7 new golf equipment products to check out at Golf Galaxy

Check out these 7 new golf equipment products at Golf Galaxy.

Once the calendar flipped to 2024, brands across golf began to release their newest gear. Whether it was drivers, irons sets, wedges, balls or something in between, it seemed like every equipment manufacturer had new offerings.

Well, thanks to our friends at Golf Galaxy, we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite recent releases including drivers, irons and golf balls.

Some of the brands on the list below include Callaway, Cobra, Ping and more.

Most of the equipment below can be found on David Dusek’s best golf equipment lists for 2024 including best drivers, best irons, best golf balls and more.

Jani-King cleaning up with its support of the PGA Tour and its caddies

The WM Phoenix Open is famously known as the “Greenest Show on Grass,” a claim it can make in part because of the tournament’s partnership with Jani-King International, a leading global commercial cleaning services franchise company responsible for …

The WM Phoenix Open is famously known as the “Greenest Show on Grass,” a claim it can make in part because of the tournament’s partnership with Jani-King International, a leading global commercial cleaning services franchise company responsible for cleaning up after the roughly 800,000 fans who visit TPC Scottsdale during tournament week.

Julie Robinson, Jani-King’s regional franchisor in Arizona, is proud of her company’s long-time involvement in her hometown tournament. But for Robinson, “green” doesn’t just mean clean. It’s also a great opportunity to bring in more dollars and business to her franchisees year-round by demonstrating how Jani-King can handle such an enormous challenge.

“In Phoenix, the Open is where business gets done during tournament week. Basically, everybody is out there,” Robinson said. “If we’re trying to get hold of a decisionmaker to secure a cleaning contract, they’re at the Open, either entertaining their clients or being entertained by other folks. So for us, it’s a benefit to be able to say we’re a partner in trying to make this an amazing experience for the fans. We’re proud of the two local franchisees covering the Open with their team of 90 providing exceptional service at the largest event on the PGA Tour.”

At the WM Open, Jani-King plans to take its Tour relationship to the next level with its Spring Clean Challenge. During Wednesday’s pro-am at TPC Scottsdale’s raucous par-3 16th, caddies of participating players will pull out specially made green Jani-King golf towels to indicate they’re competing in the Challenge.

Credit: Jani-King

The competition will take place over nine events, starting April 4 at the Valero Texas Open and ending in mid-May at the PGA Championship. The tournaments correspond with what Mike Biggs, Jani-King’s senior vice president of sports partnerships, calls a “fault line” of regional franchisors who are avid supporters of the company’s PGA Tour sponsorship. Those territory owners will promote the Challenge via local public relations efforts and use of a participating player that week for customer and prospect engagement. The Challenge’s main purpose, as Biggs describes it, “is to tell the story of the company behind the towel.”

“The people at Jani-King have been awesome,” said Ryan Palmer, who has endorsed the company for the past decade. “It’s been a great relationship for me because I respect their dedication to the game of golf. When you work with people like that, it makes you feel like you’re at home. It means a lot to me that they put their trust in me to represent them.”

The five players committed to the Spring Clean Challenge – Palmer, Joel Dahmen, J.T. Poston, Adam Schenk, and Sepp Straka – will accumulate FedExCup points, with the top three finishers collecting a bonus from the $55,000 pot, which includes $5,000 and a commemorative trophy for the winning caddie. Former Tour player and one-time Jani-King playing ambassador Colt Knost, now working for CBS, will serve as the Challenge’s host and promoter.

Jani-King’s PGA Tour partnership is one of those under-the-radar sponsorships that has been a hole-in-one for everyone involved.

Like many things in this relationship-based industry, Jani-King’s commitment to the PGA Tour expanded as a result of a round of golf. James Edmondson, who was Palmer’s long-time caddie, invited Biggs to be his playing partner at a Colonial Country Club member-guest tournament in 2015. Edmondson had recently helped form the Association of Professional Tour Caddies, which he used to serve as president. Caddying is a precarious profession, buffeted by high expenses and uncertain job security. The APTC was formed to find sponsorship opportunities to make life a little easier for loopers.

That day at Colonial, Biggs told Edmondson he wanted to support the caddies, so they kicked around some ideas. The one piece of sponsorship “real estate” the caddies owned was the towel.

“Cleaning and a towel, that’s like a perfect fit for us,” Biggs recalled thinking.

Credit: Scott Halleran

Edmondson initially hand-picked 10 caddies who worked for high-profile players to carry the Jani-King golf towel, and he recalled that Biggs quickly came back to him with plans for a multi-year sponsorship because the towel was generating so much buzz. These days, on any given Thursday on the PGA Tour, you might see more than 100 caddies carrying Jani-King golf towels. It’s effectively become the Titleist of the golf accessories market.

“It’s gone from ‘what is this?’ to ‘this is what you’re supposed to do,’” Edmondson said. “I’m sure other companies would love to be a part of that, but Jani-King is the one that took the leap of faith in the caddies, and there’s a mutual respect among our group. It’s been really cool to see what it’s turned into and provided for a group of guys.”

