SAN DIEGO – Tiger Woods has been away from the PGA Tour too long to know for certain when a shot is as good as it looks.

This was a 6-iron on the par-3 16th hole on the South Course at Torrey Pines, from 188 yards to a slightly elevated green with a pin tucked behind a deep bunker. The sun was setting behind the Pacific late Thursday afternoon, and the glare made it tough to follow the flight of the ball.

“We can’t see anything land from back there, so we’re just listening for some noise,” Woods said. “And people started cheering.”

The ball rolled to the hole and broke a few inches in front of the cup for a tap-in birdie .

Woods brought big crowds back to golf in his latest return to the PGA Tour, and he even produced a few big roars.

There just weren’t enough cheers for his liking.

Playing for the first time since recovering from a fourth back surgery that cost him another year on the PGA Tour, Woods was mostly steady, sometimes spectacular and ended his day with an even-par 72 that left him seven shots behind Tony Finau.

“It was fun to compete again,” Woods said. “It was fun to be out there.”

The next trick is to stay at Torrey Pines beyond Friday. With virtually no wind making this a day for reasonable scoring, Woods was tied for 84th and will start the second round on the North Course just outside the cut line.

Finau birdied his opening two holes on the North and finished with a 35-foot birdie putt for a 65.

Woods had a few big moments that looked familiar to fans who stood as many as four-deep around the greens.

His three birdie putts were from a combined 30 inches. The longest of his birdie putt was from just inside 2 feet on No. 10 that got him back to even par for the round. He was one rotation away from making a long eagle putt on the par-5 sixth.

He was never under par the entire round, and his near ace on the 16th brought him back to even par.

But he needed those three birdies to offset his mistakes, and the sobering part of his return is that Woods didn’t make a putt longer than 4 feet. That was on the second hole, when his approach from the bunker landed 6 feet behind the hole and went over the back into light rough.

He also gave away a shot on the par-5 13th, when he laid up from the rough and hit a wedge that drifted right and went into the bunker. He blasted that out to 3 feet, which was the hard part. And then he missed the short par putt .

Woods made his other two bogeys from greenside bunkers, both times missing 12-foot putts.

He played the par 5s in even par, and didn’t give himself any other birdie chances inside 15 feet.

“It’s hard to make a lot of birdies when you’re not giving yourself any looks, and I didn’t do that today,” Woods said. “Tomorrow, hopefully, I’ll drive a little better, get my irons obviously a lot closer and we get the better of the two greens tomorrow. So we’ll see what happens.”

But there was no mistaking his presence.

Fans lined both sides of the opening fairway in anticipation of seeing Woods, who was playing the PGA Tour for only the second time since August 2015. That was right before he had a second and third surgery on his back, which kept him away for some 15 months. He returned at Torrey Pines last year and opened with a 76 on his way to missing the cut. A week later, he withdrew after a 77 in Dubai with back spasms and was gone again.

Regardless of the score, Woods looked as though he’s back for the long haul. The fusion surgery eliminated the pain. And while he wasn’t sharp, Woods hit the ball plenty far and saw at least a little bit of golf that made him such a dominant figure.

The South Course, which hosted the 2008 U.S. Open that Woods won, typically is far stronger than the North at Torrey Pines. That’s no longer the case with the North getting a makeover two years ago, with bent greens that are firm this week and narrower fairways.

The average score on the South was 71.62, compared with 71.31 on the North. Forty-one of the 73 players who broke par were on the South.

Finau birdied his opening two holes to set the tone for his round, and he wound up with nine birdies, the last one from 35 feet to take the lead.

“It played a lot tougher than it did in the past,” Finau said. “I think it’s just a credit to my start. From there I was just able to let the golf course come to me. The par 5s are very reachable for me hitting some irons in there. Again, I think it was just my start. I got off to a good start and was able to ride that momentum all the way through the round.”

He had a one-shot lead over Ryan Palmer and Ted Potter Jr., who each had a 66 on the South.

Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., was the low Canadian after a 3-under 69 and Adam Hadwin (71) of Abbotsford, B.C., was 1 under. Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, and Mac Hughes of Dundas, Ont., all shot even rounds of 72 while David Hearn (81) of Brantford, Ont., was 9 over.

