August 2023

The 49th Walker Cup: A Seminole Reflection

2023-08-29T17:00:31+00:00August 29th, 2023|Blog|

Team Great Britain and Ireland and Team USA pose for a photograph during a putting contest at the Himalayas - (Photo by Ross Parker/R&A/R&A via Getty Images) As anticipation builds and with just four days until the opening tee shot at the 49th Walker Cup, taking place 100 years since the first staging, it’s worth taking a brief moment to reflect on the last transatlantic battle that took place at Seminole in May 2021. The build-up to Seminole lingers in the memory for a rather peculiar reason; Florida played host to the Walker Cup during the remnants of [...]

The 49th Walker Cup: The Barclays

2023-08-23T07:42:09+00:00August 23rd, 2023|Blog|

Words by Darragh Garrahy. Barclay Brown will tee it up for GB&I in the Walker Cup at St. Andrews in early September, aged twenty two. In the 2021 iteration at Seminole, his trademark bucket hat had an R&A logo on it in Juno Beach – he wore a camo bucket en-route to a 68 at The Open on Thursday at St. Andrews last year). The atypical headwear is where the non-traditional motif stops for Brown – he is a classic ballstriker, good enough to qualify for this year’s US Open at George Thomas’ LACC (Thomas also designed the course at [...]

R&A Confirm Selection of 2023 GB&I Walker Cup Team

2023-08-21T11:13:07+00:00August 21st, 2023|Blog|

Following the conclusion of the U.S. Amateur Championship and the Boys’ and Girls’ Amateur Championships at Fulford and Ganton, the R&A have confirmed the eight remaining players to make up the GB&I squad for St Andrews. The R&A's announcement can be seen here. James Ashfield (22) – Wales, WAGR: 71st Wales’ highest-ranked player, winner of the 2022 Welsh Amateur Championship. 2nd place finishes in this year’s Lytham Trophy and European Amateur Championship. Strong performance in the recent Home Internationals at Machynys Peninsula. Loves matchplay. Jack Bigham (19) – England, WAGR: 88th Another player to perform well with a 4th place [...]

Blades Brown: 16-Year-Old Medallist and The Walker Cup Radar

2023-08-16T15:56:15+00:00August 16th, 2023|Blog|

After the 36-hole Strokeplay stage of the 2023 U.S. Amateur Championship, 16-year-old middle-schooler Blades Brown has earned himself the Medallist/Co-Medallist title. With rounds of 72 and 64 at Cherry Hills Country Club and Colorado Golf Club respectively, he is the youngest stroke-play leader of the event since Bobby Jones in 1920. Jones was 18 at the time. Whilst not quite the youngest player in the field, this Nashville teenager has caught the attention of golf fans around the world. With a name that will make the GolfWRX forums go wild, it would be great to see him kick on this [...]

Sounder x Cookie Jar Retro Golf Day at West Byfleet Golf Club

2023-08-14T12:41:21+00:00August 14th, 2023|Blog|

West Byfleet Golf Club - Thursday 19th October & Equipment Amnesty to Uganda Limited Places Available We're back for the second edition of the Cookie Jar Retro Day. After such a great day at Minchinhampton in June, with persimmons, blades, hickories and some glorious retro threads on display, we're excited to announce we'll be hosting another at West Byfleet Golf Club on the 19th October. This time aroud, we've teamed up with James Day and the guys over at Sounder Golf! Our events are always a lot of fun, and this will be a feast of nostalgic golf kit [...]

A Tap on the Shoulder: Golf’s Weekend Markers

2023-08-13T11:38:46+00:00August 13th, 2023|Blog|

For the vast majority of golfers, the prospect of teeing it up at a major is a thought only in the world of fantasy. Yet, for top-level amateurs and club pros it is a possibility that can quickly become reality. Ahead of Walton Heath, pre-qualifying was held in July at The Buckinghamshire before final qualifying took place at Hankley Common on Monday. Anyone with a handicap of 0.4 or less can enter, meaning you’re actually just two fantastic rounds away from getting in. However, there is a different, rather unique way you can tee it up in a [...]

Ewing’s Runaway: Heading into the Weekend at Walton Heath

2023-08-12T10:50:44+00:00August 12th, 2023|Blog, Tour Takes|

With 36 holes remaining, Ally Ewing (née McDonald), the 30-year old Mississippian holds a handsome margin that looks hard to bridge. As play commenced on Friday, 59 players started at even par or better and were within four shots of Ally Ewing’s opening 68. However, the American seized control and flew out of the blocks on a sunny Surrey Friday, surging into an extremely commanding position. Five birdies on the outward nine, which is certainly the more challenging of the two this week, was exceptional play to put her seven clear at one point. (Photo by Chloe Knott/R&A/R&A via [...]

AIG Women’s Open: Heaven or Heather

2023-08-09T15:06:34+00:00August 9th, 2023|Blog, Tour Takes|

As anticipation builds for the opening tee shot of the 2023 AIG Women’s Open to be hit at 06.30 tomorrow by Englishwoman Mel Reid, much has been made of how long the course has been playing during the practice days. On Tuesday, the course endured some torrential rain, and the site is noticeably soft in certain areas. Naturally, you would assume that such conditions would play right into the hands of the longer hitters on the LPGA and LET Tours. However, the picture doesn’t seem that clear. Speaking today in her press conference, Nelly Korda raised an interesting point about [...]

5 Things I Didn’t Know About Walton Heath

2023-08-07T17:48:19+00:00August 7th, 2023|Blog, Tour Takes|

On Thursday, the world's best will descend on Walton-on-the-Hill for the 2023 instalment of The AIG Women’s Open where Ashleigh Buhai will be defending her crown, having won at Muirfield last year in a nail biting - albeit slow paced - playoff. The event is also throwing in some extra special touches: an Ellie Goulding concert on Saturday night and a reimagined fan experience. In anticipation I took to the comprehensive book about the clubs’ founding architect - Herbert Fowler, ‘Matter of Course’ by Derek Markham ably supported by revered golf historian Philip Truett - to try and learn a [...]

Prestige, Potential & Porthcawl: A Dream Venue for The Open?

2023-08-02T14:26:17+00:00August 2nd, 2023|Blog, Tour Takes|

Words by Charlie In my opinion, last week’s Senior Open at Royal Porthcawl was the most entertaining tournament to be broadcast this year. It had everything. Perhaps I am biased: I love links golf, I love Royal Porthcawl, and I love watching the world’s best tackle conditions akin to the Winter Medal. There’s also something just very amusing about watching Padraig Harrington try to negotiate the complications of a beanie hat. (Image: Richard Martin-Roberts/Getty Images) However, juxtaposed against the sunshine and cocktails being enjoyed across the pond at TPC Twin Cities for the 3M Open, the battle on [...]

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