The post Ping becomes second OEM to partner with LIV Golf team appeared first on Golf.

The post Ping becomes second OEM to partner with LIV Golf team appeared first on Golf.

In a surprise move, PING has just signed on to sponsor Torque GC, one of LIV’s most successful and dynamic squads. 

The new deal, which kicks off at LIV Golf Mexico City this weekend, sees Ping officially back an all-Latin American roster featuring Joaquín Niemann, Mito Pereira, Sebastián Muñoz, and Carlos Ortiz, all of which grew up playing Ping gear and have continued to rely on Ping throughout their pro careers. 

“All four of the Torque GC team members played Ping equipment prior to turning professional and continue to do so today,” said Ping President & CEO John K. Solheim in a release. “They are great friends and tremendous competitors. We look forward to following their successes both as a team and individuals as they help increase Ping’s awareness to golfers around the world.” 

PING’s support won’t just be behind the scenes. Expect Ping-branded headwear, staff bags, and full club setups for all four players… marking a rare moment where an equipment company is well represented with a team’s visual identity and on-course image. 

Gear

A Personal Connection 

For Niemann, Torque GC team’s captain, the Ping connection is deeply personal. 

“My first set of PING clubs was one of their junior sets and I’ve had PING clubs in my bag ever since,” said Niemann. “They’re an engineering company that puts product performance above all else… We’re honored and grateful PING has chosen to support Torque GC in such a meaningful way.” 

Niemann isn’t just all talk, he’s already secured four individual wins on LIV (including two this season) and added a high-profile victory on the Asian Tour last year with the debut of PING’s new G440 driver. 

PING G440 LST Custom Driver

The G440 driver family (MAX, LST, SFT) is optimized to deliver more ball speed through multiple advancements, including PING’s deepest CG in a driver to date and a shallower, thinner face, while continuing to ensure the game-changing forgiveness expected from a PING driver. The G440 LST (Low Spin) design appeals to players with faster swing speeds, providing lower spin and more control in 9° and 10.5° lofts with the three-position back weight. HIGHLY FORGIVING Lighter head weight allows for heavier back weight.  FASTER FACE  Shallow, thinner, face increases ball speed for more distance, higher launch.  SOUND DESIGN New shaping, carbon crown and internal ribs produce muted impact experience.  FREE-HOSEL DESIGN Saves weight to lower CG, increase forgiveness. Allows for more heel-side face flexing for consistent ball speed across face. 

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Also available at: PGA TOUR SUPERSTORE, DICK’S SPORTING GOODS

The Big Picture: What This Means for LIV Golf 

The move signals a shift in how club companies interact with professional golf. Instead of traditional one-on-one endorsement deals, Ping is now investing in an entire team brand, which is something that aligns perfectly with LIV’s team-based vision. 

This comes on the heels of Callaway making a similar move by announcing a deal to sponsor Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII last month.

Is this a marketing evolution? 

Ping is betting that tying itself to a top-performing, tightly branded team like Torque GC will offer greater visibility than individual endorsements ever could. 

And Torque GC has earned the spotlight: they’ve finished in the top five in 11 of 13 events this season, notched four team wins, and are emerging as one of LIV’s flagship franchises. 

Instruction

What Comes Next? 

If other equipment makers follow PING and Callaway’s lead, we could see a domino effect: TaylorMade, Cobra, Titleist, could all be eyeing similar team deals. The move could also influence player recruitment, branding strategies, and even gear development tailored for teams. Did someone say limited edition G440 metal woods? YES PLEASE. 

Ultimately, PING’s partnership with Torque GC isn’t just a sponsorship, it’s a huge investment on the future of LIV Golf. And if it pays off, it could change how we think about teams, equipment, and marketing in the game as we move forward. 

Want to overhaul your bag for 2025? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

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The post Why Rory McIlroy’s Masters win was ‘weirdest day ever’ for Shane Lowry appeared first on Golf.

