Inhaltsverzeichnis für September 2019 in Golf Monthly

1 Left hand only Many golfers struggle with chipping because they’re too focused on getting the ball in the air, which disrupts their technique. This drill helps create more dominance in the left hand and arm. Repeat this several times and you should start to feel how the left wrist is a little more stable. Notice how the shaft and left arm are lined up through the ball. Then, put both hands back on the club and try and feel those same movements. As well as aiding feel, this is a great drill for improving attack angle and clubface stability. 2 Tee peg drill That desire to get the ball airborne often leads to ‘scooping’ the ball, which usually means excessive wrist action. A simple drill to test whether you’re…

1 Back to basics For many golfers, finding a consistently clean contact on delicate chip shots feels almost impossible. If you fall into this category, try adopting a putting technique. Use a less lofted club (an 8-iron is ideal) and employ your putting grip. Stand as if you are holding your putter – closer to the ball and with a narrower stance. Now make a smooth, simple putting stroke. This will help ‘deaden’ the strike, allowing you to be more confident with the stroke. The ball should pop up into the air before rolling out towards the hole. 2 Tempo tip In my experience, the one thing golfers who struggle with their chipping have in common is speed. In particular, they rush back to the ball from the top of…

1 Strong-arc stroke Do you want a strong-arc stroke or one that’s a touch straighter (a perfectly straight stroke doesn’t exist as the shaft of the putter is angled and you’re standing to the side of the ball)? It’s vital to understand how the set-up and stroke are different. For a stronger arc, there should be a little more shoulder rotation. The putter will move away on the inside, return to square through impact and then move inside again on the way through. 2 Slight-arc stroke If you want to create a straighter stroke, make two slight changes. Stand closer to the ball and a little taller at address – your wrists will be higher and the heel of the putter may even sit fractionally up off the grass. This…

1 Spirit level A rule to consider when it comes to reading greens is that the slower the ball is moving, the more break will come into play. This means you need to concentrate on the area around the hole as this is where the biggest movement is likely to happen. However, the hole is usually cut on a relatively flat part of the green, so picking up on subtle slopes can be tricky. Picture something flat lying across the hole, like an alignment stick. Which end of the stick will be higher? This visualisation will help you create a spirit level in your mind’s eye, revealing the hidden breaks that are likely to have the biggest effect. 2 Apex drill Once you have built a picture of the break,…

1 Watch the right knee When I’m coaching the short game, a common problem I see in a lot of golfers is a destructive lower-half move that really kills their pitching technique. The right knee moves too much towards the ball in the downswing, throwing the hand path out and making them ‘fish’ for the ball. From here, it’s very difficult to control the low point of the golf swing and find a decent strike. 2 Crossed-feet drill This simple drill will really help. Cross your feet closely together at set-up. This stabilises the lower half and makes you concentrate far more on using your upper half in your action. You’re working on stability here, so don’t worry about distance – perhaps a 20- to 30-yard pitch. This should help…

Photography: Getty Images Until recently I’d never been affected by ‘FOMO’ – Fear Of Missing Out – defined as “anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts on social media”. But during Open week I had it bad. For several reasons I couldn’t be in Portrush and early in the week became increasingly despondent as my social media streams were flooded with Open-related content and my phone buzzed away with notifications from the Golf Monthly WhatsApp Open group, discussing which player was next up in the media centre, what stories to pursue and, even more distressingly, times and places to rendezvous for a pint of Guinness. To help reconcile my feelings of loss, I took up residence on my sofa from 6.30am…

Where next for the Ryder Cup? Late July brought the news that the 2026 Ryder Cup will be contested at Adare Manor, the ultra-high-end County Limerick resort owned by JP McManus. To those in the industry, this came as little surprise as rumours had been rife for some time, although The Belfry had also been keen to get the event back. So, what about 2030? Purists, thrilled with the return of the Irish Open to the seaside, would love to see it visit a traditional links but that is now all but impossible. A modern links? Trump International in Aberdeen could be an option once its owner is no longer POTUS. Photography: Getty Images, Tom Miles Which of these countries would host the best Ryder Cup? On the continent, Germany,…

