INCHEON, South Korea – Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson battled at Chambers Bay in the U.S. Open. They will be partners in South Korea at the Presidents Cup.

Spieth and Johnson will be in the anchor match of foursomes Thursday against Danny Lee of New Zealand and Marc Leishman of Australia when the Presidents Cup begins at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea.

Spieth had a successful partnership with Patrick Reed at the Ryder Cup last year, and Johnson and Matt Kuchar won both their team matches at the 2012 Ryder Cup. Now they’ve swapped. Kuchar will be with Reed in the second of five matches against Louis Oosthuizen and Branden Grace of South Africa.

U.S. captain Jay Haas says Spieth and Johnson wanted to play together. He says whatever Spieth wants, Spieth gets.

Odyssey Golf has officially announced the new Odyssey Works Tank Cruiser line of putters which feature the high performance Fusion RX insert, and adjustable weighting options in the head and grip for improved stability and feel. The line of putters, which uses the company’s Versa high contrast alignment, is made up of 4 popular Odyssey head shapes: #7, V-Line, #1 Wide and 2-Ball Fang.

The adjustable counterbalance weighting is designed so golfers can fine-tune the weighting to match their putting stroke. A heavier counterbalance can help take the hands and wrists out of the stroke for a smoother, more consistent motion while a lighter counterbalance weight helps activate the hands for a more “feel” type of stroke.

With adjustable head weights, a heavier head can add stability and a lighter head can provide more feel. The head weights in the #7, V-Line and #1 Wide models can be adjusted to 365 grams, 375 grams or 385 grams. The 2-Ball Fang head weight can be adjusted to 375 grams, 385 grams or 395 grams. These putter models also come standard with a Superstroke grip.

Odyssey Principal Designer, Austie Rollinson noted, “There’s a lot of versatility with these adjustable weighting options. The whole platform of this adjustability is to give you stability throughout the stroke. And when you add all of the other great technologies, you have a great package.”

Charles-Éric Bélanger has an enviable attitude towards golf.  “Golf is a passion for me and every ball I hit, every shot I make, brings a special feeling,” he says. “Through golf, I meet great people and friends everywhere.  I enjoy everything about it.  It’s a great game.  I love it.”

That’s a mature and balanced perspective for just about anyone; it is even more impressive when it comes from a 16-year-old, but not just any 16-year-old.

In August, Bélanger became the first Canadian Junior Boys’ champion from Quebec since 1976.  Since the tournament’s Juvenile Division was introduced in 1970, Bélanger is only the seventh champion to capture both the Junior and Juvenile titles in the same year and only the third to do so in his home province.  It wasn’t easy. He needed a one-hole playoff to thwart Maxwell Sear of Unionville, Ont., at Summerlea Golf & Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que. Raphaël Lapierre-Messier of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., and Henry Lee of Coquitlam, B.C., finished tied for third place.

“To win the national championship is something I am very proud of,” Bélanger said.  “It is a great honour for me.  It is a huge accomplishment and an objective I had in my junior career.”

Bélanger points to his father, Patrick, as his inspiration.  A member at Royal Quebec Golf Club, Patrick introduced his son to the club when the boy was eight and, a couple of years later, Charles-Éric says, “I started to feel the love for the game.  I started playing in some tournaments for fun and to experience competitive play when I was around 11-years-old.  My father never put any pressure on me, but he has been a great support.”

Bélanger attributes much of his progress to Académie de golf Fred Colgan, which is associated with his high school, Académie Saint- Louis in Quebec City.

While Bélanger’s immediate goal is to become part of Team Canada’s Development Squad, he hopes his golf eventually provides him with a scholarship to an NCAA university.  He is focused on getting a good education before making any decision on turning pro. “Like my father always said: ‘Work hard, enjoy yourself and have fun. Never forget to smile and that golf is a game’.”

With a parental attitude like that, it is no wonder Charles-Éric Bélanger is mature beyond his years.

Also in August, 18-year-old Michelle Kim finished off a terrific year by winning the Canadian Junior Girls’ Championship at Deer Park Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask.

The 18-year-old Team Canada Development Squad member’s third-round 69 propelled her ahead of the competition with a four-stroke lead through 54 holes; she went on to finish the championship at six-under-par 286.

“This is probably the biggest achievement that I’ve ever made,” said Kim, who now is a freshman at the University of Idaho.  “It feels amazing especially because it is my last junior tournament and I’ve worked really hard.”

Hannah Lee, a fellow Surrey, B.C., native, finished her final round at two-under-par to claim solo second at four-under for the championship. The 15-year-old won the national Juvenile title as a result.  Her opening-round 66 was a new competitive course record.  Rounding out the top three in the overall standings was Team Canada Development Squad member Naomi Ko, a 17-year-old from Victoria who is headed to North Carolina State.

“Michelle is quiet, but fierce,” says Ann Carroll, the women’s Development Squad’s head coach.  “Her strong suits are her mental game and short game.  She works for hours and hours on her putting and certainly puts in the hours on the range.”

That dedication and hard work paid off this season; in addition to the Canadian Junior, Kim also claimed the B.C. Junior and B.C. Amateur titles as well as the CJGA’s Western Canadian Junior Championship.

INCHEON, South Korea – Phil Mickelson studied the line of the putt from both sides, and then he stood over an imaginary golf ball about halfway to the hole and gently swung his putter to make sure he had the right read.

And it wasn’t even his shot.

“The first part is going to slide to the right,” he told Presidents Cup rookie Chris Kirk, “and then it’s going to try to move back to the left.”

Kirk narrowly missed the putt, and Mickelson winced.

This was more than just one of his money games on a Tuesday at a big event. Mickelson had yet another rookie under his wing, relishing in his role as the guy who has played the Presidents Cup as many times as the U.S. captain (Jay Haas) and two of his assistants (Fred Couples and Steve Stricker).

“His experience is huge,” Jimmy Walker said. “He’s playing with Chris Kirk and he’s telling him things throughout – the history of his play, little tidbits here, something that might help Chris down the road in the next couple days. So I think that’s what really helps.”

The history of Mickelson in the Presidents Cup is extensive.

He has never missed one since it began in 1994, and this might be the most special of all. He was 30th in the U.S. standings and needed a captain’s pick to join the Americans at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea. Haas sought the opinion of the players who qualified, and it became an easy choice.

“Across the board, the players were all in when we were texting and talking to them,” Haas said. “The captains, certainly, were all about Phil. … You could say, ‘Well, his play didn’t warrant being a consideration’ and all that. But I don’t know that you can put a value on what he means to the players and the demeanor he brings into the team room.”

He showed that much at the first team dinner Monday night.

Mickelson dressed for the occasion in flag pants, which look like pajama bottoms with a Stars & Stripes pattern.

“I asked him if he was cooking because it looked like something a chef would wear,” Walker said. “American flag pants. It was great.”

For all the incessant trash talking, side bets and laughs, there is a serious side to this Presidents Cup for Mickelson. He is proud of his streak – his 21st consecutive time playing in the Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup – he was as much a player’s pick as a captain’s pick.

“That meant more to me than anything, and I’m appreciative of the chance to have felt how that feels to be wanted by the other players,” Mickelson said. “And it was very emotional for me when I found out. It makes me just want to play hard and so anything I can to help us succeed.”

That hasn’t been a problem for the Americans in the Presidents Cup. They haven’t lost this match against the International team (players from everywhere outside the United States except for Europe) since 1998 at Royal Melbourne, and they have won every time since a tie in South Africa.

Mickelson became the first American to go 0-5 in South Africa in 2003, a forgettable year in which his wife nearly died giving birth to their third child and Mickelson failed to win a PGA Tour event for only the second time in his career. Jack Nicklaus was the captain of that U.S. team, and he marveled later about how Mickelson remained upbeat all week despite not winning a match.

“He is the Alpha dog,” Zach Johnson said. “He does have kind of that mentality of, ‘You know what? I’ve done it and I know what it’s about.’ But there’s also a significant selflessness there. In other words, he knows he’s just 1-12th of the team. When you have a leader that gets that, that’s pretty awesome.”

Mickelson doesn’t see it that way. He just wants to win points.

He has a 20-16-11 record, tied with Tiger Woods for the most points contributed at the Presidents Cup. He doesn’t see his role much differently now, even though he is being looked upon as much as an inspiration and as a Hall-of-Famer with 45 victories worldwide.

“If he wins all his points, he’s a real good leader,” Bubba Watson joked. “No, it’s like having another assistant. He understands what it takes. He’s had the experience. He’s had the bad and the good. When he speaks, everybody listens.”

Even when he’s trying to bring some humor?

“He brings it all,” Watson said. “And if it’s not that funny, you just laugh because you feel bad for him.”

INCHEON, South Korea – The battle at the Presidents Cup began Tuesday even before the first match.

U.S. captain Jay Haas still doesn’t understand why the number of matches was reduced from 34 to 30 for this year’s event, meaning he has to sit eight players over three days of team matches.

