is playing an immodest number of wildly different courses. By keeping a detailed record, I know that in the five years before Covid, I averaged 88 courses a year with 55 of them new to me. Last year, this dropped to 55 and 22. If this sounds like a whinge, I promise it is not – I count myself extremely lucky. I had the joy of returning to a few big names such as Walton Heath, where friends are members and where I am beaten up by the excellent but demanding courses on a fairly regular basis. I also returned to some real gems such as Goswick Links and…

An unexpected benefit I have been fortunate enough to be able to watch professional golf during the pandemic and it has proved a real treat in these difficult times. What I quickly realised is I actually enjoy it more without spectators! The chance to appreciate the full beauty and challenge of the magnificent venues the professionals’ play without the crowds masking all but the tees, fairways and greens has been a real eye-opener. Some of the new views at Augusta were particularly special. Furthermore, we’ve been spared the idiotic cries of “In the hole” from some fans. The logistics involved in dealing with the consequences of the pandemic led to a UK Swing, which meant we were able to reacquaint ourselves with old favourites like The Belfry, Celtic Manor and…

Words: Sam Tremlett Photography: Getty Images The European Tour and PGA Tour have announced a ‘landmark’ strategic alliance in an apparent attempt to stave off the threat of the Premier Golf League (PGL). The new agreement sees the PGA Tour acquire a minority investment stake in European Tour Productions, the European Tour’s media production company, which produces and distributes content internationally. The tours will also work in partnership on a number of other areas, including global scheduling, prize funds and playing opportunities. It was also confirmed that PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan will take a seat on the board of the European Tour. Monahan said, “We are thrilled to announce this further strengthening of our partnership with the European Tour, and we look forward to working together for the benefit…

USA GF: $225 Par 72, 6,876 yards Opening fully just last September, Payne’s Valley is the first public-access golf course designed by Tiger Woods. This is only his third creation, and it is the newest addition to Big Cedar Lodge Resort, a complete golf destination situated in the Ozark Mountains in the south-west of Missouri. One of five courses here, it is named after the much-missed Payne Stewart, who was raised a few miles to the north. The grand opening featured a high-profile match in which Woods partnered Justin Thomas to victory over Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose. And while it can test the games of the world’s finest, playability and fun are key to the Woods design ethos. Rocky outcrops, mountain ridges, beautiful water features, generous fairways and fabulous…

For most reading this, certainly for the author, Peter Alliss delivered the soundtrack for the tournaments that fostered and bolstered our interest in golf. The Duel in the Sun, Seve pumping his fist at St Andrews, Faldo lofting his arms at Augusta, Tiger’s early roars: for British golf fans, the honeyed tones of Peter Alliss provided the narration. Alliss was the last of a great cohort of commentators whose voices personified sport on the BBC in the late 20th century. Just as we had Bill McLaren at Murrayfield, Dan Maskell at Wimbledon and Peter O’Sullevan at Aintree, we had Peter Alliss at St Andrews. He described golf in a uniquely characterful fashion that lifted the action and drew out smiles in sitting rooms across the country. The game will not…

Nice guys don’t always finish last. In fact, quite often they win. Aaron Rai is proof of that. I promise you won’t find a humbler, more grounded and appreciative professional golfer on the planet. He’s remained that way from turning pro at 17 years old to graduating from the EuroPro and Challenge Tours, establishing himself on the European Tour and beating a world-class field to win the Scottish Open in September. The Wolverhampton native finished in a lofty eighth position on the Race to Dubai, and while he and his close-knit family are enjoying the success, they remain focused on the smaller things that add up to the big accomplishments. “It’s been more of a feeling of satisfaction between all of us, rather than any huge celebrations or outbursts of…

What’s the greatest round of golf ever played? Was it Johnny Miller’s closing 63 to win the ‘73 US Open? Or Stenson’s 63 to win the 2016 Open? How about Jack’s epic 65 at the ’86 Masters? Or was it my dogged 81 in the howling wind and rain at Rye a few weeks back? None of the above. I strongly contend that the greatest round of golf ever played is the 64 from Joe Ezar, a journeyman US pro, in the third round of the 1936 Italian Open at Sestrieres. Joe who? Sestri-what? The Italian Open? I know, but trust me. If you don’t know about this round then prepare to have your strictly regulation kneelength golf socks blown off. Joe Ezar was a colourful, unpredictable character who played…

GM Verdict The Q Follow boasts a completely new frame design versus the popular X9 Follow model. This allows it to be stored vertically, which many golfers will find to be more convenient for the space they have available. While the Q Follow is still very heavy compared with most other electric trolleys, the new integrated carry handle makes it much easier to lift into your car. We love the marble effect on the frame and the carbon fibre details – they add a touch of class to what is already an elegant and highly sophisticated-looking electric trolley. In practice, the Follow mode remains the show-stopping feature – the trolley will follow behind you at a safe distance matching your walking pace, even when going down slopes. The X9 Follow…

