Welcome back, Weekend Warriors!

This week, get yourself caught up on all the biggest tournaments you haven’t heard of, learn a drill to lock in your fundamentals, and shop the most insane golf collaboration of the year!

I hope you enjoy!

We The Best Classic

This December, for the second time, DJ Khaled has brought together his newfound love for golf with his legendary status in the rap game to out on the We The Best Classic at Miami Beach GC. A beautiful water filled course that is perfect to balance the various level of skill and celebrity that will be attending through its spaced out holes and peaceful atmosphere. Obviously, an event like this is a big deal just by the who’s who that’s playing and the sponsors, but it also shows just how heavily golf’s influence in rap is being felt. Whether it’s going to be someone’s first time playing or a well known golf loving artist teeing it up for another round, this event will show golf in a modern way that helps bring different cultures and interests together.

Rolling Loud Invitational

Keeping golf in the realm of rap music is the Rolling Loud Invitational, being put on between Rolling Loud for their tenth anniversary and friends of the brand Eastside Golf. Played at Turnberry Aventura, one of the nicest courses in South Florida, it’s sure to be a day of beautiful views and high level golf. And, with Rolling Loud clientele being present, it’s sure to be a very Miami round of golf with the music and golf being played. It’s amazing that companies like Rolling Loud are now looking at golf as ways to bring people together and put on events before any other sport. Imagine if in Rolling Loud’s first year, they tried to put on a golf tournament. Imagine what the fans, sponsors, even the talent would have to say about that. But, they way golf is seen now, as more accessible, as a sport that brings people together rather than separating them, as a way to express yourself and your art through action and fashion. It is the perfect way to help Rolling Loud expand its influence and what it can be capable of.

PGA Tour Champions History

Bernhard Langer, the 67 year old golf legend, won the Charles Schwab Cup in ridiculous fashion. Starting 4 under through 4 to take a 5 shot lead at the beginning of the final round, a few wayward bogeys led to him entering the 18th hole tied for the lead. The man, who has a streak of winning on the PGA Tour Champions in the last 17 years, sunk a 47 footer for birdie for the win! An epic finish to an epic story.

Eastside Golf Invitational

Last week, Eastside Golf and Statefarm partnered to hold a collegiate golf tournament for 8 HBCUs and their elite golfing teams. Battling it out at PGA Frisco, at the headquarters of the PGA in Texas, the golfers fought each other, a high level tournament course, and terrible weather, yet still put a display of golfing greatness. FAMU won the team title while the individual winner was Miguel Ilas. For more on this tournament and what it means for golf as a whole, read my write up here.

Ryder Cup Tickets

The Ryder Cup is seen alongside the majors as a golf tournament elevated beyond normal status, carrying much more weight than however many pounds the trophy is. One of the only team events in golf, only held every two years, featuring the world’s best at an elite course, it’s deserving of this treatment, especially at a venue like Bethpage Black, where it will be this September. But, there is controversy as the base price for tickets is insanely higher than most other golf tournaments in general. A Tuesday practice round ticket is already $200 at retail, while a Sunday singles ticket was retailing at $750! Friday and Saturday tickets were between $350 and $450, but now that they are all sold out, you can’t get on the grounds for a tournament day (Fri, Sat, Sun) for less than $1000. This is the first Ryder Cup back in the US since LIV happened, and with the heightened influence of golf in the U.S., a course in a large metropolitan area (outside NYC vs. Wisconsin last time) and the fact that the LIV players might be allowed back to play all make this Ryder Cup a little bit more special. While I’m not saying that makes the ticket prices justifiable, it at least gives somewhat of an explanation.

Malbon Golf x Ghostface Killah

In a display of cultural combinations of seismic proportions, Malbon has just released a collection with Ghostface Killah of the Wu Tang Clan. With designs and colors that evoke not just the vibes of the golf course, but of one of the most iconic rappers of all time, this collection is for the golfer as much as it is for the 90’s rap aficionado. Malbon made sure of this, releasing graphic tees alongside polos, color blocked hoodies alongside tan vests. Tony Starks buckets reigns supreme among a lot of the designs while Ghostface’s Wu logo is emblazoned among the shirts, hats, and even on the bag. Beautifully crafted from high quality leathers and metals, its lightweight yet high quality materials bring an air of luxury to a bag that also has all the elements needed for reliable play on the course. This mix of luxury and functionality reflects the sharp yet poetic beats of the Ghostface Killah, as well as his grimy yet luxurious flow. I believe this collaboration to be the most culturally significant event golf has had in the last year. It should serve, if nothing else, as a glimpse of much more to come.

Weekly Advisors

This week we’re focusing on a fundament that plagues most amateurs; posture and head control. Luckily, these two can be fixed in tandem. Next time you watch a video of your swing, note your head movement and/or sway in the swing. It is obvious to see if a head is lifting up or turning early. But, what may not be so obvious is posture. It is easy to get a bit too loose in the swing and round your back and have tight shoulders. Imagine you’re standing up straight, arms hanging down, then you slowly rotate at your hips, back staying straight, until you’re in position over the ball. Head movement is harder to stop. To drill both head movement and posture, while at home, take some air swings in your stance while your forehead rests against a wall. The head and back remain still and in position. You can also drill this at the range by having a buddy hold an alignment stick lightly against your head while you make a swing at the ball. Your head should not move off of the alignment stick. Both of these drills will help you find and practice the correct feeling in your posture and in keeping your head still.

Course of the Week

This week’s course is Yas Links in Abu Dhabi, site of this past week’s DP World Tour event. Everything political aside, the course itself is really beautiful and one of those where what you are seeing might honestly look scarier than the hole itself. Lots of forced carries over water, desert sand is flanked by oasis blue waters, and greens that require bouts of touch to get the ball where you want to go. A truly beautiful course in a place where beauty is usually relegated to the eye of the beholder.

Stories from the Sticks

This week’s story is something that I was reminded of this week through the release of the Malbon and Ghostface collection. When I was first finding my form as an intern at Golf Digest 3 years ago, Stephen Malbon invited me to the SOHO store to see it for an article as well as meet him. When I arrived, he was still on the phone with some company, and right after I walked in I heard him say this;

“Listen, what we’re doing I don’t want to focus on the pros. I want to focus on surfing and the Wu Tang Clan. That’s what we’re going for.”

Man, this quote has stuck with me ever since, and it really drives a lot of my creative direction in terms of what is possible to connect with golf in this modern world. I am elated that Stephen as able to bring this to fruition and connect two worlds that are becoming more and more similar by the day.

Stupid Golf Story

Last week, at the Chelsea Piers driving range, I was out practicing my chipping when a crowd of people walked by, and immediately started watching. I hit three chips in front of them, two of them pretty good and one bad, but none had even a chance of going in. Well, as I went to collect the balls, they walked away, and by the time I set up for my next chip shot, they were gone. First one, flopped, two hops to the middle cup about 15 feet away and rolled right in. I just laughed.

I hope you enjoyed the tenth edition (wow!) of Weekenders Weekly. I’m starting to find the perfect balance between humor, instruction, and information that hopefully will help improve your game and knowledge of it while also keeping it light and helping you remember that this game is, above all, just a game. Stay tuned for next week’s edition, and keep your eye on socials today for a giveaway announcement! Thanks for reading, and go play some golf!