Following a barren spell (by his lofty standards) without any successes, Rory McIlroy ended his six-month drought with victory in the Irish Open last week. Having missed the past few cuts at his 'home' tournament, the world number three fared rather better at The K Club - home of the 2006 Ryder Cup - with a three-shot victory over Welshman Bradley Dredge and Scotsman Russell Knox. Having said that, if you think that it was as comfortable as the winning margin suggests then you’d be mistaken.

Play was first suspended on Sunday - and not for the first time in the tournament - with 10 holes left for the leaders, McIlroy leading by one from Knox. By the time the horn sounded again, two hours later and with four holes remaining, the Scot had just birdied 14 to tie McIlroy at the top of the leaderboard. The brief second delay certainly didn't halt Knox in his late charge, a birdie at the 15th seeing him lead by one with just three holes to play.

But we know how quickly things can change in golf

Up step Rory McIlroy. A sublime second shot into the heart of the par-5 16th green set up a two-putt birdie for the Northern Irishman, coinciding with a bogey-six for Knox. A two-shot swing and a huge momentum shift in the Rory's favour. One hole to play, Rory leads by one. The 18th at the K Club is a par-5 with water lurking for any wayward shots. The perfect final hole. After a nailed drive straight down the middle, McIlroy showed why he is one of the world's best with his second. 253-yards was the number, two feet was the final result. A truly astonishing shot, when the pressure was at its highest, setting up a tap-in eagle to secure the title. The shot of champion.

Here’s what Rory had in the bag:

Driver – Nike Vapor Fly Pro (9.5 degrees)
Fairway Woods – Nike Vapor Speed (15 and 19 degrees)
Irons – Nike VR Pro blades (4-9)
Wedges – Nike Engage (47, 52, 56 & 59 degrees)
Putter – Nike Method
Ball – Nike RZN Platinum

Talking of barren spells, Sergio Garcia clinched his first PGA Tour title in almost four years at the AT&T Bryon Nelson in Texas. Brooks Koepka held the overnight lead going into Sunday, a two-shot cushion over world number two Jordan Spieth. Much has been made of Spieth’s form this season, especially after his final-round collapse at The Masters last month. The truth of the matter is that he has played in 11 events this season, missing only two cuts and not finishing any worse than T21 in every other tournament – what a terrible season for the young American….

But this wasn’t Spieth’s week, a closing 74 made sure of that. Instead, the tournament was in Koepka’s hands until the closing stretch, when errant tee shots led to bogeys on 14 and 15, presenting Sergio with a chance of glory. Firing a two-under 68 on Sunday, the Spaniard tied Koepka at the top of the leaderboard and so a playoff was needed to decide the winner.

Now Sergio may well be one of the unluckiest golfers out there, with countless near-misses proving that fate isn’t always on his side. That was until last week. Another poor tee shot by Koepka, this time on the first playoff hole, found the water, practically gifting the tournament to Sergio there and then. Someone of his class wasn’t going to make the same mistake, instead he hit the middle of the fairway before finding the heart of the green to secure the 9th Tour win of his career.

What equipment did Sergio use?

Driver – TaylorMade M2 (9.5 degrees)
Fairway Woods – TaylorMade M1 (15 and 19 degrees)
Irons – TaylorMade PSi Tour (3-PW)
Wedges – TaylorMade Tour Preferred EF (52 and 58 degrees) 
Putter – TaylorMade Monte Carlo
Ball – TaylorMade Tour Preferred X

The European Tour crossed borders last week as the Shenzhen International took place in China. For the second week in a row there was a newbie on the winner’s podium as TaylorMade Soomin Lee claimed his maiden European Tour title, propelling himself into the top 10 of the Race to Dubai standings. 22-year-old Lee has had a brilliant start to his golfing career to date with two top three finishes in his first five outings. Moving on to his sixth event, Lee was tied for the lead with five holes left to play in his final round before play was suspended for the day due to electrical storms. In his situation, given his final-straight meltdown earlier on in the season, Lee would have been forgiven for letting his nerves get the better of him yet again, however this was far from the case. Resuming on Monday morning after yet another weather delay, Lee followed a birdie on 16 with a magical eagle on 17 on his way to a two-shot, wire-to-wire victory.

What equipment did he use?

• Driver – TaylorMade M1 430 (9.5)
• 3-wood – TaylorMade M2 (15)
• Irons – Srixon Z 945

The PGA Tour’s Valero Texas Open looked destined for a playoff this week as Patrick Reed birdied the 72nd hole, leaving playing partner Charley Hoffman a 9-foot putt for the win on the par-5 18th. This was far from straight-forward for Hoffman seeing as he had been within touching distance of numerous victories in previous months, only to trip up over the final hurdle on each occasion. However this was his time: a solid stroke and a pure connection saw the ball travel towards the hole, not leaving the centre of the cup the whole way. A Tiger Woods-esque fist pump followed as Hoffman held his nerve to win his fourth PGA Tour title, one ahead of American compatriot Patrick Reed.