The post Why Rory McIlroy’s Masters win was ‘weirdest day ever’ for Shane Lowry appeared first on Golf.

Their friendship has been well documented by this point, most recently and visibly in their team victory at the 2024 Zurich Classic, their showing at the 2024 Olympic Games and a Full Swing episode highlighting the bond. But their connection stretches back some two decades; consider that when Lowry won the Irish Open as an amateur in 2009, McIlroy was there waiting for him behind the 18th green. And so it was only right that McIlroy’s 2025 Masters began with Lowry — they played the par-3 contest with Tommy Fleetwood, another close friend — and ended with him, too.

Lowry was, of course, ecstatic for his friend to win the Masters, to put an end to his major-championship drought, to finish off the career grand slam. That was all real. But it came on a particularly strange day in Lowry’s own professional career.

“Yeah, honestly it was the weirdest day ever for me,” Lowry said on Wednesday, some 10 days later, on the eve of the pair’s Zurich Classic title defense.

Lowry hadn’t just been a tournament participant, after all — he’d been right in the mix. And on Masters Saturday, Lowry had come off the course hot; back-to-back bogeys at 17 and 18 had made his final-round pursuit of the green jacket that much tougher. While Lowry is perfectly happy to be known as McIlroy’s friend, he was understandably snippy with reporters eager to chase the subject in this particular moment.

“No, I’m not going to stand here and talk about Rory for 10 minutes,” he said in a press. “I’m trying to win the tournament, as well.”

Lowry’s Sunday got off to a promising start, with par at 1 and birdie at 2. But his chances at the green jacket only plummeted from there. Bogey at 3. Double at 5. Bogey at 6. A group ahead, he watched as Justin Rose put together the round of the day, a six-under 66, adding to his inner turmoil. Lowry’s back nine was even worse: four bogeys and a double to finish off an 81, the second-highest score of the day. The result dropped him outside the top 40 and left him in a state of shock even as McIlroy endured a rollercoaster round of his own.

“I was out of [the tournament] for a long time and I was watching the leaderboard going around, then come in, and I have to deal with my own disappointments first,” Lowry said. “I actually went to the locker room for like 15 minutes just to gather my own thoughts, watched a bit of the golf, watched what he was doing out there.”

But by the time McIlroy dispatched Rose with a birdie on the first playoff hole, Lowry had left his own pursuits behind: he was single-mindedly ecstatic for his friend.

“I’m just happy for him. I know what he’s been through the last, certainly the last 10 years since the Grand Slam was on,” Lowry said. “The pressure that’s been put on him — not so much by himself but by everyone outside has been pretty tough and he’s had to deal with a lot of disappointment. So it was pretty cool to see him do that.

“I think what everyone saw on the 18th green that day was just pure relief. I was very happy for him.”

‘I could barely get out of bed’

McIlroy and Lowry touched down in New Orleans on Tuesday night, the former some the worse for wear after a whirlwind celebratory tour that took him to London, then to Northern Ireland and back home to Florida, where he woke up on Monday feeling decidedly under the weather.

“I could barely get out of bed; I was feeling that bad,” McIlroy said. Celebrating an achievement of this magnitude comes with some consequences and, inevitably, with a letdown. “But obviously it’s been an amazing few days, but I’m excited and I’m happy to be here with my man, and we’re looking forward to a great week and trying to defend,” he added.

To hear McIlroy tell it, he always fully intended to honor this commitment — despite skipping last week’s big-money Signature Event, the RBC Heritage. Lowry was less certain; admitted that, as he was watching McIlroy’s date with destiny at Augusta, he wasn’t sure if plans would suddenly change.

“I said to my caddie on the 15th hole at Augusta, obviously I was done [competing to win] so I was watching the leaderboard, and I think [Rory] had probably just made double on 13, and I said to Darren, ‘No matter what happens the next few holes, I think we’re going to do well to get him to New Orleans.’ If things didn’t go his way, I don’t think he’d want to be [at the Zurich], and I thought if things did go his way, he’d want to be somewhere else. But I’m happy he’s here.”

