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A MOTIVATE PUBLICATION

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how the dubai trophy wa s w o n and lost

Tee Sheet 05/21

how to play. what to play. where to play.

Features cover 22 The Many Sides of Patrick Reed Is media or the man responsible for a mixed public image? You decide. interview by max adler

30 Learn From the Best Patrick Reed has a distinct and studied method with his wedges. by ron kaspriske

6 Editor’s Letter The folly of the PGA Tour’s new Player Impact Program.

The Starter 8 Royal St. Georges We can’t wait for the 149th Open Championship at England’s first Open venue. by kent gray

16 Journeys How Abraham Ancer, with no coach, made it from a tiny Mexican town.

amateurs to an historic sixth successive triumph over the UAE PGA pros. with kent gray

with gabrielle herzig

Lessons we wish we had learned earlier. 36 Welcome to Golf Special messages for the 6.2 million folks who took up the game last year.

18 Play Smart Learn four shots that save shots.

34 What’s In My Bag Patrick Reed plays what he wants to.

by john montgomery

with e. michael johnson

20 Dubai Golf Trophy Ahmad Skaik on leading the Emirates Golf Federation

66 Loop Refreshing player marketing.

42 PGA Championship Preview Analysing the difficulty of Kiawah Island for pros versus Average Joes.

by coleman bentley

by derek duncan

edited by joel beall

Play Hot List 2021 part 3

10 Rough Play A little knowledge is all you need to escape the deep stuff.

50 Irons Ask “Who are you” to start to your iron search.

by matthew brookes

12 David Leadbetter The new (and smart) way to waggle. be at 1 14 Stroke Index 1 Tame the 5th hole at Arabian Ranches Golf Club. by ryan smith

52 Players The subtle distinctions golfers in this category appreciate.

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59 Players Distance Squeeze every yard out of an iron while maintaining a relatively classic shape. Cover photograph by John Loomis

reed: john loomis • illustration: michael byers • arabian ranches gc: courtesy of the club

Patrick Reed: “No one thrives on negative energy”

Editor’s Letter

“…anyone with a conscience will find it tricky to back this new trough for the already fiscally fattened superstars.”

Needling tradition KENT GRAY kent.gray@motivate.ae • Twitter: @KentGrayGolf / @GolfDigestME HAT’S YOUR CURRENT Q-rating? Happy with your Meltwater mentions this month? Not trending on the digital MVP index quite how you anticipated? To the keyboard, Batman! Back in the good old days, golf pros were rated by a quaint metric called grind and how all that lonely toil on the range translated to the numbers they autographed on scorecards Thursday and Friday and hopefully on into the weekend. Now, it seems, they’ve got to be on (social media mostly) 24/7. Acing Twitter, successfully schmoozing sponsors and a deep knowledge of Google Analytics can help you become one of the lucky 10 to share in the PGA Tour’s new $40 million bonus pool for players who best boost publicity and engagement for the tour. The world really is a strange place and golf is not immune, especially not in these crazy pandemic times. Indeed, you could call the game wholly culpable for upping the madness courtesy of the PGA Tour’s ‘Player Impact Program’ (PIP) which will use algorithms to measure five criteria including popularity on Google search and a Nielsen Brand Exposure rating. The PIP is a perceived vaccine to some of the incentives promised by the PGL. That’s the Premier Golf League for those you haven’t been following along or simply don’t do acronyms. The Saudi-backed breakaway circuit hit snags - not least very public rebuffs by Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm – in its attempts to go from concept to reality preCOVID but continues to simmer ominously in the background. Like the PGL’s next move, it’s hard to know whether one should be excited or genuinely concerned by the PIP. On one hand, the Twitter storm ignited by the announcement promises ongoing fun. Max Homa, the PGA Tour’s Twitter king, got the ball rolling with the ditty inset, an amusingly dark threat to peers suddenly considering “upping their activity on this soul sucker of an app”.

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But surely those with a golf conscience will find it tricky to back this new trough for the already fiscally fattened superstars when there are so many pros on the breadline? Indeed, when there are so many tours around the world on their knees? It’s not like Jordan Spieth and co. are searching behind the sofa for their next greenback, nor debatable that unheralded pros who grind just as hard on the range and on their personal brands couldn’t do with a hand-up. Parker McLachlin summed it nicely up from a position of genuine authority - 244th position, dead last, in the FedEx Cup standings as we went to press. “I understand why the tour is trying to pay the top stars more and keep them happy… [but] it would take a fourth of the money the tour is spending on its stars [to] allow its future stars to not starve on the way to stardom.” So I’ll enjoy the guilty pleasure provided on the soul sucking platform but will mostly focus on golf’s most accurate stock exchange – the humble leaderboard. Our cover star this month is a salient case in point as to why this should be. You don’t have to like everything about Patrick Reed to admire his ability to thwack a ball and return a score. The helicopter twirl with a driver, the trademark sawn-off iron approaches and that short-game that should be copyrighted. Thankfully, the former Masters champion shares the secrets of his wedge wizardry from p.30 this month to go with a fascinating insight into his win at all costs psyche. Sure, popularity is nice and content is king in this new era. But ask Rickie Fowler if he’d rather be trending on the PIP or be a factor on the front page of the U.S. PGA Championship leaderboard at Kiawah Island this month and, well, I don’t think you need to wait for a social media post for the answer. Q-rating? Not nearly as impactful as a W. See you on the course where a player’s real value will, hopefully, always be found.

editor-in- chief Obaid Humaid Al Tayer managing partner & group editor Ian Fairservice editor Kent Gray art director Clarkwin Cruz editorial assistant Londresa Flores instruction editors Luke Tidmarsh, Euan Bowden, Tom Ogilvie, Matthew Brooks, Alex Riggs chief commercial officer Anthony Milne publisher David Burke gener al manager - production S. Sunil Kumar assistant production manager Binu Purandaran T H E G O L F D I G E S T P U B L I C AT I O N S editor-in- chief Jerry Tarde director, business development & partnerships Greg Chatzinoff international editor Ju Kuang Tan GOLF DIGEST USA editor-in- chief Jerry Tarde gener al manager Chris Reynolds editorial director Max Adler executive editor Peter Morrice art director Chloe Galkin managing editors Alan P. Pittman, Ryan Herrington (News) chief pl aying editor Tiger Woods pl aying editors Phil Mickelson, Francesco Molinari, Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, Tom Watson

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GOLF DIGEST and HOW TO PLAY, WHAT TO PLAY, WHERE TO PLAY are registered trademarks of Discovery Golf, Inc. Copyright © 2021 Discovery Golf, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. Volume 72, Issue 2. GOLF DIGEST (ISSN 0017-176X) is published eight times a year by Discovery Golf, Inc. Principal office: Golf Digest, 1180 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y., 10036. Discovery Golf, Inc.: Alex Kaplan, President & GM; Gunnar Wiedenfels, Chief Financial Officer. Periodicals postage paid at New York, N.Y., and at additional mailing offices.

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Summer is Coming Royal St. George’s is set to host The Open for the 15th time after the 149th edition was put on ice for 12 months fter hideki matsuyama’s historic Masters moment, attention switches to the Ocean course at Kiawah Island and this month’s U.S. PGA Championship. But for lovers of links golf and the glory of The Open, July can’t roll around soon enough. After being put on ice for 12 months due to COVID-19, the return to Royal St. George’s Golf Club for the 149th Open is palpably anticipated. The snow that blanketed Sandwich in early February will be gone but count on some sort of weather event playing its part in the outcome of the 2021 edition of the oldest – and grandest – major. Who will etch their name alongside J.H. Taylor, Harry Vardon (twice), Walter Hagan (twice), Henry Cotton, Bobby Locke, Sandy Lyle, Greg Norman and 2011 winner Darren Clarke (among others) as the ‘Champion Golfer of the Year’ at England’s first Open venue? –kent gray

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“Count on some sort of weather event playing a role at Sandwich.”

Photograph by David Cannon/Getty Images

Play Escapes with Matthew Brookes

“At impact in the rough, it is easy to trap grass between the ball and the clubface.” Roughly Speaking Say Sayōnara to inconsistent strikes out of the rough VER HIT AN approach shot out of the rough which drops out of the sky and finishes short or conversely comes out hot and flies the green? Chances are you’ve experienced both frustrations, perhaps even on the same hole. Understanding the science behind inconsistent strikes out of the deep stuff can help save and even transform your round.

WHAT HAPPENS? It’s important to understand how hitting out of thick grass affects impact and how the ball flies as a result. The grooves on your clubs cause friction, thus helping grip the ball. This, combined with loft and the resulting launch angle, helps the ball spin and fly through the air. At impact in the rough, it is easy to trap grass between the ball and the clubface. This will reduce friction and grip on the ball, which in turn reduces the launch and spin. Less spin and a lower launch angle can cause the ball to drop out of the sky while reduced spin and optimal launch can cause the ball to fly further. This is very hard to judge but we can have an educated guess. Clubhead speed will affect the drop off point where distance is lost so the fast-

WATCH THE VIDEO er the clubhead speed, the longer the club you can hit without losing total carry distance. WHAT TO DO? Imagine you have a flag that’s 160 yards away and the ball lying in thick rough. Due to the changed conditions at impact, we now know what will happen due to the grass. An educated guess has me thinking his shot will now play around 10 yards shorter. So 150 yards is now the distance and we choose a club accordingly. For myself in this situation, I would move from a

9 iron to a pitching wedge. The combination of increased loft on the club and reduction in spin due to the grass will help generate the optimal ball flight or “a flyer” and make it travel the required distance. With a little knowledge, it’s easy to say goodbye to those shots that finish shy for fly long and reach for your putter instead. Good luck with the birdie putt. Matthew Brookes is a new PGA teaching professional and golf specific fitness trainer at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht club’s Peter Cowen Academy Dubai.

joachim guay

▶ Scan the QR Code to watch Matt bring this lesson to life.

Play Old Tips, New Takes by David Leadbetter

“If you’re frozen over the ball, you’re dead.”

Why Waggle? This is your chance to rehearse a quality backswing 12 golfdigestme.com | may 2021

aggling the club before you hit a shot is a traditional way of reducing tension and getting primed to make a fluid swing. But if you do it in an old-school wristy fashion, you’re rehearsing something you really don’t want to do when it’s time to take the club back. Let me explain. Grab your driver and waggle, flicking the clubhead back and forth with your wrists. Pay attention to where the clubhead travels in the backswing. If it abruptly moves inside the target line, you’re rehearsing a poor takeaway— one that makes you want to re-route

the club in the downswing on an outin-path—an over-the-top slicer’s move. Instead, waggle like Justin Thomas. Take the club back a few times with your arms and torso moving as one unit. You’ll notice the clubhead stays in front of your hands, yet moves slightly inside the target line without any excessive opening or closing of the face. Be sure to keep your arms relaxed, and move your belly button with the club as you start away smoothly. —with ron kaspriske david leadbetter is a Golf Digest Teaching Professional. Photographs by Walter Iooss, Jr.

Train where you

BEL ONG

The Country Club at The Els Club Dubai The Els Club now offers a new sector of membership termed ‘The Country Club Membership’ which is available for non-golfing members to have access to the new expansion which includes the new Gym and Pools. Membership options include annual, half-year, quarterly, and monthly options. Subscription options start from as low as AED 450 (when paying upfront for the Annual plan). Day passes available at introductory prices with exclusive discounts for Member Guests and Victory Heights Residents. Personal Training services and Group Training Classes will be offered by a talented team of TroonFit Trainers who hold extensive knowledge and experience in their craft, paired with a friendly and professional approach. Our experts are waiting to guide and support you in achieving your goals. #WhereYouBelong For further information, please contact us on 04 425 1000 or email CountryClub@elsclubdubai.com

elsclubdubai.com

Play Course Management

Ranches rogue The 5th hole at Arabian Ranches Golf Club looks relatively straight forward from the tee but Ian Baker-Finch’s design subtly makes it anything but. Here, Golf Operations Manager Ryan Smith explains how to negotiate this testing par 4 as part of our ongoing series designed to help you tame the Middle East’s toughest holes.

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5th

PAR 4

HE 5TH HOLE at Arabian Ranches Golf Club is a great long par 4. It’s actually not the longest par 4 on the course but given it is played into the predominant wind, you’ll soon discover why it is our stroke 1 hole. It always feels like it plays a little longer than the yardage and it definitely requires accurate placement off both the tee and with your approach shot. –WITH KENT GRAY

off the tee: Although it’s a fairly straight hole, your tee shot demands accuracy. Ideally, you want to try and hit it as far up the fairway as possible in order to leave yourself a shorter shot in. However, the longer you hit it, the tighter the landing area. Hit it left and you will find yourself in the waste area, while a miss right will see you in the trees and most likely requiring a chip out. approach & closing out: With severe drop offs both left and right of the green, your

Black

477 yards

Gold

435 yards

Blue

403 yards

Red

311 yards

approach requires yet more accuracy or you’ll be faced with a challenging recovery shot. Indeed, any up and down here is to be celebrated. Although the green is fairly large, the better player will be mindful of leaving themselves on the correct side of the pin to give the best shot at birdie. The green is home to numerous subtle breaks so take care with your putter. Par here, be it off the stick or with the assistance of any handicap allowance, is always a good score. Enjoy.

