TaylorMade Golf unveils Twist Face technology in new M3 & M4 drivers
Carlsbad, Calif. – TaylorMade Golf has shifted the paradigm of golf club engineering with the introduction of the M3 & M4 metalwoods, highlighted by the company’s breakthrough innovation – Twist Face technology.
Re-imagining traditional driver face design, TaylorMade’s Twist Face technology is truly the first of its kind. Twist Face, featured in both the new M3 & M4 drivers, is TaylorMade’s solution to counteract golfers’ most common misses, more specifically, those resulting from the high toe and low heel impacts.
M3 Driver
Armed with Twist Face, the M3 is the sequel to TaylorMade’s highly successful M1 driver. The M3 driver features a new matte silver front section and a raised, aerodynamic five-layer carbon composite crown.
Exclusive to the M3 in both 440cc and 460cc models in a new Y-Track adjustability system that allows the CG adjustment of the head. The Y-Track allows for two 11 gram weights to be moved for both heel and toe control, as well as center of gravity. It offers golfers more than 1,000 CG configurations, more than twice as many as the M1. With the weight in the back position, the MOI (or essentially the club’s forgiveness) is 10% higher than M1.
Availability & Pricing
Available for pre-order on February 1 and at retail on February 16 .
M4 Driver
Complementing the M3 driver and its unrivaled personalization is the M4 driver, which differentiates its design by putting an emphasis on unparalleled forgiveness with straight distance. The M4 driver not only utilizes the new Twist Face and Hammerhead technologies, it also incorporates Geocoustic™ engineering.
Availability & Pricing
Available starting February 16, 2018.
2017 in review: Milestones
The year 2017 is drawing to a close and what a year it was for Canadian golf. Our pros won literally around the world and on just about every tour imaginable. Our amateurs of all ages made Canada proud at home and abroad. And, off the course, there were significant moments that are well worth memorializing as 2018 looms on the horizon.
This is the third of a three-part series remembering most, if not all, of those memorable moments.(If we’ve unintentionally overlooked any—there were so many, after all!—please let us know on Twitter or Facebook.
February:
Roland Deveau of Nova Scotia returns as president of Golf Canada for a second one-year term.
Judy Darling Evans and Bob Vokey elected to the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.
More on Bob Vokey and Judy Darling Evans, our 2017 inductees into the @CGHF: https://t.co/moub4WZWyb pic.twitter.com/3cTksnSV9B
— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) February 28, 2017
Bill Klein of Parkville, B.C., and George McLeod of Brandon, Man., named co-recipients of Golf Canada’s Volunteer of the Year award.
March:
Mike Weir, a five-time competitor in the event, is named assistant captain of the international team at the Presidents Cup.
Scott Simmons resigns as CEO of Golf Canada after 10 years.
May:
Laurence Applebaum succeeds Scott Simmons as Golf Canada’s chief executive officer.
Toronto’s Bruce Mitchell is named the first Canadian to serve as captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.
June:
Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada publish the 2017 Golf Facilities in Canada Report.
September:
Golf Fore The Cure presented by Subaru announces it raised more than $300,000 for breast cancer research through more than 160 events from coast to coast in 2017.
A BIG thank you to all #GolfForetheCure participants for helping us reach $6M raised for breast cancer research??
? https://t.co/Ea7KnwH3jd pic.twitter.com/FK4L30HGn0
— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) September 28, 2017
Following Adopt a School Week, Golf Canada announces an additional 240 school adoptions, representing an additional 28,800 elementary, intermediate and high-school students being introduced to the sport through the Future Links driven by Acura program.
#GolfinSchools totals 240 adoptions to date in 2017 thanks to collective efforts during Adopt a School Week ????
? https://t.co/inaE5cF4ln pic.twitter.com/fAHZ10hpre
— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) September 27, 2017
The Canadian Golf Superintendents Association appoints Jeff Calderwood as its executive director, a post he will hold concurrently with his position as CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association Canada.
October:
Golf Canada announces that in 2018, for the first time, the National Development Squad program will feature a centralized component which will be based out of Bear Mountain Resort in Victoria, B.C.
Kevin Thistle is named CEO of the PGA of Canada to replace the retiring Gary Bernard.
