Justin Thomas defends J.B. Holmes on pace-of-play incident

Click here to read the full article…

The four-tournament Florida Swing on the PGA TOUR is made up of The Honda Classic this week, the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, THE PLAYERS Championship, and the Valspar Championship. Although it sometimes seems to be, like the earth itself, mostly water – see: this week’s Bear Trap holes (Nos. 15-17) – the Florida Swing is in fact very driveable, like the 12th at TPC Sawgrass. It’s 162 miles from PGA National to Bay Hill, 120 from Bay Hill to TPC Sawgrass, 165 from there to Innisbrook, and 216 back to PGA National for a grand total of just under 700 miles. That’s four tournaments, no TSA agents, if you’re keeping score at home. Caddies sometimes call that taking Air Honda, which is convenient because so many TOUR pros live in Florida. They’re in Jupiter (Keegan Bradley, Brooks Koepka and Rickie Fowler, among others in the Honda field) and Orlando (Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter) and sprinkled liberally around Jacksonville near TOUR headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach (Cameron Smith, Jonas Blixt, Billy Horschel, Jim Furyk, Vijay Singh, among others). “I wish it was a little bit closer,â€� said Gary Woodland, who finished T6 and T2 at Honda in 2011 and 2017, respectively, and lives in Delray Beach. “With no traffic, it’s 30 minutes, but there’s always a little bit of traffic around here. For me now with the family, it’s nice to be home, nice to sleep in my own bed, try to get just a little comfortable for the week.â€� Even better, he added, not many friends and family will follow him this week, allowing him to focus on golf. No matter where you rest your head at night, the Florida Swing means poa annua greens are out, and Bermudagrass is in. “I’ve always felt like this was my good stretch because I grew up on Bermuda greens,â€� said the defending champion at Honda, Keith Mitchell, who birdied the last hole to beat Fowler and Koepka. “I grew up in this part of the country playing golf, so I’m a little more comfortable here.â€� A lot of players are. Singh’s solo sixth at PGA National last year was his only made cut in six starts on TOUR last season. (He turned 57 last week and plays mostly on PGA TOUR Champions.) Who is most comfortable in Florida? Glad you asked. Woodland hasn’t missed a cut in seven Honda starts, while Tiger Woods, no surprise, has the most wins in Florida since 1983, with 16. More recently, 35 players teed it up in all four Florida Swing tournaments last season. Only three – Sung Kang, Jason Kokrak and Anirban Lahiri – made the cut in all four. Kokrak (69.94) had the lowest scoring average. Tommy Fleetwood and Sungjae Im were the only two to record multiple top-five finishes on the Florida Swing last year. Fleetwood is 47 under in the Sunshine State over the last three years. Lucas Glover has the most Florida Swing birdies over that span (151), while Jupiter resident and reigning PLAYERS champion Rory McIlroy has the most FedExCup points (1,338). The Florida Swing is comprised of the 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 24th events of the TOUR season, which is to say we’re just about to the halfway mark. (For three-hole stretches with catchy nicknames – The Bear Trap at Honda, The Snake Pit at Valspar – we’re just getting started.) Want to read the tea leaves on TOUR? The Florida Swing provides. Tiger Woods won the 2009 Arnold Palmer Invitational on his way to the FedExCup title, his second of two, and Jim Furyk captured the 2010 Valspar en route to the FedExCup that year. Jordan Spieth won the Valspar as part of his 2015 FedExCup-winning season, and of course McIlroy last season won THE PLAYERS, the FedExCup and PGA TOUR Player of the Year. In the FedExCup era, eight of 13 Honda winners have made it to the TOUR Championship. The Florida Swing is important from the get-go, and players know it. “Hopefully it’ll start to turn around here,â€� said world number three Brooks Koepka, who hasn’t found much form since coming back from a knee injury this season and will play the Honda, PLAYERS and Valspar. “I feel good. I’m excited to play.â€� The Florida Swing is also hard. Mitchell’s winning score of 9 under last year was the first single-digit (to par) winning score since Justin Thomas won – wait for it – The Honda Classic in 2018. The other three Florida Swing courses are no picnic, either. Woodland embraces the high degree of difficulty because there can be no mistaking the feedback; players simply can’t fake it around all that water. This is good because with their flaws magnified, they can get their games organized to take on the remainder of the TOUR schedule. “Yeah, it’s a hard golf course, and I think that benefits me,â€� Woodland said of PGA National. “Scores are never going to get too low. Obviously it’s a lot weather-depending, but it’s one of the most mentally demanding golf courses I think we face all year. “There’s a lot of shots,â€� he added, “especially coming down the back nine, that you just have to step up and hit shots. There’s just really no bail-out.â€� You could say that about a lot of the Florida Swing. Time to settle in and see who’s got it and who doesn’t, because there’s no turning back now.

