While Dustin Johnson’s swing is the most powerful and athletic on tour, Jon Rahm’s swing must be the most talented. To be able to return the clubface square to target from the position that he gets at the top, and to generate such huge length with not as much clubhead speed as some of the other top golfers, that is a thing of awe.
It’s a unique and unorthodox swing, but one which garners great power. From an orthodox one piece take away he sets the club upward and then his wrists get into a bowed position at the top. The club doesn’t reach 90 degrees but unusually, the clubhead doesn’t close at the top, showing Jon Rahm has immensely strong hands holding the club in position. He sets the wrists late after making a complete 90 degree shoulder turn. Coming down he creates huge torque. It’s so interesting watching this in slow motion because the club seems to lag as he drives pressure through his legs before releasing his legs through impact. He has a low centre of gravity which helps him pivot and create power and speed. It’s so cleverly done. He is currently 2nd in the stats off the tee and 20th tee to green.
He is admired because he is a well rounded golfer with no apparent weaknesses, he putts well and has a strong short game. But he openly admits that his challenge is as a competitor – controlling his fiery temperament. He says that getting mad helps him to play better but he needs to channel it “I’m working really hard to stop complaining” he says.
Japan will host its first PGA Tour event this October 24-27. The Zozo Championship will be a FedEx Cup event as part of the 2019-2020 season with a purse of $9.75 million, on the Narashino Country Club in Chiba. The field is 78 players comprosing 60 PGA tour professionals, 7 Japan Professional Golf Tour Organisation players, the top 3 from the Bridgestone Invitational and 8 sponsor’s invitation players.
The tournament is sponsored by Zozo Town fashion website, whose billionaire founder Yusaku Maszawa is famous as the first man to sign up to go to the moon on Elon Musk’s SpaceX Craft. He calls the tournament “a moon shot for Japanese golf. He is extremely honoured to have been approached by the PGA Tour”.
Former PGA Tour player and Chairman of the JGTO Isao Aoki (pictured far left) said
”Finally this day has come, I wish it had come earlier. If I were you get I would want to compete. It is a dream of Japanese golfers to compete in a PGA Tour event”.
Top Japanese golfer Hideki Matsuyama (pictured second right) , who has 5 PGA Tour wins says “there are a lot of differences between PGA tour golf and JGTO golf and the fans will get to see this with their own eyes not through TV. I want to play in front of my Japanese fans and show my appreciation to them”.
According to the latest European Tour video “tired of being asked to take part in viral videos by media types, five European Tour stars decided to assemble the Content Committee, convinced they could come up with better ideas themselves”.
I decided to virtually gatecrash the meeting and, seeing the Ideas board (liking “Keeping Up With the Aphibarnrats”) decided to chip in myself:
Ho Sung Choi, 45, winner of 2 Japan Tour titles, has accepted a sponsor’s invitation to olay in the Pebble Beach Pro Am February 7-10. He said
“I never imagined this day would come,” Choi said, according to multiple reports. “I took up golf at the age of 25, after a hard life. I’m fully aware that none of this would be possible without the love and support of my fans. I will, of course, do my best, wherever I go.”
He was given the invite after a petition – The Korean is in good form he won the Casio World Open in November that propelled him into the top 200 of the Official World Golf Ranking (he’s currently No. 200) for the first time.
A further online petition, to get him invited to play in the Waste Management Phoenix Open currently has 5,000 plus signatures
Dear PGA Tour/Phoenix Thunderbirds/Whom it may concern,
“Once in a generation golfer, Hosung Chou, has BURST out onto the scene and i to our hearts this past 2018. Being arguably the most entertaining golfer to watch, I and many others strongly feel he deserves a sponsors exemption into the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open. The “Greatest Show On Grass” NEEDS to have the Greatest Showman ithe game. We are politely asking that you would extend one of your soonsors exemptions to Hosung Choi, so that we can see his greatness up close.
Most of us would have just stuck lead tape on the back of the club, not Bryson De Chambeau who revealed his re-designed Cobra lob wedge at the tournament in Hawaii last week where he finished 10th. The longer length 60 degree wedge has had 35 grams out of the club taken out of the back flange. It has a narrow leading edge to help him get under the ball easier on tight lies.
Having only just got into Nintendo Switch I’m loving the whole concept of Golf Story, in particular the strategy advice from the older golfers to the youngers, but they speak their language and rap at them. Inspired.
A rainbow appeared over Wai’lae Golf Club as Matt Kuchar holed out for a three shot win over Andrew Puttnam. ‘It was a magical moment’ said the 40 year old winner.
This is Kuchar’s second win in three starts – he won the Mayakoba Classic which was his first title in four years in November. His final round of 66 on Sunday included three birdies over thr last four holrs and the final 10 holes were played in 6 under par. The short course of 7,000 yards and the need for precision off the tee and into the small greens suited his game. He lead in three statistics this week. The only thing he did wrong was in his post tournament conference he quoted Jay-Zee as saying “forty is the new twenty”, alluding to how he felt. In fact Jay-Zee sang “thirty is the new twenty” but who’s counting?
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