2019 NCAA DIVISION I RUNNER UP STARTS ON THE SYMETRA TOUR EVENT THIS WEEK PLAYING A FULL ARSENAL OF TAYLORMADE EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING SIM DRIVER, TRUSS TB1 PUTTER AND TP5X BALL
Carlsbad, Calif. (March 4, 2020) – Following a stellar amateur career, Sierra Brooks officially joins Team TaylorMade and starts on the Symtera Tour at this week’s Florida’s Natural Charity Classic in Winter Haven, Florida.
Sierra, 21 years old, will play 14 TaylorMade clubs and ball, including the company’s new SIM driver and fairway woods, P790 / P750 series irons, Milled Grind 2 wedges, the Truss TB1 putter and the 5-layer TP5X ball with the number 13.
Following a year at Wake Forest, Brooks transferred closer to home at the University of Florida for the rest of her collegiate career before turning pro in Fall 2019. Sierra’s dad, also a collegiate/professional golfer, introduced her to the game when she was just six years old and she has always had the dream of competing on the LPGA ever since she was inspired watching fellow Team TaylorMade athletes, Paula Creamer and Natalie Gulbis, as well as Annika Sorenstam.
Becoming a professional golfer and ultimately playing on the LPGA has always been my goal. With the support of TaylorMade Golf, I’m looking forward to competing as a rookie on the Symetra Tour and gaining my 2021 status on the LPGA.
NEED TO KNOW
2019 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Individual Runner Up
2019 Augusta National Women’s Amateur T-10
2019 Qualified for Symetra Tour through 2019 LPGA Q-Series
2016 Curtis Cup USA Team Member
2015 US Women’s Amateur Runner Up
2015 Member of winning 2015 Junior Solheim Cup and 2014 Junior Ryder Cup teams
Sitting here thinking about the events that unfolded on October 9th, 2019 I am both happy and disappointed thinking about them. You see, something took place tonight that never happened to me prior although I had my fair share of close calls.
Upon completing a 9.5 hour-long shift in the pro shop at Scenic Woods Golf Club (a GolfNorth Properties facility) I flip-flopped back and forth on whether to go golfing. Against my better judgment, I decided to play golf even though I was tired, not feeling well, and quite frankly I was in a world of pain. So after deliberating I decided to play a few holes.
The other day I wrote a piece titled “Rising in the Fall” where I talked about playing golf this time of the year. It’s my favorite time of the year to play. Less work means that there’s more time to play. Anyways, I made my way to the first tee. After driving my tee shot down the right side of the fairway and hitting a nice second shot I settled for a routine Par on a Par 5. Not a bad way to start. After settling for a Par on the 2nd Hole I would card a birdie on the third hole. Lately, I’ve been striking the ball fairly well and my game has been rounding into form. Having walked away with another birdie on the 4th hole and back to back pars on the 5th and 6th holes respectively, I made my way to the Par 3 7th.
The temperatures have dropped and with a cold, hurting north wind I stood on the tee. Where the tee blocks were set and where the pin was tucked towards the back of the green the hole measured around 130 yards. However, with the cold wind, I figured that the hole was playing 140-145 yards. Having settled on a New Level Golf Equipment 1031 Forged 9-iron I settled into my shot. The strike on the TaylorMade TP5x was pure (look for the recently posted review of those golf balls within these pages). I felt my eyes widen like they have on so many approach shots in the past as the golf ball tracked towards the pin. The flight saw maybe 10 feet of right to left curvature. I watched the golf ball land and one short hop later… the ball disappeared into the cup.
My first Ace! A hole-in-one!!!
I executed a massive fist pump and screamed “Oh my fucking Godddddd!!” (sorry kids). And then as quick as my jubilation happened it disappeared. There was nobody there suddenly giving me the feeling that this Ace was tainted and that it didn’t count. It was without a doubt the “best worst shot” that I’ve hit in my life. There was nobody to celebrate the moment with me. As I walked to the hole to pick up my TP5x it actually began to feel more like a “walk of shame”. I mean I know it happened but nobody else saw it. Does it count???
