In partnership with ESPN, DIRECTV viewers can watch up to four channels of live coverage of the Open Championship from the historic links of the Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club.

Fans can catch all the action on the Open Mix Channel (Ch. 701) that lets the viewer watch four channels (Ch. 702-705) at once – all in HD and only on DIRECTV.  Mix Channel viewers will see the home network channel and three feature channels that will follow a group of golfers and focus on a particular area of The Royal Lytham and St Annes Golf Clubs and its narrow, tree-lined fairways and small, well-bunkered greens. Each of the extra channels will be offered in both standard- and high-definition and are fully produced with their own production crew and announcers.

Customers with interactive receivers can view all four channels in the Mix and use their remote to listen to any channel’s audio or tune directly to the full-screen channel. The Mix also features a real-time leader board to keep tabs on all the action.

Viewers of any of these channels also have access to an interactive Menu of features. The application is available 24 hours a day, all four days of the tournament on the HD mix channel.

The Interactive Application Menu is available through the RED color key on the remote, and includes these features:

• TOP 5 LEADERS Top 5 Leaders provides a convenient view of the top five current scores against par. For viewers who want more, an “Expand” option takes them directly to the full Leaderboard.
• LEADERBOARD provides information on all golfers in the field. On-screen text at the top informs viewers that by pressing SELECT on a golfer, they gain access to in-depth Scorecard. Selecting the star icon next to any golfer will add them to the “Favorites” list atop the Leader Board.
• TUNE TO Highlighting this Menu item brings up a submenu allowing the viewer to tune directly to Mix Channel, the Network, or 3 Feature channels.

Carlsbad, CA (May 21, 2012) – Ashworth Golf, an authentic golf brand dedicated to bringing modern style to the golf course is pleased to announce that Tour Staff professional Justin Rose has become the newest Ashworth  brand ambassador, rounding out an already expanded Tour team. Rose, currently ranked ninth in the Official World Golf Rankings, will make the switch to Ashworth’s newest line of apparel and Cardiff footwear this week at the European Tour’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

“I am really excited about partnering with Ashworth going forward; I think that it comes at the right time for me”, says Rose, “I am now into my thirties; my sense of style has evolved over the last couple years and I am certainly a lot more clear about what I want to achieve going forward and how I want to look doing it.”

Rose, 31, is a South African-born English professional golfer who plays most of his golf on the PGA Tour, while keeping his membership on the European Tour.  Since turning professional in 1999, Rose has won four times on the PGA Tour and five on the European Tour, most recently at the WGC-Cadillac at Doral Golf Resort in March 2012.

“Justin is the right man at the right time for the Ashworth brand. He’s fit, focused and poised, and continues to mature as a player,” said Kevin Ross, VP Ashworth Golf, “He maintains dual membership on the PGA and European tours, has won multiple times professionally, and possesses the tools to win a Major Championship.”

On the course, Rose is known for his style, class and inviting personality. Off the course, he is a devoted husband and father of two, and generously supports numerous worthy charities.  “For me I am the kind of player who one day wants to go down in history books, I want to achieve some great things in the game and still think that’s within my capabilities. And to be partnering with a brand that has already has achieved great things within the game, a brand that has a great history behind it for me feels like a very good fit”, said Rose, “Hopefully throughout the rest of my career I can help Ashworth write a new chapter for them as well. “

Ashworth’s new line of golf shirts called EZ-TEC2 will be worn on professional Tours worldwide by Ashworth staffers. Made with 100% synthetic performance fabrics, EZ-TEC2 offers a relaxed, modern fit combined with moisture-wicking elements to keep golfers cool and comfortable. “This is a new category for Ashworth”, said Susan Bush, VP Ashworth Apparel and Footwear.  “In the past we’ve focused primarily on cotton-based apparel because of the feel. With EZ-TEC2, we’ve created a lightweight golf shirt that not only incorporates the benefits of a best-performing synthetic; it also has a superior hand feel that golfers everywhere are going to love.”

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Back in March I wrote a very popular post on my other golf site called “10 Club Companies That Fly Under The Radar“. The response from our readers was great, and we got many other suggestions. It just goes to show how big the golf industry really is. Taking some of the suggestions we got on Facebook, Twitter and email, here are five more companies to watch in 2012:

1. Radius Putters - Designed in the United Kingdom, Radius has two lines of putters. The Classic line features 12 models in all the most popular designs, with precision milling and a gorgeous black finish. The Tour Concept line features three unique models designed to work with different arc stroke shapes depending on the player. This design is unique and innovative, which is hard to do these days. Think about it – When was the last time you saw a putter design that was truly unique?

