Author: Valentin Frechen

Categories
Panorama

Phil Mickelson apologizes and announces time out

Phil Mickelson has earned a lot of criticism lately. (Photo: Getty)
Phil Mickelson has earned a lot of criticism lately. (Photo: Getty)

In recent weeks and months, there have been repeated rumours that players like Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau would switch to the aspired Saudi League. Mickelson, in particular, continued to fuel the discussion about a move from the PGA Tour by regularly publicly criticising the American professional tour. Now, the multiple major winner posted a lengthy statement apologising for his choice of words in the interview with Alan Shipnuck and announcing a hiatus from professional golf.


Mickelson’s Saudi Support Caused Much Criticism

For a long time it was rumoured that the Saudi League wanted to lure the big names of the PGA Tour with surreal sums of money. Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson in particular were to be the focus of the tour. DeChambeau and Johnson, however, denied a move from the PGA Tour last week. The duo announced that they would continue to compete with the world’s best on the PGA Tour. American Mickelson has already been firing against the PGA Tour in recent weeks. At Saudi International, Mickelson attributed ‘vile greed’ to PGA Tour

Recently, golf author Alan Shipnuck published an interview with Phil Mickelson, in which Mickelson allowed himself a daring choice of words. According to Shipnuck, Mickelson called the people who finance the Super Golf League “scary motherfuckers to get involved with”. Furthermore, Mickelson added that he would not be involved at all with people from a country with such a poor human rights record, but that he saw it as an opportunity to improve the PGA Tour. Big names in golf criticised Mickelson for these words. For example, Rory McIlroy calling Mickelson’s statements a “selfish statement”.


Phil Mickelson regrets choice of words

Even the long-time partner KPMG declared their partnership to be over after Phil Mickelson’s statements. Following this severe criticism, Mickelson released a lengthy statement on Tuesday afternoon. “Although it doesn’t look this way now given my recent comments, my actions throughout this process have always been with the best interest of golf, my peers, sponsors, and fans.,” the 51-year-old wrote on Twitter. In addition, Mickelson said he deeply regretted his reckless and offensive choice of words and was deeply disappointed in himself.


However, Mickelson also stressed that the alleged interview with Alan Shipnuck were “off record comments”. These had been taken out of context and published without his consent. Golf writer Alan Shipnuck reacted angrily to Mickelson’s accusation. He said that Mickelson knew he was working on a biography about him. Moreover, asked Mickelson himself for the interview to discuss media rights and his complaints about the PGA Tour. “Not once in our texts or when we got on the phone did Mickelson request to go off-the-record”, Shipnuck elaborated on TheFirePitCollective. Moreover, he said, Mickelson texted him immediately after the publication denying any of this. Shipnuck called his actions “false and duplicitous”.

Mickelson: “Desperately need some time away”

Phil Mickelson also announced in his statement that he would retire from professional golf for a while. One of the reasons for this was that he had been letting himself down lately. Furthermore, he felt the pressure and stress affecting him, especially in the last ten years. In doing so, he added that he “desperately need some time away to prioritize the ones I love most and work on being the man I want to be.” Mickelson did not mention the PGA Tour in his statement.

Categories
Panorama

Venue of 14 Majors: Clubhouse in Michigan burns down

Even the fire brigade was unable to extinguish the fire in time. (Photo: Twitter/@PeterFinchGolf)
Even the fire brigade was unable to extinguish the fire in time. (Photo: Twitter/@PeterFinchGolf)

At 10 a.m., a fire broke out for unknown reasons in the clubhouse of the Oakland Hills Country Club in the US state of Michigan. Despite a large-scale firefighting effort, the fire could not be extinguished in time and the roof collapsed. Several hours after the fire broke out, a firefighter described the clubhouse as “almost a total loss”.


