Hideki Matsuyama won bronze at the Olympics and was robbed shortly after. (Image: Getty)
Former Masters winner Hideki Matsuyama was robbed during a stay in London, as were his caddie Shota Hayato and his swing coach Mikihito Kuromiya. The trio made a stopover in the English capital after the games in Paris. In an interview with Golf Digest Japan, Matsuyama revealed that his wallet had been stolen. His two team members’ passports and visas had been stolen, he said. The good news: The bronze medal from the Summer Olympics in Paris is still in his possession. From a sporting point of view, however, the incident has consequences.
Hideki Matsuyama lends caddie from his compatriot Ryo Hisatsune
Matsuyama’s caddie Hayato and coach Kuromiya had to return home to apply for replacement documents. This means he will be without his closest confidants for the first event of the FedExCup Playoffs. Instead of Shota Hayato, Taiga Tabuchi, the caddie of Matsuyama’s compatriot Ryo Hisatsune, will be at the 32-year-old’s bag this week. This information comes from the PGA Tour’s caddie list. Hisatsune finished 83rd in the FedExCup and missed out on the top 70 playoffs.
Matsuyama talked to Golf Digest Japan about his new caddie:”I’m glad he accepted. He’s worked with Hisatsune this year, so I think he knows the ropes, and he can speak English, so I can rely on him.” Matsuyama does not yet know exactly when his regular team will return:”There’s a chance they’ll make it to the BMW Championship (second playoffs event), but we have to go into it thinking it’s close to zero.”
Hideki Matsuyama is in 8th place in the FedExCup ahead of the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the first event of the playoffs, and is therefore as good as guaranteed a place in the TOUR Championship. The top 30 in the FedExCup after the conclusion of the BMW Championship will play for the FedExCup title and a large prize purse at the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club.
Pinheiros Altos at the Algarve. (Source: instagram @alanshearer)
Pinheiros Altos lies in Almancil, in the Algarve region of Portugal. This prestigious golf course offers a unique and challenging experience set against the backdrop of one of Europe’s most renowned golfing destinations.
Special Challenge: The Island Green at Pinheiros Altos
The course design is notable, integrating the natural landscape to create diverse playing conditions that cater to all player types. Keeping the ball on the fairway is essential here, given the course’s strategic layout. One key feature of Pinheiros Altos is its par 3 island green, which presents a particular challenge and sets this course apart from others.
Pinheiros Altos extends several attractive offerings during the summer, making it accessible to a wider range of golfers. These include specials with a buggy, early bird discounts, twilight rounds, and special packs in collaboration with the nearby San Lorenzo golf course. Such packages provide added value and opportunities for extended play under different conditions.
The club atmosphere at Pinheiros Altos is appreciated by both members and visitors alike. The environment is conducive to enjoyment and relaxation, creating a welcoming space for all who visit. Although tailored for its members, the atmosphere makes it a popular choice for visiting golfers seeking a memorable playing experience.
In summary, Pinheiros Altos combines a well-thought-out course design with a hospitable club atmosphere, making it a favored destination in the Algarve. The strategic demands of the course, along with its unique features and seasonal offers, cater to a broad audience of golf enthusiasts.
San Lorenzo Golf Course. (Source: instagram @clarkcaseygolfs)
San Lorenzo Golf Course is located in Almancil, Portugal, within the region of Algarve. The golf course is uniquely situated in the Ria Formosa Reserve, offering scenic views over the ocean. San Lorenzo is noted for its design and is recognized as one of the best courses in Portugal and even Europe. It caters to all types of players, making it a versatile destination for golf enthusiasts.
Scenic Ocean Views at San Lorenzo Golf Course
San Lorenzo Golf Course offers various holes with signature characteristics. Notably, the 6th and 7th holes provide scenic views over the ocean, enhancing the play experience. The 18th hole is designed around two natural lakes, making it both challenging and engaging. The course’s design leverages its location within a protected natural reserve, contributing to the abundant natural life surrounding the course. This aspect enhances the overall atmosphere and provides a unique playing environment.
The course is mainly accessible through the Dona Filipa Hotel, offering several packages and summer deals where a buggy may be included. This provides convenient options for players looking to experience San Lorenzo. The hotel’s association with the golf course ensures that visitors have access to well-curated golf experiences tailored to different preferences.
In summary, San Lorenzo Golf Course in Almancil, Algarve is recognized for its exceptional design and unique location within the Ria Formosa Reserve. The course offers signature holes with ocean views and challenging designs around natural features. Accessibility through the Dona Filipa Hotel with various package options makes it an attractive destination for a range of golfers. The natural reserve setting contributes to the course’s distinct environment, making it a notable location for golf enthusiasts.
