Top 10 Colourful PGA Tour players

The modern era of golf has brought a colourful new look to the game. Check out the 10 most colorful players on the PGA Tour as selected by PGA TOUR Entertainment.

USGA announces 2014 U.S. Open sectional qualifying sites

The United States Golf Association (USGA) has announced the sectional qualifying sites for the 2014 U.S. Open Championship, which will be held at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club’s Course No. 2, in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C., on June 12-15.

Sectional qualifying, conducted over 36 holes, will be held on June 2nd at 10 sites in the U.S. For the 10th consecutive year, Japan and England will host international qualifying, which is scheduled for May 26.

Woodmont Country Club, in Rockville, Md., will host U.S. Open sectional qualifying for the 27th time in the last 28 years. The club, which moved to its current location in 1950, has two 18-hole courses (North and South). In 2013, Russell Knox, Mathew Goggin and Matt Bettencourt qualified for the U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club from this sectional, and all three went on to make the cut in the championship.

In Memphis, Tenn., Colonial Country Club’s North and South courses will host a sectional qualifier for the third time since 2007. Kevin Sutherland, at age 48, was one of five players who qualified in 2013 from this sectional. He tied for 67th at the U.S. Open Championship. Colonial was a U.S. Open local qualifying site in 2013 and will host again this year, on May 7.

The Columbus, Ohio; Purchase, N.Y.; and Daly City, Calif., sectional sites will use two courses. In Ohio, Brookside Golf and Country Club and Scioto Country Club, which will host the 2016 U.S. Senior Open, will be partnered for the first time. Old Oaks Country Club and Century Country Club will make up a sectional site in New York for the third time in six years. Lake Merced Golf Club and The Olympic Club’s Ocean Course are the courses in Northern California. Lake Merced has hosted two USGA championships. The Olympic Club’s Ocean Course was the companion course to the club’s Lake Course for the 2007 U.S. Amateur Championship and the Ocean and Lake courses will host the inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship in May 2015.

Ansley Golf Club’s Settindown Creek Course is a U.S. Open sectional qualifying site for the fifth time since 2004. Russell Henley was the medalist as an amateur at this site in 2010 and would go on to tie for 16th in the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links. Springfield Country Club in Ohio will host sectional qualifying for the fifth consecutive year and sixth time in seven years.

For the fourth time since 2006, Emerald Valley Golf Club, in Creswell, Ore., will be a U.S. Open sectional qualifying site. Lakeside Country Club, in Houston, previously hosted in 2006 and 2012. Quail Valley Golf Club, in Vero Beach, Fla., served as a sectional site in 2011.

England’s Walton Heath Golf Club and Japan’s Nara International Golf Club are the international sectional qualifying sites. Walton Heath, which is hosting for the 10th consecutive year, is where Michael Campbell, of New Zealand, qualified in the first year of international qualifying en route to winning the 2005 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.

Ken Venturi (1964) and Orville Moody (1969) are the only players to win the U.S. Open after qualifying through both local and sectional play. Jerry Pate (1976), Steve Jones (1996), Michael Campbell (2005) and Lucas Glover (2009) have won as sectional qualifiers.

To be eligible for qualifying, a player must have a Handicap Index/Factor not exceeding 1.4, or be a professional. Local qualifying, which will be played over 18 holes at 111 sites in the U.S., takes place between May 2-19.

Online player registration for the 2014 U.S. Open began March 5 and continues through April 23 at 5 p.m. EDT.

Kia Canada and David Hearn have agreed to extend their relationship through 2016.

As a proud ambassador, Hearn has represented the company on the PGA Tour for the past two years, competing with the Kia logo on the chest of his golf shirt, while also representing the company off the course –using a Kia vehicle to support his lifestyle.

The new partnership will see Hearn working with Kia to build unique content for its social platforms and dealer activations.

“I am thrilled to continue my partnership with Kia, representing the company in Canada and in the golf space,” said Hearn.

