Alternate shot: A brilliant and controversial year in golf

Riviera Country Club usually takes it toll on competitors, but Matt Kuchar avoided trouble throughout the opening round of the Genesis Invitational Thursday, building a three-shot lead in the process.

Click here to read the full article…

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The wave of athlete protests that began with Colin Kaepernick, then picked up steam in recent days after President Trump urged NFL owners to single out players who refuse to stand for the national anthem, is not expected to spread to the Presidents Cup at Liberty National. Steve Stricker, captain of the U.S. team that will take on the International side in this biennial team competition Thursday through Sunday, said he and his players met about the issue and unanimously agreed on how to approach it. “Right away,� Stricker said Tuesday, when asked when he’d met with his four assistant captains to talk about the matter. “We were on it. We were talking about it Sunday night, and then we met with the players a little bit last night, and then on the bus again this morning before going to the TODAY show, because we knew it was going to come up there.� The American team’s plan, Stricker said, is to stand, remove their caps, and respect the flag as usual during Thursday’s playing of the national anthem, which will be sung by Darius Rucker during the opening ceremony. The issue of athlete dissent picked up new momentum recently when Golden State Warriors star Stephan Curry was asked, hypothetically, whether he would visit the White House. His hesitation brought a tweeted response from President Trump, which itself brought a response from Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James. The issue quickly crossed over into other sports, with NFL players, coaches and even owners taking a stance on the issues of free speech and the role of politics in sports. Winter Olympic athletes weighed in. Stricker wanted to make sure his team discussed it and allow any member the opportunity to weigh in. “I asked the guys this morning on the bus: ‘How do you want to handle it? What do you want to do?’� Stricker said. “There was no hesitation. It is what it is. It’s hard for me to speak about it. To me, I’m very passionate about the flag and what it stands for, and respect it, but I know there’s inequalities and injustices going on all around us. “I read a great article by a retired general in USA Today, about how he used to watch sports, and how excited he was to watch sports for the national anthem, that three or four minutes where players come together, people in the stands come together, and forget about their differences.� Stricker said he liked the piece so much, he made copies for his whole team, sparking what he described as a good conversation on the matter. “It was up to them,� he said of his players.

Click here to read the full article…

While each of Titleist’s current TS (“Titleist Speedâ€�) drivers – the TS2, TS3 and lower-spinning TS4 – have notched wins on the PGA TOUR in 2019, some golfers need more clubhead speed than those options can provide. That’s why the TS driver family is getting an addition with a new, lighter weight TS1 driver model that’s made for “seniors, women, juniors – really anyone who is the moderate swing speed player,â€� according to Josh Talge, Vice President of Titleist Golf Club Marketing. More specifically, the “TS1 is designed for golfers who have a driver swing speed of approximately 85 mph and below, and are averaging about 220 yards or less off the tee,â€� according to Stephanie Luttrell, Director, Metalwoods Development, Titleist Golf Club R&D. The TS1 driver head measures 460cc, but it has an 8-gram lighter head weight compared to the TS2 model, and it’s equipped with lighter stock shafts and grips. Depending on exactly what shaft the consumer chooses, a stock TS1 driver can weigh just 275 grams, which means it is 45 grams lighter than a stock TS2. Related: Titleist’s TS drivers and fairway woods | New, low spin TS4 drivers unveiled In addition to its lighter weight, the draw-biased driver head of the TS1 has a deep center of gravity (CG) to help golfers launch the ball higher, in order to carry the ball farther, and Titleist reports that the MOI (moment of inertia) is similar to that of the TS3. The TS1 also has what Titleist calls “the fastest face Titleist has ever made,â€� as well as a Radial VFT (variable face thickness) that’s designed to increase ball speed on off-center hits. Despite its lighter weight, the TS1 driver is still adjustable, like its TS family members. The SureFit Hosel provides golfers and fitters with 16 different independent loft and lie settings, and a SureFit Weight provides a 10-gram range of weight adjustability, from -4 grams to +6 grams in 2-gram increments. The TS1 driver (45.75 inches for men and 44.5 inches for ladies) comes stock with either a Fujikura Air Speeder shaft (40 grams for men) or a Mitsubishi Fubuki MV shaft (45 grams for men). The stock grip is a 32-gram Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 Lite grip that measures 20 grams lighter than the standard Golf Pride model. The TS1 driver (9.5 RH, 10.5 RH/LH and 12 degrees RH) will be available in fitting locations on June 20 and in retail shops on June 27, selling for $499.

Click here to read the full article…