Three Rolex Series victories now, two in Ireland, and the love affair continues.... Yeah, I don’t know what it is. Every time we come, I just feel good all week. I feel so welcomed and so honoured to be supported by the Irish crowd the way I am that I really want to play good in front of them. It’s definitely a motivator. It was my first European Tour win and Seve won three times, so to become a multiple champion, it’s an honour and just a humbling experience to come and play in front of this crowd. Faldo, McIlroy, Olazabal, Seve have all been champions at this event, and to put my name on there is really special. Do you feel like you’re playing the best golf of your…

1 The 23-year-old Scot has opened a lot of eyes this year with several strong finishes before his tie for 6th at Portrush on his Major debut, but he had a strong amateur pedigree. He was the first player to lift the Scottish Boys’ Open Strokeplay Championship and Scottish Youths’ Championship in the same year in 2013 and played in the 2017 Walker Cup. 2 He only started taking golf seriously six years ago. His original passion was shinty, playing for local club, Oban Camanachd, from the ages of 13 to 17. MacIntyre attributes his golf success to the game. “The hand-eye co-ordination in my golf has come from my shinty,” he has said. “I’ve been hitting a shinty ball since I could walk and shinty encourages the motion of…

To fill that all-important gap between your long irons and fairway woods, Titleist has unveiled four new solutions offering very different looks and performance. The U500 and U510 utility irons are designed to expand your shot options at the top end of the bag, producing more distance than a long iron and less spin than a hybrid. Both combine an ultra-thin, forged L-face with plenty of high-density tungsten for higher launch, faster ball speeds, more distance and ample forgiveness. Easy-launch utilities The more compact U500 is the players’ utility iron and features 98g of tungsten on average, generating a low CG for increased launch with trajectory control, and a high MOI for stability through the shot. It comes in a 2-iron, (17°), 3-iron (20°) and 4-iron (23°) and has already…

Which T-Series iron represents the biggest improvement over the AP models? In T200 and T300, the introduction of our Max Impact Technology has been a fantastic innovation from which we are really seeing the benefits in golfers of all abilities. It truly delivers a balance of power, launch and feel that we’ve never seen before. Why are the lofts stronger? You want irons to carry a certain yardage while stopping quickly. If the launch is too strong, the benefits of added distance are taken away by a lack of control. A by-product of our Max Impact innovation and use of tungsten allows us to strengthen lofts to provide appropriate launch and landing angles. Were the tour players asking for more compact profiles? We’re always evaluating feedback from all levels of…

The first time I spoke to Shane Lowry it was at his parents’ home in County Offaly a month after he won the Irish Open in May 2009. He was just 22 years old and his emergence onto the global golfing stage was as rapid as it was impressive. Before this extraordinary triumph, Lowry, like scores of others, was a decent amateur with a bright future. His sights were set on a strong finish to his amateur career before making his way in to the professional ranks. But one gloriously jaw-dropping week later, he found himself at the centre of the golfing world. By beating Robert Rock in a play-off at Baltray, Lowry became only the third amateur to win on the European Tour; even more impressively, he was the…

Brooks Koepka -36 Xander Schauffele -14 Dustin Johnson -14 Patrick Cantlay -12 Webb Simpson -9 Francesco Molinari -9 Matt Kuchar -8 Rickie Fowler -7 Matt Fitzpatrick -3 Jordan Spieth -2 Louis Oosthuizen -1 Henrik Stenson E Tommy Fleetwood +3 Aaron Wise +3 Tyrrell Hatton +5 Cameron Smith +20 Koepka’s score of 36-under-par was the third best in a Major season over the past 30 years. Jordan Spieth leads the way with -54 in 2015 with Tiger recording -53 in 2000.…