The new partnership will also leverage Hearn’s success and increased profile from the 2013 season. After turning pro in 2011, Hearn has had three solid seasons on the PGA Tour and has become known for his sharp short game and consistent play.

Starting off the 2014 season, Hearn has already recorded three top-10 finishes, representing Canada at the World Cup of Golf with an individual tie for 8th and overall 5th place finish for Canada. Hearn also tied for 6th at the Honda Classic.

In 2013, Hearn made seven top-25 finishes including two top-10’s – a second place finish in a playoff at the John Deere Classic and a tie for 8th at the Puerto Rico Open.

Kia is already involved in golf globally, with a strong presence on the LPGA Tour. Kia has gained significant presence in golf as the title sponsor of the LPGA KIA Classic since 2010. In addition to sponsoring the event, Kia is also official automotive partner of the LPGA, the official tournament vehicle for five LPGA Tour events and has an integral relationship with the LPGA through the Kia Performance Awards, which recognizes outstanding achievements by some of the best golfers in the world.

Virginia man shoots perfect score in putt-putt

Rick Baird, an IT manager out of Richmond, Va., shot a perfect score in putt-putt. That’s right, he one-putted all 18 holes in succession.

Unlike miniature golf, putt-putt is played on official courses void of windmills, gators, pirate ships or any other obstacles.

Baird became one of only three people to record a perfect 18 in putt-putt, a game that has been a sanctioned competition for more than 50 years.

Although the video is a few years old, we’re sure you’ll enjoy it.

(Vancouver Sun) – There are no cuts at most collegiate golf tournaments, although UBC coach Chris MacDonald and his men’s and women’s teams survived an important one last week off the course.

The golf programs made it through the second and final stage of UBC’s sports review and will play on. After missing the cut in the first stage of that review, it looked like the programs would be axed.

But MacDonald convinced the UBC brass that the programs were worth saving in a massive 120-page brief he presented to the sports review panel last month.

Continue reading…

USGA to institute international qualifying for U.S. Women’s Open

In recognition of the global growth and strength of women’s golf, the United States Golf Association (USGA) will introduce international qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Open Championship, beginning in 2014.

The 2014 U.S. Women’s Open will be conducted June 19-22 at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club (Course No. 2) in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C.

Fourteen foreign-born players have won the U.S. Women’s Open a total of 18 times, including two-time and defending champion Inbee Park, of the Republic of Korea. Fay Crocker, of Uruguay, won the 1955 U.S. Women’s Open, becoming the first international winner in championship history. In recent years, international players have dominated the leader board, taking seven of the last nine championships and 13 of the last 19. Players from Korea have won five of the last six championships.

Officials from the China Golf Association, the Japan Golf Association, the Korea Golf Association and the Ladies European Tour will conduct international qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Open, which will be held at four sites on Monday, May 19.

Asia will have three qualifying sites – CGA Nanshan International Training Centre (Garden Course) in the People’s Republic of China, Higashi Nagoya Country Club in Japan and Woo Jeong Hills Country Club in Korea. Buckinghamshire Golf Club in England will host European qualifying.

Also, effective in 2014, the USGA Handicap Index^® limit for the U.S. Women’s Open has been lowered to 2.4 from 4.4. The change comes in recognition of the rapid and tremendous growth of women’s amateur golf, and will serve to strengthen the 69th U.S. Women’s Open field.

The Handicap Index limit was set at 4.4 for the 1972 U.S. Women’s Open, and has remained unchanged. Since then, more than 350 amateur golfers have qualified for the championship, including future winners Paula Creamer, Kathy (Baker) Guadagnino, Juli Inkster, Cristie Kerr, Murle Lindstrom, Hilary Lunke, Inbee Park, Annika Sorenstam and Hollis Stacy. Four amateurs have finished second: Nancy Lopez (1975); Jenny Chuasiriporn (1998, in a playoff); and Brittany Lang and Morgan Pressel (2005). Catherine Lacoste (1967) is the only amateur player to win the Women’s Open.