The new TaylorMade Hi-Toe 4 Wedges. (Source: TaylorMade)
In the world of golf, perfecting the short game can make the difference between a good score and a great score. TaylorMade recently introduced the Hi-Toe 4 wedges, an evolution of their successful Hi-Toe range, designed to set new standards in control and versatility. These wedges are the result of continuous research and development and promise to improve the game around the green for golfers of all abilities and playing conditions.
Source: TaylorMade
TaylorMade Hi-Toe 4 Wedges Continue Successful Series
Building upon the success of its predecessors, the Hi-Toe 4 wedges bring a new level of innovation to the course. As described by Matt Bovee, TaylorMade’s Global Category Director of Irons and Wedges, the new wedges “are a great option for any player who gains confidence from a wedge with a larger face and full-face grooves to ensure maximum spin regardless of where you strike it on the face.Now with Spin Tread RAW face technology and a new array of grinds, the Hi-Toe 4 has more performance and versatility than ever before.”
Larger Profile and Full-Face Grooves for Ultimate Control
One of the most noticeable changes in the Hi-Toe 4 wedges is the more pronounced toe mass pad, which gives the club a larger profile. This design feature provides golfers with an added layer of confidence, which should enable them to execute a full suite of short game shots with ease. Additionally, the wedges feature full-face grooves on lofts of 54°, 56°, 58°, and 60°, allowing golfers to utilize the entire face and strike the ball with good control from various parts of the face.
The Hi-Toe 4 wedges also incorporate an elevated center of gravity (CG), similar to the Milled Grind 4 wedges, promoting a low launch and maximum spin. This results in a penetrating, high-spin ball flight that should remain consistent across different playing conditions.
Debut of the Spin Tread Technology and Enhanced Aesthetics
TaylorMade’s Spin Tread technology makes its debut in the Hi-Toe wedge line with the Hi-Toe 4. This face finish is designed to increase friction and spin, displacing moisture in wet conditions to maintain control. Whether it’s a downpour or a dewy morning, golfers can expect the Hi-Toe 4 wedges to deliver consistent performance. The raw face finish reduces glare and enhances the overall appearance of the club.
Source: TaylorMade
The Hi-Toe 4 wedges not only perform but also stand out visually. The grooves extend across the entire clubface, ensuring maximum spin regardless of where the ball is struck. A distinctive gold bottom groove contrasts with the copper finish, assisting golfers in centering the ball at address and aiming accurately at the target. The copper finish not only reduces glare but also develops a unique patina over time, adding a touch of personalization to each wedge.
All-Terrain Grinds for All Playing Conditions
Recognizing the diverse needs of golfers, TaylorMade offers the Hi-Toe 4 wedges in multiple All-Terrain grinds. Each grind is machine-milled to ensure maximum sole consistency, catering to a wide range of playing conditions and swing styles. As Greg Cesario from the TaylorMade Wedge Design Team explains, these grinds were developed to offer golfers versatility and forgiveness, whether they are tackling bunkers or varying lies on the course.
Grind
Description
Available Lofts
ATS (All Terrain Standard Grind)
The most versatile grind, suitable for players with a neutral club angle. It enables generous manipulation of the clubface.
50°, 52°, 54°, 56°, 58°, 60°
ATV (All Terrain Versatility Grind)
Asymmetrical bounce with concave sole, ideal for flat entry angles and firm terrain.
56°, 58°, 60°
ATC (All Terrain C Grind)
Lowest bounce option with unique C-sole. Suitable for players with flat turns and firm conditions.
58°, 60°
The different grinds. (Source: TaylorMade)
Pricing, Availability, and Customization
Golfers can pre-order the Hi-Toe 4 wedges starting August 14th at a price of £149 / €199 / SEK 2,199 / NOK 2,199 / DKK 1,499 / CHF 199 per wedge. The wedges come standard with the True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue 115g steel shaft and the Lamkin Crossline 360 Black/Copper 52g grip.
For those seeking a personalized touch, the My Hi-Toe 4 feature offers golfers the option to choose from fully raw, chrome, and black finishes, allowing them to tailor their clubs to their specific preferences.
The Tee Times of the British Players at the FedEx St. Jude Championship of the PGA Tour. (Source: Getty)
The FedEx St. Jude Championship, part of the PGA Tour, will take place at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The tournament features a par-70 course and offers a prize fund of $20,000,000. Defending champion Lucas Glover will be among the competitors. The event will be televised on Sky: Thursday and Friday from 18:00, Saturday at 17:00, and Sunday from 16:30 (local times).
Justin Rose, from England, will begin his first round at 07:20, grouped with Ben Griffin (USA). His second round is set for 10:15.
Tommy Fleetwood, also from England, tees off at 08:20 along Cameron Young (USA) for the first round. Fleetwood’s second-round start is at 11:30.