New PGA of Canada CEO Named to Lead Association to a New Era of Success https://t.co/N7lQrg3GYd
— PGA of Canada (@pgaofcanada) October 10, 2017
November:
The 2017 CP Women’s Open, held in Ottawa, wins the Best Charity/Community Engagement award from the LPGA Tournament Owners Association.
A crowd-funding initiative by the Canadian Golf Museum and Hall of Fame raises thousands to digitize and preserve irreplaceable volumes of Canadian Golfer magazine.
Craig Loughry, Golf Canada’s director of handicap and course rating and Golf Ontario’s director of golf services, is named president of the International Association of Golf Administrators.
Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member Mike Weir is inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.
December:
Calgary’s Shaw Charity Classic wins the PGA TOUR Champions President’s Award for the third time in its five-year history.
Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada announce a partnership committed to the principles of the Responsible Coaching Movement, endorsed by the Coaching Association of Canada and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport.
Canadian Press names Brooke Henderson female athlete of the year
TORONTO – Canadian golfer Brooke Henderson is barely out of her teens and her list of accomplishments on the LPGA Tour is already a long one.
She won her first LPGA Tour event in 2015, added her first major championship last year and picked up two more tournament titles in 2017. Henderson capped her latest impressive season Wednesday by winning the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award as Canada’s female athlete of the year.
“I’ve always kind of felt like I belonged out there, which I think is a big part of why I’ve had so much success so early,” said Henderson, who turned 20 in September.
Henderson picked up 35 of 63 votes (56 per cent) in a poll of broadcasters and sports editors from across the country.
“Not only is the young golfer an international champion, but she’s also playing a monumental role in helping young children get into the game,” said Mitch Bach of CHAT TV news in Medicine Hat, Alta.
Swimmer Kylie Masse was a distant second with seven votes. Gymnast Ellie Black and soccer player Christine Sinclair were tied for third with four votes apiece.
Henderson, who also won the Rosenfeld award in 2015, is the first golfer to win the award on two occasions since Lorie Kane (1997, 2000). Swimmer Penny Oleksiak took the honour last year.
“(Henderson) captured the attention of Canadian golf fans in a way not seen since the adoration given previously to Mike Weir,” said Winnipeg Free Press sports editor Steve Lyons.
Henderson had a slow start to the season with just two top-10 finishes in her first 10 events. She found her form in June by winning the Meijer LPGA Classic and just missed out on a playoff at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship later that month.
Her second title came in September at the New Zealand Women’s Open.
“Patience I think is a key word that basically describes my whole season,” she said.
Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., finished sixth on the money list at just over US$1.5 million and was 13th in the world rankings. She did it by relying on her impressive long game and consistent accuracy from the fairways.
She finished 20th on Tour in driving distance this season (263.58 yards) and was 10th in greens in regulation (75.10 per cent). That helped her average just under 70 strokes a round (10th at 69.88).
Another big moment for Henderson came in August at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open in Ottawa. She nearly missed the cut before giving her army of fans something to cheer about on the weekend.
Henderson surged up the leaderboard before finishing in a tie for 12th place.
“I can’t even really put into words what it meant to me to see all that support and those people cheering me on,” Henderson said from Naples, Fla. “To get that 63 course record on Saturday in front of all those people in my hometown was truly amazing and one of the highlights of my year for sure.”
Henderson’s five career LPGA Tour victories leaves her only three behind Sandra Post for most wins by a Canadian.
“She knows how to score and she’s not afraid to go low,” Post said. “Some people, they get to 5 under, and they quit. She keeps going.”
Henderson, who had eight top-10 finishes, plans to focus on improving her short game as she prepares for the season opener next month at the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic.
Her putting average of 29.77 per round was 58th overall and she sat 100th in sand saves at 42.67 per cent.
“I have big goals and hopefully in 2018 I’ll have my best year yet,” Henderson said. “But to have a year like 2017 to back up what I did in 2016 – which was really a miracle season for me, everything went perfect – so to grind it out in 2017 and to have the finishes that I did, I’m really proud of that.”
Tennis player Denis Shapovalov won the Lionel Conacher Award as Canada’s male athlete of the year on Tuesday. The CP team of the year will be announced Thursday.
Bobbie Rosenfeld, an Olympic medallist in track and field and a multi-sport athlete, was named Canada’s best female athlete of the half-century in 1950.
The first winner of the Rosenfeld award was golfer Ada Mackenzie in 1933. Marlene Stewart Streit leads all golfers by taking the honour on five occasions (1952, ’53, ’56, ’57, ’63).