President Rick Palmer: “A painful day for Oakland Hills”

Oakland Hills Country Club has hosted 14 golf majors in the past, including six men’s U.S. Opens and two U.S. Senior Opens. With such a history of the club, irreplaceable golf tournament memorabilia as well as artwork accumulated in the clubhouse, all of which has now sadly been destroyed with the uncontrollable fire. The clubhouse was completed in 1922 and was the pride and joy of the golf club. The next two U.S. Women’s Opens are planned for 2031 and 2042 at the Oakland Hills Country Club, for which the South Course was even recently renovated by the two architects Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner.

“This is a painful day for Oakland Hills. While we know that none of the members or staff were injured, we have lost our iconic clubhouse,” Club President Rick Palmer said of the burnt clubhouse. Despite the sad incident, he said he was looking forward and wanted to pay special tribute to all those involved in the construction and maintenance of the building. Architect Gil Hanse also mourns the loss of the iconic Oakland Hills Country Club clubhouse. “This is a truly sad day for the history of American golf,” Hanse emphasised. Former professional golfer Andy North describes the situation as “unbelievable”, but is sure that a “great clubhouse” will be built again at the traditional golf course.


The clubhouse before the fire:

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The clubhouse during the fire:

Categories
Equipment

The most popular drivers of the Golf Post community: Callaway with classical driver at the top

We show the most popular drivers of the Golf Post community. (Photo: Callaway, PING)
We show the most popular drivers of the Golf Post community. (Photo: Callaway, PING)

Numerous golfers already maintain their digital golf bag on Golf Post. With this function you have the possibility to collect all your equipment digitally and to see which products are played by other golfers. You can add clubs from our comprehensive club database to your bag or, if a club is not available, you can add it manually. You haven’t filled out your bag yet or you have new clubs in your bag? Then fill out your digital golf bag at Golf Post here:

To your golf bag at Golf Post

Based on the golf bags of the Golf Post community, we were able to identify the most popular clubs that our community is currently using on the golf course. We present you the most popular drivers. Golf Post community members particularly often go for Callaway or Titleist.


Callaway Big Bertha: By far at the top

The most popular driver in the Golf Post Community comes from the Callaway Big Bertha club series. The Big Bertha drivers are most often found in the bags of the Golf Post Community. With the latest model Callaway Big Bertha B21, golfers are offered support and help in every situation on the course. Above all, the driver combats the well-known slice and thus brings the golf game of higher handicappers to a better level overall. The driver impresses with its sporty, dynamic design and a colour combination of black, white and blue. In addition, the driver is also offered as a women’s model with the Callaway Big Bertha Reva.
However, not only the latest model of the Big Bertha series is found in many golf bags, but also the predecessor models enjoy particular popularity. This means that the Callaway Big Bertha drivers are used more than twice as often on the golf course in the Golf Post community as the second most popular driver models.

Ping G400 impresses with increased ball speed

The Ping G400 driver is the second most popular driver in the Golf Post community after the Big Bertha series. With the Ping G400, you get a driver model that focuses primarily on high ball speed. However, it is not only the driving distances that are increased with this model, but also the forgiveness on longer shots. The club head design is kept simple for the most part, so that only individual copper-coloured details stand out from the basic black colour. The colour of the shaft runs from copper to black and prevents any possible distraction at the address position. The model was released in 2017, but still offers a competitive driver for today.

Callaway Rogue: Inspiring versatility

The Callaway Rogue Driver is the second driver from Callaway in the top 3 most-used drivers and is only just behind the Ping G400. The Callaway Rogue includes three models that offer golfers of all levels the right driver. Basically, Callaway enables more power on drives and thus longer distances with this club series. In addition, the Callaway Rogue Sub Zero is offered, which is primarily intended for the experts among the golfers, as the model allows even more length, but at the same time also lowers the fault tolerance. On the other hand, the Callaway Rogue Draw suits the golf game of higher handicappers, who can benefit most from a more forgiving model.

Titleist 917 D2 and D3: A club for advanced players

Titleist also makes it with their 2016 Titleist 917 D2 and D3 drivers. The models are designed exclusively for advanced golfers. Both drivers are also forgiving, but mainly provide more power behind the ball and thus longer drives. The D2 has a comparatively higher ball launch and more spin and is generally intended for ambitious players. The D3 model, on the other hand, has a lower ball launch with less spin, which means that only the best players should use this driver.


