SCOR Golf Earns First Q-School Victory

SCOR Golf, creators of the revolutionary SCOR Wedge scoring system, is celebrating a monumental victory at the hands of a Champions Tour Q-School medalist. According to a press release, the Champion's Tour medalist used SCOR wedges in his bag en route to securing full-time status on the 2014 Champions Tour.

“I would like to congratulate the Champions Tour Q-School winner for earning his Champions Tour card in his first attempt,” stated Terry Koehler, President of SCOR™ Golf. “SCOR™ Golf was created to help golfers of all abilities lower their scores and the medalist’s record setting performance is an example of how SCOR™’s industry leading technologies can help even the world’s best golfers shoot lower scores.”

The champion’s use of SCOR4161 precision scoring clubs in such constantly changing weather conditions gave him a distinct advantage over the rest of the field. “This is a great example of how even the world’s best players are realizing that SCOR™ technologies will help them shoot lower scores,” stated Koehler.

“Proper gapping, advanced weighting technology, and our patented V-Sole helps to deliver more accuracy and improved forgiveness, particularly on various turf and bunker conditions,” added Koehler. “Combined with our GENIUS® proprietary scoring range shafts and our custom-fit process, the champion entered the event with a distinct ‘tool box’ advantage over his competition who still play ‘old style wedges’.”

You can learn more about SCOR wedges by clicking this link.

5 Questions With... Hale Irwin

As many of our regular readers know, we at ChicagoDuffer.com like to provide a unique insight into the lives of some of golf's biggest personalities via a segment titled "5 Questions With...". Past guests for this segment include the PGA TOUR's John Daly and Mark Wilson, ESPN's Paul Azinger and The Golf Channel's Jason Sobel. This week we welcome the first World Golf Hall of Famer on the segment: Hale Irwin.

Hale Irwin's professional career is something that any golfer would love to have under his (or her) belt. He boasts 87 professional wins on his resume, including 20 on the PGA TOUR and an astounding 45 on the Champions Tour. Irwin has also played on 5 Ryder Cup teams in his career and three US Open Championships (1974, 1979, and 1990). Thanks to his impressive career and success in some of his generation's biggest tournaments, Irwin was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1992. Following his playing career, Irwin has established himself as a leading golf course architect having designed numerous courses around the globe.

I had the opportunity to correspond with Mr. Irwin recently, asking him our usual five questions pertaining to golf. Here are his responses:

ChicagoDuffer.com: Where did you receive your first set of golf clubs?

Irwin: My first "set" of clubs were cut-off shafts with taped grips of no particular brand (that I can remember) and were every other club, maybe.  My first "half" set came to me at Christmas at about 12 years of age--Wilson Sam Snead Blue Ridges.

Who did you look up to in the golfing world when growing up?

My father as there were no pros where I lived.

What was the best golf tip you received when learning to play the game?

Never give up as golf can change quickly as long as you play within yourself.

If you could play a match against anyone in the world, who would it be and why?

Players of great success and fortitude of yesteryear-- e.g., Hogan, Snead, Jones, and Nelson

Players of my era--e.g., Nicklaus, Palmer, Player, Watson, Ballesteros, and Faldo 

Players of today--e.g., (yet to be determined)

What is the most annoying golf term used on television today?

"Not a very good effort"--how do they know?

We'd like to thank Mr. Irwin for his time and willingness to participate in our segment this month and wish him the best of luck in his future golf endeavors!

Tom Watson Wins Senior PGA

Happy Memorial Day to all my readers.  Here is a quick note on how one of my all-time favorite golfers fared this weekend. The more things change, the more they stay the same in the great game of golf.  Tom Watson provided another reminder to all golf fans this week of exactly how legendary a player he is in this sport by capturing the 2011 Senior PGA Championship.

As reported on the USA Today website, Watson sunk a 3-foot putt to win the title in a playoff; a putt, Watson later admitted, that he did not want to take much time mulling over:

"I didn't take much time with the putt," he said with that famous toothy grin. "I took one practice stroke and figured, 'Let's get this over with.'"

Watson summoned up some of his old major magic, holing the short birdie putt on the first playoff hole to beat David Eger on Sunday.

The 61-year old Watson became the oldest player to win a major championship since 1980, when the Senior tour was created.  He also became the third-oldest champion of a senior Tour event and came a full 10 years since his other Senior PGA Championship in 2001.

Couples Wins at The Woodlands

Slow and steady wins the race, right?  Or maybe a better phrase for Fred Couples should be "cool, calm, and collected". As stated on PGATour.com, Couples shot one of the calmest 9-under 63's you will ever see en route to capturing the title at The Woodlands.  His final round masterpiece gave Couples more than enough room to eventually win the title by seven strokes.  US Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin finished second despite leading the tournament on the 1oth tee.

In fact, Couples actually trailed Pavin by two shots entering the back nine on Sunday.  Cool Calm Freddy responded by shooting 7-under in his final eight holes to eventually win the tournament.... almost at will.

Couples birdied Nos. 11 and 12 to tie Pavin, then made a long eagle putt on the par-5 13th. After Couples' eagle, Pavin made a bogey, missing a 7-foot putt.

"That was something," Couples said. "I played well yesterday and I felt I'd play well today. I assumed one of us (in lead threesome) would win. To be honest, I hit the ball well and made a lot of putts and it all added up to a 63."

Couples moved two more shots ahead on the next hole with another birdie and Pavin's bogey.

Couples also birdied Nos. 16 and 18.