Sometime during Sunday’s festivities, Lowry broached the subject.

“That was one of the things Shane said to me that night, like, ‘Are you still wanting to come and play Zurich?'” McIlroy said. “And I said, ‘Absolutely.’ We’re defending a title. We had so much fun last year here. Obviously it’s important for me to honor that commitment.”

‘I don’t think I’ll have to ever play a harder round of golf in my life’

There’s a celebratory tinge to this week for the duo, who return off last year’s win. There’s a celebratory air to all of 2025 now, too — not just because of McIlroy’s green-jacket triumph but because the golf world will return to Royal Portrush for the Open, site of his own crowning achievement at the 2019 Open.

“I think Rory’s goals are — who cares anymore?” Lowry quipped. “But no, going back to Portrush is going to be incredible. Rory going back as the Masters champion now is going to take a little bit of heat off me again, so I’m pretty happy with that. It’s going to be a great tournament.”

This will be a lower-pressure week than last; in all likelihood every week will be lower pressure than last. “I don’t think I’ll have to ever play a harder round of golf in my life,” he said. But McIlroy called the Zurich the “perfect tournament” with the “perfect atmosphere” to stage his return.

And alongside the perfect partner.

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The post Easily lower your handicap with this clever tee-box strategy appeared first on Golf.

The post Easily lower your handicap with this clever tee-box strategy appeared first on Golf.

Penalty strokes are the bane of most recreational golfers. With the driver in their hands, the big miss is always looming — and when it comes, it typically results in a lost ball and penalty strokes.

For lots of weekend warriors, eliminating penalty strokes is the quickest way to shave strokes off their handicaps. But despite the obvious low-hanging fruit, they never quite seem to figure out how to keep the ball in play.

Getting a few lessons and hitting the practice tee is a great option to dial in that dispersion, but for those that can’t afford a swing lesson or don’t have the time to get out to the range, there’s hope yet. In fact, you can reduce — and even eliminate — those penalty strokes simply by being smarter about where you tee up on the tee box.

Instructor Stef Shaw explains in the video below.

Eliminate penalty strokes by doing this

When most high handicappers step up to the tee box, they aren’t really thinking about where they are teeing up their ball — and that’s a big mistake. The tee box is the only place on the course where you fully control every variable regarding your lie and position, so it’s best you take advantage of it.

One way to do this is by always teeing up on the side of the tee box where there’s trouble. This might seem counterintuitive, but by doing this, you can give yourself a better angle to aim away from the trouble.

“If I stand on the right side of the tee box, all I’m seeing is [out of bounds on the left],” Shaw says. “And if I stand on the left side of the tee box, all I see is nice pretty fairway.”

By teeing up on the side of the tee box where there’s trouble, you can essentially turn your back to the penalty areas or out of bounds and hit away from it. Whereas if you’re on the opposite side, you are actively hitting toward the trouble.

“This is taking the trouble out of play and giving me a chance to stay in play so I can hit my next shot,” Shaw says.

So next time you find yourself on a tee box with trouble on one side or the other, take a second to stop and think about where you want to peg your ball. If you do so on the same side as the trouble, you will give yourself a better angle to hit away from it and eliminate those pesky penalty strokes.

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The post Youtube golfer explains appeal for ‘indefinite’ PGA Tour suspension for LIV event appeared first on Golf.

The post Youtube golfer explains appeal for ‘indefinite’ PGA Tour suspension for LIV event appeared first on Golf.

On Tuesday evening, golf YouTube star and PGA Tour pro Wesley Bryan released a video announcing he had been suspended from the PGA Tour for participating in a LIV Golf spinoff of the “Creator Classic.” Bryan, part of the BryanBros YouTube channel that has surged to 559,000 subscribers in golf’s YouTube boom, was served an “immediate and indefinite” suspension by the PGA Tour for participating in a player-content creator match at LIV Miami at the beginning of April.