What equipment did he use?

• Driver – Titleist 915D4 (9.5)
• 3-wood – Titleist 915F (13.5)
• Hybrid – Titleist 915Hd (17.5)
• Irons – Titleist 716 T-MB (3, 5-9)
• Wedges – Vokey SM5 wedges (46, 50, 56 & 58)
• Putter – Scotty Cameron GoLo 5 prototype
• Ball – Titleist Pro V1

To see the options we have available on our golf shop, head to https://www.foremostgolf.com/. If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to give us a call on +44 (0) 800 500 3194.

You've guessed it. There was another first-time winner on the European Tour last week as Nike Golf Haotong Li claimed the Volvo China Open on home soil. The 20-year-old started the final day two shots back but a flawless closing 64, mixing eight birdies with zero dropped shots, meant a fourth consecutive sub-70 round to claim his maiden victory by three. Overnight leaders Aguilar and Bjerregaard carded rounds of three-under and two-under respectively, but it could have been so much better for Aguilar. Whether it was pressure or just one of those shots, Aguilar will wish he could replay his tee shot on the par-3 16th which found the water 30 yards short of the green, effectively costing him the tournament. Regardless, Li birdied 17 and held his nerve down the last to record an emphatic win, possibly the first of many for this young gun.

What equipment did he use?

• Driver - Nike Vapor Pro (9.5)
• Fairway Wood - Nike Vapor Speed (15)
• Irons - Nike Vapor Fly Pro (3&4); Nike Vapor Pro (5-9)
• Wedges - Nike Engage (48, 54 & 60)
• Putter - Nike Method Matter B2-05
• Ball - Nike RZN Tour Platinum

Rain and thunderstorms shortened last week's PGA Tour event to 54 holes, with a Monday finish required to settle matters. In the end there was a three-way tie at the top of the leaderboard, with Brian Stuard, Jamie Lovemark and Byeong-Hun An all closing out their three rounds on 15-under-par - An and Stuard birding the final hole to tie Lovemark for the lead. So a playoff was the order of play, with the three golfers heading down the par-5 18th in this sudden death format. An was the first golfer to be eliminated after bogeying the first playoff hole, the other two making pars. On the second playoff hole, a beautiful 160-yard approach to two foot by Stuard saw him birdie the hole and claim his first victory on the PGA Tour - a common theme among this week's winners. That's not the only thing that Stuard has in common with other recent winners, as he is the 5th Callaway Staff winner in as many weeks. Surely this is telling you something?

What equipment did he use?

• Driver - Callaway Great Big Bertha (9.5)
• Fairway Wood - Callaway XR Pro (15)
• Hybrids - Callaway Apex (20 & 23)
• Irons - Callaway Apex Pro (4-PW)
• Wedges - Callaway Mack Daddy 3 (52 & 58)
• Putter - Odyssey Works Marxman Fang Tank
• Ball - Titleist Pro V1x

To see the options we have available on our golf shop, head tohttps://www.foremostgolf.com/. If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to give us a call on +44 (0) 800 500 3194.

If you’ve been following our blog over the past few weeks, you may have noticed two common themes running across recent winners: first-timers and Callaway Staff players. This week carries on that trend as Jeunghun Wang produced a wonderful putting display to claim the Trophée Hassan II in a fascinating playoff against Nacho Elvira. When on the 72^nd green, Wang was faced with a 15 foot birdie putt to tie clubhouse leader Elvira and force extra holes. He duly delivered. Going down the 18^th again in the playoff, Elvira looked in complete control after hitting the par-5 green in two whilst Wang was 35 foot away in three. As is the case in many matchplay situations – which a sudden-death playoff effectively is – Wang nails his birdie putt whilst Elvira two-putted for his four. Back down 18 they go. This time round Elvira missed the green in three, leaving Wang a putt for his birdie-four and the title, which he drains. That’s seven wins in a row for Callaway Golf players across tours, leaving us to think that there must be something special in their 2016 range…

What equipment did he use?