Jani-King was hardly new to sports marketing before its commitment to the Tour and its caddies. The company sponsored NASCAR and short-track racing more than 20 years ago. Biggs said when he first joined Jani-King, he might get two requests per year from regional franchisors for NASCAR tickets, but more than two dozen requests for PGA Tour tickets to use for customer hospitality. At a time when Jani-King had just started moving its national branding focus from motorsports to golf, it made sense to expand those efforts.

“First and foremost, more business decision makers are associated with the sport of golf, in my opinion, than any other sport,” said Biggs, who has served in various capacities in golf marketing since 1991. “It’s great for entertaining customers, getting to decision makers for commercial cleaning needs. Also, a lot of our people who own Jani-King locations throughout the country love and support golf. So it was a no-brainer and fit right in with what I could envision as a way to continue the enhancement and awareness of the brand through sports marketing.”

Along the way, the Jani-King golf towel has become something of a cultural icon. At The Sentry in Maui in January, a volunteer approached Edmondson, now working for Tom Hoge, and told him she was desperate to score one of the towels. “That’s my name!” the woman told Edmondson. Her name was Janice King, but her mother called her “Jani.” So Edmondson gifted her a towel.

“You’d have thought I’d have given her a gold bar. It was so cute,” Edmondson said. “So now Jani King has a Jani-King towel.”

For more information on Jani-King or the Spring Clean Challenge, visit www.janiking.com or follow Jani-King on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Stitch Golf releases an upgraded version of its best-selling bag

Check out the brand new MIY SL2 Golf Bag from Stitch.

Stitch Golf bags have taken the golf world by storm as being one of the lightest bags on the market.

The SL2 Golf Bag has received major upgrades and is now apart of Stitch’s Make It Yours Program.

The bag offers complete customization options, allowing you to choose your chassis, strap, saddle pocket color and even add your initials. The MIY SL2 allows you to add your personality to your bag to stand out from the rest and is custom-made to order and ready to ship within days.

Stitch MIY SL2 Golf Bag
MIY SL2 Golf Bag (Stitch Golf)

The new SL2 bag has 50% more storage with a new GT saddle pocket that is specifically designed for all the essentials for a round of golf. This pocket is easy to access thanks to its stretch pocket design.

The pockets are equipped with YKK extra tough zippers, ensuring extreme durability, and include a magnetic pocket designed to hold up to a 12-pack of golf balls, along with a felt-lined valuables pocket.

MIY SL2 Golf Bag
MIY SL2 Golf Bag (Stitch Golf)

The bag is remarkably lightweight at just 99 ounces and is water and stain-resistant. The MIY SL2 includes a 4-way divider for organizing your clubs and comfortable straps for ease of carrying. Stay tuned for additional interchangeable components that can be purchased separately, allowing you to further customization the bag.

To learn more and shop this bag visit stitchgolf.com

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop new MIY SL2 Stitch Golf Bag” link=”https://stitchgolf.sjv.io/k0Q1XN”]

Two Atlanta businesses get support from Mastercard, Capital One Business ahead of Tour Championship

Mastercard and Capital One Business have built out both shops on the grounds of the Tour Championship.

At the Tour Championship, Mastercard and Capital One Business partnered to bring Foodies & Fairways™ to East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia, a program that gives two local food businesses an opportunity to showcase and sell their signature dishes to fans at golf tournaments across the country. 

Mastercard and Capital One Business’ support for Kayla’s Italian Ice and Local Green takes on added significance given their proximity to the golf course as Atlanta-based businesses.

Foodies & Fairways™ not only showcases the commitments of Mastercard and Capital One Business to local entrepreneurship but also emphasizes their dedication to promoting community engagement.

Kayla’s Italian Ice is comprised of a mother-daughter duo, Theresa and Kayla, who wanted to bring a New York summer treat to Georgia. With Kayla being only 15, she provides youthful ideas to such a structured business plan.

“At first, no one really took me seriously,” she said. “My biggest achievement has been growing our clientele, getting out of a pushcart and opening a food truck.”

Their flavors are made from fresh local ingredients and their truck now serves the community, business events, parties and more. They hope to start franchising their business around the country.

Kayla's Italian Ice founders
Kayla’s Italian Ice founders. (Kayla’s Italian Ice)

Local Green was formed with the intention to bring healthier options to a community where Southern soul, comfort and fried foods are popular. The owner, Zak Wallace, once weighed more than 300 pounds and knew he needed to make a lifestyle change to preserve his health. 

“I was trapped in the world between fast food, fried food, processed foods and I realized I’m addicted to this kind of flavor,” Zak said. “I wanted to make the focus more about nutrition and bring that into the conversation from somebody that’s from the community.”

Local Green started as a food truck and now serves as a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Atlanta as well as a food truck at Walt Disney Resorts providing flavorful cuisine to minority-dominated areas.

Local Green Atlanta founders
Local Green Atlanta founders. (Local Green Atlanta)

By awarding each of these businesses a grant of $10,000 and Mastercard digital tools and resources, as well as providing personalized business coaching with Ginger Siegel, Mastercard’s North America Small Business Lead, Mastercard is going beyond financial assistance to offer valuable guidance and expertise.

These resources are likely to enable Kayla’s Italian Ice and Local Green to strengthen their operations.