News of Bryan’s suspension first surfaced in a report from Ryan French of Monday Q Info last week, and was reiterated in Bryan’s video on Tuesday.

“I have been suspended from the PGA Tour,” he said in the video announcing the news. “It’s been a difficult few weeks for us, it’s been an emotional rollercoaster for sure.”

According to Bryan, he was suspended for competing in “Miami Duels,” a LIV-sponsored competition placing six, two-man teams of content creators and pro golfers against one another. The video, which was a reaction to the PGA Tour’s success with the so-called Creator Classic, aired on Grant Horvat’s YouTube channel on April 5, the Saturday of LIV’s Miami event.

Bryan participated in the event despite serving as a card-carrying PGA Tour member, apparently under the auspices that such an appearance would be viewed separately from the suspensions the Tour levied against former pros who defected to LIV.

“When we got the opportunity to play on Grant Horvat’s channel with five major champions and five of my best buds that happen to be fantastic content creators, we had to jump at that opportunity,” Bryan said in his video. “Because all we’ve ever wanted to do from the Bryan Bros is to merge professional and YouTube Golf, and this was going to be one of those opportunities that we’ve been dreaming of since we got into YouTube golf.”

Evidently, the PGA Tour felt differently about the opportunity, slapping Bryan with a “immediate and indefinite” suspension for competing in what the Tour deemed an “unauthorized event.”

(A quick refresher: PGA Tour players are obligated to sign away their “exclusive” media rights each year to the Tour in exchange for Tour membership. Under these rules, the Tour stipulates that players are forbidden from participating in unsanctioned events without a waiver. Players who violate these rules are suspended.)

“The Duels Miami was deemed an unauthorized event by the PGA Tour,” Bryan said. “I want to be clear, I do respect that the authorities are in place at the PGA Tour, but because of the ambiguity of the rules and regulations that were written, I do, as a member of the PGA Tour, have a right to appeal their decision, which I plan on exercising.”

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Bryan’s announcement marks an unusual bit of candor from the world of pro golf punishment. The PGA Tour historically does not comment on disciplinary matters, and players are typically loath to reveal the source of their suspensions and fines. Bryan, however, is equal parts invested in pro golf and golf content creation. While he is suspended from the former, it makes sense that he would lean into the latter, where the story of a suspension at the center of golf’s tour wars makes for particularly viral content.

It helps that his argument centers around one of the Tour’s most arcane regulations: the unauthorized events rule. The rule was created to consolidate the individual power of PGA Tour players into a single package that networks could bid on. If the Tour could sell its players’ “exclusive” broadcast rights to networks, it could receive bigger sums, and avoid the kind of fractured competitive landscape that had defined much of golf’s history prior to 1980. In theory, it was a win-win: The players would make more money from a unified product, and the Tour would wield more power in the golf world.

Over the years, though, some players came to resent the Tour’s application of this rule, believing they were better served owning their own media rights — and believing that the Tour’s definition of “exclusivity” was overly broad, exerting control over everything from historical highlights to players’ live TV rights during weeks they were not competing.

Bryan said his appeal will be based on this argument. In Bryan’s view, the unauthorized events rule is intended to ensure that the PGA Tour’s players do not appear in televised, paid-for golf competitions operated outside of the PGA Tour. A streamed, YouTube golf video doesn’t fix under that definition, even if it was posted on the same day as another PGA Tour event (the Valero Texas Open third round) supporting the Tour’s greatest competitive threat, LIV.

In Bryan’s view, he has been posting YouTube content similar to the “Duels” format with no objection from the PGA Tour for years. How does a YouTube video alongside LIV stars fit under the same disciplinary bill as competing for a paycheck in a LIV event?

In the Tour’s view, the answer to Bryan’s question is simple: He competed in a videographed, unsanctioned golf competition supporting a rival tour without receiving permission to do so. Ergo, he is suspended.