Cobra King F9 Speedback: Speed, speed and more speed

Finishing just behind the Titleist model is the Cobra King F9 Speedback Driver. The model launched in 2019 brings exactly what is in the name. The speedback technology used, among other things, noticeably improves the driving distances. Cobra provides a suitable model depending on the level of play, including a children’s model as well as the Rickie Fowler edition, in which the shaft is slightly shorter. The design of the driver is particularly striking and consists of the colour combination yellow, red and black.

Fill out your golf bag here at Golf Post


Categories
PGA Tour

240 million dollar offer and tour break: Bryson DeChambeau clears up rumours

Bryson DeChambeau has had to deal with several rumours surrounding him recently. (Photo: Getty)
Bryson DeChambeau has had to deal with several rumours surrounding him recently. (Photo: Getty)

In the past few weeks, various rumours have been circulating about the American Bryson DeChambeau. The offer for a move to the Saudi Golf League is said to have been significantly increased and DeChambeau has announced that he no longer wants to play on the PGA Tour. Last Monday, the Major winner posted a statement in which he tried to clarify his current situation.

Bryson DeChambeau: “This is just another erroneous report”

At the recent Waste Management Phoenix Open, Charley Hoffman caused a stir by getting upset with the PGA Tour via Instagram after the second day. Hofmann collected two penalty strokes for what he considered a correct drop on the water and accused the PGA Tour of a “lack of responsibility” and “lack of protection for players”. Among other pros, Bryson DeChambeau also reacted to Hoffman’s strong criticism and commented that he wholeheartedly agreed. In addition, rumours surfaced that DeChambeau’s offer for a move to the Saudi Golf League had been increased to over $200 million. “That’s just another erroneous report,” the 28-year-old countered the rumour mill surrounding his person.


DeChambeau justifies tour break with injury

Furthermore, it was reported on the golf podcast “No Laying Up” that DeChambeau had apparently said at the Saudi International that he would not play on the PGA Tour again. “The information that I know from very reputable sources is the current state of affairs,” No Laying Up confirmed. DeChambeau’s cancellation for this week’s Genesis Invitational further fuelled the rumour of his move to the Saudi League. But Bryson DeChambeau also addressed his current break in his latest statement, stressing that he is in the process of healing his hand and hip injuries. The two injuries also forced the Major winner to pull out of the Saudi International. “Any news about my health or my game plan will come directly from me and my team,” the 28-year-old added, concluding by mentioning that he was looking forward to being back soon and seeing everyone again.

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Categories
Highlights Tours

Celebrity champions: R&A plans special event ahead of 150th British Open

The R&A is planning several special events for the 150th Open week. (Photo: Getty)
The R&A is planning several special events for the 150th Open week. (Photo: Getty)

The time has come again in mid-July. With the British Open in St. Andrews, golf fans are in for an exciting and thrilling week. On the occasion of this year’s 150th anniversary of the Open, the R&A is organising several special events before the top-class field of participants s tarts the official tournament.


Open week kicks off with Champions event

One of the special events kicks off on Monday of tournament week, 11 July 2022, with the Celebration of Champions seeing former Open, Women’s Major, male and female amateur and handicap winning golfers compete in a 4-hole tournament on the St Andrews Links Course. The 1st, 2nd, 17th and 18th holes will be played by a field of 48 golfers and this will also be broadcast live on TheOpen.com.

“We are bringing together the biggest names in golf with current and future stars of the sport for a unique event on the Old Course,” said Martin Slumbers, the R&A’s chief executive. In addition, Slumbers added that the R&A Celebration of Champions will be a real highlight of this special and eventful week. Among the 48 golfers, current Open champion Collin Morikawa will also be competing at the event, with the American feeling very honoured.