2. Loudmouth Golf - The boys that make the crazy pants have been around for a while now, and I’ve seen this company that started making fun golf pants grow to offer shirts, belts, hats, sport coats, ski pants, boardshorts, boxers and more. The company has some great new patterns called Foxtrot, Nantucket, Palm Beach, Sock it to Me and more. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, these guys know how to have fun. I’ve played with Loudmouth CEO Larry Jackson and several staffers, and the brand has evolved into more than just a clothing line. It’s a lifestyle. I’ve never met anyone wearing this gear that wasn’t a pleasure to be around and having a blast. To me that says it all. Oh, and guys – The chicks dig ‘em!

3. Kikkor Shoes - Kikkor offers youthful, skate/surf inspired golf shoes that look and perform great on or off the golf course. Last year was huge for Kikkor and founder James Lepp, a Canadian Tour Professional. This year Kikkor is going strong again with 10 models for men and three for women. New models for 2012 include the Tour Athlete, Tour Class, Slyder and New Heights. If you are looking for something different in a golf shoe, something to make you stand out from the crowd, these are the shoes for you. They are comfy, stable and stylish. Most models are spikeless but offer ample traction for all conditions. Our readers get a discount too! Give them a look today at www.kikkor.com

4. Innovex Golf – A little while ago I took a first look at the new Innovex V-Motion golf ball, and it is the real deal. This ball, simply put, is a ProV1 killer. Aimed right at Titleist’s market leading ProV1 and ProV1x, the V-Motion is soft, spins well and flys low and straight. Not only does it perform on par with every other tour-caliber ball I’ve tested to date, but it is significantly cheaper than most. Priced in the $30-$35 range, it is much cheaper than the $45 Titleist ProV1, Callaway Hex Black Tour, Bridgestone B330 and Srixon Z-Star. If you want a tour performance ball at a cheaper price, give these a try.

5. Infiniti Golf - This high-end component club company has been making top notch clubs for years even though most people have never heard of them. The new 452 (440 cc) driver is a beast. The all black TiCn finish looks awesome and the club hits low spinning bombs. When mated with Infiniti’s new Speedflex Japan Issue shaft that was engineered by UST Mamiya, I would put this driver up against any model from the big boys, and I bet it would beat most of them. The new TS 12 iron will also turn heads and knock down flags. Talk to your club maker for more details and give Infiniti a chance. I just put the 452 driver in the bag and I love it.

I recently had the opportunity to wear and review the Oakley Cipher golf shoes. Oakley’s Factory Lite platform helps to keep the Cipher weighing just 260 grams. It is without a doubt the lightest golf shoe on the market to date.  When I first put them on, I could not believe that any shoe, much less a performance golf shoe could be this light weight. I thought I was putting on a pair of bed slippers. The Oakley Cipher has a unique feature proprietary to them called Nano Spike Technology. This technology replaces the golf spike with an abrasive traction pad, located on the front and heel areas of the sole. The Nano technology was created specifically for Oakley by DuPont. The pads are removable, held in by a strong velcro backing. Replacement Nano pads are available from Oakley. I found that the Nano Traction worked fine from the fairways and the rough, but if you get off the beaten path say like the trees or brush, you may have an issue with traction due to different types of debris (leaves, pine needles etc.) . Now, with that being said and to be fair, you will have this problem with any golf shoe. As a precaution I must warn you – do not wear these shoes to your mother’s house (or the clubhouse) and walk, run or slide around on her beautiful wood floors. The Nano Spikes are very abrasive and will scratch a wood or tile floor.

I recently spent a few days at Kiawah Island Golf Resort with my editor to demo this product and several others at the famed Ocean Course, the home of the 2012 PGA Championship this August. The Ciphers were without a doubt the best piece of equipment I had. This is a tough course to walk, with all the changes in terrain. Going from steep bunkers,  sand dunes (yes, even I get into trouble) and elevation changes, the Ciphers made it easy, bearable and a joy to walk the toughest course in America. After walking 7 and a half miles of grueling golf course, my feet felt so good that I actually wanted to play another 18 holes. The Ciphers were incredibly stable with every type of golf shot that I had to contend with (there were a lot). I would recommend the Ciphers to anyone and everyone, especially those who enjoy walking 18 holes.