U.S.A.’s Olympic golf uniforms unveiled

USA Golf Federation, the governing body for U.S.A.’s golf team in the Olympics, said adidas Golf will provide uniforms for golfers, coaches and the staff at Rio.

Golf returns to the Olympics in 2016.

Andy Levinson, the executive director of USA Golf, said the adidas logo will not be visible on the uniform, which should come as good news to Tiger Woods if he is eligible and chooses to play in the 2016 Olympics. Woods has been a Nike client his entire career.

Along with outfitting the men’s and women’s American teams, adidas Golf will have a line of USA Golf-branded apparel that will be introduced late this year.

.@adidasGolf to be Official Outfitter for 2016 U.S. Olympic Golf Team: http://t.co/SOSzAxGeGJ @Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/jXtjrSjPY2

— Back9Network (@Back9Network) March 4, 2014

(Hamilton Spectator) – It’s probably a good thing he was named Golden Horseshoe Athlete of the Year. If only to break the string of ridiculously bad luck Mackenzie Hughes has been dealing with recently.

In his first year as a pro, the 23-year-old golfer from Dundas, Ont. led the PGA Tour Canada in earnings, was named player of the year, earned his Web.com Tour exemption for this full season and qualified for the U.S. Open where he narrowly missed making the cut.

“I would definitely have to give it an A,” he says of his season. “I wouldn’t give it an A+. I would’ve liked to be a little more consistent at times.”

So with all this good stuff, what’s all this talk about bad luck?

Well, earlier this month, a little more than a week before the first event of his new season, he was stopped at a red light in his new car — the first vehicle he’d ever bought that had only 1,500 kilometres on it — when another car blasted him from behind.

“Out of nowhere I get rear-ended at 60 miles an hour,” he says.

The force of the blow sent his car flying into the vehicle in front leaving his new ride looking rather accordion-like.

Fortunately he wasn’t injured other than some soreness in his lower back and neck. So he headed off to play that first event in Colombia a few days later. Except his flight out of Houston was horribly delayed. So instead of arriving mid-afternoon, he touched down at 1 a.m.

Which is when he found out the pro-am in which he was required to play wasn’t scheduled for the next day as he’d been told, but for that day. Better yet, he had a 7 a.m. tee time leaving him just a couple hours to sleep in the room he was sharing with Canadian Albin Choi.

Trouble was, getting to the hotel much later than expected meant the staff had filled the place, leaving only one room available. One with a single king-sized bed.

“It was a big bed,” Hughes laughs. “We know each other well enough to say, ‘Here’s the boundary, stay on your side.'”

That could be the end of the story. It isn’t.

When he got to the course in the morning, he had to quickly find and hire a caddie. Yet finding someone who spoke English proved to be a considerable challenge. With some help, he eventually stumbled on Miguel.

“He was maybe five-feet tall,” Hughes chuckles. “He was 68 years old. He was about as big as my bag. I’m thinking, this should work out well.”

And for the first round, it actually did. On the dry, hard course, he played clean and even touched fifth place on the leaderboard before wrapping up at even par. Then about a minute before he was to tee off for Round 2, the heavens opened and near-flood conditions ensued.

When he finally got back onto the course, the track was playing 180-degrees differently than it had during his warmup hours before. The trampoline had become a sponge.

“It cost me probably two or three shots where I probably played the wrong shot,” he says.

Which, of course, caused him to just miss the cut.

So, yeah, this award comes at just about a perfect time. He was due for something good to happen.

Outtakes from Bubba’s new PGATOUR.com commercial

Bubba Watson’s new PGA Tour commercial is great, but the outtakes are even better.

The commercial is promoting the newly designed PGATour.com, which launched to mixed reactions. In the first commercial of the campaign, Watson tells the guys who built it “these guys are good.” A play on the long-time PGA Tour commercial starring actual golfers.

Here’s the commercial.

