The First Look: Rocket Mortgage Classic

Ever since Bubba Watson won the 2012 Masters with a custom pink-colored Ping G20 driver, he’s used a pink version of the newest Ping driver models. At the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open and the 2019 Genesis Open, however, Bubba was using the matte-black stock version of Ping’s new G410 Plus driver head as he led driving distance in each event. No more pink driver for Watson? Not so fast. After testing the new Ping G410 driver, Watson saw a significant reduction in his spin rates, according to Ping TOUR rep Christian Pena. By reducing the spin, Watson could hit his patented “big sliceâ€� shot harder without losing distance, and it made the ball flight of his low, 30-yard cut shot “stronger,â€� says Pena. Along with the stronger flight, Pena also says Watson picked up significant ball speed and distance. Seeing these performance increases, Watson wanted to switch into the new Ping G410 plus head even though Ping didn’t have a custom pink version immediately available. In the meantime, with the new matte-black Ping G410 Plus driver — which was made to match the exact specifications of his previous Ping G400 driver — Watson led driving distance in the Waste Management Phoenix Open (326 yards) and the Genesis Open (309.3 yards). Ahead of the 2019 WGC-Mexico Championship, however, Watson showed off his new custom Ping G410 Plus driver, with “Bubbaâ€� painted onto the half-pink, half-black crown. Every year, it’s somewhat of a competition to see what pink driver design Watson ultimately elects to put in play. “With every new model, our industrial designers present a couple of pink-themed options (artist renderings) for internal approval by John and John K. Solheim before showing them to Bubba for him to choose the version he likes best,â€� a Pete Samuels, Director of Marketing at Ping told PGATOUR.COM. “After we introduced the G20 driver in 2011, Bubba asked for a pink version to go with the pink shaft he had been playing. Since then, we’ve made him a pink version every time we’ve come out with a new driver. The G410 Plus marks the sixth version of a Bubba pink driver and they’ve all been very unique. He’s a very creative and generous person, so he’s been able to bring a lot of attention to his charitable efforts by playing pink PING drivers. It’s been a great concept for all involved,” Samuels added. From the designs he was presented, Watson chose the “Bubbaâ€� version, which he will likely put into play this week, according to a Ping representative. Below are the exact specs of his new Ping G410 Plus driver: Loft: 9-degree head with 7.5 degrees of actual loft Length: 44.5 degrees Shaft: Grafalloy Bi-Matrix X-Flex Tipping: 0.5 inches Swing weight: D4 Weight setting: 10 grams of weight in the neutral setting Grip: Ping 703-Gold, 15 wraps under left hand and 13 wrap under right hand