Driver – Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 816

Fairway Wood – Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 816

Hybrid – Callaway Apex

Irons – Callaway irons

Wedges – Vokey SM5

Putter – Odyssey White Hot RX

Form is temporary, class is permanent. How often have we heard this saying ring true? Well we can add James Hahn’s remarkable return to form on the PGA Tour to that list. Hahn has been struggling with his game over the past few months. Following a string of missed cuts (eight straight if you’re counting) and no round sub-70 in his last 18, not many people would have backed Hahn at the Wells Fargo Championship last week. After three-putting the 72^nd hole for bogey, Hahn finished the tournament tied for the lead with Roberto Castro, meaning a playoff was needed once again. Castro found water with his drive at the first playoff hole, handing the initiative to Hahn, who found the fairway and then set up victory with a solid second to the heart of the green. It just goes to show, a return to form may just be around the corner for us all…

Here’s what he had in the bag:

Driver - PXG 0811X (9 degrees)

FairwayWood - PXG 0341 (15 degrees)

Hybrid - PXG 0317 (17 degrees)

Irons - PXG 0311(3-iron), PXG 0311T (4-9)

Wedges - PXG 0311T Milled (47), Vokey SM5 (54 & 60)

Putter - Odyssey White Hot Pro 2.0

Ball – Titleist Pro V1x

To see the options we have available on our golf shop, head tohttps://www.foremostgolf.com/. If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to give us a call on +44 (0) 800 500 3194.

Jason Day put on a golfing masterclass last Thursday when a nine-under-par 63 tied the course record and set Day on his way to a wire-to-wire victory at The Players Championship. Going into the final round with a four-shot lead, the world number one averted a potential disaster after playing the front nine in two-over-par, coming home with three birdies to regain his overnight cushion and take his sixth victory in his last 16 starts. This win puts Day amongst elite company, making him the fifth man to have won The Players, a Major and a World Golf Championship. Comparisons with Tiger are inevitably starting to rear their heads – which doesn’t come as a surprise – but it’s important to remember that this time last year it was Spieth, and the year before it was Rory. Until someone does it year after year, Tiger will be in a category of his own.

Here’s what Jason had in the bag:

Driver – TaylorMade M1 (10.5 degrees)

Fairway Wood – TaylorMade M2 (17 degrees)

Irons – TaylorMade RSi (2-iron), TaylorMade RSi (4-PW)

Wedges – TaylorMade Tour Preferred EF (47, 52 & 60)

Putter – TaylorMade Ghost Spider Limited Red

Ball – TaylorMade Tour Preferred X

That’s 8 in a row – if you’re counting. Jeunghun Wang made it back-to-back wins at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open after a closing stretch-collapse from Siddikur Rahman paved the way for Wang. Rahman was three ahead with just three holes left to play, but a double on 16 followed by a bogey on 17 turned the tournament on its head, both golfers tied for the lead going down the par-5 18th. A brilliant bunker shot by Wang led to a closing-hole birdie to finish on six-under-par, claiming his second victory in as many weeks and an eighth-straight for Callaway Golf. Wang will be facing far stiffer competition over the coming weeks as the European Tour returns to the UK, but with the bit between his teeth you can’t rule out this 20-year-old on current form.

What equipment did he use?

Driver – Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 816

Fairway Wood – Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 816

Hybrid – Callaway Apex

Irons – Callaway Irons

Wedges – Vokey SM5

Putter – Odyssey White Hot RX

The European Tour rolled into England last week for its flagship event, The BMW Championship at Wentworth. Although a rather depleted field at the prestigious Surrey course, there was still lots of home-grown talent on show with Masters champion Danny Willett the headline act. After being 12-under-par for his first 27 holes, including a front nine of 29 shots on Friday, Willett endured yet another frustrating weekend as several bogeys left him wondering what might have been. But one man’s loss is another’s gain – enter Chris Wood. The 28-year-old surged into the lead come Sunday afternoon after he matched Willett’s record-breaking six-under-par front nine from Friday, to lead by four. However, his momentum was severely halted after dropping three shots in four holes from the 14th, finding himself just one clear playing the 72nd hole. Wood revealed in his post-round interview that he hadn’t looked at the leaderboards all day, and it wasn’t until his caddy asked him to go SW, SW into the final hole that he realised the situation. A comfortable par gave Wood the biggest win of his career, with a place in the European Ryder Cup team now a very real target for the Englishman.

Here’s what Wood had in his bag…

Driver – Callaway Great Big Bertha (9 degree)
Fairway woods – Mizuno JPX 3-wood (15 degree); Callaway XR 16 5-wood
Irons – Mizuno MP-25 (3 & 4-irons); Mizuno MP-5 (5-PW)
Wedges – Mizuno MP-T5 (52, 56 & 60 degrees)
Putter – Odyssey Versa
Ball – Titleist Pro V1x
Clothing – Mizuno apparel

Finally, Jordan Spieth has ended his ‘four-month drought’ with victory in the Dean & Dulca Invitational on Sunday. The American headed into the final round of the latest PGA Tour event with a one-shot lead, determined not to replicate his Masters collapse where he blew a five-shot lead on the back nine. This time it was completely different. Spieth came in with six birdies on his back nine, comfortably winning his home tournament by three shots. There were certainly fireworks to finish as Jordan holed a 20-foot breaker on 16 for birdie, chipped in for birdie at the 17th and blew his opponents away when he holed a 35-foot birdie putt at the last. Three birdies in the final three holes. What nerves?

