The post This company’s fairway woods have been on a PGA Tour heater appeared first on Golf.

The post This company’s fairway woods have been on a PGA Tour heater appeared first on Golf.

Other than his irons, the rest of Gotterup’s clubs, with the exception of his driver, are TaylorMade, and while Gotterup usually employs a BRNR Mini Driver, this week, he chose to game a TaylorMade Qi35 5-wood.

Gotterup used the 5-wood for his tee shot on the 72nd hole, which he needed to find the fairway with a two-shot lead over Rory McIlroy. Gotterup answered the call, split the fairway and made a low-stress par for his second PGA Tour win and also the 17th PGA Tour win this season for TaylorMade fairway woods.

TaylorMade Qi35 Custom Fairway Wood

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For context, there have been 32 PGA Tour events so far this season, which means more than half of them have been won by a TaylorMade fairway wood. Now, six of those events were won by Rory McIlroy or Scottie Scheffler, but others were won by non-contracted players.

That shouldn’t be too surprising given that TaylorMade is the No. 1 fairway wood on the PGA Tour, with many players unsponsored by the company choosing to use the new Qi35, last year’s Qi10, or even older models.

Fairway Woods

But the Qi35 core fairway Gotterup games is the latest and greatest, featuring the chromium carbon crown to help lower the CG of the wood to increase launch and lower spin. The entire Qi35 fairway wood lineup also features adjustable sleeves on the 3- and 5-woods, for the first time in TaylorMade’s fairway wood line.

Gotterup’s specific head is a Tour-only model without the adjustable sleeve, presumably because he wanted to flatten the lie angle, but otherwise it’s the same model that you could pick up for yourself.

Want to find the best fairway wood for your bag in 2025? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

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The post Seve Ballesteros reveals 4 keys for smashing longer drives appeared first on Golf.

The post Seve Ballesteros reveals 4 keys for smashing longer drives appeared first on Golf.

As the Open Championship is set to be played this week at Royal Portrush, it’s impossible not to think about Seve Ballesteros, who was Champion Golfer of the Year three times during his illustrious career.

Ballesteros is best known for his short-game wizardry and Ryder Cup prowess — but that’s not all that made him a legend of the game. Thanks in part to his elite driving ability, Ballesteros was able to win 50 times on the Euro Tour, including five major titles.

As the game’s best get set to compete this week for the Claret Jug, we are turning the pages of GOLF Magazine back to 1979. In February of that year, Ballesteros shared his four keys for pounding longer drives off the tee. Apply them to your own game, and you’ll soon be mashing driver yourself.

Seve’s 4 keys for mashing driver

When Jack Nicklaus was 21 years old, he had won two U.S. Amateur titles and several other amateur events. At the same age, Severiano Ballesteros has earned over a quarter of a million dollars by playing in professional golf tournaments in Spain, Holland, France, the Philippines, the United States, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Australia, Kenya and Scandinavia. 

Since 1976, he has won eight national open championships, two World Cup team titles, seven European tour events and three European Orders of Merit, the equivalent of the American Player of the Year. Moreover, during a short visit to the United States in 1978, his victory in the Greater Greensboro Open proved he could win on the highly competitive PGA Tour. Clearly, at a remarkably young age, Ballesteros has succeeded, and his victories, like Nicklaus’, are largely due to his ability to wallop a golf ball.

Without a doubt, Ballesteros’ raw power has much to do with his knack for humbling golf courses. When other golfers lay up short of trouble, Ballesteros goes over it. When others hit wedges onto par-5s in three, Ballesteros slams a 4-iron home in two. When others hit 2-irons off the tee to avoid the rough, Ballesteros “busts” his driver, knowing he can slash the ball out of the deepest grass.

Below, Ballesteros offers an exclusive analysis of his keys to power.

1. Light grip for clubhead speed

I try to line up with everything square to the target line-feet, hips and shoulders. My weight is distributed about 50-50 between my left and right feet. Because I want to hit the ball high to carry it a long way, I play the ball up in my stance, off my left in-step, and I set up with my head well behind the ball. This also puts me in a position to take the club back naturally with my right hand. I use the Vardon overlapping grip. It’s just strong enough for me to see two knuckles of my left hand at address. Most important, at address, I grip the club lightly. Too tightly, my muscles would get too tense and my clubhead speed would be too slow. It’s like boxing. When a boxer’s arm muscles are tense, he can hit hard, but his punch is slow. I relax because clubhead speed is what hits the ball a long way.

2. Swing back with the right hand

I use about 70 percent right hand to 30 percent left hand on the backswing because I am right-handed, as are most people. It’s natural and easy for me to swing back with my right hand. I think left-side dominance in the golf swing has been badly overemphasized. For example, notice how my hips stay secure, without turning too early in the backswing. This is largely the result of my right-handed takeaway. If I used my left hand too much on the backswing, my hips would tend to turn too early, and I would lose the coil of my upper body against the resistance of my legs. My left knee is pulled in toward the ball, and my right leg acts as a brace. It doesn’t move to the right on the backswing. Notice also that by swinging back with the right hand, I can achieve a long extension and keep my head steady.