British Open to take centre stage in upcoming golf documentary

The 150th British Open will be the focus of the Netflix-produced golf documentary and golf fans will get to see insights about the proceedings of the anniversary week. Particularly from the pros’ point of view, there will be some footage worth watching that has not been revealed in this way before. There will be special coverage of Collin Morikawa’s mission to defend his title, but also of Major winners Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia and numerous other pros. In addition, the world’s number one amateur Keita Nakajima makes his Open debut and offers the viewers interesting insights in the process.

Categories
Panorama

Rounds played rise for fourth consecutive year in Great Britain

The British Open is a major annual sporting highlight in the UK. (Photo: Getty)
The British Open is a major annual sporting highlight in the UK. (Photo: Getty)

A strong end to 2021 kept the annual number of rounds of golf played in Great Britain ahead of 2020 and 2019. 

Continuing growth of golf in the UK


 
As expected, there was some drop off against the peak months in 2020 when lockdowns ended and golf reopened to a groundswell of pent-up demand. In October and December 2020 rounds played were well above equivalent levels in previous years. Although in 2021 quarter four could not maintain the strong 2020 demand levels, it still outperformed previous seasons. When compared against the pre-pandemic period, 2021 surged past equivalent figures from 2019. Against Q4 2019, for example, 2021 was up 40%, contributing to a year-end 17% rise in rounds played against 2019.
 
While it is hard to make exact comparisons with 2020 because of course closures and the subsequent rush for tee times, the comparisons with 2019 do suggest an enduring uptick in the popularity of golf in the UK. 
 
Taking a longer-term view, rounds played have now risen for four consecutive years. 2021’s annual rounds were up 12% against 2020 and 17% against both 2019 and 2018.

Richard Payne, Director of Sports Marketing Surveys welcomed the figures, while noting the potential impact of rising living costs in the year ahead.
 
“First and foremost, it’s great to see rounds played growing, proving that demand for golf is strong as we head into an exciting 2022. Rising costs and inflation are likely to put pressure on leisure budgets this year and so, particularly for those who came into golf during the pandemic, the key question now is how embedded has it become in their sporting and lifestyle DNA. Is it a core hobby that they will continue to play even if the costs of access and equipment rise in line with inflation in other areas of the economy? The strong results for Q4 do suggest golfers continuing to play through the inclement winter months, and so we are optimistic that people will stay in the game.”

Phil Anderson wants to continue to make golf more accessible

 
Phil Anderton, Chief Development Officer at The R&A, welcomed the results. He said: “We have seen full-length course user golf participation rise to over 66 million worldwide in 2021 and almost 11 million in Europe. The rounds played for Great Britain in 2021 continue to support the evidence that more golfers are playing more often and realising the benefits of the sport for their physical and mental health. Golf, however, cannot become complacent as a sport and the industry must grasp the opportunity to maintain this interest by offering new and returning golfers the opportunity to stay in the sport and enjoy it at all levels – from traditional forms to new formats.”
 
Sports Marketing Surveys has been tracking rounds played in Great Britain for over 20 years but the monitor continues to evolve. For that reason, Sports Marketing Surveys is formalising a partnership with the Revenue Club to track online golf bookings, and ensure the rounds played monitor gathers as much data from as many different sources as possible.

(Text: Sports Marketing Surveys)

Categories
Panorama

Football star Gareth Bale becomes golf ambassador for R&A

Gareth Bale is the new ambassador for the Golf Association R&A. (Photo: Getty)
Gareth Bale is the new ambassador for the Golf Association R&A. (Photo: Getty)

Gareth Bale is considered a superstar in professional football. The Welshman has amassed up to 100 million followers on his social media platforms through his successes at Real Madrid. The 32-year-old has also been playing golf himself for several years and now has an impressive 2 handicap. Now Bale’s affinity for golf is to be used to spread the sport further internationally.