“I don’t feel like when the rule was written it was meant to cover content creation on YouTube,” Bryan said. “I feel like it was meant to cover organized professional high level golf events. With that being said, I plan on carrying out my right to an appeal.”

The Tour’s appeals committee will soon decide which side is in the wrong.

But rest assured, you’ll hear about the outcome — maybe even live on YouTube.

(You can watch the Bryan Bros. video below.)

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The post Why Rory McIlroy’s parents missed his emotional Masters win appeared first on Golf.

The post Why Rory McIlroy’s parents missed his emotional Masters win appeared first on Golf.

On Wednesday at the Zurich Classic — McIlroy’s first start since his historic Masters win — McIlroy addressed the media with a heavy head and nasally tone, no doubt a byproduct of what has been a whirlwind, toast-filled two-week celebration.    

“It’s not every day you get to fulfill one of your lifelong goals and dreams,” McIlroy said, “and I’ve just really tried to enjoy everything that comes along with that.”

McIlroy’s first stop after Augusta was London, where he and his wife, Erica, are building a house. From there, McIlroy said, he, Erica and their 4-year-old daughter, Poppy, hopped a jet to Belfast to spend time with Rory’s parents, Gerry and Rosie, and “a few other people that are important to me.”  

Among that group of revelers, McIlroy said, were Michael Bannon, Rory’s swing coach since his Holywood youth, and Rory’s caddie and boyhood friend, Harry Diamond, and his wife. “To celebrate with the people that have been a part of this whole thing for my entire career, my entire life, was absolutely amazing,” McIlroy said.

But back to Gerry and Rosie, who, when Rory was coming up the ranks, famously made great sacrifices to help him achieve his dreams. Gerry worked 100-hour weeks bartending and managing a golf-club locker room while Rosie worked nights at a 3M factory, largely to help their only child chase his lofty ambitions.

As Rory became a fixture in professional golf, so, too, did his parents, especially Gerry, who was a smiling regular in Rory’s swelling galleries.

Earlier this month at Augusta National, though, Gerry and Rosie were nowhere to be found. As a victorious Rory walked from the 18th green to scoring on Sunday evening, tearfully embracing seemingly everyone in his path, his mother and father were nearly 4,000 miles away, back home in Northern Ireland.

And, from the sound of it, surrounded by boxes.

Rory said Wednesday that his parents missed his Grand Slam moment because they were moving houses.

“Which they said was a good thing,” Rory said on Michael Breed’s SiriusXM show. “They were glad they had something to do to take their mind off what was happening at the Masters.”

You know, parental stress and all.

When Rory did finally connect with Gerry and Rosie?

“Very emotional,” Rory said. “It was amazing to relive the week — and not just relive the week but the entire journey we’ve been on to get to this point.” He added, “Being an only child, I obviously have an extremely close bond with my parents, and to be able to share this with them was incredibly special.”

Among McIlroy’s close friends who was onsite at the Masters to celebrate with him was Shane Lowry, with whom McIlroy is defending at the Zurich this week. The good times will no doubt continue to roll in the Big Easy, but McIlroy and Lowry both know it’s also time to get back to work.

“Today is a pretty important day for me,” McIlroy said Wednesday after his pro-am round. “I need to start hitting some balls again and getting back into it.”

His motivation?

“Make sure that I don’t let this man down,” McIlroy said.

The post Why Rory McIlroy’s parents missed his emotional Masters win appeared first on Golf.

The post Zero torque putters are changing the game. Here’s where to get yours appeared first on Golf.

The post Zero torque putters are changing the game. Here’s where to get yours appeared first on Golf.

For those who haven’t had the chance to test out these revolutionary flatsticks, zero torque putters are engineered to remain balanced throughout the stroke. Often featuring specialized shaft placements, like center-shafted putters, and are built to redistribute weight in a way that minimizes any twisting, rotating or face manipulation as the putter swings back and through. 

The result? A more stable, square clubface at impact, which means more consistent, center-face strikes — even under pressure. 