3. Big turn for big hit

Driving

A secret to my power is my huge shoulder turn. I get this by continuing to pull the club back and up with my right hand and arm on the backswing. At the top of my swing, in addition to turning my shoulders about 120 degrees, my left knee is broken in behind the ball, and my right leg braces my backswing. This sets me up for a powerful movement with my legs through the ball on my downswing. But it must always be a controlled downswing. Although I have swung back very far and will swing very hard into the ball, I stay in control of the club. My right leg brace helps me do this, as well as a firm wrist position at the top. Even though I have a big shoulder turn, the club shaft is not far beyond parallel, because the club rests on my left thumb, which is directly underneath the grip, supporting the club. If I didn’t have this support, I’d lose power and accuracy.

4. Begin downswing with legs

The first thing I do on the downswing is move my knees toward the target. My coiled backswing sets me up for this. From my top-of-the-swing position, it’s easy for me to use my legs on the downswing and avoid hitting from the top. My swing to this point has set me up for a very late release, which is the essence of power. And, although my knees are driving, my hips are starting to turn to the left at the same time, keeping the club on the correct path and generating more power. It’s important for me to keep my head behind the ball, too. If I didn’t, I’d lose distance and accuracy, especially with my legs driving as they do. The main elements here are moving the legs left and staying behind the ball with the head. If I used my left hand too much, I couldn’t stay behind the ball very well. But by using my right hand, I can use my legs and stay behind the ball.

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The post I tested the Bridgestone 220 MB irons Chris Gotterup plays. Here’s what I liked appeared first on Golf.

The post I tested the Bridgestone 220 MB irons Chris Gotterup plays. Here’s what I liked appeared first on Golf.

For most golf fans, that might’ve been a surprise. For me? It just brought everything full circle. 

Back in January and February, I got deep into testing Bridgestone’s newest forged iron lineup: the 220 MB, 221 CB, and 222 CB+. I went through all of them on the monitor, on the grass, and even put together a combo set that lived in my bag for several full rounds over a couple months. 

Irons

Here’s the truth: If I were going to game Bridgestone’s irons full time, this would be the setup. But I’m also honest about my game, and I need a little more help more often.

Still, this test gave me a ton of insight into just how good this lineup is for the right player. Here’s what I learned:

220 MB: A blade that made me feel better than I am 

I went into testing with an open mind but modest expectations. The 220 MB is a true muscleback; compact, clean, forged at ENDO and made for elite ball-strikers. But what I didn’t expect was how playable it actually is. 

– Tightest dispersion of the three heads 

– Most consistent ball speed, even on slight misses 

– Predictable launch and spin numbers across the face 

– Clean turf interaction and precision shot control 

On the monitor, the numbers spoke for themselves. The 220 MB didn’t have the hottest ball speed, which isn’t its job, but it was the most repeatable. If you’re the kind of player who values control and consistency over pure speed, this iron makes a strong case. 

My build: 220 MB 5-iron to PW, 221 CB 4-Iron 

After testing indoors and outdoors, I built a combo set I felt could be seriously playable: 

– 5-PW in the 220 MB for control, feedback and consistency 

– 4-iron in the 221 CB for a little more help launching it when I needed it 

It didn’t take long to see the logic. In the bay, I didn’t notice a massive drop-off in the MB 4-iron. But out on the course — with firmer lies, tighter turf and real- world conditions — the difference was obvious. The CB gave me that little bump in launch and forgiveness that made the 4-iron a more reliable option when the pressure was on. 

On-course impressions: A blade that performs when it counts 

Over the course of multiple rounds, this combo set proved itself in a big way. 

Flight and trajectory: The ball flight was exactly what I like: mid-high launch, stable, and neutral. I could work it both ways easily, and even on windy days, I didn’t see any surprises. These irons keep the ball on a string. 

Distance control: This was arguably the best part of the 220 MB. Carry distances didn’t jump or dip. Every number felt predictable, especially from 7-iron down. I could be aggressive knowing the ball was going to launch and spin exactly how I needed. 

Feel and feedback: Forged at ENDO, and it shows. The 220 MB is as soft and solid as anything I’ve tested. It gives you precise feedback without feeling harsh, even on slight misses. That’s the kind of thing that makes you want to keep hitting balls, just to hear and feel it again. 

Turf interaction: Smooth. Crisp. No digging. No bounce clunk. The soles are shaped with intention — camber, width and relief all feel dialed in for real turf conditions, not just mats. That’s what separates a “feels good” iron from a “plays good” one. 

Irons

Why aren’t they still in the bag? 

Simple: I’m just not that good! 