This win means that the ‘big three’ (Day, Spieth and McIlroy) have all won on their last outing….let the battle for the US Open commence.

Here’s what Spieth used en-route to victory…

Driver – Titleist 915D2 (9.5 degree)
Fairway woods – Titleist 915F (15 degree)
Irons – Titleist 716 T-MB 3-iron; Titleist AP2 (4-9-iron)
Wedges – Vokey SM6 (46, 52, 56 & 60 degrees)
Putter – Scotty Cameron
Ball – Titleist Pro V1x
Clothing – Under Armour apparel

Jordan Spieth capped off one of the greatest seasons in recent memory with victory at the TOUR Championship. With the win he added the FedExCup to the 2 Majors he won earlier in the year. 

Starting the day a shot clear of Henrik Stenson, the 22 year-old rode his trademark putting to a final round 69 and a 9 under total, four shots clear of the field. 

There was much debate before the event about who should be crowned player of the year: should it be Spieth with his two Majors or the recently red-hot Jason Day? This performance should put all of those questions to bed. 

So, what was in Jordan's bag?

Summer has come and gone, Autumn is in in full swing and just over the horizon is the cold, wind, snow and rain of Winter. As golfers - calling myself a golfer might be generous - the winter can be a difficult time: attempting to play well when the wind is howling and you're being pelted by rain is tough even for the best players. 

Which is why we should all be thankful for the latest golf waterproofs from some of the games finest!

Above is the new Pro-Flex offering from ProQuip. As well as keeping you as dry as a bone, the Pro-Flex range is also made with Flex Technology: a premium stretch fabric that allows you the freedom of movement needed for your swing. 

It's available in both blue (as shown above) and grey if you're looking for something more muted. 

The new Galvin Green Albin is similar to its Pro Quip counterpart as it also guarantees a waterproof material without sacrificing playability. Gore-Tex stretch fabric is used to ensure you don't lose any of the flexibility and comfort you need to feel during your swing. Available in four different colours so there's plenty of choice.  

The Sunice Albany Classic has the classic look its name suggests it should. It claims to be 25% lighter and 25% stretchier than any GoreTex jacket available.

If you prefer something lighter then the Under Armour Armourstorm is the jacket for you. Don't let the lighter look fool you though, the Armourstorm technology makes it waterproof and breathable. 

Nike's offering is the Hyperadapt Storm-Fit, a jacket that's designed to repel wind, rain and snow so you can stay dry and comfortable. Also available in grey and blue. 

Picturesque Valderrama is regarded by most as one of the best golf clubs this side of the Atlantic; a true test of golfing ability. The 1997 Ryder Cup venue played host to the Open de España last week and did not disappoint. Lightning fast greens and tricky conditions meant that scoring was always going to be tough, with a one-over-par total enough for Englishman Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston to claim his maiden European Tour title – the first regular Tour event to be won with an over-par score in 20 years. 27-year-old Johnston went into the final round one shot back from overnight leader Mike Lorenzo-Vera, but a stellar one-under-par 70 was good enough to see him lift the trophy by one, despite a final-day charge from locals’ favourite, Sergio Garcia. Titleist brand ambassador Johnston’s final round exploits saw him rank first in both driving accuracy (78.6%) and greens in regulation (70.8%) on the day – truly impressive golf when the pressure was at its greatest.

What equipment did he use?

• Driver – Titleist 915D3 (10.5 loft)
• 3-wood – Titleist 915F (15 loft)
• Irons – Titleist 716 MB irons; 3-9
• Wedges – Vokey SM6 wedges (46, 50, 54 & 58)
• Putter – Scotty Cameron Tour Only Newport 2
• Ball – Titleist Pro V1x

Over in the States, the PGA Tour arrived at Harbour Town Links, South Carolina, for the RBC Heritage. Many of the world’s best golfers take a break following a Major, but there were still a few stand-out names amongst the field. World number one Jason Day pegged it up at the start of the week, as did Bryson DeChambeau who, after finishing top amateur in the 2016 Masters, was playing in his first event as a professional. But come Sunday it was Callaway Staff player Branden Grace who grabbed the spotlight, a five-under-par 66 propelling him above overnight pacesetter, Luke Donald, to claim his second title of 2016.

What equipment did he use?

• Driver – Callaway XR 16 (8.5 loft)
• 3-wood – Callaway Big Bertha Alpha (16 loft)
• Utility Iron – Callaway Apex UT
• Irons – Callaway X Forged (4-PW)
• Wedges – Callaway Mack Daddy 2 Tour Grind (52, 56 & 60)
• Putter – Odyssey Versa V Line
• Ball – Titleist Pro V1x

To see the options we have available on our golf shop, head tohttps://www.foremostgolf.com/. If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to give us a call on +44 (0) 800 500 3194.