Click here to read the full article…

For the best players in the world, the way a putter feels at impact can determine the longevity of a flat stick. It’s part of the reason why Jordan Spieth, Tiger Woods and Brandt Snedeker, just to name a few, have relied on the same putter or insert for years — they know what they’re getting in the feel department, which allows them to dial-in distance control and improve their overall consistency. For Woods, it’s the firmer, “clickier” feel of the German Stainless Steel on his Scotty Cameron Newport 2 “GSS” putter that allows him to decipher a good putt from a mishit. For others, a softer feel is preferred, giving the sensation of the ball staying on the face slightly longer at impact. With PING’s new Sigma 2 putter series, which consists of 10 head options, the feel shades slightly to the softer side via a dual-durometer Pebax elastomer face material. The lightweight elastomer is commonly used in the sole of athletic shoes for its elasticity properties and high-energy return compound that delivers a soft yet responsive feel at impact. The soft front layer of the face is geared for shorter putts while the firmer back layer offers solid feedback and distance control for long-range efforts. The face design also features PING’s True-Roll (TR) face technology. By varying the depth of the grooves across the face — with the deepest grooves in the center and getting gradually shallower toward the perimeter to equalize ball speed — speed and control can be improved on center-hit and mis-hit putts off the heel or toe. “Feel is difficult to quantify as there are a lot of opinions and preferences about how a putter should feel,â€� said PING president John K. Solheim. “The Sigma 2 has a very soft feel with a lively response, similar to a solid-face putter. It is designed for the golfer who prefers a putter on the softer side of the spectrum but with the response of a firm face, including more consistency on longer putts. Rounding out the offering is a USGA-conforming, adjustable-length shaft that allows the golfer to choose between 32 and 36 inches to fit their stroke and posture. With the help of an adjustable tool that inserts into the top of the grip, length can be increased or decreased a 1/4-inch while the grip remains perfectly aligned during the process. “The adjustable shaft is just a really cool technology,â€� said Solheim. “Our engineers took a very complex technical challenge and simplified it for the benefit of golfers. It allows you to experiment with various lengths and ultimately self-fit yourself. You’re no longer limited to a specific length measurement.” Three pistol grip options are offered in the midsize PP60, slightly heavier PP61 (inspired by the popular PP58) and PP62, which has a more rounded shape to promote “quieter hands.” Here’s a look at all 10 putters (Platinum and Stealth finishes) in the lineup, including the new Fetch mallet. Anser The Anser is the winningest model in PGA TOUR history, and its newest iteration has the traditional heel-toe ballasts that boost MOI, plus pleasing contours, a clean top rail and simple alignment line. The blade design and medium head weight make this putter proficient from any distance. The mid-hang balance targets players with a moderate rotation in their stroke, and thus fits a large percentage of golfers. Putter type: Blade Finish: Platinum or Stealth Adjustable-length shaft: 32 inches to 36 inches Head weight: 350 grams Stroke type: Slight Arc Lie angle: 20 degrees plus-or-minus four degrees Loft: Three degrees plus-or-minus two degrees Price: $215 ZB 2 The ZB with a modern twist. The deeper center cavity and heel-toe weighting increase moment of inertia by more than 25% in this new model and make it as forgiving as an Anser. The heel-shafted weighting is engineered to fit players with more rotation in their stroke and those who have a pull tendency. This putter’s blade design and medium head weight provide versatility from anywhere on the green. Putter type: Blade Finish: Platinum Adjustable-length shaft: 32 inches to 36 inches Head weight: 350 gram Stroke type: Strong Arc Lie angle: 20 degrees plus-or-minus four degrees Loft: Three degrees plus-or-minus two degrees Price: $215 Arna Inspired by the timeless design of the Anser, this mid-mallet model features a flow-style hosel that complements the head’s soft arc shape and compact profile. The 360-gram head weight ensures stability on shorter putts while offering distance control on lag putts. The