R&A wants to expand the target group for golf

Bale wants to use his passion for golf for a partnership with the British Golf Association R&A, which organises the Open every year, to inspire more people to play golf and to reduce possible barriers to entry. In addition to Bale, Irish songwriter Niall Horan and golf management company “Modest!Golf” are also working with the R&A, which was founded in 2004. “We want to reach new audiences who are not yet aware of the many benefits of golf, including health and wellbeing,” explains Phil Anderton, R&A’s Chief Development Officer. Moreover, he firmly believes that this could improve golf’s reputation among millions of followers.


Welshman Gareth Bale has long been known for his enthusiasm for golf. In the past, Bale supported the European Tour at a golf tournament in his home country and often appeared on the golf course on social media. His boyhood club Tottenham Hotspurs even had short golf holes built for Bale at their training facility. “Gareth’s passion for golf is there for everyone to see and he will play an influential role in supporting the new golf initiatives,” Anderton said regarding the partnership with Bale.

Gareth Bale’s golf affinity draws criticism

Gareth Bale’s enthusiasm for golf, however, is far from pleasing all of his millions of followers. With the Welshman barely performing at Real Madrid in recent months, many followers are critical of his golf affinity. “Wales.Golf.Real Madrid. In order” was written on a flag Gareth Bale used to celebrate after scoring a goal for the Welsh national team. Bale faced a lot of criticism for this action and has since been ridiculed by many of his supporters when he shows up on the golf course. Accordingly, the partnership with R&A did not go down well with everyone either. For example, Bale was called a “golfer who plays football now and then” or asked whether he had been playing golf during Real Madrid’s defeat. However, some people are open to this partnership and are looking forward to the upcoming projects.

Categories
European Tour

The DP World Tour and Sky Sports Extension Broadcast Partnership in the UK & Ireland

The two Sky Sports presenters Nick Dougherty(r.) and Paul McGinley. (Photo: Getty)
The two Sky Sports presenters Nick Dougherty(r.) and Paul McGinley. (Photo: Getty)

Press Release

Today the DP World Tour and Sky Sports have announced an extension to their broadcast partnership in the United Kingdom and Ireland, with Sky Sports remaining the home of the DP World Tour until 2024 and the Ryder Cup until 2025.

The deal will see all DP World Tour events broadcast live exclusively across Sky’s platforms, including both its linear and on demand services. That means Sky Sports customers will be able to enjoy a minimum of 32 live events each season across the Tour’s global tournament schedule.

Fans will also be able to enjoy new featured group coverage for the Tour’s flagship Rolex Series events, and the Tour will also be working closely with Sky’s VIP loyalty programme to offer access to a selection of UK and ROI tournaments. Sky Sports customers will also enjoy a range of golf programming across both linear and digital platforms, including masterclass sessions with former DP World Tour winners, behind the scenes access ahead of the world’s biggest events, and much more.

The deal will also see Sky Sports broadcast both the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, and the 2025 Ryder Cup in New York, to its UK and Ireland customers on a dedicated Sky Sports Ryder Cup channel.

This agreement extends an already successful partnership between the Tour and Sky Sports that stretches back almost 30 years. Sky Sports’ award-winning golf analysis is provided by some of the biggest names in golf, including former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley, Butch Harmon, Laura Davies and Nick Dougherty.

Speaking about the extended partnership Managing Director of Sky Sports, Jonathan Licht said; “As we kickstart a record-breaking year of golf on Sky, we are thrilled to be extending our long-term partnership with the DP World Tour, further cementing Sky Sports as the home of golf in the UK and Ireland.

“This year our customers can enjoy the DP World Tour alongside our live coverage of all four men’s majors, all five women’s majors, the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour, all whilst they countdown the days to next year’s Ryder Cup in Rome, live exclusively on Sky Sports.”

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour group, added: “Sky Sports have been a trusted partner to our Tour as we continue to grow and transform, ensuring that fans of our sport in the UK and Ireland remain as close to the action as possible – with comprehensive live coverage of our events, world class analysis, and behind the scenes features. We’re delighted that our partnership will continue until the end of the 2024 season for the DP World Tour and will continue until 2025 for the Ryder Cup. As a Tour, we are focused on giving fans innovative and insightful content, so we’re excited about what is to come in collaboration with the talented team at Sky.”