Ryan Smith

Photographs courtesy of ARGC

abraham ancer pga tour age 30 build 5-7, 155 lives san antonio

Journeys

Play

“In Mexico, the culture of support has been unbelievable.” Abraham Ancer I’ve never really had a swing coach. I still don’t WAS BORN in McAllen, Texas, but I grew up in Reynosa, Mexico, a small border city in the northeast part of the country. Watching the PGA Tour growing up, it looked pretty impossible to reach. Competing professionally was always a dream of mine since I was a little kid. But it was always like, Man, there’s absolutely nobody who has ever made it to the tour from Reynosa.

I was introduced to golf by my dad, Abraham Sr., not long after I was born. He took me to Club Campestre de Reynosa, the only golf course in the area. There are pictures of me in diapers out there. As soon as I could stand up, I was hitting balls with him.

and received the Jack Nicklaus Award for junior college player of the year. I got offers from D-1 schools right away. Oklahoma University was the first to approach me. I really liked the vibe from the coaches. I went to visit and was sold. ●●●

My game is definitely homegrown. There were two or three golf pros who taught me the basics of the game when I was a little kid, but after that I just kept playing on my own. I’ve never really had a swing coach. I still don’t.

There was one tournament at OU that opened my eyes to how low I could go. During my sophomore year, we played the Desert Shootout in Arizona. I shot 21 under in three rounds. I was always a solid player, but I struggled to go low. That tournament freed me up.

●●●

I moved from Reynosa to Mission, Texas, for high school when I was 15. We thought getting experience playing in the United States would make it easier to transition to college. Because I was born in Texas, I had dual citizenship. My mom, Veronica, and one of my sisters moved with me to Mission, but my other sister stayed in Reynosa with her husband, and my dad traveled back and forth. He owned a security company.

My dad passed away before my professional career really took off. He suffered a heart attack in 2014. I think about how cool it would be to share the experience with him. He put in so much energy and effort to see me get to where I am today.

●●●

I wasn’t highly recruited for college golf. No big schools or big coaches knew about me. Paul Chavez from Odessa Junior College gave me a full ride and told me if I played well, hopefully I could transfer to Division I. I was very grateful for that opportunity. ●●●

I loved Odessa. It’s a tiny little place in Texas. The weather was pretty crazy. It would be cold, then hot, then super windy. I learned how to play in tough conditions. Thankfully, I had a really good year. I won six individual events Photograph by Darren Carroll

●●●

I made it to the PGA Tour too quickly. I went through Q school, got status on the Korn Ferry Tour and earned my card in 2015. I thought I was ready, but I wasn’t. At my first tournament, the Safeway Open, Rory McIlroy set up next to me at the range. I was hitting 5-irons, and he starts hitting those balls that take off straight up and go for a mile. I thought, I don’t have that in the bag. I started trying to hit it higher and harder, and it messed me up. I messed around with equipment and missed a bunch of cuts. Mentally, I was super down. ●●●

In reality I didn’t have to change anything. I just had to play my game. I’m not built like some of the other guys out

here, but I rely on my accurate iron play and creative short game. I played better at the end of the season, but it wasn’t enough. I went back to the Korn Ferry Tour in 2017. I finished in the top three on the money list and got my card back. ●●●

I haven’t had a breakthrough win on the PGA Tour, but I’ve had a few big turning points. I won the 2018 Australian Open, and I finished second at the 2019 Northern Trust. That last round gave me everything. It solidified my spot on the Presidents Cup team, for the Tour Championship and all the majors. ●●●

Representing my country in the 2019 President’s Cup was one of the coolest weeks. Experiencing that much pressure and excitement was amazing. Playing against Tiger on Sunday was the most nervous I’ve ever felt. He played like vintage Tiger. I gave it my best shot, but I came up short. He was my idol growing up, so that was pretty surreal. ●●●

In Mexico, the culture of support has been unbelievable. Seeing one of their own make it to the PGA Tour is a big deal. I got an insane amount of messages via text and social media telling me how proud they were of me for putting my country on the map in the golf world. ●●●

I own a tequila brand, Flecha Azul, and a clothing brand, Black Quail Apparel, with my business partner, Aron Marquez. Working on my businesses helps my golf. Once I’m done playing, I’m hopping on calls or flying to our distillery in Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico, instead of thinking about my round. ●●●

My caddie, Dale, is one of my best friends. He’s so funny it’s insane, from his hot dog-and-pizza diet to all the crazy things he says. I’m blessed with a lot of positive energy and good people around me. —WITH GABRIELLE HERZIG may 2021 | golfdigestme.com

Play Golf Digest Schools

Shots That Save Shots Lean on these to dodge those double bogeys by john montgomery

URING THE COURSE of 18 holes, you’re likely to have a stretch where you’re not feeling it. In those instances, it helps to have some go-to shots to lean on. Think of them as the shots that save shots, the ones that help you avoid double bogeys or worse. They’re reliable options to put it in play, hit more greens, get out of trouble and avoid three-putts— and they’re not all defensive. ▶ Let’s start with one of my favourites—the knockdown iron shot. Making double bogey after a good tee shot is infuriating. If you’re struggling with your irons, select the next iron longer than you would usually play from that approach distance, set up with the ball in the middle of your stance, and favour your lead leg. Now make an abbreviated swing back and through at a comfortable pace that allows you to “stick the finish.” Your hands should end up just above shoulder height (above). The slower, abbreviated swing will lower the ball flight and take spin off it, for better control. Here are four more shots that save shots. —with dave allen

john montgomery, a Golf Digest Best Young Teacher, is an instructor at the Celebration (Fla.) Golf Academy.

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Be aggressive, not cautious, to put it in play Miss a few fairways and the rest start to look narrower and narrower. When you’re worried about driving it into trouble, your instinct might be to try to steer it in the fairway—but that rarely works. To keep the ball in play without sacrificing much distance, try my fairway-finding

technique. Tee the ball down an inch and grip down the same amount. The lower tee and shorter shaft length promote a steeper downswing and help reduce sidespin, turning a slice into a baby fade. But that’s only if you swing aggressively through the ball. Lose the fear, and you’ll lose the steer.

“Simply changing the position of your feet can help shape a shot.”

Blast the sand to make sure you get it out

One of the simplest ways to avoid big numbers is to master a reliable greenside sand shot. Try this technique: First, pick a landing spot that allows for some rollout—even if it sets you up for a long putt (I’ll help you with that putt in a bit). Next, open the clubface so that it’s pointing skyward, take your grip, and set your stance extra wide. (The handle of the club will be much lower than it is for your normal address position). Now swing thinking long to short. You want to attack the sand an inch behind the ball and restrict the follow-through. The open clubface and energy applied to impact will propel the ball onto the green every time.

Want to curve the ball around trouble? Change your setup When punching out, think about advancing the ball to a spot that gives you the best angle and yardage to the pin for your next shot—even if you have to curve it to get it there. For a fade around the trees (left-to-right shot for righties), grip the club in a weak position, with your dominant hand’s thumb on top of the

handle. Then drop your lead foot back (above left) and swing along your stance line (out to in) from hip to hip. To draw it (right to left), grip it strong, with that thumb rotated toward the side of the handle farthest from the target. Then drop your trail foot back (above right) , and swing along your stance line (in to out).

Take a picture to set up a good lag It’s very difficult to gauge the proper speed on lag putts when you can’t see the target in your peripheral vision. This is why free-throw shooters look at the rim and not the basketball. You have to be able to see a long putt in your mind’s eye when you look down at the ball, and then putt to what you recall seeing. One way to train better mental imagery and lag it closer more often is to practice hitting putts looking at the hole, never taking your eyes off the target. This will help you visualise your target more clearly, tapping into your natural hand-eye coordination.No more three-putt doubles. Photographs by Robert Snow

6 SWEET

Ahmad Skaik, the first Emirati captain in the 22 year history of the Dubai Golf Trophy, shares the inside story of last month’s historic 18½-13½ victory over the UAE PGA Tour pros as the EGF amateurs made it sixsuccessive wins in the UAE’s answer to the Ryder Cup.

I’m very, very proud of my team for this achievement and I couldn’t have asked for a better team to be the captain of. I think this was the youngest team in the history of this trophy and we had seven new players so I am very proud of each and every one of them as they all contributed. ••• This event means so much to me. I love team events and it’s one of the rare tournaments where I have to think of the team, give my all to the team before thinking about myself. ••• To be the first Emirati captain is a very big achievement for me and I gave it my all and tried to make everyone confident and comfortable. Basically, I tried to be the best captain I can possibly be and the win is a big bonus for sure. It was a tough and stressful season as I wanted everything to be perfect so we could win. I think that just shows how much it means to me. ••• I felt a lot of pressure going into it because you obviously don’t want to be a losing captain in general let alone being the first captain to lose in the last six years. ••• I got a lot of positive feedback from the Emirati golf community and a lot of them told me that they want to follow in my footsteps. This drives me and motivates me to work harder and harder. The best was from my team telling me that I was a very good captain. ••• They are a group of young players so they were already pumped going into it but I reminded the new players of how good they are and that no one deserves to be in the team more than them. All that was left was to go out and show everyone what you’re made of. After a great result on day one [the EGF lead 11-5 after the foursomes and fourballs], I had to remind the players that it still was far from over and that showed on day two as it was much closer [the EGF edged the singles 8½ -7½] than I would have liked but it makes the win feel much better. ••• I was worried for sure [after the opening foursomes were shared 4-4] but I was also confident that we had a strong team and I thought I did the round two fourballs pairings very well and we saw that with the score of 7-1. I made sure to match the players well together and change a few pairings from the morning match and I was very happy that it worked out the way it did. ••• To be honest, when I checked the leaderboard in the [afternoon] fourballs matches, it was still very close and myself and Khalid [Yousuf] had a tough match against Ryan Smith and Malcolm Young so me and Khalid decided not to look at it and just focus on winning our point for the team. Photograph by Andrew Redington/Getty Images

We [Skaik and former captain Steven Kelbrick] had a very special moment together. I think we hugged for like one minute. I will remember this moment for the rest of my life.

▶ history maker Ahmad Skaik: “To be the first Emirati captain is a very big achievement.”

••• Josh Hill [EGF No.1] has shown that he is levels ahead of the rest this season and that is a good thing for us to push ourselves to get to that level. I was very confident that he would get all three points and he gave me a hard time telling me he can’t play then yes, then no, then yes. He ended up changing his math test and flight dates [to the UK] to play which I really appreciate. ••• The guy that impressed me the most was Niklas Korjonen because it was his first time playing this event and he went 3-0. That doesn’t usually happen. Usually the ones that play for the first time barely contribute. ••• Me and Steve Kelbrick have a very special bond together and I look up to him a lot as he inspires me. He chose me to be his vice-captain so we worked a lot together in the last two years and we did our practice rounds together leading up to this one. After I won my singles and saw how close it was, I went to support the players and I saw that Steve was 4 down at one point and got it to 1 up and I watched his last 3 holes and when he won on 17 to put our team in a very good position, we had a very special moment together. I think we hugged for like one minute. I will remember this moment for the rest of my life. ••• It was very exciting to see the ladies play an exhibition match for the first time. I mean they weren’t fully part of it this time as their points didn’t count but I hope that they enjoyed it and I’m sure that next season will be very special for them as they will actually be part of the teams. I hope the ladies in the UAE national team set that as a goal for them in the future. ••• Khalid [Yousuf] was my vice-captain and also my partner. It was special for us to be together in the UAE team for all these years and then become the captain and vice-captain in the same year. I am sure that he will be a great captain because he is the captain of the UAE national team so he has experience with that. I think he will bring his experience into play as he played many of these and I will be there to help him with anything that he wants. ••• We have a lot of players in the EGF amateur team that want to make it on tour and we have a lot of almost full-time golfers in the team which will always be a factor and the difference when the pressure is on, even though the pros always give us a big fight. ••• Yes, I think that we can make it seven in a row for sure. If everything goes well and we get the right players in the team, then I don’t see why not. —with kent gray may 2021 | golfdigestme.com

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22 00 golfdigestme.com golf digest | issue |x may . 2021 2021

Photograph by First Lastname

SIDES SIDES SIDES THE MANY SIDES OF PATRICK REED

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THE ENIGMATIC STAR CONFRONTS HIS IMAGE AND HIS CRITICS

INTERVIEW BY MA X ADLER • PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN LOOMIS

Photograph by First Lastname

issue x . 2021 | golf digest

Patrick Reed has a beautiful young family, a green jacket, nine wins and has represented the United States seven times at the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup and Olympics. At age 30, it’s the foundation of what could become a Hall of Fame career. But how brightly these accomplishments would otherwise shine has been dimmed by various incidents. At this point, Reed has said all he cares to about allegations from his college days. His estrangement from his parents—who live in Augusta, Ga., of all places—has been reported. The same nosiness that draws people to tabloids might cause musings, but the only clear fact is that real pain exists, which Reed isn’t ready to talk about publicly. The other real pain belongs to his wife, Justine, who has “cried so many times behind my sunglasses” hearing spectators shout invectives toward her husband. Golf Digest visited with the Reeds at Coral Creek Club in Placida, Fla., where they were recently invited to join and paid the full initiation fee. “We’ve found a lot of happiness and solace here,” Justine says of their family, which includes daughter, Windsor-Wells, 6, and son, Barrett, 3. (The members and staff had nothing but good things to say about the Reeds.) This was our conversation with Patrick, edited for concision and clarity. ●●●

Your ability on the course is plain to see, but the golf world wants to know the man. Where should we start? There are three types of players on tour. The chatty guy who’s always smiling and waving because that’s how he plays his best. There’s the guy who wears emotion on his sleeve, lets everyone know when he’s playing well and throws clubs when he’s not. The third guy has tunnel vision and blocks out everything around him. That’s how I’ve tried to be, and this abil-

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ity to flip the switch and focus is why I’ve been successful. But it’s led to this false narrative that I don’t interact with other players. When I go to the range, it’s not to socialize. I’d rather get my work done, so I can get home to my family and relax. When people meet me away from the golf course, they see I’m actually nice and pretty funny, carefree, always up for hanging out and joking around.

mentalize the noise and throw it away rather than allow it to be distractive. It can be a challenge to maintain your mental and physical health listening to hateful things, but that can happen no matter who you are or what job you’re in. There’ll always be those people who don’t like you even if they don’t know you, and you just need to be mentally strong enough to ignore them.

