When the stakes are at their biggest and tension is high, it takes a special type of character to stay calm and produce their best golf. So when there’s a cool $10 million bonus up for grabs, this is the exact situation that many of the world’s best encountered this week at the TOUR Championship.

Home favourite Dustin Johnson was in the lead after 54 holes, with both the tournament and the FedEx Cup in his control. Europe’s best hope was Rory McIlroy and the equation for him to secure the jackpot was quite simple – win the tournament with Johnson finishing in T2 or worse.

So onto the final round and no-one saw what happened coming. Big-hitting Johnson had been a model of consistency in recent weeks so many thought it was a mere formality that the American would waltz to victory. However, a worst-of-the-day 73 saw him plummet down the leaderboard, blowing the TOUR Championship and FedEx Cup wide open again.

McIlroy, starting the final round just two shots off the lead, carded a magnificent six-under-par 64 to join Moore and Chappell in a three-way play-off. Being three behind the leaders with three holes left to play, things weren’t looking great for the Northern Irishman. Rory found himself on the left-hand side of the 16th fairway off the tee. 137 yards was the number, an eagle two was the result. A truly magnificent feat when it was needed the most. He then went on to follow this up with a birdie at the 72nd hole to join the two Americans at the top of the leaderboard.

An eagle lip-out at the first extra hole for McIlroy secured an easy birdie, but it wasn’t until the fourth extra hole when McIlroy rolled in a 15-footer to take golf’s biggest (monetary) prize. Perfect timing to find some form ahead of this week’s Ryder Cup.

What equipment did Rory use?

• Driver – Nike Vapor Fly Pro (9.5 degrees)
• Fairway woods – Nike Vapor Speed (15 & 19 degrees)
• Irons – Nike VR Pro Blade (4-9)
• Wedges – Nike Engage (47, 52, 56 & 59)
• Putter – Scotty Cameron

History was made on the European Tour last week as Francesco Molinari became the first home player to win the Italian Open on two occasions. The Italian fired a closing 65 to beat Ryder Cup star Danny Willett by one in a tense final-day battle.

Molinari – a former Ryder Cup player himself – couldn’t have asked for a better start; an eagle-3 on the first followed by a birdie at the second opened up a quick two-shot advantage over the Englishman. Standing on the 13th tee, Molinari was four ahead and looked destined for victory. We all know how quickly things can change in the game of golf, and it only took two holes for Willett to close the gap to one with four holes to play. Despite some nervy moments from both players over the closing stretch, they both parred the remaining four holes to see Molinari pick up his fourth European Tour victory.

It was a good week for some of Europe’s other Ryder Cup jewels too, as Cabrera-Bello finished T12, Fitzpatrick ended the week in T15, whilst Kaymer, Sullivan and Wood all finished in T20. Finding form at just the right time? Let’s hope so!

What equipment did Molinari use?

• Driver – Nike Vapor Fly (10.5 degrees)
• Fairway wood – Nike Vapor Fly (13 degrees)
• Hybrid – Nike Vapor Fly (17 degrees)
• Irons – Nike Vapor Pro Combo (4 iron); Nike Vapor Pro (5-PW)
• Wedges – Nike Engage (52, 56 & 60)
• Putter – Nike Method

Few golfers have had a better 2016 than Dustin Johnson. The big-hitting American is finally realising his potential as he sits second in the world ranking and now - thanks to his victory in the BMW Championship last week - leads the way in the FedExCup standings.

The reigning US Open champion carded six birdies and a brilliant eagle in his final round to secure his third trophy of 2016 at Crooked Stick. The overnight leader didn’t have it all his own way though, as Englishman Paul Casey drew level after three holes thanks to back-to-back birdies. However this seemed to kick the America into gear with four more birdies before the turn – putting him in a position where he was never going to look back.

In the end it was a comfortable three-shot win, leaving ‘DJ’ at the top of the FedExCup rankings with just one event left to play. We know one thing for sure – We wouldn’t want to face him come the Ryder Cup at the end of the month.

What equipment did DJ use?

• Driver – TaylorMade M1 (11 degrees)
• Fairway wood – TaylorMade M1 (17 degrees); TaylorMade M1 (19 degrees)
• Irons – TaylorMade Tour Preferred (3-PW)
• Wedges – TaylorMade Tour Preferred EF (52 & 60)
• Putter – TaylorMade Spider

In what was the first event on the European Tour since Darren Clarke finalised his Ryder Cup Team last week, spectators and media alike were wondering how Europe’s elite would fare at the Omega European Masters.

Top 12 finishes for Westwood, Fitzpatrick and Willett provided fans with some extra hope heading into next month’s biannual battle with the Americans – we’ll forget the slight blips (missed cuts) for Sullivan and captain Clarke on this occasion.

However it was Sweden’s Alex Noren and Australia’s Scott Hend who snatched the limelight come Sunday afternoon; an extra play-off hole needed to separate the two. Hend went into the final round with a one-shot lead but found himself two behind the Swede with four holes left to play. A birdie at 15 followed by a three-putt bogey for Noren on 17 forced a play-off at Crans-sue-Sierre.

A well-timed birdie for Noren at the first play-off hole secured his second impressive victory of the summer, following his triumph at the Scottish Open in July.

What equipment did Noren use?

• Driver – Callaway XR 16 (8.5 degrees)
• Fairway wood – Callaway XR (15 degrees)
• Hybrid – Callaway Apex hybrid (18 degrees)
• Irons – Callaway Apex Pro (4-9)
• Wedges – Callaway Mack Daddy 2 (47, 52, 56 & 60)
• Putter – Odyssey Works

With just one month to go until this year's Ryder Cup, the team is now confirmed. European captain Darren Clarke named his three Ryder Cup picks on Tuesday afternoon:

Martin Kaymer

Lee Westwood

Thomas Pieters

I suppose we could have picked Lee Westwood based on his past experiences and his performance in the majors this year. A T2 finish at Augusta was followed by T32 in the U.S. Open and T22 in The Open – not bad for a guy in his twilight years on tour.

Could Clarke have done anything but pick Thomas Pieters after he requested to play with him in last week's Made in Denmark event; only for Pieters to shoot a first round 8-under-par before going on to win the tournament? This came on the back of his 4th place finish at the Rio Olympic Games. Talk about form.

Martin Kaymer's selection, however, could be seen as the debatable one. However if you recall, he did hole the winning putt in 2012 and has valuable experience to offer. One man that may feel slightly aggrieved at missing out is Scotland’s Russell Knox. The PGA Tour based golfer is sitting at 20th in the world rankings (only 5 of the European Team are ranked better) having had several top 10 finishes this season. With his win in this month’s Travelers Championship mixed with his knowledge of American golf courses, you can’t help but feel a little sorry for Knox.

In the end it’s a mix of youth and experience for the Europeans with six rookies on the European side. How will Love III go about choosing his four Captain’s Picks? He has a wealth of talent to choose from, with the likes of Watson, Fowler, Kuchar and Furyk currently sitting outside the automatic spots – not bad when you already have Dustin, Spieth and Mickelson in the team!

Regardless of who makes the final cut, let's hope we can look forward to some more great golf just as we saw at Medinah Country Club in 2012 when it was last in America.

PING need no introduction when it comes to golf equipment; they are at the top of the game. Having built up a strong reputation thanks to the performance of their clubs through the years, expectation is rife whenever they release a new product.
In this blog post, Foremost Golf looks at the different options within PING’s current iron range, from the GMax to the exciting new iBlade.

GMax - PING has pushed the boat out in terms of the technologies featured in its GMAX irons. They're longer, more forgiving and they offer greater control than any clubs PING has previously produced. They also look great and sit beautifully behind the ball. That's quite a package.

G – COR-Eye technology provides four times the amount of face flexing for consistently faster ball speeds across a hotter face. A gain in ball speed and shot height generates more carry distance and a steeper landing angle.

i – Better players will love the performance of PING’s i iron. Using 431 stainless steel for the first time, PING’s engineers were able to create a head design that deliver workability and trajectory control with the right amount of forgiveness.

iBlade - If you’re a confident ball striker, you should seriously consider the iBlade irons. They boast more distance, forgiveness and feel over the S55 irons they replace.

There really is a model for every level of golfer in PING’s iron range, no matter what you’re after.

Whether you were for or against golf’s inclusion in the Olympics, it was fitting that two of the highest-ranked players battled it out come Sunday’s finale.

Much was made as to whether golf deserved a place at this year’s Games, not made any easier by the numerous dropouts from some of the world’s best and most iconic golfers. Two guys who didn’t let anything prevent them from their quest for Olympic Gold were Great Britain’s Justin Rose and Sweden’s Henrik Stenson.