“Now we can get some automatic fillers that would really help our production, as well as build out our trucks, get more brand awareness and participate in more events like this,” Theresa said. 

Mastercard and Capital One Business have built out both shops on the grounds of the Tour Championship, which presents a unique opportunity for these businesses to connect with a broad range of attendees, fostering networking, exposure, and potential sales.

“There are probably not a lot of people in the golf world who are familiar with Local Green, but there are a lot of people in the sport that do want options that are both healthier and flavorful,” Zak said. “I think once people find out about us, they’re hooked.”

By participating in the event and selling their offerings on-site, Kayla’s Italian Ice and Local Green stand to benefit from increased visibility and revenue, all while contributing to the vibrant atmosphere of the tournament.

As a result of Mastercard and Capital One Business’ collaboration, the positive effects of this partnership are likely to extend well beyond the duration of the tournament. The grants, digital tools, coaching and exposure received by these businesses can serve as catalysts for growth and long-term success.

“I really want to know how we can direct ourselves into retail and how we can better guide our franchisees as they come along for a business that we’ve built,” Theresa said. “That’s part of giving back to the community: providing jobs, entrepreneurship and training based on the skills that we’ve learned.”

Omni Hotels & Resorts opens ‘The New Home Of Modern Golf,’ celebrates a centennial, and so much more

Spencer Cody jokes that he maintains an office at Omni Hotels & Resorts’ corporate headquarters, but his light is rarely on. It’s little wonder. Cody, Omni’s Corporate Director of Club and Golf Operations, and his colleagues have been juggling a lot …

Spencer Cody jokes that he maintains an office at Omni Hotels & Resorts’ corporate headquarters, but his light is rarely on. It’s little wonder. Cody, Omni’s Corporate Director of Club and Golf Operations, and his colleagues have been juggling a lot of projects at the company’s 13 golf destinations with 26 courses and multiple short courses around the country.

Last month brought the most anticipated golf opening of the year, the Omni PGA Frisco Resort, which was recently showcased during the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship. Seth Waugh, CEO of the PGA of America, described the 660-acre resort located 35 miles north of Dallas as “an ocean in the middle of the desert.” Where once there was a large ranch, now, seemingly overnight, a destination resort with elements tailored to golfers of all levels has been born.

(Omni PGA Frisco Resort – Fields Ranch East)

Architect Gil Hanse’s Fields Ranch East, now open to the public following the 83rd KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, was designed with big tournaments in mind.

“Gil’s vision was a major spectator championship course with extreme flexibility for setup,” Cody said. “Thanks to the ribbon tee complexes and from a yardage standpoint, we can get it back to almost 8,000 yards for a PGA Championship or Ryder Cup type of event, or we can go as short at 4,000 yards, or even less, for a PGA Junior League.”

The wholesale use of Northbridge Bermuda turfgrass throughout the course will make it a snap for the maintenance team to pinch fairways for tournament play, and the extreme sand-capping and drainage should limit weather delays. “If we’re hosting a major championship and we have a large rain event, the golf course will become playable very quickly,” Cody said.

Beau Welling’s Field Ranch West is a stark contrast. It’s a links-inspired layout, with Texas-sized fairways – some as wide as 100 yards in spots – and a rolling terrain that reminds Cody of his days working in the Hill Country. The real challenge will be on the greens and surrounds, which can be quite penal.

As one might expect, given Omni’s partnership with the PGA of America, there’s also a 10-hole short course, The Swing; the two-acre Dance Floor putting course along with coaching and practice facilities to accommodate all ages and handicaps from locals just knocking it around after work to serious players looking to get the most out of their games.

“We’re very much aligned with the PGA of America’s mission – grow the game, expose people to the game, make it inclusive, approachable,” Cody said. “The best players in the world will go out and struggle to shoot par from the back tees all the way down to, I had my 2-year-old out there for the first time, there is truly something for everyone.”

What’s fascinating about Omni Hotels & Resorts at this particular moment, having just opened the year’s biggest project, is that it also is celebrating the 100th anniversary of one of the nation’s most beloved classics, the Cascades Course at The Omni Homestead Resort in Virginia. It’s the most famous of a collection of Golden Age designs – including classics in Bedford, Pa., Bretton Woods, N.H., and Asheville, N.C. – that complement Omni’s modern classics at Frisco and elsewhere.

“Our portfolio alone helps us differentiate,” Cody said. “We have these historic Golden Age, classic courses all the way to the new home of modern golf at Fields Ranch.”

Kevin Brown, a Golfweek rater from Georgia who visited the Omni Homestead last fall, was there as the resort was completing a $150 million renovation, but even that didn’t spoil his experience.

“We wanted to stay at the hotel because of the history and tradition, and it certainly didn’t disappoint,” he said. “There’s a tremendous amount of history at the resort and the courses. I wanted to get up and see if it’s worth the hype it’s received over the years, and it certainly measured up to that. The design of Cascades is fantastic, and then you couple that with the history that is at the Homestead.”