Matthew Fitzpatrick, representing England, will start his first round at 11:10, playing alongside Keegan Bradley (USA). Fitzpatrick’s second round will begin at 08:00 on Friday.
Aaron Rai, another English golfer, tees off at 11:40 with Jason Day (AUS) in the first round. His second round is scheduled to start at 08:30.
Rory McIlroy from Northern Ireland will begin at 09:45 on Thursday and will be joined by Collin Morikawa (USA) in the first round. McIlroy’s second round is set for 12:45 on Friday.
The PGA Tour Tee Times of the FedEx St. Jude Championship for the american players. (Quelle: Getty)
The PGA Tour Tee Times for the upcoming FedEx St. Jude Championship have been announced. This event takes place at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The tournament, part of the PGA Tour, offers a prize pool of $20,000,000. Defending champion Lucas Glover will be among the competitors. The course is set to a par of 70. Broadcast times are scheduled for Thursday and Friday starting at 18:00, Saturday at 17:00, and Sunday at 16:30 on Sky.
Jordan Spieth will be teeing off at 13:05 on Thursday alongside Mark Hubbard (USA). For the second round on Friday, their tee time is at 09:55.
Justin Thomas starts his first round at 09:05 on Thursday. He is grouped with Brian Harman (USA). Their second round begins at 12:05 on Friday.
Scottie Scheffler begins his tournament at 12:45 on Thursday. He will be playing with Xander Schauffele. Their second round will start at 09:35 on Friday.
Patrick Cantlay has his first-round tee time set for 12:25 on Thursday, with playing partner Byeong Hun An (KOR). Their second round is scheduled for 09:15 on Friday.
Jason Dufner und Brandt Snedeker lead the american golfers at the Real Czech Masters of the DP World Tour. (Source: Getty)
The DP World Tour Tee Times for the upcoming D+D Real Czech Masters in Prague, Czech Republic, are announced. Hosted at the PGA National Czech Republic Oaks Prague, this tournament is part of the DP World Tour. With a Par-72 setup, the tournament will see the return of last year’s champion, Clements Todd. Coverage begins on Sky: Thursday and Friday at 13:00, Saturday at 12:30, and Sunday at 11:30.
DP World Tour Tee Times
Jason Dufner will tee off at 08:20 on Thursday alongside Adrian Otaegui from Spain and David Micheluzzi from Australia. The group will start their second round at 13:20 on Friday.
Chase Hanna begins his first round at 08:30 on Thursday. He is paired with Ricardo Gouveia from Portugal and Lorenzo Scalise from Italy. Their second round starts at 13:30 on Friday.
Gunner Wiebe starts at 09:00 on Thursday, accompanied by Justin Harding from South Africa and Filip Mruzek from the Czech Republic. Their second round is scheduled for 14:00 on Friday.
Kevin Chappell tees off at 09:10 on Thursday with Matthew Baldwin from England and Richard Mansell also from England. The second round is set for 14:10 on Friday.
Brandt Snedeker has his first tee time at 13:20 on Thursday. He will be playing alongside Bernd Wiesberger from Austria and Alex Fitzpatrick from England. They will begin their second round at 08:20 on Friday.
Jordan Gumberg will start his first round at 13:30 on Thursday with Gordan Brixi from Czech Republic and Sam Bairstow from England. His second round will be at 08:30 on Friday.
The Tee Times for UK Players at the Real Czech Masters of the DP World Tour. (Source: Getty)
The DP World Tour Tee Times for the upcoming D+D Real Czech Masters in Prague, Czech Republic, have been released. Taking place at the PGA National Czech Republic Oaks Prague, this event is part of the DP World Tour. The tournament, played on a Par 72 course, will feature the reigning champion Todd Clements. You can catch the matches live on Sky – Thursday and Friday from 13:00, Saturday from 12:30, and Sunday from 11:30.
DP World Tour: Tee Times for British, Welsh and Scottish Players
Marcus Armitage is set to begin his first round at 08:00 with fellow players Jens Dantorp from Sweden and Adri Arnaus from Spain. The second round starts at 13:00.
David Law will tee off at 12:40 alongside Lukas Nemecz from Austria and Tom Vaillant from France. The group starts their second round at 07:40.
Stephen Gallacher starts his first round at 08:40, paired with Joost Luiten from the Netherlands and Simon Forsström from Sweden. His second-round tee time is 13:40.
Richie Ramsay will begin at 13:20 with Søren Kjeldsen from Denmark and Dale Whitnell from England. His second round will start at 08:20.
Ewen Ferguson is set to tee off at 13:10 with Luke Donald from England and Romain Langasque from France. The group’s second round begins at 08:10.
