CARLSBAD, Calif. – Earlier this year TaylorMade Golf Company introduced the SLDR Mini Driver, a club designed for use off the tee that is designed to be more accurate and longer off the tee than a 3-wood. Now, the they are introducing a club designed to deliver incredible distance on tee shots and performance never before seen in a long iron. Meet the Tour Preferred UDI (Ultimate Driving Iron).

“We designed the Tour Preferred UDI for players seeking a versatile club that delivers incredible distance off the tee and a high-performance alternative from the fairway,” said TaylorMade’s Director of Iron Creation, Tomo Bystedt. “The clean, traditional look at address inspires confidence and the Speed Pocket technology provides amazing distance and consistency.”

TaylorMade Tour Staff Professional Justin Rose has played the UDI in his two recent wins (Quicken Loans National at Congressional and the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open) and is among the favourites this week in Hoylake.

Like Rose, TaylorMade Tour Staff Professionals expressed a specific desire for a club that combines distance and playability with accuracy and shot shaping capabilities. Enter UDI: The hollow construction allowed engineers to move weight lower and more forward, resulting in faster ball speeds and a higher launch angle than traditional driving irons. By increasing the launch angle, TaylorMade engineers have effectively made driving irons more playable than past models – making it easier to hit high towering shots with low lofted irons.

A 455 Carpenter Steel material, which generates more ball speed, along with milled score lines across the face also gives golfers tremendous control with the UDI – allowing them to flight shots lower and manipulate trajectory if they choose to. The lightweight KBS C-Taper Lite shaft comes stock in the UDI. The shaft promotes a mid to high trajectory and controlled spin.

Available in 1-iron (16°), 2-iron (18°) and 3-iron (20°) options, the UDI features TaylorMade’s renowned Speed Pocket Technology. This tour-proven technology allows the face to flex more efficiently for better distance and greater consistency. In addition, this key design element is instrumental to creating the high launch conditions golfers experience with UDI. Other features include an advanced sound dampening system for a soft feel and a crisp sound that appeals to low handicappers.

UDI was first introduced on the PGA Tour during the Quicken Loans National at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, where eventual champion Justin Rose elected to put the UDI in the bag. Firm and fast course conditions, which rivaled those of the 2010 U.S. Open at Congressional, made UDI a popular choice off the tee for Rose. TaylorMade is anticipating more golfers to put the UDI in play this week at the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.

With a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $229.99 CDN, the UDI will be available at retail in Canada starting August 1, 2014.

Graham DeLaet, Canada’s top ranked male professional golfer, will be sporting red and white each round when the 2014 RBC Canadian Open takes to The Royal Montreal Golf Club later this month.

Here’s a look at exactly what he’ll be wearing.

Top 10 Greenside Bunker Shots on the PGA Tour

Check out the top 10 shots greenside bunker shots on the PGA Tour (excluding majors), featuring heartbreaking shots, plugged lies and clutch finishes.

The PGA of Canada recently announced the launch of the PGA of Canada Trade-In Network.

The new national program enables golfers to trade-in their used golf clubs at any participating PGA of Canada Trade-In Network golf shop and apply the value of their trade-in towards the purchase of new golf equipment.

The program is closely based on a model which has proven very successful in the United States, where more than 12-million golfers to-date have tapped the value of their current used clubs in order to get into the latest technology at their local PGA Professional-staffed golf shop.

The PGA of Canada anticipates Canadian golfers will be equally as enthusiastic about stepping up to better equipment in the most economical way.

With the recent launch of the program, all PGA of Canada Professional-staffed golf shops now have the option to accept trade-ins towards new purchases. Most are just beginning to actively promote the new service to their members and customers.

As with all new consumer services, raising awareness is vital.

PGA of Canada Professional Lee Drydek, who has been actively promoting trade-ins at The Club at North Halton in Georgetown, Ont., has seen a very positive response to the trade-in opportunity from his customers.

“Everyone is aware they can trade-in their used cars and cell phones when it’s time for an upgrade, but they’re often surprised to hear they can do the same with their golf clubs,” Drydek says.

Drydek says that trading-up is the best way to stay current.

“Most of us wouldn’t consider hanging on to our cellphones for more than a couple years, yet many players have clubs in their bags that are several years behind in terms of their game-improvement technology,” he says. “An old cell phone will still make a call, but the new ones are so much easier to use and more powerful. It’s much the same with golf clubs. Trading-up is a great way for golfers of all skill levels to get into new equipment that will improve their performance, and by extension, their enjoyment of the game.”

