Article

LIV GOLF ORLANDO FINAL ROUND RECAP AND NOTES

Joe Potvin — Sun, 02 Apr 2023 20:02:00 +0000

BROOKS KOEPKA CLAIMS 2ND LIV WIN; TORQUE WINS 1ST TEAM TITLE

Smash GC captain Brooks Koepka reacts to winning the individual championship of LIV Golf Orlando (Photo by Jon Ferrey/LIV Golf)

BY LIV GOLF STAFF

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – The battle for two trophies came down to the final group on Sunday at LIV Golf Orlando, and the outcome was a split decision, with Smash GC Captain Brooks Koepka winning the individual trophy while Torque GC claimed its first team title at Orange County National.

Koepka’s win, by one stroke over Torque’s Sebastián Muñoz, makes him the first two-time winner in LIV Golf. The four-time major champion won the regular-season finale last year in the Invitational Series in Jeddah. It’s also his first elite pro victory in his home state of Florida.

“I’ve been playing good for a few weeks,” Koepka said after his final-round 3-under 68 left him at 15 under. “It just hasn’t really shown on the scorecard, making dumb mistakes. It was nice to come out this week and play mistake-free pretty much.”

Torque GC Captain Joaquin Niemann, who overhauled his roster during the offseason to add new LIV players Muñoz and Mito Pereira while bringing in LIV free agent David Puig, was happy to get the team title in just their third start with the new lineup. Torque’s Spanish-speaking four-man roster is the youngest in the LIV Golf League.

“It’s pretty awesome,” Niemann said. “… The chemistry between the four of us is pretty good since day one. All the practice rounds, the games we do, it’s pretty easy for the four of us to hang out together. I think we knew we could win since the first week. It just came a little bit later than we thought, actually.”

Torque GC celebrate winning the team title at LIV Golf Orlando (Photo by Scott Taetsch/LIV Golf)

Both the individual and team competitions developed into potential playoffs during a tightly contested final round.

Koepka started the day with a three-shot lead but Muñoz – who opened with a record-tying 62 on Friday – provided constant pressure. He holed out from behind the green at the 16th hole to move within a stroke of the lead. At that point, Torque also tied Smash on the team leaderboard. Pereira then birdied the 17th hole to give Torque the lead.

It ultimately came down to the final hole and the final group. Both Koepka and Muñoz found the green with their approach shots but faced long birdie putts. Both attempts came up well short, giving each player nervy 4-footers to maintain their positions. They both made their par putts, allowing Koepka to celebrate an individual win and Torque to celebrate the team win at the same time.

“I knew it was back-and forth between Torque and us, and then Sebastián, I knew where he was the entire time. It helps playing with him, obviously,” Koepka said. “He battled really hard. .. The fact he just wouldn’t go away was props to him because that’s just competing right there.”

Muñoz shot a final-round 66 to lead the Torque counting scores, with Puig shooting 67 and Pereira shooting 68.

“I just knew that I had Brooks against me, and I couldn’t let him beat me [in counting scores] because I wanted Torque to stay on top,” Muñoz said.

Asked how he balanced the success of the team against coming so close to the individual win, Muñoz replied, “Yeah, I had a moment right now when we were taking pictures. I had a trophy in my hand but finished second. It threw me off. But I’m really proud of what we achieved as a team, and I feel like it’s even tougher to win as a team.”

Brooks Koepka of Smash GC is the first player in LIV Golf history to win multiple individual titles (Photo by Doug DeFelice/LIV Golf)

Meanwhile, Koepka had the same balancing act with Smash coming so close to its second team title. But he doesn’t have time to dwell on the outcome. He and 17 other LIV Golf members will be competing in the season’s first major at the Masters next week.

“I’m very happy to get the win,” Koepka said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t get the team win, which kind of is a little bittersweet. But look, I’m happy the way I’m playing going into Augusta.”

TEAM COUNTING SCORES

Here are the standings and counting scores for Sunday’s final round of the team competition at LIV Golf Orlando. The three best scores from each team count in every round for their total team score. The team with the lowest cumulative score after three rounds wins the team title.

1. TORQUE GC (-36): Sebastián Muñoz 66, David Puig 67, Mito Pereira 68 (Rd. 3 score: -12)

2. SMASH GC (-35): Matthew Wolff 67, Brooks Koepka 68, Jason Kokrak 69 (Rd. 3 score: -9)

3. 4ACES GC (-34): Peter Uihlein 65, Dustin Johnson 66, Patrick Reed 67 (Rd. 3 score: -15)

4. STINGER GC (-26): Dean Burmester 64, Branden Grace 70, Charl Schwartzel 70 (Rd. 3 score: -9)

5. CLEEKS GC (-25): Bernd Wiesberger 68, Richard Bland 70, Graeme McDowell 71 (Rd. 3 score: -4)

6. MAJESTICKS GC (-25): Henrik Stenson 66, Sam Horsfield 68, Lee Westwood 69 (Rd. 3 score: -4)

7. FIREBALLS GC (-23): Carlos Ortiz 65, Eugenio Chacarra 66, Sergio Garcia 68 (Rd. 3 score: -14)

8. RANGEGOATS GC (-21): Thomas Pieters 67, Talor Gooch 68, Harold Varner III 68 (Rd. 3 score: -10)

9. HYFLYERS GC (-21): Phil Mickelson 67, Brendan Steele 67, Cameron Tringale 69 (Rd. 3 score: -10)

10. CRUSHERS GC (-19): Bryson DeChambeau 67, Charles Howell III 67, Paul Casey 71 (Rd. 3 score: -8)

11. IRON HEADS GC (-16): Kevin Na 69, Scott Vincent 70, Danny Lee 74 (Rd. 3 score: E)

12. RIPPER GC (-15): Jediah Morgan 67, Marc Leishman 68, Cameron Smith 71 (Rd. 3 score: -7)

LIV Golf Orlando team champion Torque GC featuring Mito Pereira, David Puig, Sebastián Muñoz and Joaquín Niemann secured a win in just their third tournament playing together (Photo by Jon Ferrey/LIV Golf)