(Text: DP World Tour)

Categories
European Tour

Hatton and McIlroy ready for Abu Dhabi return

Rory McIlroy feels confident about his golf game for the upcoming tournament.(Image: Getty)

Tournament Preview

Tyrrell Hatton returns to defend his title at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, joined by four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy who also begins his 2022 DP World Tour campaign at the opening Rolex Series event of the season.

Hatton claimed a record fourth Rolex Series title last year in Abu Dhabi, with a four-stroke victory, but will defend on a different course as the stunning Yas Links hosts the tournament for the first time. The Englishman will nevertheless be in confident mood as he targets a fourth successive winning season on the DP World Tour.

McIlroy, meanwhile, has come close to victory in Abu Dhabi on multiple occasions and boasts four victories in neighbouring Dubai, so the Northern Irishman will be hopeful of challenging for the title come Sunday.

His Ryder Cup team-mate Shane Lowry finished 2021 strongly, with a top five at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and a top ten at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, so the Irishman is excited to get going again at an event of which he counts himself a former champion.

Player Quotes

Tyrrell Hatton: “It is strange, normally going back to a place where you’re defending you have great memories from the year before but the fact that it’s a new venue in many respects doesn’t feel like defending, and this week is going to be a new challenge for everyone. No one has played it before.

“So you don’t know how the scoring is going to be and things like that. It’s going to be a challenge. But I’ll try my best and we’ll see what happens.

“I’ve tried to treat every event the same, and not get too work up in my own mind. Obviously I kind of do that enough on the golf course. Going into it, I just need to try and treat everything the same and that’s what I’ve done throughout my career.

“This week is a new course for everyone, so it’s hard to kind of know what the rough winning score generally is. I know we’ve got a lot of wind forecast for Friday and that’s going to obviously be a challenging day for everyone. But we’ll go out there. We’ll give it our best and see what happens.”

Rory McIlroy: “(My game) feels good. I think there’s always excitement and anticipation about a new year coming around and wanting to get off to a good start.

“I’ve been playing well in practise. I’ve been practising well. I’ve done some good work over the really sort off-season that we had. But yeah, it feels good. It’s nice to come out here and have these run of events be the first events of the year. It’s perfect weather.

“It might be a little windy for the week but you can get some good practise in and you still want to do really well in the tournament but it’s a bit like, you know, just to see where your game is and see what you need to work on going into obviously the meat of the season in a couple months’ time.

“I definitely feel like I turned a corner after The Ryder Cup. I think anyone that was paying attention saw I played better those few events did I play after The Ryder Cup and it’s just trying to continue on what I’ve been working on since then.

“I think trying to eliminate the big miss off the tee, those destructive shots where you make doubles from, reign that in a little bit and getting more effective with the scoring clubs. If I do drive the ball well I give myself so many opportunities. It’s about hitting new shots that maybe go to 15 or 20 feet or inside ten feet and all of a sudden you start to hole some and get a bit of confidence there.

“There’s not much I need to work on but there’s a couple of key aspects, and I think if I can get them down early in the year, I could be in for a good season.”

Shane Lowry: “It’s obviously along the coast here, and it’s going to be quite windy, links-style, but it’s fairly tricky around the greens, and so it’s going to require a lot of good iron play. And decent with the short game if you miss the greens.

“I’m confident with my game and going into it I’d be really, really bullish about this week. But I’ve had two months without tournament, and I’m always a bit anxious on a week like this about how I’m going to be playing going into it. It’s a course I feel like would suit me.

“I won the tournament at Abu Dhabi Golf Club but I haven’t actually had much more success. I’ve missed a lot of cuts there.

“That’s your typical parkland with nice pristine fairways and greens and thick rough, whereas here is kind of a bit more linksy style. The course here is in incredible condition, probably one of the best-condition golf courses you’ll see fairways and greens and around the greens.”

(Text: Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship)