Mark Blackburn reveals the simple training aid Justin Rose used to sharpen his swing before his dominant win.

Alright, Daily Duffer faithful, Tyler Reed here, and today we’re stepping off the tee box and onto the greens to talk about putting. Specifically, a technique suggested in a recent article on GOLF.com about improving distance control by pacing off your putts. As someone who’s spent countless hours staring at launch monitor data for drivers and irons, the idea of applying a systematic, almost rangefinder-like approach to putting distance immediately caught my eye. Now, before we dive in, let’s be clear: when we talk about putting, we’re not tracking ball speeds in the triple digits or measuring spin rates in…

Scottsdale’s Ballstriking Test: Why Profile Over Pedigree Matters at the WMPO I’ve watched the Waste Management Phoenix Open evolve from a wide-open birdie fest into something more nuanced—a course that still rewards aggression but increasingly separates players based on one specific skill: the ability to put yourself in position repeatedly with your irons, then have the discipline not to force it. That’s not exactly breaking news. What *is* interesting this year is watching the betting market and daily fantasy community correctly identify which players have that profile versus which ones are riding name recognition into inflated prices. After 35 years…

The Aisla Craig Connection: Why Golf’s Greatest Stages Need Stories Like This In 35 years covering professional golf, I’ve learned that the best tournaments aren’t defined solely by who wins or what scores get posted. The truly memorable ones—the ones that stick with you decades later—have texture. They have stories. They have soul. That’s why this piece about Aisla Craig, the 600-million-year-old volcanic plug that serves as backdrop to Turnberry’s Ailsa course, matters far more than it might initially appear. It’s not really about curling stones, though that’s the hook. It’s about why certain golf venues transcend the sport itself,…

As the golf instruction editor for The Daily Duffer, I’m thrilled to kick off a new series designed to help you unlock your full scoring potential. We all know golf is a game of inches, and nowhere is that more apparent than in your “Scoring Range Performance”—those crucial shots from 150 yards and in. This part of the game is where rounds are truly made or broken, and it deserves focused attention. I’ve seen it time and again in my 15+ years of teaching, from aspiring tour players to dedicated weekend warriors: the golfer who can crush a drive but…

The 2026 U.S. Women's Open is being held at Riviera for the first time ever, with 26 qualifying sites offering a chance to get in the field.

Pebble Beach 2026: When Early-Season Dominance Meets the Ultimate Test After 35 years of watching this tour operate, I’ve learned that January tells you a lot about what’s coming down the pike. And what I’m seeing this week at Pebble Beach isn’t just another signature event—it’s a referendum on whether the early narrative of 2026 actually holds water, or if it’s built on something more fragile. Let me be direct: we’re watching three different stories play out simultaneously, and that’s what makes this week genuinely fascinating. The Scheffler Question Scottie Scheffler opens as a heavy 3-1 favorite, and frankly, that…

Brian Rolapp Brings NFL Discipline to Golf’s Greatest Upheaval After 35 years covering professional golf, I’ve watched this sport navigate plenty of turning points. But watching Brian Rolapp settle into his role as PGA Tour CEO these past few months? This feels different. Not because the Tour’s facing existential questions—we’ve been there before. But because for the first time in recent memory, we’ve got a leader from outside the golf bubble who actually understands how to operate at the highest levels of sports business, and he’s not afraid to shake things up. What strikes me most about Rolapp’s entrance into…

The Gary Player Snub: When Tradition Becomes a Prison I’ve been covering professional golf for 35 years now, and I’ve watched Augusta National evolve from a quirky Southern club into something closer to a corporate fortress. So when I heard that Gary Player—a three-time Masters champion with 52 starts at the course, more than any golfer in history—was denied a simple request to play a casual round with his grandsons, something in that story stuck with me. Not the headline. The subtext. This isn’t really about membership rules or protocol. This is about a club that’s lost sight of what…

Hello, fellow golfers! Sarah Chen here, your golf instruction editor for The Daily Duffer. As a PGA-certified instructor with over 15 years of experience, I’ve had the privilege of working with golfers at every level, from weekend warriors to tour professionals. My firm belief is that with the right instruction and a little dedication, anyone can improve. Today, we’re going to dive into how understanding your numbers can unlock your best golf, especially with the exciting new technology surfacing. Every golfer, regardless of their skill level, yearns for more distance, better control, and ultimately, lower scores. But how do we…