What’s the best club you’ve tested in the last five years? Tony Hutchinson, via email Wow, that’s a tricky one Tony! No one has made a bad club in that time, but I suppose my mind goes to the product that really represented the biggest step up over what came before, and that would be the Cobra King F9 Speedback driver. It had technology that really worked and was one of the best sounding and feeling drivers on the market. It could also be set up to suit different player types, too. I really struggle with chipping. Should I go for a chipper? Ben Johnston, via Twitters The problem is that chippers are quite onedimensional. They work fine on short chip shots from decent lies with not much trouble between…

Irons are the clubs in your bag that may last the longest, possibly because they are one of the more expensive purchases, but also because you’ll use them on many different shots during a round so you need a set built for your swing. We’ve seen a trend recently of manufacturers being able to make larger game-improvement clubs sound and feel much more like forged irons, while more slimline offerings are as forgiving as they’ve ever been thanks to clever use of tungsten weighting. This means irons are more user-friendly, but a fitting is still crucial in order to get the correct length and lie angle, as well as the shaft that best complements the performance of the head. The choice has never been so varied, but looks over the…

Iain Dye, courses manager, RAC Club What are the issues getting two courses into perfect condition? My personal standards probably make perfect impossible! Every time I am out on the courses I come home to 20 or so emails I’ve sent myself while out – all of them jobs to add to the work programme. With 36 holes and 370 acres, there will always be improvements. Is working on a Fowler course different to a Colt course? Both were fantastic architects whose courses have stood the test of time. If I base our Old course against my previous posting at Tandridge, which was a fantastic Colt course, the main difference is the size of our greens here. They’re 1.5 hectares compared with 1 hectare at Tandridge. This leads to additional…

You stand on the 1st tee, bend down and slip the tee into firm turf, position your ball and stand up to eye the fairway ahead. This is a course you’ve never played before and such an adventure always evokes a sense of anticipation. Playing somewhere new is always a thrill. Across the UK and Ireland there are approximately 3,000 golf courses, so there are many opportunities to renew that thrill time and again. Yes, you could visit the world-famous courses… or you could take a path less travelled and go in search of that needle in a haystack. Ireland has over 400 courses, and while everybody has heard of Old Head, Ballybunion, The K Club and Portmarnock, few have ventured to the little-known names of Strandhill, Rathcore, Birr and…

• Manor of Groves Par 71, 6,197 yards This three-star hotel in Sawbridgeworth lies 20 minutes from Stansted. The grand Georgian manor house was restored and converted into a hotel in the late 1980s and early 1990s and now boasts 80 rooms plus a leisure club. Food is served in La Brasserie restaurant, The Atrium bar or the Viewing Gallery golf lounge. Words: Rob Smith Photography: Kevin Murray, Jeremy Ellwood The golf course opened in 1991 and plays either side of a narrow country lane. The opening trio and holes 13-18 play over more open terrain up and down a relatively gentle slope. This is where you’ll find the longer par 4s and the two par 5s. The 4th to 12th weave around the entrance drive the other side of…

I was so sad to hear of Peter Alliss’ passing. He was an honorary member at my club, Blairgowrie in Perthshire, and in 2015 the club held a competition to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the course opening. Peter and his wife attended as guests of honour. They were both lovely. I was on the 10th tee as Peter arrived to watch my fourball. I was a little nervous (12 handicapper), but I struck my best drive of the day and walked off the tee proud as punch knowing Peter had seen it. Then, Peter quietly said to me “You’ve got talent” – I was starstruck. He paused for a moment, delivered the follow-up line “But you keep it well hidden” and drove off with a small wave and a…

Lee Westwood A race well run The European Tour season ended in thrilling style as Lee Westwood finished runner-up at Jumeirah Golf Estates to win the season-long Race to Dubai, with Matt Fitzpatrick reigning supreme in the DP World Tour Championship. Westwood – playing some great golf with girlfriend Helen Storey on the bag – completed a memorable hat-trick in Dubai, with his other Order of Merit titles coming in 2000 and 2009. BY THE NUMBERS 3 Westwood has topped the European Tour’s Order of Merit three times 20 Years between his first and third Order of Merits – the longest span between wins 47 Westwood became the oldest winner of the Race to Dubai 171 Top-ten finishes on the European Tour 26 Seasons played on the circuit, starting in…

GM says We really liked the look and feel of the three initial M.Craft shapes, but they did lack forgiveness. The addition of these mid-mallets solves that issue, giving golfers userfriendly options at an affordable price. Following on from the original launch of the Mizuno M.Craft putters – which comprised three blade-style models – the Japanese equipment manufacturer has announced an extension to the line, with three new mid-mallets available from February 4. Forged from premium 1025 mild carbon steel then CNC milled to create precise shape and alignment, Mizuno’s M.Craft putters have even had some European Tour presence recently in the hands of Frenchman Adrien Saddier. The M.Craft IV is a slant-neck, deep square-back putter with moderate toe-hang to suit players with a moderate putting arc. The M.Craft V…

Nobody saw 2020 coming, did they? What golf managed to salvage of its professional tour season saw some players start brightly then fade away, others return closer to the top and others still catch the eye for the first time. I guess it was ever thus. So who will make the headlines this year? I’ve picked out 12 here – split into four categories – who I believe will grab your attention over the next 12 months on both sides of the Atlantic. First, it’s the youngsters most likely to really break through – those players who showed all the right signs in 2020 that they could be the household names of the future. Then I have three players (including one teenager!) who have already achieved much in their relatively…