The Cipher comes in a variety of sizes and colors (Black, Pristine/White and Fluid Blue). They have a moisture wicking textile inner liner, breathable textile upper and a dual density insole with shock absorbing EVA and moisture wicking. The street price for the Cipher ($130.00 retail) is very reasonable with all the attributes you get from them. Oakley has been known a long time for their quality products and the Cipher is no exception, but don’t take my word for it, go out and try a pair. I’m positive that you’ll be a proud owner. Go to www.oakley.com for more product information

Unfortunately for Hannah, fellow rookie Sydnee Michaels, and second-year player Stephanie Sherlock, they needed to be in the top 80 in order to make it into the Kraft Nabisco field. They fell a paltry 25 dollars short of making it into the top 80.  If any of the three players had sunk just one more putt over the four days in Carlsbad they would have earned another four thousand dollars. That would have put them well inside the top 80 on the current money list, and they would be teeing it up this week in Rancho Mirage, California in the Kraft.

No Complaints from Hannah

Hannah is not complaining one bit about missing the Kraft Nabisco. She is thrilled to be where she is at this stage of her early professional career. She is just 19 years old and the California native qualified for the LPGA tour on her very first attempt back in December at the grueling final stage of LPGA Q School in Daytona Beach, Florida. She is one of just a few teenagers playing on the LPGA with the best women golfers in the world.

In fact, in the third round of the Kia Classic Hannah was paired with Na Yeon Choi, the second-ranked women’s golfer on the planet. In Sunday’s final round she played alongside Cristie Kerr, another veteran superstar in the women’s game. Hannah held her own with both of those elite players and proved to herself that, despite her young age, she belongs out there with the very best in the game.

Like most rookies, Hannah was very nervous in her first two starts of the season, the Australian Women’s Open and the LPGA Founders Cup in Phoenix. The big crowds on the big stage of the LPGA can place a lot of pressure on players when they first start out on the tour. Hannah was also working with a new caddie, veteran Greg Sheridan who caddied for many years for Natalie Gulbis and for Hall of Famer Beth Daniel for many years before that. It took Hannah and Greg a few rounds to get to know each other and develop a smooth routine and working relationship out on the course.

Hannah missed the two-day cut in both Australia and Phoenix, but in the second round in Phoenix she had an experience that certainly boosted her confidence level. On the 485-yard par 5 15^th hole, she hit her 3 wood 232 yards onto the green and watched it roll up to the cup and drop in the hole. She made an Albatross, a 2 on a par five. It is the rarest of all shots in golf and it was the first time since 2008 that one had been made by a player on the LPGA tour.

Catching the Eye of Sponsors

Ever since she was a young girl growing up in the San Diego area, Hannah has had a close relationship with TaylorMade Golf. She has worked with the company at its Carlsbad headquarters and she plays all TaylorMade clubs. She credits her new TaylorMade RBZ 3 wood for helping her get the Albatross at the Founders Cup. She says it has given her an additional 20 yards of distance over her previous model.

With her Korean heritage, Hannah has also caught the eye of sponsors in South Korea. With no LPGA events to play in for the next three weeks, Hannah has flown to South Korea to play as a sponsor’s invite in the Lotte KLPGA Championship on the Korean LPGA tour. Lotte is one of the biggest corporations in Asia, and Hannah is now sponsored by Lotte Mart, a big chain of department stores and a division of the huge conglomerate. Lotte is also the title sponsor of the new LPGA event in Hawaii. From Korea, Hannah will be traveling to Hawaii to play in that event (April 18-21) and resume her competition on the LPGA tour.

A Career That Almost Never Happened

While Hannah’s LPGA career is now taking off, just a year ago she came close to giving up the game altogether. At the age of 18 she had lost her love for the game and appeared to have “burned out.”  Making it to the LPGA had been her dream as a child. She became a golfing prodigy at the age of 10, working with teaching pro Kip Puterbaugh in Carlsbad.  She had one of the best swings he had ever seen in a young child. He developed her natural talent and she began winning junior golf events on a regular basis.