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Odyssey’s new line of Ai-ONE Square 2 Square putters feature a modern center shafted design that makes them Stroke Balanced so they want to stay square throughout a golfer’s stroke. These putters are ideally suited for golfer’s looking to minimize their face rotation when they putt. Ai-One Insert Designed using Artificial Intelligence, we’ve created contours on the Aluminum backer of the insert which we co-mold to a White Hot Urethane striking surface to promote consistent ball speed across the face with the classic White Hot feel that Tour players and amateurs love. Modern Center Shafted Design This design centers the shaft on the cg plane of the putter. This results in putters that rest with the toe up in a reverse torque position, opposite of a traditional putter with toe hang. This design promotes a square face throughout the stroke. Built in Forward Press 3.3° of forward shaft lean presets the hands in a forward press position eliminating the opening of the face that often happens when golfer forward press on their own. Unique Navy Blue PVD Finish This line features a beautiful navy blue PVD finish that really sets the apart and gives a premium look and of course the Jailbird models come with our classic Versa alignment.

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Zero torque putters aren’t just catching the eye of weekend warriors — many tour pros have been testing them out too. One pro who made a notable switch and saw massive dividends is Justin Rose. As we saw during Rose’s performance at the 2025 Masters, his putting was downright incredible, draining a crucial 20-foot birdie putt to force a playoff — and could all be thanks to his equipment change. 

Rose recently switched to the Axis1 Rose putter, a model known for its torque-free design. Since his change, Rose’s performance on the green has skyrocketed. Over the course of the 2025 season, his putting average jumped from 0.022 to an impressive 0.300, about 12-times better than the year before.

With zero torque shafts more accessible than ever, now might be the perfect time to make the switch. Whether you’re struggling with your swing or just curious about the buzz, head over to Fairway Jockey and check out their wide selection of top-tier zero torque options.

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The post In 6 silent minutes, CBS delivered a Masters broadcast masterpiece appeared first on Golf.

The post In 6 silent minutes, CBS delivered a Masters broadcast masterpiece appeared first on Golf.

Golf television is an exercise in relentless motion. On a typical Sunday, eight voices are employed to speak about at least 50 balls spread over 18 fields, while two dozen production folks work any number of jobs focused on the past (replays), present (directing) and future (production, graphics, commercials, pre-produced segments). 

When it works, it all sounds like a symphony orchestra — a series of masterfully talented individuals serving as a necessary piece of a much larger whole. And when it works really well, sometimes it sounds like it did for six straight minutes on Masters Sunday: nothing at all.

WAITING IS THE HARDEST PART

CBS did not say a word for six minutes as Rory McIlroy wept his way to the scorer’s room at Augusta National on Masters Sunday. Instead, in what might be the CBS team’s finest moment under the leadership of lead producer Sellers Shy, the network sat back and watched, holding a single steady-camera on McIlroy as he faced his first moments as the Grand Slam winner.

It can be excruciating — and feel somewhat counterproductive — for those who are paid to talk to sit in silence in the aftermath of a historic moment. But often silence tells the story far better than analysis could. That was the case here.

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‘IF TEARS COULD TELL A STORY’

Shy has found himself thinking those words often in the days since McIlroy tearfully clinched the career Grand Slam at the Masters. McIlroy’s histrionics on the 18th green provided the tournament, and broadcast, with an iconic image befitting the moment.

“The truth is that I didn’t have to say a word to anyone. Everyone knew exactly what to do in that moment,” Shy told GOLF. “The truth is that there’s nothing we could have said that would have matched the tears rolling down his face.”

The tears really did tell the story for CBS, and Shy wants very little credit for orchestrating it.

“[Director] Steve Milton’s brilliance to stick on the Atlas Cam for 95 percent of that walk — and the rest of our team’s synergy, it was incredible,” he said. “It freed me up to look ahead. As soon as Rory turned into scoring, I’d imagine we had 10-12 replays lined up like airplanes at an airport.”