(The Omni Homestead Resort – Cascades Course)

In retrospect, it’s noteworthy that the Cascades Course was almost never built. Several prominent Golden Age architects – including A.W. Tillinghast and Seth Raynor – visited The Homestead in 1919 and declared that the Allegheny Mountains farmland selected as the Cascades site was not suitable for golf. Finally, the resort’s owners turned to William S. Flynn, an architect with a reputation for taming difficult land, and he molded the terrain into one of golf’s most revered classic designs.

“What an historic site. It was magnificent,” said David Jett, an Alabama course rater who visited in 2020 and enlisted a childhood pal of local legend Sam Snead to caddie for him. “He gave us a history lesson on the golf course.”

While there’s much to celebrate this year at PGA Frisco and the Homestead, Omni has been pouring resources into upgrading its golf operations around the country.

At Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, where Cody used to be the Director of Golf Operations, all four courses have undergone renovations, most recently the resort’s anchor course, Fazio Canyons, which is fresh off a $5 million upgrade.

“I really like Fazio Canyons, especially the back 9,” said Jake McCarthy, a Texas rater who played the course recently. “I was talking about the course with a friend who plays on the PGA Tour … and we both talked about how much we liked the course. I personally liked the shaping of the bunkering and greens and the tumbling fairways and undulations.”

At Omni Amelia Island, which sits on 3.5 miles of pristine beachfront in northwest Florida, Omni last year opened Welling’s Little Sandy short course, part of a broader corporate effort to attract golfers of all ages and skill levels.

“We were leaning heavily into nontraditional and approachable golf experiences even before Covid, but it really drove home the value of that,” Cody said. “The business model is to offer the golf experience for everyone. The culmination of that is PGA Frisco, but we like to do that everywhere.”

(Omni PGA Frisco Resort – Top Golf Lounge)

Welling, along with Hanse, also is busy at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa north of San Diego, where Cody envisions a “restoration of Omni La Costa to the glory days.” It’s certainly going to be a high-profile destination over the next three years. The resort’s Champions Course will host the NCAA Division I men’s and women’s golf from 2024 to 2026, and the coaches behind the move to La Costa have floated the idea of making it the permanent site.

Hanse is reinventing the Champions Course, which he has said will become an homage to some of the great Golden Age architecture in Southern California. Meanwhile, Welling this month begins shaping work on the resort’s undersized range, creating a Tour-quality product.

Even with the Frisco property up and running, the projects at Omni’s other golf resorts pretty much guarantee that Cody won’t get a breather anytime soon.

Shake on it: A handshake from Jack Nicklaus means everything at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday

One paleoanthropologist has estimated the handshake is at least seven million years old, while others say the modern version dates back only 3,000 years or more. Which brings us to the handshake tournament host Jack Nicklaus gives to the winner of …

One paleoanthropologist has estimated the handshake is at least seven million years old, while others say the modern version dates back only 3,000 years or more. Which brings us to the handshake tournament host Jack Nicklaus gives to the winner of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, which is timeless.

No one knows when it all began. Nicklaus competed in the early days of his tournament, so he couldn’t sit around and wait for the winner to finish, but after his decorated playing career ended, he decided at some point to park next to the 18th green and watch the action, invariably locking hands with the champion. “It just happened,” he said. “I just thought it was appropriate, so I started doing TV earlier and started going down to the 18th green to greet the winner.”

That greeting has become one of the most coveted in all of golf. “To walk off the green and to greet Mr. Nicklaus and have him congratulate me, that’s something I’ll never forget,” Matt Kuchar said in 2013.

(Getty Images, PGA TOUR)

Neither will any of the other lucky winners.

Billy Horschel took a five-shot lead into the final round last year but finally showed his first cracks on the front nine. His wife and three kids had never been on site for one of his PGA TOUR wins, and now here they were, waiting for him to close it out. Horschel steadied himself on the back, then effectively ended it with a thunderous, 55-foot eagle putt on the 15th hole.

“Just like you, big man,” he said to Nicklaus after walking off the 18th green. Later, Horschel said it wasn’t just Nicklaus who loomed large that day. It was the presence of his family, wanting to see him win in person for the first time.
“Having a five-shot lead,” Horschel said, “knowing it was mine to win, I really wanted to get the monkey off my back.”

(Getty Images, PGA TOUR)

Tiger Woods won the Memorial five times, building a robust highlight reel and becoming a veritable connoisseur of the Nicklaus handshake.

“There’s nothing better,” Woods said in 2019. “It’s something that stays with you. I’ve gotten the chance to shake hands with Byron Nelson, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus after winning their tournaments. That’s quite a trio. That’s quite a special feeling.”

(Getty Images, PGA TOUR)

These days, as host of The Genesis Invitational and unofficial Hero World Challenge, it’s Woods himself who doles out the special handshake to the tournament winners.

Ernie Els birdied 18 for his second straight 66 to win by four over Fred Couples in 2004, also holding off Tiger Woods, K.J. Choi and Justin Rose for his 14th PGA TOUR title. Els needed only 100 putts on the week, which was a new tournament record.

“I made almost every putt that I had to make,” he said. “It means a lot. It’s not quite like any other tournament. It’s got a little more prestige to it, especially with Jack Nicklaus as the host.”