1 Get your chips running Many amateurs are too eager to get loft on it when chipping, but when the ball hits the green, you actually want it running like a putt. When you get it in the air and it’s spinning, there are so many more elements to factor in – the more it’s rolling like a putt, the better. 2 Find your landing spot If you work on a landing spot when chipping and miss it by two feet, you’re still always going to be in the right ball park. In practice, place a towel where you think the ball needs to land and try to land it on that. 3 Avoid shaft lean Resist the temptation to really lean the club forward and drive into the ball…

Ping Sigma 2 Tyne putter MIKE BLACKMORE Dunfermline, Fife Handicap: 5 Why did you decide to buy the product? I already play mostly Ping clubs, so for continuity reasons I tried new Ping putters. This putter has the adjustable shaft from 32-36in, which makes it easy to set the correct length. I use a mallet-style putter and the Ping Sigma 2 Tyne model stood out. How has it performed? The putter has been performing really well. It produces a good roll and a pleasant sound off the face. It has a long, simple alignment line and a good-quality Ping PP60 mid-size grip that is the perfect size and shape for me. The sturdy headcover will also help in handling the challenging Scottish weather! TaylorMade Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedge DAMON BUTLER…

Feeling good Tiger Woods, Jason Day and Rory McIlroy were just three TaylorMade staffers who have switched into the new Milled Grind 2 wedges, which look to have a feel dampener behind the face. White wonder Jason Day was seen using a prototype all-white ‘chalk’ version of the TaylorMade Spider X putter at The Open. Sadly, he missed the cut by one. Early joy for Justin Having previously sported Nike footwear, Justin Rose wore a new prototype cleated FootJoy Contour shoe scheduled for release in 2020 at The Open Championship.…

What an unbelievable summer it has been for Irish golf, with three massive events on either side of the border. Each has helped to raise the profile of its fabulous treasure trove of courses even more than the 2006 Ryder Cup at the K Club. Increased interest and demand is guaranteed to follow. The Amateur Championship paved the way brilliantly in June as it highlighted two of the most wonderful courses in the Dublin area. The Island co-hosted the stroke play rounds, with Portmarnock then taking centre stage for the match play. Just three miles apart, these superb links courses are remarkably different from one another. Not only that, but it produced a home winner in James Sugrue. There is immense strength in depth in Irish golf. July saw both…

Why are bunker renovation projects so in vogue? You can really transform a course for a much smaller price than reconstructing greens, and with much less disruption. There’s also a degree of the local marketplace taking effect once a couple of courses in an area have renewed their bunkers. How much of it is about strategy and how much aesthetics? I believe that you spend so much time maintaining bunkers annually, and reconstructing them, that they should have a dual role. They should be looking good and in the thick of the action at the same time. It’s very seldom that I would have a bunker there solely for visual effect. How many fairway bunkers are you repositioning due to technology? Quite a lot! What we’re trying to do is…

Photography: Getty Images, Kevin Murray This superb country house hotel is just 20 minutes from Aberdeen airport. The course has to be one of the best and most interesting parkland designs in Scottish golf, blessed with the very prettiest of holes like the 8th, which plays over and beside water to a rollercoaster green protected by three towering pines. Look out for the 11th, where no fewer than 15 bunkers guard the final approach! Drive through avenues of rhododendrons and the sense of anticipation rises as you approach the 13th-century, quintessentially Scottish mansion. Your room may well be in the modern extension opened in 2016, quite possibly with views out over the golf course. Dine in the Pineapple restaurant, or opt for the cosy 1236 At The Cave bar, an…

1 Shallow, not steep From my experience, players who struggle with their short game are too steep. As the club descends towards the ball on too severe an angle, one of two things happens – it either gets stuck in the turf and you hit the shot fat, or the ball is squeezed out (often a little thin) with a low flight and minimal control. Place an alignment stick in the ground on the angle shown here. Stand three feet back from it and hit a series of shots. Can you get the club to pass underneath the stick while the ball pops over it? You should be able to do this without manipulating your technique. If the ball goes under and the club clatters into the stick, you…