NOTES

4ACES WITH THIRD STRAIGHT PODIUM RESULT: Captain Dustin Johnson and his 4Aces GC team continue to set the pace in the season-long team standings despite not winning a tournament title. After consecutive runner-up finishes to start the season, the 4Aces once again were the best performers in the final round, posting a cumulative 15 under team score to finish solo third at 34 under. Peter Uihlein had the best round for the 4Aces with a 65, while Johnson shot 66 and Patrick Reed shot 67. Fourth man Pat Perez also had a good day with a 68. The 4Aces won five of eight tournaments during the inaugural 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Series, including the Team Championship. The team now leads the season-long standings with 64 points, 14 ahead of Torque GC.

STINGERS’ BURMESTER GOES LOW: First-year Stinger GC member Dean Burmester produced the lowest score in the final round, a 7-under 64 that gave him a solo third podium finish, his best result of his three starts since joining LIV Golf prior to this season. Burmester started his round with an eagle at the par-5 17th, his second eagle on that hole this week. He finished with four birdies in his last six holes.

EVERY TEAM NOW HAS POINTS: Smash GC, Cleeks GC and Majesticks GC entered LIV Golf Orlando without team points through the first two events, but all three teams finished inside the top eight to claim their best results of the season. Smash took second place, Cleeks took fifth place and Majesticks took sixth place. Meanwhile, Stinger GC finished in fourth place for the third consecutive week, while RangeGoats GC finished in eight place for the third consecutive week.

18 SET FOR MASTERS: LIV Golf Orlando champion Brooks Koepka and six former Masters champions are among the 18 LIV Golf members headed to Augusta National for next week’s tournament, the first major on the 2023 golf calendar. The six past winners include three-time champ Phil Mickelson, two-time winner Bubba Watson, along with Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia and Charl Schwartzel. The other 11 participants include Abraham Ancer, Bryson DeChambeau, Talor Gooch, Jason Kokrak, Kevin Na, Joaquin Niemann, Louis Oosthuizen, Mito Pereira, Thomas Pieters, Cameron Smith and Harold Varner III.

RD. 3 STAT LEADERS

Driving distance – Bubba Watson, 359.7-yard average

Longest drive – Bubba Watson, 375 yards (10th hole)

Driving accuracy – Kevin Na, 92.86% (13 of 14)

Greens in regulation – Charles Howell III , 88.89% (16 of 18)

Scrambling – Patrick Reed (9 of 9), Sam Horsfield (5 of 5), Henrik Stenson (3 of 3), 100%

Fewest putts – Bryson DeChambeau, Lee Westwood, 24 putts

Most birdies – Peter Uihlein, 8

Bogey-free rounds – Henrik Stenson (66), Patrick Reed (67), Sam Horsfield (68)

LIV GOLF ORLANDO 2023 – ROUND ONE RECAP

Joe Potvin — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 18:38:00 +0000

MUÑOZ SHOOTS RECORD-TYING 62; SMASH GC TAKES TEAM LEAD

Sebastián Muñoz of Torque GC shoots a 62 in the first round of LIV Golf Orlando at Orange County National (Photo by Doug DeFelice/LIV Golf)

BY LIV GOLF STAFF

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – Torque GC’s Sebastián Muñoz played his first 11 holes in Friday’s opening round of LIV Golf Orlando in 8 under. The thought of shooting 59 certainly was on his mind as he headed toward the tee box at the par-4 seventh hole.

“Last year I shot 60 two times, so it’s one of my goals, to get to 59 one day,” Muñoz said. “I thought I hit a good shot on 7. I gave myself a 45-footer and I three-putted that one. I knew that was going to kind of be the end of the 59 strategy.”

Even so, Muñoz finished his round with consecutive birdies to shoot a 9-under 62 at Orange County National. That ties for the lowest score in LIV Golf history and gives the Colombian star a two-shot advantage going into the weekend of the third event on the LIV Golf League schedule. Cleeks GC’s Richard Bland is in solo second at 64, while Smash GC Captain Brooks Koepka and Tucson winner Danny Lee of Iron Heads GC share third at 65.

“Great day,” said Muñoz, who began his round with an eagle at the par-5 14th. “Felt really in control of my driver, irons, putting. … Everything felt kind of easy today.”

Smash leads the team leaderboard with a cumulative 14 under, one stroke better than Torque. Chase Koepka and Matthew Wolff supported their captain with counting scores of 4-under 67.

Smash is one of three teams that have yet to finish inside the points (top eight) through the first two events. Majesticks GC (third place at 11 under) and Cleeks GC (tied for 4th at 10 under) are the other two.

“It’s nice to see the team finally playing well,” Brooks Koepka said. “Chase played well and then Matt has been doing what he’s been doing. Just nice to see us actually compete, and hopefully we’re there on Sunday.”

The Koepka brothers were both born and raised in Florida. Brooks Koepka said he played some junior events at Orange County National two decades ago, but it’s his younger brother Chase who has more experience on the Crooked Cat course.

“He’s had Q-school here so many times,” Brooks said. “He was telling us what to do in the practice rounds, so that doesn’t happen too often, just because we’ve played so many different golf courses of the years. … It definitely helps, so I’ll take his advice.”

Captain Brooks Koepka of Smash GC during the first round of LIV Golf Orlando at Orange County National (Photo by Mike Stobe/LIV Golf)

Bland began his round with a double-bogey but quickly bounced back with consecutive birdies and eventually finished with an eagle to climb into solo second.

