Categories
Equipment

LPGA Launches Affordable Golf Clubs, Accessories and Shoes for Female Beginners and Juniors

Women’s 13-piece and eight-piece club sets and seven-piece and five-piece junior girls club sets are now available for purchase in more than 1,200 Walmart stores and online at Walmart.com. All club sets include an LPGA-branded golf bag. Women’s club sets start at $199, and junior club sets start at $98.

“We’re thrilled to have the opportunity”

Complementing the club sets, LPGA-branded apparel items, including polos, skorts, a dress and visor are also now available in select stores and on Walmart.com — providing women and girls even more accessible, stylish options to wear on and off the course. Spikeless golf shoes in both women’s and girl’s sizes round out the collection.

“These fantastic new items will make it more accessible for women and girls to play golf and enjoy the sport,” said Corey Bender, senior vice president of hardlines – Walmart U.S. “We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the LPGA and I’m excited to get these products in the hands of our customers as golf season gets in full swing.”

The LPGA has been a longtime supporter of programs and initiatives for female beginners and juniors. Over its more than 30-year history, LPGA*USGA Girls Golf (Girls Golf), a partnership between the LPGA Foundation and the United States Golf Association (USGA), introduces girls ages 6-17 to the game of golf, empowering them with confidence, friendships and life skills. Today, more than 500 Girls Golf sites across the country run programs that impact more than 100,000 young women each year. The LPGA Professionals, the largest membership of women golf teaching Professionals in the world, help support the LPGA Foundation’s various grassroots programs aimed at increasing the engagement of girls and women in golf and serve as industry leaders in diversity, equity and inclusion. Additionally, the LPGA Amateurs program offers organized playing and learning opportunities for adults of all abilities through local and association-wide events.

“This incredible partnership with Walmart builds upon our organization’s commitment to empowering, inspiring, and transforming the lives of girls and women through the game of golf,” said Matt Chmura, LPGA Chief Marketing, Communications and Brand Officer. “We know that women comprise about a quarter of all golfers in the U.S.— and we also know there’s an opportunity to improve that ratio. By providing affordable, entry-level golf equipment, we look forward to helping even more women and girls experience the lifelong benefits of this great game.”

(text: LPGA Tour)

Categories
Panorama

Toptracer Revolutionizes Golf Instruction with the Launch of Toptracer Coach

Toptracer Coach is a web-enabled platform that allows PGA Professionals to create assignments, access data from Toptracer Range sessions, and optimize their coaching sessions by providing objective instruction to their students.

“The best golf experience for everyone”

As an official range technology partner of the PGA of America, Toptracer consulted with certified PGA Professionals throughout the development of its coaching platform. As a result of this collaboration, Toptracer Coach addresses two of the biggest pain points in coaching: creating benchmark assessments that are easy for players to complete and assigning practice sessions in between lessons for accountability. The data collection and management tool relies on the expertise of coaches to create unique lesson plans tailored to each student. Both coaches and students will have access to objective assessments of current skill level, monitor their progress in real-time, and follow a dedicated lesson plan to practice more effectively.


“Toptracer is committed to providing the best golf experience for everyone,” Ben Sharpe, President of Toptracer, said. “We believe when golfers are having fun and playing better, they play more golf, and Toptracer Coach was built on that philosophy. The tool was designed by our talented team, made up of PGA Professionals and former Tour Pros, as well as a vast network of veteran PGA Pros.”

Darren May, PGA tour coach and head of instruction at GroveXXIII in Hobe Sound, Florida, believes Toptracer coach will be a game-changer for golf instruction. “Toptracer Coach crystallizes how a player improves through practice and training,” May said. “The platform links steps in player development, beginning with a standardized assessment and then instructor-crafted assignments in between lessons that keeps students accountable. Toptracer Coach allows for self-discovery on a student’s own time. There’s an appropriate mental load applied to each player’s learning sweet spot, a crucial piece for skill acquisition and execution.”

Industry leaders also believe Toptracer Coach will help instructors grow and scale their business. Don Rea, VP of PGA of America and owner of Augusta Ranch Golf Club, a public golf course in Mesa, Arizona, said: “Toptracer Range provides a funnel for new golfers and there’s an opportunity for PGA Professionals to create their own funnels using Toptracer Coach. Instructors can review practice sessions remotely and keep players accountable through engaging training assignments. Rather than selling time, the platform helps PGA Professionals sell results.”

Stronger connections between coaches and members

Don Meadows, Director of Golf at Quail Valley Golf Club, a private club in Vero Beach, Florida, says Toptracer Coach will also provide a deeper connection with his club’s members. “Toptracer Coach gives our instructors greater visibility into members’ practice sessions than ever before. Those insights, paired with all the incredible data points, and the experience of our teaching staff will forge a more meaningful connection between our coaches and members.”

Alongside the introduction of Toptracer Coach, Toptracer launched two assessment modes: Toptracer12 and Toptracer30. The new game modes will be valuable tools for PGA Professionals using Toptracer Coach, providing a snapshot assessment of their students’ golf game in real-time, without consuming large portions of their coaching sessions.

Toptracer Coach is available to both coaches and students who play and teach at Toptracer Range mobile facilities, the brand’s uncovered grass tee experience. It will be available to all Toptracer Range users on the Monitor product in the fall of 2023.

To find out more about the revolutionary platform, click here.

Categories
Highlights Tours

Brooks Koepka: “I definitely wouldn’t have won today if that didn’t happen”

Brooks Koepka wins his fifth major title at the 2023 PGA Championship. He is the first member of the LIV Golf League to win one of the four most important titles in golf. But the long hitter has little interest in history. He prefers to enjoy the here and now. He made this clear at the press conference after the tournament victory. In addition, he openly reported how badly he was feeling during his injury break.

Brooks Koepka interviewed after the PGA Championship 2023

THE MODERATOR: Brooks, first off, congratulations, and how does it feel to have your third Wannamaker Trophy?

BROOKS KOEPKA: It feels damned good. Yeah, this one is definitely special. I think this one is probably the most meaningful of them all with everything that’s gone on, all the crazy stuff over the last few years.
But it feels good to be back and to get No. 5.

QUESTION. How much did that win in Orlando and now the runner-up position at the Masters set you up for this? Were those instrumental in the process, or is it when you’re back, you’re back?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I don’t know, I’ve been playing good for a while. I felt like I knew I was back kind of in January, just needed a little bit of some reps I think at the beginning of the year to get things going and feel a bit more comfortable.

But when I’ve been playing good, I feel like I’ve been in contention every week probably since Orlando. So I’ve just been playing good and very pleased with the way I’m playing and just need to continue it.

Q. Only 19 guys have ever won five. You’re 20 now. It means a lot more history. I know you at times have said, “I don’t care about history, I just care about the next one.” But I wonder perspective-wise, it’s a pretty big deal that you’re one of the great golfers of all time in a lot of ways. How does it feel to know that rare air that you’re in?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, it’s crazy. I try not to think of it right now. I mean, I do care about it. It’s just tough to really grasp the situation kind of while you’re still in it, I think.

I mean, probably when I’m retired and I can look back with Jena and my son and kind of reflect on all that stuff, that will be truly special, but right now I’m trying to collect as many of these things as I can. We’ll see how it goes.