I’m a solid player with a decent swing, but I don’t have my best stuff every day — and when I don’t, I need a little more help than the 220 MB gives. Over the testing rounds I played, I saw what they could do in capable hands, but I also saw how much I relied on my timing and contact to keep things tight. 

If you’re an accomplished player who doesn’t need tech-driven help in every shot, this setup (220 MB 5–PW, 221 CB 4i) is money. But if you’re like me, and you want a little more margin when your swing shows up at 85 pecent, you might need something a bit more forgiving full-time. 

The best blade most golfers don’t know about 

Chris Gotterup winning with these irons shows what they’re capable of in the right hands, and my own testing backed that up in a big way. For the skilled ball-striker, the 220 MB is one of the most consistent, best-feeling blades on the market. And the 221 CB pairs with it perfectly to round out a clean combo set. 

I don’t still have them in the bag. But if I had the game for it?  This would be my build. No question. 

Ready to find the right irons for your bag? Book your fitting at True Spec Golf.

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The post ‘I just need to play s***’: Shane Lowry reveals surprising mental tactic appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘I just need to play s***’: Shane Lowry reveals surprising mental tactic appeared first on Golf.

We don’t mean the golf course; that was, of course, available to all 156 competitors. We speak of the press center at Royal Portrush, where Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry were, on the opening day of Open week, the only players who the Royal & Ancient formally invited to speak with the media. Favorable treatment? No doubt. All good, though. Home games should come with perks.  

McIlroy grew up a little more than an hour’s drive south of Portrush, in the town of Holywood. At 16, all curls and talent, he signed for a 61 on Portrush’s Open-host Dunluce course, a mark that still stands. (“I don’t remember a lot of it,” McIlroy said Monday before adding, “It was certainly the first time I’d ever felt, like, in the zone or that flow state or whatever you want to call it.”)

Lowry was raised a bit further south, across the border, in Clara, in the geographic heart of Ireland. He holds a different kind of Portrush record: Six summers ago, Lowry became only the second golfer to win an Open Championship on this beloved links, a victory that since has been commemorated by way of a two-story mural painted on the wall of a house just outside the Portrush gates. One hundred years from now they’ll still be hailing Lowry in the Portrush pubs, and probably another hundred years after that, too, assuming this rumpled patch of paradise hasn’t washed away into the sea.

So, yeah, the McIlroy and Lowry vibes are strong this week, just as they were in 2019, when Portrush welcomed back the Open for the first time in 68 years. For McIlroy and Lowry, the support has to be comforting. But it also can be overwhelming, crushing even. “I reckon that first tee that morning was the most nervous I’ve ever been on the first tee of a tournament,” Lowry said Monday. “All you want to do is get the ball down the fairway.”

When McIlroy stepped onto the first tee in the first round, the butterflies in his stomach felt more like raptors. He admitted Monday to “not being ready for how I was going to feel or what I was going to feel.” No need to revisit the horrors of the next 5 or so hours, but they weren’t pretty. McIlroy hit his opening tee shot out of bounds and went on to shoot 79. He rebounded admirably in the second round but still missed the cut.

McIlroy has spoken at length of the challenges and heartbreak of that 2019 homecoming. But on Monday, Lowry added some new perspective, saying, “I remember at the time everyone thought, this is the end of the world. Rory is out there missing the cut, he’s out there making 8 on the 1st. Golf will never be the same.”

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But thing is, Lowry said, it’s all part of the gig. As a world-class golfer, “you move on, and you forget.” He added: “I think you realize that what you do today — it’s not the end of the world. It really is not. Just apply yourself as well as you can and then go out and give it 100 percent. That’s all you can do.”

And who knows, maybe six years later you’ll win your first green jacket and the career Grand Slam.

It’s fascinating to hear Lowry dissect the mental game, because, by his own admission, he’s not exactly Roger Federer when it comes to competitive composure. In fact, Lowry is known for going full Hulk when things don’t go his way. After playing a wedge shot from a bad-luck lie at the PGA Championship earlier this year, Lowry hammered his club into the fairway and bellowed an expletive not suitable for family programming. “I’ve had a couple of episodes this year, but golf is hard at this level,” Lowry said Monday. “And there’s been times where, yes, I’ve been not at my best. But I feel like I’m pretty good at going out there and competing against the best in the world week in and week out and giving myself the best shot.”

Lowry has worked at thinking more positively. Assisting on that front have been his coach, Neil Manchip, and also a newer addition to Lowry’s stable: mental-game whiz, Bob Rotella, who also works with McIlroy among a slew of other Tour pros. Lowry first connected with Rotella by happenstance, when Rotella was in attendance at Padraig Harrington’s World Golf Hall of Fame induction at the Pinehurst U.S. Open last summer.

As it happened, Lowry was coming off a dispiriting fourth-round 85 at the Memorial and in such a gloomy state that he was mulling withdrawing from the U.S. Open. That was before a quick but impactful chat with Rotella set Lowry straight. “He just told me I need to forgive myself and allow yourself to do that,” Lowry said later that week at Pinehurst. “The one thing you can’t do is dwell on it, and you just have to forget about it and move on.”

On Monday, Lowry said something else interesting: that he’s often at his best when he’s not at his best. That sounds like something Yogi Berra might have said, but Lowry explained it in a way that makes perfect sense.   

“Sometimes when everything is going really well, I get complacent,” he began. “Then all of a sudden before I know it, I’m like three over through five and you start to panic because you feel like you’re going to do well.

“I feel like when things are not going well is when I’m at my best, or when I don’t feel like things are going well.”

Lowry cited the 2019 Open. He said he’d been playing “some of the best golf of my life” heading into that week but at the same time was “quite antsy and quite uptight about the whole thing.” On Wednesday of that week, he had what he described as a “meltdown,” because he had convinced himself that he was going to quickly eject from the tournament.

Instead, the opposite happened.

Lowry opened with a pair of 67s before posting a third-round score that won him the Open: a dazzling 63. “If I can keep my complacency away and my expectation down, that’s when I’m at my best,” he said Monday.

As for his mood this week?

“I’m feeling great the last two days, so that’s not great,” he said, laughing.

“No, honestly, I’ve had a great week,” he said. “I’ve had a great week of practice. I just need to play s*** for the next couple of days, and I’ll be all right.”

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The post A clever way to wear down your next match-play opponent appeared first on Golf.

The post A clever way to wear down your next match-play opponent appeared first on Golf.

On this week’s episode of Emergency 9, Subpar co-host Drew Stoltz shared an easy prank you can pull off on a buddy if you both happen to be walking the course during a match. Why? Because it will give you an advantage later in the round. And also because it’s pretty funny, and golf is about fun, right?

“The goal here is to make your opponent’s bag as heavy as possible,” Stoltz said, “thus decreasing their physical stamina as the round progresses, thus increasing the amount of their money in your pocket.”

Here’s what you do.

Either grab balls from your shag bag at home or pick up a dozen or two from the range when you get to the course (but make sure to return them!). Then, when you get time, slowly start unloading them into the top of your playing partner’s bag. (You do this because they won’t be able to see them; if you load them in their bag’s pockets they might eventually notice.)

Be warned, though: you can’t put all the balls in at once since the weight difference would be noticeable, but done gradually it can sneak under the radar.

“It’s as simple as that,” Stoltz said. “All it takes is a few compliments (to distract them and drop in the balls), a little slight of hand and all of a sudden your opponent will deteriorate down the stretch, thus resulting in more money in your pocket.

“And if your friends are anything like mine, the last thing they will do is admit to the bag being too heavy.”

For more from Stoltz, check out the full episode of this week’s Emergency 9 above.

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The post 2025 Open Championship field: Here’s who is playing at Royal Portrush appeared first on Golf.

The post 2025 Open Championship field: Here’s who is playing at Royal Portrush appeared first on Golf.

Shane Lowry claimed the Claret Jug last time the Open was contested at Royal Portrush, and he is hoping to once again be named Champion Golfer of the Year. Rory McIlroy heads home seeking to fare better than his dramatic missed cut in 2019, while the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa will hope to add to their own major totals.

This year’s major slate has featured plenty of dramatic moments and worthy champions, and it’s safe to assume that this week will be no different.

Check out below for the full list of 156 golfers competing this week at Royal Portrush.