Defending champion Jon Rahm, who can reach No. 1 in the world by winning, opened with a 68 on the South. He hit into the water with his second shot on the par-5 18th, but he saved par with a 15-foot putt.

“Just unfortunate it happened, but I made a good putt, had a couple really good putts down the stretch and had a good finish,” Rahm said. “Good momentum going to tomorrow.”

Friday update from the LPGA Tour: Based on the current weather forecast at the 2018 Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic, the LPGA has decided to take 72 holes off the table and instead focus on finishing 54 holes on Sunday. We should be able to complete the second round on Saturday and the final round on Sunday.

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas – Canada’s Brooke Henderson shot a bogey-free 5-under 68 in windy conditions Thursday to take the first-round lead in the season-opening Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic.

“We did a really good job of hitting balls pin-high, and I don’t know how we did it,” Henderson said about caddie and sister, Brittany. “It’s hard to judge wind sometimes, but I feel like we calculated everything really well.”

The 20-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., had four birdies in a seven-hole stretch and closed with three pars on the gusty Ocean Club layout.

“On 8 and 9, my 17th and 18th hole, putting was extremely difficult,” Henderson said. “My hat felt like it was falling off all the time. It was just hard to have good balance and kind of be over the putt for that long and have a good stroke on it.”

She has five LPGA Tour victories, winning last year in Michigan and in high wind New Zealand.

“I think by Sunday we will all be pretty good wind players,” Henderson said.

Australia’s Sarah Jane Smith finished with a bogey to drop into a tie for second with Spanish rookie Luna Sobron Galmes.

Maude-Aimee Leblanc (74) of Sherbrooke, Que., is 1 over and Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (75) is 2 over.

“I like playing in the struggle, I grew up playing in the wind, and I do enjoy playing difficult shots and stuff like that,” Smith said. “It’s probably better for me (other) people don’t like it.”

Sobron Galmes also is comfortable in wind.

“In Majorca, in my town, where I live, the wind is very hard, so it’s like this,” Sobron Galmes said. “I feel the course really is good. You play well, everything goes well.”

Top-ranked Shanshan Feng birdied her last for a 70.

“This is really windy and my ball-striking is not 100 per cent yet,” Feng said.

Danielle Kang also was at 70 with Lindsey Weaver, Katherine Kirk, Jing Yan and Maria Torres, the tour’s first player from Puerto Rico.

Lexi Thompson, a playoff loser to Brittany Lincicome last year, opened with a 72.

“If I’m playing well I know I can play well in the wind,” Thompson said. “The key is to hit it solid. The amateurs get out here and they start hitting harder and harder, but that’s not the key. You’ve got to swing a little bit smoother and make sure you get that centre contact. ”

Michelle Wie eagled the par-5 11th in a 73, and playing partners Lincicome and third-ranked So Yeon Ryu followed at 74.

Kim and Ariya Jutanugarn shot 76, and Stacy Lewis had two double bogeys in a 78.

Twelve players were unable to finish the round because of darkness.

Some of Canada’s top venues have been secured as host sites for RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company Regional Finals in 2018.

From coast-to-coast, these facilities include:

• Talking Rock Golf Resort, Chase, B.C.
• Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course, Banff, Alta.
• Royal Regina Golf Club, Regina
• Elmhurst Golf and Country Club, Winnipeg
• Silver Creek Golf Club, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
• Coppinwood Golf Club, Goodwood, Ont.
• Brantford Golf and Country Club, Brantford, Ont.
• Wildfire Golf Club, Lakefield, Ont.
• Club de Golf Vallee du Richelieu, Sainte-Julie, Que.
• The Links at Brunello, Timberlea, N.S.

“The venues we’ve secured as RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company Regional Final hosts in 2018 are truly impressive,” said PGA of Canada president Steve Wood. “Participants who make it through the local stage will enjoy a fantastic day at a first-class facility in his or her region and a glimpse into what the national final is like as well.”

The RBC PGA Scramble of Canada presented by The Lincoln Motor Company is a national series of team events featuring amateur golfers and PGA of Canada professionals taking place at more than 100 golf facilities around the country.

The series of events expects to draw thousands of amateur golfers—who will form their own team of four players— from across the country. Teams will look to make it through local and regional qualifying with the goal of playing in the national final at Cabot Links this October.

The RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company National Regional Finals will feature numerous activities to enhance the event. In addition, playing one of Canada’s best golf courses, participants will be treated to enhanced gifting, interactive activations from RBC and The Lincoln Motor Company, on-course contesting and a post-round dining event where the regional final champions will be crowned.

For more information about the RBC PGA Scramble presented by The Lincoln Motor Company, visit the website by clicking here.

– National Sport Federation for golf to join other NSF’s preventing bullying, abuse, harassment and discrimination by mandating Respect Training –

Calgary, Alta. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada is proud to announce it is working to combat and prevent abuse, bullying and harassment in golf by adopting Respect in Sport and Respect in the Workplace as part of its deepened commitment to the Responsible Coaching Movement (RCM).

Respect in Sport and Respect in the Workplace are online resources used to prevent bullying, abuse, harassment and discrimination (BAHD). The program’s mission is to empower participants to recognize signs of BAHD and eliminate it from the game and workplace, through a global culture of respect.

Golf Canada will be joining other National Sport Federation’s in Canada offering Respect Training to coaches, support staff, parents of Team Canada athletes, directors, staff and other key stakeholders. The association is also encouraging training at the provincial golf association level.

“We are very proud to be joining other National Sport Federations in adopting and facilitating this important training among our golf community,” said Laurence Applebaum, CEO, Golf Canada. “Our commitment to integrating the Responsible Coaching Movement and Respect programming into the core areas of our organization will strengthen our efforts to build a culture of respect, and further instill a safe, fun and positive environment in golf.”

Applebaum, along with Kevin Thistle, CEO of the PGA of Canada, officially signed the Responsible Coaching Movement pledge in mid-December as part of annual Sport Development Meetings between coaches and administrators from the PGA of Canada, Golf Canada and all the Provincial Golf Associations.

The Responsible Coaching Movement (RCM) is a multi-phase system-wide movement, coordinated by the Coaching Association of Canada and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport. The RCM is a call to action for organizations to implement realistic change based on their individual state of readiness. Golf Canada’s long-term commitment to Respect Training is an important and meaningful step forward for golf in Canada.

The Respect Group—those behind Respect in Sport and Respect in the Workplace, was co-founded by former NHLer and Order of Canada recipient Sheldon Kennedy in 2004. It partnered with the Canadian Red Cross to create a best-in-class e-learning curriculum for mass consumption.

“Respect Group is pleased to partner with Golf Canada in support of the Responsible Coaching Movement,” said Wayne McNeil, President of Respect Group. “Golf Canada is showing great leadership in taking the issues of bullying, abuse, harassment and discrimination seriously, and wanting to take positive steps to ensuring a positive sport/workplace culture.”

Golf Canada has also updated several of its policies to help combat BAHD, including its Code of Conduct, Code of Ethics, Junior Code of Conduct, Parent’s and Spectator Code of Conduct, Recognition and Prevention of Abuse Policy, Recognition and Prevention of Discrimination Policy, Harassment & Violence Policy, Whistleblower Policy, as well as its Volunteer and Staff Screening Policy.

Starting with the opening round of the Farmers Insurance Open, leading live-streaming sports service DAZN Canada will carry live coverage of more than 30 PGA TOUR events on its expanding platform.

The one-year deal gives DAZN the rights to broadcast PGA TOUR LIVE’s early round coverage of the opening two rounds of each tournament, covering the two most compelling featured groups on the golf course. After the morning rounds are complete, coverage will switch to ‘Featured Holes’ coverage. DAZN distribution begins January 25 with the return of Tiger Woods at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course. This year’s event boasts a strong field which includes: defending champion Jon Rahm, Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler, Patrick Reed, Jason Day, Xander Schauffele, Phil Mickelson, Charley Hoffman and Canadian Adam Hadwin.

“Our sports menu in Canada continues to grow and we are excited to be offering Canadian golf fans access to some of the best golf competitions of the year,” said Alex Rice, Managing Director for Rights and Strategic Development, at DAZN. “We made a commitment to keep adding more sports in the Canadian market and we are proud to be delivering on that promise today with some top-notch PGA TOUR golf action.”

Woods’ comeback live on DAZN will take place at the course where he last won a major tournament — the 2008 U.S. Open — and where he also won the Farmers Insurance Open in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2013.