●●●

When you sank the putt to win the Masters, surely you felt a flood of emotions. How did this compare to hours later and the next day when the news was less about your victory and more about your family history? When I made that three-footer, it was like a weight had been lifted. I’d always wanted to win a major, win at Augusta. It was just like, I did it. I did it. I walked off the green and got a kiss from my wife. Then I went through the scorer’s tent and the awards ceremony, but the moment I’ll never forget was then swinging by Butler Cabin. I didn’t know they’d brought Windsor-Wells there. My little baby girl ran and hugged me and said, “I love you, Daddy. You did it,” and I just melted. When your child looks to you as a hero, after all you do to raise them right to respect people and be happy, those are the moments you live for. Suddenly everything else didn’t matter. So honestly, all that went on with the media later, I wasn’t too concerned.

Do you wish to connect with fans differently in the future? I’m going to keep doing what I’ve been doing. Just by coming out to watch, each fan is making a sacrifice of their time, money. They’re coming out to support our tour, so we should treat them with respect even if they decide not to treat us with respect. I just wish there was greater awareness that by shouting something derogatory at one golfer, a fan is actually disrespecting and distracting every golfer in the group. But it’d never be the right thing to go snap at a fan because two wrongs don’t make a right.

●●●

Sports fans can be brutal. Do you feel comfortable bringing your children out on tour? Depends on the event. Some places get worse than others, though I do feel it’s getting better overall. It’s one of the big differences between amateur and professional golf—learning how to block out the crowds, especially the people trying to be negative and nasty. As far as travel logistics, I know it’s harder for our team to bring the kids, to pack up the village, but it’s such a treat for me. Whether I play good or bad, I can go to our rental house and not dwell on the round like I might if I were alone in a hotel. I sit there and play with my little ones, and all is right in the world. ●●●

Some people say you thrive off negative energy, even need it to play well. Any truth to that? None whatsoever. I don’t think there’s a human being alive who thrives off negative energy. You have to compart-

●●●

Do you feel like the media has treated you unfairly? I do. I think a lot has been misconstrued, unwarranted. ●●●

Examples? Being called a cheater. That’s so far from the truth. No athlete, no golfer who works to make it to the highest level is a cheater. If you take what you think is a correct drop, and it turns out to be an incorrect drop, that’s a rules infraction, and there’s a penalty. Happens all the time. Cheating is intentionally trying to gain something on the field. I’d rather play as hard as I can and lose a golf tournament than cheat and win. You can ask every golfer on the PGA Tour, and they’ll all say the same. When that word gets thrown around, whether it’s about you or someone else, that’s wrong, and it’s false. We’re out there, with blood, sweat and tears, trying to be the best we can and be role models. I’ve had conversations with famous athletes and successful CEOs, and the lesson they all preach is, focus on what you can control. You can’t please everybody. The media will turn around at some point, hopefully, but for now I’m not the one typing on a keyboard. ●●●

Does the approval of your peers matter to you? It’s very important, especially the guys

a drain?” Then Jon calls over, and I reiterate what I’m doing. Even though we all know the rules as professionals, especially the straightforward ones, it’s one of those things I’ll have to do. It’s unfortunate because it can disrupt pace of play, potentially throw off the rhythm of other players. But you never know if a fan is filming with a phone and the angle might be off, and it could make something look weird. Technology can both be a savior and wreak havoc. There are times we use high-definition video to see exactly where a ball crossed into a penalty area or where it bounced when the group couldn’t tell. Back in the day, it was always the group and the official coming together to make the best decision about how to proceed. At times that ruling could be wrong, but it was arrived at collectively, and it was final. Sometimes technology just adds confusion. ●●●

Have you ever had a conversation with PGA Tour officials about correcting the public’s perception of you? No, because every time I’ve talked to rules officials it’s been fine. When I talked to Slugger [White] at the Bahamas, the officials had already agreed there’d been nothing intentional. If it had, it would’ve been disqualification. I saw the video, saw sand move and asked what the penalty was. Slugger said, “You’re not going to fight it?” and I said no. Same thing when I finished my round at Torrey Pines. Head rules official is standing there to show us the video and says, “I just want you to know you did everything exactly how you’re supposed to.” ●●●

who know me and have spent time with me away from the course. When guys who’ve reached the highest levels of the game, former world No. 1s, have your back, that’s huge. It tells me I’m doing things the right way.

“I’M DOING MOST EVERYTHING THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT I HAD AS A KID.”

●●●

Who are your best friends on tour? I talk to Webber [Webb Simpson] a lot, talk to Tiger quite a bit; Bubba and I are really close; D.J. and I talk when we’re at events. The list goes on and on. Funny thing is, the personalities of some of these guys couldn’t be more different— Tiger and D.J. are at two ends of the spectrum. But after golf, we can all hang out and treat each other as if we’re normal people, which is something most athletes wish was more widely known. Just because a person happens to be re-

ally good at a sport or craft, they’re probably still a normal human being who just wants to hang out and chill. ●●●

Will you do anything differently to avoid future predicaments? I’m always going to call a rules official. Thursday of the Players I’m paired with Jordan Spieth and Jon Rahm. On the second hole I need to take a drop from a drain. I show Jordan and tell him I’m calling an official. He’s like, “Dude, for

What was your reaction when you heard prominent voices, like Brooks Koepka or Peter Kostis, speak out against you? Look, B.K. and I have a pretty good friendship, and we play a lot of golf together. I’m never worried about B.K. We’re good. All I can control is what I say and do; I can’t control what other people say. This might seem like a tangent, but the only thing that matters to me is that I’m showing my children the path to be successful, how it takes work ethic to pursue lofty dreams and enjoy the things we have. There are no shortcuts. Once I realized that I could compete for something bigger than myself, like my family and my country, my motivation multiplied by a hundred. When your work becomes that meaningful, makes it easy to dismiss lax remarks by others. may 2021 | golfdigestme.com

●●●

Ideal day off ? Sweatpants, hoodie, chasing kids around the house, probably driving my wife nuts for how loud I’m being with them. Then I cook something. Grilling is one of my greatest passions. ●●●

OK, if I’m coming over for a steak, how are you cooking it? Ooh, depends on the cut. If we’re doing filet, I just learned how to cook the perfect medium rare. Sear it on both sides in a cast-iron skillet and pop the skillet in the oven at 400 degrees. If we’re going bone-in rib-eye, I’ll marinate it overnight in olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, crystal steak seasoning— though got to watch that, has a ton of sodium—pull it out of the fridge to get to room temperature, then crank the grill as hot as it can get. Be sure to let it rest 12 minutes before serving. For prime rib, I’ll use the smoker at 200 degrees. A three-bone is going to take six to eight hours for a nice medium rare. Take it out 10 degrees before it’s done, and give it a sear for a little crust. ●●●

You’ve given to charities with the express desire of not being found out. I’ll put you on the spot to tell us what causes and why? If I’m going to help a person but broadcast it over social media, it looks like you’re trying to get a gain out of it. Junior golf, homeless shelters, disaster relief funds, Ronald McDonald, cancer centers, veterans, the list goes on. These are people who might be feeling hopeless. If you’ve ever gone to a hospital and visited a sick kid and told them it’s going to be OK, you’re in good hands, they go from looking like they’re watching the clock waiting for the day they’re going to die to looking like they have hope. Whether that feeling lasts a couple of hours or months, it’s priceless. ▶ tough matchup Reed is 7-4-1 in the Ryder Cup, including a memorable 1-up victory over Rory McIlroy in 2016.

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A lot of us are going to bed at night easy, waking up to play golf, travel. I’m so grateful that I want to give other people a push who need it. But if you broadcast it, it takes away. ●●●

First memory holding a golf club? A little plastic club. I was in the yard swinging, and we had this little white dog. I hit the dog by accident, she flipped over, and I ran into the house freaking out thinking I’d killed the dog. Then a few minutes later, I see her at the door, ball in its mouth wanting to play, with a look like, That’s all you got? ●●●

What did the game mean to you growing up? It was my escape, the thing I loved most. Put on my headphones, practice and get into my own world. The game seemed

“[WHEN] FORMER NO. 1s HAVE YOUR BACK, THAT’S HUGE. IT TELLS ME I’M DOING THINGS THE RIGHT WAY.” easy to me until I started playing up in age groups when I was 10. Playing against 17-year-olds in AJGA when I was 13, getting beaten up and outdriven by 50 to 60 yards, it forced me to look for nuances to keep up, and that’s why my short game and shot-shaping became what they are. I moved around a lot when I was a teenager, and golf was what was constant. ●●●

How did you and Justine meet? I was a freshman at the University of Georgia, and her younger sister, Kris,

was at LSU. Kris came to visit, and we went on one date, and I texted her to confirm she’d made it back home safe. No response. So I reached out to Justine on Facebook, who confirmed her sister was back and got frank with me about why it was probably not going to work out. So I start talking with Justine, who I discovered is this incredibly driven person who was pursuing dual degrees while working to become a nurse. We kept talking as a couple of years went by; then we started dating. Best decision of my life. ●●●

You left home at 21 to be with her. Tell me about those early days together. They were rough. We were road warriors, driving Justine’s Lexus IS 250 sedan, chasing Monday qualifiers around the country just like they did in the old days. I had extra clubs and clothes. She had a full bag of makeup, full bag of hair products, 50 pairs of shoes . . . pretty hilarious just trying to tilt down the seat to catch some sleep as she’s driving through the night so that I could make a tee time. With her caddieing, we went six for eight in PGA Tour Mondays that year. For her to put her dreams aside to support me, I’ll never forget that. Someday I hope to be half the person she is. ●●●

Her brother, Kessler, has been on the bag for eight of your nine wins, so his competence is unquestioned. But how was Justine? I had my doubts at the beginning. First, her nursing job was our only stable income, and second, I didn’t know if she could keep up toting a bag bigger than she is. But as a former athlete—she swam and played soccer in college—she gets the psychology aspect of when to

ryder cup: mike ehrmann/pga of america via getty images

All right, let’s talk about fun stuff. I’m told you like movies. Who would play you in the movie of your life? Jack Nicholson, for sure. He’s so witty. With a lot of his characters, the first impression is uncertain. He looks serious, but then he starts cracking his smile and popping jokes left and right. “Something’s Gotta Give” is one of my favourites.

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press and when not to. I’ll never forget Q school in 2012. After two rounds, we were in 100-something place. I’d shot myself out of it on a few holes, and I said, “Let’s pack up.” We were getting married in two weeks, and there was no sense burning through more money on a hotel. It was truly the first time in my life I was defeated by golf. There were too many good players, and I had dug myself too deep a hole. She said, “Give me one more day; if you play bad, we’ll go home, but you have to treat it like a Monday.” We argued and must’ve gone back and forth 20 times, but finally I relented. Long story short, I keep climbing the board, and four rounds later I get my card on the number. I’d never had anyone believe in me like that. I’m glad it happened that way. When you find the right person to support you, the sky’s the limit. ●●●

Anything you want to provide your kids that you weren’t a recipient of?

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“THERE ARE FEW THINGS WORSE AND MORE NAÏVE THAN TO MAKE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT PEOPLE YOU DON’T KNOW.” I’m doing most everything the opposite of what I had as a kid. But the opportunity to travel the world is important. Experiencing different people and places makes you well-rounded. If you just watch the news, you just see what’s negative. Before I played in Turkey, I might’ve thought that was a country where you had to go between the golf course and the hotel as fast as you could. But the people we met there were so friendly, so genuine, and their food was delicious. There are few things worse and more naïve than to make assumptions about people you don’t know.

