Latest news with #driverTesting
National Post
29-05-2025
- Business
- National Post
Lucas Glover says players can skirt driver test but USGA chief says that isn't the case
Article content DUBLIN, Ohio — Former U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover says players have found a way to beat the system by handing the USGA a backup driver if they get picked for random testing on the thinness of the clubface. Article content Article content That didn't bother Mike Whan, the CEO of the USGA, who says it's not that easy. Article content 'We keep serial numbers of the driver that were given us, and 90% of the drivers that were given us in those practice facilities when we test are played on the first tee,' Whan said Tuesday ahead of the U.S. Women's Open in Wisconsin. 'And we expect 10% of players to be making changes, anyway. Article content 'I don't think that's a real concern for us.' Article content Glover got some attention on his SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio show when he said the test is not stringent enough because only about 30 drivers are randomly selected for testing. And he mentioned another loophole. Article content 'I've been trying to think all morning and all day how to say this without sounding like it's going to sound, but most guys don't give them their real driver, anyway,' Glover said when asked why the USGA didn't just test drivers of every player. 'They give them their backup just in case. Article content 'I know a lot of guys, they keep two drivers in their bag just in case,' he said. ''Hey, oh, yeah, it's this one. It's this one right here. Yeah, do this, test this one.'' Article content The driver testing has been going on for years because after hundreds of swings, the face gets too thin for USGA standards without the players or manufacturers being aware. Article content Rory McIlroy's driver failed the test at the PGA Championship and he had to use a backup. Scottie Scheffler said his driver also was tested and didn't pass, though he knew it was getting close. He went on to win the PGA Championship. Article content Whan said test results are green (pass), yellow (getting close) and red (fail). They are kept confidential to prevent a routine matter from getting too much attention, as was the case at Quail Hollow. Article content 'If they got a yellow, they start preparing for a backup driver or switch,' Whan said. 'It seemed like a big week to everybody else. But for us, it was a pretty standard week.'
Associated Press
27-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Glover says players can skirt the driver test. USGA chief says that isn't the case
DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — Former U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover says players have found a way to beat the system by handing the USGA a backup driver if they get picked for random testing on the thinness of the clubface. That didn't bother Mike Whan, the CEO of the USGA, who says it's not that easy. 'We keep serial numbers of the driver that were given us, and 90% of the drivers that were given us in those practice facilities when we test are played on the first tee,' Whan said Tuesday ahead of the U.S. Women's Open in Wisconsin. 'And we expect 10% of players to be making changes, anyway. 'I don't think that's a real concern for us.' Glover got some attention on his SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio show when he said the test is not stringent enough because only about 30 drivers are randomly selected for testing. And he mentioned another loophole. 'I've been trying to think all morning and all day how to say this without sounding like it's going to sound, but most guys don't give them their real driver, anyway,' Glover said when asked why the USGA didn't just test drivers of every player. 'They give them their backup just in case. 'I know a lot of guys, they keep two drivers in their bag just in case,' he said. ''Hey, oh, yeah, it's this one. It's this one right here. Yeah, do this, test this one.'' The driver testing has been going on for years because after hundreds of swings, the face gets too thin for USGA standards without the players or manufacturers being aware. Rory McIlroy's driver failed the test at the PGA Championship and he had to use a backup. Scottie Scheffler said his driver also was tested and didn't pass, though he knew it was getting close. He went on to win the PGA Championship. Whan said test results are green (pass), yellow (getting close) and red (fail). They are kept confidential to prevent a routine matter from getting too much attention, as was the case at Quail Hollow. 'If they got a yellow, they start preparing for a backup driver or switch,' Whan said. 'It seemed like a big week to everybody else. But for us, it was a pretty standard week.' On the shelf For the second time in three years, Will Zalatoris is missing the heart of the PGA Tour season because of back surgery. Zalatoris, 28, posted a message on Instagram on Monday saying that instability and discomfort in his back this spring kept getting worse, and tests revealed another round of herniated discs. He had surgery on Friday and said he would be out until the fall. 