“With the ongoing evolution of PGA TOUR LIVE, we continue to look at innovative ways to spotlight and promote our players to fans in core golf markets like Canada,” said Rick Anderson, PGA TOUR Chief Media Officer. “We’re excited to partner with DAZN Canada to provide access to golf fans on their preferred platforms and in the new ways they are consuming content.”

The new partnership between DAZN and the PGA TOUR will result in hundreds of hours of live coverage from 30 PGA TOUR events streamed on the DAZN Canada platform all year long, including the RBC Canadian Open in July.

Golf fans now have a choice of subscribing directly to DAZN Canada for a monthly fee of $20/month or $150/year with one month free for new customers which includes access to PGA TOUR LIVE, all NFL games, La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1, FIBA Basketball among other sports properties. Canadian residents can register at www.dazn.com. Alternatively, Canadians can subscribe directly to PGA TOUR LIVE for $5.99 per month or $39.99 per year.

GREAT ABACO, The Bahamas – Canadian Adam Svensson picked up his first Web.com Tour win at The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club in his 58th career start. The Surrey, B.C., product carded a final-round, 4-under-par 68. His 17-under-par 271 total was good for a one-stroke victory over rookie phenom Sungjae Im, who missed a 10-footer on the 72nd hole to force overtime.

“It’s a relief,” said Svensson, who couldn’t see Im’s birdie bid at the last. “Your heart is racing and when it’s over it slows down, and you realize what you’ve done. I just so thrilled I got the win and just so happy.”

What a difference a year makes. Svensson missed the cut at both Bahamas events to start the 2017 season and found himself behind the 8-ball all year. He ultimately made it to the Web.com Tour Finals but finished one spot out of securing his PGA TOUR card.

The Team Canada graduate thought about it all offseason but used it as motivation this year.

“It stings a little less,” said Svensson, about the disappointment of not getting his TOUR card last year. “I’ve still got a lot of work to do going forward, but it’s nice.”

After a tie for 13th in The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic and a win in Abaco, Svensson has moved to No. 2 on the Tour money list, firmly inside the top 25.

“Obviously you want to get into the No. 1 spot, which is very difficult,” said Svensson, who collected a $108,000 first-place prize. “You want to try and get inside the top five or as high as you can.”

Down the stretch, Svensson got nervous and it showed on his tee shot at the 16th hole. With driver in hand, the West Palm Beach, Florida resident hooked his drive into the trees on the left. Svensson took a drop, in which his ball plugged in the sand, and hit his third to 33 feet and drained the par-putt to remain in the lead.

“That was wild,” said Svensson. “I told my caddie, ‘I’m not leaving it short. It’s either in or going by.’”

Sungjae Im misses the birdie putt to force a playoff.

And @adamsvensson59 has won his first #WebTour event at -17.

?????????? pic.twitter.com/2qBqWXIrNk

— Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) January 24, 2018

Having made bogey at the par-3 17th, Svensson needed a birdie at the last to close out the tournament. He flared his second at the par-5 finishing hole right of the green in a deep swale. Svensson then sailed his chip past the pin just off the green.

Left with a slippery downhill putt, Svensson nestled his putt to within tap-in range to finish at 17-under-par.

“I wasn’t trying to make it,” said Svensson, about his birdie putt on 18. “I knew I had to two-putt and somehow I just nestled it down there.”

The top of the leaderboard had an international flair to it with Svensson winning, Im finishing runner-up and Australian Rhein Gibson ending the week in solo third.

With Svensson’s victory in The Bahamas, 18 players from Canada have won 25 tournaments on the Web.com Tour. Ben Silverman was the last to add to the total with his triumph at the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper. Silverman and Corey Conners finished inside the top 50 to earn their PGA TOUR cards and join fellow Web.com Tour alumni Adam Hadwin, Mackenzie Hughes and David Hearn on TOUR.

Svensson, 24, was one of three team members that won the men’s silver medal for Canada at the 2014 World Amateur Team Championship in Japan.

Svensson hopes to be the next star from the Great White North.

“There are so many good Canadians coming up right now,” he said. “Canada has a lot of good players because of the programs they have in place. The Team Canada program is awesome.”

Calgary’s Ryan Yip finished T10 at 11 under par for the tournament.

Click here for the full leaderboard.

O Canada!

