The USGA and R&A released a joint study Wednesday, designed to dispel the notion that equipment-aided gains in distance have become an area of growing concern.The 24-page findings featured plenty of snazzy charts and graphs, and it boasted a healthy sample size. It also raised a single question: who, exactly, are we trying to fool?As any PR firm can attest, statistics are a versatile tool. Choose the right data points, frame the right time period, and you can quantify support for nearly any argument. Such is the case with this study, the second in as many years released by the games governing bodies and one that simply continues to miss the point.Forget for a moment that the data range is cherry-picked to begin only after the distance onslaught that accompanied the death of the wound ball in the early 2000s. Simply take a look around the game and youll see that player prowess off the tee is growing at a significant if not alarming rate.The studys data focuses not on distance outliers, but instead on the large swath in the middle where, for the PGA Tour, the average drive reportedly lingers around 290 yards. But those top-end outliers have become increasingly noticeable in recent years as more and more marquee players launch towering drives.A whopping 27 players cracked the 300-yard average last season on Tour, 15 more than the 2010 season and 18 more than in 2003. Individual drives over 300 yards, which made up just 26.56 percent of tee shots in 2003, accounted for 31.14 percent last season.
Then theres Rory McIlroy tweeting out other-worldly Trackman data, Dustin Johnson bending Oakmont to his will and Henrik Stenson lifting the claret jug by relying not on his driver, but instead his trusty 3-wood.And dont forget about Ariya Jutanugarn, who powered her way to LPGA Player of the Year honors while barely touching her driver in 2016, mostly hitting 2-irons off the tee.Those are data points that the study fails to address, although the findings insist that PGA Tour players hit driver on measured driving holes more than 95 percent of the time last year.Of course, the technology issue remains a two-front war. For every distance-enhancing equipment revelation, the likes of which were touted just last month at the PGA Merchandise Show, there is an equal gain made with the golf ball. It adds up to a situation that grows more untenable by the year.Change the frigging golf ball, Jack Nicklaus said at last years Masters. The golf ball goes so far, Augusta National is about the only place, the only golf course in the world that financially can afford to make the changes that they have to make to keep up with the golf ball.The notion that Augusta National would even need to make further changes is one that will cause many a golf aficionado to bristle. But sure enough, last year the club reportedly looked into purchasing a parcel of adjacent land that could someday lead to the lengthening of the iconic, par-5 13th hole.Even the Old Course at St. Andrews, home to the same R&A that essentially dismissed distance as a non-issue Wednesday, underwent renovations prior to the 2015 Open.The Championship Committee felt there was an opportunity to stiffen its defenses in some places to ensure it remains as challenging as ever to the professionals, said former R&A chief Peter Dawson in 2012.Stiffen defenses against what, exactly, if distance gains have been essentially stagnant for more than a decade as these findings purport?Recent advances in technology should not be considered wholly negative: after all, the improvements afforded to mid-handicap amateurs are often welcomed with open arms. But their subsequent effects on the professional game, especially at the elite level, cannot be ignored.The USGA and R&A can compile as many reports as they wish, but they grow increasingly tone-deaf when juxtaposed with weekly Tour telecasts that routinely feature drives in excess of 300 yards on revered courses whose architectural challenges have nearly been rendered obsolete.Eventually, golfs governing bodies will have to act to curb the growing distance phenomenon. While studies like this allow them to punt that decision for the time being, it only raises the stakes for the day not too far in the future when they will be compelled into action.
It was a light-hearted take on negative advertising in which he says Spieth is "disgusting" and that he "can't relate" to the common man. The video went viral, with 683,000 views as of late Wednesday afternoon. "It was my caddie's idea.
Stricker gained his eleventh tour win at the John Deere Classic in July, sinking a 30-foot (9 m) birdie putt at the 72nd hole, one stroke ahead of runner-up Kyle Stanley. In a commanding position throughout most of Sunday's round, Stricker bogeyed the 15th and 16th to fall two strokes behind Stanley.
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May 18, 2019 · Brooks Koepka keeps 7-shot lead at PGA Championship. entry in the record book with the largest lead since the PGA Championship switched to stroke play in 1958. fires star player Israel
And here was Rory McIlroy on his favorite organization: "I think the USGA thinks that we're better than we actually are, if that makes sense. We were talking about this yesterday. They sort of …
With course closed, USWO defending champ hits Topgolf. By Randall Mell. May 30, 2018 at 10:34 AM. Getty Images BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - You never know who you're going to run into at Topgolf.
With course closed, USWO defending champ hits Topgolf
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With course closed, USWO defending champ hits Topgolf In Partnership with New Jersey CRDA, New Event to Showcase Open & Women's Divisions Airing Live from Atlantic City Country Club Will Hogue Vying for Third Consecutive Victory in 2018 Alongside Current No. 1 Justin James; Women's Division Led by 2018 Winners Alexis Belton, Phillis Meti
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With Course Closed, USWO Defending Champ Hits Topgolf Golf Channel After checking into Topgolf Birmingham early Tuesday afternoon, he found himself assigned to a stall right next to Sung Hyun Park, who was putting in some work to defend her U.S. Women's Open title with Shoal Creek shut down because of heavy rain.
With course closed, USWO defending champ hits Topgolf
Tiger Woods Turns Down Huge Appearance Fee For Saudi Arabia Event - The 14-time major winner has reportedly turned down £2.5m to play in the tournament
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Sergio Garcia, 2018: Garcia's menu began with an "International salad," with ingredients chosen to represent the countries of past Masters champions. The entree was arroz caldoso de bogavante, a traditional Spanish lobster rice. And for desert, Garcia chose his mother's recipe for tres leches cake, served with tres leches ice cream.
List of Masters Tournament champions - Wikipedia
According to the Evian exec, neither the LPGA major nor Ryder Cup will change how the country views the sport. See more of Golf Channel on Facebook. Log In.
Head of French golf major skeptical about Ryder Cup effect
Kevin Kisner wears Bama jersey to pay off Justin Thomas bet had to don an Alabama jersey during the first round of this weekend's Sony Open in Hawaii. He did so on the 17th hole, which he
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Just days after the PGA Tour confirmed it was developing a program to transition the top college golfers into its tours, some PGA Tour Champions pros are voicing their disapproval. Olin Browne was the first to sound off on the program, which many are referring to as a "draft."
PGA Tour Champions players criticize Tour's access program
Kevin Kisner takes helicopter from Tour Championship to Georgia football game. it's been a hell of a campaign for Kevin Kisner. He's also far from finishing that résumé, as Kiz is in the
Kevin Kisner rips through Tour Championship, helicopters to
So he's out there grinding and trying to help this team as much as he can." Woods and DeChambeau, one of three Ryder Cup rookies on the U.S. team, have been looked upon as a potential
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