'I'm happy to say I woke up feeling good and excited about my long-term health,' Zalatoris said. 'Time to focus on my recovery and get back after it.' He hit his peak in 2022 when he lost in a playoff at the PGA Championship, missed a 15-foot putt that would have forced a playoff at the U.S. Open and won a playoff in the PGA Tour playoffs opener. He withdrew the following week at the BMW Championship with back pain (and missed the Presidents Cup), and had his first surgery in 2023. Zalatoris reached No. 7 in the world after 2022. He now is at No. 84. PGA Tour University The PGA Tour is adding three players straight out of college from the PGA Tour University ranking, a program aimed at creating a quicker path from college to the pros. A fourth player, Auburn sophomore Jackson Koivun, also earned a PGA Tour card through the accelerated program for underclassmen. Koivun told Golf Digest he would defer membership and return for his junior year at Auburn. Koivun picked up his final point by finishing in the top 10 at the NCAA championship on Monday. He turned 20 last week, making him the youngest player to get a card through the PGA Tour University Accelerated program. North Carolina senior David Ford finished atop the PGA Tour University ranking and will have PGA Tour membership the rest of the year. Florida State junior Luke Clanton earned enough points through the accelerated program and will make his pro debut next week in the Canadian Open. Vanderbilt senior Gordon Sargent secured his PGA Tour card in October 2023 and stayed in school. The biggest move Monday came from UCLA senior Pablo Ereno. He tied for sixth in the NCAA championship — the best finish by a Bruins player since Patrick Cantlay tied for fourth in 2012 — and moved from No. 12 to No. 10 in the ranking. That gives him Korn Ferry Tour membership the rest of the year, instead of a spot on PGA Tour Americas. Out of the mouths of babes Incoming LPGA Commissioner Craig Kessler learned how different people have different expectations, all because of a conversation with his three young sons. Kessler said he and wife Nicole sat down with their boys — ages 9, 7 and 5 — to explain that he had been offered the job as LPGA commissioner and he wanted their thoughts. He said the oldest asked a dozen qualifying questions to make sure this was the right fit. 'Our 7-year-old said, 'But Dad, you're a boy and I'm a boy, so why don't you just do boy sports?'' Kessler said. 'Which by the way, provided the most incredible teaching moment and we shared with them, 'Look if all we did in life were things that looked like us, that sounded like us, we're sort of missing the plot and leaving so much richness in life on the table.'' Leave it to the 5-year-old to get right to the point. Kessler had told the boys they would take them out of school on occasion so they could join their parents on tour. That included stops in Europe and Asia. 'Our 5-year-old looked at me and said, 'But Dad, do they sell chocolate milk in Asia?' 'It just goes to show you that different stakeholders have different concerns, and it's certainly no different in the Kessler family.' Divots The Korn Ferry Tour will have a new tournament in South Carolina next year. The Colonial Life Charity Classic will be May 14-17 at The Woodcreek Club near Columbia. It will be the second Korn Ferry Tour event in South Carolina, which also has two PGA Tour stops. ... The Senior PGA Championship is moving to The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida, for the next three years starting in 2026. The senior major will be played April 16-19, getting it off the crowded May calendar. It was held this year after the PGA Championship and was the second straight week of a PGA Tour Champions major. ... Ben Griffin became the first player in 10 years to make eagle on the first hole of the final round and go on to win. Griffin won the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial. ... Colonial runner-up Matti Schmid and Bud Cauley, who closed with a 67 to finish third, earned spots in the Memorial this week. Stat of the week Max Homa was No. 10 in the world when he played the Memorial last year. He arrived at Muirfield Village this year at No. 87. Final word 'I can't answer your question because I don't like them.' — Jack Nicklaus, on why a golf course should have a long par 3. ___ AP golf:
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Illinois bill would raise age for mandatory road tests from 79 to 87
A bill waiting for Gov. JB Pritzker to sign would raise the driver's testing mandate from 79 to 87 years old. House Bill 1226 unanimously passed the Senate last week after a 114-0 vote in the House last month. Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias says Illinois is the only state that requires seniors to take a driving test despite drivers 75 and older having the lowest crash rate of any age group. The bill would let close relatives report older drivers if they feel their abilities are declining. For more information, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Associated Press