1 Routine splash shots For these shots, aim straight and not to the left as many golfers do, thinking that by doing this they’re opening the face. The reality is that if your hands are low, you can actually be closing the face when you think you’re opening it, as the inset photo shows. Most people would think the face is way open here, but as you can see, the tee peg is actually pointing left of target. Ball position should then be just on your left heel, with a lot of weight on the front foot – perhaps 75% – as that then locks you in position. You want to get the low point of the club under the ball, and you do that by getting your balance over…

1 Read your putt backwards When it comes to green reading, I strongly recommend reading your putts ‘backwards’, and by that I mean from behind the hole first. The putt I’m assessing here is a 20-yarder. From behind the hole I can see that the last 12 feet are downhill, with the grain towards me and across a slope, and I think the ball is going to break two to two-and-a-half feet over this final stage. Most golfers start from behind the ball and get the first part of the putt right, but then neglect to look at the second part so closely. 2 Find the break point Reading greens this way helps you figure out your break point more easily – I’ve put a tee in the ground here…

While golf has become more of a power-centric game in the professional sphere, a sound technique from 100 yards and in will always be the key to good scoring in the amateur ranks. There’s simply no point hitting a 300-yard drive if you follow it with a duffed pitch and a three-putt. That’s why we’ve produced a special short-game supplement to help you fulfil your scoring potential and get up and down more often. Over the following pages, you’ll find advice from numerous Golf Monthly Top 25 Coaches that will boost your short game and give you more confidence on and around the greens. From tips and drills to technique and strategy, some of the country’s best instructors are on hand to help you cure your short-game faults. If you’ve…

In praise of inconsistency While relishing the glorious Open victory of Shane Lowry, I thought about the wonderful inconsistency of golf. Whereas the same faces and teams invariably triumph in other sports, golf is delightfully unpredictable. Four Majors and four very different winners this year. A disastrous day followed by a valiant day for Rory Mcllroy, and good days followed by bad for JB Holmes. At club level, one day I am out-driven by a 45-handicapper, the next I beat my greatest rival. Most club players, at all skill levels, have at least one victory to their names, as well as those shameful last places. Just as with the weather, fortune and life, inconsistency in golf is its greatest attraction. I embrace it. Jakki Moxon, via email No phones, please…

No Says Fergus Bisset As a Scottish all-weather golfer, I love to see how the top players cope with adverse weather like we saw on the final day at Royal Portrush. We all know these guys are incredible in flat calm and 24°, but how do they get on when belting rain is being driven in on 30mph gusts? The patience, control and resilience Shane Lowry displayed in managing the conditions provided a great spectacle and, if anything, only served to enhance his achievement. A key defence of any links is the weather and that was demonstrated perfectly at Portrush. When the elements spoke on Sunday, they did so with a firm and challenging voice. Who would be tough and skilled enough to stand up to them? To see some…

Under Armour Official Tour 3.0 £26 A CoolSwitch coating on the inside pulls heat from your skin, making you feel cooler. Puma P Snapback £23 Features an all-new 3D ‘P’ logo and flexfit 110 technology for the ultimate one-size-fits-all comfort. TaylorMade Tour Radar £17.99 Has a moisture-wicking sweatband and is dark under the peak to reduce glare. Ping Pattern Mesh £20 Boasts a moisture-wicking, Sensor Cool headband plus adjustable snapback closure that means one size fits most.…

Illustration: Peter Strain “You’re going to have ups and downs as that’s the nature of professional golf” After a couple of top tens at the Made in Denmark and the Belgian Knockout, I’ve struggled a little bit and I missed cuts in Germany, Spain, Ireland and Scotland. Strangely, I’ve actually been hitting the ball a lot better on the golf course in tournaments than I have been in practice, which is almost the opposite of what you’d expect. I just haven’t really been getting the most out of my rounds and I’ve been unlucky on a few occasions. I think I missed the cut by one shot in both Spain and Ireland, which is frustrating – one putt holed here or a better approach there and all of a sudden…

