Europe takes early 1-point lead at Solheim Cup

The beginning of the 2018-19 PGA TOUR season offers players the opportunity to test out prototypes before they ever come to market later in the year — if at all.  Hoping to gather feedback in advance of their 2019 product launch, Bettinardi brought two new putters to the Safeway Open for the first time.  The half moon mallet was spotted in a dark and silver finish with two different face millings, including company’s popular Micro Honeycomb milled face. Bettinardi has offered a similar head shape in the past, but this one appears to have a cleaner flange than previous versions.  An updated Arm Lock putter looks to be in the works as well. Based on the putter Matt Kuchar currently plays — he rests the grip against his forearm — the Hexperimental Arm Lock features a notch in the center of the flange that gives it a different look at address.  While it’s possible Bettinardi could be using the putters for feedback only, there’s a good chance both head shapes could be added to the upcoming 2019 putter line. 

Click here to read the full article…

2021 Sanderson Farms Championship, Round 2 Top 10 win probabilities: 1. Keegan Bradley (1, -13, 33.3%) 2. J.T. Poston (T2, -11, 15.0%) 3. Charley Hoffman (T2, -11, 12.5%) 4. Denny McCarthy (T5, -9, 4.8%) 5. Sergio Garcia (T7, -8, 4.6%) 6. Kristoffer Ventura (T5, -9, 4.5%) 7. Talor Gooch (T7, -8, 2.9%) 8. Corey Conners (T12, -7, 2.3%) 9. MJ Daffue (4, -10, 2.2%) 10. Sebastian Munoz (T12, -7, 2.2%) Top Strokes-Gained Performers from Round 2: Putting: Maverick McNealy +3.5 Around the Green: Scottie Scheffler +2.4 Approach the Green: Kyle Stanley +3.3 Off-the-tee: Charley Hoffman +2.0 Total: Keegan Bradley +6.6 NOTE: These reports are based off the live predictive model run by @DataGolf. The model provides live "Make Cut", "Top 20", "Top 5", and "Win" probabilities every 5 minutes from the opening tee shot to the final putt of every PGA TOUR event. Briefly, the model takes account of the current form of each golfer as well as the difficulty of their remaining holes, and probabilities are calculated from 20K simulations. To follow live finish probabilities throughout the remainder of the Sanderson Farms Championship, or to see how each golfer's probabilities have evolved from the start of the event to the current time, click here for the model's home page.

Click here to read the full article…

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – From joggers and soft pastels, to the return of the ’90s, we review the hottest styles from PGA TOUR players at the PGA Championship.  The Power of Three ‘90s fashions continue to influence golf apparel in 2019. As a result, tri-color-blocked polos have been gaining in popularity. Adding one of these to your summer wardrobe will not only put you on trend for the season, but the wide, high contrast panels will make a powerful statement. To execute the look, match your shorts or pants to one of the three colors in the shirt. For an even smoother look, match them to lowest block of the shirt, as Brooks Koepka (Nike Golf) and Rickie Fowler (Puma Golf) did. King of the Jungle While the ‘90s are influencing golf apparel, sneaker culture is having a strong influence on golf footwear. Nike dropped its Safari ‘Bred’ Pack of footwear to kick off the tournament, and it was the talk of Bethpage Black. Inspired by New York’s concrete jungle, the safari print was combined with Nike’s iconic black and red colorway. While the entire pack was unique and eye-catching, Jason Day’s Air Max 1G shoe was the best of the bunch. Warning Signs Nike wasn’t the only shoe brand having fun this week. Puma and FootJoy also stepped up with special edition kicks, both playing off Bethpage Black’s infamous ‘Warning Sign’ behind the first tee. Rickie Fowler added a bit of fire to the fairways with this jet black and bright fuchsia colorway of his IGNITE PROADAPT shoe adorned with warning icons. Ian Poulter took a more understated approach with red “WARNINGâ€� text printed on his Pro/SL. Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes Not often do world-class players make shoe changes prior to major championships, but Justin Rose and Dustin Johnson made significant switches at Bethpage. Rose moved to Nike’s Roshe G Tour. The cleated shoe was inspired by Nike’s popular streetwear model. DJ, who has worn various cleated models of Adidas’ Tour360 shoe in recent years, laced up a spikeless trainer-style shoe from the three-stripes brand. The adiPure SP gave Dustin a more casual look on the course. Jog On Joggers aren’t for everyone. For those that can pull them off, they do offer a fresh and modern vibe on the course. Plus, they allow the ankles to breathe in the warmer months. Kelly Kraft and Erik van Rooyen (Greyson Clothiers) both wore them to perfection. Kraft paired his joggers with a trainer-style shoe from G/FORE for an ultra-modern look. van Rooyen blended classic and contemporary styles by pairing his with old-school brogues from FootJoy. Spring Has Sprung Billy Horschel (Ralph Lauren) showed us how to dress for an extended golf weekend this spring. The spectrum of soft pastels provided crisp and refreshing looks throughout the tournament. The range of colors synced nicely with navy blue, making layering easy.

Click here to read the full article…