Golf Asia - February 2018

36 GOLF ASIA

GOLFING

SCENE

Dustin Johnson wins again...

and again. First the WGC-

Mexico Championship,

then in his next outing in

the WGC-Dell Match Play

for his third successive

victory. He cements his

position at the top of the

OWGR and makes it

impossible to see

anyone other than DJ

winning next month’s

Masters. What could

possibly stop him? The

USGA/R&A announce

50 proposed rule

changes designed to,

for the most part, speed up play,

remove penalties for minor

infractions and simplify the

game. If confirmed, they will

come into effect on January 1,

2019. At the second time of
      asking, amid the glare of
      condemnation the world over,
      Muirfield votes to allow women
      members, the vote passed by
      498 to 123. As a result, the
      course becomes part of the
      Open rota again. And in the
      women’s game, Lucy Li qualifies
      for the first major of the ladies’
      season, the ANA Inspiration,
      having won the ANA
      Junior Inspiration.
      That she’s 14
      might make
      more headlines
      had she not already
      played in the 2014
      US Open at the
      age of 11.

WINNERS

& LOSERS

the WGC-Dell Match Play

for his third successive

victory. He cements his

position at the top of the

OWGR and makes it

impossible to see

anyone other than DJ

winning next month’s

Masters. What could

possibly stop him?

USGA/R&A

50 proposed rule

changes designed to,

having won the ANA

Junior Inspiration.

had she not already

played in the 2014

“I’m just hoping I get my deposit back. You laugh like I’m joking; I’m serious

here. I understand I won a nice cheque, but I don’t like to throw money away”

Adam Hadwin’s Valspar win earns him a Masters spot – which means he has to postpone his honeymoon

The Kirkland Signature golf ball is the equipment story of the year, a bargain four-piece urethane-cover ball

sold through Costco for a fraction of the price of the ‘tour quality’ balls sold by Callaway, TaylorMade and

Titleist. Unable to keep pace with demand, the Kirkland quickly sells out – and that’s when things get

really interesting. Having received a letter from Acushnet Holdings Corp – makers of Titleist balls – in

which it was accused of infringing on 11 patents and false advertising with the claim their balls “meet or

exceed the quality standards of leading national brands”, Costco

refused to back down, filing a complaint against Acushnet

and looking for a judgement that the company is “not

infringing any valid patent rights owned by

Acushnet by its sale of its Kirkland Signature golf

balls.” It goes to the courts, with the promise of

no quick resolution.

10

The number

of players in

the world’s

top 25 who

bother to

turn up at

Bay Hill for

the Arnold

Palmer

Invitational –

the first

since The

King’s

passing last

September.

BALL WARS KICK OFF

M A R