I would make the long drive to the 8th tee where I would walk away with a routine par. I would finish my evening by carding another birdie as I hit my tee shot to within 10″ to a temp green on the 9th. All in all a great evening and a 9 hole score of -5. So I have a question for everyone.
TaylorMade brand is #1 played Driver, Fairway, Iron, Putter and Ball within the 72 player field featuring the top PGA of Canada Professionals in player rankings.
After two steady rounds of 70 and 71 to open the stroke play rounds, Dustin Risdon continued to elevate his game at Whistle Bear Golf Club as he moved on from match to match, eventually winning 4 matches over 2 days, capturing the 2019 PGA Championship of Canada title for the first time. With TaylorMade Driver, Fairway, Irons, Wedges and Ball, Risdon continues to rise in PGA of Canada Player Rankings, with an estimated move from 7th place into the top 5.
Dustin Risdon, was joined by Oliver Tubb, Bryn Parry and Marc-Etienne Bussieres to create an all #TeamTaylorMade Canada final four. The final match against Oliver Tubb, featuring duelling M5 and M6 Drivers, was bound to be exciting as both Professionals played strong from their first round, and continued their strong play throughout their 6th round of golf in only 4 days. In the end, Risdon rose to the top and won the match 3 and 1.
What You Need to Know:
38-year-old Risdon wins the PGA Championship of Canada for the first time
Risdon used a new M6 9* Driver, new M6 Rocket 14* Fairway and new TP5X golf ball on his way to victory
Risdon adds his name to the historic P.D. Ross Trophy, joining golf legends such as Arnold Palmer, Moe Norman, George Knudson, and Lee Trevino.
TaylorMade was the #1 Driver, Fairway, Iron, Putter and Ball in play among the field of 72 Professionals
TaylorMade TP5 and TP5X golf balls were played by 33 Professionals in the field (46%), and TaylorMade Drivers were also used by 33 Professionals off the tee
TaylorMade Golf Canada sponsors a Championship in every zone across the country, providing a direct exemption into the PGA Championship of Canada.
Zone events this year will again provide an early entry exemption into the 2020 event. This year, 7 of the 9 exemptions from 2018 made the trip to Whistle Bear and took part in the championship.
NCAA All-American and 2019 NCAA Division I individual champion set to play full arsenal of TaylorMade product as he makes his professional debut this week at the Travelers Championship
Carlsbad, Calif. (June 19, 2019) – Having already added top amateur standout Collin Morikawa to its dominant stable of athletes this summer, TaylorMade Golf Company announced today the addition of yet another amateur standout, consensus collegiate player of the year Matthew Wolff. Per his new multi-year agreement, Matthew Wolff will play TaylorMade’s metalwoods, irons, wedges, putter and ultimately, the company’s flagship golf ball, TP5x. The announcement comes on the heels of the 20-year-old’s decision to forego his final two seasons at Oklahoma State to turn professional.
Wolff, known for his unique and immediately identifiable swing paired with prodigious distance off the tee, has the charisma and demeanor far exceeding his 20 years of age and carries high expectations into his professional debut. The California native made his PGA TOUR debut earlier this season as an amateur at the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open on a sponsor’s exemption and is making his professional debut on Tour this week at the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands.
Victorious a school record six times with a 68.7 scoring average as a sophomore – the lowest in the history of college golf – Wolff capped off his tremendous collegiate career with an NCAA Individual title and both the Jack Nicklaus and Fred Haskins awards, given annually to the top collegiate player in the country.
Wolff joins a TaylorMade’s Tour staff that is widely considered the strongest in the industry, which includes Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, John Rahm and Tiger Woods, among others.
Well, I made it. After being in Florida back in January for the PGA Show and a planned trip that I canceled two weeks ago I’m in Florida. A 3 hr bus ride to Buffalo, NY and a wonderful flight once again on Frontier Airlines and I’m basking in the Tampa sun. A trip that will see me go fly fishing, practice golf, hopefully, go home with a swing and of course play and conduct several testings. Most of the golf ball variety. All of this before I resume working at the same golf course that I worked at in 2018 until I had my Stroke. Scenic Woods Golf Course which is a GolfNorth Properties facility. God! I can’t wait!