Those in the know about these things have always marvelled at Shane Lowry’s short game. Few players look so natural with a wedge in hand, and the freedom and fluidity with which he wields it make him the envy of many of his peers. On a brutal final day at Royal Portrush, it was his short game that kept the chasing pack at bay. The question is, how did he develop such an outstanding touch around the greens? “I grew up playing golf on a course called Esker Hills in the middle of Ireland – it’s not that well-known,” Lowry told us. “I think the reason my short game is quite good is that all the greens are raised. I used to play a lot of golf on my own…

LEN GOODMAN I love anything to do with children and old people – I’m not quite so bothered about the ones in the middle! [laughs]. But kids and old people, I’ll do anything I can to help further their cause. I’m very flattered that next year they’ve asked me to be captain, so that’s a really nice honour. JOHN CONTEH I was captain in 2012. The bottom line is that the golf days are great, but you’re also here to help someone less fortunate than yourself. The businessmen are great because, number one, they put up the money. But it’s great to be part of the team, especially when you see the results of it like today – the coaches being presented to the various schools. SIR TREVOR BROOKING I’ve…

1 This is the ideal position to get into at the top of the backswing. Note how my chest has moved and coiled over the inside of my rear foot. I have about 70 per cent of my weight on the centre of my right foot at the top of my backswing. The transition should then start by allowing the knees and hips to shift first, followed by the upper torso. 2 You can use alignment sticks to improve your awareness of loading and unloading weight through your swing. At impact (left), all my weight has gone into the back of the ball to give me maximum clubhead speed and distance. This sequencing has helped me move into a balanced finish with my body facing the target and the majority…

1 Opening tee shot The first tee shot is difficult if you haven’t prepared properly – that’s the magic word. You need to prepare in terms of practice and working out what the shot demands. And be realistic – if you’re a fader and the first is a dogleg left with wind off the left, as here at Prince’s, you need a strategy that allows for that rather than trying to force an unnatural draw. If you’re pleased with how you’ve warmed up and know what the ball is going to do, you can build that into your strategy and feel quite comfortable. In this instance, that might include teeing off from as far right as you can go, so you can start it further left. If you feel comfortable…

Photography: Getty Images, Joel Tadman Driver Titleist TS3, 8.5°, Aldila RIP 75 TX Prototype shaft. Wedges Titleist Vokey SM7 46°, 53°, 59°, Nippon NS Pro Modus3 Tour 120X shafts. Putter Scotty Cameron Futura T5W Tour Prototype with a Two Thumb grip. Fairway wood Titleist TS3, 13.5°, Graphite Design Tour AD IZ 8 TX shaft. Ball 2019 Titleist Pro V1. Hybrid Titleist 818H2, 17°, Fujikura Motore Speeder 9.8 TX shaft. Utility Iron Titleist U500, 3-iron, Nippon N.S. Modus3 Tour 120X shaft. Irons Titleist 718 CB (4-6), Titleist 718 MB (7-9), Nippon NS Pro Modus3 Tour 120X shafts.…

It’s an important question, this time prompted by some recent driver launches, notably Titleist’s TS4 and Ping’s G410 LST. It’s a question being asked not just because of how these new models compare to the ‘standard’ ones, but because the launches were staggered, with the new versions arriving much later than other models within the same ranges. The clue is really in the name – if you spin the ball to a greater degree than is optimum for your club speed or the way you deliver the club, then yes, you could consider a low-spin driver. If you have a very downward attack angle or a very high swing speed, a low-spin driver could improve performance on centre hits, but beware, as there are some sacrifices, which are mostly focused…

“If you play a lot of different courses, consider combining the hole maps from a GPS with a laser, providing your budget permits”Joel Tadman, GM technical editor If you’re serious about your game and shooting lower scores, you need some sort of distance measuring device (DMD). Knowing the distance required to finish short of a hazard or carry a bunker can be the difference between making a par or double-bogey, while having a precise distance to the flag allows you to attack on your approach. There are a whole host of options to choose from that offer different levels of features and can be used, or worn, in different ways. GPS watches and bands arguably offer the most simplicity, alongside compact GPS units that provide simple front, middle and back…