24-year-old @adamsvensson59 (-17) has won the 2nd #WebTour event of 2018 by one stroke over last week’s winner Sungjae Im.

He talks about gutting it out down the stretch. pic.twitter.com/fDxvG4lFBu

— Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) January 24, 2018

As the first two-term Golf Canada president since 1931, you might expect Roland Deveau to heave a huge sigh of relief as he hands the mantle to Calgary’s Leslie Dunning.

You would be wrong.

While Deveau, 56, looks forward to getting back to “real life,” as he puts it, he is justifiably proud of the 24 months he spent at the helm of the association. It was a span that encompassed a change of CEOs of the organization as well as experiencing the return of golf to the Olympics and Canada’s 150^th anniversary celebration.

CEO Laurence Applebaum (left) and Roland Deveau at Golf House in Oakville, Ont.

“It wasn’t all smooth sailing, but that’s an integral part of leadership in challenging times,” Deveau said in an interview with Golf Canada a couple of weeks before the association’s annual general meeting in Calgary where Dunning takes over. As past-president, he will remain on the Golf Canada board of directors.

“When I look back, and I want to emphasize that nothing gets accomplished without the support of my fellow directors, staff and volunteers, I think we met many objectives. We stabilized our finances, we delivered our entire suite of programs as promised, some of which are recognized world-wide as best in class. We’re well on our way to delivering our new membership model, which will be completed next year.”

Deveau’s term in office was also marked by memorable performances on-course. Canadian golfers, both amateur and professional, showed well around the world.

But for Deveau, the singularly “surreal” moment came as he watched young Canadian pro Austin Connelly at the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in England.

“Being there on the tee at that last round, seeing Austin in the penultimate group with Brooks Koepke, who had won the U.S. Open just a month before, and teeing off just ahead of the final group of Matt Kuchar and Jordan Spieth, it was unbelievable. Surreal. That’s the only way I can describe the feeling.”

Connelly spent summers playing and practising at Deveau’s home course, Clare Golf and Country Club, a few hours from Halifax, where Deveau, a lawyer, is the vice-chair of the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board.

“To see him grow up during the summers, living less than a mile from my parents’ house and to follow him in the final round of the Open Championship and see his name on the leaderboard … Absolutely incredible.”

He said that experience, for him, encapsulated what golf is all about: Seeing a promising youngster supported by the golf community rising to the world stage.

Most golfers don’t understand the role of Golf Canada’s president. Many may think of the office as a ceremonial one, a figurehead akin to our country’s governor-general. In Deveau’s case, nothing could be further from the truth.

There are unrelenting governance and organizational responsibilities and myriad demands on personal time that must be juggled with the “real job” of the president who is, in the final analysis, just the “first among equals” of Golf Canada’s many volunteers.

“It’s not all about handing out trophies,” says Deveau. “People wouldn’t believe how much goes on behind the scenes. We’re entrusted with the game in Canada as the National Sport Organization and we have never taken our role lightly.”

The gregarious Deveau was the first Golf Canada president to use social media to stay in touch with Canadians and kept his “feet on the ground” as a Rules of Golf official at some significant events, including the RBC Canadian Open and the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship in 2016 and 2017, the 2017 Canadian Women’s Amateur and Canadian Junior Boys Championship, and others.

Deveau says it gave him a chance to interact with players and, most importantly, spectators.

“It showed me just how many people in Canada love this game so much. Not that I would say it gave me ‘credibility’ as such but it gave me a lot of insight.”

As he leaves his historic role, Deveau departs not just with hard-earned credibility and insight, but with other emotions. Regret is definitely not one of them.

“These past two years have definitely been a challenge, but they’ve been so very rewarding and worthwhile. I enjoyed every minute of the experience.”

CALGARY – Golf Canada’s 2018 Annual Meeting is set for this week (January 25-27) at the Grey Eagle Resort and Casino in Calgary, Alta.

The event brings together Golf Canada’s Board of Directors, staff and volunteers as well as representatives from Canada’s provincial golf associations and other stakeholders including international partners from the R&A, USGA, LPGA Tour and PGA TOUR. The group will assemble for three days of meetings, presentations and discussion in preparation for the upcoming golf season.

Golf Canada’s Annual Meeting will culminate with the appointment of Leslie Dunning of Calgary, Alta. to serve as the National Sport Federation’s 114^th volunteer President.