The Valhalla Golf Club has been chosen to host the 2028 Solheim Cup. (Source: Getty)
The LPGA Tour announced that the prestigious Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, will host the 21st edition of the Solheim Cup in 2028. The Solheim Cup, a biennial international match-play competition, pits the top American players from the LPGA Tour against the best of the Ladies European Tour (LET). This announcement marks a significant milestone as Valhalla joins an elite group of courses that have hosted both the Solheim Cup and the Ryder Cup, including The Greenbrier, Muirfield Village, and Gleneagles.
Valhalla Golf Club, designed by the legendary Jack Nicklaus and inaugurated in 1986, is no stranger to high-profile golf tournaments. The course has previously hosted the PGA Championship in 1996, 2000, 2014, and 2024, as well as the Senior PGA Championships in 2004 and 2011, and the Ryder Cup in 2008.
“We are thrilled to be selected to host the 2028 Solheim Cup. Valhalla has a history of providing compelling finishes, and we are excited to add this event to our championship lore,” said Jimmy Kirchdorfer, Owner of Valhalla Golf Club. “We look forward to welcoming golf fans from around the globe back to our Kentucky home for what promises to be an unforgettable week of competition and camaraderie.”
LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan emphasized the significance of choosing venues with a rich tradition of competitive excellence. “Showcasing our extraordinary athletes at venues that have hosted the world’s largest and most prestigious golf tournaments and that are recognizable to fans around the world will continue to elevate the LPGA Tour and the Solheim Cup,” she said. “Hosting the 2028 Solheim Cup at Valhalla Golf Club, with its rich tradition of competitive excellence, exemplifies this commitment. We are eager to bring the most exciting team competition in women’s golf to Louisville and Valhalla Golf Club.”
Road to 2028 Solheim Cup
As the LPGA Tour and the LET prepare for the 2028 Solheim Cup, the U.S. Team leads the all-time series against the European Team with a record of 10-7-1. The 2024 Solheim Cup will be held at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia, and the 2026 edition will take place at Bernardus Golf in Cromvoirt, Netherlands.
Under Armour launches 2-hour footwear optimisation. (Photo: Under Armour)
Under Armour has announced the launch of its unique Footwear Optimisation Process in collaboration with Stoke Park and Biomecaswing at the new Under Armour Golf Footwear Performance Centre.
Under Armour’s Footwear Optimisation Process
Designed to offer golfers the pinnacle of custom fitted footwear across its Award-Winning Drive Pro Series, customers will experience a 2 hour, four-step footwear fitting like no other in the game.
The Four-Step Custom Footwear Fitting Process
The first step is an initial assessment with the golfer wearing their own footwear. An initial kinetic and kinematic assessment is carried out using the BiomecaForce system. At this point key data metrics such as club speed, ball speed, spin rate, strike location and carry distances are recorded with TrackMan.
From this initial assessment the player will be recommended one of the game-changing Drive Pro Series spiked or spikeless models based on peak force, rotation, translation figures and in line with their swing signature.
Once the selected footwear, further assessment will be conducted on the BiomecaForce system to demonstrate the measured gains in both kinetic and kinematic data and alongside the TrackMan data.
In step three, golfers receive an assessment of their feet using the market-leading SIDAS Podiatech system to better understand the foots anatomy and its impact on their own golf swing. Once completed, custom insoles are built on site to promote optimised stability and an increased ability to create higher peak forces – in turn taking the performance of their footwear even further.
Once the custom insoles are built and fitted into the Drive Pro shoes, final assessment is conducted to highlight the performance gains achieved throughout the session.
Insights on the Footwear Optimisation Process
Richard Palmer Jones, Under Armour Golf UK, said: “The Under Armour Footwear Optimisation Process utilises a unique and proprietary combination of the most advanced athlete performance tracking technology in golf. This allows golfers to understand the importance and impact of their footwear to their on-course performance in simple terms through the data improvements that we see time and again when putting people through our fitting processes. The addition of SIDAS Podiatech technology allows us to take the fitting process further through the use of custom insoles – producing the ultimate experience for any golfer looking to maximise their potential.”
Chris Murtagh, Head of Instruction at Stoke Park, said: “The opportunity to launch the Footwear Optimisation Process at Stoke Park with Under Armour is incredibly exciting. Having fit customers into the Drive Pro Series since it launched in February, we’ve seen how these products have consistently improved golfers. Utilising the BiomecaForce system alongside SIDAS Podiatech technology is the natural progression to deliver the ultimate in performance footwear. Under Armour’s mission to make athletes better has established golf footwear as an essential piece of golf equipment for the first time.”
Each session costs £500 and includes 2 hours of Biomechanical analysis, both pre and post-testing, 1 pair of Drive Pro Series Spiked or Spikeless shoes, and 1 set of custom insoles.
To find out more or book a session please contact Chris Murtagh at Stoke Park on 01753 717184 or via email at [email protected].
