Ex-PGA Tour golfer reveals autism diagnosis

xx

Click here to read the full article…

CROMWELL, Conn. — Viktor Hovland, recently the No. 1 ranked amateur in the world, signed an equipment contract with Ping ahead of his professional debut this week at the Travelers Championship. At last week’s U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, the 21-year-old Hovland finished T12 and set the record for the lowest 72-hole score by an amateur in U.S. Open history, breaking the record previously held by Jack Nicklaus. Earlier in 2019, Hovland also finished as the low amateur in the Masters, for which he qualified by winning the 2018 U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach. At Oklahoma State University, Hovland was a three-time All-American and won the 2019 Ben Hogan Award – an award presented to the top men’s college player – after a season that included three collegiate victories. Hovland was also a member of OSU’s 2018 National Championship-winning team. Not only has Hovland been playing Ping products for three years, his connection to Ping runs deeper. Hovland was born in Oslo, Norway, while Ping founder Karsten Solheim was born in Bergen, Norway. “Viktor’s connection to Norway makes the relationship even more special. The country has been fully behind him since he burst onto the scene as a young junior, and he’s continued to impress on so many levels,â€� said John K. Solheim, Ping President and Karsten’s grandson, in a press release. “I know my grandfather would be honored to have a Norwegian golfer of Viktor’s character and talent representing Ping.â€� Hovland himself added: “The technology behind the equipment and the service they provide allows me to focus on getting better and not worrying about my equipment. The Norwegian connection is also really cool. Karsten Solheim and his family have done so much for the game of golf. Their support of Oklahoma State’s team and their role in developing Karsten Creek are just a couple of examples of the wonderful things they do for golf. I’m honored to be part of their golfing family and look forward to working with them as I begin my professional career.â€� Oklahoma State University’s home golf course, Karsten Creek Golf Club, is named after Ping’s founder, and the university is part of Ping’s College Program, which began in the 1970s. “We’ve been impressed with Viktor since we first met him when he was a freshman at Oklahoma State,â€� said Chance Cozby, Ping’s Vice President of Sports Development, in a press release. “During his time in Stillwater, he played PING equipment at various times and we continued to keep in touch with him through our regular visits to the school. When it became clear he was going to turn professional this summer, we identified him as someone who would be a perfect fit for our staff. We had a very productive testing session with him at Karsten Creek this spring, which ultimately led to where we stand today. We are extremely pleased Viktor is joining the Ping staff.â€� Hovland, who has officially signed an equipment deal with Ping as a professional, took PGATOUR.COM through his club setup at the Travelers Championship. As he told PGATOUR.COM, however, his setup is likely to change over the coming weeks and months. Driver: Ping G410 LST (draw setting, 9 degrees) Shaft: Project X HZRDUS 6.5-flex 62 grams Hovland says: “I just put this in the bag on Thursday morning of the U.S. Open. I drove it really nice and it was a big part of my success last week… I’ve been messing around with the different kind of heads and I felt like this was a great fit for me. I was struggling with a bigger left-to-right curve. I put it on draw [setting] and it keeps it neutralized a bit. I was able to hit a lot of fairways with it at the U.S. Open.â€� Hovland led the field last week at the U.S. Open in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. 3 Wood: Ping G410 LST (14.5 degrees) Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke 6.5TX 80 grams Hovland says: “I really like [the way it] sits down because it looks like it has a lot of loft and it sits real tight to the ground, so for me it’s real easy to launch. I’m a guy who hits a lot of drivers off the tee, I don’t really like to hit a lot of 3 woods [off the tee]. So for me it’s key to have something I can launch up in the air and get it to stop on the greens, [such as going for] par 5’s in two. That’s been a great help for me.â€� Driving Iron: Callaway X-Forged UT (21 degrees) Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD-DI 85X hybrid Irons: Ping iBlade (4-6 iron), Ping i210 (7-PW) Shafts: KBS Tour-V 120X In what is quite the unique iron setup, Hovland uses the smaller iBlade irons in his long irons, and the larger, more forgiving i210 irons in his shorter irons. This is opposite of what most other players do, but Hovland has his reasons, as discussed below. Hovland says: “I’ve actually only had [the i210] irons for about a week or so. I used to have a full bag of iBlades, and last week I got the Ping i210s. I noticed that I actually got a lower ball flight because I was spinning it a little too much with the iBlades that I had… Last week at the US Open I felt like I was hitting my irons from 7-PW just a little high – they were launching a little too high and spinning a little too much for what I like to see. The greens were firm out there [at the U.S. Open] so you want them to land softly and spin, but they were just [spinning and launching] a little too much, and especially with the wind coming they were hard to control. I just happened to test out some i210s and immediately on the range I just saw them launch a little lower and they weren’t spinning as much. And they were flying in a way that’s normal to my eye. So they were in the bag immediately. It’s opposite on the longer clubs (4-6 iron). You want to be able to launch them higher and I thought the iBlades were perfect for that. I can always launch it low with the longer irons, but if you can hit them high, you can attack any pin you want to. The iBlades have been really great for me so far.â€� Wedges: TaylorMade Tour Preferred EF Spin Groove (50, 56 ATV and 60 ATV) Shafts: KBS 610 Wedge 115 (50 and 56 degrees), KBS Tour-V 130 (60 degree wedge) Putter: TaylorMade TP Collection Mullen 2 Hovland officially makes his professional debut at the Travelers Championship at 8:35 a.m. on Thursday morning.