Q. You seemed so calm and in control out there today, even smiling down No. 12 fairway. What was your mental game plan? What was your mindset going into today’s round?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Just keep doing what I’ve been doing the last three days. Just be aggressive and just go make a bunch of birdies, and I knew you’re going to make some mistakes today, but I made sure they were on the correct side of the hole.

Made some clutch putts coming down the back nine again, which I did yesterday, as well. So very, very pleased with the way the putter is rolling and just excited to win.

Q. What is it about that back nine? I think you were 7-under for the last three rounds, and all the birdies on the back side today, what is it about the nine that makes you feel so comfortable?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Well, the front nine is definitely a lot harder. That 6 tee shot — or 6, 7, 8, 9 are definitely tough holes. Maybe not so much 8, but 6, 7, 9 are definitely tough holes.

You know, even 4 is a tough driving hole because you can put it through the fairway, and if you do put it in the left side, it’s difficult. I definitely think there’s more chances on the back.

Q. Would you please share now what it was you learned after the Masters, and how did it contribute to the victory today?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I definitely wouldn’t have, I don’t think, won today if that didn’t happen; right?

Definitely take it and keep using it going forward for each event, each major, any time I’m in contention, but I’m not going to share. I can’t give away all the secrets.

Q. Have you heard from Greg Norman yet?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I called my wife, and that’s it. That’s the only person I’m really interested in talking to. I texted — my boys are here, and I’m just hanging with them and talking to my wife, and I can feel my phone buzzing even as we’re talking right now. Last I looked, I think there was 600 text messages. I’ll go through them.

Q. Without prying and trying to reveal, to follow up on that question, how big was it for you to use something that was — that some might consider a failure, to turn it into a positive? How important was that for you in this?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I’ve always learned more from the four times I finished second than, I guess, the five times I’ve won now.

I think failure is how you learn. You get better from it. You realize what mistakes you’ve made. Each time I’ve kind of made an adjustment. It’s more mentality than it is anything. It’s not really golf swing or anything like that. You’re going to play how you play, but mentally you can kind of figure things out, and I’m always trying to get better. Just trying to find that different little edge just to poke and try inside my head.

Really, I think the big key is just being open and honest with yourself, and if you can do that, you’ll be miles ahead of everybody else.

Q. Bryson was talking about how this not validates the LIV Tour but was an important moment for your tour. Can you appreciate that with your victory here?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I definitely think it helps LIV, but I’m more interested in my own self right now, to be honest with you.

Yeah, it’s a huge thing for LIV, but at the same time I’m out here competing as an individual at the PGA Championship. I’m just happy to take this home for the third time.

Q. That was actually pretty much my question. Obviously the first-ever and will always be the first-ever representative from the LIV Tour to win a major. Is there any pride with that? Obviously you’re playing individually, but is there any pride as a representative of the organization?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I think so. Look at it, I think I was the first guy to win two LIV events. To win a major is always a big deal no matter where you’re playing.

All it does, I just think, I guess, validates it for myself. I guess maybe if anybody doubted it from Augusta or whatever, any doubts anybody on TV might have or whatever, I’m back, I’m here.

Q. I guess Blake is officially running as a baby name now? Is that official?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I’ve caught to call PFT guys. I’ll call Big Cat and PFT when I get a chance, maybe on the plane. It will be a little later, though.

Q. Wonder what your celebration plans might look like tonight?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Probably pretty chill tonight. Just want to get home. Get back home, chill. I would say tomorrow with the Panthers game, it will probably be a large tailgate. A large, long afternoon.

Q. And Claude Harmon was talking earlier this week that during that final round of the Masters, you might have been letting a couple shots affect you a little bit too much more than they normally would. Is that kind of what was going on in your head?

BROOKS KOEPKA: No, that wasn’t what was going on. It was something completely different. It was something I took to the first tee.

I think, I learned from it. I’m very pleased with what I took from it, and I’m pleased with the honesty I was able to dive into. My best friend, actually, my brother’s caddie, I think we stayed up probably most of the night just chatting about it, and he kind of ripped into me pretty good about it, so made sure.

He was texting me all last night about it and making sure that I wouldn’t fall in the same trap.

Q. 16 was obviously a pretty pivotal moment in today’s round. What was your perspective on what Viktor was going through? And you hit your shot maybe 10 seconds after he hit his. What was going through your mind in that moment?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I couldn’t see what was going on, but I had a pretty good idea. It was buried under the lip, which was unfortunate. Took a couple minutes to figure out the drop and just figure out what was going on.

I don’t know, I’m a pretty fast player. We had probably, what — probably took three minutes in total from the moment he, I guess, was preparing for the original shot in the bunker and the drop situation. We already knew the yardage and knew everything going into it, and the wind stayed pretty much the same. We talked about it for a good minute.

Q. When you hit it close, did you feel like, I’ve done it, this hole, this moment, I’ve made a huge momentum swing?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I thought so, for sure. Honestly it was a tougher put. It was so downhill, and it was kind of burnt out. I even told Rick before I hit it I was going to dive it and pick the high line. If it didn’t hit the hole, it was definitely going three or four feet by.

I’m just happy that one went in. I think it was a little momentum boost. Gave me a little ease going into 17, 18.

Q. I don’t know how much you were able to follow what was going on with Michael Block today, the hole-in-one, this whole weekend. Just to share this weekend with him, having him alongside the trophy ceremony, your thoughts on that?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, it’s been super cool. He is a great dude. He’s been fun. I didn’t really get to hang out with him until after the last round and just kind of chat with him.

But, yeah, I was walking up the par-5, 13, and we heard the roar. It sounded like a hole-in-one roar. We weren’t sure, maybe someone holed out on 14. It was kind of coming from the same area. I asked one of the camera guys, and they told me that it was Mike. I thought that was special. Me and Rick were laughing about it.

Yeah, drinks are on him, so run the tab up.

Q. And then you obviously start the major season second and first. How do you try and carry this momentum into what could be a pretty historic year perhaps?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Keep doing what I’m doing. It’s working so far. Back to having a chance pretty much every time I tee it up. So I’m very pleased with the way I’m playing. I like the way I’ve worked with everybody. It’s been a lot of fun.

Q. I wonder if moments like this are a good time to reflect on the injuries, all those years in Asia and Europe, how tough the journey is?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I don’t — it’s tough to kind of reflect in the moment. I think probably the best reflection comes like a day, a couple days later. Well, definitely not tomorrow. I won’t be sober.

Yeah, I’d probably give it a week on this one. This one will probably taste a little better, but I’m excited. It’s so cool to look back at where I’ve come, traveling. I remember back to The Challenge Tour days, going to Kenya, Kazakhstan, and all those cool places and getting to see the world.

Yeah, to be out here now and win five major championships is pretty incredible.

Q. Can you comment a little bit about Ricky Elliot and how he’s helped you get back to this place?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, Rick, it’s kind of funny because Rick, I forced him to come out when Dr. ElAttrache was doing surgery. No one wanted to come with me. My brother was playing The Honda Classic. My parents were staying there. Jena just had surgery on her ankle, so she couldn’t fly out there. So I made Rick come, and Rick spent probably 2, 2 1/2 weeks with me out in L.A.

Yeah, I feel bad for him that he was stuck with me there for awhile. He was tired of me; I was tired of him. I don’t know if he gets enough credit for being as good of a caddie as he is. Caddying is a lot about reading the people, reading your player, knowing what they are going to do before they even do it and kind of sense the moment of what to say, what not to say.

