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Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Polls for men's golf: NAIA, NJCAA Div. I, NJCAA Div. II

Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Polls for men's golf: NAIA, NJCAA Div. I, NJCAA Div. II

Golfsolutions March 05, 2021
Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Polls for men's golf: NAIA, NJCAA Div. I, NJCAA Div. II https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Point University is once again No. 1 in Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Polls for NAIA. Meanwhile, Hutchinson sits atop the NJCAA Div. I poll, while Kirkwood CC is No. 1 in the latest the NJCAA Div. II poll.

Here are the Top 25 rankings for NAIA, NJCAA Division I and NJCAA Division II.

NAIA

Rank University (First-place votes) Points Previous
1 Point University (9) 250 1
2 Keiser 240 2
3 Wayland Baptist (1) 230 3
4 College of Coastal Georgia 220 4
5 South Carolina Beaufort 210 10
T-6 Dalton State 180 T-5
T-6 Texas Wesleyan 180 T-11
8 Morningside 162 T-5
9 Campbellsville University 160 T-13
10 Ottawa (AZ) 150 9
T-11 Oklahoma City 140 9
T-11 Mobile 140 15
13 Lindsey Wilson College 120 T-16
14 Bellevue University 119 7
15 Southwestern Christian University 114 T-13
T-16 Kansas Wesleyan 100 T-18
T-16 The Masters University 100 T-11
T-18 Tennessee Wesleyan 80 21
T-18 Southeastern (FL) 80 NR
20 Cumberland University 64 T-16
21 Reinhardt 50 22
22 Our Lady of the Lake 49 NR
T-23 Mount Marty 18 NR
T-23 Webber International 18 NR
25 Montana Tech 15 NR

Dropped from ranking: Central Baptist (20); Grand View (24); Midland Univ. (23); Rocky Mountain College (25); Taylor (T-18).

Others receiving votes: Grand View, 14; Midland Univ. 12; Taylor, 12; William Carey, 9; Sterling, 5; Bethany College (KS), 3; Northwestern College (IA), 3; St. Ambrose, 3; Columbia College, 2; Truett-McConnell, 2; Faulkner, 1; Holy Cross College, 1; Oklahoma Wesleyan Univ., 1; SCAD Savannah, 1.

NJCAA Div. I

Rank University (First-place votes) Points Previous
1 Hutchinson (7) 70 1
2 Odessa 53 2
3 Indian Hills 51 4
4 Midland 50 5
5 Eastern Florida State 40 3
6 Western Texas 32 7
7 Iowa 28 6
8 Central Alabama 22 8
9 McLennan 16 9
10 Jefferson State 11 10

Dropped from ranking: None.

Others receiving votes: Dodge City, 7; Ranger, 5.

NJCAA Div. II

Rank University (First-place votes) Points Previous
1 Kirkwood CC (4) 66 1
2 South Mountain (3) 53 3
3 Mississippi Gulf Coast 50 2
4 Des Moines Area 45 4
5 Parkland CC 37 7
6 Northeast Mississippi 31 6
T-7 Meridian 22 8
T-7 Iowa Central 22 9
9 Walters State JC 21 5
10 Metropolitan CC 16 NR

Dropped from ranking: Tyler JC (10).

Others receiving votes: Tyler JC, 6; Glendale CC, 5; Hawkeye, 4; Paradise Valley CC, 4; Seminole 2; Cleveland State CC, 1.

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Corey Conners loves the 16th hole at Bay Hill, leads API

Corey Conners loves the 16th hole at Bay Hill, leads API

Golfsolutions March 05, 2021
Corey Conners loves the 16th hole at Bay Hill, leads API https://ift.tt/3kMY8K2

Corey Conners is making mincemeat of the 16th hole at Bay Hill Club and Lodge.

The 29-year-old Canadian stuffed his second shot at the par 5 to five feet on Thursday and made eagle. On Friday, his putter had to do a little more work as he canned a 24-footer, but it was an eagle all the same. Six strokes at 16 through two rounds will go along way on the scorecard and it has helped vault Conners to the top of the leaderboard early in the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, Florida. Conners backed up his opening 66 with a workman-like 3-under 69 on Friday morning to open up a two-stroke lead over Viktor Hovland.

“It was really solid today,” Conners said. “I didn’t hit as many shots close to the hole as I did yesterday, to give myself as many birdie chances, but I was really happy with how I grinded out a bunch of pars today. I was in some tricky spots and, yeah, overall really solid day and nice to finish off with a strong back nine.”

Conners took off like a rocket ship on Thursday, bolting to 6 under through his first seven holes, but he never started thinking about shooting a 59.

Arnold Palmer Invitational: Leaderboard | Photos

“I know this golf course can sneak up on you if you get a little too relaxed,” he said.

But it did bring up a good story about the time he threatened golf’s magic number while playing at his home course in Florida, Dye Preserve.

“I left a putt right on the front lip and ended up shooting 60,” he said.

Conners came back to Earth on Thursday, posting 66 en route to sharing the overnight lead with Rory McIlroy. Conners is playing at Arnie’s Place for just the third time and had missed the cut in his previous two starts, but it didn’t diminish his affection for Bay Hill.

“When I was a junior golfer I actually came and watched a few times,” he said. “I always loved the place, such great condition, visually like the golf course a lot off the tee. You got to be really precise with your shots.”

He’s put on his usual ballstriking clinic through two rounds, ranking first this week in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and second in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green. It’s no surprise that he’s at 9-under 135 through 36 holes given that he’s also third in SG: Scrambling and sixth in SG: Putting (118th for the season). Conners started his second round with a bogey at the second hole, but got back to even for the day by sinking a nine-foot birdie putt at 7. He wedged to eight feet at the par-5 12th hole for another birdie before the eagle landed again at 16.

Conners, who is expected to finally get to defend his lone PGA Tour title at the Valero Texas Open next month, had made nine cuts in a row and been a model of consistency with seven top-25 finishes until he missed the cut at his previous start. Asked what’s been the difference for Conners so far this week at Bay Hill, he said, “I think I just had a little more rest leading up to the event this year and had a week at home last week, so feeling fresher coming in here and, yeah, definitely excited to have a good start and excited for the rest of the week.”

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Fitness with Averee: Spinal rotation with hip bridge

Fitness with Averee: Spinal rotation with hip bridge

Golfsolutions March 05, 2021
Fitness with Averee: Spinal rotation with hip bridge https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

As golfers we want to be mobile, but stable. A hip bridge with spinal rotation is a great drill for working on mobility and stability.

Most golfers are surprised to learn that the lower back is not designed for rotation. Building stability in the lower spine is a key component in having a consistent golf swing. Creating better mobility in the hips and upper back is beneficial for optimizing power.

In the latest episode of “Fitness with Averee,” Averee Dovsek explains how to do a hip bridge with a thoracic spine rotation. To make this exercise a bit more functional, try placing a medicine ball in between your knees.  

Combine what you learn through “Fitness with Averee” with Steve Scott’s instruction series and you will be a different golfer on and off the course.

Watch this episode of “Fitness with Averee” above and check here for previous episodes.

Golfweek‘s latest newsletter, Get Better which covers everything Instruction and Fitness related, is up and running. Sign up for Get Better here.

 

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Nick Faldo's mea culpa: Cheap shot at Rickie Fowler was just meant to be motivation

Nick Faldo's mea culpa: Cheap shot at Rickie Fowler was just meant to be motivation

Golfsolutions March 05, 2021
Nick Faldo's mea culpa: Cheap shot at Rickie Fowler was just meant to be motivation https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Two days after taking a cheap shot at Rickie Fowler, Nick Faldo walked his words back with a social media apology.

On Tuesday, Faldo quote-tweeted a response to a tweet that noted that Fowler has yet to qualify for the Masters in April, writing, “Good news is if he misses the Masters he can shoot another six commercials that week!”

That was a serious burn and it didn’t take long to go viral. (Faldo, a six-time major winner, also doubled down with the following tweet that noted his three victories at the Masters.)

In a video, Faldo, a World Golf Hall of Famer and CBS Sports’ lead golf analyst explained that he’s actually an admirer of Fowler’s and he was just trying to spur Fowler on.

“Like everybody, we want him to find his game as soon as possible,” Faldo said. “So, five years ago now, he was voted by the players as the most overrated player on Tour. It motivated him to go and win the Players literally the next week. So, a couple years later when things were gone quiet, I said to Rickie, ‘Hey, I need to give you a bit of needle, mate, to motivate you.’ And he said to me, ‘Bring it on.’

“OK, it’s years later, so hopefully he still remembers that.”

Fowler has been mired in a slump and hasn’t won since the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open. He hasn’t posted a top-10 finish since last year’s American Express and entered the week ranked No. 65 in the world. Fowler is in danger of missing his third cut in his last four starts at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Faldo isn’t the first to criticize Fowler’s over-exposure in commercials.

“I wish Rickie well,” Faldo continued. “I want him to play great, get out there, play to the top of the leaderboard, and that will all be fantastic for all of us.”

Faldo also blamed his British style of humor, saying, “in the future, I’ll restrain from digging in a little too deep.”

In Faldo’s mea culpa, he also conceded the comment “was probably born out a little bit out of jealousy.” He noted that unlike Fowler’s seemingly endless list of blue-chip sponsors, he only has one television commercial.

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Justin Rose announces new capsule collection with Bonobos

Justin Rose announces new capsule collection with Bonobos

Golfsolutions March 05, 2021
Justin Rose announces new capsule collection with Bonobos https://ift.tt/3uVlRMJ

Justin Rose has spent his time co-designing a capsule with Bonobos. Rose, a former World No. 1 and U.S. Open champion, has been sporting the popular menswear’s clothing on the PGA Tour since becoming an ambassador in 2019, and said its stylish look has pushed him out of his comfort zone while still allowing him to feel comfortable to go inside a Starbucks for a cup of coffee before or after his round.

The Justin Rose Golf Collection gives a look into a spring and summer wardrobe with pants, polos and shorts that are intended for on and off the golf course.

Golfweek’s Averee Dovsek spoke with Justin on Instagram Live to discuss his inspiration for the collection, who he considers icons of style in the golf world and some of his favorite pieces in the capsule below.

The Justin Rose Performance Polo features a soft jersey fabric with UPF 50 protection. This polo comes in several eye-catching patterns and prints and its fabric is moisture wicking, breathable and stretchy for extreme comfort during your day.

White Sunday Roses polo- $89.

Rose mentioned that his favorite polo in the collection was the White Sunday Roses Polo. He jokingly noted that the green stems of the rose would be paired nicely with a green jacket at Augusta for the 2021 Masters.

Rose talked about how the Tour Pants and Shorts in his capsule are functional and stylish. He wanted to escape the classic golf pant and move into something a bit more modern. He feels that the collection does just that.

Both bottoms are water repellant with UPF 50 protection. The gripped waistband and pockets large enough to hold a scorecard are designed for your new low round or post-round drinks in the clubhouse.

Justin Rose Golf Collection with Bonobos Justin Rose Golf Collection with Bonobos

You can see more of the Justin Rose Golf Collection in action here or visit Bonobos’ website.

from Golfweek https://ift.tt/2MOuI1t
Linn Grant wins third consecutive title, leading ASU golf to Bruin Wave crown

Linn Grant wins third consecutive title, leading ASU golf to Bruin Wave crown

Golfsolutions March 05, 2021
Linn Grant wins third consecutive title, leading ASU golf to Bruin Wave crown https://ift.tt/3lXXiZP

Arizona State’s Linn Grant won her third consecutive tournament over two seasons Wednesday, leading the No. 6 women’s golf team to its first title at the Bruin Wave Invitational.

Grant, a sophomore from Sweden, finished one stroke ahead of Northwestern’s Irene Kim and Oregon’s Ching-Tzu Chen at the Saticoy Club in Somis, California. She also was individual champion at the Sun Devil Winter Classic and at her final 2020 tournament before the season ended early due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Playing in cold, windy conditions for three days, ASU won by 14 strokes over No. 21 Northwestern followed by No. 28 Oregon, No. 1 Pepperdine, New Mexico and No. 23 UCLA. Rankings are Golfweek/Sagarin through March 1.

“I am very proud of the fight in this team,” ASU coach Missy Farr said. “Our scores were quite high due to tough conditions. Although we struggled coming down the stretch, so did every other team. Linn had another great performance and win leading our team. We still have some things to work on and will continue to work to get better every tournament.”