The process of trading-up is made to be simple. Golfers can visit the PGA of Canada’s Trade-In Network website (http://tradein.pgaofcanada.com) to look up the trade-in value of their used clubs, print a trade-in estimate, and go to their local participating PGA of Canada Trade-In Network golf shop to receive a credit towards a new purchase. If no participating golf shop is nearby, golfers can contact the PGA of Canada Trade-In Network and they will facilitate the shipment of your trade-ins for direct payment.

Josh Gardner

Josh Gardner never expected to be rescuing anything more than some bad golf swings when he went to work as head pro at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club this past weekend.

However, the Calgarian got the shock of a lifetime when, mid-lesson, a minivan lost control and traveled onto the course and into one of the ponds.

“I heard a bang and then I saw it go airborne, through the air, right into the middle of the pond,” he told the Calgary Sun.

Gardner instructed his students to call 911 as he tried to yell for the man’s attention. When he didn’t respond, Gardner says he “just made the choice to go into the water,” which he later described as his “natural instinct” in the situation.

Gardner took action as the van started sinking, “I didn’t think twice, I just knew he was going down and someone had to get in the water and help him,” he added in his interview with the Sun’s Jenna McMurray.

The van had traveled about 20m out into the center of the pond and was sinking in water he estimates to be about 12 meters deep.

Gardner got the man free from his seatbelt, as the water rapidly passed his chest level, and swam him toward the shore where bystanders were ready to help him onto land.

Belief that someone else might have still been trapped in the van sent Gardner out into the pond again, but fortunately there was no one else inside the van as it submerged.

Divers from The Calgary Fire Department’s Aquatics Rescue team arrived and confirmed there was no one else inside of the vehicle.

The rescued driver, a man in his 40s, was taken to hospital and the cause of the incident was under investigation.

“It’s a great feeling, but really I just did what anybody would do,” he coyly added.

Milaina Wright

CAMBRIDGE, Ont. – Bruno Event Team, a Birmingham, Ala.-based sports marketing and event management team, announced today that Milaina Wright has been appointed the position of tournament director for the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic.  Wright will oversee the popular LPGA event in Cambridge, Ontario, beginning August 5^th.

“We are thrilled to have Milaina join our team,” stated Gene Hallman, president and CEO, Bruno Event Team. “We worked with Sports Properties International to find the perfect candidate to lead the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic team for us as the event transitions to Whistle Bear Golf Club in Cambridge. We couldn’t be happier to bring Milaina on board. She brings a wealth of industry knowledge and experience to an already successful tournament, and we know she will be a great fit for this community and for this event.”

Wright replaces outgoing tournament director Richard Kuypers, who was also previous employed by Golf Canada prior to his appointment as tournament director of the Manulife LPGA Classic. Kuypers left his role with the Bruno team to join Molson Coors Canada in sponsorships & events.

Wright is the latest to join the Bruno Event Team and brings extensive experience in professional golf tournament management with both the LPGA Tour and PGA TOUR. During her seven year tenure with Golf Canada, most recently in the role of manager of professional championships, Wright played an integral role in conducting Canada’s Men’s and Women’s National Open Championships – the RBC Canadian Open and the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open – where she was involved in various aspects of tournament operations, sponsorships, volunteer recruitment and player relations. Wright has also worked for the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport carrying out the Canadian Anti-Doping Program at various national and international competitions including the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. A graduate of both Colgate University (Bachelor of Arts) and Brock University (Master of Art in Applied Health Sciences), Wright is a former women’s collegiate basketball player at both the NCAA Division I and CIS level.

“I’m delighted to join Bruno Event Team and start working on this exciting event,” stated Wright.  “I look forward to working with Sports Properties International and an incredible title sponsor, Manulife.  I know it will be fulfilling to work on such a great event, which is so well supported and celebrated by the community.”

Since the tournament’s inception in 2011, Ontario-based Sports Properties International hired Bruno Event Team to manage all aspects of the LPGA tournament, including marketing, sales, operations, volunteer coordination, sponsor and player relations and all event logistics.

The Manulife Financial LPGA Classic will take place June 3-7, 2015, at its new home Whistle Bear Golf Club, remaining within Waterloo Region in Cambridge, Ontario.  In its first three years, the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic has seen more than 184,000 spectators pass through the gates at Grey Silo. Inbee Park, from South Korea received the top-honor this year, tying a course record with a 10-under 61, making it her 10th LPGA Tour title. Park finished three shots ahead of World Ranked No. 13 Cristie Kerr.

For more information on the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic, visit www.manulifeclassic.ca.

It was just another spring morning at Bethpage Golf Course in Farmingdale, New York. Local golfers flocking to the picturesque clubhouse, warming up and congregating at the driving range. These unsuspecting local golfers were oblivious to how their experience was about to get even better.

Fresh from Pinehurst, N.C. and on his way to the Travelers Championship where he finished tied for second,, Sergio Garcia made a quick pit-stop in Long Island. Watch the video below to see highlights from the day.