Anything you witness nowadays from golf parents that gets your attention? Yes, too often. Make it fun. Seven hours is a long day for an adult, let alone a child, to concentrate on something that’s hard. Sure, have a good practice session, but then run around and have a picnic on the range. When a kid wants to quit playing games and really get motivated, that transition will happen naturally and come from them. ●●●

Would you take a mulligan for anything you’ve done in your career? I’ve been asked this question a thousand times, and I’ve never come up with an answer I liked. I feel like everything we’ve done on the course has been to the best of our ability and according to what felt like the right decision at the time. I’m sure there’ve been things I shouldn’t have said, but nothing I would do over because I’ve always learned from my mistakes and experiences to get to where I am now. Photograph by Nick Fisher

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BEST BEST BEST LEARN FROM THE BEST SHORT GAME ON TOUR PATRICK REED SHARES SOME SMART TIPS FOR SCORING AROUND THE GREENS

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BY RON KASPRISKE • PHOTOGRAHS BY JOHN LOOMIS

00 golf digest | issue x . 2021

Photograph by First Lastname

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Swing coach David Leadbetter likes the nickname Magic Hands for his student Patrick Reed, citing his ability to visualise and create short-game shots that most can’t. It might seem like hyperbole—even blasphemy— to compare Reed’s wizardry to that of the late Seve Ballesteros, perhaps the best short-game player of all time, but there are similarities. “There’s a conventional wisdom about how to execute these shots, but just like Seve, Patrick does it his own way,” Leadbetter says. “He sees what he wants the ball to do, and then his body and hands make it happen.” Reed says his short-game prowess was borne out of necessity. Decades ago, his full-swing shots could be described as an all-out assault on the golf ball, which left him in some exotic places on the course. Without skill around the greens, his pro career wasn’t going to amount to much. “The short game is a huge equaliser,” Reed says. “The guys who can save themselves around the greens when their full swings are off are the ones who win golf tournaments.” Acknowledging that countless hours of practice fine-tuned his short game, Reed says anyone can copy some of the things he does without spending all day chipping and pitching. (He will share his advice on the following pages). If you focus on short-game practice when you do find time, you’ll reap a lot more benefit than hitting a bucket of balls, Reed says. “It’s three-fourths of my practice time,” he says. “The better you get with this area of your game, the easier it will be to turn 5s into 4s, 4s into 3s and 3s into 2s.”

Photograph by First Lastname

may 2021 | golfdigestme.com

setup: take a different approach Rather than set up with his body open in relation to the target— common advice for short shots, Reed addresses the ball with his right foot set back (right) and his shoulders square. “This helps me swing down on a shallower path from the inside, and with the face slightly open, the clubhead will glide along the grass,” he says. “Most amateurs will find this setup more forgiving.” Reed says his closed stance also makes it easier to favour the front foot throughout the swing— key to crisp contact. “You want to keep at least 60 to 65 percent of your weight on the front foot. Your lower body should be very stable with little movement.” From an open stance, amateurs tend to hang on their back foot and move their lower body too much. That makes it tough to consistently hit down on the ball and then brush the grass, he says. Another way to improve consistency is to alter your setup—not your technique—to produce different shots, he says. Reed narrows his stance and plays the ball back for lower-trajectory chips and pitches that have checking spin and widens his stance and plays the ball increasingly forward to raise the height. “But my sternum is always ahead of the ball at address, and I feel comfortable,” he says.

the swing: release the club correctly “No matter the shot—long, short, high or low—you’ve got to keep your chest moving, especially toward the target before and after the ball is struck,” Reed says. The rotation of the upper body allows you to release the club correctly, he says. A common mistake is to stop turning at impact while the arms and hands keep swinging. That leads to poor contact and unpredictable trajectory. The club, arms and body should move together in the through-swing. “The right hand is working up through impact, which keeps the clubface pointing toward the sky,” he says. “But if the body stops, you’ll likely blade the shot. You don’t want to flick at it; you want to turn through it.”

32 golfdigestme.com | may 2021

AIM SMALL, MISS SMALL “When chipping, I’m always trying to get the ball to hole out like a putt at normal speed. You should, too,” Reed says. “If you think about trying to get the ball within 10 feet of the hole and you mis-hit it, you’re going to be way short. But if you try to hole out and mis-hit it, you’ll probably leave it a lot closer.”

practice You can improve the quality of your short-game shots with two drills that Reed does. ●●●

The first is trying to return the golf shaft at impact to its orientation at address—which is key to avoid flubbing these finesse shots. “If I’ve got the shaft leaning 10 degrees toward the target at address, I want 10 degrees of shaft lean as I meet the ball,” he says. A great visual aid is to stick an alignment rod into the ground next to your ball (right), and make rehearsal swings or hit shots trying to copy the angle of that rod with your shaft at impact. “Experiment with trying to match various alignment rod and shaft angles to see how the ball’s trajectory changes,” Reed says. “Just remember to always set up with your sternum ahead of it.” ●●●

The second drill improves body rotation and trains the correct upward movement of the right hand through impact, Reed says. You might have seen golfers practice hitting chips and pitches one-handed to help feel how the club should glide along the turf as it strikes the ball. “But it’s not an arm-only drill,” Reed says. “You want to rotate your body toward the target as you swing the club down and through with your right hand (right). To remind you, put your left hand on your sternum and make one-handed swings—or even hit shots—really focusing on body turn. This allows the club to skim the grass and pop the ball up with minimal wrist action until after impact. Note how the clubface is still skyward in the follow-through.

WORK ON TRAJECTORY “From each spot in a short-game area, I’ll hit three different shots, paying attention to what the ball does,” Reed says. “I’ll hit one low, one medium and one high, and then move on to another spot. This really improves ball control.”

What’s in My Bag Patrick Reed driver specs Titleist TSi3, 9°, Aldila Rogue Silver 125 MSI 70 TX shaft. ▶ This driver went in the bag after I started to work with David Leadbetter, and my swing became more consistent. The driver I had been using was spinning too much. With this one the ball speed was good, the launch numbers were what we wanted and I could work it left and right. fairway wood/hybrid specs TaylorMade SIM, 15°, Aldila Rogue Black 130 MSI 80 TX shaft; Callaway Apex Pro, 20°, UST Mamiya Recoil Prototype 95 shaft. ▶ I hope the 3-wood never breaks because it’s been pretty good for me. On the hybrid, I like the compact shape. I spin my woods a lot compared to my irons, and the smaller head helps keep the spin down. irons specs Grindworks Patrick Reed Prototype (4-PW), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts, Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips.

driver

285

▶ We started from scratch with Grindworks. We wanted the centre of gravity in the middle of the face on every club. Then we worked on the sole, bounce, grind and offset and weighted each iron to optimise the launch and spin of each club.

3-wood

260

wedges

3-hybrid

235

4-iron

225

specs Artisan prototype (51°), Titleist Vokey SM8 (56°, 60°), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts.

5-iron

210

6-iron

199

7-iron

185

8-iron

174

9-iron

161

150

51˚wedge

135

56˚wedge

124

60˚wedge

103

—with e. michael johnson

club

yards*

* carry distance

34 golfdigestme.com | may 2021

stars and stripes ▶ This flag is in my bag at all times. It doesn’t matter if I have a carry bag at home, it’s in there. At the 2014 Ryder Cup, captain Tom Watson had two wounded warriors speak. Listening to them, I realised every time I play I’m representing our country, that we were playing for something bigger.

▶ A lot of metal is moved off my wedges. It doesn’t matter what we start with. The whole thing is going to be grounded on. Still, the least amount of metal you can move, the easier it is to replicate.

special sauce ▶ I use the 2017 version of the Titleist Pro V1. This gives me the launch and spin I want. The the red dot helps identify my ball in the rough.

putter specs Scotty Cameron Tour Rat prototype, 33.5 inches, Iomic grip. ▶ I’ve always found this look and neck allow me to aim the putter the best. I feel confident every day with my stroke. I’ve had three or four tournaments since I put this putter in play where I’ve had fewer than 100 putts. This baby is staying in the bag. I’m so comfortable with it.

r-e-s-p-e-c-t ▶ For me, this Kobe Bryant putter cover is about showing respect. He touched so many people outside of sports.

reed: mike ehrmann/getty images • equipment: john loomis • ball and wedge: courtesy of titleist

age 30 lives Spring, Texas story Winner of nine PGA Tour events, including the 2018 Masters. free agent Reed is an equipment free agent, with no deal mandating the majority of clubs in his bag. However, his relationship with Grindworks (a Japanbased maker of premium golf clubs) has been fulfilling. “I love using the creative side of me, and this allowed me to do that in terms of the product and helping to build the brand,” says Reed, who added he is working with the company on a signature wedge line.

FOR THE MILLIONS OF NEW FACES TAKING UP GOLF IN THE ERA OF COVID, HERE’S ADVICE WE WISH SOMEONE HAD GIVEN US STARTING OUT illustrations by michael byers • edited by joel beall

Dear New Golfer, Hello! We are delighted that you have picked up this beautiful sport. It is a game of endless joy and unceasing frustration. If that doesn’t sound like a paradox, you are in the right place. ▶ And you are not alone. The National Golf Foundation reports that 6.2 million new players came to the sport in 2020. That figure is the most in history, and the largest single-season percentage increase in beginners and youth golfers since Tiger Woods’ historic victory at the 1997 Masters, according to the NGF. Better yet, in a game that has long struggled with including others, the participation surge represents a variety of social and economic backgrounds. The game is still not where it needs to be, but it’s getting better ▶ Which is why we at Golf Digest want to make sure your introduction to golf is as welcoming and hospitable as possible. With any new venture in life you might have questions, and, as you might have noticed, golf has a number of curiosities surrounding when and where to play, what to do and how to do it. The world of golf even has its own rules and language. It can be overwhelming, and that’s before trying to hit a tee shot in front of total strangers. So we called on your fellow golfing brothers and sisters, asking them what wisdom they have accrued that they wish they had known in the beginning. Their answers did not disappoint. Here are the lessons every new golfer needs to know. ▶ Don’t be intimidated. Let us disabuse you of one of your biggest fears: No one cares what you shoot. Stop fretting about looking stupid or overmatched on the course. We all started somewhere, and even the pros hit poor shots.

▶ You don’t need 14 clubs. You probably don’t need more than seven to start. A driver with at least 11 degrees of loft, a fairway wood, a 5-, 7- and 9-iron, a sand wedge and a putter are more than enough to get you going.

▶ Lower expectations. Golf is rewarding and fun, but it is not an easy sport to pick up quickly. Enjoy the challenge of getting better. It’s a journey. Like stopping to admire the scenery on a long road trip, allow yourself to fully appreciate the feeling of a well-struck shot.

others is sacred. Resolve to never break one that is less than a week out, except for a medical or family emergency.

▶ You have one primary responsibility. Do not hold anyone up. Slow play is a constant source of misery. If we could, we would put the worst offenders in stocks by the clubhouse to be mocked and pelted with driving-range balls. To reiterate, it’s OK if you struggle. Just don’t be deliberate about it. ▶ All right, one other responsibility. The course is our refuge from life, and getting paired with a jerk can wreck that sanctuary. Be the person you would want to meet. That means being kind, generous and funny.

38 golfdigestme.com | may 2021

▶ A tee time that involves

▶ Play your game. If a golfing partner hits the ball a lot farther than you, don’t try to match him or her. It will only get you in trouble. Play within yourself, and you will do a lot better. ▶ Go for the hero shot. Hack it through the trees. Give yourself the green light on a drivable par 4 or try to reach a par 5 in two. Attempt a flop that would make Phil Mickelson proud. You will remember the one time it came off long after you have forgotten the 99 failures.

▶ Have some gumption. Mentioned above, golf has a history of sexism, racism, exclusion, restriction and absurdly petty rules. Stand up to the pedants.

DON’T LET YOUR BAG FALL WITH A BOTTLE OF WHISKEY IN IT.

▶ Never give swing advice. It does not matter how funky their movements look; you’re in no position to say a word. Conversely, if experienced golfers have a tip or two, take it in. We know newbies when we see them, and if we’re compelled to say something, it’s advice you should consider. ▶ Learn to yell “Fore!” really loud. Your fellow golfers aren’t going to be mad if you have to wander onto their hole to find your wayward drive. But they will be mad if you almost took them out because you failed to warn them of the incoming missile. ▶ It’s not Windex. That mysterious blue liquid, often found in unmarked bottles in and around country-club locker rooms, is an antifungal foot spray that makes toes sing. Apply it after you shower, and a few minutes later your tired dogs will be tingling with joy. You might even feel like playing another nine. ▶ Get the basics down. Namely, do not walk ahead of golfers who haven’t hit, do not walk in the line of a player’s putt and do not talk while someone is hitting. Do those three things, and you’re in decent shape. ▶ Also, chill with the phone. Go easy on the texts. Same goes with phone calls. And for goodness sake, don’t spend 10 minutes trying to capture the perfect Instagram photo. ▶ Always bring a water bottle. With COVID protocols, a number of courses have shut off access to coolers or fountains, and the beverage cart is not always making the

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rounds. Two hours is a long time without hydration; we don’t need you passing out in a bunker. ▶ Enjoy the grind. It’s easy to quit or feel defeated after a bad shot. Regardless of your skill level, always try to find a “game within the game”—like no triplebogeys on the scorecard— to help motivate you even when you don’t have your best stuff. ▶ Keep a towel draped over

your clubs. Clip-on towels are perfectly fine, but nothing says serious golfer like a towel draped over your sticks. Plus, the utility of it is amazing. Make sure to keep half the towel wet.