ASU’s Alessandra Fanali tied for seventh, Ashley Menne tied for 12th, Amanda Linner tied for 19th and Olivia Mehaffey tied for 28th.

The Sun Devils next host the Clover Cup on March 12-14 at Longbow Golf Club in Mesa.

The NCAA Championships will be held May 21-26 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale.

Reach the reporter at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @jeffmetcalfe.

College golf blog: On the road to the NCAA Championship

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Scotty Cameron Phantom X 5, 5.5, 11, 11.5 putters

Scotty Cameron Phantom X 5, 5.5, 11, 11.5 putters

Golfsolutions March 05, 2021
Scotty Cameron Phantom X 5, 5.5, 11, 11.5 putters https://ift.tt/3bXaZVO

Gear: Scotty Cameron Phantom X 5, 5.5, 11, 11.5 putters
 Price: $429 each
 Specs: Milled 303 stainless steel with aluminum and adjustable sole weights
 Available: March 26

Last season brought an update to the Scotty Cameron Select line of blade-style putters, so this year it is the mallet putters’ turn to be refreshed. While there are several mid-size and high-MOI mallets in the Phantom X lineup introduced two years ago carrying over into 2021, Titleist’s putter maker has added two new models with different neck configurations for players who want more forgiveness and feel.

The Phantom X 5 and X 5.5 share the same head, which is milled from a piece of 303 stainless steel and has extensions in the heel and toe area. But instead of keeping the entire head solid, which could make the putter extremely heavy, Cameron replaced a significant portion of the bottom of the head with aluminum, which is a much lighter material, and then added a pair of weights in the heel and toe area. The weights are not designed to be changed by golfers, but fitters can swap the weights out to adjust the club’s swing weight based on its length and a player’s preferences.

Scotty Cameron Phantom X putters

Adjustable weights on the bottom of the Phantom X putters allow the swing weight to be changed easily. (Titleist)

Where the two putters vary is in the neck. The Phantom X 5 has a single-bend in the shaft that makes it face balanced and ideal for players who have a straight-back, straight-through stroke. The Phantom X 5.5 has a small slant neck which creates a small amount of toe hang. It is very similar to the putter that Justin Thomas plays and is better suited for players who have a slightly-arced putting stroke.

The Phantom X 11 and X 11.5 are similarly shaped to the X 5 and X 5.5, but they are slightly larger and have extra steel pieces at the end of the heel and toe wings. Again, the silver-toned areas are milled 303 stainless steel, and the darker sections are aluminum to save weight. The larger profile increases stability and the moment of inertia to make the X 11 and X 11.5 more resistant to twisting on off-center hits.

Scotty Cameron Phantom X putters

The Phantom X 11 and 11.5 have more mass at the end of the heel and toe extensions. (Titleist)

The difference between the two putters, again, is found in the neck. The Phantom X 11 has a high-bend neck and is face balanced; the Phantom X 11.5 has a single bend that is lower, which encourages more movement in the toe portion of the putter, so it is better for golfers who have an arched stroke.

 

from Golfweek https://ift.tt/3sSXQEd
Photos: Mauna Lani in Hawaii reopens North Course as COVID travel restrictions ease

Photos: Mauna Lani in Hawaii reopens North Course as COVID travel restrictions ease

Golfsolutions March 05, 2021
Photos: Mauna Lani in Hawaii reopens North Course as COVID travel restrictions ease https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

As rounds of golf increase in Hawaii as travel restrictions are beginning to ease, Mauna Lani has reopened its North Course, which ranks No. 8 in Hawaii on Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play list for public-access layouts.

The Mauna Lani Auberge Resorts Collection property in Kona reopened to guests in November, and the resort’s South Course—ranked No. 15 in Hawaii—and its short course, the Wiki Wiki, have been back online since. But the North Course had remained closed until the end of February.

Many courses in the Aloha State were temporarily shut down early during the COVID-19 pandemic while travel to the islands was greatly reduced. Many restrictions have been eased in recent months, especially with the Safe Travels program. Requirements for the new testing procedures can be found at travel.hawaii.gov.