“I kind of righted the ship pretty quick,” Bland said. “I played the front nine great. Whenever I kind of had a look, I made it.”

Despite winning two weeks ago in just his second LIV Golf start, Lee said he did not enter Orlando with high expectations. He started his round with a bogey but eventually found his groove, shooting a bogey-free six under on his last 14 holes.

“Monday through Thursday, my body wasn’t feeling well,” Lee said. “I was feeling weak, wasn’t sleeping well because of the time difference coming over from the West Coast. I didn’t know I was going to play this well.”

TEAM COUNTING SCORES

Here are the standings and counting scores for Friday’s opening round of the team competition at LIV Golf Orlando. The three best scores from each team count in every round for their total team score. The team with the lowest cumulative score after three rounds wins the team title.

1. SMASH GC (-14): Brooks Koepka 65, Chase Koepka 67, Matthew Wolff 67

2. TORQUE GC (-13): Sebastián Muñoz 62, Mito Pereira 68, Joaquin Niemann 70

3. MAJESTICKS GC (-11): Lee Westwood 66, Henrik Stenson 67, Ian Poulter 69

T4. 4ACES GC (-10): Dustin Johnson 67, Patrick Reed 67, Pat Perez 69

T4. RANGEGOATS GC (-10): Harold Varner III 66, Thomas Pieters 68, Talor Gooch 69

T4. CLEEKS GC (-10): Richard Bland 64, Laurie Canter 68, Graeme McDowell 71

7. STINGER GC (-9): Dean Burmester 67, Branden Grace 67, Louis Oosthuizen 70

T8. IRON HEADS GC (-6): Danny Lee 65, Scott Vincent 70, Kevin Na 72

T8. CRUSHERS GC (-6): Paul Casey 69, Charles Howell III 69, Andy Ogletree 69

10. RIPPER GC (-5): Marc Leishman 68, Cameron Smith 69, Jediah Morgan 71

T11. FIREBALLS GC (-2): Abraham Ancer 70, Carlos Ortiz 70, Sergio Garcia 71

T11. HYFLYERS GC (-2): Phil Mickelson 70, Cameron Tringale 70, Brendan Steele 71

Smash GC led by captain Brooks Koepka currently sit atop the team leaderboard of LIV Golf Orlando (Photo by Steve Szurlej)

NOTES

MUÑOZ TIES RECORD LOW: Sebastián Muñoz’s 62 is the lowest score of the 2023 LIV Golf League season and ties for the lowest score shot at a LIV Golf event. Last year during the Invitational Series, Lee Westwood shot a 62 in the third round at Boston and Brooks Koepka shot a 62 in the first round at Jeddah. Muñoz’s 9-under total also ties for the record low relative to par. Dustin Johnson shot a 9-under 63 in Rd. 1 in Chicago and Eugenio Chacarra shot a 9-under 63 in Rd. 2 in Bangkok

NON-LOCAL WESTWOOD LEADS MAJESTICKS: Of the four players on the Majesticks GC lineup, Westwood is the only member who doesn’t live in the Orlando area. But the 49-year-old co-captain came through with the team’s lowest score of the day, a 5-under 66. Fellow co-captains Henrik Stenson (67) and Ian Poulter (69) also contributed as the Majesticks seek their first team points of the season.

POINTS LEADER HOWELL RALLIES LATE: Mayakoba winner Charles Howell III, the current individual points leader, opened his round with a bogey, then followed with 11 consecutive pars before posting three late birdies to finish with a 2-under 69. The Crushers GC member is tied for 19th.

RESERVE OGLETREE CONTRIBUTES FOR CRUSHERS: Andy Ogletree, the current International Series Order of Merit leader, opened with a 2-under 69 and holed out for eagle at the par-4 second hole while providing one of the three contributing scores for Crushers GC. Ogletree is playing this week as the replacement for regular Crushers player Anirban Lahiri, out for personal reasons. It’s Ogletree’s first start in LIV Golf since the inaugural event for the Invitational Series last year in London. In the nine months since that start, Ogletree has won two International Series events. The International Series Order of Merit leader at the end of the 10-tournament 2023 season earns full playing privileges for the LIV Golf League in 2024.

FIREBALLS SLUGGISH AFTER WIN: Fireballs GC, winners of the team trophy two weeks ago in Tucson, are tied for last place with HyFlyers GC after the first round. Carlos Ortiz, part of the four-man playoff in Tucson, shot a 1-under 70 and was matched for the team’s best score by Abraham Ancer. The Fireballs and HyFlyers were the only two teams that did not have at least one player shoot in the 60s on Friday.

BROOKS LOW MAN AMONG MASTERS INVITEES: Brooks Koepka shot the lowest score (65) among the 18 LIV Golf members who will play in next week’s Masters, the first major of the 2023 golf season. Dustin Johnson (67) and Patrick Reed (67) had the lowest score among the six past Masters champs. Reigning Open champion Cameron Smith shot 69.

RD. 1 STAT LEADERS

Driving distance – Bryson DeChambeau, 339.3-yard average

Longest drive – Bryson DeChambeau, 361 yards (18th hole)

Driving accuracy – Richard Bland, 92.86% (13 of 14)

Greens in regulation – Mito Pereira, Laurie Canter, Louis Oosthuizen, 94.44% (17 of 18)

Scrambling – Sebastián Muñoz (4 of 4), Harold Varner III (4 of 4), Lee Westwood (4 of 4), Dustin Johnson (4 of 4), Talor Gooch (4 of 4), Mito Pereira (1 of 1), Laurie Canter (1 of 1), Louis Oosthuizen (1 of 1), 100%

Fewest putts – Sebastián Muñoz, Cameron Smith, 25 putts

Most birdies – Matthew Wolff, 9

Bogey-free rounds – Harold Varner III (66), Lee Westwood (66), Dustin Johnson (67), Laurie Canter (68)

Myrtle Beach Named Official “Buddies Trip” Destination Of Barstool Classic

Joe Potvin — Tue, 28 Mar 2023 11:24:00 +0000

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Myrtle Beach, golf’s most popular destination, has been named the official “Buddies Trip” of the Barstool Classic, the game’s leading tournament series.

