Toronto – Nike Golf has introduced the Nike Lunar Clayton, a shoe celebrating the heritage and history of golf while providing athletes with exceptional comfort, supportive fit and an aesthetic appeal that’s just right both on and off the course.

The inspiration for the Clayton came to Nike Golf Footwear Product Line Manager Ryan Bucci while he was window-shopping in Florence, Italy.

“Handmade, Italian leather shoes are the essence of premium footwear,” Bucci says. “We saw that there was an opening in the marketplace for a high-quality, handcrafted golf shoe that we could marry with Nike technology to make it lighter, more comfortable and more wearable.”

To achieve the ultimate combination of craftsmanship and comfort, Nike Golf footwear designers combined a handcrafted, waterproof leather upper with lightweight Nike Lunarlon technology in the outsole for maximum responsive cushioning. A leather welt, often used in traditional methods of making shoes, joins the upper to the outsole while protecting from the elements.

“In the past, wearing a high-end leather golf shoe meant you had to take the time to break it in,” Bucci says. “The Nike Lunar Clayton is a handcrafted leather shoe built to last but ready to wear. We obsessed the details, from the leather upper to the contrast stitching to stability and fit.”

A new Internal Dynamic Fit System provides a secure fit and stability in the midfoot through a lacing system that Nike Golf designers moved to the inside of the upper. A molded rubber outsole (Integrated Traction) makes the Nike Lunar Clayton a versatile, wearable shoe on and off the golf course.

Additional design features include a Nike-crafted Swoosh on the upper, premium sock liner, contrast stitch details and two sets of laces with each pair of shoes.

The shoes – expected to retail for around $250 – will be available in stores February 1, 2014. They’ll be available in Black/Black-Sail; White/White-Venom Green-Cool Grey.

FAIRHAVEN, Mass. – Titleist has introduced a new putter into the marketplace. The new Scotty Cameron Futura X Dual Balance mallet, a product of comprehensive putting research and golfer testing, is designed to provide maximum stability through the stroke and at impact from a high moment of inertia, counterbalanced design.

“We’ve found, through our last 20 years of high speed video research with tour players, that the best putters in the world point the butt of their putter at their midsection throughout the putting stroke,” said Master Craftsman Scotty Cameron. “From address, to the backstroke, at impact and through the forward stroke – the butt of the putter remains pointed to about the same 1- or 2-inch circle in their belly area.

“With Futura X Dual Balance, the goal was to slow down the butt end of the putter and keep it stable. If you have quick hands, drag the butt away, or you struggle to make a consistent stroke with a conventional putter, Futura X Dual Balance is a great option.”

The proper length of a Dual Balance putter is three inches longer than a golfer’s conventional putter length. Accordingly, the standard length of Dual Balance is 38 inches, three inches longer than the standard length of a conventional 35-inch Scotty Cameron putter. The 15-inch grip length also allows for multiple hand placement options and the ability to grip up or down, depending on the player’s preference.

“The higher we can get the butt weight, the more counterbalance effect there is,” Cameron said. “The additional three inches provides stability but keeps the putter unanchored.”

Precision milled from high-grade 6061 aluminum, the Futura X Dual Balance head utilizes a heavy stainless center section and stainless heel and toe to deliver a precise counterbalance with an extra 50 grams in the head and a 50-gram weight in the shaft. The overall headweight is 400 grams, 50 grams heavier than the standard Futura X.

The Futura X Dual Balance head also features advanced perimeter stability weighting with four stainless heel-toe weights, two 20-gram weights on the rear balance bar and two 10-gram sole weights in the front corners of the putter. The resulting deep centre of gravity, plus the perimeter weighting under the face, creates forgiveness and solid feel for a great roll.

The putter has a Frozen Titanium finish that helps reduce glare, two black sightlines and red cherry-dot weights in the sole and balance bar. The mid-milled face texture draws a crisp sound from the aluminum face and body.

A double-bend, stepless steel shaft with one shaft of offset provides a square, technical visual at address.

The original Futura X head design was the direct result of Cameron’s extensive work with Titleist Brand Ambassador Adam Scott, who used a prototype version of the putter in winning the 2013 Masters Tournament. Scott, who has been using Cameron putters for more than a decade, calls his Futura X “the most stable putter I have ever played.”

Futura X Dual Balance is now available worldwide through Titleist authorized golf shops.