Which UK course fits in with the surroundings and land most naturally? DRW, GM website forum Everyone will have a different opinion, but with regard to our premier designs, it would have to be a links and I would go for somewhere timeless like Royal Dornoch. Better still, some of our less well-known courses look as though they were specifically designed by nature for their setting. A couple of examples are Kington and Durness. Who is the best current course designer? rksquire, GM website forum For work in the UK&I, I would plump for Martin Hawtree and his immense design at Trump Aberdeen, as well as his significant upgrades over many years elsewhere. I would also give an honourable mention to Kyle Phillips for Kingsbarns and The Grove. What is…

A 30-year-old Tiger Woods ensured The Open’s 2006 return to Hoylake for the first time in 39 years was a memorable one. He arrived having missed the cut at the US Open and was still coming to terms with the loss of his father. It would make his march to Major Championship number 11 all the more emotional. He figured his best chance of success was to take the fairway bunkers completely out of play, so in came the 2-iron. He hit his driver once, and never found a fairway trap. His ball-striking was so good that his caddie, Steve Williams, counted the number of missed shots – three! Others may have adopted a similar strategy, but no one could control their long irons so consistently. “The driver would go…

Illustration: Peter Strain “Portrush enjoyed its week in the public consciousness with rare, laid-back elan” Think of a big number, any number. I bet you’re thinking of 237,750. Right? No? Well, I am because that is the official attendance figure for Portrush. Despite being the first all-ticket Open in history this is not a record. It turns out that 239,000 people rocked up at St Andrews to watch Tiger romp to victory in 2000. Still, second in the attendance charts is not bad for a little place like Portrush and an area that enjoyed its week in the global public consciousness with rare, laid-back elan. In these days when an ongoing stream of instant gratification is the preferred way to go for so many people, it is instantly gratifying that…

1 Use your imagination One thing that separates golf’s great short-game exponents from the rest is their imagination – their ability to play different shots and control the spin and roll. Practising chip after chip from the same spot may hone technique, but while that obviously does matter, being able to vary flight and spin and use your imagination is more important once you’re out on the course. 2 Mix it up – part one Take your preferred chipping club and set three balls up, each one closer to the flag (as above). With the furthest ball, try to hit a higher-lofted shot that lands just on the green and rolls out. Keep the landing spot the same, then with the two closer balls try to hit progressively lower shots…

1 Follow-through drill One thing most amateurs know about the short game is that they need to accelerate the club through impact. In sand, this prevents it from digging in. However, if you carry too much speed through impact, you’ll find distance control hard. A great way to ensure you are still accelerating through the strike but also controlling your distance is to focus on your follow-through. Hit three shots to no specific target – one with a full follow-through, one with a half finish and one with a short finish, as shown here. As long as the contact is consistent (a £20-note-sized splash around the ball), you’ll notice important differences between the carry. This will certainly come in handy when you’re out on the course. 2 Clip-it drill The…

1 Tee-to-tee drill This tee-to-tee drill could be crucial in saving you shots, as it will help improve the speed of your putts and your feel for distance and, more importantly, reduce the number of three-putts. Take half a dozen balls and put a tee in the green beside them. Then pace out ten yards and put a tee in the ground there. The challenge is to get all your balls within two feet of the tee. Statistically, you’re going to hole 95% of all putts from two feet and in, so if you can get it within two feet, you’re going to three-putt less often. The more you do this drill, the more your feel will improve. Staying away from the hole reduces your focus on an outcome…

Photography: Kevin Murray, shot on location at Mannings Heath GC, West Sussex If the path of somebody’s putting stroke looks fine but they’re getting an inconsistent roll, the first thing I would look at is how well they’re controlling the face. If the path is okay but the face is changeable, it’s usually down to a grip pressure change during the stroke. Even subtle changes can affect what the wrists and hands do. To add greater consistency, place a ball between your trail forearm and the putter grip. With the ball in place, you will feel the pressure against your forearm and should then look to maintain that during your stroke. If you maintain it and keep the ball in place, the face will feel very stable. If you lose…