The Barstool Classic began its 25-event schedule at True Blue Golf Club on March 6. The one-day tournaments are being played in 18 states and Toronto, Canada with courses such as The Greenbrier, TPC Boston and Grand Traverse Resort joining True Blue as high-profile hosts in 2023.

As the official “Buddies Trip” of the Barstool Classic, PlayGolfMyrtleBeach.com, the Grand Strand’s leading golf trip planning resource, will have activation opportunities at every event. The winner of the closest to pin contest at each tournament will also receive free entry into 40th Annual World Amateur Handicap Championship, a 72-hole, net stroke play event that annually attracts more than 3,200 people from across the globe to Myrtle Beach.

Additionally, one lucky “Stoolie” will win a free trip to Myrtle Beach that includes:

– Two nights, three rounds for four golfers
– Two Double Occupancy Rooms
– Three rounds of golf on a Golf Tourism Solutions member course
– Visit www.ForePlayMyrtleBeach.com to learn more and enter.

The Myrtle Beach golf community’s partnership with the Barstool Classic extends a relationship that began in 2022 when the Fore Play podcast team brought its ever-popular travel series to the area, spotlighting Pine Lakes Country Club, Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club, TPC Myrtle Beach and True Blue. The YouTube series included four videos that have all generated in excess of 125,000 views.

Barstool’s team – Trent, Riggs, Frankie and Dan – have enjoyed a meteoric rise based on the popularity of its Fore Play podcast, an engaging, irreverent look at the game through the eyes of regular golfers. Many of golf’s biggest names have appeared on Fore Play, reaching a younger, yet no less passionate, audience.

For more information on everything the Myrtle Beach golf scene has to offer, visit PlayGolfMyrtleBeach.com.

About Golf Tourism Solutions
GTS provides a broad array of services, including email marketing, website design, social media and content production, targeting public and private clubs and real estate developments. With an email database that includes more than 700,000 addresses and an ever-growing social media presence, GTS has the assets of a large media company at its disposal.

GTS also has full responsibility for a thriving tournament division, headlined by the PlayGolfMyrtleBeach.com World Amateur Handicap Championship. The company runs eight events, including the Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship, and brings more than 20,000 rounds of golf and room nights to Myrtle Beach.

For more information, go to www.GolfTourismSolutions.com.

LIV GOLF COMES TO ORLANDO!

Joe Potvin — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 13:33:29 +0000

MAJOR CHAMPIONS AND GLOBAL SUPERSTARS DESCEND ON FLORIDA
THIS WEEK FOR LIV GOLF ORLANDO

Orange County National Set to Host World-Class Golfers, Elite Competition and Entertainment for All Ages at LIV Golf’s Third Event of 2023

Free Admission for Youth 12 and Under, and Active-Duty Military and Veterans

Live Broadcast Begins Friday, March 31 at 1 p.m. ET on The CW App and LIV Golf Plus with Saturday and Sunday Broadcasts on The CW Network’s Linear and Digital Platforms and LIV Golf Plus

Orlando, FL (March 27, 2023) – Following a memorable league launch in Mayakoba, Mexico won by captain Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC and individual champion Charles Howell III, the LIV Golf League saw an exhilarating finish in Tucson, Arizona. Fireballs GC, featuring captain Sergio Garcia, Abraham Ancer, Eugenio Chacarra and Carlos Ortiz, captured the team win while Danny Lee of Iron Heads GC sank a thrilling birdie putt on the final round’s third playoff hole to claim the individual title.

Now, 48 of the world’s best golfers travel to Orange County National in Florida for the league’s third event of the season, LIV Golf Orlando, March 31-April 2.

Showcasing many of the sport’s biggest names, LIV Golf’s 12 teams include reigning Open Champion Cameron Smith, World Golf Hall of Famer Phil Mickelson, two-time major winner Dustin Johnson and four-time major winner Brooks Koepka. More than a quarter (13) of the league’s star-studded, international field are major champions, with 24 major victories amongst them. The field of 48 players represents 16 different nations, includes 18 Olympians, and has made 125 combined appearances in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, with more than half of the league having competed in the biennial team events. In total, LIV Golf League players have amassed 530 worldwide wins across multiple tours, and four players have held the title of World No. 1.

This is the first official season of the LIV Golf League, with a 14-tournament schedule being hosted in seven different countries at some of the world’s top courses. Players are in pursuit of the 2023 LIV Golf Individual Championship and 2023 Team Championship, and after two events, Charles Howell III sits atop LIV Golf`s individual standings with 56 points. The team standings, which decide seeding for the season-ending Team Championship, are currently led by captain Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces GC (48 points).

Grounds passes for LIV Golf Orlando start from $39 per day and are all-inclusive of the live music, fan activities, and world-class golf competition. Youth 12 years and under receive complimentary admission to the tournament as do active-duty military and veterans, in addition to a guest. For tickets and more information, visit LIVGolf.com.

LIV Golf Orlando will air from 1:00-6:00 pm ET on Saturday and Sunday on The CW Network’s linear and digital platforms and LIV Golf Plus, with Friday’s round carried on The CW App and LIV Golf Plus. This season, all eight U.S.-based tournaments and six international events are being broadcasted across the U.S. and streamed live to The CW App, which has been downloaded over 92 million times and is available on all major platforms. In addition, LIV Golf tournaments are carried on more than a dozen international broadcast partners and counting, delivering league broadcasts in over 160 territories to more than 380 million homes worldwide. For more information on how to watch the 2023 LIV Golf League, visit LIVGolf.com/where-to-watch.