▶ Swing like a kid. Child golfers usually prompt adult golfers to say things like, “What a great little swing!” It’s generally true that 8-year-olds possess tempo and fluidity that make older folks jealous. Why? It’s because kids don’t have enough strength in their hands and forearms to “muscle” shots. As a result, they tend to swing properly using the weight of the club to create acceleration. Think of this the next time you’re struggling. ▶ If you use a cart, make sure the bag is strapped tight. Nothing says “newbie” more than the poor bastard whose bag falls off the back of his wheels. ▶ You don’t need a new wardrobe. You definitely have something in your closet you can wear. Golf is becoming more relaxed in its dress code, so wear what makes you comfortable, and not what you think you should. However, if you’re traveling to a new course or country club, look up its

dress-code policy online. A simple call ahead can relieve a lot of stress or potential awkwardness. ▶ But one piece of fashion advice: Go easy with the white belt. Our beloved “Mr. Style” Marty Hackel has a Rule of 36: If your age or waistline exceeds that number, white belts are not a great look. ▶ There is joy in playing with strangers. Maybe you wanted to go alone or needed some one-onone time with a buddy. But if you get paired by a starter, be gracious and welcoming. Often some of our best experiences start as unexpected encounters on the first tee. Think of it as four hours to make a new friend. Plus, you clearly have something in common. That’s a start. ▶ Take a lesson or two. The value of establishing fundamentals in your first few months—rather than spending years trying to figure it out on your own—cannot be overstated. ▶ Make sure the bucket is beneath the range-ball dispenser before you put the token in. There is no greater shame than the eyes of an entire range as 50 beat-up balls hit and scatter across the pavement. ▶ Keep complaining to a minimum. It’s fine to sigh as your drive slices into the wilderness. The occasional swear word can be cathartic. But don’t sulk about a bad round. Don’t get angry at a bad round. Don’t do anything but laugh at a bad round because, again, we all stink. And never, ever complain about your opponent’s good shots. ▶ Always play for a buck or two. Nothing will motivate you to get better more than losing some money. You can

LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE. NO MATTER HOW BAD YOU’RE PLAYING, YOU CAN STILL LOOK FORWARD TO A HOT DOG AND COLD DRINK AT THE TURN.

even play against yourself, setting a nine- or 18-hole score you want to beat. If you lose, put the cash in the clubhouse tip jar. ▶ Treat the cart girl with respect. Don’t flirt with her. This is her workplace, and she has already been hit on a dozen times before she reached your group. Treat her like a human being. ▶ Believe in yourself.

Subbing out a new ball for a scuffed one on a hole with out-of-bounds or water is admitting defeat before a club is in your hands, to say nothing of putting some self-fulfilling prophecy in play. Yes, it stings to lose a new ball. But have courage that you’ll be able to keep it safe.

▶ Get to know the practice green. Whether you are honing your putting, chipping, sand shots or short pitches, a well-rounded short game will make up for other deficiencies. Better yet, most short-game areas on public courses are free. It’s a great way to spend 20 minutes or two hours. ▶ Never ask “Is this good?” If you’re in a match, assume you’ll have to putt everything out. Asking for a gimme places your opponent or friend in an uncomfortable spot. Nothing signals character more than taking responsibility for a testy three-footer. ▶ It bears repeating: No one cares how good you are. There’s a reason we are playing here and not on tour. If we make good contact on one shot, we’re in paradise. Most of us don’t even need that. So when it comes to playing partners, we are looking for a fun hang— nothing more, nothing less.

may 2021 | golfdigestme.com

gutter credit tk

WHAT THE OCEAN COURSE AT KIAWAH ISLAND, SITE OF THIS YEAR’S PGA 00 golf digest | issue x . 2021

Photograph by First Lastname

gutter credit tk

CHAMPIONSHIP, TEACHES US ABOUT OVERCOMING CHALLENGING LAYOUTS Photograph by First Lastname

issue x . 2021 | golf digest

All golf courses are difficult for those playing poorly. Others have difficulty bred into them. When the professionals take on the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island for the PGA Championship May 20-23, they will be playing the most difficult course in recent major-championship history. Only six courses in the United States have a higher combined USGA Course and Slope Rating than the Ocean Course’s

44 golfdigestme.com | may 2021

79.1 and 155 off tees measuring nearly 7,900 yards, numbers that seem almost surreal—but they are real. Only one of those six courses, Oak Tree National, has ever been the site of a men’s major (the 1988 PGA Championship). As daunting as those figures are, viewers shouldn’t necessarily expect a bloodletting at Kiawah. A Course Rating reflects the predicted score of a scratch golfer playing his or her best off that set of tees, but not even the tour pros will be asked to take on the full weight of the design. In fact, it’s unlikely the course will ever play to its maximum yardage. The switching, unpredictable east-west coastal winds that mirror the east-west routing of the holes means those 7,900 yards are needed for flexibility—some days half the holes could face stiff headwinds, and the next, with the wind coming from a different direction, they might play 50 or even 100 yards shorter. (In May, with cooler temperatures, a confusing north wind cutting across the line of play is also possible.) Kerry Haigh, chief championships officer for the PGA of America, and his team will try to anticipate the wind direction and adjust tees forward or back accordingly. Guessing wrong could result in long days and grumbling competitors. Wind and length might be the sternest challenges, but they are not insurmountable—

Instruction advice provided by Abby Welch, a teacher at the Kiawah Island Resort, with Matthew Rudy.

no. 2, par 5 ‘swing through it’ to clear a hazard This hole requires a shot over a marsh off the tee and another by the green, but you can make these tasks less intimidating by remembering one thing: Swing through it. The thought will help you launch a drive higher and farther. Just be sure to tee the ball slightly higher than the top of your clubhead. Swinging through it also applies to approach shots, provided you shift your weight onto your front foot first.

previous pages and hole two: carlos amoedo • hole three: courtesy of kiawah

no. 3, par 4 account for rollout on a tabletop green First, try to get the shortest club possible in your hands for an approach into an elevated green. Anything longer than an 8-iron and you’ll have to make adjustments to hit it higher. Also, always play the shot to the front of the green, even if the pin is back. Take advantage of the whole putting surface to stop the ball, or else you might be playing your next shot from a collection area well below the hole.

the professionals have the shots and length to overcome or at least mitigate them. Rory McIlroy made the Ocean Course look almost easy during the 2012 PGA Championship, shooting a 13-under-par 275, eight shots clear of the field. But most golfers don’t have the shots, and these same factors—plus high-handicap land mines like waste bunkers, gnarly sea grasses bordering fairways and a battery of other defenses Pete Dye built into the course as he rushed to complete it in time for the 1991 Ryder Cup matches—can turn casual rounds at the Ocean Course into interminable search-and-rescue missions. The Ocean Course’s reputation for inducing cruel outcomes was forged on that Ryder Cup battlefield as Dye’s interpretation of Low Country links became as much of a storyline as the backand-forth tension of the matches, supplying equal doses of physical and psychological trauma. Incidentally, that’s exactly the kind of experience

many resort guests want. Brian Gerard, director of golf at Kiawah Island Golf Resort for the past 17 years, who previously served as head professional at the Ocean Course for 11 years, saw it daily. “People didn’t care what their scorecard read—they were there to play one of the most challenging, difficult golf courses in the country, one that had hosted a Ryder Cup,” he says. “They would come in and say it was a hard golf course, but they didn’t complain about it.” Attempting to overcome extreme challenges is integral to the game’s allure. But playing challenging courses should not mean extreme scores must be surrendered. The ways the Ocean Course extracts strokes—the coastal elements, the combination of sand, grass and marsh, Dye’s strange alchemy—might be particular to this design and location, but they can also be examined as an avatar for all difficult courses. How the professionals will attack it during the PGA Championship is

may 2021 | golfdigestme.com

no. 9, par 4 play for the flat spots It’s never a bad idea to play for the centre of the green, like on No. 9, where a miss going for the flagstick could put you in a brutal position to get up and down. But it’s also smart to play toward the part of the green where a miss doesn’t cost you more than a stroke. If that means playing for the front right to ensure you’ll have a chip from a flat lie should you not reach the green in regulation, so be it.

instructive for how less skilled golfers can strategise their games through similar if less severe networks of turmoil. Each nine at the Ocean Course comprises holes that form out-and-back routings wedged between interior salt marshes and the Atlantic dunes. The tee shot on the par-5 second plays over a broad section of the inland marsh to a fairway that runs away from the player from right to left. For the pros, the decision is how far left to aim to leave a short second shot that isn’t blocked by a cluster of live oaks through the fairway. Bogey players might be satisfied just to clear the marsh by hitting to a broad, visible landing area out to the right, but from here the second shot becomes longer and more complicated because of the tapering landing zone, a narrow wetland passage bisecting the fairway and bracketing stands of oaks. If played excessively safe, the second becomes a four-shot hole for most, meaning one more opportunity to hit the ball into a bunker, wetlands or greenside penalty area. Staying in scoring position requires committing to more risk off the tee to increase the chance of clearing the wetlands on the second shot. “First-time players at the Ocean Course, they

46 golfdigestme.com | may 2021

stand on some of the tees and think, What is my line?” Gerard says. “Pete was able to draw your eye off the line and toward a hazard, and that creates indecision. He was one of the best at that.” The strategic architecture rewards players willing to take bold lines, whether they drive it 175 yards or 325. Confronting a challenge early in the hole usually clears the path for subsequent shots, and avoiding it defers and intensifies engagement. The short par-4 third sets up for another rightto-left diagonal drive over the marsh. Expect to see the professionals attempt to get as close to the green as possible with their drives, about 370 yards away on the direct line, to leave short pitches to the green. This should be the strategy for all players because it’s imperative to approach the tiny, 3,700-square-foot knoll green with a short, lofted club. Shots that miss the green, which is perched eight to 10 feet above the fairway with steep roll-offs on all sides, will trundle down the slope, often leading to comical back-and-forth attempts to find the putting surface. Though it’s ingeniously defended by little more than short grass, indecision with the drive and imprecision on the approach could mean the difference between a 4 and a 6, or worse.

and that’s when it really goes sideways.” Bogey can be an achievable score at tough holes like the ninth if second shots are played to a relatively flat area short of the putting surface that leaves a straightforward pitch. That requires a degree of self-awareness and course management not common in less-accomplished players. The par-4 10th and par-5 11th, two holes that run straight out between thick, native-covered dunes on the left and a canal on the right, demonstrate how architects intimidate via deception. Deep waste areas that guard the right side of each hole appear larger than they are and prompt bailouts to the left. But approaches from the left of the 10th must cover another waste bunker short of the green from a direction that crosses the shallow axis of the putting surface. Second shots from the left side of 11 have to be played blindly over a grassy dune straight ahead or back toward a second nexus of trouble on the right in the form of crater bunkers and the canal. The pro players who take on the 280- to 300-yard carries over the waste bunkers can go on offense working with the angles of the greens, but resort players who are bold or lucky enough to skim the edges of the pits rather than the fat of the fairway will also net better rewards. “These tee shots are the most challenging for the regular player,” says Jeff Stone, golf-course

no. 11, par 5 roll it when in doubt The elevated green on this par 5 often means playing your third or fourth from a collection area just below the putting surface. What’s the right play? If short wedge shots make you uneasy, grab your putter or hybrid and play this shot like a big lag putt. Don’t jab at it or flick up on it. Slightly favour your front foot, and make a long fluid stroke, holding the clubface square with your putting line after impact.

hole nine: courtesy of kiawah • hole 11: carlos amoedo

Uneven lies present a different sort of problem at the par-4 ninth, a formidable beast with the left side of the fairway edge rolling down into a waste area that runs the length of the hole along another marsh. For professionals, par is a matter of finding the fairway and then controlling trajectory in the wind, but reaching the green in two might not be realistic for most others. High-handicappers have a tendency to try it anyway by slashing wild hybrids and metalwoods that usually end up in troublesome places, including deep bunkers, the waste area and a series of deathly hollows left and right of the green. In the decades after the Ryder Cup, Dye returned repeatedly to expand turf areas, particularly around the greens so that missed shots would settle on grass rather than in dune vegetation (yes, the course has been softened). But swales such as these produce uncomfortable situations for bogey golfers who must hit recovery shots from tight and uneven lies up to greens they often cannot see. How they handle these touchy situations throughout a round might cumulatively have the single greatest impact on their scores, especially if they are taking two or three chips per hole. “Mentally you can begin to say to yourself, I have no chance of getting this up and down,” Gerard says. “What most people do is say, I’m going to go ahead and try to pull it off anyway,

may 2021 | golfdigestme.com

no. 13, par 4 check your ego on the tee Some holes just don’t suit your game. This one, with water all the way up the right side, is a nightmare for righties who curve their tee shots in that direction. There’s no shame in grabbing a shorter but straighter club and playing a tough par 4 like this in three shots to the green. But if you still feel like gambling, the more you fire your hips through in the downswing, the less your ball should curve left to right.