Honestly, I thought he’s one of the best for a long time, and I don’t think he gets enough credit, maybe even from me.

Q. Obviously we got a peek of you at bottom because of the show, and I just kind of wondered, at those times how much were you doubting, questioning, whatever, yourself physically versus yourself, like can I go do that again, like, me, the player?

BROOKS KOEPKA: It’s tough. It’s very hard to explain. It’s just, like, you can’t fathom how difficult it is just to get going. I mean, it was a lot worse than I let on to you guys, let on to everybody.

Like I said, I think maybe only five, six people really know the extent of it, and it’s just — it was hard. Cold weather, it was achy. The swelling didn’t go down until maybe a couple months ago.

I mean, so that’s almost, what, two years? It’s been a long road. But look, that’s who I am. I’m open and honest. I know I seem like this big, bad, tough guy on the golf course that doesn’t smile, doesn’t do anything, but if you catch me off the golf course, I’ll let you know what’s going on.

Like, I’m happy they got that side; right? That’s truly me, and some people might hate it, some people might dog it, but at the end of the day, it’s just me.

Q. Just to be clear, did you ever consider retirement?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I don’t know if I considered retiring, but I knew I wasn’t — if I couldn’t play the way I wanted to play, then I was definitely going to give it up. I mean, the thought definitely kind of crossed my mind.

Q. For those of us who have never felt the pressure of a major championship, what does it do to your body specifically? When you feel nervous, does your heart race? Do your hands do anything? Do you have to slow down, or is it not that different than just a normal round?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I don’t know. To me, it’s excitement; right? I’ve got to slow down, for me. I’ve got to start walking slower because my stride just wants to keep going. Want to be the first one to the ball and hit it and just play the quickest round of golf ever.

Yeah, I’ve got to slow down. I’ve got to take my time and really just kind of assess things, but it’s difficult to say. I don’t think my hands or my heart rate gets up. I don’t think about the next shot. I always just think about what’s going on. Like, if you walk down 16, I’m not thinking, oh, I’ve got to do this on 17 or 18. I’m just thinking, whatever the next shot might be and then until I run out of shots.

Q. Is that something that you’ve learned from over time of how to take that one shot at a time, or is that something that’s just kind of come naturally to you?

BROOKS KOEPKA: A bit of both. I think I’ve definitely learned. I probably learned the most the last time I was here in 2013 when I played with Tiger on Sunday. That was interesting. I spent nine holes watching him. I’ve done that my entire life. Grew up watching the guy, and didn’t — took me until 10 — Ricky’s first week caddying for me, he told me to stop watching him.

But it just natural what you do; right? I grew up in the Tiger era. I loved watching the guy. It’s just naturally what I did for the first nine holes and then it got better.

Q. Is there a moment that sticks in your mind when you thought having that trophy again or another major wouldn’t happen?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Oh, for sure. Yeah, a couple years ago. Just lost. Didn’t know where any golf swing was; didn’t know physically if I was capable of getting back to where I was.

But, I mean, a lot’s transpired, working with Pete, working with Claude, working with Pierce on putting, and then A.C. has done a phenomenal job in the gym. Ara, Mike they are all behind the scenes and don’t get enough credit but they have definitely revived my career. A lot of credit to those guys.

I think Ara said it best a couple months ago, that if we couldn’t get the swelling out of my knee, everybody was fired. They did a great job and I wouldn’t are here without them.

Q. What’s the shot you’re going to remember most from this week?

BROOKS KOEPKA: That’s a good one.

I don’t know, I’ll have to get back to you on that one. Right now, I still have to think. I’m trying to think. Probably, you know what, probably that chip-in for par on 11, I think the first day.

Q. Why that one?

BROOKS KOEPKA: I mean, I could have made double. Saved me. Usually when you make double, you don’t win a major championship.

Q. It’s kind of impossible not to hear certain things that get yelled in a round. Ricky might throw a fan a little stare down and things like that. Does any of that get to you? Do you hear any of it?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Oh, I hear it all. I just don’t care. I mean, that’s sports, right. You’ve got to be mentally tough not to, I guess some lady was chanting some stuff and another guy was shouting out some stuff. But you’ve got to be mentally tough not to deal with it. It happens in every sport.

I’m pretty sure when Tom Brady was playing, I’m pretty sure when he walked into — when he was playing the Jets or the Dolphins, he wasn’t exactly cheered upon when he ran in the stadium.

Q. You seemed to get a little emotional as you were walking from the 18th green to the scoring tent. Was that relief? Was that suddenly realizing what you had accomplished? Just curious?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, I think it was definitely what I accomplished. Pardon my language, but it’s all the fucking shit I had to go through. No one knows. No one knows, I think, all the pain. There’s a lot of times where I just couldn’t even bend my knee.

Yeah, it felt good. It felt really good.

Q. What do you think about being a dad soon?

BROOKS KOEPKA: It’s going to be wild. Yeah, it’s crazy. I feel like these last, I don’t know, five, six months, have flown by. Our life’s even started to change already, and I can only imagine when he gets here.

But I’m super excited. I’ve kind of wanted to be a dad for the last few years. This will be an exciting time for our life, and I can’t wait for it.

Q. Would you want to see the PGA Championship coming back to Oak Hill and you playing in it one day?

BROOKS KOEPKA: Like I said, I love New York. It’s treated me pretty well. But three of the five have been in New York, so I’ll come back any time (smiling).

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Brooks, congrats again.
(Transcript by asap sports)

Categories
Highlights Tours

Michael Block: “I had this intuition that it was going to happen”

Michael Block was the secret star of the 2023 PGA Championship, not only finishing 15th in the tournament but also hitting a hole-in-one on the final day. For the club pro, the second major tournament of the season was also the ticket to several other events on the PGA Tour. And next year he will also be allowed to play in the PGA Championship. In the interview after the fourth round, Block spoke about his fantastic week.

Michael Block: The secret Star of the PGA Championship 2023

THE MODERATOR: Michael Block is joining us following the 105th PGA Championship. First of all, congrats on an incredible week. Has everything you accomplished the last few days begun to sink in yet?

MICHAEL BLOCK: Not quite yet. I just got a call from Colonial, and I’m in next week as the last sponsor’s exemption, which is really even more mind-boggling now. So I’m readjusting flights to head to Dallas and Fort Worth, so I’m looking forward to that, to say the least.

No, this week’s been absolutely a dream. I didn’t know it was going to happen, but I knew if I just played my darned game, right, that I could do this. I always knew it.

I had this intuition that it was going to happen — I always had this thing: It was going to happen with Tiger Woods, it really was. I always saw myself coming down the stretch with Tiger Woods. I was like, I’m going to do it, even if I’m 45 or whatever it is, I’m going to come down the stretch at an event with Tiger.

It just happened to be that I was in the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill, and I had Rory McIlroy in my group. I wasn’t coming down the stretch to win, but at the same time, Sunday at a major with the crowd here at Rochester was unreal.

Question: Just the emotions finally caught up to you after the CBS interview and you had to go into a tent and kind of take a breath. What did you think of as you took that breath?

MICHAEL BLOCK: I didn’t cry when I had my kids. I cried, for some reason. If you love golf, you know. I cry about golf, to be honest.