FAN ACTIVITIES AND INFORMATION Fan festivities for LIV Golf Orlando begin on Friday, March 31 at 11 a.m. local time when gates open to welcome guests of all ages to the variety of unique activations on site. Parking is free all three days in advance of the tournament’s 1:15 p.m. shotgun start on Friday and Saturday and 1:00 p.m. start Sunday.

Grounds passes allow fans to walk the course, get up close to the players and offer full access to the interactive Fan Village – an immersive area featuring varieties of food and beverages, league and team merchandise, “Choose Your Team” activities and a specially designed LIV Kids Zone for the youngest fans to relax and play. Golf-themed games and interactive experiences will engage fans of all ages throughout the day, while giant video screens will broadcast the tournament so fans don’t miss a minute of the action. In addition, LIV Golf’s Impact Zone will feature an opportunity for guests to enjoy the tournament in an eco-friendly setting, chip golf balls into a target to raise money for youth and communities in need of support, and add pledges to the “Futbol Mas Green Card” – an initiative of LIV Golf’s global NGO charitable partner – to contribute to building a positive community.

SPECIAL TICKET OFFERS Aligned with LIV Golf’s mission to grow the game and provide more fun and entertainment for all fans, special ticket offers are available for select groups, including:
Complimentary Youth Tickets: Offering complimentary access for the next generation of golf fans, youth 12-years-old and under will be granted free entrance at the gate when accompanied by an adult who occupies a ticket for the selected day.Complimentary Military and Veteran Tickets: Any active-duty military or veteran can secure complimentary grounds passes for themselves and a guest as a thank you to those who currently serve or who have served.25% off for College and University Students: Discounted grounds passes are available to College and University students. Students are eligible to receive 25% off single-day grounds passes.25% off for Teachers: As a special thank you to teachers, LIV Golf is proud to offer 25% off single-day grounds passes for all teachers.25% off for First Responders and Medical Professionals: LIV Golf is pleased to offer 25% off single-day grounds passes for first responders and licensed medical professionals who serve our communities.
To secure tickets and hospitality packages, visit LIVGolf.com.

The LIV Golf League is owned and operated by LIV Golf Investments whose vision and mission is centered around making holistic and sustainable investments to enhance the global golf ecosystem and unlock the sport’s untapped worldwide potential.

About LIV Golf Investments LIV Golf Investments is a newly formed company, with group companies in the USA and UK, and with Asian offices to follow. Its purpose is to holistically supercharge professional golf on a global scale to help unlock the sports’ untapped potential. Greg Norman is the first and founding CEO of LIV Golf Investments. PIF, one of the world’s largest wealth funds, with a diverse international investment portfolio, is the majority shareholder in LIV Golf Investments.

Inaugural Short Par 4 Girls Palmetto Tournament of Champions To Be Held In Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Roseann Mai-Potvin — Sat, 18 Mar 2023 14:33:25 +0000

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The inaugural Short Par 4 Girls Palmetto Tournament of Champions will tee off this fall, bringing the best high school golf teams in the Carolinas to Myrtle Beach. The 36-hole tournament will be held September 16-17 at True Blue Golf Club, one of the nation’s top 100 resort courses.

A total of 12 teams from North and South Carolina, including 10 state championship squads, will be invited to participate as will the top 12 individual players whose teams didn’t win state titles. Entry into the event is free.

Short Par will provide players with a gift bag, a perk that coincides with the launch of the company’s new Junior Membership Box.

“The Short Par 4 Tournament of Champions will be an opportunity for premier high school girls programs and individuals in North and South Carolina to test themselves against the best of the best,” said Scott Tomasello, tournament director for Golf Tourism Solutions. “We believe the event has the opportunity to be one of the highlights of the prep golf calendar and playing at True Blue, one of Myrtle Beach’s best courses, will only enhance the tournament’s appeal.”

“Growing the game through junior golf is a passion for the entire Short Par 4 company,” said Todd Stires, Chief Revenue Officer, Short Par 4. “We are excited to be part of this great event and look forward to making buying apparel and accessories a little easier on all of the parents.”

A Mike Strantz design, True Blue is one of the area’s boldest layouts, featuring sweeping fairways, undulating greens, and the sprawling waste bunkers. The layout has hosted numerous collegiate events and South Carolina High School League championships, making it the ideal venue for the Tournament of Champions.

The Golf Tourism Solutions tournament division runs 11 events, including the PlayGolfMyrtleBeach.com World Amateur Handicap Championship and the boys Palmetto High School Golf Championship, a spring tournament.

Short Par 4 is golf’s premier monthly subscription box, providing subscribers the latest in fashion and unmatched value, guaranteeing players look and feel good when they arrive at the first tee.

For more information on golf’s most popular destination, visit www.PlayGolfMyrtleBeach.com.

APGA NEWS

Joe Potvin — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 14:46:20 +0000

Howard’s Gregory Odom maintains lead in APGA 2022-2023 Collegiate Ranking

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – APGA Tour officials today announced the latest APGA Collegiate Ranking for the 2022-2023 season with Howard University’s Gregory Odom still holding the top spot. By leading the APGA Collegiate Ranking as of November 18, Odom earned an exemption to play as an amateur in the 2023 APGA Farmers Insurance Invitational at Torrey Pines in January and finished 3^rd in difficult weather conditions.

The APGA Collegiate Ranking was announced in October 2020 through a partnership between the PGA TOUR and the APGA Tour. Eligible players are black golfers from NCAA Division I or II programs – including HBCUs – who exhaust a minimum of four years of college eligibility. The APGA Collegiate Ranking is based on players’ Golfstat adjusted scoring average, designed to evaluate the top players positioned to qualify for APGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament access.