Garcia’s ambush was all part of TaylorMade Golf’s “Distance for All” campaign, which promotes the company’s new SLDR S driver.  The SLDR S driver is designed to fit a wide variety of golfers and deliver distance regardless of swing speed. Click here to learn more about the SLDR S family of metalwoods.

It was just another spring morning at Bethpage Golf Course in Farmingdale, New York. Local golfers flocking to the picturesque clubhouse, warming up and congregating at the driving range. These unsuspecting local golfers were oblivious to how their experience was about to get even better.

Fresh from Pinehurst, N.C. and on his way to the Travelers Championship where he finished tied for second,, Sergio Garcia made a quick pit-stop in Long Island. Watch the video below to see highlights from the day.

Garcia’s ambush was all part of TaylorMade Golf’s “Distance for All” campaign, which promotes the company’s new SLDR S driver.  The SLDR S driver is designed to fit a wide variety of golfers and deliver distance regardless of swing speed. Click here to learn more about the SLDR S family of metalwoods.

If there is a silver lining to Billy Walsh’s second consecutive loss in the finals of the PGA Championship of Canada sponsored by Mr. Lube and presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf it is that he’s headed to the RBC Canadian Open at The Royal Montreal Golf Club.

Once again, Walsh, the No. 1 ranked player coming into the championship, had a stellar week as he finished the match play tournament at 5-1 at ClubLink’s awesome Wyndance Golf Club designed by the one-and-only Greg Norman.

No. 3 seed, Dave Levesque from Pure Golf Experience in Montreal rallied from 2-down after 10 holes to win 2-up. The 40-year-old, who worked for ClubLink at The Country Club and RattleSnake Point Golf Cclub from 2007 through 2010, takes home a first-place cheque for $15,000, but more importantly gets his name on the storied P. D. Ross Trophy alongside the likes of; Moe Norman, Bob Panasik, George Knudson, Lee Trevino, Al Balding, Arnold Palmer and many other golf legends.

“If you had told me on Tuesday morning before I teed it up that I would finish second and stay on top of the points race to get into the RBC Canadian Open I would have taken it right then and there,” said Walsh who was all-square with Levesque after 13 holes. Uncharacteristically, Walsh missed the fairway with his drives on Nos. 14, 15 and 16. He found himself trailing by two heading to the par-3, 17^th. Walsh won that hole with a par, as Levesque missed the green with his 210-yard tee shot and then two-putted to take the championship to No. 18.

With Levesque out-distancing Walsh 30 to 40 yards on every hole, both players hit the fairway, on the par-5 with their drives. Walsh’s second shot drifted left down into the sand pit. It took nearly the full five minutes before a spectator found Walsh’s ball amongst the dozens in the waste area. After taking an unplayable penalty and missing his next putt, Walsh conceded the loss.

“I focused a lot of my energy on this morning’s round because I knew if I won it I would get the exemption into the Canadian (Open) and that really has been my goal all season,” said Walsh, who earned $10,000 for finishing second. “When I won that one it felt like a big weight was lifted off my shoulders and I might have lost a bit of my edge.”

Walsh said when he was 2-up after 10 holes, he started to think about winning the championship and that might have thrown him off his game a bit, rather than just playing a hole at a time. Craig Smith, who caddied for Walsh throughout the week, will caddie for him when the PGA Tour goes to Royal Montreal.

“My goal for the RBC Canadian Open is to play really well. I want to focus on playing my game and see how I do. I want to play well on Thursday and Friday and see where that puts me. I might miss the cut by five or I might be in the top-10, but I just want to play well,” added Walsh who picked up 50 ranking points and remains as the No. 1-ranked player from the PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC. In the third place match, Chris Barber, the No. 15 seed bested the No. 60 seed Christophe Belair.

When it came to the golf course, the two finalists heaped praise on the award-winning Greg Norman design and the course conditioning. “It’s a very unique design. You don’t see this style of design very often. Greg Norman did an awesome job,” Walsh said, noting the greens were some of the best he’s ever putted on.

“This is the first time I have played the course. It’s the only ClubLink course that I didn’t get to play when I was working here and I loved playing it. It’s one of the best ClubLink courses I have played,” said Levesque who moved into second place in the player rankings after picking up 60 points for the win. “I took so many photographs during my practice round to bring back with me to show everyone because it’s so beautiful.”

Craig Smith and Billy Walsh (Brent Long)

CALGARY—A stellar field of golfers playing an enhanced golf course will combine to raise significant money for youth-based charities in southern Alberta at the 2014 Shaw Charity Classic.