I have cried only a couple times in my life. When I won the National Championship in 2014 in Myrtle Beach. At The Dunes Club I cried. And after that, my wife hasn’t seen me cry until this week.

If it makes any sense, the one thing in the world that makes me cry is golf. If that puts into context as far as how much I love the game, you know now. It’s everything to me.

Obviously I love my family and everything else and my job and everything, but golf is my life. I live it, breathe it. I made sure of one thing in my life: That I was going to drive to a golf course every day, whether it was a caddy or an onsite service kid or an assistant pro or a head pro or general manager, I what was going to be as a golf course. I came to the golf course today at Oak Hill and played in the PGA Championship.

Question: What was it like, as CBS showed you the tape from your home club with all the people celebrating and cheering you on?

MICHAEL BLOCK: Yeah, it was the most people I’ve ever seen at O’Neill’s ever. It was crazy. It’s busy a lot because it’s a great spot and the food is great and the drinks are great. Armando serves a fantastic cocktail.

But to see how busy it was and to see they actually had what looked like a watch party to me, was pretty darned cool. I can’t wait to get back to them and celebrate with them.

But sad to say, not sad to say, is that I will miss them this week because I’m going to Colonial, so I’ll see them next week.

Question: We asked you yesterday how much fun you’re having, so I’ll ask the same question now. How much fun was this?

MICHAEL BLOCK: It wasn’t nearing as much fun today. I got some really bad lies starting an hole one. The lie I had on one was ridiculous, and I make a bogey. No putts dropped in. I was rolling it the same, but as everyone knows that’s a golfer, right, today they weren’t breaking and dropping in the hole. They were going right over the edges, and I kind of knew it was going to happen. In my heart, I’m going, dude, for three days I made a lot of putts; right?. I’m, like, just stick with it, you know it’s not going to last for four straight days, and so not to get too frustrated.

So I almost preemptively told myself, I’m not going to make everything today. Don’t get frustrated with it. And I did, because I kind of knew what was going to happen. I went through it. I was 2-over and made the hole-in-one out of nowhere. Got back to even par, and I was, like, you know what, that’s what you do. I hate being over par. That’s my deal. I hate being over par.

So I was over par by two. I made a hole-in-one, got back to even, and then I made a really bad bogey on 16 to go back to one, but then I made some crazy up-and-downs on 17 and 18, which I play as short par-5s to finish at 1-over, and to make a decent check.

Question: If at the start of the week someone were to have rattled off, say, Wednesday — if they were to rattle off all the things that have happened this week, what would you have told them?

MICHAEL BLOCK: So I was at the Pittsburgh Pub on Sunday night. Not one single person knew me. I’m going to go there in about an hour, and it’s going to be on. We’re going to have a crazy good time tonight, and I look forward to it.

My life’s changed, but my life’s only changed in the better. I’ve got my family. I’ve got my friends. I’ve got the people that really love me and care about me here. It’s an epic experience. I can’t thank the PGA and Oak Hill enough and you guys enough for being so awesome and enjoying the experience.

Question: With those people at the Pittsburgh Pub and the people on 18 chanting your name like that, your story has resonated with a lot of people this week. Why do you think that is?

MICHAEL BLOCK: I’m like the new John Daly, but I don’t have a mullet, and I’m not quite as big as him yet. I’m just a club professional; right? I work. I have fun. I have a couple boys that I love to play golf with. I have a great wife. I have great friends. I live the normal life. I love being at home. I love sitting in my backyard. My best friend in the world is my dog. I can’t wait to see him. I miss him so much it’s ridiculous, my little black lab.

But, yeah, it’s been a surreal experience, and I had this weird kind of sensation that life is going to be not quite the same moving forward, but only in a good way, which is cool.

Question: Just thinking about your crew back home, your assistant pros, the whole squad at the course, what do you think that — what do you hope that they take away from your performance this week and your success?

MICHAEL BLOCK: Well, I want to take all the assistant pros, not only at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club, but all the assistant pros and head pros and future pros that are even thinking about getting into the golf business to say, you know what, you have the opportunity to go play in your section championship and finish, whatever it is, top 5, top 10, whatever it might be, to go to the National Championship. And then there, you finish in the top 20, you’re going to come here, or wherever it might be that year, to play in the PGA Championship.

So the way I’ve always looked at it in my life is like, so you’re telling me this: I’m going to finish top 10 in the Southern California Championship, and then I go and finish top 20 in the National Championship, and I’m going to be at a PGA Championship, which is a major championship. The PGA of America gives you that opportunity. What an inspiration that is; right?

And I’ve lived with that mantra, same way with the U.S. Open. I’ve always said if you shoot 69 at a local qualifier, you’re in the sectionals, and then if you shoot 69, 69 in the sectionals, you’re probably in the U.S. Open. So three 69s, you’re playing The Open; right? That’s how I’ve lived. I’ve lived in those world terms where it makes reality easier.

You don’t have to go shoot 63, 63, 64, something like that, to go do what we’re doing. You just have to be real. You’ve got to practice, and you’ve got to commit your life to the game, and hope you have a supportive family, like I do, and a club like I do. And if you don’t, move on to the next club and find one that does.

Question: The up-and-down on 18, were you nervous over that putt, and did you know where you stood in terms of qualifying for next year’s PGA?

MICHAEL BLOCK: I had no idea. I made sure that I had no idea. I told my caddie, John, at the beginning of the day, I’m not going to look at leaderboards throughout the day, no matter what happens. Good, bad or indifferent, I’m not looking, because in the past, sometimes I get ahead of myself. I start booking rooms at hotels that I’ve never even qualified for, and it’s never worked out well. I no longer get ahead of myself.

I had no idea where I was. And if you put me at 120 yards out on 17, hitting my third shot, and if you put me on 18 hitting my third shot from that 40 yards, sidehill lie out of the rough to a tight pin on 18, and you’re telling me I’m going to get up-and-down on both of those to make next year’s PGA Championship, there’s no way in God’s green earth I would have done it.

So lucky enough, I didn’t look at the leaderboards. I was just grinding my butt off, and I did it.

Question: Can you walk us through what happened on 15?

MICHAEL BLOCK: The hole-in-one?

Question: What you were thinking?

MICHAEL BLOCK: The hole-in-one?

Question: Yeah.

MICHAEL BLOCK: Rory hits. He misses the green right. I’m just like, oh, yeah, you can’t go there; right? So I’m over my tee shot, and the crowd goes crazy. Like, the crowd went nuts and I had not even hit yet. So I had to step back. I’m, like, this is pretty cool; right? This huge reception, and I haven’t seen hit.

So I sit back for a second. I’m, like, this is cool, but I’ve got this nice flight at 7. I could hit a hard 8, but all day long when I tried to hit anything hard, I was pulling it. So I was, like, I’m going to flight a little 7 in there into the breeze from 150. It was playing about 167 in my head.

So I hit it, and it’s just right at it, but I can’t say it, just like now, and all of the sudden it disappears, whatever. I’m like, cool. I’m like, thanks, guys. Rory is walking down the pathway 20 yards away from me and turns around and starts walking back towards me with his arms open to give me a hug. And he goes, you made it.

I go, what? I’m like, seriously?