(Getty Images, PGA TOUR)

Justin Rose one-putted eight straight holes and 11 overall in the final round to shoot a bogey-free 66 and salt away his first PGA TOUR win at age 29. It felt like a long time coming for a player who first burst onto the scene at age 17 at The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in 1998.

“It’s a great way to win,” said Rose, who also became the tournament’s first British winner. “And to win here at the Memorial, at Jack’s tournament, I can’t think of a better place to win my first tournament.”

Patrick Cantlay was having trouble closing out tournaments when he sought the counsel of Nicklaus, who told him to look around and soak in the moment. To have fun. Following that advice, Cantlay made it look easy as he captured not just one Memorial title but two, in 2019 and 2021.

(Getty Images, PGA TOUR)
(Getty Images, PGA TOUR)

“Yeah, I think it’s something, when you watch golf on TV growing up, it’s something you always dream of doing,” Cantlay said. “And it was really cool to do in person and Jack obviously has been a mentor of mine and a good friend for almost ten years now. And so it was even more special just because it’s his place and his tournament and because of the relationship that he and I have.”

Steve Stricker had never finished in the top 10 in his 11 prior Memorial starts. He was 44 when he made two late sand saves to preserve a one-shot victory over Matt Kuchar and Brandt Jobe in 2011, his final-round 68 just good enough after struggling on the back nine.

“All I can remember is saying is, ‘I didn’t finish like you would have, Jack,’” Stricker said with a laugh at a recent PGA TOUR Champions stop. “I was all over the place, getting it up and down and so forth. He’s like, ‘But you got it done.’”

Stricker had played the front nine in 20 under and the back in 4 over for the week. He moved to fourth in the world and got the handshake from a legend he’d first met in the 1980s, when Jackie Nicklaus was playing at Ohio State and Stricker was at Illinois.

“That’s a special feeling when you walk off that green and he’s there waiting for you,” he said.

(Getty Images, PGA TOUR)

Jon Rahm shook Nicklaus’ hand as the winner of the Nicklaus Award, given to the nation’s top collegiate golfer, in 2015.

That was just the start.

After the PGA TOUR’s three-month COVID hiatus, and with the No. 1 world ranking in the balance, Rahm won the 2020 Memorial with a final-round 75, the highest score by a winner since Roger Maltbie shot 76 in 1976. The course was that hard; the greens were literally hard, the result of being allowed to bake out, destined as they were to be redone after the tournament.

“It’s very different, especially because of the atmosphere that’s created here on 18,” Rahm said. “It’s a lot of people, it’s an amphitheater and it’s a special place. There’s a lot of history here. So, it’s a very unique moment, especially when you get to embrace Jack.”

Or even give him a knuckle-bump.

(Getty Images, PGA TOUR)

Hideki Matsuyama, then 22, had never won on the PGA TOUR when he came down the stretch at the 2014 Memorial. And it looked like he would remain winless as he hit his tee shot in the water and double-bogeyed the 16th hole, went over the green with his approach and bogeyed 17, and lost his tee shot right on 18.

After pounding the tee box with his driver, and watching the head fall off, Matsuyama saw his ball hit a tree and fly back into the fairway. He took advantage of the break, strafing a 7-iron to 5 feet and rolling in the birdie putt to force a playoff with Kevin Na, then won it with a 10-foot par putt on the first extra hole. Nicklaus predicted Matsuyama, the fourth PGA TOUR winner from Japan, would go on to become one of the world’s best players (yep).

“To win my first PGA TOUR event is enough,” Matsuyama said. “But to win it here at Mr. Nicklaus’ course, it really gives me a lot of confidence now going on.”

(Getty Images, PGA TOUR)

For all the greats who have won, others have unfinished business at Muirfield Village. “It’s a special moment in anyone’s career being able to walk up that hill and … get that handshake,” said Rory McIlroy, who has four top-10s in 11 Memorial starts. “I’d love to win here.”

Collin Morikawa won the 2020 Workday Charity Open at Muirfield Village, but it wasn’t the same as winning the Memorial. “Knowing that Jack will be there on the 18th hole just makes it that much more special to win, hopefully,” he said.

Scottie Scheffler finished third in 2021 and T22 in 2020 in his two Memorial starts.

Adam Scott was tied for the lead in the final round in 2014 but went 4 over for his last seven holes to finish T4. He did get a Nicklaus handshake upon his runner-up finish in 2019; it was, to say the least, bittersweet. “That was really more commiseration because I haven’t won,” Scott said with a rueful smile. “I finished second and it wasn’t the handshake I was really hoping for that day.”

An exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the Professional Bull Riders World Finals

 The World Finals – the 7-round championship for the individual bull-riding series that leads into the team league culminates this weekend.

Professional Bull Riders (PBR) gave USA TODAY Sports an exclusive, behind-the-scenes sneak peek of Cole Hauser’s campaign shoot during the World Finals in Fort Worth, Texas. Hauser, who stars as Rip Wheeler on television’s No. 1 drama “Yellowstone,” is PBR’s newly minted brand ambassador and “the epitome of cowboy culture and Western values like hard work, toughness and determination,” said PBR Commissioner and CEO Sean Gleason. 