Michigan State’s Troy Taylor III holds second place in the most recent standings while Odom’s Howard University teammate Everett Whiten Jr. sits in third place. The Class of 2023 Ranking includes Golfstat-ranked college tournaments played in Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022 and Spring 2023.

In addition to the exemption into the APGA Farmers Insurance Invitational, the top five players in the final APGA Collegiate Ranking will receive:

Scholarship access to APGA TOUR events through the remainder of the 2023 APGA Tour season
Scholarship access into the Korn Ferry Qualifying School for the 2024 season
The final No. 1-ranked player will receive a sponsor exemption into the 2023 REX Hospital Open on the Korn Ferry Tour

On Tuesday, the PGA TOUR formally announced its Pathway to Progression player development program, a comprehensive effort to achieve greater diversity in golf through an increased focus on developing talent from diverse and historically underrepresented groups. Pathway to Progression, in alignment with the APGA Tour partnership and the Collegiate Ranking program, will provide a path for talented junior and collegiate golfers from diverse backgrounds to continue their development in professional golf. More information on the Pathway to Progression can be found here.

Rankings as of March 10, 2023:

V1	V2	Current	Player	University	Rounds	Adj. Avg. (in relation to par)
2	1	1	Gregory Odom	Howard	47	0.75
1	2	2	Troy Taylor III	Michigan State	58	0.81
3	3	3	Everett Whiten Jr	Howard	44	1.59
4	4	4	Joel Basakaine	Livingstone	30	3.94
5	5	5	Patrick Jean-Pierre	Florida A&M	47	4.43
6	6	6	Gary Bullard	Army	27	5.52
7	7	7	Troy Stribling	Florida A&M	35	6.79
		8	Jason Johnson	Alabama A&M	17	6.96
8	8	9	Thabang Moephuli	Maryland Eastern Shore	38.5	7.20
9	9	10	Edrine Okong	Howard	35	7.81
10	10	11	Adric Kimbrough	Alabama A&M	12	14.42
11	11	12	Cameron Speights	Johnson C. Smith	20	15.79

Any player who wants to be removed from the list because they have decided to come back and complete their last year of eligibility needs to inform the APGA no later than April 15
Players interested in opting into the program can register here: https://registrations.pgatourhq.com/forms/apga/
A player must complete a tournament in each of the last three semesters (Spring 2022, Fall 2022 and Spring 2023) to be eligible for the APGA Collegiate Rankings top five benefits

Full rankings will be updated monthly at https://www.apgatour.org/apga-collegiate-ranking. At the end of the 2022-23 season, APGA Tour officials will determine the minimum number of rounds to qualify.

ABOUT THE APGA TOUR

The APGA Tour was established in 2010 as a non-profit organization with the mission to bring greater diversity to the game of golf. The APGA Tour Board of Directors works to accomplish this by hosting and operating professional golf tournaments, player development programs, mentoring programs and by introducing the game to inner city young people. In addition to conducting an expected 18 tournaments awarding close to $1 million in prize and bonus money in 2023, the APGA has organized a Player Development Program to aid young minority golfers as they work to chase their goals in professional golf.

In Gee Chun Wins LPGA Velocity Global Impact Award

Joe Potvin — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 14:35:00 +0000

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., March 8, 2023 – Celebrating International Women’s Day, officials with the LPGA and the Velocity Global Impact Award Committee today announced that In Gee Chun has won the inaugural Velocity Global Impact Award thanks to a fan vote that ran on LPGA.com between February 21-March 6. The award recognizes Chun’s dedication to growing the sport of golf and inspiring the next generation of athletes through her efforts and actions as the proud founder and generous donor to the In Gee Chun Lancaster Country Club Educational Foundation, which provides scholarships for Lancaster Country Club (LCC) employees, their dependents and caddies to further their educational goals. With the award, Chun and the In Gee Chun LCC Educational Foundation will each receive $100,000 compliments of Velocity Global.

“It’s high time that female athletes get the recognition they deserve for their philanthropy, leadership, and athleticism,” said Sarah Fern, Chief People Officer at Velocity Global. “We’re delighted to recognize In Gee Chun for her dedication to empowering the next generation of women athletes to do the same. In Gee Chun has gone above and beyond to ensure members of her community have equal opportunities to advance their education and careers, many of which through the very foundation she created. We’re thrilled to partner with the LPGA to bring awareness to this amazing woman and a future generation of talented young athletes.”

“Thank you Velocity Global and the LPGA for launching this meaningful award and for sharing each of our stories to inspire the next generation to have a positive impact on the world,” said Chun. “I’m honored and thankful to be the first recipient of the Velocity Global Impact Award as it will greatly support the growth of the In Gee Chun Lancaster Country Club Educational Foundation by financially supporting the future education and dreams of the Lancaster community. I also want to thank the selection committee for choosing me as one of the finalists, and everyone who participated in voting. This would not have been possible without you.”

Chun’s inspiration for the foundation came during the week of the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. While walking home from dinner one evening, Chun saw many fireflies lighting up the sky, which she said inspired her to be a light to others. Chun would go on to win the U.S. Women’s Open, her first of three major titles, and launch the In Gee Chun LCC Educational Foundation shortly thereafter.

The mission of the In Gee Chun LCC Educational Foundation is to make a lasting impact in the Lancaster community by providing scholarships for students seeking to achieve their educational and vocational goals. After growing up in a relatively poor family, Chun values her education and wants to make a difference to help those who may not otherwise have access to getting a college degree. The program has helped 10 current recipients with scholarships and access to education.

“She cares about education so much and wants to be able to make that possible for others. I think that is just really selfless,” said Camille Zapata, a host at LCC and one of the 10 current recipients of the scholarships, along with her brother Christian, a banquet server who is studying Speech Pathology at Penn State University.