superintendent at the Ocean Course since 2003. “When you stand on those tees, you look out and think, It’s just so tight. But once you get there you see how much fairway there is. Dye’s ability to visually intimidate you off the tee is the course’s biggest challenge—he’s got you before you’ve even hit the shot.” The tee shot at the par-4 13th is the rare occasion Dye doesn’t try to disguise the landing area. Most people wish he did—drives play from the opposite side of the canal and showcase a long, uncomfortable view of the water running tight down

48 golfdigestme.com | may 2021

the right side of the fairway and against the green. On the opposite side of the landing zone await dunes and five elevated crater bunkers. There’s no room to miss, and approaches that shy away from the water result in delicate chips or bunker blasts back toward the canal. This is one hole in which the PGA Championship participants, hitting from tees pegged at 497 yards, will be just as anxious as resort players. Whether it’s a particular pot bunker at Pine Valley, a creek at Augusta or the Church Pews bunker at Oakmont, great courses have signature hazards

a lake with no room to miss short. Strangely, the merciless little interruption on the long march back to the clubhouse is actually a bracing tonic for shell-shocked stupors. How can it not be? Oddly but magnetically out of place, it is an absurd theater where so many before have fallen, including Ryder Cup and PGA Championship legends. Playing from elevated tees with the wind whipping, the prudent tactic would be to aim for the patch of fairway short and left of the green and then attempt to scramble for three or four and save face. But against everything that’s come to pass, against this last chance to speak on the record and assert that you were here to play golf and to overcome, there’s one last piece of advice: Take the shot.

no. 16, par 5 adjust your sand play in waste areas Waste-area sand is common at the Ocean Course, and this par 5 has plenty of it. The mistake is treating it like a shot from the softer sand around the greens or in a traditional fairway bunker. This stuff is usually damp and firm and a tough lie for average players. Unless you are really good at picking it clean off tight lies with longer clubs, take a wedge with minimal bounce and play for a flat spot in the fairway.

hole 13: courtesy of kiawah • hole 16: carlos amoedo

that tease the psyche as much as test strategy. At the Ocean Course it’s the cavernous Sahara bunker protecting the second-shot landing area of the par-5 16th. Spanning 65 yards, it runs up against the front left of the green and sits some eight feet below the surface with mounds of wiry grasses planted within it, hazards within hazards. A good rule is that if a staircase is required to enter and exit a bunker, give it a wide berth. Even if an extra stroke is needed to circumnavigate the hazard, it’s worthwhile because being inside is an almost certain two- to three-shot penalty for higher-handicap players. After having encountered wind, sand, marshes, lost balls and other forms of humiliation, players come to the infamous 17th hole, a par 3 across

may 2021 | golfdigestme.com

j.d. cuban

hot list 2021

50 golfdigestme.com | hot list 2021

Listed alphabetically

in association with

irons

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE whether you’re a low-handicapper or beginner, o u r f o u r i r o n c at e g o r i e s h av e o p t i o n s t o f i t yo u r g a m e . w e c o n s i d e r e d 7 8 m o d e l s ; 5 2 m a d e t h e l i s t.

For club fitting visit www.egolfmegastore.ae/accufit

▶ “Who are you? Who, who, who, who?” That song lyric by the rock band The Who is a fitting start to your iron search. As clubmakers continue to splinter the market into several categories—for the Hot List, we group by Players, Players Distance, Game Improvement and Super Game Improvement—it’s important consumers are honest with themselves about what they need from their irons. Is it a hint of forgiveness with the workability, thinner topline and sole width that appeals to better players? Are you seeking to regain that lost half-club to Father Time without using something that resembles a shovel? Perhaps it’s a slightly bulkier iron that offers enough forgiveness to let you reach the front of the green on a slight mis-hit. Or maybe you’re relatively new to the game or don’t possess the skills others have. Iron sets with wide soles and thick toplines—or even all-hybrid construction—can provide you with the confidence you need. So, who are you? That’s a question only you can answer. Once you figure it out, the following pages have an iron set just for you. ▶

Photographs by Dom Furore and Ben Walton

p l ay e r s i r o n s

performance

★★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★★

look • sound • feel

★★★★½

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“The lightweight feel gives it some pop at impact. The ball flight has the piercing trajectory I love.”

demand

APEX PRO (2021)

★★★★½

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★½

look • sound • feel

★★★★★ demand

★★★★½

c a l l away

performance

★★★★

RRP AED 6,475

▶ Callaway hasn’t always tried to conceal the technology in its clubs, but it has done a good job of seamlessly melding technological improvements within a clubhead that looks like a gift package from Tiffany. The latest example is the new Apex Pro, which features a hollow-body construction for the first time. Callaway relied on artificial intelligence—which thinks of things a designer might not and does it a lot faster—to help its engineers give each iron face in the set a unique variable-thickness geometry. In essence, each clubface is customised. The back of the face looks more like a wave than a typical smooth progression, but the result is consistent distance across a larger area of the face. The tech story doesn’t end there: A tungsten energy core, with up to 90 grams of tungsten surrounded by microsphere-filled urethane (microspheres are tiny air bubbles encased in glass), allows the Callaway design team to more precisely control the centre of gravity. This means better players get the trajectory window they seek plus forgiveness. All this new tech in a players-cavity shape makes the Apex Pro an ideal choice for the aspiring club champion who doesn’t have a ton of time to practice.

c a l l away X FORGED CB

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“These line up perfectly at address like a blade should. The feel is pure. Even when you don’t put a perfect swing on it, you feel like you can control the shot.”

Available in U.S. only

▶ The X Forged CB is perhaps the most ambitious iron design Callaway has attempted in recent years—a multimaterial forged construction in a players shape. The key to the design was eliminating tip-plug weighting in the hosel (in which weight is inserted into the tip end of the shaft to achieve a specific swingweight). Better players need the swingweight to be precise, but there are more efficient means to do so. In the back cavity, a large weight slug (not adjustable by consumers) is screwed into place to get the swingweight correct. This also has the benefit of placing additional mass behind the hitting area. More heft translates into additional ball speed. The weight is available in 12, 17 or 21 grams to provide consumers with the option of a light, standard or heavy clubhead. These are the subtle distinctions players drawn to irons in this category appreciate. Even the iron’s stock shaft (Project X IO) gets the details right: The IO stands for “individually optimised” for each iron in the set. For players who play graphite shafts, Mitsubishi’s MMT features metal mesh in the tip for increased stability. Finally, Golf Pride’s Z Grip completes the stock offering for this iron.

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae

52 golfdigestme.com | hot list 2021

Listed alphabetically

in association with

performance

★★★★½

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★½

look • sound • feel

★★★★½

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“The ball seemed to jump off the face. Good control, even on mis-hits. Those shots hurt far less than others.”

demand

KING TOUR

★★★★½

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★

look • sound • feel

★★★★½ demand

★★

cobra

performance

★★★½

RRP AED 5,595

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“Might be the most forgiving iron in this category. Good turf interaction and easier to hit the long irons and get some air under the ball.”

mizuno

RRP AED 5,075

JPX921 TOUR

▶ Manufacturing a soft, forgiving players iron in a cavity-back shape is a difficult engineering challenge. However, Cobra found a way through a metal-injection molding process to create each iron in the set—something the company previously used only for its wedges. The metal-injection molding process is beneficial for two reasons. First, it eliminates the need to hand polish the heads, which can lead to slight inconsistencies. Second, the blend of 17-4 stainless steel (80 percent) and 304 stainless steel (20 percent) goes through a sintering heat-treatment process that is nearly 150 degrees hotter than conventional forging. Not only does this provide a soft feel, but it creates a tighter grain structure to deliver the type of consistency this category demands. Cobra has made another change that better players will likely welcome: The long irons have a slightly shorter blade length with a tungsten weight in the toe area to position the centre of gravity behind the sweet spot. Finally, the Lamkin Crossline grips come equipped with Cobra Connect powered by Arccos, giving users the ability to track and access a variety of shot data via the Arccos Caddie app.

▶ Mizuno’s iron selection is so extensive that it sometimes can be difficult to figure out which model is best suited for your game. However, for the most skilled players, Mizuno’s choices are a little more clear, and this iron should be at the top of the list. The JPX921 Tour is a terrific follow-up to the JPX900 Tour and JPX919 Tour. It’s a compact, muscle-cavity blade that’s similar in shape to those previous models (the result of tour-player feedback). The irons are forged from soft 1025E carbon steel, then put through a proprietary heating process to concentrate the grain in the centre area of the face for maximum feel. There is less weight in the toe than previous Mizuno Tour irons, but that saved weight has been moved to the club’s perimeter for improved stability, as well as to reinforce the centre of the club for enhanced feel at impact. The sole width progresses throughout the set—wider soles in the long irons to boost height and narrower soles in the short irons for better workability for the shotmaker in all of us. Mizuno’s stock set for this iron starts with a 4-iron, which follows the trend seen on the PGA Tour, where 3-irons that match the set are becoming nearly extinct.

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae

may 2021 | golfdigestme.com

p l ay e r s i r o n s

performance

★★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★½

look • sound • feel

★★★★★

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“Love the weight, balance and turf interaction. Very easy to control distance. Long irons look and feel the same as short irons.”

★★★

MP-20 MMC

★★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★

look • sound • feel

★★★★½ demand

demand

mizuno

performance

★★★★

RRP AED 5,425

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“Good sound and feel for a club this big. Long irons and middle irons are some of the easiest to hit in this category, and you don’t give up the pleasant feel.”

ping

RRP AED 5,320

i210

▶ The imaginative use of titanium and the way Mizuno achieves a syrupy feel are the technological highlights of this iron. A titanium bar—something first introduced in the company’s MP-58 iron—is forged into the back to improve feel and provide some mass behind the impact area, allowing weight to be moved to the edges of the club for maximum forgiveness. In the 4- through 7-irons, 12 grams of tungsten are positioned low in the toe, and 12 grams of titanium are fused into the back cavity. There is no tungsten in the 8-iron through gap wedge, only 10.5 grams of titanium that allows for a narrower sole to increase the ability to work shots. The secret to the club’s amazing feel is barely one-tenth the thickness of a human hair—a chromeplating technique that dates back to a legendary set of Mizuno blades developed for Tommy Nakajima, who won 56 times during five decades, mostly on the Japan Tour. Brought to market in Japan as the TN-87, those irons featured an underlayer of copper to enhance feel, and that technique is now used in the MP-20 MMC. Finally, the KBS Tour $-Taper stock shaft is a smart choice for the player who pays attention to such details.

▶ Technology in today’s players irons has to skillfully navigate the need for precision and workability without sacrificing power. The i210 traverses this technological balance beam better than Simone Biles. With a compact shape that better players prefer, the i210 emphasises feel, shotmaking and precision. Feel, in particular, became a priority. Ping engineers developed a larger and softer elastomer insert that is wedged into the back cavity. This had two benefits: More of the face is supported by the softer material, and the larger cavity created additional perimeter weighting. Also, the 431 stainless-steel casting (a softer steel than traditional 17-4) has milled grooves that change through the set. A sharper edge radius and tighter groove spacing in the pitching wedge and U-wedge help prevent flyers. These are essentially the same grooves found on Ping’s Glide 2.0 wedges. The stability and groove refinements are intended to improve consistency and precision with an ease-of-use factor that’s near the top of this category. For those wondering if the irons are too game-improvement for them, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton and Stewart Cink each won in 2020 with a set of i210s in their bag.

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae

54 golfdigestme.com | hot list 2021

Listed alphabetically

in association with

performance

★★★★½

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★½

look • sound • feel

★★★★½ demand

★★★

pxg 0311 T GEN3

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“You get a lot of positive feedback at impact. It helps you believe you can play the shot that is in your brain. Fairly easy to hit, too.”

RRP AED 12,950

performance

★★★★½

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★

look • sound • feel

★★★★½ demand

★★½

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“The sole offers a ton of help through the ball. It’s as solid a feeling as you’re going to get in any players iron. They look pretty cool, too.”

s r i xo n

RRP AED 5,195

ZX7

▶ Luxury is a word synonymous with PXG, a company that caters to golfers for whom price isn’t really a consideration. However, such an audience still needs to be persuaded by performance. The key to achieving this is the addition of an interior design in which a soft polymer reduces unwanted vibrations and stores energy that is transferred to the ball for more distance. This is coupled with a firmer polymer behind the face that adds structural integrity. The HT1770 maraging-steel face, already thin at 1.5 millimeters (about the thickness of a dime), features a channel around the perimeter internally that is only 1.2 millimeters, producing even more rebound. The body is forged from soft 8620 carbon steel and goes through a five-step forging process to accommodate the complex body geometry of the iron. The company’s hallmark lightweight titanium and heavier tungsten weights remain, optimising the centre of gravity and moment of inertia (the club’s stability). The specs are identical to its predecessor, and the head size and sole bounce are similar, too. The topline— as one might expect on a tour model—is slightly thinner, and a number of custom-shaft offerings are available.

