Pro-Trump athletes are risking their legacies

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida and DENVER – Velocity Global has partnered with the PGA TOUR and GOLF Channel to become the presenting sponsor of PGA TOUR University, the PGA TOUR announced Tuesday. Additionally, Velocity Global, which delivers a global work platform for employers to grow compliant distributed workforces in 185 countries and all 50 United States, has been named the Official Global Workforce Solutions Platform of the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions as part of the multi-year agreement. Entering its second season, PGA TOUR University presented by Velocity Global rewards elite college players with access to Tours operated under the PGA TOUR umbrella, while upholding the principles and virtues of collegiate athletics. At the end of each college golf season, the top 15 players in the final Velocity Global Ranking earn status on the Korn Ferry Tour or a PGA TOUR international tour. The Class of 2022 Ranking will be finalized May 30 following the conclusion of stroke play at the NCAA D-I Men’s National Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. “We’re excited to welcome Velocity Global to the PGA TOUR family as the first-ever presenting sponsor of PGA TOUR University,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “Velocity Global shares our passion in supporting the top collegiate golfers on their journey to the professional game, and we look forward to their partnership in growing PGA TOUR University together.” As the Official Global Workforce Solutions Platform and Official Professional Employer Organization of the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions, Velocity Global will have a presence in programming throughout PGA TOUR media properties, align with PGA TOUR players and host customers at PGA TOUR events. “This partnership highlights access to opportunity. The Velocity Global Ranking identifies the top players in college golf and rewards them with access to the Korn Ferry Tour and the PGA TOUR’s international network of competition, just as we make global work accessible to employers and talent,” said Ben Wright, Velocity Global Founder and CEO. “We’re proud to partner with the PGA TOUR to open doors for these players and support the game’s future stars, as Velocity Global supports the future of work.” Billy Horschel, a six-time PGA TOUR winner and the 2014 FedExCup champion, is a global brand ambassador for Velocity Global and an avid supporter of college golf. During his four-year career at the University of Florida, Horschel was a two-time SEC Player of the Year and a four-time All-American. “Velocity Global is the perfect match to present the top college players in the world of golf because it is the company that drives how work gets done for the next generation,” said Horschel. “They cheer for hard work and success, and that’s exactly what the PGA TOUR University presented by Velocity Global does. It creates access to global opportunities for these players to compete right away which is so important for their development as pros. I look forward to competing against these guys really soon.” In addition to being the presenting sponsor of PGA TOUR University, the agreement also includes a partnership with GOLF Channel. PGA TOUR University and the Velocity Global Ranking will be featured each Wednesday on Golf Today and within weekly live tournament coverage, as well as across GOLF Channel and PGA TOUR digital platforms throughout the season. GOLF Channel’s first college tournament broadcast of the season is next week’s Maridoe Collegiate Invitational (September 13-15). Additionally, GOLF Channel will collaborate with Velocity Global to highlight a new PGA TOUR University charity program to be announced at a future date. “As the television home of college golf, we’re excited to continue the growth and development of PGA TOUR University alongside our partners at the PGA TOUR,” said Tom Knapp, EVP, Partnerships and Programming, NBC Sports. “The addition of an international partner like Velocity Global enhances our ability to cultivate this important platform, and ensure the top collegiate players will be showcased on GOLF Channel as they progress toward competing throughout the professional ranks and ultimately on the PGA TOUR.” The PGA TOUR University Class of 2021 made their marks in their first summers as professionals. Arizona State’s Kevin Yu finished 4th in the 2021 Velocity Global Ranking, and he posted five top-25s and two top-five finishes in eight starts on the Korn Ferry Tour. On the Forme Tour, Arizona’s Trevor Werbylo and SMU’s Mac Meissner both have wins after finishing 9th and 8th, respectively, in last year’s Velocity Global Ranking. With one event remaining this season, Werbylo leads the Order of Merit and Meissner is fifth, and both players are in position to be promoted to the Korn Ferry Tour next season.

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Callaway announced the launch of a slew of new equipment on Tuesday, including Epic Forged irons and Epic Flash Hybrids that are made for a wide range of golfers, and a line of Epic Flash Star clubs that are designed for low speed players who want more distance, according to Callaway. Each of the new products will be available at retail on August 2. The new Epic Forged irons mark the first time that Callaway will offer tungsten weighting in a forged iron. Made from 1025 carbon steel, the new irons use a “Suspended Tungsten Coreâ€� that consists of a custom tungsten weight that is placed strategically in each iron to position the center of gravity (CG) for controlled launch. The weight is wrapped in a TPU (thermoplastic urethane) mold and then “suspendedâ€� within the club head in Callaway’s familiar urethane microspheres. The microspheres help to reduce vibration at impact. Also implemented in the iron heads are Callaway’s 360 Face Cup — designed for faster ball speeds across the face – and a new VFT (variable face thickness) design made to better control spin rates. The Epic Forged irons have a platinum chrome finish and come stock with Aerotech Steelfiber or Mitsubishi Tensei AV Silver shafts, and Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips. They will sell for $300 per club, or $2400 for an 8-piece set. The long-awaited Epic Flash Hybrids are built for greater ball speed by using the company’s familiar Jailbreak Technology, which consists of two internal bars behind the face that run from the crown to the sole. The bars help to stabilize the face, thus providing more energy transfer, according to Callaway. The hybrids also have forged Carpenter 455 steel faces that also have Face Cup technology; these designs are used to create more ball speed and distance. Additionally, the club heads have MIM’ed (Metal Injection Molding) tungsten weights to enhance launch and forgiveness, and the crowns have Callaway’s T2C (triaxial carbon) technology that has a weaved design to reduce weight from the crown to be placed lower in the head. The hybrids have a new OptiFit 3 hosel that’s lighter than previous iterations to optimize launch and spin while reducing weight from unwanted areas in the head. The Epic Flash Hybrids come stock with Mitsubishi Tensei AV Silver shafts, and they will sell for $300 per club. Callaway’s new Epic Flash Star Family of clubs features a driver, fairway woods, hybrids and irons that are all built with lighter weights for golfers who need more speed and distance. While the metalwoods have all of the familiar technologies from Callaway’s Epic Flash line, and the irons are forged from 1025 carbon like the Epic Forged irons, the line of clubs comes with UST Mamiya’s ATTAS Speed graphite shafts that were previously only available in Japan. The lightweight shafts are designed for high launch and low spin, thus helping low swing speed golfers optimize distance. The clubs also come with either Golf Pride JL00 (30 grams) or J200 (43 grams) lightweight grips to save additional weight from the club overall. The Epic Flash Star driver, which has a Flash Face and Jailbreak like the company’s popular Epic Flash drivers, is 50 grams lighter in total than the Epic Flash. Callaway has also made a 13.5-degree option available, in addition to 10.5- and 12-degree options. The drivers will sell for $699.99 apiece. The fairway woods, which are available in 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 models, will sell for $399.99 each, while the hybrids, available in 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 will sell for $325 each. The Epic Flash Star forged irons (5-PW, AW, GW and SW) are made with “powerful lofts and optimized CG placement,â€� according to Callaway, that’s specific to each iron. The lofts range from 22 degrees in the 5-iron to 33 degrees in the 9-iron, and the wedges range from 38 degrees in the pitching wedge to 55 degrees in the sand wedge. While those lofts are stronger than market-standard, the Epic Flash Star irons are designed for higher launch. They will sell for $325 per club.

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Quick 9: Spice up FedEx Cup by making finale winner take all

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