Golf News – April 10, 2017

What You Need To Know (Sergio Garcia):

– Sergio plays the all-new 2017 M2 driver (9.5°), equipped with his usual MRC Kuro Kage Silver TiNi 80XTS shaft. Garcia also plays 15° & 19° ’17 M1 fairways; he seeks consistency in his weighting, so both his 3 and 5-woods have the same shaft as his driver.

– Garcia added the Spider Tour red putter to his bag at the WGC Match Play and used it to tame Augusta National’s diabolical greens. He finds it easier to aim and put consistent roll off the face. This was the eighth consecutive week that Spider was the #1 putter model on PGA TOUR.

– Sergio plays the new P750 irons (3-PW) with Nippon N.S. Pro Modus Tour 130x shafts, utilizing counterbalancing throughout the set as it helps him with his transition and gets the club more on plane.

– For the seventeenth consecutive year, TaylorMade was the #1 driver at the Masters (33 in play).

– Unlike many of his fellow players, Sergio only opted for two wedges this week (in addition to his PW) as he feels he can hit all of the shots he needs to with just two lofts. He had 2 Milled Grind wedges in the bag; 54° & 58°.

– This was the sixth win this season for the new TP5/TP5X ball, with Garcia now having two of them (Dubai Desert Classic).

– Garcia’s win is the 13th win in 15 weeks for TaylorMade’s ’17 M drivers, more than any other manufacturer.

Srixon Introduces The New Q-Star Tour Golf Ball: Tour Performance For Golfers With Moderate Swing Speeds

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA – April 4, 2017 – SRIXON®, a global leader in high-performance golf equipment and a brand Dedicated to Improving Your Game™, is proud to introduce the new Q-STAR® TOUR golf ball. This all-new ball model delivers Tour Performance for Golfers With Moderate Swing Speeds. The SRIXON® Q-STAR® TOUR is available in Pure White™ and officially launches in North America on Friday, April 14, 2017. It carries a minimum advertised price of $29.99 per dozen.

With the new Q-STAR TOUR, Srixon focused on developing a tour-caliber golf ball in a lower-compression design that helps moderate swing speed golfers achieve more distance on full shots while maintaining the excellent feel and greenside spin performance of its Z-STAR® Series offerings. It was designed especially for skilled golfers with moderate speeds who demand the performance and feel of a tour ball; the lower compression allows these players to achieve optimal distance on full shots. Golfers can expect the Q-STAR TOUR to deliver exceptional total performance from tee to green, including tremendous iron distance and tour-caliber greenside spin control.

Key Technologies:
• Lower-Compression Energetic Gradient Growth Core. The E.G.G. core is easier to compress with lower driver spin for impressive distance and accuracy on full shots.
• Urethane Cover With Spin Skin Coating. Premium cover and advanced coating promote soft feel with enhanced greenside spin control.
• 324 Speed Dimple Pattern. The low drag design improves flight performance for longer distance with more control.

“Q-STAR TOUR was designed primarily for good players with moderate swing speeds. The problem we identified is that these golfers aren’t optimizing their performance by playing a high-compression tour ball because they aren’t able to compress it, so they end up sacrificing distance off the tee and with their irons,” said Michael Ross, Senior Product Manager for Golf Balls. “These golfers don’t need to play a high-compression tour ball just so they have the excellent greenside spin performance that they’re used to. They would benefit greatly from playing a ball that offers the same great greenside performance but is easier to compress. That’s why we developed the lower-compression Srixon Q-STAR TOUR.”

The new Srixon Q-STAR TOUR comes to market having already been recognized as a Gold Medal winner on the 2017 Golf Digest Hot List – with 5 STARS for Feel, Performance and Innovation.

Independent Test Results:

Srixon worked with Golf Laboratories to conduct independent outdoor robot testing on the new Q-STAR TOUR golf ball against key competitors. The results proved it delivers exceptional tee-to-green performance at an incredible value:

• Advanced core and dimple technology enable the Srixon Q-STAR TOUR to deliver longer driver distance than many of the similarly priced and more expensive, ionomer cover competitor balls and almost all of the more expensive, urethane cover competitor balls tested. With very low driver spin, including low sidespin, the Q-STAR TOUR minimizes the effects of hooks and slices so golfers are able to drive the ball with more accuracy.

• Where Q-STAR TOUR really stands out is mid-iron distance. The core and highly resilient mid-layer work together to generate high ball speed with a high launch angle. These favorable launch conditions create substantially more distance for the Q-STAR TOUR than most competitor balls tested.

• The Srixon Q-STAR TOUR particularly distinguishes itself from similarly priced or more expensive ionomer cover balls in greenside spin performance. Thanks to the high friction caused by the Spin Skin coating, the Q-STAR TOUR demonstrates dramatically more spin around the green than even the best performing ionomer cover balls tested. It also compares closely in spin performance to competitor urethane balls tested.

The SRIXON® Q-STAR® TOUR golf ball officially launches in North America on Friday, April 14, 2017, at a MAP of $29.99 per dozen. For more information on Srixon products and staff players, please visit srixon.com.

Bermuda Sands Apparel Introduces Women’s Spring 17 Collection

Charlotte, NC (April 6, 2017) – Bermuda Sands, designers and manufacturers of exceptional performance apparel for leisure sports and activities, is pleased to introduce their Women’s Spring 17 collection, inspired by the Caribbean, and reminiscent of a private, personal oasis.

The Spring ’17 Bermuda Sands Women’s collection features four island inspired designs and colorways, making outfit varieties bountiful. The Martinique look is based around a floral pattern with accent colors of orange, cherry, black and white. The St. Kitts look is a classic plaid pattern with magenta, white, black and soft purples. The St. Lucia look offers a modern twist on a classic style of a geometric pattern infused with regatta blue, white, steel gray, aqua bay and black. Lastly, the Montserrat is a batik print look, an exciting twist on an animal print, integrating steel gray, white, black, citrine, and regatta blues.

Each inspired look in the collection includes pieces that incorporate Bermuda Sands’ proprietary performance component, Storm Dri®, which offers superior water repellency to stay dry in unexpected storms. No details were overlooked in this collection, introducing four different neck styles, subtle detailing and a flattering cut for women, allowing for versatility from the greens to the court, breakfast through dinner.

“This collection includes an exceptional variety of head to toe complete looks,” says CEO Joe Pagani. “Escape to the islands with these timeless pieces.”

Please visit bermudasandsapparel.com for more information.