He’s like, yeah, you did. He had to tell me five times that I made it. So it was a pretty cool experience to have Rory be telling me that I made a hole-in-one in front of God knows how many people that were supporting me.

Question: How many hole-in-ones have you had?

MICHAEL BLOCK: Three before. Never in a tournament in my life. I’ve always talked about how I never had one in a tournament, and the situation under that, I mean, that was it. I don’t need to have another one. I’m good.

THE MODERATOR: Before we take a few more questions, we have something special for you.

(Presentation of 15 flag by Oak Hill Country Club.)

MICHAEL BLOCK: This will be going up in a great spot. I greatly appreciate the thought about it.

I blew the hole out. Rory was like, we need to recut that thing. I walked up there, and half the hole, the hole back was just blown out. So yeah, pretty cool. Great experience. I still just feel like I’m on a cloud nine right now.

Question: Have you bought any drinks yet?

MICHAEL BLOCK: No, I haven’t. They surprised me earlier. They are, like, Michael, so we’ve got some downtime. Just come in this little room. You’ve got some downtime. You can just hang out. I’m like, okay, but I’m going to go sign some autographs. They are like no, no, come on. I’m like, okay.

So I end up walking in there, and it’s a table, and we’ve got a couple bottles of Casamigos and a couple IPAs, which you might have heard. I had all my friends and my general manager right here, Mike Donovan, who allows me to do this.

We sat there and while we’re sitting there, they hand me the phone, and it was on a conference call, speakerphone, and it was Michael from the Colonial event, which is next week in Fort Worth, and he said that — he was offering the last exemption into the Colonial next week for me, which, as you know me, I got emotional again.

And I’m in Colonial next week, which is pretty darned cool, so I’ve got to change my plans for tomorrow’s flights.

Question: Awesome weekend. On that, I mean, with how much you love golf, it is apparent how much you love golf, how does it feel to have these doors opening, Colonial immediately, and then coming back to Valhalla next year for the PGA Championship? You’ve already said your life is changing, but you’re now going to get to do this more often because of today. Has that sunk in at all?

MICHAEL BLOCK: Yeah, and the cool part is I’m super comfortable. I just played with Justin Rose on a Saturday in a major and Rory McIlroy in a Sunday at a major. I’m not sure how it gets any bigger than that.

So when I go play Colonial next week, it’s not going to feel like a down, but it’s going to be like, no problem, right, compared to what I just did the last couple days.

So I’m comfortable. I’m happy. I’m kind of built for this, to tell you the truth, I mean, in a way. I’m just being me, which is the most important thing that happened a year ago with my wife and with Matt where they told me just to be me and not just to be a club pro when I come here and to be a tour pro, which I guess I proved this weekend with a 15th place in a major that — I mean, that makes me choke up even thinking. I didn’t think about it yet, but I got 15th place in a major championship.

Question: Talking about Colonial, what do you expect the reception to be from the PGA TOUR players?

MICHAEL BLOCK: Oh, they are all great. The PGA TOUR boys are great. I mean, inside the clubhouse here at Oak Hill, every single one of them that saw me was like, “Keep it up, do it.” Zach Johnson came to me, he literally sought me out on the putting green yesterday morning. Came up to me, goes, “Just keep being you,” which is cool. We are Iowa boys from back in the day and similar age, so to hear that from him and Min Woo and a couple other guys. Rory and Rosey were fantastic.

Everyone was super supportive. All the TOUR players have been amazing. I’m actually looking forward to seeing how the Fort Worth, Dallas fans are with me. We’ll see how it goes. But, hopefully, you know — and it’s going to be hard to live up to the Rochester folks, but we’ll see how it goes.

Question: A couple of things connected with that. Clearly you were saying you were ready for this moment. You had a vision of this moment. So what is your vision starting next week with Colonial, and what do you expect to do?

MICHAEL BLOCK: The way I’m playing and from what I’ve heard about Colonial, I’ve never played the golf course before, but I think it’s going to set up very well for me, from what I know. It’s tight, it’s fast, it’s hot. Great greens. That’s me. It’s bermuda. That’s what I play on in California.

So all in all, am I expecting I’ll make the cut? Absolutely. I want to go there, top 10, whatever it is. I want to get more phone calls. I want to get more exemptions. I want people to start calling me and saying, we want you in our event because it makes it better. That’s great to me.

Question: You seem very comfortable with the cameras and with the fame and all that. There’s an element here that maybe connects with your student, with the kids at your club and everything which is being a role model. So how do you see that?

MICHAEL BLOCK: That’s just me, to be honest. I mean, I love kids. I love dogs. When I see the kid out there with his hand out to give me five, I had a really big issue with passing him by or her by, I really do. If you would have watched me today, I had 80 hands out, but this little thing was down here, right, and I’m like, I’m giving that one five right there, you know, no matter what. Whether I just made double-bogey, bogey or an eagle, I’m going to go give that person a high five.

That’s how it is. I was born that way, and my parents raised me that way. I’m just having a good time, and I’m going to take that same vibe to Fort Worth next week and have a good time.

Question: You mentioned that you thought you had this in you. Was there any part of this week that surprised yourself?

MICHAEL BLOCK: The hole-in-one. Yeah, that was it. I honestly just played golf outside of that. Blocky golf, hit fairways, hit little baby cuts out there. Putted how I normally do. The greens were perfect here. So the hole looks huge to me.

You know, that’s the big part is I come here, the hole looks like it’s six inches wide. It really does. It’s cut so perfectly. The greens are so good. The hole looks huge.

So I feel like I had an advantage. I’m over a putt, and I’m going, that hole looks big. And then I know a lot of people that get over the putt, and you guys know as golfers, you get over a putt and you’re like, dude, is there even a hole there?

That’s how I felt this week, and hopefully I inspired a lot of people to practice and to work hard at it and to understand the fact that just because they are not on tour right now, they can’t come and live a dream like I did.

Question: You talk about only crying over golf moments in your life. Did that ever lead to any awkward conversations when maybe you didn’t cry over other things?

MICHAEL BLOCK: Oh, 100 percent, yeah. My wife was very disappointed in the fact that I never cried when my children were being born.

But she understands now how important the game of golf is to me, which is, this is it, you know. I live it, breathe it. Like I said, I’m going to go to the golf course no matter what, whether I’m working outside service cleaning clubs on the weekend or cleaning shoes or running the club. I don’t care what it is. I’m going to drive over that hill, and I’m going to go to the golf course in a polo and live my dream.

Question: You’ve said it a few times, and I don’t mean this in a disparaging way, but what’s it like to be living every hacker’s dream?

MICHAEL BLOCK: Yeah, no, I’m — I’m as normal as it gets; right? It’s a thing for me where I’m not trying to be an inspiration.

I’m not trying to do anything, and that’s kind of the big deal is I’m not trying to be anybody outside of myself. Hopefully people gravitate toward it and appreciate it and be themselves and succeed in their goals as I have this week, as they kind of documented my big goal this week was to be the low club pro; right? And that maybe meant shooting 9-over after two days and beating other guys and then shooting 25-over on the weekend; right? I could have been happy with that, but I wasn’t.

I wanted to be low club pro but also changed my aspect and my thoughts about it, and just said, let’s finish as high as we can. I didn’t look at any leaderboards, and now that I know I’m 15th place and I made $288,000 or something like that, is insane, that I did that playing golf and I love the fact that I sit in my backyard by my fire pit with my kids and my dog, and I always tell them this.