Hannah and her parents moved to Bradenton, Florida, when she was 12 years old and she spent four years at the IMG/David Leadbetter Golf Academy. They teach a different style of swing, and while Hannah performed well she never really felt comfortable with the technique. Her natural ability allowed her to overcome the change in style and play well, but it was always a struggle to feel comfortable while she was playing.

Hannah went on to the University of Florida where she was the Most Valuable Player on the women’s golf team as a 15-year-old freshman. As a sophomore she decided to leave college and began playing fulltime on the LPGA Futures Tour (now the Symetra Tour).  She turned pro at the age of 17, becoming the youngest touring pro in the country.  However, her game went stale. She was one of the better players on the tour, but she never came close to winning an event. She left the tour midway in the 2011 season and was close to giving up golf altogether and abandoning her childhood dream.

Hannah and her parents moved back to the San Diego area and she began working again with Kip Puterbaugh, her first instructor. Together they rediscovered Hannah’s natural swing, improved it, and began preparing her for the LPGA Q School tournaments. It all came together. Hannah was enjoying the game again. The style of swing that Puterbaugh teaches was exactly right for her. Hitting the golf ball became fun again for her. She moved through the Q School process and earned her 2012 LPGA card at the final stage last December.

The Season Ahead

Like most rookies on the LPGA, Hannah has some immediate goals. She wants to make as many cuts as she can and earn enough money to ensure her playing status for next year. Also like most LPGA players, her ultimate goal is to win tournaments, to be one of the very best (if not the best) players in the world, and to make a long career out of the game she loves and seems born to play.

When she was a little girl, Hannah loved to watch golf tournaments on television. Her mother and father say she was always fascinated by the bright silver trophies the winners would hoist above their heads after they captured their victory. She called the trophies “the shiny” as a little girl. Hannah will turn 20 next month. Don’t be surprised to see her raising “the shiny” over her head one day soon as a young woman pro on the LPGA.

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Motorola is best known for making cell phones, but with the new MOTOACTV they are branching into the Golf/Fitness/Electronics market, which I didn’t even know existed! Sure enough, Motorola has teamed up with three-time PGA TOUR winner Bubba Watson to introduce the new MOTOACTV Golf Edition – a cutting-edge GPS Golf tracker, virtual caddy and online clubhouse. MOTOACTV is the world’s first all-in-one GPS fitness tracker and smart MP3 player. When you’re off the course, use the device to track time, distance, speed, calories burned and heart rate for fitness activities, while the smart MP3 player “learns” what tunes motivate you the most and turns them into high-performance playlists – acting as your very own personal DJ.

MOTOACTV is the world’s first all-in-one GPS fitness tracker and smart MP3 player.  And now, it has a golf feature:

• You can track your golf game on up to 20,000 courses worldwide right from your wrist.
• GPS tracks the front, center and back distances to green and to hazards.
• A virtual caddy keeps track of your scorecards, clubs and key statistics – perfect for weekend warriors.
• Sync your rounds wirelessly to visualize and study your game online at MOTOACTV.com and view rounds from the Pros.

I would love to try this geek-worthy unit for myself, but I seldom work out. OK, I never work out, unless playing tennis counts. Either way, I think there could be a future for this all-in-one device.

What do you think?

For 2012 Antigua has focused on colors that are bright and bold, but aren’t contrived or forced. They have  focused on how the use of color affects the soft neutrals and textures of its complimenting surrounds and sits as a critical contrast as the spark to the pale.  The more poetic it sounds the less it would seem it would apply to golf wear specifically but with intense due diligence paid to detail and challenging themselves to keep the inspiration in perspective Antigua believe that they have genuinely created what they consider to be a new tradition for golf apparel – bringing a new brightness to the game.  The additional focus of merchandising the entire collection to tell one cohesive story about color speaks for itself – and it speaks, and shares the inspiration.

 The Antigua Spring ’12 performance golf fashion collection is fresh and bright and fun and new.  It introduces shades of cool wedgewood, bright berry, electric keylime, sharp melon, rich azalea and a wash of turquoise.  Paired with every shade of neutral and along with shades of grey the bright colors compliment the subtle neutrals in an unexpectedly pleasing palette. 

 Complimenting the use of color is the merchandised offering which offers textured drop needle horizontal and vertical fabrics, subtle piping details on a textured style, incorporating a block of fabric and color for simplicity, and including the compliment of a soft contrast stripe all tell the same story.  Embellishing the offering with a full on splash of  color makes this Spring ’12  presentation sharp and fresh.