Outtakes from the making of Bubba’s commercial are below.

More commercials are set to air featuring Graeme McDowell and Ian Poulter. Go behind the scenes of all three shoots in the video below.

Adams Golf  has unveiled its Pro Hybrid, the latest in the company’s line of industry-changing hybrids.

Adams’ Pro Hybrid is designed to work for players of all skill levels. Incorporating preferences from Tour players and the most beneficial attributes from the company’s award-winning models, engineers created a hybrid that plays as a true transitional club between the iron and metal wood.

“We refined the playability through numerous iterations so all players, from PGA Tour stars to recreational golfers, can replace their current hybrids with these easy-to-hit models” said Michael Fox, Director of Global Product Management for Adams Golf. “Our player testing group raved about the forgiveness, but was also quick to note an improvement in distance, compared to existing models.”

Featuring patented high moment of inertia upside-down head shaping, the Pro Hybrid follows a blueprint that has proven to make consistent contact easier for golfers of all skill levels. Patented Velocity Slot Technology on the crown and Cut-Thru Slot technology on the sole combine with an ultra-thin face to add forgiveness and flexion, making it effortless to catapult the ball online towards its intended target.

Repositioning the center of gravity (CG) behind the center of the face enhances the workability of the club for players who favour shot-shaping.

The Pro hybrid family also consists of the Pro Mini for low-handicap players with high swing-speeds and the Pro DHy, based off the successful design of the Super DHy, one of the most popular clubs on the PGA Tour in 2013.

All versions of the Pro Hybrid will ship to pro shops and specialty golf retailers on April 1, 2014. With an manufacturers suggested retail price of of $229.99, the clubs will include Aldila Tour series graphite shafts.

Lofts for the Pro Hybrid and Pro Mini are 16°, 18°, 20°, 23° and 26°, while the Pro DHy is offered in 18°, 21°, 24° and 27°.

With four-way stretch technology and a sweater-like feel, Nike’s Hyperadapt Wind jacket provides comfort and protection in a lighter, windproof and rain-resistant version perfect for spring.

Unlike baggy, bigger and bulky outwear of the past that generated distracting noise, the Hyperadapt Wind is designed to fit and move with your body without extra fabric.

“The four-way stretch laminate through the back, shoulders and upper arms maximizes range of motion and eliminates distractions, and the lightweight outer shell provides superior protection from the elements for all day performance and comfort on the course,” says Merritt Richardson, Nike Golf VP of Global Golf Apparel.

Inspired by a car with a see-through, engine-exposing hood one of the designers saw in a parking lot on Nike’s Beaverton, Ore., campus, the Nike Golf apparel team incorporated a half-zip, transparent outer shell that showcases the jacket’s technical details inside and out. A “v”-shaped panel underneath incorporates bonded mesh within the Hyperadapt construction for added breathability and mobility where golfers need it most.

In addition to a performance-driven design, the Hyperadapt Wind jacket is sustainable, too – recycled coffee grounds were used in part to make the windproof coating on the outer shell, which also helps reduce odor from perspiration and assists in UV protection.

The Hyperadapt Wind jacket features elastic cuffs to keep sleeves from moving up and down during a swing, as well as an adjustable waist and a back pocket for storage.

It’s now available at golf retailers at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $140.

(Golf Channel) – Two years from now, when golf rejoins the Olympic Games for the first time since 1904, records will be broken. There have been some notable improvements in technology over that span of 112 years, so it goes without much wonder that on the still unfinished course 15 miles southwest of Rio de Janeiro, the world’s best players will set new Olympic marks in such categories as driving distance, total putting and, of course, scoring average.

One record, though, no matter how long golf remains a part of the Games and thrives in this role, will likely live on for eternity: Most creative gold medal presentation.