1 Perils of a wide stance When it comes to your wedges, the majority of misses are typically fats and thins. One of the main reasons is often too wide a stance, with golfers retaining their normal full-swing stance width all the way down to their wedges. They move away from the ball on to the trail side, but then one of three things happen: they get stuck there coming down and strike the ground first; they try to move back to the lead side, but don’t do it enough and still strike the ground first; or they try to help the ball up with the hands and wrists and top the ball. 2 The correct stance For good wedge play, you need good foundations. That starts with a fairly…

1 If water is in play and the only way to take it out of play is by laying up so short you can’t reach the green, think about the Rules. If you find the pond, you’ll quite possibly be playing your third from beside it rather than behind it, so you’ll still have a good chance of bogey. This should free you up a little on the tee. 2 You may be tempted to try and draw the ball away from the water, but if you’re a natural fader, I’d advise against that. Stick with the shape you’re comfortable with, go through your normal routine and back yourself. If a draw doesn’t come naturally, you may end up in the left-hand trees – not a great spot either! 3…

Nino Bertasio The Italian finished tied 4th at the Scottish Open to qualify for his first ever Major appearance at Royal Portrush. He made the cut too, finishing tied 72nd. Bernd Wiesberger The Austrian collected his second European Tour win of 2019 at the Scottish Open. He beat Frenchman Benjamin Hebert on the third hole of a play-off at The Renaissance Club. David Duval The American had an Open to forget at Portrush posting 27-over-par for two rounds. This included a stretch in which he went 8, 4, 14 from the 5th to the 7th in round one, having birdied his first two holes! Tiger Woods Tiger asked to play a practice round at The Open with Brooks Koepka, whose caddie, Ricky Elliott, is from Portrush. Koepka never texted back.…

SET-UP Avoid leaning into the slope on your toes and setting your weight too far forwards. It’s instinctive to do this, but you need to accept that normal posture isn’t possible on slopes. Stand more upright, and grip down an inch or so to allow you to stand a little closer to the ball and gain valuable control of your swing. AIM RIGHT With the ball above your feet, your swing is going to be flatter than usual and there’s a tendency for the clubface to close at a faster rate. The ball tends to then fly left, so you will need to aim a little further to the right to compensate for this. BALANCE Balance is key as finding the correct spot with the bottom of your swing arc…

Photography: Getty Images 19 1962: Homero Blancas shoots incredible 55 The lowest round in the history of competitive golf came on a par-70 course in Texas in a college event. Blancas, later christened ‘Mr.55’, had 13 birdies and an eagle. He would go on to win four PGA Tour titles. 4 Milestone for Tom Watson The American eight-time Major winner and two-time Ryder Cup captain turns 70 in September. 16 Scotty Cameron putters launched Twenty-two years on from the original Terylliuminserted Scotty Cameron launch, the brand will release three new limited edition models: Newport, Newport 2 and Fastback 1.5. 25 1996: Tiger wins third US Amateur in a row Tiger Woods made a miraculous comeback against Steve Scott at Pumpkin Ridge in Oregon. Scott was 5-up after 18, but Woods…

THE MASTERS The Major season began with the most memorable four days of golf we have witnessed in decades. Tiger Woods produced a faultless display of strategy and ball-striking to win his first Major since 2008 – an incredible 3,955 days between his 14th and 15th Majors. For most of Sunday it looked like he’d struggle to catch overnight leader Francesco Molinari but Augusta’s 12th once again had its say and the Italian’s rock-solid game crumbled. Woods’ five at 18 led to joyous scenes with his family. Never before has a bogey been celebrated so wildly by so many. • BIG HITTERS Molinari started Sunday two clear but the back nine bared its teeth and the water on 12 and 15 dashed his hopes. Brooks Koepka, Tiger’s nemesis in last…

In the last 20 years or so, Denmark has produced several players who have graced golf’s very biggest stages. Thomas Bjorn has had 15 European Tour wins and played in three Ryder Cups; Thorbjorn Olesen’s Ryder Cup debut in Paris last year culminated in the demolition of Jordan Spieth; and Lucas Bjerregaard has become a firm fixture in the world’s top 50. Sorens Kjeldsen and Hansen have multiple European Tour wins to their names as does Anders Hansen, who famously beat Justin Rose in a play-off to win the 2007 BMW PGA Championship. In short, the country has now established a very firm footing in the world of top-level golf. This is why there is considerable excitement surrounding the next generation of Danish talent – Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard, identical…