2025 Open Championship field

Ludvig Aberg
Cameron Adam (a)
Mikiya Akutsu
Byeong Hun An
John Axelsen
Daniel Berger
Christiaan Bezuidenhout
Akshay Bhatia
George Bloor
Keegan Bradley
Daniel Brown
Dean Burmester
Sam Burns
Brian Campbell
Laurie Canter
Patrick Cantlay
John Catlin
Bud Cauley
Sebastian Cave (a)
K.J. Choi
Stewart Cink
Wyndham Clark
Darren Clarke
Corey Conners
Martin Couvra
Jason Day
Bryson DeChambeau
Thomas Detry
Nicolas Echavarria
Harris English
Ethan Fang (a)
O.J. Farrell
Darren Fichardt
Tony Finau
Matt Fitzpatrick
Tommy Fleetwood
Rickie Fowler
Ryan Fox
Sergio Garcia
Lucas Glover
Chris Gotterup
Connor Graham (a)
Max Greyserman
Ben Griffin
Julien Guerrier
Harry Hall
Brian Harman
Padraig Harrington
Justin Hastings (a)
Tyrrell Hatton
Russell Henley
Lucas Herbert
Angel Hidalgo
Daniel Hillier
Tom Hoge
Nicolai Hojgaard
Rasmus Hojgaard
Rikuya Hoshino
Viktor Hovland
Mackenzie Hughes
Sungjae Im
Shugo Imahira
Stephan Jaeger
Felip Jakubcik (a)
Dustin Johnson
Zach Johnson
Ryggs Johnston
Frazer Jones (a)
Matthew Jordan
Sadom Kaewkanjana
Takumi Kanaya
Riki Kawamoto
Si Woo Kim
Tom Kim
Michael Kim
Nathan Kimsey
Chris Kirk
Curtis Knipes
Brooks Koepka
Jason Kokrak
Romain Langasque
Thriston Lawrence
Min Woo Lee
Marc Leishman
Justin Leonard
Haotong Li
Oliver Lindell
Shane Lowry
Curtis Luck
Robert MacIntyre
Matteo Manassero
Hideki Matsuyama
Denny McCarthy
Matt McCarty
Rory McIlroy
Tom McKibbin
Maverick McNealy
Phil Mickelson
Guido Migliozzi
Francesco Molinari
Collin Morikawa
Dylan Naidoo
Bryan Newman (a)
Joaquin Niemann
Niklas Norgaard
Shaun Norris
Andrew Novak
Thorbjorn Olesen
Jacob Skov Olesen
Louis Oosthuizen
Carlos Ortiz
John Parry
Matthieu Pavon
Ryan Peake
Taylor Pendrith
Marco Penge
J.T. Poston
Aldrich Potgieter
Jon Rahm
Aaron Rai
Patrick Reed
Kristoffer Reitan
Davis Riley
Justin Rose
Antoine Rozner
Adrian Saddier
Jesper Sandborg
Xander Schauffele
Scottie Scheffler
Matti Schmid
Adam Scott
Cameron Smith
Jordan Smith
Elvis Smylie
Sebastian Soderberg
Younghan Song
J.J. Spaun
Jordan Spieth
Henrik Stenson
Sepp Straka
Justin Suh
Jesper Svensson
Nick Taylor
Richard Teder (a)
Sahith Theegala
Justin Thomas
Davis Thompson
Daniel Van Tonder
Jhonattan Vegas
Matt Wallace
Justin Walters
Lee Westwood
Cameron Young
Daniel Young
Kevin Yu
Sampson Zheng

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The post 6 early Open observations from Day 1 at Royal Portrush appeared first on Golf.

The post 6 early Open observations from Day 1 at Royal Portrush appeared first on Golf.

Here’s what’s happening on the ground so far. 

1. Forget about last week

For so many reasons, what happened at the Scottish Open is better kept on another island. Firm conditions are firm conditions, but the weather at Portrush will differ greatly, with chillier temps and plenty of showers in the forecast. The greens at Portrush are in fantastic shape, compared to their scrubby cousins in East Lothian. Numerous players and caddies moaned about the bumpiness of the greens in Scotland. That won’t be an issue here. Elsewhere, the grass is a bit more lush at Portrush, too, particularly in the rough, which, in some spots can be as thin and playable as Renaissance Club, but in others is, well, take a look below.

I think it is best described as a “thicket.” There’s a golf ball in there if you can find it. 

2. The bunkers seem a perfect(?) test

Rory McIlroy was our first press conference of the week, and while he may not have enough experience to speak for Royal Portrush — he’s played just two competitive rounds on the modern routing — his take on the bunkers really hit home. 

“I have a real appreciation for how well bunkered it is off the tee,” McIlroy said. “It’s like, OK, well, I can hit a 2-iron off the tee, but that brings this bunker into play. But then if I hit driver, it’ll bring this bunker — so you have to take on the shot.”

He admitted that some Open courses, the bunkers pinch the fairway in a very specific landing zone, so you either stay short or you bomb it long. “Here, there’s always one bunker or another bunker in play, so I think off the tee it provides a very, very good test.”

I couldn’t agree more. If you need a good example, you can watch tee balls on the 8th, 10th and 15th holes this week, to name just a few. I leaned in as Tommy Fleetwood and his caddie, Ian Finnis, debated the right club choice on 8. Driver would bring the far bunker into play. Mini driver would bring the next-shortest bunker into play. (This was with the wind in and off the right, as it’s expected to be for Thursday.) Were you best to hit either club? Or neither? Tommy lashed at his 5-wood and hit a perfect one that drew into a little hollow along the left side. But how many times can he repeat that shot — while losing some major distance to the field? That’s the battle McIlroy is talking about. 

3. They’re also soft! 

We’ve seen the way bunkers have been raked become a hot-button topic at recent Opens. Remember how they were too shallow at Hoylake? Players moaned, and suddenly the R&A changed their raking strategy. Well, the bunkers at Portrush are more soft than anything else. Beachy, even. There’s a good bit of sand in them, which is fine, but certainly different than Hoylake. Deal with it! 

Only, those bunkers with all that sand is a bit different than what American caddies are used to on Tour. Plus, these rakes! Golf clubs in this part of the world often employ the wide-toothed variety, which just means moving the sand around takes a different kind of care. 

“These are some of the worst rakes I’ve ever seen,” Matt McCarty’s caddie said as he and his pro moved around the greenside traps on the par-3 13th. 