“Having the scholarship made it possible for me to transfer to a different school that’s actually a little bit more expensive,” said Camille, who is now doing a double major in Political Science and International Relations at Boston University thanks to a $10,000 annual grant from the Foundation. “It is great for your studies, but it also makes you appreciate your job and the work you do at LCC.”

Nathan Schell, the new Assistant Grounds Superintendent at LCC, is a prime example of LCC reaping these long-term benefits. Schell, who benefitted from the scholarship, graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Turfgrass Science and Management.

“There is not enough light shed on the golf industry as a potential career path. The scholarship gave me a great opportunity,” said Schell, who was working 20 hours a week while studying and did an internship at Congressional Country Club, located outside Washington D.C.

Chun was one of three finalists, along with Lizette Salas and Mariah Stackhouse. Salas and Stackhouse will each receive $25,000.

“LPGA Tour athletes are more than golfers – they are dedicated, passionate members of their communities and are deeply committed to making a positive impact on those around them,” said LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. “Like the LPGA’s 13 Founders, today’s players continue to inspire the next generation of girls and women through their actions on and off the golf course. All of us at the LPGA are incredibly proud of In Gee, Lizette, Mariah and so many of our players who use their unique platform to elevate and inspire.”

As an Official Partner of the LPGA’s Women’s Network, Velocity Global has utilized the LPGA platform to highlight internally focused initiatives around women’s leadership, diversity, equity and inclusion through additional programming.

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About Velocity Global

Velocity Global helps you compliantly hire, pay, and manage anyone, anywhere. We simplify the employer and talent experience—combining cloud-based technology and unmatched human support in 185+ countries. Start hiring across borders at VelocityGlobal.com.

About the LPGA

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is the world’s premier women’s professional golf organization. Created in 1950 by 13 pioneering female Founders, the LPGA, whose members now represent over 60 countries, is the longest-standing professional women’s sports organization. Through the LPGA Tour, the Epson Tour, a joint venture with the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Professionals, the LPGA provides female professionals the opportunity to pursue their dreams in the game of golf at the highest level. In addition to its professional tours and teaching accreditation programs, the LPGA features a fully integrated Foundation, which offers best-in-class programming for female golfers through its junior golf programming and LPGA Amateurs chapters, tournaments and membership. LPGA aims to use its unique platform to inspire, transform and advance opportunities for girls and women, on and off the golf course.

Follow the LPGA online at www.LPGA.com and on its mobile apps. Join the social conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

DIVOT, DIVOT, WHO’S GOT THE DIVOT?

Dan Potvin — Sun, 18 Dec 2022 21:14:00 +0000

Divot, Divot, Who’s Got The Divot?

While on the course today I reached down to replace my divot that I took. As I went to replace it, I noticed that it really didn’t fit the hole. I then looked to my right and saw another divot mark and lo and behold…..this one fit. As I looked further up from my position I saw another loose patch of grass; then another and another. I finally found my divot and did my best to replace the other two I found along the way. Then my OCD kicked in.

You know how when you’re looking to make a purchase on, let’s say a car, you suddenly notice every model of that car that you never noticed before? Or you want to paint your front door a different color and you start looking at every door within a six block radius? Well, that’s what happened to me. I started to see all these divots on the fairway that I just plain overlooked before. I think I counted and replaced or poured sand into nine just from the 150 yard marker to the green. The worst part is that some of them were at least a day old by the way that the grass on them was dried out.

What is going on here? It can’t be that they didn’t notice what had happened. I mean, one of them was the size of a trout. Could it possibly be that their caddies were lazy? No, this course is for carts only so no caddy necessary. Perhaps there were no sand bottles on their carts? I got it! No one ever told them that it is not only poor etiquette and ill-mannered, but it also leaves the course in bad shape for the players following them. Well, let’s be clear…..I’M TELLING YOU NOW….REPAIR YOUR DIVOTS!!!!!

No, not you. The other golfer.

I’d like to have a tee shirt made with that on it but, since I can’t wear a tee shirt on the golf course, that makes it a moot point. Maybe I’ll just yell it out to the foursome ahead of me. No, that won’t work either because I’ll just sound like a crotchety old man and if they’re younger than me then that could lead to an altercation that I will definitely not come out on the winning side of. I guess that I just have to show how it’s done.

As golfers of a certain age, we need to lead by example when we’re on the course. Replace or repair our own divots and, if possible, replace or repair someone else’s too. Just say, “Don’t worry I got it.”, and hopefully they’ll get the hint for the next time. This great game of golf is coming under fire lately and if we can show that there are rules and etiquette, and can help fellow golfers follow them by example and encouragement, then I think that we can all be enjoying this ‘game that can never be won, just played’ (quoted by Bagger Vance himself), for a long time to come.

Oh, and don’t get me started on the ball marks left on the greens.

Play well,

Dan

The Practice Swing

Roseann Mai-Potvin — Fri, 02 Dec 2022 21:18:00 +0000

I have the good fortune (or misfortune depending on how you look at it) of living on a golf course. From my back patio I am almost directly across from the red tee box, the forwardmost tee, so I can’t help but observe a ton of golfers teeing off each day. Now, a lot of ‘golfers of a certain age’ play the course where I live which means that both men and ladies hit from that tee. The one noticeable thing to me lately has been watching as the golfers approach the tee, tee up the ball and then take a couple of practice swings.

I find it really interesting watching the practice swing. Some have a nice smooth swing, good rhythm and an effortless appearance. Some, due to age or physical ability, go about halfway in the back swing and the follow through. Some, well I just can’t figure out what they’re doing. Others don’t take a practice swing at all. They just step up to the ball and let rip.

