🏌🏻This Golf Club Costs $5.1 Million

Good morning! Round 2 of the 3M Open is in progress - you can watch all the action live on Golf Channel and Peacock.

For all the latest news and updates from the tournament, follow our YouTube channel.

Fun Fact: The US has won 5 gold medals in golf at the Olympics - that's two more than all other countries combined.

⛳ This day in history: On this date in 1955, Doug Ford won the PGA Championship at Meadowbrook Country Club when he defeated Cary Middlecoff, 4 & 3, in the final. Ford won the other major of his career at the 1957 Masters.

ALBATROSS
Pro Uses Putter From High School To Lead @ 3M Open

Jacob Bridgeman stuck an old putter from his high school days into play to roll in nine birdies and a round of 8-under 63 at TPC Twin Cities for a one-stroke lead over Mackenzie Hughes.

With his caddie having travel woes due to the CrowdStrike tech outage, Bridgeman killed time on Tuesday in the TaylorMade truck and messed around with a gray Spider mallet putter that he used six years ago. He took it out to the course and got instant results.

Bridgeman has yet to record a top-10 finish this season, but could make up for a sluggish start with a big week — a win has him projected to leap to No 63.

🚀 Theegala Seeks Revenge: Sahith Theegala has missed the cut in his three previous appearances at the 3M Open. He’d only broken 70 once in six rounds - according to him, this is a "revenge week".

He’s off to a great start, carding a 5-under 66 in the first round. Theegala realizes the course might not be the best fit for his game but he’s improved his driving, gaining strokes off the tee in 17 of 20 events this season.

He hit 9-of-14 fairways and gained more than a shot with his driver in the first round.

📌 Hughes' Hot Putter: Mackenzie Hughes posted a bogey-free 64, thanks to a red-hot putter. He took just seven putts on his first six holes and sank a 54-foot birdie put at No 13 among his 188 feet of putts made.

He entered the week at No 50 in the FedEx Cup standings and has all to play for with qualification at stake.

🚫 Horschel Withdraws: Billy Horschel, who finished tied for second at The Open Championship last weekend, withdrew due to illness. Alternate Adam Long replaced him in the field.

Horschel, 37, won the Corales Puntacana Championship in the Dominican Republic in April and is ranked 26th in the FedEx Cup standings - he's likely to make it to the season-end playoffs despite the miss.

Click here to watch Round 1 Highlights.

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TWEET
Worth Mentioning

EAGLE
Can Nelly Korda Defend Her Title In Paris?

LPGA World No 1 Nelly Korda is the overwhelming favorite to win Gold in the 2024 Paris Olympics at Le Golf National. She has had a great season so far - winning six times on the Tour - her recent form is a concern but she is known to deliver in the big moments.

Her gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 was part of a first golden summer for Korda with a maiden major also arriving that year - the Women’s PGA Championship. No golfer has ever defended an Olympic title, largely due to the sport’s 112-year absence from the quadrennial event, but Korda has a great opportunity now.

It was at the first Paris Games in 1900 that Margaret Abbott of the United States became the first woman to win Olympic gold, the inaugural medal event contested over just nine holes. Korda will hope that the Star Spangled Banner waves again as she seeks to gild a glorious year.

⛳️ Who are the other Contenders? 60 players from 33 different countries will participate in the women's golf event in Paris. The action will begin three days after the end of the men’s tournament, running between 7 and 10 August.

Korda's team-mates Lilia Vu, Rose Zhang are strong contenders - other big names heading to Paris include Ruoning Yin and Xiyu Lin for China and Celine Boutier for France, who will play alongside Perrine Delacour.

New Zealander Lydia Ko, Swedish pair Maja Stark and Linn Grant and Irish duo Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow also pose significant threats.

Watch this Story on YouTube

LOCKER ROOM
What else is making news

LPGA Tour: Lauren Coughlin enjoyed a run of four birdies over six holes and emerged with the first-round lead at the CPKC Women's Open.

Ames Leads: Stephen Ames shot a four-under 68 to take the first-round lead at the Senior British Open.

DP World Tour: Thomas Bjorn, Paul McGinley and Miguel Angel Jimenez were all granted honorary life memberships to the DP World Tour, raising the total number of golfers with that status to 62.

LIV Golf: Jon Rahm hopes LIV Golf will eventually incorporate a links tournament into its schedule to help its players better prepare for The Open.

New Anthem: The R&A has announced the new official anthem for the AIG Women’s Open called ‘Rising Up’ by singer-songwriter Hayley May. The final women’s Major of the year takes place from 21-25 August at the iconic Old Course, St Andrews.

BIRDIE
These Are The Most Expensive Golf Clubs In The World

In the realm where precision meets luxury, the world of golf boasts an array of clubs that redefine opulence. From rare materials to bespoke craftsmanship, these clubs not only elevate performance on the greens but also set new standards for exclusivity - take a look at some of the most expensive golf clubs and putters.

💰Tiger Slam Irons and Wedges ($5.1 million): Priced at USD 5,156,162, Tiger Woods’ ‘Tiger Slam’ irons top the chart for the most expensive golf clubs in the world. One of the most incredible pieces of Tiger’s golf memorabilia, the Titleist 681-T irons are a collector’s Holy Grail.

The four straight Major victories that make up the “Tiger Slam” — the 2000 U.S. Open, Open, PGA Championship, and 2001 Masters — were all won by the world-renowned golfer with the help of these clubs.

💰Andrew Dickson's 18th Century Long-Nosed Putter ($181,000): This 18th-century Andrew Dickson Long-Nosed Putter was auctioned for USD 181,000 in 2007. With authentic roots that can be traced back to the 1700s, this club is the oldest verified golf club in the world.

💰Square Toe Light Iron from the 17th Century ($151,000): This square toe light iron head from the 17th century is one of only a dozen or so surviving iron heads. The irons were either hand-forged and hammered by a blacksmith who also made horseshoes and tools, or an armorer who was skilled in creating and maintaining armor and weapons.

💰Golden Putter First Lady Special Edition ($150,000): This Golden Putter First Lady Special Edition was created by German company Barth & Sons, who went on to intrigue the golf industry by redefining exclusivity. This luxury golf club is crafted of cherry wood with diamond inlays and a very thin layer of 24-carat gold at the shaft, racking up a cost of USD 150,000.

The club also features a leather handle and head that are embellished with crystals.

💰Long-Nosed Scraper Golf Club ($91,000): The Long-Nosed Scraper Golf Club dates back to the 1700s, but despite its age, it is in excellent condition. The head is remarkably long, highly curved with most of the loft at the heel of the face with a graceful bend at the neck.

Check out all the clubs.

DRIVING RANGE
Add Power To Your Golf Swing

In today's video, we talk about six exercises that you can add to your fitness routine to generate more power in your golf swing.

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