“You look at our lineup, and it’s hard to sit guys,” Haas said.

He has another powerful squad at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea with his son, Bill, having the worst world ranking at No. 29. That’s still higher than seven players on the International team.

International captain Nick Price remains disappointed that PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem only reduced the number of matches to 30. He said his players lobbied strongly this summer to make it 28 matches, just as it is at the Ryder Cup and the Solheim Cup.

“The Presidents Cup should be on an apples-to-apples basis,” Price said. “We seem to think looking at the past that the most excitement there is in an event is when you have a 28-point format. I think the Solheim Cup showed that two weeks ago. So that’s something that I think the guys who are going to play … will continue to push for that.”

Americans have believed for years that fewer matches allow a weaker team to hide players. They used to say that about the Ryder Cup, which for years was close even when it appeared the Americans had the stronger team.

Price said fewer matches allowed for more strategy in team play, and it kept the competition from getting out of hand.

He could easily have been speaking of his own experience in the Presidents Cup, because it hasn’t been close for a decade. Ever since a tie in South Africa in 2003, the Americans not only have won the last five times, they have won by an average score of 19-15.

Going back to the inaugural event in 1994, only once has the International team won. That was in Australia in 1998, which was played two weeks before Christmas.

“I think we’ve seen in the past that the Presidents Cup needs more excitement,” Price said. “It needs to be more closely contested. Certainly most of us on the International team feel that hasn’t been the case the last five or six Presidents Cups.”

It could use some tension in the final hour Sunday, so maybe this argument will spark even a smidgen of acrimony.

The Presidents Cup begins Thursday with five matches of foursomes (alternate shot), meaning two players from each team won’t compete on the opening day. Five matches of fourballs (better ball) follow on Friday, with two more players having to sit.

On Saturday, there will be four matches of foursomes in the morning and four matches of fourballs in the afternoon, leading to the 12 singles matches.

Previously, everyone played on Thursday and Friday, and only two players sat out the morning and afternoon sessions on Saturday.

“There’s a lot more strategy involved when you have to sit guys out,” Price said. “And some people think that you’re hiding the weakest players, but in actual fact, what you’re doing is putting your strongest team forward. It’s a glass half-full or glass half-empty, depends which way you look at it.”

All Haas sees are 12 players who flew halfway around the world and will have to sit out a match or two. The new rule requires everyone play at least three times by the end of the week.

“I didn’t look at it as playing your strong players more,” Haas said. “I guess the U.S. team over the years at the Ryder Cup it was, ‘Oh, they’re hiding players.’ That’s maybe sour grapes. It will be harder because all 12 used to play Thursday and Friday, and now we sit two. If teams lose, who do you sit? Before, you just go out there and do it.

“We’ll see,” Haas added. “We’re having … not issues or anything like that, but more thought involved to do it the right way. We’re trying not to screw it up.”

The Americans only have one player – Chris Kirk – who has never competed in a Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup. The International side has five rookies, which might not be the worst thing for Price. A year ago, the U.S. sailed to an 18 1/2-15 1/2 victory at Muirfield Village.

“Some of the veterans who have played in numerous Presidents Cups, they have had a tough time in the past I think, certainly at Muirfield, getting them motivated, because it’s been a bit one-sided,” Price said. “So I think with the points changed now, I think the guys are looking forward to this a lot more than any of the previous two or three.”

INCHEON, Korea – Dustin Johnson hasn’t lost a match while playing for the United States in nearly four years.

Part of that is because he’s very good.

Any discussion about American talent in golf would have to include the 31-year-old Johnson, who has won in every PGA Tour season since he was a rookie in 2008 fresh out of Coastal Carolina. He has chased majors, falling short either by bad luck (Chambers Bay), a bad shot (Royal St. George’s), bad golf (Pebble Beach) or a bad setup (bunkers at Whistling Straits).

But there’s another reason that Johnson hasn’t lost a match in so long. He hasn’t played a team event since the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah.

Johnson was left off the Presidents Cup team two years ago when he finished 12th in the U.S. standings, and captain Fred Couples passed over Johnson and Jim Furyk in favour of 20-year-old rookie Jordan Spieth.

“I was pretty (upset) I didn’t get picked,” Johnson said with a laugh. “Why you got to bring that up?”

And then last year involved extenuating, if not mysterious, circumstances. He easily would have qualified for the team except for taking an indefinite leave from golf to seek professional help from what he described only as “personal challenges.”