“I’m extremely proud to be named Canada’s female athlete of the year,” Henderson said. “I was just looking at some of the names … Marlene Streit, Lorie Kane, Sandra Post, all golfers that have won this award. Even the last few years, I just saw Christine Sinclair, Hayley Wickenheiser, Eugenie Bouchard.
“Those names are huge names in all of sport and all of Canada. So to be amongst them is a great honour for me.”
2017 in review: Amateur golf
The year 2017 is drawing to a close and what a year it was for Canadian golf. Our pros won literally around the world and on just about every tour imaginable. Our amateurs of all ages made Canada proud at home and abroad. And, off the course, there were significant moments that are well worth memorializing as 2018 looms on the horizon. This is the second of a three-part series remembering most, if not all, of those memorable moments.(If we’ve unintentionally overlooked any—there were so many, after all!—please let us know on Twitter or Facebook.
January:
Grace St-Germain and Maddie Szeryk, members of Team Canada’s Amateur Squad, win the team title at the Mexican Amateur.
ICYMI – Canada’s @gracestgermain & @mszeryk combined scores to win team event at last week’s Mexican Amateur.
? | https://t.co/L7DwcwwfwK pic.twitter.com/2Wjz1g9qbe
— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) January 14, 2017
February:
Jared du Toit of Kimberley, B.C., wins a U.S. collegiate tournament, The Prestige at PGA West, in California.
Naomi Ko of Victoria, B.C., a sophomore at North Carolina State, wins a playoff to claim her first NCAA title, the Lady Puerto Rico Classic.
A BIG congratulations to #TeamCanada‘s @naomiko_golf, who captured her first #NCAA win today at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic ?? pic.twitter.com/siqUgMslbI
— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) February 14, 2017
March:
Maddie Szeryk, a third-year member of Team Canada’s Amateur Squad and a junior at Texas A&M, wins the NCAA’s Dr. Donnis Invitational in Hawaii.
April:
Emily Leung and Chris Crisologo, both B.C. natives and students at Simon Fraser University, win their respective NCAA Division II individual titles at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championship in Idaho.
British Columbians Stuart Macdonald, the event’s medallist, and Lawren Rowe team up to win the Peruvian International Amateur Championship.
Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., wins her division at the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship at Augusta National, home of The Masters in Augusta, Ga.
How about a BIG round of ? for Canada’s Savannah Grewal, winner of Girls 14-15 division @DriveChipPutt – congrats!! ?? ?? pic.twitter.com/LLustCgOUe
— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) April 2, 2017
June:
Team Canada Amateur Squad member Maddie Szeryk, a junior at Texas A&M, wins the Western Women’s Golf Association Amateur Championship in Illinois.
The University of British Columbia Thunderbirds women, led by Kat Kennedy, claim their second consecutive Canadian University/College Championship at Tangle Creek GC in Barrie, Ont. Universite Laval wins the men’s title.
July:
Colorado’s Jennifer Kupcho wins the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Cutten Fields in Guelph, Ont.
The “Future Links, driven by Acura, Junior Skills Challenge” national event commences at Glen Abbey GC in Oakville, Ont. For the ninth consecutive year, the event crowns female and male champions from three age groups. The 2017 champions are Andre Zhu, Kelly Zhao, Felix Bouchard, Emily Zhu, Nathan Hogan and Mackenzie Morrison.
August:
Winnipeg’s Todd Fanning wins the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Wascana CC in Regina.
Congratulations to Todd Fanning, who won the 2017 Canadian Men’s Mid-Am in a playoff over Rank & Diack at @The_Wascana ! ????? #CDNMidAm pic.twitter.com/riAVIeC16W
— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) August 25, 2017
Australian Sue Wooster wins the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship in a playoff over Mary Ann Hayward of St. Thomas, Ont., at Humber Valley Resort in Newfoundland and Labrador. Lauren Greenlief of Australia claims the Mid-Amateur title.
Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member Mary Ann Hayward defeats reigning champion and fellow Canadian Judith Kyrinis in a playoff to win the Women’s North and South Senior Championship in Pinehurst, N.C.
Quebec wins all four medals at the Canadian Summer Games at Southwood G&CC in Winnipeg.
Zach Bauchou of Virginia wins the 113th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at Toronto GC.