Photography: Kevin Murray 1 Width in the backswing This is very important for me and something you should think about too. My weight is split fairly evenly at address. Some may go 40/60 or 60/40, but for me, what’s more important is that at the top of the backswing I have 95 per cent of my weight on my back foot. That’s why width in the backswing is key. Focus on a wide takeaway and get as far back as you can with a solid coil, without swaying off the ball. From here, the downswing starts with the hips. The unwinding of the hips is where you get the elastic band feel and you end up generating more speed. 2 Upward attack Most good drivers attack the ball on the…

1 To manufacture a draw – around a tree, for example, as here – you need to set up with feet, hips and shoulders aiming well to the right, and the clubface closed to your body alignment but still open to the target. It’s important to remember this last point, because if the clubface is closed to both target and swing path, you will simply hook the ball into the tree you’re trying to avoid! 2 Another common mistake is that many golfers know they need to close the clubface to draw the ball, but they do it in the wrong way or at the wrong time by gripping the club and then closing the face down. You actually need to do it the other way round – close the…

Pro V.4 £149 The Pro V.4 is designed and worn by Skechers’ ambassador, Matt Kuchar. It features classic styling, with smooth full-grain leather uppers and a sleek, low-profile outsole with replaceable Softspikes. There’s full waterproof protection via Skechers H2GO Shield with a heel lock feature providing stability and a secure fit. Pro V.4 Honors £139 Kuchar also wears this Honors version of the Pro V.4 which shares all the performance and comfort features of the full-leather shoe but this time with uppers that blend smooth leather with a knitted textile fabric. High-performance Resamax cushioned insoles boost comfort. Mojo Elite £119 This lightweight shoe with a modern look and style mixes smooth full-grain leather with a textile fabric in the uppers. Traction comes via a spikeless GripFlex outsole while Skechers H2GO…

Nate Lashley won the Rocket Mortgage Classic on the PGA Tour with a full bag of Ping clubs, including a G410 LST driver. Tommy Fleetwood finished second at The Open with a TaylorMade GAPR Lo 2-iron, Srixon Z785 4-iron and Vokey TVD wedges. Jordan Spieth, who was influential in the design, switched straight into the new Titleist T100 irons ahead of The Open. Rory McIlroy wore a new Nike shoe at The Open called the Reflectivity Pack as well as a NikeLab x Stone Island Jacket. Dylan Frittelli won the John Deere Classic with a near full bag of Callaway clubs and the Chrome Soft X Triple Track ball.…

How often should you change your wedges? @GolfieMcGolf, Twitter This depends on how much you play and practise. If you do both once a week on average, changing every 12-18 months would be enough to maintain a high level of short-game spin and control. You should be able to see when your grooves start to wear – they might look shallower and the edges will appear less clean-cut. If you keep them clean and dry and vary the loft you practise with (or practise with an old wedge), they should last a lot longer. Should you stick with your tried and trusted brand or swap every time you buy? @Nomad_GS, Twitter Many golfers I know stick to one brand because of a positive past experience with one club. You could…

• Stay Best Western Hotel Bristol, Newquay This clifftop, family-run hotel has 74 rooms and makes an ideal base for a golf trip. A tasty breakfast sets you up perfectly for the day, and in the evening the refurbished Art Deco HB’s Bar and Lounge serves bar food and a variety of cocktails and gins. Photography: Rob Smith & Jezz Ellwood • Eat/drink The Red Lion, Newquay Just a 7-iron from Newquay’s 10th green, this spacious, buzzing pub has friendly and efficient service, good, hearty food, and a variety of real ales and local brews. There are great views down to the surfers and beach below. • Also play The county’s ‘big-hitters’ lie further east, but there are several attractive courses in the west. The clifftop course at Falmouth has…