Trans-Pacific U.S travelers who register with the Safe Travels program and receive a negative COVID-19 test result from qualified facilities within 72 hours of departure may bypass the state’s 10-day quarantine. In addition, international travelers from Canada, Japan and Korea may bypass the state’s 10-day quarantine by securing a pre-travel test within 72 hours of departure on the final leg of their journey to Hawaii.

“We’ve seen a tremendous increase in demand for additional tee times at Mauna Lani, with the amount of local homeowners and resort guests on the island,” Mauna Lani director of golf Chris Noda said in a media release announcing the reopening.

Check out the photos of the North Course below for a little island day dreaming.

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As if no time passed, Maryland women are still plotting an upward course this spring

As if no time passed, Maryland women are still plotting an upward course this spring

Golfsolutions March 05, 2021
As if no time passed, Maryland women are still plotting an upward course this spring https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Good thing for Diana Cantu, Kelly Hovland has an exceptional poker face.

Cantu, in her seventh season as the head women’s golf coach at Maryland, doesn’t like to get too caught up in a leaderboard, and her assistant coach is good at not giving it away. Cantu, who played at Tennessee from 2006-10 and started her coaching career at Baylor, knows what’s going on in a single round, but focuses less on the bigger picture.

“I learned that it just was not good for me – it didn’t translate well for me with the girls,” she said. “So it’s better for me to keep my poise and my goal for the day with the girls.”

This was the case last month when Maryland flirted with the title at the Gators Invitational but ultimately dropped to a tie for third in the final holes. It would have been a monumental win in an ACC- and SEC-heavy field. It was head-turning nonetheless.

There’s a time for big picture, and Cantu found that to be the case with the frequent Zoom calls that replaced team interaction through late spring 2020 and into the summer – once COVID had scattered most college golf teams. In fact, Maryland got into the big, big picture.

“We had zoom calls where we didn’t necessarily talk about golf. With everything happening in the world – social injustices, there were so many other topics for us to bond over and we just did a lot of that during the year,” Cantu said. “It was funny, our first day of practice, it was January 26 or something. It felt like there was absolutely no day that went by between March and January.”

Truly, Maryland picked right back up where it left off. Last month, the Terps landed in the top 20 in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings, continuing an upward trajectory that correlates with Cantu’s arrival. At the end of the 2014-15 season, Cantu’s first as head coach, Maryland was ranked No. 114.

At the end of the 2019-20 season, Maryland landed at No. 46.

Cantu rewinds the story to the 2018 Big 10 Championship, when the Terps went shot-for-shot down the stretch with Michigan State and ultimately came up four shots short – the best finish since Maryland joined the Big 10 Conference. Players who were freshmen that year are now seniors.

“I think that was just a little bit of wow, I didn’t know this was something we could do so that moment, when the seniors now were freshmen, the mindset and the mentality for the program just changed,” she said. “The standard was so much higher.”

Cantu suddenly realized it was all about rewiring her players’ thinking. At the beginning of every semester “we put it up in the cloud,” she said, that this team is a top-40 team in the country and good enough to compete in the postseason.

“We talk about it the first five or 10 minutes of our team meeting,” Cantu said. “We say these are the facts, this is how good we are but we then set them aside and focus on the day-to-day what are we going to do to get there.”

When recruiting, Cantu was also looking for a specific player: One who wants to leave the program better. Now, there are three seniors plus a fifth-year senior in Cantu’s lineup, and there are heavy emotions surrounding the last-chance aspect of college – especially considering so much was taken away between last spring and this fall.

Here’s a team that has never played the NCAA Women’s Championship, and what a storybook ending that would be.

Maryland’s last start in the spring of 2020 was the Miami-hosted Hurricane Invitational on March 2-3. The Terps won it. Cantu started the same five women from Miami in both of Maryland’s spring tournaments.

At the FAU Paradise Invitational, Maryland finished second to Michigan State by a shot and at the Gators Invitational, the team was seven shots behind co-champs Florida and Ole Miss.

“I think as a coach, it’s really exciting because they didn’t get to finish last year and then to have the opportunity to have the same team come back, it’s exciting to see,” Cantu said.

Something says there’s more milestones ahead.

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