▶ The simplicity of this iron’s compact appearance belies the fact there is considerable technological imagination beneath the surface. The tour-like cavity design allows for two things: additional weight on the perimeter for forgiveness and more mass behind the sweet spot for a powerful feel at impact. To minimise the loss of ball speed on off-centre strikes, Srixon uses a single-piece 1020 carbon-steel clubhead with tungsten weights in the toe area of the 3- through 7-irons. However, speed without control is a dealbreaker in a players iron. To ensure the proper amount of spin on each iron, Srixon’s designers created different groove patterns for the long and short irons. On the 3- through 7-irons, the grooves are wider. In the 8-iron through pitching wedge, they are deeper and closer together to produce consistent spin throughout the set. An updated Tour VT sole features a higher bounce angle toward the leading edge that tapers and less bounce on the trailing edge for better turf interaction. A notch in the heel—a preference of the company’s tour staff—also helps with working the ball, and a thin topline with little offset provides an appealing look for better players.

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may 2021 | golfdigestme.com

p l ay e r s i r o n s

performance

★★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★

look • sound • feel

★★★★½ demand

★★★★

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“They are sleek at address. Shots take off low, reach the apex and drop. You flush it and don’t even feel it. It really pops. It’s so pleasant to hit a club like this.”

tay l o r m a d e P•7MC

RRP AED 5,795

performance

★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★★

look • sound • feel

★★★★½ demand

★

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“Great size and shape, which is maintained throughout the set. Definitely hot off the face. The club feels very well balanced in your hands.”

titleist CNCPT CP-02

RRP: TBC

▶ Making players irons that look cool, sound great and feel like they should is a TaylorMade strength, and all of that is on display here. It would be easy to say the P•7MC irons are a solid follow up to the company’s P750s, but that would be underselling the significance of the enhancements. Chief among them is a new forging process that applies two to three times the pressure normally used in making forged irons. Why is that noteworthy? The added force from the 2,000-ton press to the 1025 carbon steel decreases the grain size, improving the overall properties of the metal while reducing the need for hand polishing, thus creating a precise, repeatable shape. Mass has been shifted upward slightly to be more in line with the centre of the face, providing some extra oomph and a better feel. The thin topline and progressive offset throughout the set produce the kind of look at address skilled players want, and the narrow sole and tight leading edge are designed to induce the sort of turf interaction that leads to precisely cut divots that fit back in their hole nearly seamlessly. It’s no wonder these irons are in the bag of PGA champion Collin Morikawa, one of the better iron players on tour.

▶ The mission that Titleist’s R&D team received for its CNCPT irons was exciting and one not often heard in a business that is sensitive to price: How much better could an iron be if money were no object? Finding out would require researching new materials and processes and blending them into a final form that wouldn’t turn off better players. The result is a club made from a material the company refers to only as “super metal.” The forged L-face is very thin (less than two millimeters) and “unsupported,” meaning there is no foam or thermoplastic urethane material or other backing structure filling the hollow iron to support the thin-face design. According to Titleist, the metal has never been used in golf-club design before. The other element behind the unique hollow construction is the placement of significant amounts of high-density tungsten in the heel and toe of each iron to improve forgiveness and stability on off-centre hits. In fact, close to 50 percent of the head’s total weight is tungsten (with an average of more than 110 grams) in the longer irons to keep the centre of gravity low and toward the back for launching shots high with less distance-robbing spin.

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56 golfdigestme.com | hot list 2021

Listed alphabetically

in association with

performance

★★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★½

look • sound • feel

★★★★★ demand

★★★★★

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“Most impressive about these irons is the ability to control ball flight and the ease of use with the long irons. Extremely consistent.”

titleist T100

RRP AED 6,195

performance

★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★½

look • sound • feel

★★★★½ demand

★½

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“Reminds me of an oldschool blade. A classic forged feel with good feedback. Not a destructive loss of distance on mis-hits, either, which was nice.”

miura

RRP AED 9,450

TC-201

▶ There are three key elements to hitting great iron shots: having enough distance, a tight dispersion pattern and a proper angle of descent to stop shots close to the hole. The Titleist T100 irons are engineered to address each of those needs while providing the shape, feel and control of a traditional players iron. The forged dual-cavity clubhead might be geared toward the game’s elite players, but the face still offers plenty of pop thanks to a design that is 1.8 millimeters thick in the 3- through 6-irons. A total of 66 grams of tungsten is co-forged into the heel and toe areas to foster a higher ball flight and provide assistance on mishits. The sole was also redesigned from the previous version, the AP2. More sole camber and a pre-worn leading edge prevent the club from digging into the turf. The T100 has become a favourite with the company’s tour staff. Players such as Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth say they are drawn to the reduced offset and thinner topline look compared to the AP2. True Temper’s AMT White is the stock shaft in steel, and Mitsubishi’s MCA Tensei White AM2 is the graphite option in an iron that would prompt even lifelong muscle-back-blade users to say: “I’ve got to try this.”

▶ Miura irons have a cult-like following among better players who have flocked to its forged blades in recent years. The loyalty is not without good reason. Company founder Katsuhiro Miura earned the nickname “the hands of God” for his relentless pursuit of perfection in hand-crafted irons. Now, five years in the making, these irons are an expansion from Miura’s one-piece forged models. The TC-201 is a carbon-steel forged cavity-back iron in a classic shape that can be played by a fairly wide swath of golfers because of its forgiveness elements. The TC-201 was designed and forged in the company’s Himeji, Japan, factory, and is inspired by the company’s best-selling iron in Japan. Features include a shallow cavity, sharp topline and minimal offset for a blade-like appearance at address. The long irons have a little extra weighting in the toe and heel for more forgiveness. A lower centre of gravity also promotes a higher ball flight. A slightly higher CG in the short irons fosters a lower, more controlled trajectory on the scoring shots. Weight is pushed to the heel and toe areas here, too, for help with mis-hits. The traditional lofts (46 degrees on the pitching wedge) are something better players can appreciate.

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may 2021 | golfdigestme.com

p l ay e r s i r o n s

performance

★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★

look • sound • feel

★★★★½ demand

★★½

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“What sets this club apart is its ability to hit every kind of shot. Just enough help in the long irons without sacrificing feel. Turf interaction is first-rate.”

titleist 620 CB

RRP AED 6,195

▶ Titleist has a history of producing irons that cleverly hide technological improvements in a pleasing shape. The 620 CB is the latest example. The name is a throwback to the 600 Series of the early 2000s. At first glance, the iron appears to be uncomplicated in construction and shape: a carbon-steel forged head with a compact look. However, the use of high-density tungsten in the toe and heel areas of the long irons is a modern—and meaningful—touch that helps launch the ball high and minimise loss of ball speed on off-centre strikes. Titleist did not use tungsten in the toe on the 5- through 7-irons as it did in the previous CB. The reason? Better players prefer to flight middle and short irons lower. The pre-worn leading-edge sole helps the club slide through the turf effortlessly—even for those with a steep attack angle. The blade lengths are in line with the company’s MB irons for those who like a split set. As one would expect of a club designed for single-digit-handicappers, the stock shaft is the 120-gram True Temper Project X LZ. The iron selector tool on the company’s website isn’t a substitute for an in-person clubfitting, but it does offer valuable guidance on whether this model is for you.

performance

★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★

look • sound • feel

★★★★ demand

★½

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“The feedback to the hands is outstanding. I could really control my ball flight. A good club even for a middle-handicapper with hopes of being a single-digit.”

wilson STAFF MODEL CB

▶ Wilson Golf has consistently evolved its approach to players irons. For its latest offering, it sought the input of its tour staff and ended up with an iron that checked all their necessary boxes, including a clean look, a pleasant sound and feel, easy-to-hit long irons and workable middle and short irons. Forged from 8620 carbon steel with a nickel-chrome finish, the Staff Model CB presents a new approach to the construction of the back cavity, where the company used what it refers to as “Tri-Brace Technology.” Marketing jargon aside, steel is positioned in the cavity to connect the thinner topline to the more rigid areas toward the sole of the cavity to reduce vibration and produce a quieter, less-piercing sound. In the long and middle irons, 20 grams of tungsten is placed low in the toe to increase the moment of inertia and mitigate the effect of mis-hits. Moving the centre of gravity lower and closer to the centre of the face provides a powerful feel at impact and less draw bias—an important consideration for better players who are loathe to over-draw an approach shot. The irons also borrow from the Staff Model blades with a milled face that features the Staff Model groove configuration.

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58 golfdigestme.com | hot list 2021

Listed alphabetically

in association with

p l ay e r s - d i s ta n c e i r o n s

performance

★★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★★

look • sound • feel

★★★★★ demand

★★★★★

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“Felt like they really had a motor in them. You get a lot of distance without sacrificing feel. It’s an ideal size head for shotmaking as well.”

c a l l away APEX (2021)

RRP AED 6,475

performance

★★★★½

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★★

look • sound • feel

★★★★½ demand

★★½

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“The gorgeous bronze finish makes these irons as much artwork as golf club. Soft cushioned sound but a powerful, driving ball flight.”

cobra

RRP AED 6,195

KING FORGED TEC

▶ The standard is the standard. That’s a phrase Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is fond of. It also could apply to the Callaway Apex irons, which have been the epitome of a playersdistance iron since debuting in 2014. An iron in this category must satisfy a pair of simple, but strict criteria: It must be a players iron in shape and playability as well as possess a distanceproducing element that results in yards a normal players iron can’t deliver. The most recent version of the Apex does both of these things incredibly well. The forged 1025 carbon-steel body (including a revised sole for smoother turf interaction) provides a strong appeal at address and in the bag. For distance, a cupface (in which the face wraps around part of the topline and sole) designed with the help of artificial intelligence gives each club up to the 9-iron a unique structure and more rebound. A tungsten core (ranging from 14 to 64 grams) wrapped in urethane with tiny air bubbles encased in glass features five times the tungsten of the previous Apex iron. This increases ball speed not only on shots hit off centre but particularly on those struck low on the face, where the majority of iron impacts occur.

▶ When you have a proven club, you take what you have and make it better instead of starting from scratch. That’s the case with Cobra’s King Forged Tec irons. Cobra builds off the success of its previous Forged Tec model, retaining features like the groundbreaking Cobra Connect grip sensors that provide player analytics through the Arccos round-tracking system. However, improvements have been made to the clubhead. Cobra’s objective was to incorporate multiple materials to increase ball speed while maintaining its traditional shape and feel. The muscleback shape is deceiving because it hides the fact that the clubhead is a hollow construction and uses the company’s L-shape, variable-thickness “Pwrshell” metal face (something not used in previous Forged Tec models) to boost ball speed. Inside the clubhead, foam is used to help provide the proper sound and feel. For those channeling their inner Bryson DeChambeau, a One Length model, in which every iron is the length of a 7-iron, is available as well. In the One Length, a 15-gram tungsten weight plug in the toe of the 4-through 7-irons and lighter shafts help with launch. In the wedges, heavier shafts are used to improve control.

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may 2021 | golfdigestme.com

p l ay e r s - d i s ta n c e i r o n s

performance

★★★★½

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★½

look • sound • feel

★★★★½

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“The feel is crisp. No vibration through impact. Plenty of distance. The ball felt spring-loaded coming off the face.”

demand

TR21X

★★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★

look • sound • feel

★★★★★

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“It feels solid and light. You can really work the ball. They’ve made a club that differentiates itself from other models.”

demand

★

honma

performance

★★★½

RRP AED 6,825

mizuno

RRP AED 5,075

JPX921 FORGED

▶ Sometimes you can be a victim of your own success. For Honma, this means having to make a players-distance iron that brings plenty of heat in the same highly attractive clubhead the company is famous for. The TR21X irons accomplish this. They might look like single-piece forged irons at first glance, but they’re actually hollow construction with an unsupported Carpenter steel L-face insert (in which the bottom of the face wraps around part of the sole). A U-shape wedge of tungsten is positioned low and near the sole with portions raised in the heel and toe to maximise performance on shots struck in those areas. The tungsten—which ranges from 50 to 89 grams depending on the iron—is also set back from the face, allowing it to flex more easily at impact. To deliver the proper sound, a foam is used inside the head to dampen unwanted vibrations. Those seeking a lightweight shaft can choose from the company’s proprietary Vizard graphite shafts in 65 or 85 grams (the lighter version is about half the weight of a typical steel shaft). Oh, and don’t scratch your head when you see a 10- and 11-iron. Those are Honma’s pitching and gap wedges.

