Golf Monthly June 2023

FROM THE EDITOR It would be fair to say I’m something of an enthusiast when it comes to golf equipment. I’m interested in the latest technologies, innovations and designs, whether it be a sleek new pair of shoes or a clever piece of game-tracking software. As such, the Editor’s Choice issue is one of my favourites of the year and I’m excited to bring it to you. Since Editor’s Choice was introduced in 2018, it has become a firm fixture on the calendar. This year, it’s been expanded to cover 150 products showcasing the very best in golf equipment across a broad range of categories, from standard hardware to training aids and accessories. Editor’s Choice provides us with a great opportunity to celebrate innovation within golf and it’s always impressive…

Bah humbug Maybe it’s my age (it definitely is!) but things have been getting on my nerves recently. For example… Every golfing news story seems to be about which tour is falling over themselves to give these pampered millionaire golf pros even more money for playing less. The Full Swing docu-series on Netflix mistook infantile frat boy attitude for ‘character’. And largely all I felt was a big boo hoo with regard to the difficulties some of the featured players faced – just try enduring these things when you haven’t got your own yacht! A potential rules infraction at The Masters was seemingly not given due consideration when the smallest inadvertent infraction causes interminable recriminations in our monthly medals. The WHS is failing to serve its purpose because people are…

Rahm reigns supreme at Augusta National Jon, congratulations on winning The Masters. How much does it mean to you? It’s hard to put it into words. Obviously we all dream of things like this, and you try to visualise what it’s going to be like and what it’s going to feel like. When I hit that third shot on the green, and I could tell it was close by the crowd’s reaction, a wave of emotion hit me. I never thought I was going to cry by winning a golf tournament, but I got very close on the 18th. Seve meant a lot to you and Spanish golf. How special was it winning on what would have been his 66th birthday? This one is for Seve. He was up there…

The DP World Tour has won its legal battle to impose sanctions on players who appeared in conflicting LIV Golf events without its permission. Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter were among the 12 players who appealed the £100,000 fines and two-week suspensions issued after teeing it up in the inaugural LIV Golf event at the Centurion Club last June. Those sanctions were initially stayed, allowing LIV players to feature on the DP World Tour in the interim, pending the outcome of a five-day arbitration hearing in London in February. The DP World Tour had argued players were in breach of membership regulations and the three panel members from Sports Arbitration UK upheld the Tour’s right to impose its conflicting-event clause. The LIV appellants were ordered to pay the £100,000 fines…

SOUND BITES “I WAS TALKING TO HIM AT THE END OF LAST YEAR, AND HE WAS SAYING THE REASON HE PULLED OUT OF THE US PGA WAS A SCREW WENT THROUGH THE SKIN ON THE SATURDAY” “JON WENT TO THE BATHROOM SEVEN TIMES AND WE WERE STILL WAITING” “RULES ARE RULES. SO, I MEAN, FOR THE MOST PART, A LOT OF WHAT HE WANTED IS WHAT’S HAPPENING. AND THE IRONY IS THAT HE’S NOT HERE” “I’M FORTUNATE TO HAVE LIVED IN HIS ERA AND WITNESSED HIS EXCELLENCE. TONIGHT, I’M NOT ASHAMED TO SAY I SHED A TEAR” BRIEFS Walton Heath hosts Women In Golf summit Walton Heath Golf Club, venue for the 2023 AIG Women’s Open, hosted its first Women In Golf summit in March. It was presented by the…

Over the stick This is a really useful drill in helping to eliminate the causes of a push. Set an alignment stick in the ground on the correct target line a safe distance in front of you – roughly five yards. Then work on hitting the ball straight over the stick. To do this, your arms will need to go down the line, rather than out to the right as they would with a push. Visual cue From my experience of teaching, having this visual target in front of you as a reminder can really help you to focus on where the arms should be going as you swing through. For pupils with a severe push or block, I’ve sometimes even asked them to try and start the ball left…