Shaw Communications has announced it will commit $1.275 million to YouthLink Calgary Police Interpretive Centre and Hull Services – the title sponsor’s two official charitable partners for the second annual Champions Tour event in Calgary.

“On behalf of my family and our 14,000 employees across Canada, we are proud to support two fantastic local charities that help educate and support the well-being of our children,” said Brad Shaw, CEO, Shaw Communications. “As an international event that supports our community, the Shaw Charity Classic has quickly become a hallmark event on the Calgary summer calendar. We look forward to continuing to work with our Champions Tour and Patron Group partners to make it even more successful in 2014.”

Tournament officials also confirmed it will support a handful of other youth-based charities in southern Alberta through the 2014 event including: Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta; KidSport Calgary; Children’s Wish Foundation (Alberta and N.W.T.); Ronald McDonald House of Southern Alberta; United Way All-In for Youth; and Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre.

“The Shaw Charity Classic has always been focused on providing Calgarians with the opportunity to witness elite golf to raise money to support children’s charities in southern Alberta,” said Sean Van Kesteren, tournament director, Shaw Charity Classic. “We are grateful of Shaw’s continued support in helping us stay true to our mission.”

YouthLink Calgary is a Calgary Police Foundation funded program that educates youth about crime and its consequences, and helps teach parents and educators how to begin discussions with their children about sensitive and timely topics such as Internet safety, how to handle bullies, how to say no to peer pressure involving drugs and alcohol, and how to recognize the many faces of exploitation and abuse.

Abuse and neglect in childhood leads to behavioural and mental health issues that are painful and costly. Hull Services breaks the cycle with programs designed to end children’s mental health issues as a problem in our community. For more than 50 years, Hull has changed the direction for thousands of children and their families.

Brad Fritsch named Forces & Families Open golf ambassador

TORONTO – Perfect for summer’s longer days, warmer weather and extra hours on the golf course, Nike Golf introduces two new footwear styles inspired by more than four decades of Nike’s deep roots in athletic shoe design.

Available July 1, Nike Golf’s new Lunar Waverly and Lunar Mont Royal join the Lunar Clayton.

Nike Golf designers drew inspiration from Nike’s footwear heritage to create innovative styles inspired by iconic running and court sport silhouettes designed for both on and off the golf course.

“The Lunar Waverly and Lunar Mont Royal were really inspired by classic Nike footwear styles, and we adapted those designs for athletes who want a golf shoe with versatile appeal,” says Carl Madore, Nike Golf Innovation Design Lead. “These are shoes with incredible performance technology that are great for playing 18 holes or wearing before or after the round, too. You can hit balls at the driving range on your lunch break without ever changing your shoes. These styles are modeled after some of Nike’s first shoes but modernized to perform specifically for our sport.”

The iconic Nike waffle sole featured on the Lunar Waverly and Lunar Mont Royal provides a more aggressive tread for superior grip and controlon course, while echoing Nike’s storied history in athletic footwear.

Lunar Waverly – Available July 1, 2014  – CDN: $150

Madore and team crafted the Lunar Waverly to be just as comfortable on the course as it is off.

Partnering with the Nike Sports Research Lab, Nike Golf designers used pressure-mapping analysis to zero in on how the foot moves during the swing and determine the size, height, hardness and overall configuration of the waffle lugs. The footwear team brought that pressure mapping to life through visible color patterns on a traditional Nike waffle outsole reminiscent of the company’s very first footwear styles, featuring superior grip and traction within an iconic tread pattern.

Nike Dynamic Flywire technology combines with a rubber cup-sole for lateral support, surrounded by a premium waterproof full-grain leather upper. For the first time ever, Nike Golf designers utilized cork for the sock liner — incredibly comfortable and extremely lightweight, the anti-microbial material helps prevent odor and provides a distinctive design detail, while full-length Nike Lunarlon foam delivers maximum responsive cushioning.

Lunar Mont Royal Available July 1, 2014 – CDN: $110

When the Nike Montreal was unveiled in 1975, it was the brand’s first signature shoe designed for running legend Steve Prefontaine. Nearly 40 years later, Nike Golf is bringing the Montreal’s iconic color blocking design and running-inspired silhouette to the golf course in the Lunar Mont Royal.

Featuring Lunarlon foam in the heel and modern no-sew technology in the midfoot, the Mont Royal also utilizes the traditional Nike waffle sole for incredible grip and control. Tapping into insights from performance testing, Nike Golf footwear designers constructed the outsole with waffle tread rolling up around the toe and inner side of the foot to maintain traction through the swing as the foot pushes off the ground.

Lunar Clayton – CDN: $250

Launched in early 2014, the Lunar Clayton celebrates the heritage and history of golf while providing athletes with superior comfort and a supportive fit in a premium, handcrafted shoe that is a versatile option for both on and off the course.