Author: News Room

The 2024 PING Junior Masters grand final recently took place at Close House, with over 70 junior golfers showcasing their skills on the championship Colt Course. The winners of the six categories were separated by just three shots, with 10-year-old Havish Aravind from Brampton Golf Club in Cumbria crowned as the overall champion with a Stableford score of 39 points. The age group winners included Havish Aravind, Henry Murphy, Kayla Hill, James Henderson, Amelia Hothersall, and Lily Jane Morgan. Ryder Cup legend Lee Westwood, Close House’s affiliated professional, played a key role in the early development of the Junior Masters.…

The PGA Tour recently announced a series of proposals following an examination aimed at making the circuit more competitive and compelling. The tour published a 23-page Executive Summary detailing plans to address pace of play problems. One of the counterintuitive proposals includes a reduction in fines issued to players for breaches of the Pace of Play Policy. For instance, fines for Bad Times and Excessive Shot Times during the Majors will be eliminated starting from the 2026 season. The reduction in fines may seem controversial, but it could potentially speed up the pace of play. Social media speculation suggests that…

Ben An’s recent win at the DP World Tour and Korean PGA Tour’s Genesis Championship highlighted a unique aspect of his game – the presence of a 1-iron in his bag. This unusual club choice has caught the attention of many in the golfing world, as the 1-iron is a club that has largely disappeared from the bags of PGA Tour pros in favor of easier-to-use alternatives such as 5-woods, 7-woods, and hybrids. An’s decision to carry a 1-iron sets him apart from his peers and speaks to his confidence in his ability to control the club and compress the…

Money has begun to play a significant role in golf, even affecting beloved team events like the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup. In recent years, players and captains participating in the Presidents Cup have received a stipend of $250,000, a departure from the past when players allocated funds generated to charities of their choice. The PGA Tour justified this change as part of its total compensation program, allowing players and captains to support their foundations or charitable priorities. Despite the significant charitable contributions made by players over the years, the changing landscape of golf seems to have influenced these adjustments.…

If you’re looking to improve your golf game and hit more fairways, Erika Larkin, a GOLF Top 100 Teacher, has some valuable tips to help you become more consistent off the tee. One of the key fundamentals she emphasizes is the importance of tee height. By teeing up your ball half a ball above the driver face, you can catch the ball on the upswing and deliver more speed at impact, resulting in longer drives and more fairways hit. Another important factor in driving success is ball position. Larkin recommends playing the ball inside your lead heel to time your…

Zero-torque balance putters are becoming increasingly popular among professional golfers, including Rickie Fowler, who recently switched to the L.A.B. DF3 putter at the 2024 Sanderson Farms Championship. These putters, such as the PXG Allen and Evenroll Zero 5S, are designed to reduce or eliminate torque in a golfer’s putting stroke, potentially leading to more consistent and accurate putts on the green. Fowler’s putting performance has fluctuated throughout his career, with an impressive record in Strokes Gained: Putting in previous seasons but a decline during the 2021-22 PGA Tour season, ranking 161st in the statistic. This led him to make changes…

The PGA Tour is facing significant changes that could impact its rank and file members. On November 18, the Policy Board will vote on proposals that include reducing tournament fields, cutting the number of fully exempt players, and eliminating Monday qualifiers. These changes represent a shift towards a more competitive market and earning opportunities for players, as opposed to creating playing opportunities. The new proposals have emerged from the Players Advisory Council and aim to streamline and improve the Tour’s product. While some see these changes as a way to cater to top stars, others believe they are necessary for…

The 2025 LIV Golf season is set to kick off in Saudi Arabia on February 6th, but there are reports of a new International Series tournament being announced in New Delhi, India. The International Series is a collection of 10 tournaments co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and LIV Golf, providing an opportunity for LIV players to earn rankings points and a pathway to the upstart league. The winner of the International Series Order of Merit also earns a spot in LIV. One of the most exciting aspects of this potential tournament is the involvement of Bryson DeChambeau, who is in…