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
PGA winner Scottie Scheffler says his driver didn't pass inspection either
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — For all the attention Rory McIlroy received for his driver failing to pass inspection at the PGA Championship, Scottie Scheffler added a surprising wrinkle after he won. His driver failed the test, too. It added to context badly missing in the original report. The PGA of America said it routinely and randomly asks the USGA to test driver heads to make sure the constant shots have not made the faces too thin to exceed limits of a trampoline effect. The PGA of America said one-third of the 156-man field had their drivers test. That included the eventual winner, Scheffler, who wasn't surprised by the result of the test. 'My driver did fail me this week. We had a feeling that it was going to be coming because I've used that driver for over a year. I was kind of fortunate for it to last that long,' Scheffler said. McIlroy never spoke to the media the entire week when the PGA Championship began. Random testing occurs routinely on the PGA Tour and the majors. Xander Schauffele said he asked for a test earlier this year when he put an old driver back in play. Schauffele believes it shouldn't be random. 'Test everybody,' he said. The PGA of America said the testing is to protect players who might not be aware when the driver faces start to get thin. This isn't a question of intent. Scheffler sided with Schauffele's line of thinking. 'I would argue that if we're going to test the drivers, we need to be even more robust in the way we test them,' Scheffler said. 'That was a conversation I had with one of the rules officials. If it's something we're going to take seriously, I feel like we're almost going halfway with it right now.' Scheffler said going to a new driver was 'no big deal' because he's had to do it before and he had been working with the manufacturer at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson two weeks ago because they knew it was about to surpass limits. Scheffler lost a five-shot lead on the front nine by missing so many shots to the left. Was that a product of the new driver? 'No, I think that was my fault,' he said with a laugh. Poston delivers J.T. Poston is referred to as the 'Postman' on the PGA Tour by players and caddies, and he delivered his best showing in a major at the PGA Championship. Poston was a favorite at Quail Hollow from growing up in Hickory, North Carolina, and played at Western Carolina. Starting four shots behind, Poston dropped three shots in five holes. And then he bounced back with three birdies in a four-hole stretch and was still in the picture — before Scheffler pulled away at the end. Poston bogeyed the last two holes, knocking him out of a potential runner-up finish. He closed with a 73 and tied for fifth. 'The big thing is it was a learning curve for me this week,' he said. 'It's the first time I've really been in this position in majors and I feel like I held my ground pretty well overall.' He'll get two more tries at the U.S. Open and British Open. Poston's final bogey cost him a guaranteed spot in the Masters next year for being in the top four. That was the least of his concerns after a good battle in the PGA. 'More than anything, I just proved to myself that I can win one of these, which is exciting,' he said. U.S. Open exemptions Davis Riley's runner-up finish did more than get him into the Masters next year. He gets to avoid U.S. Open qualifying. The top 60 in the world are exempt from U.S. Open qualifying, and four players made big moves on Sunday in the PGA Championship. Jhonattan Vegas was at No. 70 and his tie for fifth moved him up to No. 49. Vegas also gets into the British Open, which takes the top 50 from this week's ranking. Si Woo Kim went from No. 66 to No. 59 with his tie for eighth. And then there's Joe Highsmith. He won the Cognizant Classic in Florida to get into the Masters and PGA Championship. And then he played bogey-free over the last 12 holes, closing with a 71 to tie for eighth. That moved him from No. 69 to No. 60. Niemann's best Joaquin Niemann has been playing his best golf for the LIV Golf League, with three victories this year in the Saudi-funded league. He went out early and shot 68 that moved him all the way into a tie for eighth as players late in the day began to fade under the tougher, windier conditions. It was Niemann's first top 10 in a major. He received a sponsor exemption to the PGA Championship this year. He won't need one next year. The top 15 get spots in the field. ___ AP golf:
News.com.au
19-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
PGA winners failed driver sparks outrage
GOLF: Scottie Scheffler on driver testing, his driver failed testing and had to use a backup during PGA Championship at Quails Hollow. Scheffler argues that "if we're going to test the drivers we need to be more robust in the way we test them."