The finals were all country and rock ‘n roll with Kid Rock surprising fans during a break in the action by taking the stage to sing “All Summer Long” with PBR’s official entertainer Flint Rasmussen.

As the world’s premier bull riding organization, PBR is celebrating 30 years of the annual Unleash The Beast tour (UTB), which features the top bull riders in the world competing for a $1 million bonus, the coveted golden buckle and World Champion title. 

Many of these riders are also part of the PBR Team Series, which is in its second year. The eight-team bull riding league showcases five-on-five bull riding games across an 11-event season. The teams include the Arizona Ridge Riders, Carolina Cowboys, Kansas City Outlaws, Missouri Thunder, Nashville Stampede, Oklahoma Freedom, Texas Rattlers and the reigning champions the Austin Gamblers. 

This growing sport is also featured in “The Ride,” docuseries on Prime Video debuting globally on May 30. “The Ride” followed athletes during the inaugural 2022 PBR Team Series season, including 2022 World Champion Daylon Swearingen of the Carolina Cowboys and Austin Gambler Ezekiel Mitchell among others, showcasing their passion and commitment to the world’s most dangerous organized sport.

“The Ride” trains an unblinking eye on the often-battered athletes overmatched against 1,800-pound bulls bred to buck, from the locker rooms into the bucking chutes and home to their ranches during the week.

The World Finals – the seven-round championship for the individual bull-riding series that leads into the team league – culminates this weekend at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, and you can unleash the beast here

The First Look: Wells Fargo Championship

Returns to Quail Hollow Club for Designated event, after 2022 iteration was contested at TPC Potomac No player has ever defended a title at the Wells Fargo Championship. Max Homa, however, has proven he’s got the mettle to do exactly that as the PGA …

Returns to Quail Hollow Club for Designated event, after 2022 iteration was contested at TPC Potomac

No player has ever defended a title at the Wells Fargo Championship.

Max Homa, however, has proven he’s got the mettle to do exactly that as the PGA TOUR returns to Charlotte – and this time, for a Designated event.

This season’s Wells Fargo Championship heads back to Quail Hollow Club after a one-year detour to TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, as the usual Charlotte host club was preparing for the Presidents Cup last season. Homa will look to defend his title this year after a two-shot victory in 2022. He also won this tournament in 2019, at Quail Hollow, by three.

Homa, twice a winner already this season (he defended his title at the Fortinet Championship before capturing the Farmers Insurance Open in January), wasn’t just part of that Presidents Cup team at Quail Hollow – he was one of the top performers of the American side.

“I care about nothing more than making that Presidents Cup team,” Homa said after his victory at the Wells Fargo Championship a year ago. He ended up going 4-0-0 and provided an emotional spark, too.

Now Homa returns to a golf course – and a tournament – that he’s ultra-comfortable at. He sits third in the FedExCup standings and is seventh in the world – career highs, both.

This is a big golf course and a big stage, with the event’s purse up to $20 million as a Designated event and plenty of the world’s best nipping at his heels for their own chance to win this event.

Homa is up to the challenge to try to make a little history this week, however.

“As I started to establish myself on this TOUR when I won this event in 2019, I definitely knew I was capable of being a regular PGA TOUR player,” Homa said a year ago in his winner’s press conference, “but all of a sudden last year I get in the top-50 in the world and you start looking around and it’s a new crop of people and you start thinking to yourself, ‘Am I as good as these guys?’”

Hard to argue the answer isn’t ‘yes.’

FIELD NOTES: Rory McIlroy returns to action for the first time since missing the cut at the Masters. McIlroy is a three-time winner at the Wells Fargo Championship, including 2021, the last time it was at Quail Hollow … Tony Finau heads to North Carolina after capturing his sixth TOUR title at the Mexico Open at Vidanta … As Max Homa defends, his Zurich Classic of New Orleans partner Collin Morikawa will tee it up at the Wells Fargo Championship for the first time … Jordan Spieth is making his first start at the Wells Fargo Championship since 2013. Spieth was 5-0-0 at the Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow last September and the top point earner for the American side … Hideki Matsuyama will miss the Wells Fargo Championship as he continues to battle a neck injury. He returned to Japan for treatment … Justin Thomas returns to Quail Hollow where he won the 2017 PGA Championship … Matt Fitzpatrick, who made his tournament debut last year and finished tied for second, will play in Charlotte for the first time. He finished tied for 10th at the Masters before winning the RBC Heritage … Eight past champions are in the field.