The biggest common denominator among almost all of them is that they seem to hit their drives with a swing that resembles nothing what their practice swing looked like! I mean, what happened? That smooth practice swing with the nice high follow through? That turned into a scene resembling a lumberjack trying to remove a tree stump. The half swinger? Now he’s decided to take a step backwards after his quarter swing. The ones that were doing who knows what in their practice swing? Well actually they’re my favorites. I always seem to find a ball or two in my yard at least once a week and I do believe that they constitute a high percentage of the donors. The best ones? The ones who were older or physically limited seem to be the most consistent.

So, this has really been a wake up call for me personally by making me aware of my own setup and swing process. I now attempt to make my practice swings very focused as opposed to just using them to loosen up before the ‘real swing’. I also take the time to check my stance and alignment with every shot. Has it helped? I believe that it has. I noticed that the consistency in the distance, trajectory and aim of my shots (except for that flippin’ 5 iron!) has improved.

Now what about you? Do you have a consistent pre-shot routine? Do you focus on your practice swing? And more importantly, do you bring it to the actual shot (or will you start to)?

Join in and let us know your routine!

Stay safe and Play well,

Roseann

Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company Introduces Equalizer II Forged Wedges

Joe Potvin — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 23:55:00 +0000

Ben Hogan launches the Company’s best wedge ever combining classic design and aesthetic with contemporary technology and engineering

Fort Worth, Texas – April 15, 2021 – The Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company introduced a new line of Equalizer II forged wedges today; wedges the Company touts as their best-performing wedges ever. Equalizer II wedges continue the Hogan tradition of clean, classic and elegant styling and have been engineered to provide exceptional performance around the greens to help lower scores.

“We found that most golfers don’t spend nearly as much time, effort and energy selecting their wedges as they do, say, their driver or irons,” said Scott White, President and CEO of Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company. “That is an oversight and can lead to many lost shots and higher scores. With the Equalizer II line, we’ve tried to simplify the selection process and develop the best-performing and best-feeling wedges in the game.”

As with all Ben Hogan irons and wedges, Equalizer II wedges are forged from soft 1025 carbon steel to provide feel and feedback that investment cast wedges simply cannot. The size of the clubhead has been enlarged slightly from previous generations of Equalizer wedges to provide a larger effective hitting area. Most importantly, discretionary weight from the perimeter of the clubhead has been removed allowing Ben Hogan club designers to optimize the progressive Center of Mass.

“The vast majority of wedges on the market today simply load as much weight as possible near the sole to create very high and uncontrollable trajectories,” continued White. “With Equalizer II wedges, we’ve managed to reposition more weight than ever before at different, precise locations in the various wedges to maximize performance. In the lower-lofted gap wedges, the Center of Mass is located much higher on the face to create more penetrating, controllable trajectories. Then it moves lower in the sand and lob wedges to provide progressively higher trajectories. It’s a simple concept, but one that is very difficult to execute from a design and manufacturing standpoint.”

Equalizer II wedges incorporate a modified and improved version of the Company’s proprietary V-SOLE® technology which combines a high-bounce leading edge with a lower-bounce trailing edge. This creates exceptional turf interaction and minimizes the impact that side hill or downhill lies have on loft. Additionally, select certain lofts (50 / 54 / 58) of the Equalizer II wedges will be available with a special “Texas Grind” sole.

“The Texas Grind sole was inspired by some of the better players in our office and around Fort Worth,” stated White. “They play in Texas’ windy and dry conditions which tends to create very hard fairways. The Texas Grind incorporates extreme toe and heel relief making it extremely easy to pick shots clean off tight lies and allows the clubhead to be laid wide open to virtually eliminate chunked shots.”

Right-handed Ben Hogan Equalizer II wedges will be available in even numbered lofts from 48 through 62 degrees in both traditional nickel-chrome and Diamond Black Metal (DBM) finishes. Left-handed models will be limited to 50 / 54/ 58 degree lofts with the nickel-chrome finish only. Likewise, the Texas Grind sole will be limited to right-handed 50 / 54 / 58 degree lofts with nickel-chrome finish.

Ben Hogan Equalizer II wedges will be available for order immediately on www.BenHoganGolf.com and www.BenHoganGolf.eu, though they will not be shipped nor available for demo until late April. Equalizer II wedges will be priced at $125.00 each for those with the nickel-chrome finish, and $130.00 each for the Diamond Black Metal finish. All Equalizer II wedges are available with a variety of steel shafts from KBS and True Temper, and UST Mamiya Recoil graphite shafts. As always, all Equalizer II wedges will be built to the individual golfer’s specifications with free lie and length customization as the Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company does not offer ‘stock’ products.

The Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company offers a number of consumer-centric programs, including the recently enhanced HoganFit online fitting tool, which helps golfers of all ability levels find the Ben Hogan Golf equipment best suited for their games. The Company also offers free domestic shipping on orders over $750.00, flat-rate international shipping, and a low or no-cost financing program. And, recognizing that many golfers want to personally experience equipment before they purchase, the Company offers a simple, risk-free Demo program, as well as a Trade-UP program where golfers can offset the cost of their purchase by selling used equipment back to the Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company. Keep up-to-date with all of the latest Ben Hogan Golf news on social media: Twitter @BenHoganGolf, Facebook @BenHoganGolfEquipmentCompany and Instagram @BenHoganGolf.

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About Ben Hogan Golf Equipment

The Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company manufactures premium golf clubs and golf bags and is committed to continue Ben Hogan’s reputation of innovation, performance and classical designs. The company is based in Fort Worth, Texas, Ben Hogan’s longtime home and the site of the original Company which opened in 1953. The Company offers their premium products online at benhogangolf.com exclusively. By eliminating the retail “middleman”, the Company’s cost structure is minimized, and consumers are able to purchase high-quality golf equipment at factory-direct prices. © 2021 Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company, LLC