The formal appointment of Dunning as President along with the release of the association’s 2017 financial statements will take place during Golf Canada’s official Annual General Meeting on Saturday, January 25^th at 5:00pm MT.

As part of the Annual Meeting, Golf Canada will also celebrate outstanding contributions to the game of golf in Canada with the presentation of its 2017 Volunteer of the Year Award as well as Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award(s).

A full schedule of activities and presentations taking place during Golf Canada’s Annual Meeting is available here.

Golf Canada is the National Sports Federation and governing body for golf in Canada representing over 319,000 golfers at more than 1,400 member clubs across the country. A proud member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, Golf Canada’s mission is to grow participation, excellence and passion in the sport while upholding the integrity and traditions of the game. By investing in the growth of the sport and introducing more participants of all ages to the game, our goal is to be relevant to and respected by all Canadian golf enthusiasts from coast to coast.

Titleist Velocity

The new Titleist Velocity golf balls are designed with proprietary high-speed technology to deliver even more distance on every shot. With the introduction of new high-visibility color options – VISI-White, Velocity Orange and Velocity Pink – the power of Velocity is also packed with personality.

Available in golf shops worldwide, the 2018 Velocity has been reengineered with a softer high-speed core and Titleist’s fastest cover blend to deliver extremely low spin and fast ball speed off the tee for increased distance. Velocity’s advanced aerodynamics produce a high flight on all shots to enhance distance and help golfers stop the ball closer to the hole.

“Everything we do with Velocity is to generate speed and distance,” said Michael Mahoney, Vice President, Titleist Golf Ball Marketing. “When we spoke to Velocity golfers at the beginning of the development process, they told us they wanted even more distance, especially off the tee. Our R&D team responded with new core technology and the fastest cover of any Titleist golf ball on the market to give them that added advantage.”

Titleist Velocity is now offered in four color and preference options: standard White plus three new high-visibility colors – VISI-White, Velocity Orange and Velocity Pink.

VISI-White also features an orange sidestamp and double-digit play numbers (00, 22, 77, 99). The double-digit play numbers were selected based on their popularity among members of Team Titleist.

“We’ve seen an increasing preference among golfers in general to play products that they truly identify with and color is a big part of that,” said Michael Fish, Titleist Golf Ball Product Manager. “We’re confident the improved performance of Velocity with new color options will only make the game more enjoyable for these golfers.”

New Titleist Velocity golf balls (White, VISI-White, Velocity Orange and Velocity Pink) are available in golf shops worldwide beginning Jan. 24, 2018.

Titleist Tour Soft

The continued pursuit of breakthrough technology and performance by Titleist golf ball engineers has resulted in the all-new Titleist Tour Soft golf balls, now available in golf shops worldwide.

For golfers demanding better feel, the invention of Titleist Tour Soft – the softest-feeling golf ball in its category – delivers a better performance experience. Tour Soft’s innovative design combines the largest core ever engineered into a Titleist golf ball with ultra-thin cover technology to provide responsive feel, very fast speed for commanding distance and excellent short game performance.

“We knew based on breakthroughs being made in R&D that there was an opportunity to deliver a brand new high-performance golf ball that would lead the category in terms of soft compression feel,” said Michael Mahoney, Vice President, Titleist Golf Ball Marketing. “Ultimately, because of our exhaustive and iterative prototyping process, we were able to deliver everything we wanted in Tour Soft – and more. It’s not only the softest ball in the category. It’s better and longer than Chrome Soft, TP5 and Tour B RXS.”

More than 19,000 golfers participated in the white box testing and validation process for the new Titleist Tour Soft, with golfers receiving prototype golf balls for on-course evaluation. Player feedback was then gathered through Team Titleist and shared with Titleist R&D. This included a three-ball blind prototype test in January 2017 that led to some key insights toward the Tour Soft development.

New Titleist Tour Soft golf balls are available in golf shops worldwide beginning Jan. 24, 2018.

The next generation of Scotty Cameron Select putters – introducing new four-way sole balancing technology – continues the evolution of a line engineered for performance, milled to precision and designed with elegance.

Available in golf shops worldwide beginning March 30, the 2018 Select line advances Titleist Master Putter Maker Scotty Cameron’s proven multi-material construction methodology of combining face inlays of either 303 stainless steel or 6061 aircraft-grade aluminum with stainless steel bodies for superior balance, weight distribution, sound and feel.