I always say: Do you guys know that golf built this? Golf fed you tonight. Golf has the yard; golf supplied the home that I have in Orange County, California. Golf did this for you guys. I always tell this to my kids that golf did it, and golf just did a little bit more for me this week.

Question: I know you have a meeting at the Pittsburgh Pub, so just one more question. Why now? Why do you think all this has come together now at 46, and what might have it been like — why now?

MICHAEL BLOCK: I think I was the second best player at my high school. I played tennis. So I played varsity tennis all my high school years, and then finally my senior year they allowed me to play golf and tennis in spring sports, and so I played both.

Then I wasn’t recruited by anybody to play college golf. I won the St. Louis Amateur Championship my — when I was 19 or 20 or something like that, and all of a sudden the coach from St. Louis — it’s called University of Missouri St. Louis, came up to me and said: Hey, we’ll give you a scholarship, come play for us. I’m like, okay, cool. So I went and did that and played college golf.

And after that, I mean, I didn’t do anything. I opened up a golf course with these guys, with Matt and Jeff, I opened up a golf course with these guys in Orange County, California in 2004 and didn’t play golf for eight years. The only thing I played was the Tuesday morning Skins Game with my outside service kids, that was it. I didn’t have my Class A, I didn’t worry about getting my Class A at that point and I just made sure that we were worried about running golf tournaments and keeping the members happy and keeping Jeff and Matt happy and that’s what I did for eight straight years.

Someone at some point said: Hey, Blocky, you’re throwing money out your sunroof by not going out and getting your Class A and competing against the best PGA professionals in the world. I went out and did that in ten months. Got my Class A in ten months, which is not easy to do by the way and ever since then, it’s been a storybook deal, and especially now.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Michael, congrats again.
(Transcript by asap sports)

Categories
Equipment Panorama

Jon Rahm hoping to follow in footsteps of greatness with custom TRAVISMATHEW Cuater shoes at PGA Championship

Heading to Oak Hill Country Club in good form following four PGA Tour wins in 2023, including The Masters at Augusta National in April, the Spaniard will once again be wearing a custom-painted pair of The Ringer golf shoes.

Vamos Rhambo

The shoe will be in a different colourway to the bespoke custom design white and green pair he wore at Augusta, with this week’s white design detailed with a blue and gold colour combination that pays homage to the PGA Championship logo and the word ‘Vamos’ along the outside of shoe, in reference to his “Vamos Rahmbo” tagline.

As part of his partnership with TRAVISMATHEW, Rahm will be wearing the custom Ringer shoes at Oak Hill this week as he looks to join an illustrious group of players to have won three major championships – with his first two arriving since partnering with TRAVISMATHEW in 2021, which has coincided with his rise to world number one.

Rahm sees the shoes as a gamechanger

Rahm said: “I think the game changer is the shoes I am wearing. They are a lot more comfortable. I have done some great work with the Cuater and TRAVISMATHEW team and I think it has allowed me to be a little bit more stable and up my ball speed and swing speed without being concerned. I can keep that speed up from the first tee shot on Thursday to the last one on Sunday a little bit more consistently.”

TRAVISMATHEW’s premium Cuater performance golf shoe, The Ringer delivers ultimate comfort with lightweight support, breathability, and moisture management in an attractive, waterproof style. The shoes come with layers of moulded foam for ultimate comfort to give golfers the most secure and responsive fit on the market.

Several other top professional golfers also wear Cuater footwear, including Ryder Cup hopeful Sam Burns. The five-time PGA Tour winner will be hoping to continue US dominance at the PGA Championship this week by becoming his country’s eighth consecutive winner of the tournament.
In celebration of the PGA Championship, TRAVISMATHEW is running a Cuater promotion, with anyone purchasing a pair of Cuater shoes gifted a free pair of Cuater socks.

For more information on Cuater click here.

(Text: TRAVISMATHEW)

Categories
Panorama

Brendan Lawlor makes history with inaugural G4D Open victory at Woburn

The two leading players in the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) could hardly be separated in an engrossing final round, before world number two Lawlor claimed victory by two shots over the renowned Duchess Course. The Irishman, 26, finished on a three-over-par winning gross total of 219 after a closing final round of three-over 75, with Popert two strokes further back after his last-day 76.

Head-to-head race between the world’s top two

The championship, held in partnership between The R&A and the DP World Tour and supported by EDGA (formerly the European Disabled Golf Association), was one of the most inclusive ever staged, featuring nine sport classes across multiple impairment groups, with players represented from 17 countries.

Lawlor, who has played in a number of DP World Tour events, has a rare condition called Ellis–van Creveld syndrome, characterised by a shorter stature and shorter limbs. With a one-shot lead ahead of Popert overnight, his final day began in disappointing fashion after bogeying the first three holes in the cold conditions. Popert also dropped a shot at the 1st, but his birdie at the par-5 6th gave him a two-shot advantage.

Popert’s bogey at the 8th and Lawlor’s birdie at the 10th saw the pair go level, before two further bogeys from Popert at the 13th and 15th gave Lawlor a two-stroke cushion in a match play-style contest. Lawlor – managed by Niall Horan’s Modest! Golf stable – bogeyed the 16th to give Popert hope but the Englishman found a bush at the last to end his bid.

World number one Popert, 24, who was born with a form of Cerebral Palsy called Spastic Diplegia, has won five times on the G4D Tour in 2022/23 but had to settle for the runner-up spot.

Eight countries in the top ten spots

Spain’s Juan Postigo Arce, the world number four who was born with one leg, put himself into contention with birdies at the 4th and 6th but he had to settle for third place after a closing 74 for eight-over-par. Irishman Conor Stone and Tommaso Perrino from Italy shared fourth place on 14-over-par.

Players from eight countries or territories were represented in the top-ten places to illustrate the international flavour at Woburn.

A field of 80 male and female amateur and professional golfers competed over 54 holes at Woburn across sport classes which cover various categories in Standing, Intellectual, Visual and Sitting.

American Kim Moore – who triumphed in the US Adaptive Open at Pinehurst last year – was the leading female at Woburn, finishing four shots ahead of Ireland’s Fiona Gray. A gross prize was also awarded in each category with the winners as follows:

  • Intellectual 1: Felix Norrman, Sweden
  • Intellectual 2: Casper Holst-Christensen, Denmark
  • Standing 1: Kipp Popert, England
  • Standing 2: Juan Postigo Arce, Spain
  • Standing 3: Brendan Lawlor, Ireland
  • Sitting 1: Terry Kirby, England
  • Sitting 2: Graham Freeman, Belgium
  • Visual 1: Stefano Palmieri, Italy
  • Visual 2: Joseph McCarron, USA

Final scores from the sport classes can be viewed here.

The men’s and women’s gross winners also receive invitations to play in the G4D Tour at the Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo at The Belfry next month.

Highlights from the championship will be aired on Sky Sports Golf on Tuesday 16 May, at 5pm and 10pm.

The inaugural G4D Open trophy represents the inclusive nature of the championship. This year’s winner will engage with a design team on a permanent trophy to reflect the multiple threads woven among the players on their journeys to compete in The G4D Open.

Woburn continued its rich history of hosting amateur and professional championships with Final Qualifying for The Open from 2014 to 2017 and most recently the AIG Women’s Open in 2019, both played on the Marquess Course.