Features

The best sports TV minds are experts in the fields of abundance and scarcity — knowing when to slam the gas pedal down on replays, analysis and graphics, and when to sit in a singular moment for an eternity. The CBS crew earns high marks for their grasp of both here.

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Shy was thrilled with his team’s handling of the situation, but the unsung hero of it all was Nantz, who delivered the closing line  — “The long journey is over — McIlroy has his masterpiece!” — and then disappeared into the night.

Nantz’s grasp of the brevity required in that moment was quickly followed by the rest of his CBS Sports counterparts and delivered an added depth of emotion.

“In that moment, that’s when you want Jim Nantz,” Shy said. “He knows what to do in that moment, and we all take his lead. The visuals speak for themselves.”

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The post Zurich Classic Subpar picks: 2 teams to watch in New Orleans appeared first on Golf.

The post Zurich Classic Subpar picks: 2 teams to watch in New Orleans appeared first on Golf.

McIlroy and Shane Lowry are the heavy betting favorites at this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, the only annual team event on the PGA Tour schedule. McIlroy and Lowry beat Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer in a playoff at last year’s Zurich Classic, and Fanatics Sportsbook has the McIlroy/Lowry duo as +350 favorites to win again. The next-best odds to win are Kurt Kitayama and Collin Morikawa, who are +1200.

Although GOLF Subpar podcast co-hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz looked further down the list to make their Fanatics Sportsbook top-10 bets of the week.

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Knost went with the team of J.T. Poston and Keith Mitchell at +170 to top 10, while Stoltz picked Aaron Rai and Sahith Theegala at +210 to top 10.

“Two guys that I think pair up really well together — and I’m not really looking at recent form given that the format is so different — but give me Aaron Rai and Sahith Theegala,” Stoltz said. “You got Aaron Rai, who is sneaky at the top of almost all the main ball-striking stats out there. The guy is rock solid, and by the way as one of the most accurate, for alternate-shot day that’s a nice thing to have for Sahith Theegala. And Sahith, on top of that, if they do hit some wayward irons, it’s hard to find a better short game out there around the greens. I love that little tandem; complementary skill sets there.”

You can find complete Fanatics Sportsbook betting odds for the Zurich Classic here, and you can listen to the full episode of the latest Subpar (with guest Sarah Schmelzel) here or by watching the YouTube video below.

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The post 2 keys for playing golf at elevation, according to LIV pros appeared first on Golf.

The post 2 keys for playing golf at elevation, according to LIV pros appeared first on Golf.

Among these factors, elevation is probably the one that most recreational golfers have the least experience dealing with. Everyone has played golf with variable weather conditions, but not everyone has traveled to different locales with varying elevations.

As a general rule of thumb, the higher the elevation, the longer your ball flies. Several years back, Titleist conducted a study that found that for every 1,000 feet of elevation gain, the ball flies 1.2% farther. That means at 5,000 feet (like in, say, Denver) your ball will carry roughly 6 percent farther (a 200-yard shot will fly 212 yards). These numbers will vary based on other factors, but that’s a good place to start.

This week, the golfers on the LIV circuit are teeing it up at Golf Club de Chapultepec — the former home of the WGC-Mexico Championship — which sits at 7,835 feet above sea level. The golf balls will be flying this week.

Ahead of LIV Mexico City, a couple of players were asked about the keys for playing golf at high altitude. Check out their answers below.

1. Dial in your numbers

If you walk to the 1st tee without getting a feel for your carry distances on the range beforehand, you’re setting yourself up for failure. As we noted above, your stock carry numbers are likely to differ from what you’re used to.

“You’re going to see a lot of launch monitors on the range and on the golf course,” Abraham Ancer said. “Everybody trying to figure out their formula of how to attack the altitude, because definitely for some people it can be 10 percent, maybe for huge hitters that hit it really, really far and high, could be 15, 17 percent.”

You may not have access to a launch monitor before you tee off, but at the very least you should head to the range and get a feel for how far the ball is flying. It could be the difference between a fun round and a day of frustrations.