“They’re so soft,” McCarty replied. It was a simple exchange, but when I hear soft bunkers with a good bit of sand in a windy part of the world, I think about poorly struck shots resulting in half-plugged lies. 

4. No. 5 is the electric factory 

Fleetwood played most of the front nine with two Danes, John Axelson and Niklas Norgaard. That was until the rain arrived and stopped them in their tracks on the 8th green. No bother, though, because we already saw them play the most exciting hole on the property — the drivable par-4 5th. 

It’s the most scenic hole, too, bringing you straight toward the Atlantic Ocean. But with its two-tiered, infinity green, this is exactly where I’d sit and watch tee-balls all day long. It’s a brilliant risk-reward, with Monday’s hole cut on the front portion. Fleetwood wiped at a driver and left it in the bunker short right. Norgaard — who hits it farther than anyone I’ve ever seen — nudged a low, smooth, bulleted driver that bounded from the front and nearly ran off the back and out of bounds. Axelson came next, knifing a drive that was headed right for it. My eyes aren’t good enough to watch from afar, but Fleetwood’s are. 

“Oh, go in the hole,” he said. The ball ran by and up the slope of a greenside knob. 

“You might get another chance at it,” Fleetwood said, making everyone pause. The ball got caught up on the fringe, unfortunately. But if the hole-setting rascals want to get after it this week, we might see a par-4 ace.

5. Swales, swales, swales

Walk around Royal Portrush and the dunes catch your eye. The greens that cut into them, too. But there’s a cheeky buffer between the greens that is easy to miss, but seem to be everywhere. The swales. 

With how elevated and slopey a lot of these greens are — abnormally so for most links courses — the run-off areas tend to get more attention during practice rounds. Take the 11th green, pictured below, for example. It feels like the entire surrounds are just these soft, rolling waves that catch balls and deposit them in a trough. They’re subtle, but they’re kind of everywhere, harsher in some spots than others. Players will be putting from a lot of them, like Adam Scott did in that picture. The winner might just do that, like, really well.

6. This event is gonna be BIG 

Open officials are anticipating more than 270,000 spectators to visit the grounds this week, making it the biggest non-St. Andrews Open in the history of the event. This Open is being billed as the biggest-ever sporting event in Northern Ireland, and I think that’s going to hold up. Based on conversations with various marshals — many who worked here in 2019 — there was a surprisingly big amount of fans on-site Sunday, even while Wimbledon and the Scottish Open were being played in Great Britain. 

The only problem? Not many pros showed up! Sunday can be a big major-prep day for pros — easing their way into things, getting the first sneak peak — but only a handful were out. Tony Finau, Patrick Cantlay and Rickie Fowler were among them. Thankfully, we’ve got another six days after this one.

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The post 2025 Open Championship odds: Pro seeking first major is among betting favorites appeared first on Golf.

Open Championship betting favorites 

He was the favorite at the Masters. 

And he was the favorite at the PGA Championship. 

And he was the favorite at the U.S. Open. 

And now Scottie Scheffler’s the favorite at this week’s Open Championship, completing the majors sweep. This week at Royal Portrush, he’ll start at +450 odds to win. (Should you be curious, Scheffler started at +450 at the Masters, +400 at the PGA Championship and +280 at the U.S. Open.) 

The four players behind Scheffler, who went on to win the PGA? Major winners — and a player seeking his first major. At +700 is Rory McIlroy, who won the Masters and completed the career grand slam; at +1,200 is Jon Rahm, a two-time major winner; at +2,000 is Bryson DeChambeau, another two-time major winner; and at +2,300 is Tommy Fleetwood, who’s looking for major No. 1.

Below, you can see the top 20 and ties in the Open Championship betting odds as of Monday afternoon, or download the Fanatics Sportsbook app to see the full list of odds and bets for this week.

2025 Open Championship odds

Scottie Scheffler (+450)

Rory McIlroy (+700) 

Jon Rahm (+1,200) 

Bryson DeChambeau (+2,000) 

Tommy Fleetwood (+2,300) 

Xander Schauffele (+2,500) 

Ludvig Aberg (+2,800) 

Tyrrell Hatton (+2,800) 

Collin Morikawa (+3,000) 

Robert MacIntyre (+3,000) 

Shane Lowry (+3,000)

Viktor Hovland (+3,000) 

Sepp Straka (+3,250) 

Corey Conners (+4,250) 

Maverick McNealy (+4,250)

Adam Scott (+4,500) 

Justin Rose (+4,500) 

Joaquin Niemann (+5,000) 

Justin Thomas (+5,000) 

Russell Henley (+5,000) 

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The post Mizuno Pro S-1 irons | 4 things to know appeared first on Golf.

The post Mizuno Pro S-1 irons | 4 things to know appeared first on Golf.

The company is announcing the Mizuno Pro S-1, a new single-piece forged compact muscle back iron to join the Mizuno Pro S-3 shallow-cavity back iron released earlier this year.