Key quotes

Brendan Lawlor, Ireland

“It’s just an unbelievable feeling. It hasn’t really sunk in yet. I’ve put so much hard work into my game the last few months and it’s been trending really well. I just couldn’t get it over the line last year, so it’s been a while since I’ve been in the winner’s circle. I’m proud of myself just to get it done, really happy. I didn’t hit it well all day but I made a lot of clutch putts on the front nine.

“Niall (Horan) has supported me from day one. I’ve been with the guys for four years at Modest Golf!. For a disability golfer, they never treat me differently than anyone else. I’m proud to be a part of that team and hopefully we can get more wins.

“It’s been an incredible week. The volunteers, The R&A, DP World Tour, EDGA, everybody involved has put in so much work to get this championship done. Every player here, we felt like royalty this week. Hopefully this is the start and we’re going to have many more of these major events. Disability golf is definitely on the way up.”

Kipp Popert, England

“It was great fun. I mean this is the first-ever G4D Open and to be in contention I played really well. Brendan deserves it and I couldn’t be happier for him. I holed a lot of good putts and my short game was good this week. Basically it was just one of those days where Brendan beat me. I’m still very happy.”

Kim Moore, USA

“It’s an honour to be the leading female. It was definitely my goal coming in. Although I didn’t play the greatest this whole week, I played good enough. Sometimes in golf that’s what it takes. Fiona played very well and we were battling back and forth.

“The more awareness we have with these championships, the more participation we are going to get. I have no doubt that it’s going to bring more players, more participants, more people into the game – and hopefully more females.”

Categories
Travel

Piemonte dominates new Italian golf course ranking

The Region of Piemonte has been singled out as the number one place to play golf in Italy by a respected new industry ranking with four of the top ten venues in the updated list including the new number one, Royal Park I Roveri.

The Robert Trent Jones Sr course near Turin features at the summit of the latest poll of Top 100 Golf Courses website’s latest list of the ‘Top 60 Courses in Italy’.

Vast array of quality golf courses

Piemonte was well represented throughout the ranking with number two venue Golf Club Biella, Circolo Golf Torino (number six) and Golf Club Castelconturbia (number seven) all featuring in the top ten – highlighting the vast array of quality courses that await golfers across the region.

Both Robert Von Hagge-designed courses at Circolo Golf Bogogno, Del Conte and Bonora, also appear in the top 20, making Piemonte one of the most popular regions on the list with a total of nine entries. Those include the Allianz Bank course, which sits adjacent to the Trent Jones Sr course at Royal Park I Roveri and was designed by Michael Hurzdan and Dana Fry.

Announcing their verdict, the Top 100 panel said: “This is a big year for golf in Italy. Our new number one is a layout that has never been out of the top-three ranking positions in any of the Italian charts published so far. Indeed, it is a former number one so sitting on the summit is nothing new at this location.”

Piemonte: The perfect place for the next golf trip

Vittoria Poggio, assessor for tourism, culture and commerce at the Regione Piemonte, said: “Piemonte is rightly famous for many things, but so many people still don’t know that it’s one of the best places in Europe to come and play golf.

“For so many of our courses to be recognised on a prestigious list like this one is evidence of what we have to offer in Piemonte. Any golfers looking for a course to play here will always be spoiled for choice.”

Piemonte enjoys a well-earned reputation as one of the best places in Europe to play golf. Courses designed by some of history’s most revered architects, including Robert Trent Jones Snr and Von Hagge, make full use of Italy’s incredible scenery and famous mountain skyline.

Away from the fairways, golfers can enjoy a plethora of historical, cultural and gastronomic attractions in and around the region’s capital, Turin, including a choice of 45 Michelin-star restaurants.

(Text: The Azalea Group)

Categories
Amateur Tours

Brendan Lawlor secures narrow lead at G4D Open at Woburn

The two leading players in the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) are separated by just a single stroke going into the final 18 holes over the renowned Duchess Course.

Ireland’s Lawlor, the world number two, missed chances with his putter in a two-over-par second round of 74 yet still signed for an impressive level-par total of 144.

World number one Popert, 24, dropped three shots in his first four holes but, like his opening round, the Englishman recovered on the back nine to post a three-over 75 and trail by a shot on 145 for 36 holes.

Follow the latest scores from the sport classes here.

The weather is getting better

Popert, who was born with a form of Cerebral Palsy called Spastic Diplegia, has won five times on the G4D Tour in 2022/23 and will chase another notable victory tomorrow. Lawlor, 26, who has played in a number of DP World Tour events, has a rare condition called Ellis–van Creveld syndrome, characterised by a shorter stature and shorter limbs, and continues to impress at the Bedfordshire venue.

On an improved weather day after thunderstorms during day one, Italian Tommaso Perrino and Juan Postigo Arce from Spain, the world number four, are the closest challengers to the leading pair on six-over-par. Perrino has signed for two rounds of 75, with Postigo dropping back after his 79 which featured two double bogeys.

Rasmus Lia from Sweden and Ireland’s Conor Stone are next on the international leaderboard at eight-over. Players from ten countries or territories are represented in the top ten after the second round.

While Lawlor and Popert are both professionals, this week has seen a field of 80 male and female amateur and professional golfers competing across sport classes which cover various categories in Standing, Intellectual, Visual and Sitting.

Free entry for the fans

The championship, held in partnership between The R&A and the DP World Tour and supported by EDGA (formerly the European Disabled Golf Association), is one of the most inclusive ever staged, featuring nine sport classes across multiple impairment groups, with players represented from 17 countries.

An overall winner will be determined at the end of the three rounds on Friday, along with an opposite sex winner and a gross prize in each category.

Spectators are welcome to attend The G4D Open free of charge.

Key Quotes from the players

Brendan Lawlor, Ireland

“I hit it so good again today. I hit a lot of fairways, a lot of greens. I had a few silly three-putts and a lot of putts from inside five feet I missed. So probably looking back on my round I could be five shots better. That’s just golf. All you can do is play yourself in contention for tomorrow and hopefully they will drop then.

“I didn’t really look at the leaderboard but Kipp’s one behind so you never know it could turn into a match play situation pretty easily tomorrow.”

Kipp Popert, England

“I felt I scored well. It was a grind. I got up-and-down. I played in the trees a lot, chipped out a lot. So yeah, to come off there with three-over, I’m still in it. All I needed to do was to be around the lead. I’ve won from behind before and I’ve won from ahead before. I like competing and that’s why I’m here.”

Tommaso Perino, Italy

“The Duchess I like so much because it is a course that is good for me, especially my driver. I’ve missed one driver in four days and it is a course that if you place the driver it is not too difficult.

“I broke my leg in an accident in 2001. But in 2019 I came to the EDGA family and started again to play. It was an unbelievable opportunity to do what I wanted to do before the accident and I enjoy enough my life now.”

Juan Postigo Arce, Spain

“I really didn’t feel great. I started pretty well playing the first few holes but then I didn’t know how to manage my swing all day and was not able to score very well. I know I can score low. I know they can also score high so I hope to have a chance tomorrow.”

(Text: R&A – Communications)

Categories
Live

Popert and Lawlor shared lead on day one of the first ever G4D Open

Kipp Popert and Brendan Lawlor share the clubhouse lead on day one of the weather-interrupted G4D Open at Woburn.