mid-hang balance fits golfers with a moderate rotation in their stroke. Putter type: Mid-Mallet Finish: Stealth Adjustable-length shaft: 32 inches to 36 inches Head weight: 360 grams Stroke type: Slight Arc Lie angle: 20 degrees plus-or-minus four degrees Loft: Three degrees plus-or-minus two degrees Price: $215 Kushin C This center-shafted model with added emphasis to the toe and heel ballasts will appeal to golfers drawn to the visual symmetry and stability of a face-balanced design. Prominent ball-width alignment features and micro-lines on the center cavity allow for easy alignment. The 360-gram weight and center-shaft design keep the head very stable on short putts in particular. The face-balanced design is optimized for players with very little rotation in their stroke or a push tendency. Putter type: Mid-Mallet Finish: Platinum Adjustable-length shaft: 32 inches to 36 inches Head weight: 360 grams Stroke type: Straight Lie angle: 20 degrees plus-or-minus four degrees Loft: Three degrees plus-or-minus two degrees Price: $215 Fetch A distinctive golf-ball-size center hole in this new design allows you to pick up the ball or remove it from the cup with the putter head and not have to bend down. This circular shape allows for efficient perimeter weighting, creating an extremely high MOI for a putter its size. Its 365-gram head is extremely stable on shorter putts. The face-balanced design works well with players who have little rotation in their stroke or a tendency to push putts. Putter type: Mallet Finish: Platinum Adjustable-length shaft: 32 inches to 36 inches Head weight: 365 grams Stroke type: Straight Lie angle: 20 degrees plus-or-minus four degrees Loft: Three degrees plus-or-minus two degrees Price: $235 Tyne Boasts a PGA TOUR-winning design, back by popular demand for its stability and ease of alignment. New micro-lines visible from address provide added texture and a contrast that amplifies the ball-framing and parallel alignment. The 365-gram head stays extremely stable on short putts and delivers ample feel for longer attempts. The Tyne can be custom built as face-balanced or mid-hang to be optimized for straight or slight-arc stroke types. Putter type: Mallet Finish: Stealth Adjustable-length shaft: 32 inches to 36 inches Head weight: 365 grams Stroke types: Straight, Slight Arc Lie angle: 20 degrees plus-or-minus four degrees Loft: Three degrees plus-or-minus two degrees Price: $235 Tyne 4 The stability and ease of alignment of the original Tyne are re-created in this heel-shafted version. The heavier 370-gram head is optimized for a smoother stroke tempo and designed to improve consistency, especially on shorter putts. The short hosel offers a distinctive – and popular – look at address, and the heel-shafted balance is particularly effective for golfers with more rotation in their stroke or a pull tendency. Putter type: Mallet Finish: Platinum Adjustable-length shaft: 32 inches to 36 inches Head weight: 370 grams Stroke type: Strong Arc Lie angle: 20 degrees plus-or-minus four degrees Loft: Three degrees plus-or-minus two degrees Price: $235 Wolverine H Its angular shape combines with ball-shape geometries and a long alignment line to simplify aiming for improved accuracy. To promote consistency, the heavier 370-gram mallet head provides a very high moment of inertia for extreme forgiveness, especially on shorter putts. The mid-hang balance ensures better all-round performance for a wide range of golfers. Putter type: Mallet Finish: Stealth Adjustable-length shaft: 32 inches to 36 inches Head weight: 370 grams Stroke type: Slight Arc Lie angle: 20 degrees plus-or-minus four degrees Loft: Three degrees plus-or-minus two degrees Price: $235 Valor A new model, this high-MOI mallet features a uniquely designed heel-toe ballast profile that contributes to its incredible stability and ease of aiming, with help from a long, contrasting alignment line. On shorter putts in particular, the added stability of the heavier 365-gram design offers a big performance advantage. This putter can be custom-built as either a face-balanced or mid-hang design to be optimized for golfers with almost any stroke type. Putter type: Mallet Finish: Stealth Adjustable-length shaft: 32 inches to 36 inches Head weight: 365 grams Stroke types: Straight, Slight Arc Lie angle: 20 degrees plus-or-minus four degrees Loft: Three degrees plus-or-minus two degrees Price: $235 PGA TOUR SUPERSTORE: Buy equipment here

Click here to read the full article…