SPONSOR EXEMPTIONS: Akshay Bhatia is back in action on the PGA TOUR. He earned Special Temporary Membership earlier this year and finished solo fourth at the Mexico Open at Vidanta, playing in Sunday’s final grouping alongside Jon Rahm and eventual winner Tony Finau … Another newly minted Special Temporary Member, Ryan Gerard, is teeing it up. Gerard had a special run earlier this season including a fourth-place finish at The Honda Classic. He missed the cut at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans alongside University of North Carolina teammate Ben Griffin, but he found the weekend at the Mexico Open … Two APGA players, Marcus Byrd and Quinn Riley, will be in the field. Byrd received the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption into The Genesis Invitational earlier this season and won the APGA Farmers Insurance Invitational at Torrey Pines to get into The Honda Classic – marking back-to-back TOUR starts. Byrd, 25, is a three-time winner on the APGA Tour. This is his fourth PGA TOUR start … Riley, Duke University’s first Black golfer, was first in the 2021-22 APGA Collegiate Ranking. This will be his third PGA TOUR start … Current University of North Carolina standout Austin Greaser will make his third TOUR start. Greaser is No. 3 on the PGA TOUR University Ranking … Pierceson Coody, who finished No. 1 on the 2022 PGA TOUR University Ranking and has proceeded to win twice on the Korn Ferry Tour, is playing on TOUR for the fifth time this season. His best result so far is a tie for 14th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard.

STORYLINES:

1) Will the McIlroy/Homa trend continue?

There’s been something special for Max Homa and Rory McIlroy at this event the last half-decade. Starting with Homa’s victory in 2019, McIlroy won in 2021 (it was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), before Homa won again in 2022. McIlroy, who won THE CJ CUP in South Carolina last October, has thrived at the Wells Fargo Championship in his career. He has finished outside the top-10 just twice in 11 starts, including a fifth-place result last season.

2) Presidents Cup momentum

Of the victorious American side from the 2022 Presidents Cup team at Quail Hollow, only three aren’t teeing it up this week. More than half of the International squad will also return to Quail Hollow for the first time since September. The U.S. Team defeated the International Team, 17.5-12.5, but the International Team staged an impressive rally in the latter sessions. After being down 8-2 to start, the International Team outscored the U.S. Team, 10.5-9.5, the rest of the way.

3) Designated events continue

The Wells Fargo Championship is the third ‘regular’ PGA TOUR event to earn Designated status so far this season, with the WM Phoenix Open and RBC Heritage now in the rear-view mirror. The PGA Championship, the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, and the U.S. Open are up next before the Travelers Championship marks the final bumped-up TOUR event of the season before The Open Championship and the FedExCup Playoffs. Only 10 of the eligible top-50 players in the world are not in the field.

HIGHEST-RANKED PLAYERS IN THE FIELD

FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 500 FedExCup points.

COURSE: Quail Hollow Club, par 71, 7,538 yards. Fresh off hosting the 2022 Presidents Cup, Quail Hollow returns to the PGA TOUR schedule for this year’s Wells Fargo Championship. Laid out by George Cobb in the early 1960s, the club was upgraded by Tom Fazio as it prepared for the PGA Championship in 2017. Its ‘Green Mile’ closing stretch flummoxes TOUR players year after year. The last time it hosted the Wells Fargo Championship, in 2021, it was ranked the fifth-toughest course on TOUR.

72-HOLE RECORD: 267, Rory McIlroy (2015).

18-HOLE RECORD: 61, Rory McIlroy (Round 3, 2015).

LAST TIME: Max Homa navigated horrific conditions to win for the fourth time on the PGA TOUR. With a Nor’easter defining the week, Homa stayed steady, firing a 2-under 68 in the final round to win by two shots over Keegan Bradley, Matt Fitzpatrick and Cameron Young. Rory McIlroy, who was the defending champion, finished fifth.

HOW TO FOLLOW (All times ET)

Television: Thursday-Friday, 2 p.m.-6 p.m. (Golf Channel). Saturday-Sunday, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (CBS)

PGA TOUR Live is available exclusively on ESPN+

Main Feed: primary tournament-coverage featuring the best action from across the course

Marquee Group: new “marquee group” showcasing every shot from each player in the group

Featured Groups: traditional PGA TOUR LIVE coverage of two concurrent featured groups

Featured Holes: a combination of par-3s and iconic or pivotal holes

Radio: Thursday-Friday, 12 p.m.–6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 1 p.m.–6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio

Inspiring the next generation: Q&A with Amari Avery ahead of 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur

Amari Avery’s journey from her first golf swing to the tee box at the 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur has been an inspiring tale, one filled with achievements during her junior career-even Netflix fame at 8 years old, when she starred in the …

Amari Avery’s journey from her first golf swing to the tee box at the 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur has been an inspiring tale, one filled with achievements during her junior career—even Netflix fame at 8 years old, when she starred in the documentary, “The Short Game”—and more recent accolades during her collegiate run at USC.

Along the way, she’s been not only a trailblazing talent but also one who comes from a diverse background that amplifies her determination and confidence. At only 19 years old, it’s why her journey up to this point has been so compelling for the younger generations of girls out there—those aspiring to achieve their dreams but might not have a familiar face to look up to.

And when she tees up for this year’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur (March 30-April 2), making her third appearance, she’ll be part of a talented group of international athletes highlighting that larger mission, which the championship’s presenting partner, Bank of America, supports at every turn: the ups and downs and lifelong experiences still being written into the story—the embodiment of achievement in action. 

Ahead of the excitement and inspiration from the best in women’s amateur golf, let’s get to know the talented teen Amari Avery a little better.

Amari Avery plays a second stroke on the No. 13 hole during a practice round for the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, Friday, April 1, 2022.

How were you first introduced to the game of golf?