The new Select line features seven tour-validated modern blade and mid-mallet models. The new Select Laguna joins Scotty’s classic Select Newport, Newport 2 and Newport 2.5 blade styles, while the popular Fastback and Squareback names return in updated mid-mallet offerings. Rounding out the line is the heel-shafted mid-mallet Select Newport 3.

Precise refinements made to the sight, sound and sole components of each Select model deliver key performance benefits:

• SIGHT: Contours and sight cues were refined to enhance alignment opportunities and instill confidence. Scotty focused on thinning topline appearances by giving each a slightly rounder radius. Plumbing neck dimensions, edges and angles have been squared up for a cleaner look from address.
• SOUND: Improved sound and feel are the result of up to 30 percent more vibration dampening material connecting face inlays with putter bodies. The connecting screws are slightly larger to account for the increased material and the surface compression necessary to produce the softer sound, while preserving the feedback demanded by the best players in the world to aid in distance control and diagnosing mishits.
• SOLE: For the first time ever, Scotty has introduced a four-way balanced sole design for a faster setup and easier alignment at address. The balance point of each 2018 Select putter’s sole has been shifted forward to account for the weight of the shaft and grip and their impact related to how the putter sits at address. This results in a putter that sits perfectly square at address to promote easier alignment on virtually any lie.

“Everything I’ve learned from refining and redesigning Newport-style putters over the last two decades has gone into this 2018 Select line,” Scotty Cameron said. “I always strive to raise the bar by incorporating new materials, milling and manufacturing techniques. I’m at the point with the Select line of putters that now I’m hyper-focused on the finest details. Tour players pick up on things most people don’t but those details can make a big difference in how a putter performs. We’ve reengineered the sole to account for the shaft and grip weight by actually moving metal in minute increments to help the putter align perfectly. I call it four-way sole balancing because we’ve balanced the putter from face to cavity, and from heel to toe.”

The 2018 Select line employs three unique setups – incorporating Scotty’s innovative face inlays that wrap around the sole and disappear from the player’s view at address – to complement each putter shape and size:

• New 2018 Select Newport, Newport 2, Newport 2.5 and Laguna models are modern heel-and-toe weighted blades designed to support flowing strokes in several player preferred setups. Each model features a sole-to-topline 303 stainless steel inlay that is precision mid-milled and hand-buffed to a brilliant, metallic finish, then bonded to the stainless steel body using up to 30 percent more high-tech vibration dampening material than previous models. This fusion of materials provides golfers with ultra-responsive feel and feedback at impact.
• New 2018 Select Newport 3 is a heel-shafted mid-mallet, based on the classic Newport head shape, designed with a flow neck (with ¾” offset) for the player who needs additional toe flow in his stroke. Multi-material technology – featuring a precision milled, lightweight 6061 aircraft grade aluminum face inlay fused to the precision-milled 303 stainless steel body – distributes weight for higher MOI performance. A left-handed Newport 3 was also added to the line for 2018.
• New 2018 Select Fastback and Squareback mid-mallets combine 6061 aircraft grade aluminum inlays with Scotty’s wrap-around face-sole technology. The face-sole component is a single piece of lightweight aluminum that wraps down and around to create the midsection of the sole. This construction concentrates weight on the perimeter to produce higher MOI and stability for “straight back/straight through” strokes. The lightweight aluminum face-sole is fine tuned for sound and feel through increased vibration dampening material attached to the stainless steel core. Both new models have been refined with a milled sightline in the flange in lieu of the pop-through feature.

Click here for an overview of each 2018 Select putter model.​

New Select putters feature advanced stability weighting with two, customizable stainless steel heel-toe weights, stepless steel shafts and supple Black & Silver Matador Mid-size grips developed to offer the comfort of a larger grip while maintaining responsiveness and feel.

Scotty gave the Select line’s raw stainless steel finish a unique bead blast for a radiant yet glare resistant appearance. Smaller double-milled “cherry dots” on the heel and sole – inspired by Scotty’s familiar three bright translucent red dot theme – with simplified, engraved typography represents this modern, refined line.

Select putters will be available on March 30 worldwide through Titleist authorized golf shops. 1st of 500 models will be available on March 23.