When George S. Lyon, a 46-year-old Canadian who didn’t take up the game until his late-30s, defeated H. Chandler Egan on the 34th hole of the match play final at Glen Echo Country Club the last time golf was contested, he was called to the podium to receive his award. A record-holder in the pole vault who also played baseball, cricket and tennis, Lyon was also known as a lovable jokester. He promptly stood up, then turned himself upside-down and walked on his hands to receive the golden prize.

It’s difficult to imagine Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy replicating that feat in Brazil.

It is similarly difficult to imagine such a momentous upset. Egan was the reigning U.S. Amateur champion, an astonishingly long hitter by that generation’s standards who had also won the pre-tournament long-drive contest. Comparatively, Lyon was a rube. He’d been playing golf for less than a decade, owned a bad case of chronic hay fever and worked his days as an insurance salesman.

In the final match, however, it was the sturdy Lyon who continually outdrove his younger competitor. When Egan hooked his tee shot on the challenging 16^th hole into an adjacent pond, Lyon’s par was enough for a 3-and-2 victory, one that remains celebrated to this day with a plaque on that tee box.

It was the culmination of a busy week on Glen Echo’s grounds. The schedule included the aforementioned long drive competition, team events and even a contest on a lighted putting green. The main event, however, was the men’s tournament, despite some of the game’s top players failing to show.

“The entries for the Olympic championship were rather disappointing, particularly so in those from the East,” wrote Crafts W. Higgins shortly thereafter in The Golfers’ Magazine. “The known apathy of New Yorkers for any Western event should have been taken into consideration.”

The champion understood this sentiment and offered his usual humility. After accepting the gold medal upside-down, he would later tell the Toronto Star, “I am not foolish enough to think that I am the best player in the world, but I am satisfied that I am not the worst.”

Lyon’s extended run as the reigning Olympic golf champion will soon come to an end, but the memories endure at Glen Echo. The country’s oldest 18-hole golf course west of the Mississippi River features a flag with the Olympic rings flying just inside its front gates, a torch outside its clubhouse and various forms of memorabilia scattered throughout the property.

Click here to continue reading this article from Golf Channel’s Jason Sobel.

Mike Weir wins 2014 Heart Award

LondonOntarioGolf.com has announced that Canadian golf legend and 2003 Masters Tournament champion, Mike Weir, has been named the recipient of the 2014 London Ontario Golf Heart Award.

LondonOntarioGolf.com (est. 2005) celebrates its 10^th season in 2014. In 2011, publisher and editor, Jeffrey Reed established the Heart Award to recognize members of the Greater London golf industry who unselfishly give back to the game of golf. The Heart Award recipient is honoured within the categories of golf professionals/instructors, golf mentors, golf course owners/operators, golf course architects/designers and members of the media.

Previous recipients of the London Ontario Golf Heart Award include: long-time Fanshawe Golf Club head professional Mike Olizarevitch (2011), who was instrumental in creating the Parkside Nine golf course where those who have suffered a stroke, those affected by heart disease, and anyone who is physically challenged can play golf; Fred Kern (2012), a long-time Thames Valley Golf Club head professional and Tyson Tour convenor; and Patty Howard (2013), the first female head professional at a mixed club in Canada, who after 40 years of service in the golf industry, retired this past December.

“Without a doubt, Mike Weir has made an unparalleled impact on local golf, extending beyond his roots in Bright’s Grove, Ontario,” said Reed. “I’ve covered Mike’s progress on the links since he was a two-time winner of the Junior Tyson Tour’s Les Thomas Trophy (1986-87). Because of his success on the golf course, including that memorable win at the 2003 Masters Tournament, and concurrently because of what he has done off the course with the Mike Weir Foundation, and Mike Weir Miracle Golf Drive, Mike has inspired members of the golf community in the Greater London area – including me – to achieve greatness in their own lives.”