Amari: My dad got me into golf when I was just three-years-old, so I started playing at a really young age.

Who has been a role model or inspiration to you?

Amari: Growing up, I looked up to Michelle Wie a lot, and obviously, seeing what Serena and Venus Williams were doing in Tennis was incredibly inspiring. Seeing that sort of representation of athletes from different backgrounds and ethnicities finding success in their sports was really impactful – I wanted to be like them.

Do you feel like you’re an inspiration for the next generation?

Amari: I hope so! It means a lot to me to be a player of color and to serve as an example for the next generation to be able to see someone who looks like them and who they can look up to. I hope to inspire young golfers of all backgrounds to get out there and play.

What has been your greatest accomplishment? 

Amari: Playing at ANWA for the first time. Having the opportunity to compete at ANWA, especially three times, goes to show I can compete at the highest level, and if you stay determined, this doesn’t have to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. My hard work is based on wanting to be the best I can be .

What has been your greatest challenge? 

Amari: Learning to get out of my own way and really recognizing my own potential.

How do you stay focused on your goals?  

Amari: Believing in myself – I’ve learned how powerful this can be, and it really motivates me to work hard and put that effort in for myself.

What makes the Augusta National Women’s Amateur such a great event? 

Amari: It’s inspiring for all women to see the change on the highest level, having more visibility and recognition for people of diverse backgrounds. And it’s so cool to think a young boy or girl can turn on the TV and see me, and I can inspire them to do anything! Go play or learn to golf, or do anything that interests them.

What advice can you give to the next generation? 

Amari: Set your mind to what you want and believe in it. It’s possible.
The golf ball doesn’t care what color your skin is or what you look like—ANYONE can get out there and play!

Inspiring the next generation: Q&A with Megha Ganne ahead of 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur

Megha Ganne knows what it’s like to perform on the national stage, balancing the pressure and the excitement while under the watchful eyes of a large audience. Before beginning her collegiate golf career at Stanford, she competed for four …

Megha Ganne knows what it’s like to perform on the national stage, balancing the pressure and the excitement while under the watchful eyes of a large audience.

Before beginning her collegiate golf career at Stanford, she competed for four consecutive years as a Drive, Chip and Putt finalist—an impressive streak that occurred at the iconic layout where the final round of 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur will take place.

In addition, she’s played alongside the best professionals in the game, creating a buzz at the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open when she was only 17, a tournament where she would finish as the low amateur and tied for 14th overall.

Simply put, when it comes to the spotlight, Ganne steps to the front and welcomes the chance to achieve her dreams.

To only mention her resume on the course, however, doesn’t truly capture the talented 19-year-old’s journey. She also understands what it’s like to face obstacles along the way, having encountered plenty of the same questions  the younger generations have found during their time both on and off the course.

That commonality makes Ganne an ideal fit for the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and its presenting partner Bank of America, with both striving to grow the game and ultimately inspire a diverse range of young girls who dream of greatness—in all aspects of life.

Ahead of her third appearance at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, let’s get to know this rising star a little better.

Megha Ganne reacts on No. 14 during continuation of the second round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur at Champions Retreat Golf Club, Friday, April 1, 2022.

Who inspired you to keep practicing and working to get better at golf?

Megha: I think my main source of inspiration has always been my parents. Ever since I was little, they have always made me strive for excellence whether it was in school, at activities, being a better sister or being a golfer

What keeps you going – even on those days when you don’t have your “A-game?” 

Megha: As a competitor, if you can find the love for the challenge, fight until the end, and put up a good score when you have your B or C game, it’s really rewarding and it’s what separates the best players from the mediocre ones. 

How do you put a bad shot/hole behind you?

Megha: After a bad shot or hole, I try to not think too much about what happened and more just what I can quickly learn on the fly, while moving on to the next hole. I just try to stay in the present.

What keeps you coming back?

Megha: The main thing that drives me to come back is the fact that you’re never going to be perfect at golf and even with your best finishes and lowest scores, there are always a couple of things you know you could’ve done better. There’s always that constant push to improve and change something and make your best even better and that’s a lot like life.  

Is there a quote from another golfer/idol that inspired you?

Megha: A quote that always stuck with me is “pressure is a privilege.” My golf coach was the first one to tell me that at around ten years old and it just stuck with me because of how true it is. I think if you’re lucky enough to be in circumstances where your heart is racing and you really want something, and you’re on a big stage then you should just be very grateful to be there and put your best foot forward. So just remember, pressure is not a bad thing and you’re lucky to be experiencing it.

What lessons in golf have you applied to life?

Megha: One of my favorite lessons that golf has taught me is that you need to find out what works for you. Two people can be shooting the same shot, but the way they practice, the way they play, the look of their scorecards can be completely different. A lot of things depend on what kind of person you are, your personality and what works for you. So, fine-tuning that process whether it’s in golf or life is important.

What do you hope younger fans learn from you?

Megha: I think if younger golfers were to take anything from me it would be that I try to find the joy in every single round that I play no matter how good, bad, or competitive it is. I try to make sure that this sport is always fun. That’s going to take you a long way because this sport can get really draining and difficult, but if you can remember that it’s just a game, that’s really important.