Today was without a doubt the most gratifying day of golf that I’ve experienced. I just couldn’t wipe the smile off of my face. I was just elated to be back doing what I love. I spent the majority of my day at Terrace Hill Golf Center in Temple Terrace, FL. At any rate the product testing.
So what are the products that I’m testing down here in Florida? The most important of the bunch is the Equalizer wedges from Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company. Up until now, testing of these wedges has amounted to basing everything on feel and/or limited ball flight in a golf dome. Getting these clubs outside and seeing them perform as they were intended to do so was worth the wait. These Equalizer wedges are even better than I thought. The feel, the ballflight (these wedges penetrate) and some clear stopping power on firm greens that were/are dried out by the wind. I am beyond impressed. I’ll finally be able to write this review sooner than before later. If you need wedges… Look no further. These wedges are the best bang for your golfer buck!
Another product that I was sent for testing were tees by ZoomTee USA. The premise of these tees is to give golfers the option of playing tees that are extremely durable, a tee that’s designed to produce less drag which is said to result in longer, straighter drives. Also of note here is the addition of a height guide for getting the golf ball teed u at just the right height and a tip that’s used for cleaning your grooves and repairing ball marks. I used only one tee and there was no sign of breakage thus far and ZoomTee USA was also very easy to locate after the shot. No scanning the ground looking for your pesky golf tee. It’s a minor thing, but it is a way to help maintain the pace of play. I also found ZoomTee USA was easy to get into the ground. Although, the soil here in Florida is quite sandy. It’ll be interesting to see how they penetrate the clay-based soil at home.
Balls, balls and more balls. I am testing golf balls ‘o’ plenty while I’m down here. No less than 6 different models. Testing has officially begun of…
TaylorMade Golf (TP5 and TP5x)
Srixon Golf (Z Star)
Wilson Staff DUO Professional
Bridgestone Golf (e12 Soft and e12 Speed)
It was an interesting first day of testing and with that, I have a few thoughts.
The TaylorMade TP5 and TP5x seem to really have a penetrating ball flight as advertised. Early indications are that this golf ball is a strong golf ball in the Tour ball market. All-around great feel (TP5 a little softer) and I can see why Rickie Fowler switched from the Titleist Pro V1. There’s a reason why the ball is hyped.
Not that it’s a bad thing. I wasn’t blown away through Day One of testing of the 2019 Srixon Z Star. To me, this iteration of the Z Star is solid. I’ve always liked the Z Star and have a lot of familiarity with it. Maybe that’s why I wasn’t blown away. It felt too familiar.
Where I wasn’t blown away by the previous ball if there was a ball that I was very impressed with thus far it HAS to be the Wilson Staff DUO Professional. This golf ball was long with irons (albeit downwind) and the short game spin of this golf ball was extremely impressive. This ball STOPPED on greenside chips and pitches. I didn’t have it in play for any driving holes.
Bridgestone Golf developed the e12 with 12 years of golf ball data taken from their ball fitting data. What they came up with were the e12 Soft and e12 Speed. Just from a putting standpoint (this was the first part of the testing) I wasn’t enamored with the “firmer” e12 Speed. It felt too clicky or too firm. But then all of that suddenly changed. This ball actually felt pretty soft and responsive on full iron swings. Into a hurting wind, I was able to find the green pin high from 182 yards away with a 5-iron. Judging by the flags and wind I figure it was a 1.5 to 2 club wind. Never be too hasty in being judgmental folks! The e12 Soft I liked right away. I liked the feel of the e12 Soft when it came to putting, my first drive of 2019 was with the e12 Soft (Red) and it just carried down the fairway into the wind and it penetrated. My approach into the firm, wind-swept green resulted in no severe rollout (settling 8′ from the pin) and greenside chips and pitches I thought it performed better than the e12 Speed and as good as one of the tour-level golf balls.
Today was just the beginning of what I have planned down here. So stay tuned for more information as I test products, write reviews and enjoy some March golf in sunny Florida.