“With my roots in Southwestern Ontario, it is an honour to be recognized by LondonOntarioGolf.com as the 2014 Heart Award recipient,” said Weir. “It is great that the London Ontario Golf Heart Award brings attention to the Heart & Stroke Foundation and promotes a healthy active lifestyle. As a PGA TOUR professional, fitness and heart health are of the utmost importance. With some of the best golf facilities in the province right in my backyard, as a kid it was easy to walk the course and stay active. The Greater London area is home to many premier courses, which provide a great test for junior and amateur golfers who have the ambition to play on the PGA TOUR one day.”

Born less than an hour west of London in Bright’s Grove, Weir honed his skills under former coach Steve Bennett’s watchful eye at Huron Oaks Golf Club. Weir won the 1986 Canadian Juvenile Championship, 1988 Ontario Junior Championship, and the 1990 and 1992 Ontario Amateur Championship. In 2010, he was inducted into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame.

A graduate of Brigham Young University, Weir was the Canadian Tour (now PGA TOUR Canada) Rookie of the Year in 1993, and Order of Merit winner in 1997. In 1999, Weir won his first PGA TOUR title at the 1999 Air Canada Championship with a two-stroke victory over Fred Funk, becoming the first Canadian to win on Tour since Richard Zokol won the 1992 Greater Milwaukee Open, and the first Canadian to win on native soil since Pat Fletcher won the 1954 Canadian Open.

Weir emerged as one of the game’s brightest stars with his Masters victory, a dramatic playoff win over Len Mattiace. His breakthrough year on the PGA TOUR earned him the 2003 Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada’s top athlete of the year and the Lionel Conacher Award, given to Canada’s top male athlete of the year, an award he previously won in 2000 and 2001. In total, Weir has won eight times on the PGA TOUR, has competed as part of five Presidents Cup squads, and six times competed in the World Cup of Golf.

On a national level, Weir’s success and contributions through charitable work have attributed to two Order of Canada inductions (2007, 2009). In 2009, Weir was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

Weir has used his success as a professional golfer as a platform for helping other families in need with the creation of the Mike Weir Foundation in 2004. Mike launched a national fundraising program through his foundation, called the Mike Weir Miracle Golf Drive for Kids, supporting Children’s Miracle Network. The first Mike Weir Miracle Golf Drive tournament in 2007, held at Sunningdale Golf and Country Club in London, Ontario, raised $562,000 for the Children’s Hospital of Western Ontario. Since 2007, the Mike Weir Foundation and the Mike Weir Miracle Golf Drive for Kids has raised close to $5 million for Children’s Miracle Network partner hospitals.

Today, Weir lives in Sandy, Utah with his wife, Bricia, and their daughters, Elle and Lili – but he remains an ambassador for Canadian golf.

“London Ontario Golf is honoured to have Mike Weir as our newest winner of the Heart Award,” said Reed. “His support of the London and area community, and his status as the greatest Canadian golfer of all time have both equally inspired all generations of golfers in Southwestern Ontario. We look forward to celebrating with the Weir family this June.” Details of the June award ceremony will be announced soon.

Living near green space or a golf course can help you live longer

(CBC News) -Most people expect that getting married or a promotion will make them happier. But how many realize that living near a park can do the same thing?

A recent study of major U.K. cities showed that when communities are surrounded by more green space, life expectancy increases significantly.

The world is currently on track for an estimated 1.3 billion people to become city dwellers between now and 2030, said Alan Logan, co-author of Your Brain on Nature.

With denser cities increasing pressure on green space, negative consequences for human health may be the result. Access to green space is clearly a public health issue, said Logan.

Nature exposure influences the natural killer cells that defend us against the common cold, influenza and cancer, he said.

In a Japanese study, a group spending three days in a forest setting produced significantly more natural killer cells in their bodies than a group that spent three days sightseeing in the city, said Logan. The positive results persisted for at least a month.

It’s not known exactly what causes this effect but phytoncides may be partly responsible. These are chemicals secreted into the air from trees, especially evergreens. They have been shown in the lab to stimulate the production of killer cells. They hover in greatest concentrations in natural settings, such as forests, about four feet off the ground.

Nature’s positive effect on mental health is another important recent discovery.

