The world is often full of stories about war and famine and disease and sadness, so it’s always nice to hear a sweet story about how a small-town guy empties the family coffers on a chance and makes a place for himself in the competitive golf market. Jared Doerfler’s story began when his dad taught him the game of golf …
If you come across a not-very-tall guy with slicked-back hair, colorful glasses that usually match his shirt, and many tattoos on his arms, what field might you imagine he is in? Before you get too carried away and imagine a hip-hop star, know that this man is extremely well-read and erudite. Also note that the tattoos are not some weapons-and-flowers …
There is only one family of golf instructors that golf lesson-takers all over the planet, and across all existing golfing generations, might consider the “first family” of golf teachers. And that is, naturally, the Harmon family. The Patriarch Eugene Claude Harmon Sr. was a true patriarch for the Harmon family. After having spent much of his boyhood in the Orlando …
While every PGA TOUR victory these days is instantly flashed across the world via TV, magazine articles, internet blogs and social media, with the victor being touted as the newest great thing in golf since the graphite shaft (until the next Sunday, that is), the coach behind the victory is rarely acknowledged. An occasional player might mention his coach in …
Some say performance in golf requires technical skills and better positions in the swing. Others say better performance happens as a result of physical skills and a better fitness regimen. Still others say that the mental aspect of golf rules supreme and, unless a golfer can be relaxed and focused, performance will suffer. One sports psychologist explains the subject well: …
March in Southern California means wonderful weather, lingering snow in the distant mountains, sunny skies and perfect golf course conditions. And the PGA TOUR Champions makes the most of all this by holding two back-to-back events in SoCal. The Hoag Classic at the Newport Beach Country Club, followed by the Galleri Classic at the Mission Hills Country Club. It is …
Most golfers these days are on one or more social media platforms and so get bombarded with swing tips all the time. “Get your lead elbow bowed like Dustin Johnsons’s.” “Get vertical close to impact like Justin Thomas.” “Keep your butt against the wall like Tiger Woods.” And on and on. So, the recently completed Genesis Invitational at the famous …
The PGA TOUR makes its West Coast Swing at the start of each year. That makes for a great opportunity for fans in Hawaii and California to watch all their favorite players in action and, in fact, to learn more about the TOUR itself. Given that this is a golf science column, it seemed appropriate to discover the numbers behind …
Golf as we know it will change forever, once the USGA and R&A’s golf ball rollback rule goes into effect in a few years, starting in 2028. The rollback rule was not made on a whim. In fact, the Distance Insights Project has been a joint initiative of the USGA and R&A since 2018, and its sole purpose has been …
As the saying goes, old is gold. That certainly is true for senior male golfers who participate in competitive events. The Tour Champions Q-School for 2024 had three first stage locations to accommodate Tour-card-hopefuls, and each venue played host to around 75 participants. There were about 225 Stage I golfers in total, with 18 from each venue going on to …