The Shaw Charity Classic has been named one of the top events on the Champions Tour, awarding it the distinguished “Outstanding Achievement Award” for the inaugural event.   The award was one of four awards announced last night at the PGA and Champions Tour tournament meetings held in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., at TPC Sawgrass.

The Outstanding Achievement Award is awarded by the Tournament Advisory Council to an event that goes above and beyond to introduce unique concepts and initiatives to promote the tournament.  Taking place just months after the devastating floods hit the Calgary area, the Shaw Charity Classic put an emphasis on thanking the community with different initiatives surrounding the tournament, including the “Shootout at the Meadows” that featured first responders taking on 12 Olympians in a “Closest to the Pin” showdown.  Additionally, the tournament made a $250,000 donation to flood recovery efforts that was included in the overall announcement of $2,276,251 going to southern Alberta charities.  That donation is the single largest charitable donation in Champions Tour history.

“Calgary was already excited to have this Champions Tour event in our backyard, but to have the entire community come together to help us kick off tournament week was an added bonus,” stated tournament director Sean Van Kesteren.  “We are honoured to receive this award from the Champions Tour and to be recognized as one of the top events on Tour in only our first year is outstanding.  The real winners here are the southern Alberta charities that benefited from the more than $2.2 million the tournament donated this year.”

Tournament officials also recently announced that golf’s legends will play for a purse of $2.25 million, an increase of $250,000 from last year, when they return to Calgary’s Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club in 2014 when the tournament will be played August 25-31.

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Riley Wheeldon wins NGA Tour event

Riley Wheeldon of Comox, BC managed to make over a 100 feet of putts on his back nine to shoot a four under 32  in the final round of the NGA Tour Winter Series event at Disney’s Lake Buena Vista Golf Course outlasting the field and capturing his second NGA Tour win this year. Wheeldon finished at -16 total with rounds of 68-64-68 beating out fellow Canadian Ben Silverman (Palm Beach Gardens, FL) by a margin of a single stroke.

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Fukushima wins title in Bermuda

On Thursday, Veteran PGA Tour Canada player Kent Fukushima (Grande Prairie, Alta.) won the Gosling’s Invitational at Belmont Hills in Bermuda.

Fukushima posted a 71 during the final round to win by three shots over Jordan Mitchell.

Brian McCann of Mississauga, Ont., tied for fourth, while defending champ Bill Walsh tied for seventh.

For the complete leaderboard, click here.

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Gary Player recalls the first time he met Nelson Mandela

The first time he met Nelson Mandela, Gary Player got on his knees and kissed the former political prisoner’s feet.

Remembering his “very tearful” first encounter with Mandela, the nine-time major winner paused Friday to compose himself and hold back more tears.

Mandela, the beloved former South African president and Nobel laureate, died Thursday at 95.

Renowned as a fierce competitor on the golf course, Player was invited to meet Mandela at his office in Johannesburg after the anti-apartheid leader’s release after 27 years in prison.

But he didn’t expect to do what he did, Player said.

“I knelt down and I kissed his feet and I said, ‘I have never kissed anybody’s feet in my life,’ and I said, ‘I have so much admiration for you.’ I said to him, ‘It is remarkable, how can you not have revenge?”’

Mandela’s reply, according to Player, was: “You have got to start a new life and forgive and go ahead.”

Player, speaking at the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City, said Mandela’s ability to inspire with compassion left him amazed then _ and still does.

“It was very tearful for me, because when you think of a man that has gone to jail for all those years for doing the right thing, not the wrong thing, it is hard to comprehend that a man can come out and be like that,” Player said. “He was an exceptional man.”

From that first meeting, Player and Mandela would cross paths regularly as the golfer, one of South Africa’s greatest sportsmen, worked with the president on charity projects.

Once, Player remembered with a big smile, Mandela landed at a charity tournament in a helicopter to lend support.

“I had to meet him when the helicopter arrived and open the door. Now I had been around him all these years raising money for young black children and I opened the door, and he says ‘Good morning Gary, do you remember me?”’ Player recalled, imitating Mandela’s unique rasping voice. “Just wonderful.”

Although Player wasn’t sure if he ever saw Mandela swing a golf club, he knew that the anti-apartheid leader “realized the value of sport” and even followed Player’s career overseas while he was imprisoned by South Africa’s former racist regime.

“He said to me, ‘When I was in jail, I used to watch you playing.’ He was very complimentary,” Player said.