“The whole concept behind it is basically to add another weapon to our signature series family,” said Chris Voshall, Mizuno’s head of product. “Incremental improvement, just based off a lot of tour testing. This has been a tour-driven model.”

The S-3 was the first iron in Mizuno’s new Signature line, which will be strictly one-piece forged irons in varying shapes. The S-1 is the first muscle back to be added to the family.

Keep reading below for four things to know about the new Mizuno Pro S-1, as well as my thoughts on the new blade.

1. Growing the Mizuno Pro Signature family

When the S-3 was launched earlier this year, it basically occupied the spot that was previously slated for the JPX Tour and could have been the JPX 925 Tour. But with the rebrand to the Mizuno Pro Signature family, sales for the model are up 86.3 percent compared to the JPX 923 Tour, Voshall said.

The JPX Tour brand was created to help elevate the JPX family out of the Mizuno Pro line’s shadow. With Mizuno JPX now one of the top-selling families of irons in golf, Mizuno is allowing the Signature line to be strictly for Tour feedback, and eventually there will be four different shapes, two muscle backs and two cavity backs, that live for four-year life cycles.

With the S-1, Mizuno took direct feedback from staffers Keith Mitchell and Ben Griffin to develop a muscle back shape that features straighter and more angular shaping than the Mizuno Pro 241.

Just like the S-3, the S-1s are forged from a single piece of 1025E Pure Select Mild Carbon Steel using Mizuno’s patented Grain Flow Forged HD process and feature a soft copper underlay for feel.

2. Channel back design

The most defining feature of the S-1 is the new channel back design that Voshall says helped designers optimize the iron’s CG placement throughout the set.

“The channel allows us to control those mass properties a little bit better to get a more consistent CG location where the CG doesn’t drop as much throughout the set,” he said. “And when it doesn’t drop as much through the set, that helps you flight the set a little bit better, being your scoring irons can get a little bit more penetrating than if the CG begins to drop. It also increases the vertical moment of inertia, so you get more stable launch conditions as well.”

3. Flatter sole

While the S-1 and S-3 share the same forging process and striking satin finish, one thing the two irons won’t share is the sole design. S-3 features a new Triple Cut Sole, which adds bounce on the leading edge and gives extra relief on the trailing edge to help the iron get in and out of the ground quickly.

With the S-1, Mizuno went with a flatter sole with a sharper leading edge, but with one degree more measured bounce than the Pro 241.

It turns out that the flatter and sharper sole is the grind Mizuno used for Mitchell’s Pro 221 blades, and his input helped create the sole for the S-1.

“A part of the S family idea is that like not one sole is for everybody,” Voshall said. “One of the things we tested was the Triple Cut on that muscle back, and the majority of our blade players actually did not prefer it. They preferred the more bounce with the flatter soul.

“You’ll see different souls throughout the S family as it progresses as well.”

4. A benefit for the world, not the player

One neat thing that Voshall pointed out about the production of the S-1 is that Mizuno is using a smaller billet to forge most of the heads. Typically, they’ve always used a 27 mm billet, but the billets for the S-1 (except for the pitching wedge) are only 25 mm.

While 2 mm might sound like much, Voshall said estimates are that the reduction in billet size will save about 50 tons of scrap metal per year.

“You’re not going to see us talk about this much, just because the benefit there isn’t to the golfer,” Voshall said. “To me, the benefit of this is to the world.”

My thoughts

If you’ve followed me already, you already know that I’ve been a lifelong Mizuno irons player, having started over 12 years ago when my dad first cut down a set of MP-52s for me.

Since then, I’ve gone through several sets, and they seem to get better and better, and they’ve also been shedding their stigma as a brand just for elite players.

Irons

The S-1 won’t help them continue to prove that they’re for every player (not that they still need to), but I really like what they are doing with their new Signature line.

Both the S-1 and S-3 are on the more compact side of single-piece forged irons, so I’ll continue to wait for the next two shapes in the Signature line, which could potentially be larger and maybe a touch more forgiving.

But these will be a fantastic option for those who like that more compact look. While there isn’t much tech you can put into a muscle back, seeing them go for some weighting advancements with the channel back is going to be very helpful.

In addition, I love that there are different options for the sole because not everyone will love the triple-cut sole.

Once the Signature line is complete, I expect players who want that classic Mizuno feel in a simple single-piece forging will have so many options to pick from to find their perfect iron.

Price, specs and availability

Mizuno’s new Pro S-1 irons will be available for pre-order starting Thursday, August 28, and arrive at retail two weeks later on Thursday, September 11th.

The irons will cost $215 per club and come stock with KBS Tour shafts and Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips. The 7-iron specs are 34˚ loft, 62˚ lie and 37.25″ length. Finally, unlike Mizuno releases of years past, the Pro S-1 is available in both left- and right-handed options.

