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Most golfers, when considering a purchase to possibly improve their play, are more apt to look for something that goes in their golf bag, rather than on their face. However, Oakley with it’s PRIZM Golf lens, makes the latter worth considering. Before we get into the “how” of Oakley’s PRIZM Golf lenses, consider this possibility: the better you see, the better you’ll play. Think about everything a golfer has to process in the course of planning and executing shots (and putts). In addition to being able to more clearly see a white golf ball against the blue sky, a golfer benefits from more clearly seeing transitions between fairway and rough, and from being able to more accurately see a lie in the rough and process depth cues on an approach from the fairway. On the putting green, the ability to more clearly discern grain and undulations is a welcome one. Oakley’s PRIZM Golf Lenses’ High Definition Optics (HDO) dial back distortion for sharper, clearer vision. According to the company, the PRIZM family of lenses began with an environment-optimized lens for snow and a solution for the loss of visual acuity that’s common in wintry environments. Oakley engineers learned that if they could control and filter light, wearers could see better. The technology has evolved into, among other things, PRIZM Golf Lens technology. According to Wayne Chumbley, Oakley R&D Engineer Manager, PRIZM Golf lenses are a ultimately a tool for golfers to facilitate better information — to better leverage the strengths of their eyesight, and to compensate for natural weaknesses. The lenses allow “good light” through (which enhances contrast and aids depth perception) while filtering out “bad light” (which creates visual confusion). “You have to trust the information to make the right choice,” Chumbley said, pointing out the fact that golf course architects and superintendents often try to create visual confusion with blurred transitions, false fronts, and other techniques. So, does what does a golf course looks like through PRIZM Golf and PRIZM Golf Dark lenses? First, as all golfers know, golf is played in a predominately green landscape. The lenses work primarily to reduce the dominant green tones and amplifies colors adjacent to green. Among other effects, this amplifies the white of the golf ball, allowing golfers to track it better against the backdrop of both course and sky. By contrast, a traditional lens is very flat with no colors amplified and little color separation. By creating peaks and valleys across the spectrum and color separation, PRIZM Golf lenses are able to deliver more beneficial information to golfers’ eyes. PRIZM Golf vs. PRIZM Golf Dark: What’s different about the two? Drilling down further, Oakley has two golf-specific lenses. PRIZM Golf and PRIZM Golf Dark. The company has found the Dark Golf lens, which presents a more balanced, less contrasting view, is more appearing to the weekend warrior. Initerestingly, the pros, perhaps because of their already heightened on-course visual acuity, prefer the standard PRIZM Golf lens with its more pronounced color amplification and higher contrast. Additionally, Oakley says PRIZM Golf is ideal for low to medium light with a VLT of 30% and has a lighter tint, and PRIZM Dark Golf will excel in bright and sunny conditions and has a darker tint with VLT 22. Both lenses feature Plutonite lens material, which blocks 100% of UVA and UVB rays up to 400nm. Flak 2.0 XL The company’s most popular frame for the PRIZM Golf lenses, not surprisingly, has been the flagship Flak 2.0 XL. An iconic Oakley style, Wayne Chumbley called the Flak 2.0 XL “a sport frame that has crossed over for universal appeal” citing the fact that it fits a vast number of head shapes and sizes. With an O-Matter frame for durability, the Flak 2.0 XL is considered Oakley’s most comfortable frame offering “performance fit with lifestyle comfort,” according to Chumbley. As a final note, PRIZM Golf lenses are available in prescription, and a few of the PGA TOUR professionals you’ll see in the lens are actually sporting the prescription variety.

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LOS ANGELES – Tiger Woods admitted the uncertainty of timing around a potential return to the PGA TOUR has the 82-time TOUR winner just as frustrated, if not more so, than his legion of fans. Woods joined the broadcast booth with CBS Sports analysts Jim Nantz and Sir Nick Faldo during Saturday’s third round of The Genesis Invitational where he acts as tournament host with his TGR Foundation, and said he’s no closer to knowing when he may play again. Woods is recovering from a serious car accident in the days after last year’s tournament at Riviera Country Club where he shattered the bones in his right leg and ankle. He provided optimism for his fans last December by partnering with son Charlie to be runner up at the two-day PNC Championship but stressed riding in carts during that event was a long way from a full TOUR return. “You will see me on the PGA TOUR, I just don’t know when and trust me I’d love to tell you that I’ll be playing next week,” Woods said on the broadcast. “But I don’t know when, which is frustrating in that sense, because I’ve been down this road before with my back when I didn’t know when I was going to come back.” Woods was a spectator for the 2021 Genesis Invitational also as he was recovering from a fifth back surgery. “It’s hard because it’s hard to not have goals out there,” Woods continued. “Like I want to play this event so I can set myself up for that mentally and physically and emotionally… (but) I don’t have any of those dates in my head. I don’t know yet.” As he had revealed earlier in the week, Woods said just getting through walking 72 holes would still be too hard at this stage. His injuries remain a cause for concern and he all but ruled out a return for the Masters in April leaving speculation around July’s Open Championship at St. Andrews as a new target. “I have not been running any marathons lately, none of that. I haven’t done any backflips or anything like that, no,” Woods said. “I don’t know. I can hit balls. The hardest part is actually walking, and so, that’s going to take some time. I’m going to have to put in the time and effort at home and do all the beach walks and walk golf courses because it is very easy at Medalist to just hop in the cart and whip around and play a quick 18 or 36, but it’s a little different deal than being out here with these guys and walking up and down the hills. “(It’s) just the ankle mobility and over time the ankle swells, the foot swells, leg swells and that’s just (going to take) time.” The next big milestone for Woods is his Hall of Fame induction next month. The 82-time winner admitted to some butterflies ahead of the occasion and the speech he will give. “It’s going to be nerve-wracking. A lot of reflecting coming up,” he said.

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