⛳ What Is Golf Ball Roll Back?

Plus: Scottie Plays Bogie-Free To Win, and more

December 04, 2023

Good morning. Starting our week knowing Tiger did well after getting back and is curious to explore how he does in 2024. We’re excited to see more of him in the year to come.

In today’s edition:

  • Top Story: Scottie Plays Bogie-Free To Win; Tiger Evens Par

  • Must Read: What Is Golf Ball Roll Back?

  • AI: When AI Imagines Tiger Woods Winning Hero World Challenge

  • Driving Range: This EASY Drill Could Change Your Golf Swing FOREVER

  • This day in history

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TOP STORY
Scottie Plays Bogie-Free To Win; Tiger Evens Par

Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images | Source: SBNation

Scottie Scheffler is a winner once again on the PGA Tour. He claimed his third victory in 2023 at the Hero World Challenge Sunday. While most people were zoned in on Tiger Woods’ return, Scheffler put together quite the 72 holes of golf.

After coming up short the last couple of years in this event, the former Texas Longhorn finished at 20-under to defeat runner-up Sepp Straka by three shots.

Top 5 Leaderboard

PGA Tour: Hero World Challenge

Tiger Woods had a mixed final round on his return to professional golf at the Hero World Challenge, finishing even par for the tournament with a level-par 72 on Sunday.

Woods sunk five birdies in his final round but a double bogey, plus three more bogeys, put a dent in any attempt at moving up the leaderboard, finishing at the 18th place.

Collin Morikawa given two-shot penalty after Matt Fitzpatrick intervention

Morikawa’s caddie, Jonathan Jakovac, was found to have used numbers he had written in a greens book to offer advice as a putt was being lined up on the 4th hole of round three. Jakovac had deployed a spirit level on the practice putting green to deduce numbers; that in itself is not banned but writing them in a book is.

Morikawa’s playing partner, Matt Fitzpatrick, overheard the discussion between player and caddie and later asked the PGA Tour’s chief referee, Stephen Cox, whether this was permitted.

Final Round Highlights

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
When AI Imagines Tiger Woods Winning Hero World Challenge

MUST KNOW
What Is Golf Ball Roll Back?

The equipment professional golfers use is marketed as the same tools amateurs use, but they are equipped with top-of-the line clubs before they ever hit the market. The result? The ball goes far, very far and makes 400-yard par-4 holes a piece of cake for these guys.

So what’s the problem? Some courses can be slightly adapted and the tee boxes can be moved back a little, but there’s not a lot of margin when it comes to making golf courses longer. So, the solution is to make golf ball travel less far.

The problem is that golf ball manufacturers don’t want to make golf balls for pros and different ones for amateurs.

Rory McIlroy and his weekend playing partners hit drives over 330 yards. Taking off 30 yards for them is no big deal. 15 or 30 yards less for an amateur is a big deal.

LOCKER ROOM
What else is making news

  • Niemann beats Hoshino in playoff to win Australian Open. Buhai defends women’s title.

  • ‘Don’t understand the anger’: Rory McIlroy hits back at golf-ball rollback critics.

  • Sixteen teams comprised of top PGA Tour and LPGA players will compete in the inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational. The 54-hole event begins Friday, Dec. 8 at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, and will employ scramble, foursomes and mixed fourball formats.

  • The USGA and R&A haven’t even officially released a rule change that would universally roll back golf ball distances and already some PGA Tour pros are calling it “one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard of.”

DRIVING RANGE
This EASY Drill Could Change Your Golf Swing FOREVER

This mistake is ruining so many of your golf swings and we share a move and a drill in this lesson that could fix your golf swing in minutes!

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PAR FOR THE COURSE
December 4: This Day In History

The new San Francisco tournament began play on December 4, 1930 at the Olympic Club’s Lakeside course. In the final, Leo Diegel, one of the top golfers of the day, crushed Al Espinosa 6-and-4 (meaning Diegel had won 6 more holes than Espinosa with 4 holes to play, ending the match) for the inaugural victory.