2. Commit to your shots

With the ball flying longer than you’re used to, it can be mentally challenging to pull the trigger once you’re over the ball. With a shorter club in your hand than you’re used to, it can be easy to doubt yourself and make an uncommitted swing.

“The most important part for me is to commit before I hit every shot because sometimes it’s hard to believe that you can hit a 50-degree 190 yards,” David Puig says. “I’m not used to that. So committing is going to be a super-important factor.”

Overcoming the mental hurdle of being a “long hitter” for the day can be difficult, but it’s crucial to trust yourself and make committed swings.

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The post A year ago, she was panicked. Now, Lilia Vu is major threat again appeared first on Golf.

The post A year ago, she was panicked. Now, Lilia Vu is major threat again appeared first on Golf.

Vu, who cannonballed into the pond in 2023 after winning her first major championship, was battling a debilitating back injury that forced her to withdraw from her title defense. But the injury didn’t just cost Vu a major start — it also made her question whether or not professional golf was still her present and future.

“I was on the range and I couldn’t hit the ball past 40 yards,” Vu said Tuesday at her pre-tournament press conference at the Chevron. “If I’m not doing that, how would I ever finish a round, you know, let alone tee off? At that point, that was — you think about different things. Not even defending that tournament. I can’t even play one hole, so that was kind of going through my mind. It was a good time to reevaluate everything.”

The injury forced Vu to take time off. That time away was agonizing for a former world No. 1 who burns to compete. But it also allowed Vu to take a step back, to separate the golfer from the person, and find ways to become more well-rounded.

“[The injury] affected me deeply,” Vu said. “I think not being able to compete, which is something I love so much, I think that’s why I do it. I love golf. When you love your job and you love competing and you’re not able to do that, and your body is letting you down, it’s kind of hard. You feel handicapped.

“I think it teaches you a lot of lessons that I feel like sometimes you need balance in your life,” Vu said later. “I think I got caught up with golf being my identity, and during that two months I saw a lot of family, a lot friends. I couldn’t hit for a couple weeks, so I was just doing other things. Read a lot. Listened to audiobooks. Just tried my best to become a better person. That’s all I could improve at that point.”

Among the books Vu read was “Be Water, My Friend,” by Shannon Lee, Bruce Lee’s daughter.

The book centers on the philosophies Lee followed throughout his life, asking readers to look at their own lives through a different lens. It has given Vu a new vision to help chart her career and life.

“Talks about how water, when you hit water, it hits you back. It’s very adaptable,” Vu said. “It can be so beautiful and serene. At the same time, there could be a storm coming, and you could see how destructive it is. My takeaway from that book is to be adaptable. That’s what I try to be every single day.”

After two months away, Vu returned to the course in June at the Meijer LPGA Classic. She won. She finished second in her next start at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and carded another second-place finish in her defense at the AIG Women’s Open.

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Once filled with doubt, Vu found confidence rooted in a changed perspective and a hyper focus on “body and swing awareness.”

Shortly after she withdrew from last year’s Chevron, Vu added John Yamada, a movement specialist, to her team. Yamada helps Vu maintain the correct posture to prevent back issues from flaring up again. Vu says Yamada will tell her when she’s “out of posture,” and it’s often on her “worst shot of the day.”

A year later, Vu sees her 2024 trials as something she needed. It helped her center herself and find peace beyond golf. It made her more aware of what was happening off the course and with her body.

She arrives back at the Chevron ranked fourth in the world. It’s a triumphant return even before a tee shot has been hit.

“I would definitely say that it was a motivation,” Vu said of getting back to the Chevron healthy. “But I think last year I was so much in panic with [whether I] would ever play a golf round again, let alone a tournament round.

“I would say I’m in a much better place.”

Where she once wasn’t sure what the future held, Vu is now confident she can handle whatever the future holds. Like water, she plans to adapt to whatever life throws at her, both on and off the course.

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