Popert, 24, the world number one on the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD), signed for an impressive round of two-under-par 70 at the inaugural championship over the Duchess Course.

It was a scored matched late in the day by Lawlor, thanks to three back-nine birdies.

Popert, who was born with a form of Cerebral Palsy called Spastic Diplegia, has won five times on the G4D Tour in 2022/23 and overcame a slow start to shine on the back nine. The Englishman made three birdies in four holes and then recovered from a bogey at the 17th to strike an 8-iron approach to 12 feet at the last and finish with another birdie.

Play was suspended just before 4pm due to heavy rain and thunderstorms, before Popert and Lawlor returned to complete their rounds two hours later and finish in style.

With play continuing late into the evening after the weather improved, Popert and Lawlor lead by a shot from world-ranked number four, Juan Postigo Arce, after the Spaniard made two birdies in his closing four holes for a 71. Irishman Lawlor, the second best player in the world who competed in Japan recently on the DP World Tour, fared even better after his hat-trick of birdies from the 15th.

You can view the latest scoring across the sport classes here.

A field of 80 male and female players representing 17 countries have assembled to compete at the renowned venue in Bedfordshire, including eight from the top-ten from the WR4GD.

Autistic Swedish player Erika Malmberg savoured the historic moment of striking the first shot in the championship at 8.30am, hitting her drive over 200 yards down the middle.

The championship, held in partnership between The R&A and the DP World Tour and supported by EDGA (formerly the European Disabled Golf Association), is one of the most inclusive ever staged, featuring nine sport classes across multiple impairment groups.

Amateur and professional golfers are competing in the 54-hole stroke play gross competition (10–12 May) across the sport classes which cover various categories in Standing, Intellectual, Visual and Sitting. An overall winner will be determined at the end of the three rounds on Friday, along with an opposite sex winner and a gross prize in each category.

The establishment of The G4D Open follows on from the inclusion of the Modified Rules of Golf for Players with Disabilities into the Rules of Golf from the start of this year and The R&A and USGA’s on-going administration of the WR4GD.

Spectators are welcome to attend The G4D Open free of charge.

Key Quotes

Erika Malmberg, Sweden

“It was amazing, an honour to hit the first tee shot ever in a G4D Open – unspeakable. When I saw on Monday that I would be the first one to play, I got nervous about the tee shot. This morning, my heart raced a lot and being there and getting my name called up, I just tried to step into my bubble. Then, yeah, I made it and it was probably the golf shot of my life, 200 metres straight down the middle. It was such an amazing feeling.

“We all have disabilities here, just in different ways. We all have reached this point in our game to be here and we can compete against each other.”

Kipp Popert, England

“I was really solid. I was really pleased with how patient I was. I started three-over for a handful of holes, but knew once I started finding the fairways and finding my groove, I would be okay. That’s what I told myself to do before the week started basically – if I had to chip out sideways I would, and that’s what I did.”

Juan Postigo Arce, Spain

“I played quite good today. I was quite steady off the tee. I made one mistake and was lucky enough to get the ball back in the fairway. I putted great all the day. So yeah, everything came together. It’s playing quite long (in the weather). I’m lucky enough to carry the ball quite far.”

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Golfers with disabilities set to shine at inaugural G4D Open

Kris Aves and Ellie Perks are among leading golfers with disabilities from across the world keen to shine at the inaugural G4D Open next week.

The tournament is staged in partnership with the R&A and the DP World Tour. It is golf’s most inclusive event according to the World Ranking for Golfers with disabilities and has players of all ages, males and females, amateurs and professionals, with handicaps ranging from +4.7 to 35.9.

Aves and Perks have both shown great determination in their lives to thrive in the sport and are relishing the chance to play at Woburn from 10.-12. May.

Kris Aves: “I didn’t think I’d ever play golf again”

Aves from North London is a 41-year-old former Met Police officer who was injured in the terrorist attack on Westminster Bridge in March 2017. Struck by the attacker’s car, he received severe spinal injuries that left him paralysed from the waist down.

A keen golfer before the attack, Aves spent a week in induced coma and went on to spend ten months at Stoke Mandeville Hospital after three weeks at King’s College Hospital for surgery. His legs and spine sufferd compound fractures which needed corrective surgery.

“Going through my rehab in hospital, there were three things I was really worried that I wouldn’t be able to do properly again,” he says. “One was that I didn’t think I’d ever play golf again.”

Through a mutual contact, he met Cai Menai-Davis of The Shire London who runs a charity called The Golf Trust, which focuses on getting individuals with disabilities and older people out on the golf course. Aves has been able to play with the aid of a ParaGolfer – a special mobility device that lifts people from a sitting to a standing position.

“I got inside and was able to make a swing,” he said. “That first hit brought tears to my eyes. Even though I knew I’d never get back to the standard I had been, I was able to play again.”

Kris realised he needed to get his own ParaGolfer, costing upwards of £20,000.“I was extremely lucky,” he added. “At a pub I drink in called The Railway Tavern in Barnet, the landlord Kieran Guthrie is a big golfer and he put on a golf day for me, they did a raffle, an auction, and they raised £17,000 in one day and I was able to buy a ParaGolfer. It was phenomenal that so many people came out to raise money for me.”

Now Aves is looking forward to appearing in The G4D Open and said, “I was over the moon to get a place. I’m looking forward to meeting people from across Europe and around the world and seeing how well I perform against the seated golfers. But, really, I’m looking forward to simply taking part.”

Perks: “I can’t recommend golf highly enough for anyone”

Perks, from Hagley in the West Midlands, has been playing golf since she was seven-years-old. Now aged 18, she is an accomplished golfer with a handicap of 11 and plays an active role in encouraging other young people with disabilities to start playing.

“I can’t recommend golf highly enough for anyone, whether they have a disability or not,” she said. “To be able to get out, to play, to meet new people. It’s a special sport.”

Perks was introduced to a group called Golf for Disabled Children by the Hagley head pro Gareth Snelgrove, who has been Ellie’s coach since she began playing, and she now does volunteer coaching for the organisation. In addition, Perks has also been working with Dwarf Sports, running a golfing taster session.

“I wanted to be able to get other people with dwarfism involved as there are not many people who have dwarfism and play golf,” she added. “I didn’t think I’d have many people turn up to the session, but in the end, I had about 30. It was quite exciting to see that people were coming to give golf a try, and so I’ve been doing them every month since then.”

Perks, who has also been active in promoting EDGA and participated in a number of events including the Rose Series, has rightly been recognised for her endeavours. In 2019, when she was just 14, she became the first girl to be presented with England Golf’s Hero’s Handshake Award, which celebrates what young people are achieving in golf outside of just competition.

Ahead of The G4D Open, she said, “I’m very much looking forward to it. It is a new championship and hopefully the first of many. I’m excited to get to see old friends and meet new people and to just have fun – that it is the most important thing. Hopefully I will be able to walk away from the championship knowing that I have enjoyed myself no matter what the result is.”

A field of 80 male and female players will assemble to compete over the Duchess Course at Woburn, representing 19 countries. Fourteen of the top-20 players from the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) are in the field, which can be viewed on The R&A website. Spectators are welcome to attend next week’s G4D Open free of charge and enjoy watching the championship.