1 THE BRYSON EFFECT There’s plenty of negativity around DeChambeau, but, among the pros, there’s plenty of respect for how he’s raised his game in the past year. While one admitted that there were “mixed reviews” from the players themselves, there is an overwhelming appreciation for having the courage to give it a go in such a particular manner. “I don’t think many are taking the Bryson thing too seriously, while I actually am,” one revealed. “Wilco [Nienaber] on our tour is swinging it at 130mph comfortably. I thought 120 was a big deal five years ago; soon that number will be 130. And there’s still miles of room up to the long-drive boys who are at 150! This will get faster and faster.” Length is crucial and always has…

Tom Clarke Handicap: 18 Main problem: Hook (particularly with driver) “If I had to grade my golf out of ten, five would be generous! I can play to my handicap, but I can also return some really awful scores. Consistency off the tee is the thing for me. When I drive it well I have a good chance of scoring, but all too often I’m hitting my second shots from way too far left!” From beating your handicap one day to losing countless balls the next, the difference between golfing success and failure can seem miniscule. Thankfully, for all those difficult days on the course, most of the time a return to form is not too far away. However, what happens when you fall into a slump, when round-after-round your…

Last month we looked at what your options are should you attempt to play a shot from a red penalty area but fail to get your ball out past the edge of the penalty area. This month, we look at the different options you have if your attempted recovery does make it out, but then happens to re-enter the same penalty area a little further up from where you played the attempted recovery shot at point A. You can, of course, play the ball as it lies and have another go if it’s playable and you fancy your chances. But if you do decide to take relief under penalty, you still have four options. If you have last month’s Rules Refresher to hand, or the diagram on p108 of the…

GM Verdict The laser category is becoming very congested, but the Pro L1 looks to have the features to compete with the majority of its rivals. The first thing you notice is how lightweight the unit is – undoubtedly one of the lightest on the market. For us, this actually detracts from the experience in that it makes it more difficult to keep steady, especially in the wind. That said, the shape fits perfectly in the hand and the textured surfaces at the top and bottom ensure you can maintain a solid hold. The slope function can be turned on/off using the small switch on the side, which is quite fiddly and stiff and requires decent-sized nails to do so. It has two different main modes, the first (M1) being…

We gathered seven of the best wedges on the market and tested them head to head. Which would excel in our eyes? • Looks This is of course subjective, but if, like us, you prefer a more traditional teardrop head shape and size to look down on, the Titleist Vokey SM8, Wilson Staff Model and Cleveland RTX ZipCore will tick the boxes for you. We’re not overly keen on the half bottom groove found on the Ping Glide 3.0 and Callaway Jaws MD5, or the thick topline and triangular shape of the Mizuno ES21. • Performance The Titleist Vokey SM8 and Cleveland RTX ZipCore really stood out in terms of spin performance when testing indoors on the Foresight Sports GCQuad on a full shot and 50-yard pitch, with the Ping…

Churchill & Blakedown ↘ Par 36, 3,236/3,274 yards GF: nine holes: £13-£24; 18 holes: £20-£36 For a nine-holer, this is about as close as you can get to a game of two halves. The opening four are tight and fiddly, with the 3rd boasting a very awkward shelf green. But once you’ve climbed away from the pretty par-3 4th crossing the entrance drive, there’s more room to manoeuvre. The par-5 finale presents a good birdie chance if you can get your drive away and over the crest. Photography: Getty Images The Worcestershire ↘ Par 71, 6,455 yards GF: round: £27.50wd, £30we; twilight: £20 The inviting downhill opener at this excellent Alister MacKenzie creation in the lee of the Malvern Hills is followed by a steep climb up the 2nd, where…

Church Stretton ↘ Idyllically situated in the Shropshire hills and blessed with some exquisite views, this is a course unlike any other. Opening with a trio of par 3s, it continues through heather and bracken and over dastardly chasms to tricky greens. While a course that is barely 5,000 yards isn’t going to stage anything too serious, if there were a championship that involved natural beauty, charm and fun, then this would host on a regular basis. GF: round: £15-£20 Ipswich ↘ It wasn’t until 1928 that this James Braid heathland design officially opened for play, although the club dates back a further 33 years. Prior to 1928, the club played over nearby Rushmere Heath. The greatest challenge at this fine Next 100 course comes at a number of very…

In this masked era, you notice those whose smile reaches their eyes, as it does with the staff at Costa Navarino. The service is also attentive due to the high staff-to-guest ratio. Costa Navarino was the brainchild of the late Captain Vassilis Constantakopoulos, who grew up in Messinia and made a fortune in shipping. It was conceived, in large part, to ensure the people of his home region have employment to allow them to remain in the area, and to preserve the local culture and landscape. It had been a long-term project for the Captain, as he is universally referred to around those parts. It took him decades to buy up the parcels of land he needed to weave his tourist-tempting tapestry across his home territory. This project, which he…