TaylorMade has announced it will be launching an unprecedented 14° SLDR driver in the coming months.

Launched in August, the SLDR is engineered with a remarkable low and forward center of gravity (CG) placement making it the lowest spinning driver in company history. Because of this construction, TaylorMade is encouraging golfers – including PGA TOUR players – to “loft up,” a message that flies in the face of what the rest of the industry has been promoting, yet a significant step in the pursuit of the perfect launch condition.

“We have been chasing a driver that delivers high launch and low spin, a coveted combination off the tee sought after by all golfers,” said TaylorMade Golf Chief Technical Officer and 24-year industry veteran Benoit Vincent. “Having made significant industry strides with innovation advancements like movable weight, larger faces, adjustable shafts and improved aerodynamics, we are confident that we have cracked yet another code to more distance. And it’s through loft.”

This new thinking from TaylorMade changes a long-standing industry belief that a low-lofted driver is best for better golfers. TaylorMade has been working closely with its Tour Staff to show that the combination of low-forward CG and higher lofts produces a better and longer ball flight.  With the facts behind them, an unprecedented amount of Tour Pros are lofting up and reaping the reward. In fact, many SLDR users on the PGA Tour have lofted up at least 1° when compared against previous driver models that do not have low and forward CG.

“Everything we thought we knew about engineering drivers has been turned on its head,” added Vincent. “I have never been more convinced that building a driver with low and forward CG is the future in metalwood construction.”

TaylorMade’s engineering team has calculated that 17 degrees of launch and 1700 RPMs of spin create the perfect combination for maximizing driver distance.  The new high-lofted 14° SLDR driver, combined with strategically designed low/forward CG is another step closer to achieving the perfect ball flight.

PUMA Golf has introduced the Monolite golf shoe, a versatile shoe designed to provide maximum comfort for 19 holes. The Monolite
weighs in at just 9.5oz. (269 grams) and is more than 30% lighter than comparable styles on the market.

The spikeless shoe goes isn’t only lightweight, it’s also quite stylish.

“The Monolite is the perfect shoe to showcase our new LiteStyleTM platform we are launching in 2014,” said Grant Knudson, Footwear Product Manager for PUMA Golf. “It is an impressive blend of lightweight performance, versatility, comfort and style that will
attract golfers of all kinds.”

The Carbon Rubber outsole uses SmartQuill® to enhance grip and traction throughout the golfer’s swing by strategically shaping and positioning traction lugs directionally. The compression EVA midsole is fully integrated with the external heel counter, creating one
cohesive unit that allows for ultimate lightweight comfort and cushioning while maintaining high levels of support and traction.

A premium, waterproof upper made with full-grain leather features subtle design and color details in five hard-to-resist color options. Everfoam is strategically positioned within the upper for a comfortable fit that has slow recovery memory foam adjusting to the contours of your foot with every step.

Available in two perforated leather options (Monaco Blue/Lime Green/White and Black/White) and three smooth leather options (Tradewinds/White/Monaco Blue, Chestnut/Black Coffee/Vibrant), each shoe comes with two laces to customize your look as often as you want.

The Monolite Wns is available in four trendsetting color combinations with an upper inspired by an oxford silhouette. Featuring a yoga mat sockliner (that is literally made out of yoga mat material) the Monolite Wns provides all day comfort and cushioning to keep your feet feeling relaxed and looking great.

PUMA Golf’s Monolite (120$ CDN) will be available on local retailers shelves starting Feb. 1, 2014.

Graham DeLaet was a name Canadians couldn’t help but follow on PGA TOUR leaderboards in 2013.

With DeLaet currently in the race for Sportsnet’s Athlete of Year there’s no better time than now to show your support by casting your vote for Graham here.

Below, we take a look back on the Weyburn, Sask. native’s breakout year on the PGA TOUR that culminated with a 3-1-1 record at the Presidents Cup.

In 2013, DeLaet racked up an impressive list of accolades on the PGA TOUR that included:

• Three top-3 finishes
• Seven top-10 finishes
• A T2 and third place finish during the FedEx Cup Playoffs that landed him the eighth spot in the season ending standings
• A 21st place finish on the PGA TOUR’s Money List, which totaled money earnings of $2,834,900 in 26 starts.
• Two highlight reel hole-outs that went alongside his 3 ½ point Presidents Cup debut.