Mental health and well-being is a critical modern public health issue, according to the World Health Organization, and depression is now the leading cause of disability in middle to high income countries. Increasing urbanization may be partly to blame because they tend to detach people from the natural environments they evolved in.

People moving to towns with more parks and gardens not only report greater well being than those without access to those amenities, but their improved mental health lasts for at least three years after their move, according to results of a study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology by Ian Alcock of the University of Exeter Medical School.

Manulife Financial has announced a multi-year partnerships with 2013 Women’s British Open Champion Stacy Lewis and up-and-coming Canadian professional Jennifer Kirby.  Both Lewis and Kirby will represent Manulife globally during the 2014 LPGA Tour season, donning Manulife branded apparel while they compete.

“We are proud to have world-class female athletes, Stacy and Jennifer, represent our brand as they travel the globe competing in many of the countries where we have business,” said Marianne Harrison, President and CEO, Manulife Canada. “We wish them the best of luck on the LPGA Tour this season and look forward to seeing them compete in Waterloo this June.”

Partnerships with the LPGA Tour and its athletes allow Manulife – which has operations in Canada, the United States and Asia – to increase its connections with clients and colleagues globally. Manulife will also become the official life and health insurance provider for both players.

This announcement builds on Manulife’s ongoing involvement in golf as the title sponsor of the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic. The third annual Manulife Financial LPGA Classic will be contested June 4-8 at Grey Silo Golf Course in Waterloo, Ontario.  Over its first two years, the tournament has attracted more than 125,000 spectators.

“I am excited to partner with Manulife as I begin my LPGA career,” said Jennifer Kirby. “They are a renowned Canadian brand whose headquarters are a short drive from where I grew up. Both their dedication to the community and commitment to our Tour make me proud to wear their logo around the world.”

Club Car recalling 1,800 golf carts

Club Car is recalling about 1,800 golf carts because of a safety issue that can put passengers at risk of falling out of the vehicle.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission said Tuesday that various sizes, models and colours of its 2012 Precedent 12 golf and transport vehicles are being recalled. The hip restraint on the passenger side of these vehicles can fracture, which puts passengers at risk for a fall.

The vehicles were sold at dealers nationwide in February of 2012 for between $5,000 and $8,000.

Club Car, based in Augusta, Ga., said it has received one report of an injury tied to the recall, in which a passenger fell and suffered bruised ribs.

Consumers should stop using the vehicle and contact Club Car for a free replacement of the restraint. The company is also contacting its customers directly.

The Kuchar’s Hawaiian Vacation

Team RBC’s Matt Kuchar recently took some time off to visit the explore the Hawaiian Islands with his family. Check out these video’s recapping his adventures below.

Nike Golf’s new Innovation Woven Cover-up, which moves with the body while keeping golfers warm and dry, combines comfort, warmth and protection.

“Golfers love wearing sweaters on the course. They’re soft and warm, and easy to move in, unlike a lot of jackets,” says Merritt Richardson, VP of Global Golf Apparel. “With the Innovation Woven Cover-up, there’s no need to choose one over the other or add layers. It’s the best of both worlds.”

Part of Nike Golf’s Stay Protected line, the Innovation Woven Cover-up features two technologies merged into one unique, hybrid design. The lightweight wind-and-water resistant Dri-FIT stretch woven body–the ‘jacket’–is breathable and protects against the elements. The 3D knit sleeves–the ‘sweater’–keeps warmth in and amplifies movement through the arms and shoulders.

“We’ve done a lot of research around the thermal properties of 3D knit and increased articulation for a better fit,” adds Richardson. “The knit is fabricated to be higher in certain zones to trap heat and offer flexibility, and dialed in around places like the elbow to reduce material and weight.”

The Nike Innovation Woven Cover-up, available now for $130, features a bonded seam down the back, eliminating stitching and added distractions. A traditional collar offers additional protection from chilly temperatures and wind.