Even so, the record shows that Charl Schwartzel is the last player to beat him, in Sunday singles at Royal Melbourne in 2011. Johnson went 3-0 at Medinah the following year, one of only three Americans to win a singles match in Europe’s record-tying comeback.

“Even though it’s been a little bit, it didn’t feel like it’s been that long,” Johnson said. “It’s the same guys, kind of the same team.”

Not really.

Only six American players are at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea who were on the last team that included Johnson. Even last year, three players who had been considered regulars for the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup didn’t make the team.

Zach Johnson was stunned to hear that Dustin Johnson hasn’t played in these team events in three years, until he gave it some more thought.

“It’s surprising to a degree,” he said. “It’s just an illustration of how deep and how good the PGA Tour is.”

Hunter Mahan was in seven of the last eight team competitions _ he only missed Medinah in 2012 _ and wasn’t even part of the conversation this year. Mahan struggled with a growing family and his game and missed the Tour Championship for the first time since the FedEx Cup began in 2007. He ended last year at No. 22 in the world, and now is struggling to stay in the top 50.

Keegan Bradley made an auspicious Ryder Cup debut in 2012 with Phil Mickelson, played on the next two teams and is fading from view. Bradley hasn’t won a tournament since the Bridgestone Invitational three years ago.

Webb Simpson missed his first team this year since 2010.

Tiger Woods has been dealing with his own set of circumstances, mostly injuries that have kept him out of the game or kept him from playing the game like he once did. He was last seen in team uniform at Muirfield Village two years ago with Sammy the squirrel on his shoulder. Woods missed a big chunk of 2014 recovering from back surgery, and he made the cut (with only one top 10) in the 11 tournaments he played this year.

It was no less gratifying for the big-hitting Johnson when he checked in at the team hotel Sunday night after his long flight from Los Angeles, stuck his head in the team room to catch up with the rest of the Americans and then dress in uniform for a practice round that included Jimmy Walker, Chris Kirk and Patrick Reed. Those are three guys with whom Johnson has never played in a team competition.

The turnover isn’t that great from the U.S. team that lost at Gleneagles in the Ryder Cup with only three new faces _ Kirk, Bill Haas and J.B. Holmes, who replaced Furyk.

Perhaps more changes are coming.

“It’s hard to make these teams,” Zach Johnson said. “Saying that makes it that much more impressive what Phil has done.”

Mickelson has played in every Presidents Cup since it began in 1994, and he has qualified for them all except for being a captain’s pick the first year and this year. He has qualified for every Ryder Cup team since 1995. The last time Mickelson was not in U.S. uniform, Deane Beman was the PGA Tour commissioner.

Furyk is not far behind. This is only the second team event he has missed since 1997.

With more young faces in the pipeline, that kind of longevity will be hard to repeat.

INCHEON, South Korea – Adam Scott only has three months left before the method used for his long putter is banned.

He saw no need to wait.

Scott used a conventional putter for a practice round Monday at the Presidents Cup, and the 35-year-old Australian said this time he won’t be going back. Scott spent the last five weeks practicing with the new putter and a cross-handed grip that feels as comfortable as the long putter he had used the last four years.

“I think it was a good time to make a change and spend some time working on it,” Scott said. “It’s a similar amount of time, actually, when I switched to the long putter, that gap of five weeks between events. It took shape quickly, and I feel the same will happen with this. It’s kind of refreshing to have to make a forced change because my putting stats are not that impressive this year.”

Scott’s putting has never been a strength, though this season his No. 158 ranking in the key putting statistic was his worst since he last used a conventional putter in 2010.

Golf’s ruling bodies adopted a new rule effective Jan. 1 that bans the anchored stroke used for longer putters. Scott switched to a long putter in 2011 and won the Masters two years later.

He showed up at Doral at the start of this year using a conventional putter and tied for fourth. But he missed the cut the following week at the Valspar Championship, finished 13 shots out of the lead at Bay Hill and went back to the long putter.

“I didn’t take any time going into that,” he said. “I just did it with no thought and open mind to see how it went. It went well, really, but maybe I got a little jumpy as I neared the Masters without a little practice and went back. But this is a more permanent move. I think I’ve got to stick with it now and get good at it.”

Other players who won majors with an anchored putting stroke – Webb Simpson, Keegan Bradley and Ernie Els – already made the switch. Scott got more attention than the others because his performance in the majors improved shortly after going to a long putter, even though he was ranked out of the top 100 in putting all but one year.

“There was a bit of a letdown and some frustration,” Scott said. “I didn’t putt well knowing I had to make the change in the back of my mind, and now there’s a clear path going forward.”