Want to find the best irons for your bag in 2025? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

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The post This popular San Francisco muni is turning 100 — and celebrating in style appeared first on Golf.

The post This popular San Francisco muni is turning 100 — and celebrating in style appeared first on Golf.

This Friday marks the centennial of San Francisco’s marquee muni, which opened on July 18, 1925. It’s a big birthday, and to celebrate it, Harding has mounted a must-see exhibit on the rich history of the city-owned course. Composed of hundreds of photos, plaques and other memorabilia, the displays fill the hallways of the clubhouse, spill into the bar and restaurant, and focus on the characters and competitions that have helped make Harding the distinctive place it is.

“Once I started digging into the history, there was always something more to learn,” said Harding general Tom Smith, who spearheaded the research behind the exhibit, in collaboration with historians from other local clubs. “It was all so fun and fascinating for me, it was hard to stop.”

Like every golf course ever built, Harding sits on acreage with a past of its own. It was once farmland, leased to the city by the Spring Valley Water Company, a private entity that held a stranglehold on San Francisco water rights in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The politics of water were rife with corruption, but for many public-minded citizens in those days, an even bigger problem was the short supply of municipal golf. Lincoln Park was the city’s only muni, and it was jam-packed, logging upward of 700 rounds a day (golfers played much faster then; busy courses today record about a third of that number). Harding was conceived to accommodate San Francisco’s overflow demand.

Its architects were Sam Whiting and William Watson (anyone who called Watson “Willie” was advised to duck; he didn’t like that name), the same Scottish-born duo who designed the Lake Course at the Olympic Club, just across Lake Merced from Harding Park. Whiting was the Olympic Club’s superintendent. Watson was a prolific craftsman who wound up designing more than 65 courses in California alone.

All of this is touched on in the exhibit, along with other aspects of Harding’s origin story. Here, for instance, is a fun fact that even longtime Harding regulars aren’t likely to know: at its birth, the course was a par 73. The 11th hole began its life as a 315-yard par-4 that required a blind drive over a ridge. That changed in 1936, when the original tee, set back and to the left of the 10th green, was pushed forward, transforming the hole into the mid-range par-3 that it is today.

Other tweaks were still to come. 

The property, then and now, is shown in the exhibit with overlapping imagery that highlights Harding’s evolution. From it, you can see that the center of the grounds was taken up with six practice holes, which went away in 1972, when the Fleming 9, the facility’s entertaining executive course, was built. And how about this bit of trivia? Across the street from Harding in its early days, land now occupied by the University of San Francisco was given over to another layout: Ingleside Golf Course, which at different times, served as the home for the California Golf Club of San Francisco and San Francisco Golf Club, prestigious private redoubts that later relocated to other sites and currently reside on GOLF’s ranking of Top 100 Courses in the World.

Harding is the opposite of private. But it has a high-falutin tournament CV. A former stop on the PGA Tour (golfers of a certain vintage might remember the Lucky International Open, a staple of the circuit in the 1960s in which Arnold Palmer played repeatedly but never finished better than runner-up), it has also hosted the WGC-American Express Championship, the Presidents Cup and the PGA Championship, among other pro events.

Big names have won here, from Ken Venturi, Gary Player and Billy Casper to Tiger Woods and Collin Morikawa. All are recognized on a Wall of Honor, a collection of 40 plaques honoring winners of tournaments at Harding as well as other figures who have played a prominent role in the history of the course, including former USGA head Sandy Tatum, who championed a watershed renovation in the early 2000s, and late San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, an ardent supporter of public golf. Less prominent names get tributes, too. Never heard of Bruce McCormick? A fireman from Southern California, he has plaque devoted to him thanks to his victory in the 1937 U.S. Amateur Public Links at Harding. 

The Public Links returned in 1956, but Harding is best known on the amateur circuit as the host of the San Francisco City Championship, a venerable tournament, commonly referred to as “the City,” that’s as notable for those who have won it (Venturi, George Archer, Juli Inskster) as it is for those who fell short in it — major champions Tom Watson, Johnny Miller and Bob Rosburg among them. Every golfer, male or female, who ever won the City is now honored on a large plaque in the bar that has room enough for names to be added for decades to come.

When it opened, in 1925, Harding played host to what was then believed to be the largest golf tournament ever staged, with 2,400 entries and seven divisions, contested over seven days. This Friday’s centennial celebration will be more understated. Vintage cotton flags will fly on the flagsticks, a 1925 Ford Model T will be displayed by the putting green, and everyone who pegs it will receive a centennial print and a commemorative poker chip made from a storm-felled cypress tree from the property. But in most other ways, it’s just another day at Harding. The tee sheet is booked solid for daily-fee play at the standard rate.

As for the exhibit, it will remain up through the end of the year. But the hope is to keep it in perpetuity, with certain displays reshuffled or consolidated to make room for daily clubhouse operations. Harding, after all, is a busy place, which is another way of saying that new stories are being written every day.

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