Click here to read the full article…

Tournament officials announced today that Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 gold medallist and 7-time PGA TOUR winner Xander Schauffele has committed to play in the 2022 ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP at ACCORDIA GOLF Narashino Country Club in Chiba, Japan, October 13-16, 2022. Joining Schauffele are Cameron Champ, a 3-time PGA TOUR champion, 12-time TOUR winner Jason Day, former DP World Tour No. 1 Tommy Fleetwood and 5-time winner Rickie Fowler. “We are delighted to announce that Xander Schauffele will headline the 2022 ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP as well as PGA TOUR superstars like Cameron Champ, Jason Day, Tommy Fleetwood and Rickie Fowler,” said Travis Steiner, Executive Director of the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP. “Their presence and star power will help deliver another week of world-class golf in Japan and put a spotlight on the legacy this tournament continues to build.” Schauffele, the World No. 5, has enjoyed a stellar 2022. Following a three-year wait, he picked up his fifth PGA TOUR title in April when he partnered with close friend and 2020 ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP winner, Patrick Cantlay, to claim victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Later in the summer, he won the Travelers Championship and Genesis Scottish Open in successive tournament appearances. Schauffele has played in all three editions of the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP, with a T10 in 2019 being his best finish. The 28-year-old American, whose father is French/German and mother from Chinese Taipei, has close links to Japan where his maternal grandparents live in the country. Schauffele said: “My love and respect for Japan runs deep. From childhood memories of visiting my grandparents to playing in the inaugural ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP, and of course winning the gold medal at the Olympic Games, Japan is a special place to me and my family. I’m excited to head back there again this fall to compete in this year’s ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP. I’ve had a great year thus far and winning in Japan would be the perfect end to what has been a memorable 2022.” Champ, who turned professional in 2017, is a three-time PGA TOUR winner with his most recent victory captured at the 2021 3M Open. The 27-year-old made his ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP debut in 2020 at Sherwood Country Club, finishing T8, and making 2022 his second tournament appearance but first in Japan. “The ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP is definitely going to be a highlight on my fall schedule this year,” said Champ. “I played the event in 2020 at Sherwood, but I am especially excited to return to Japan and experience the culture there again. Japan has some of the best fans in the world and incredible courses, so I’m really looking forward to playing in that atmosphere at Narashino. My plan is to come out and play my best golf against a field that continues to grow in strength year after year.” The 2022 ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP will mark Day’s third start at the event, with his best finish coming in 2019 during its inaugural playing. This season, the 34-year-old has notched one top-10 finish, placing T3 at the Farmers Insurance Open, where he is a two-time tournament winner. The Australian is a 12-time champion with a career highlighted by wins at the PGA Championship (2015) and THE PLAYERS Championship (2016). “I’m really looking forward to making the trip back to Japan for the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP in a few months,” said Day. “My time there in 2019 was extremely memorable, with Tiger Woods ultimately winning, which always makes for an incredible moment in history. Having a tournament to play in Asia is great for the game and it’s a pleasure to have the chance to play courses in different parts of the world and take part in various cultures, of which Japan is one of my favorites. I am ready to get back and hopefully contend for a ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP title.” Fowler, whose middle name Yutaka comes from his maternal grandfather who is Japanese, is one of the most popular players on TOUR, thanks to five career victories which includes the 2015 PLAYERS Championship. He featured in the 2020 and 2021 editions of the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP and will arrive in Japan this October with every intention of ending a three-year winless run following his last success at the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open. Fowler, 33, said: “It’s fantastic we can play in front of PGA TOUR fans in all parts of the world, and to be able to compete in a country like Japan that has so much personal meaning to me and my family is an opportunity too big to pass up. I played in the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP in Japan for the first time last year and the amazing support that the players received from Japanese fans was something I will never forget. With my family roots, it’ll be amazing if I can pull off a win at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP.” Fleetwood has appeared in every edition since the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP was inaugurated in 2019 and enjoyed his best result with a tie for seventh place last October. The 31-year-old Englishman, who has played in two Ryder Cup teams for Europe and holds five DP World Tour victories, has enjoyed a strong 2022 with six top-10s including T4 finishes at The Open Championship and Genesis Scottish Open, and a T5 at the PGA Championship. The ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP, which features a $11 million purse, will showcase a 78-man field which will compete over four rounds with no cut. As Japan’s only official PGA TOUR event, the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP was successfully launched at Narashino in 2019 when Tiger Woods claimed the inaugural title with a three-shot victory over Hideki Matsuyama en route to equalling Sam Snead’s record of 82 PGA TOUR victories. This year’s ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP will include the leading players from the 2021-2022 FedExCup, players designated by the Japan Golf Tour Organization, the winner of the 2022 BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship Mori Building Cup on the Japan Golf Tour and sponsor exemptions. As in previous years, part of the tournament’s proceeds will be donated to charitable causes. As a full FedExCup tournament, the winner of the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP will earn 500 FedExCup points. The event will be co-sanctioned once again with the Japan Golf Tour Organization. For more information on the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP, please visit zozochampionship.com/en/

Click here to read the full article…