Scott has gone 14 consecutive years winning somewhere in the world, a streak that now is in jeopardy going into his final six tournaments of the year. He has had only two top 10s since March – a tie for fourth in the U.S. Open and a tie for 10th in the British Open – and didn’t make it beyond the opening event of the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Turns out that extra month off proved useful.

Scott said he always felt as though a cross-handed grip would be the best style. He worked with his coach and the Scotty Cameron putting studio to find the right putter, and he showed up at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea feeling good about the rest of the year.

“I’m more confident putting it into play this week,” he said. “Playing with it early in the year I didn’t know what to expect. This week … there has to be a week where I start, and it might as well be here. I’m confident I can make myself one of the best putters on tour with a short putter.”

Along with a conventional putter, the other difference with Scott was the tape on his right middle finger. He said he damaged it earlier in the year – he’s not sure when or even how – and it began to aggravate him around the PGA Championship. He discovered a torn ligament from the repetitive stress of hitting golf balls, but the time off helped and Scott said it has healed enough for him to play.

Lambton Golf and Country Club, home of George S. Lyon, was proud to host a special day on Thursday, September 24 to honour Mr. Lyon.   This marked the 111th anniversary to the day that he won the last golf gold medal at the 1904 Olympics.

Three of his descendants joined in for the celebration and it was a special moment as the trio gathered around the Olympic Cup for pictures.

His granddaughter, Mary Lou Morgan, remembers her grandfather fondly and recalls the joy she felt on her family’s usual visits for Sunday tea.  She remembers her grandfather’s diabetes and his need for insulin injections as she and her sister looked on with curiosity.

George S. Lyon played a very important role in the development of Lambton – he was one of eight members on the original committee to fund, build and attract members to Lambton Golf and Country Club.  George would work half-days at his insurance business downtown and then head to Lambton where he would work tirelessly with Willie Dunn, a top UK golf designer of the time, to oversee construction of the course.  George was golf captain for 23 years and was a key opinion leader and icon throughout that time.

In 2010/11, Rees Jones, the “Open Doctor”, completely redesigned the Championship course with state-of-the-art grasses, bunkers and sub-air systems. However, one tree on hole #9 was sacrosanct.  Referred to as the “Lyon Oak”, the tree has been a proud tribute to George S. Lyon honouring the days when George used to fly his ball over this grand old oak as he went for birdie.

This past August, when Lambton co-hosted the Canadian Amateur, hole #9 played the hardest for the impressive field of players and the Lyon Oak continued to cause top players to re-think their strategy.

Gerry McLeod, Sandy Somers, Mary Lou Morgan, Ross Wigle and Bob Beaumont (Wendy Boyd/ Lambton Golf and Country Club)

It was a special moment indeed when Mr. Lyon’s granddaughter, Mary Lou Morgan and his two great-grandsons, Ross Wigle and Sandy Somers, gathered in front of the Lyon Oak, alongside Lambton President Bob Beaumont and Vice-President Gerry McLeod, to celebrate George S. Lyon’s extraordinary character and varied accomplishments.

FootJoy has launched the latest innovation in high-tech performance with the new EXO4^TM glove. Boasting several exclusive, performance-enhancing technologies, the EXO4 glove offers exceptional fit, flex, feel and form in all weather conditions.

The lightweight EXO4 glove incorporates an exclusive FiberSof MicroTAC™ palm that provides a smoother feel with advanced Taction^® Grip for extremely durable and reliable performance in all playing conditions. The exclusive FiberSof^TM material on the back of the hand and fingers of the glove combines with special LYCRA® FLX Zones to form a unique FJ Exoskeleton™ bonded construction for advanced comfort, breathability and contoured fit.

Using specifically-designed FLX Zones^TM along the back of the hand, the EXO4 glove also delivers a natural, flexible movement for the golfer, while maintaining a secure and consistent grip on the club. A moisture-wicking Wrist Elastic Cuff, plus a 3-Directional angled tab closure, also improves fit and comfort when playing.

“The EXO4 epitomizes the top performance from the #1 Glove in Golf and offers several innovative design and material technologies that will appeal to golfers playing in all types of conditions,” said Maria Bonzagni, Senior Director of Marketing, FJ Gloves and Accessories. “Thanks also to the impressive comfort, look and durability of the glove, the EXO4 should be a favorite with those playing regularly week in, week out at their golf club.”

The new EXO4 glove is available in sizes S-XXL, ensuring an all-encompassing provision of Men’s Left, Cadet and Right handed options and come in a bold white/black design.