▶ To create a players-distance iron, you need a face material strong enough to create the thin, fast-flexing faces required in this category—perhaps something like the chromoly steel alloy used in the roll cages of race cars or M16 rifles. That’s exactly the kind of steel Mizuno uses here. The alloy allows Mizuno to create a thinner, hotter face in a relatively compact, better-player shape. This also created new opportunities for designers to produce a face that’s 16 percent thinner in the centre. The face also has a 45 percent larger area that yields the fastest ball speeds since the JPX 919 Forged, Mizuno’s previous model in this category. Making the face thinner has benefits other than just adding ball speed. A thinner face equals weight savings, which allowed Mizuno’s designers to create a lower, deeper centre of gravity, especially on the long irons, to help get shots airborne without sacrificing forgiveness. In terms of shape, this iron trends back toward better-player preferences, including a thinner topline and a beveled, narrower sole for improved shot-making opportunities. Plus, there might not be enough o’s in smooth to describe the sweet-feeling experience at impact.

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60 golfdigestme.com | hot list 2021

Listed alphabetically

in association with

performance

★★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★

look • sound • feel

★★★★½

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“There’s an indescribable joy seeing the ball leap off the face and storm down the fairway with authority. A commanding trajectory.”

demand

mizuno

★★★★½

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★½

look • sound • feel

★★★★½ demand

★★★½

JPX921 HOT METAL PRO

performance

★★★½

RRP AED 5,075

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“Thin topline and sleek back. Everything felt and sounded crisp, even if you didn’t hit it that way. High launch and flight lets shots stop.”

ping

RRP AED 6,150

i500

▶ Despite a devoted following among highly skilled golfers for its forged-iron creations, Mizuno’s cast irons remain among its most successful in the market. Expect the JPX921 Hot Metal Pro to continue that trend. The combination of a unique steel alloy and a smart design allowed Mizuno to make a forgiving, powerful iron in a relatively compact package. Helping achieve this is the use of high-strength chromoly steel to make the thinnest face in company history at 2.2 millimeters in the centre and as thin as 1.9 millimeters in some spots. Sometimes design features can go unnoticed even though they are valuable. That’s the case with the variable-thickness-sole design with a thin area at the leading edge that behaves like a hinge, allowing the already flexible face to rebound even more, particularly on shots struck low on the face. After studying vibration patterns, Mizuno’s designers updated the perimeter undercut cavity, adding three ribs to further support the frame of the iron for better sound and feel. The lofts have been bumped down a degree to keep consistent loft gaps for those mixing these irons with the standard Hot Metal model.

▶ How do you squeeze every yard of distance out of an iron while maintaining a relatively classic shape? For Ping the answer is by using a hollow structure with a forged, heat-treated maraging-steel face insert. This combination allows for five times the bending of the face at impact compared to a standard cast iron. It’s a technology the company first used in its Crossover utility irons to create a distance boost with a higher launch angle. Increasing the launch is especially important. The i500 irons have lofts that are 2.5 degrees stronger than Ping’s i210 players iron, but the i500 produces the same apex farther downrange. The result is more carry with plenty of shotstopping ability. (Also, a “Power Spec” version with lofts that are 1 and 1.5 degrees stronger is available for golfers who want even more distance.) One benefit of the thinner face insert is weight savings, some of which is used for a tungsten slug in the toe that helps to minimise the loss of distance on mis-hits. Finally, don’t overlook the HydroPearl Chrome 2.0 finish. It repels water, providing more consistency out of the rough or for those playing early morning dew-sweeper rounds.

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae

may 2021 | golfdigestme.com

p l ay e r s - d i s ta n c e i r o n s

performance

★★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★½

look • sound • feel

★★★★½

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“A crisp, hot face produces distance in a workman, industrial look— the work being dropping dimes near the cup. ”

demand

0311 P GEN3

★★★★½

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★★

look • sound • feel

★★★★

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“Light and fast. It rips through the ball. A high ball flight, and the spin allows you to yank the string on short-iron shots.”

demand

★★½

pxg

performance

★★

RRP AED 12,950

s r i xo n

RRP AED 5,195

ZX5

▶ One can surmise from just looking at the outside of this iron that it’s an intricate piece of engineering. How intricate, however, is unseen. The body geometry is so unique it requires five sets of tools to create the final 8620 carbon-steel clubhead. Computer milling is used for the back portion to create a body with thin walls. Although the thin face is designed for distance, it needs room to flex. To make this happen, PXG has made a significant change from its Gen2 models, which used a polymer that enhanced feel but did not increase speed. PXG’s designers took inspiration from golf-ball technology in which multilayer balls have a soft, responsive core covered by a firm mantle layer. PXG calls its version of this the “Impact Reactor.” Inside the hollow clubheads, a dual core features a soft-polymer core to help the face load, storing energy instead of having it dissipate. Meanwhile, the firmpolymer outer core provides ample stability for the extremely thin (1.5 millimeter) face that generates plenty of giddy-up and a morethan-pleasant feel. The lofts are traditional, providing plenty of height without having to work for it. The slightly friendlier price for a PXG players-distance iron is welcome, too.

▶ This is a players-distance iron with a lot of players iron in it. The quality of turf interaction is noticeable because of an updated Tour VT sole that features a higher bounce angle toward the leading edge that progressively tapers to less bounce on the trailing edge. Not that the club is lacking in the kind of distance technology that lets you hit one club less than those in your foursome. Using artificial intelligence to produce thousands of face designs, the final product is a multipiece iron that features a high-strength steel face insert (SUP 10) supported by a soft 1020 carbon-steel body and hosel. The backside of each face is milled in a variable-thickness pattern comprising grooves, channels and cavities to provide extra ball speed. To increase forgiveness, tungsten is placed in the toe of the long and middle irons (up to the 7-iron), and the grooves on those irons are wider and deeper. In the 8-iron through pitching wedge the grooves are closer together to get more of the groove edges on the ball for maximum grab. The stock shafts are Nippon’s N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour. They have a rigid high-tip section that helps keep the clubhead square at impact and minimises unwanted extra spin.

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62 golfdigestme.com | hot list 2021

Listed alphabetically

in association with

performance

★★★★½

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★★

look • sound • feel

★★★★

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“The low, gentle sound at impact mirrors the feel in your hands, even on thin shots hit off the bottom of the club.”

★★★★

P•770

★★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★★

look • sound • feel

★★★★½

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“Love the soft lines. Has a timeless look anyone can appreciate. The consistency on off-centre shots will save strokes.”

demand

tay l o r m a d e

performance

★★★★★

RRP AED 5,795

tay l o r m a d e

RRP AED 5,795

P•790

▶ The new P•770 iron might have tour-pro looks, but it’s built to be highly effective for golfers who don’t play for pay. The hollowbody construction is made from 8620 soft-carbon steel with a thin 4140 steel face that’s forged to promote red-hot ball speeds. The P•770 also borrows the injected “SpeedFoam” from the P•790 iron for an extra-distance boost. Tungsten weighting (as much as 46 grams in the 3- through 7-irons) helps increase forgiveness and makes those pesky long irons easier to hit. Protecting ball speed on mis-hits is always a design goal, and the company’s cone-shaped variable-thickness pattern on the inside of the face helps TaylorMade achieve this. The pattern is positioned differently within each iron—behind the centre of the face on the middle irons and toward the toe on the long irons to deliver performance where golfers need it most. Not to be forgotten is the speed-pocket slot on the sole that can make a shot hit a little thin behave close to a centre strike. A high-buff polish and tour-satin finish deliver a unified look across the P-Series irons, allowing the company to better address the growing demand among consumers to have the option to create combo sets.

▶ TaylorMade’s original version sold more than a million sticks to golfers of all skill levels—single-digit players as well as middlehandicappers. It makes sense then that TaylorMade didn’t want to stray too far from what made the original successful even as it worked to design meaningful enhancements. The outside of the iron hasn’t changed much, but inside there are several key design alterations, starting with a 7 percent thinner forged 4140 steel face insert cut in the same L-shape as the original. The thinner face (as thin as 1.6 millimeters, or barely thicker than a penny) flexes more for increased ball speeds. To maintain a cushioned feel, TaylorMade engineers used a urethane-foam filling inside the clubhead that has the benefit of generating more rebound, too. In addition, an internal tungsten bar is positioned low and runs from the heel to the toe—across the impact zone—creating a higher launch for the long irons. As has been the custom in many of TaylorMade’s irons since the introduction of its RocketBladez model, a cut-through slot in the sole allows the face to flex even more at impact, providing a distance boost any player would happily take.

Demo this club at eGolf Megastore, or buy online at egolfmegastore.ae

may 2021 | golfdigestme.com

p l ay e r s - d i s ta n c e i r o n s

performance

★★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★★

look • sound • feel

★★★★½

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“A rising ball flight delivers consistent results with the bonus of pin-holding backspin. Elegant look, too.”

demand

T200

★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★½

look • sound • feel

★★★★

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“A high, arcing trajectory. The buttery softness at impact differentiates this club from the pack. It feels cozy in your hands.”

demand

★★★★½

titleist

performance

★★½

RRP AED 6,195

mizuno

RRP AED 5,915

MP-20 HMB

▶ Whether you’re an aspiring tour pro or just trying to break 90, Titleist has provided irons for each in recent years. The T200 iron straddles the line between those extremes. It has an appearance that appeals to better players and performance features average golfers will love. The T200 is without question technologically ambitious. A forged, high-strength steel L-face wraps around a portion of the sole to create more rebound. To assist off-centre hits and to create more air under shots, an average of 90 grams of tungsten is placed in the heel and toe of the middle and long irons. However, collaboration between Titleist’s club R&D team and its ball R&D team led to the technological hero of this iron. A spherical structure called “Max Impact,” a lightweight silicone polymer that is positioned directly behind the face’s impact area, allows for a super-thin face. Furthermore, the support improves the way the face gives across a broader area, allowing for more consistency from shot to shot. For those seeking a more rebellious look, the company offers the irons in clubheads with a high-polish black PVD finish with black shafts and grips, too, that give you a 1-up advantage at the bag drop.

▶ It used to be that consumers would see a muscle-back blade and instantly shy away. No more. The fact is, golfers now realise some blade-like shapes house hollow-body-construction performance with loads of playability and forgiveness. The MP-20 HMB is one such iron. The 2- through 7-irons are hollow. The face and neck are forged, and a pair of 12-gram tungsten weights are placed low in the heel and toe sections to lower the centre of gravity and foster forgiveness. The 8-iron, as a transition iron to the scoring clubs, has the hollow construction but no tungsten, and the 9-iron and pitching wedge have a partial hollow body. An underlayer of copper is used to enhance feel from the usual double-nickel-chrome plating. Although some irons in this category jack lofts or chase ball speed in a specific area, this iron has traditional lofts and a re-engineered face to deliver more consistent distances across a larger portion of the face—or exactly what most golfers want in clubs designed for approach shots to the green. An aggressive sole bevel helps the wider soles glide through the turf more easily, and a chamfered topline provides the sleek look at address better players crave.

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64 golfdigestme.com | hot list 2021

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in association with

players-distance irons ride a hot streak This fast-growing category appeals to a variety of golfers

▶ it’s not that the exquisitely shaped, sufficiently spicy playersdistance irons are the iron form perfected. But this category is the fastest-growing iron segment in the game. With sleek looks, subtle forgiveness and extreme playability, they appeal to a variety of players. As an example, TaylorMade says a quarter of the sales of its P790 players-distance irons are to golfers with handicaps of 12 or higher. What’s the appeal? Simple. They give you the distance a playersiron lacks without sacrificing trajectory. They also offer some golfers distance approaching that of super-game-improvement irons with no change in height. We had a low-handicapper hit every players iron and players-distance iron on the Hot List. The results are meaningful: perhaps the difference between landing in a bunker or on the green. Players-distance irons simply provide many golfers with the iron shape they lust for and the distance, trajectory and spin they need. —MS

performance

★★★★

i n n o vat i o n

★★★★★

look • sound • feel

★★★½

p l ay e r c o m m e n t

“Cushioned power exploding off the face and carrying forever. The trajectory just pierces through the air.”

demand

★½

titleist

quickhoney

CNCPT CP-03

RRP: TBC

▶ When a single iron in a set costs about as much as the monthly payment on a luxury automobile, it’s OK to question its presence on this list. The technology stuffed within this iron, however, is too intriguing to ignore. Designed to fit between the Titleist CP-02 and CP-04, the CP-03 is a slightly larger playersshape blade with minimal offset. The company uses a material it refers to as “super metal” that is nearly twice as strong as 17-4 stainless steel to create a multi-material hollow body that is similar in size to the AP2 iron that was popular on the PGA Tour. Unlike the AP2, however, this club features an ultra-thin L-shape face that wraps around part of the sole to deliver extra distance. Perhaps just as impressive is the amount of highdensity tungsten in the relatively compact head. Each iron in the series uses about the same amount of tungsten inside the heel and toe (an average of 104 grams in the long and middle irons) that is found in the company’s hollow-body utility irons. That all adds up to an incredibly fast face in a players-iron shape with the off-centre-hit stability of a game-improvement iron. If cost isn’t a consideration, then these irons are worth a look. Coming soon to eGolf Megastore, visit egolfmegastore.ae

launch angle

ball speed

spin

peak height (yds)

landing angle

carry distance

players

18.9

120.9

6,468

48.5

170

players distance

17.1

124.9

6,466

47.7

177

iron

may 2021 | golfdigestme.com

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