Special – Golfing Agency

2023 Masters expands field to 80 golfers with special invitations accepted by NCAA champion, Japanese star

detlef32 — Thu, 05 Jan 2023 18:19:15 +0000

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Augusta National Golf Club announced Thursday that it extended a pair of special invitations to the 2023 Masters that have been accepted by Gordon Sargent, the 2022 NCAA champion, and Japanese golfer Kazuki Higa. This bumps the Masters field to 80 golfers with three months until the tournament.

“The Masters Tournament prioritizes opportunities to elevate both amateur and professional golf around the world,” Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley said in a statement. “Thus, we have extended invitations to two deserving players not otherwise qualified. Whether on the international stage or at the elite amateur level, each player has showcased their talent in the past year. We look forward to hosting them at Augusta National in April.”

Sargent, a 19-year-old sophomore at Vanderbilt who was named SEC Freshman of the Year in 2022, is currently ranked No. 3 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings and projects well at the PGA Tour level because of his swing speed and length off the tee. He is the first amateur to receive and accept a special invitation to the Masters since 2000 and the sixth amateur joining the field in 2023.

Though the Masters does not normally invite the NCAA champion to play in its event — although the U.S. Amateur winner and runner-up are both invited — it has made special exemptions in the past for a number of different players. If such exemptions are made, they are generally doled out closer to the tournament in April.

Higa is less well-known, but he has compiled six wins on the Japan Golf Tour and is ranked No. 68 in the world. He also won the Japan Golf Tour’s order of merit in 2022. Higa has played in one major championship before, missing the cut at The Open Championship last July at St. Andrews by five strokes.

It’s difficult to not contrast this news of the Masters spreading invites to global players and amateurs with its recent statement regarding the eligibility of golfers playing for LIV Golf. Such golfers are still invited to the Masters while eligible, but it’s clear that Augusta National prefers one path over the other.

Professional golfers will still be able to qualify for the Masters the next three months by either winning a PGA Tour event or playing their way inside the top 50 in the Official World Golf Rankings by the week before the tournament.

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Golfclubs4cash celebrates 10th anniversary with special promotion

detlef32 — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 13:47:16 +0000

Golfclubs4cash, Europe’s biggest second-hand golf equipment retailer, is celebrating its tenth year in business with a special promotion.

For 10 days from September 20-30 the company has 10,000 single clubs available to buy in store and online for less than £100, with the chance for one person each day to win their money back. The company will also be partnering with The Golf Trust to help them deliver their projects here and around the globe.

Every part of the bag is covered, including iron sets for less than £200. The quality of the products is reflected in the pricing, but there will be clubs from some of the biggest names in golf in the collection.

Golfclubs4cash will also be donating equipment to The Golf Trust as part of the birthday celebrations.

Dean Cracknell, GC4C’s Head of Marketing, said: “We want to help get as many people on the course this winter as possible, so we will be donating the same number of items as transactions made on the busiest trading day over the 10-day celebration. The Golf Trust does fabulous work, so we are delighted to be able to help them get more golf clubs into deserving hands.”

For more information on the promotion, and your chance to win your purchase, visit www.golfclubs4cash.co.uk or head to your nearest store.

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Hype Meter: adidas Special Edition Samba Spikeless Golf Shoes

detlef32 — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 14:05:06 +0000

You’ve heard about them, maybe seen them too. Everyday products are being hyped in your Twitter and Instagram feeds. They’re sometimes endorsed by pros, celebrities, and influencers alike. But do they live up to the hype? We take a closer look.

What Are Golfers Talking About?

We know how well adidas golf shoes have tested over the years but does the Samba line live up to the Tour360 reputation?

For those adidas Samba fanatics who really don’t care if they perform well should just scroll down and hit that BUY NOW button.

Those who care about performance should keep reading.

Product Expert

Hi, I’m Harry and I am a professional golf shoe tester. (Yes, they exist.) I actually test a lot of things at MyGolfSpy and play professionally when I’m not checking and comparing specs on gloves, rangefinders, bags, ball retrievers, etc. You can call me the Director of Soft Goods Testing here at MGS. You can also just call me Harry. That’s fine, too.

Why the Hype?

Simple: adidas Samba! The Samba has been around since adidas was founded, it seems. In its early years, the adidas Samba shoes were worn as an indoor soccer shoe. Its casual yet stylish look makes it versatile for smart casual attire, sporting venues, casual wear … the list goes on. Plus they have been worn by some famous people like Jonah Hill, Kendall Jenner and Frank Ocean.

Since the first drop of Sambas, they have been a hit. So when any limited-edition versions of these shoe hit the market, you will be lucky to get your mitts on a pair. It’s that simple. They really sell themselves.

The real question today is how do the new adidas Sambas perform when put through the rigorous Most Wanted Golf Shoe protocol?

Where The Hype is Coming From?

adidas has a cult-like following—in a good way, of course. The Samba is one line that helped adidas grow to the size it is today. If you like it, you live by it. adidas diehards are ready to buy almost anything they put out.

Assessing the adidas Samba Spikeless Golf Shoe Hype

Let’s break down the men’s golf shoe market quickly. There are spiked and spikeless. Typically to be categorized as a spiked shoe, the spikes have to be removable. A spikeless shoe doesn’t have removable spikes, the studs are traditionally rubber and cover the entire sole of the shoe. The adidas Samba golf shoe definitely falls into the spikeless category. A golf sneaker, if you will.

In recent years, we’ve seen the spikeless category start to split from a strictly golf look to a lifestyle look. The adidas Sambas fall solidly into the lifestyle category. They’re essentially a casual shoe with some rubber spikes on the bottom.

After running the adidas Samba through the Most Wanted shoe protocol, it would have fallen in the middle of the pack. The comfort level was fine and will break in over time. Its traction is, again, just OK. What I liked was its style but that’s because I grew up wearing Sambas for soccer. Other than that, the adidas Sambas were middle of the pack for stability, traction and comfort. Where you might get into trouble is the elements aspect. Its suede material attracts dirt.

That said, adidas has made a classic look young and fun for the golf course. I would wear them for casual rounds but never for tournament play.

Do They Live Up To the Hype?

The Bottom Line

I understand these aren’t designed to win the Most Wanted seal of approval but those who want to have a few beers on the course and look good doing so should grab these. Those who want performance should stick to the Tour360 or FootJoy Tour Alphas spiked shoes.

If we’re basing the Samba on performance, it’s middle of the road at best. However, I don’t believe their target audience cares about performance. It’s all about the heritage and style of the shoe for them. With that in mind, I would say it’s up there on the Hype Meter.

What do you think about the Special Edition Samba Golf Shoe? Do you love it or hate it?

*We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

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