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NEW YORK – Today, 2K set a tee time for PGA TOUR 2K23, the forthcoming entry in the golf simulation video game franchise from HB Studios. PGA TOUR 2K23 Deluxe Edition and PGA TOUR 2K23 Tiger Woods Edition are scheduled for worldwide release on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, followed by PGA TOUR 2K23 Standard Edition on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022. Featuring PGA TOUR icon and all-time sports great Tiger Woods as the cover athlete, PGA TOUR 2K23 celebrates Woods’ legacy by introducing him as both a playable in-game pro and an Executive Director advising the game development team. “It’s not only great to be back on the cover of a video game, but the Executive Director role makes this a truly unique opportunity,” said Tiger Woods. “2K is the perfect partner for me and I am excited to continue impacting the game and culture of golf beyond my play on the PGA TOUR.” Woods leads a roster of more than 14 male and female pros at launch*, including Justin Thomas, Lexi Thompson, Tony Finau, Lydia Ko, Collin Morikawa, Will Zalatoris, Brooke Henderson and more. Players can step into the tee box as one of the pros in Exhibition, multiplayer and Divot Derby play, or go head-to-head with them in a battle to climb the leaderboard and claim the FedExCup in PGA TOUR MyCAREER mode. In addition to the pros, the broadcast-style presentation and commentary team of Rich Beem and Luke Elvy also return, with the addition of English golf pro and broadcaster Henni Koyack. PGA TOUR 2K23 will include 20 licensed courses at launch. New additions include the South Course of Wilmington Country Club, The Renaissance Club, St. George’s Golf and Country Club and more. The industry-leading Course Designer also returns, offering players the opportunity to build their dream courses and share them with a global online community**. MyPLAYER personalization returns and players can equip their MyPLAYERS just like Tiger with Nike Golf, TaylorMade and Bridgestone Golf apparel and gear. Even more apparel options are available from licensed brands, including Callaway Golf, FootJoy, Malbon Golf, Nike Golf, PUMA, Titleist, TravisMathew and more***. Clubs and balls from brands including Bridgestone Golf, Callaway Golf, COBRA, Mizuno, Odyssey Golf, Scotty Cameron, TaylorMade, Titleist and Wilson are available to deck out players’ golf bags and keep them swinging with swag. In addition to the returning analog stick swing, a three-click swing option is also available for an added level of customization so players can play the way they like. PGA TOUR 2K23 offers new casual modes to help rookies get into the game, while giving seasoned players new challenges and opportunities to work on their skills. The introduction of Topgolf offers a unique experience emulating the popular golf entertainment phenomenon, where players can aim for targets and try to earn the highest score. Training mode offers multiple ways to develop skills, including swing calibration, lessons, chipping practice, a driving range and a putting green. Online multiplayer features also return for PGA TOUR 2K23. Online Societies encourage players to squad up with friends for custom tournaments and full seasons, while Clubhouse Pass will provide post-launch content and goals for players to enjoy well into the future. PGA TOUR 2K23 is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB and will be available for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation®5 (PS5™), PlayStation®4 (PS4™), and Steam. The game will be available in multiple editions, each with unique cover art depicting painted portraits of Tiger Woods: PGA TOUR 2K23 Standard Edition: • Physical and digital versions for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 consoles, includes the base game; • For PC, includes the base game and the Golden Club Pack, which includes a Golden Putter, Golden Driver, and four Uncommon consumable golf ball sleeves; • Players who pre-order any version of the Standard Edition will receive the Michael Jordan Bonus Pack, which includes playable sports icon Michael Jordan, as well as four consumable Common golf ball sleeves; • Players who purchase the Standard Edition of the game for Xbox Series X|S (physical or digital version) or PlayStation 5 (digital version only) consoles which includes cross-generation dual entitlement will also receive the Golden Club Pack for the game on Xbox One or PlayStation 4, respectively. PGA TOUR 2K23 Deluxe Edition: • For Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, or PlayStation 5 consoles, includes the base game with cross-generation dual-entitlement, as well as the Michael Jordan Bonus Pack, Golden Club Pack, and Deluxe Edition Bonus Pack, which includes 1300 VC (Virtual Currency), a hockey stick putter, gold baseball cap, gold glove, and three Rare consumable golf ball sleeves; • For PC, includes the base game, as well as the Michael Jordan Bonus Pack, Golden Club Pack, and Deluxe Edition Bonus Pack. PGA TOUR 2K23 Tiger Woods Edition (available in digital format only): • Includes all the contents of the Standard and Deluxe Edition for the purchased platform; • Includes the Tiger Woods Edition Bonus Pack – which includes a Tiger Woods TaylorMade wedge set, Nike TW Golf tee shirt, and three Epic consumable golf ball sleeves – plus the Tiger Woods Signature Sunday Pack, which includes a red polo, black pants, black hat, Nike TW Golf shoes, Nike TW Golf belt, and Bridgestone Golf TOUR B XS, Tiger Edition Golf Ball. For more information on PGA TOUR 2K23 and 2K, visit PGATOUR2K23.com, become a fan on Facebook, follow the game on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #PGATOUR2K23 or subscribe on YouTube.

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No longer will PGA TOUR players dip hands into a Rules official's upside-down hat to determine the order of play in extra holes. Instead, the TOUR will go to a first-to-finish, first-to-play format for playoffs. Players in the same group will play off in the same order in which they finished regulation play within their group. The TOUR Rules Committee's decision was made after a Player Advisory Council meeting at The Genesis Invitational last week and will go into effect immediately. Immediacy, in fact, was one of the driving factors for the change, which is expected to expedite the playoff process and tip broadcast partners ahead of time as to the order of play. The full e-mail is below: With support from the PAC during last week's meeting, the PGA TOUR Rules Committee is making a change to the "order of play" protocol used during tournament playoffs. Rather than deciding the order of play "by draw" as has been done in the past, beginning this week we will now use a procedure based on order of finish in the final round. The order of play within the playoff group will be done on a “first-to-finish, first-to-play” method. For players tied in the same final round group, order of play within the final round groupings will be used. Simplifying this procedure allows us to expedite the process to start the playoff and also allows our broadcast partners to know the order of play in advance.

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