Susan Xiao of Surrey, B.C., wins the Canadian Junior Girls Championship at Ottawa’s Camelot G&CC.
Calvin Ross wins the Canadian Junior Boys Championship at Cataraqui G&CC in Kingston, Ont., becoming the first New Brunswick native to claim that title.
September:
Team Spain wins the World Junior Girls Golf Championship in Ottawa in a playoff over Korea.
Judith Kyrinis of Thornhill, Ont., defeats fellow Canadian Terrill Samuel to win the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship. Of the nine Canadians in the field, four advanced to the quarter-finals.
Team Canada wins a total of five medals in the inaugural adaptive golf competition of the Invictus Games in Toronto.
Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee, a junior at Ohio State, wins her first NCAA collegiate tournament, the East & West Challenge in Wisconsin.
Gene Elliott of Iowa wins the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship at Kanawaki GC in Quebec.
October:
University of the Fraser Valley wins both the men’s and women’s titles at the Canadian Collegiate Athletics Association national championships in Oshawa, Ont.
November:
Team Canada—Joey Savoie of La Prairie, Que., and Josh Whalen of Napanee, Ont.—win the Tailhade Cup in Argentina.
December:
Josh Whalen of Napanee, Ont., and Maddie Szeryk, a dual citizen of London, Ont., and Allen, Texas, recognized as Canada’s top male and female amateur golfers for 2017 by Golf Canada.
Hats off to @JWhalen8 and @mszeryk, Golf Canada’s amateur players of the year for 2017 ????
? https://t.co/AKnPwTRzI1 pic.twitter.com/ZcX4hQ9TtV
— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) December 12, 2017
Adam Hadwin extends partnership with Levelwear
Levelwear confirmed today that it has resigned Adam Hadwin to a multi-year deal and the PGA TOUR member will continue to be a global brand ambassador for their brand moving into 2018.
“I absolutely loved working with Levelwear last season to ensure that each week I was dressed with high-performance and top quality apparel that enabled me to continuously compete at the top level; I’m thrilled to continue to wear their apparel moving into this season,” says Hadwin. “The fact that I can not only work with a Canadian brand but feel great in their apparel week after week means a lot, and I look forward to playing in some new styles this season on TOUR.”
. @Levelwear, our apparel partners for the @RBCCanadianOpen & @CPWomensOpen, confirmed today that they’ve resigned @ahadwingolf to a multi-year deal as a global brand ambassador. pic.twitter.com/W1Hw2uVPPx
— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) January 4, 2018
Hadwin had a breakout season during the 2016-2017 PGA TOUR campaign, making history at the CareerBuilder Challenge, becoming the 4th player in PGA TOUR history and first Canadian ever to shoot sub-60 on a par 72 course. Seven weeks after his impressive performance at the CareerBuilder, Hadwin then went on to capture his first PGA TOUR title at the Valspar Championship, defeating Patrick Cantlay in a tightly fought battle. To conclude his third season on TOUR, Hadwin earned a spot to compete in the Presidents Cup, making him the third Canadian in history to do so. Hadwin is in a great place right now both on and off the course, and hopes to continue this momentum into the 2017-2018 season.
Levelwear works with roughly 80 of the top 100 golf clubs in both Canada and the US, as well as continuously growing their portfolio of top tier golfers joining Adam Hadwin.
“We are thrilled Adam will be continuing to wear Levelwear on TOUR this season after his stellar performance last year. His attitude on and off the course reflects the core values Levelwear boasts internally and externally,” said Hilton Ngo, Levelwear’s CEO. “We can’t wait to further grow our relationship with him as he competes on TOUR this season and watch him continue to reach new heights.”
Levelwear has established enduring business verticals in licensed and team sports, golf apparel, and men’s and women’s lifestyle wear, with core strengths of innovation, decoration, and industry leading service. The company holds licensing partnerships with some of the top global brands, including the NHL and NHLPA, NBA and NBPA, 140 US Colleges, Hockey Canada and various soccer properties (Bayern Munich, Paris St. Germain, Juventus, Celtics, Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham, etc.) globally. At the PGA Merchandising Show in Orlando later in the month, Levelwear is unveiling its 2018 collection and the Insignia Program, a highly innovative logo treatment collection, that gives a rich gloss metallic like finish with custom embellishments. For more information, please visit www.levelwear.com.