 Add to this the tie in with the complimenting outerwear which Antigua has expanded on in both layering styles as well as sweaters, vests and wind shells enhances the color story and presentation.  The initial introduction of the line to date has been well received and gives confidence that the direction of color as a new tradition will be followed up as we develop our upcoming Summer collection. 

I have several shirts from Antigua and I love them for their light weight, moisture-wicking features and comfortable fit that doesn’t impede the golf swing. For more information, visit www.antigua.com or take a look at their online store at shop.antigua.com

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Recently,  I had the distinct privilege to play the new Wilson CI11 Irons with the Half + Half golf shafts and a second set with the KBS Tour Black Nickel steel shafts at the famed Kiawah Island Golf Resort. For those who may not know what the H+H shafts are, they are a combination of a graphite (upper half) and steel (lower half) shaft. The clubs themselves were incredibly forgiving and stable, producing a nice penetrating ball flight and was able to work the ball with control. As the week went on, I noticed that I was gaining distance with every Iron shot. The new black PVD finish on the CI11′s were a big advantage in the direct sunlight. They produced almost no glare which made it easy to align and set up without a blinding effect. While testing both sets, I did  notice that the H+H shafts produced a bit of a higher ball flight versus the KBS Tours. The Half + Half shafts held there own with a more appealing feel in the hands over the KBS Tour.

I have been a steel shaft advocate since I began playing golf and that still remains, but as I get older my hands are beginning to let me know that it may be time to use something a little more forgiving to the joints. With that in mind, I found the Half + Half shafts were a pleasure to use and noticed less shock to my hands while using them. I still had the consistency of a steel shaft, but now with the softer feel of graphite on my hands. I would and have recommended the CI11′s to players of all handicaps, whether you use the Half + Half shafts or a steel shaft, preferably the KBS shaft. Don’t just take my word for it, go out and demo these clubs for yourselves, I promise you won’t be disappointed. Once you try them, I’m confident you will own a set.

The resort has  five top notch golf courses designed by legends suck as Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player,  but the flagship is the Pete Dye designed Ocean Course – home of the 1991 Ryder Cup, 2007 Senior PGA and the 2012 PGA Championship.

The Ocean Course was recently rated as the toughest golf course in America by Golf Digest. While it certainly is a tough course, it is also fair. Here’s a slideshow of the photos we took that will show you what makes it so tough and beautiful.

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Jox Athletic Shorts provide core support for an active lifestyle. Combining athletic compression shorts with core supporting elements and a pocket for heat and cold packs, Jox can help keep you swinging your best while providing the support you need in the core areas of the abdominals, lower back and upper legs that are so important to the golf swing. Developed with the help of a well respected sports medicine physician, Jox Athletic Shorts reduced paraspinal activity by 19% in a clinical study.

Jox are more than just a combination of compression shorts and lower back support. They also feature a pocket in the lower back area to insert one of the included hot or cold packs to give you some of the therapeutic benefits of a hot pack before playing, and a cold pack after. Another benefit of Golf Jox is the slimming effect they have. Nobody can even tell you are wearing them, but you’ll feel the support and stability they provide.

The fit is predictably tight, but not constricting. The belt is adjustable to whatever level of support you want, and the shorts are comfortable to wear all day. In fact, my testers did exactly that. One is a landscaper and spends his day outdoors in Florida constantly bending and reaching. He has dealt with back pain for years, and feels that Jox gave him added support and a constant reminder of the importance of posture while he works. As a result, he hasn’t experienced any pain since wearing Jox.

My other tester has a typical desk job and felt that the Jox shorts gave him good lower back support throughout the day, and while playing golf the compression shorts were comfortable to wear and the adjustable belt gave him good stability in his lower back. The anti-bacterial, moisture-wicking material didn’t feel heavy or hot even on a hot day playing golf in Florida. He even wore them for a 20 mile bike ride and was happy with their performance.

If you struggle with back pain, or are simply looking for a performance undergarment that provides advanced core support, you owe it to yourself to try Jox Athletic Shorts. But don’t take my word for it – ask Joe LaCava who caddies on the PGA Tour for Tiger Woods. He wears Jox on the job to provide support and pain relief. For more information or to purchase them for yourself, visit www.joxstore.com and use the promo code “J123″ at checkout!

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