Tag: Golf Instructors

Lydia Ko, instructor Sean Foley part ways after successful two-year run

Lydia Ko noted that she and Sean Foley decided to go their own ways for “logistical reasons.”

Lydia Ko parted ways last month with instructor Sean Foley. The former world No. 1 took to Instagram to make the announcement, noting that they decided to go their own ways as a coach and player for “logistical reasons,” but that Foley will always remain a close friend and mentor.

“When I first met Sean, I was in a place where I didn’t have a lot of confidence in myself and in my game,” Ko wrote. “Over the past two years he has helped me evolve as a better player and person. Our time together was full of so much learning, laughter.”

Ko, 25, recently won at the BMW Ladies Championship in South Korea for her 18th career title, calling this her most consistent year yet. A two-time winner this season, Ko leads the LPGA in scoring, and she leads the Rolex Player of the Year race with 11 top-5 finishes in 20 starts.

Currently No. 3 in the world, Ko was ranked outside the top 50 when she began working with Foley during the summer of 2020.

“I’ve been looking at lots of my videos or swing videos,” she said a month after starting with Foley. “Kind of weird to Google or YouTube yourself, but I’ve been doing that to just see my swing as an amateur.

“He’s, I think, gotten me not to think too much about the lines of everything. I’ve tried to change my mindset of not trying to take a video of my swing every single time I’m on the driving range.”

And then this kicker: “It doesn’t need to look like a perfect swing for me to just play golf.”

Foley urged Ko to look inward, reminding her that the ingredients that led her to be the youngest to ever reach No. 1 were still there.

She snapped a 1,084-day victory drought with an absolute dart show at the Lotte Championship in April 2021. There’s no question that Foley helped resurrect Ko’s confidence and changed the trajectory of her career. Ko won three times on the LPGA and once on the LET while working with Foley.

Now, with a chance to become No. 1 again for the first time since 2017, she continues a new chapter with only a handful of events left in the season. Ko’s sister and manager Sura told Golfweek that Ko has been casually working with instructor Ted Oh again, but nothing is yet full time. Ko first started working with Oh ahead of the 2018 season.

Ko worked with Jorge Parada prior to Foley. Her list of former instructors also includes David Whelan, Gary Gilchrist and David Leadbetter. As an amateur, she worked with New Zealand’s Guy Wilson.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=01evcfxp4q8949fs1e image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Was Tampa Bay wide receiver Mike Evans chatting an official over golf lessons? One insider says so

On Monday, an NFL official confirmed to USA TODAY Sports in an email that the league would be reviewing the matter.

The NFL has determined that a pair of gameday officials did not request an autograph from Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans Sunday following a game against the Carolina Panthers.

“After speaking with the individuals involved, we have confirmed that the postgame interaction between Jeff Lamberth, Tripp Sutter, and Mike Evans did not involve a request by the game officials for an autograph,” the NFL said Tuesday in a statement. “Both Lamberth and Sutter have been reminded of the importance of avoiding even the appearance of impropriety when interacting with players, coaches, and club staff on gameday – including during the pregame and postgame time periods.”

Following Carolina’s 21-3 victory at home during Week 7, as Buccaneers players headed through the tunnel just after the game ended, reporter Sheena Quick filmed a moment when side judge Lamberth and line judge Sutter stopped Evans as he was headed toward the locker room. One of the officials can be heard calling to Evans, who turned around. Lamberth appeared to grab a pen and something to write on from Sutter before he handed it to Evans, who then appeared to write on it.

But according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Evans was simply looking to improve his golf game.

“WR Mike Evans and side judge Jeff Lamberth both went to Texas A&M, and Lamberth was getting Evans’ phone number to pass it along to a golf pro to give Evans lessons, per sources. Lamberth didn’t have paper, so he borrowed it from another official,” the tweet read.

On Monday, NFL senior vice president of football and international communications Michael Signora had confirmed to USA TODAY Sports in an email that the league would be reviewing the matter. NFL Network was the first to report the news Monday of the review.

If Lamberth had been asking for an autograph, that would be a direct violation of the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the NFL Referees Association that was ratified on Sept. 28, 2019. According to the agreement, members of an officiating crew “shall not … ask players, coaches or any other team personnel for autographs or memorabilia.”

That language appears in Appendix E, Section IV of the document, which states that “Game Officials must even avoid the appearance of profiting or personally benefitting from their association with the NFL, other than from compensation provided under the NFLRA Collective Bargaining Agreement.”

The CBA does allow for officials to obtain player autographs or team memorabilia or merchandise “for personal or charitable purposes” but mandates that those requests go through the league’s officiating department “and never to a player or team employee directly.”

The NFL did not offer any additional details Tuesday on the purpose of Lamberth and Sutter’s request.

Per Pro Football Reference, Lamberth has been an official for 20 seasons, starting in 2002, though he was not active for the 2011 season. Sutter is in his fourth season as an official and has been with the league since 2019.

A message sent to the NFL Referees Association requesting comment was not immediately returned.

Evans caught nine passes for 96 yards in the game, but dropped what would’ve been a 64-yard touchdown in the first quarter when he was wide open but had the pass glance off his hands.

Golfweek added reporting to this article.

[listicle id=778127363]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01es6rjnsp3c84zkm6 player_id=none image=https://golfweek.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]