The talented duo went to head-to-head on, yet another, final-day titanic battle. Stenson has been playing some sublime golf of late - none more so than his Open Championship heroics last month - but found himself one shot back heading into the closing 18. Arguably playing the better golf down the stretch, Stenson clawed his way back to level with Rose when standing on the 72nd tee. With a fascinating play-off looking likely, Rose went on to birdie the last for a two-shot victory following the Swede’s three-putt bogey.

Rose’s post-round interview said it all as he asserted that this was the best tournament he has ever won – and he’s a Major champion. Let’s hope this passion is infectious to others across tours and more of the world’s elite choose to take part in four years’ time.

What equipment did Rose use for Gold?

• Driver – TaylorMade M2 (8.5 loft)
• Fairway wood – TaylorMade M2 (15 loft)
• Irons – TaylorMade Psi Tour (3-iron); TaylorMade Tour Preferred MB (4-PW)
• Wedges – TaylorMade Tour Preferred EF (52, 56 & 60)
• Putter – TaylorMade Ghost
• Ball – TaylorMade Tour Preferred X

Henrik Stenson won his first Major title at Royal Troon on Sunday; his titanic battle with Phil Mickelson making for an incredible final day’s viewing for the 145th Open Championship.

The two Callaway Golf players went head-to-head – way ahead of the rest of the field - trading blows throughout an enthralling contest. It is a battle that will live long in the memory; a true masterclass from two of the world’s best at the top of their games.

After Mickelson’s eight-under-par 63 on Thursday, many thought that the American already had one hand on the Claret Jug. But 36 holes later, he was trailing the ice-cool Swede by one heading into Sunday’s showdown.

It was very much a matchplay scenario on Sunday, helping both golfers to stay aggressive

In truth, Phil could do no more. You’d put your mortgage on him winning the Claret Jug if we told you he’d go on to shoot a flawless six-under-par 65 on Sunday; but not on this occasion.

A three-putt bogey from Stenson on the first was not what the doctor ordered - a sign of nerves at the start of the biggest round of his career. Following this with six birdies in the next nine holes, The Swede showed that he was certainly up to the challenge. If you thought there may be some problems down the final stretch, then think again. Four birdies in his final five holes secured a first Major win with an Open Championship record score of 20-under-par.

McIlroy coined it best in his post-round interview, describing the two as being on a ‘different planet’. At times it looked like they were playing a completely different game to the rest of the field.

The best part?

Even after an intense battle for 36 holes, the two showed utter class and respect for one another as they walked off the 72nd green arm-in-arm, a sign of true sportsmanship.

We started the week with a 63 by Mickelson, and ended it with a 63 by Stenson.
Let’s hope we’re treated to much of the same in this year’s Ryder Cup!

What equipment did Stenson use?

• Driver – Callaway XR 16 (9 loft)
• Fairway wood – Callaway Diablo (13 loft);
• Irons – Callaway Legacy Black (2-PW)
• Wedges – Callaway Mack Daddy 3 (52 & 58)
• Putter – Odyssey White Hot

The Callaway XR 16 family has been one of the most successful range of golf clubs in recent times; but why?

Not only are amateurs drooling over their newly-found distance and improved accuracy, but several tour winners are proving that the Callaway XR 16 product is amongst the best in the market – including Danny Willett hot off the back of his Masters triumph using the XR 16 wood line-up.

In this article, Foremost Golf looks at what Callaway has incorporated into their XR 16 products, and why this had led to such phenomenal results. You’re in for quite a surprise.

Forgiveness meets fast

That’s Callaway’s tagline for their XR 16 family, a range in which they teamed up with the experts at Boeing – yes, the company that designs aircrafts – to redefine what’s possible in a golf club. And boy have they done it! Here’s how...

• Callaway XR 16 Driver – The Callaway XR 16 driver tackles one of the biggest problems that manufacturers face when designing a driver; and that is to maximise forgiveness whilst making it fast in the downswing. In order to achieve this, Callaway and Boeing produced one of the best drivers golf has ever seen. The XR 16 driver features a sleek and aerodynamic crown that saves weight and increases clubhead speed, whilst shifting the centre of gravity lower in the head to improve forgiveness. That’s not all though, as the face is 19% thinner which leads to more ball speed across the club no matter whether you hit it off the heel, toe or on the sweet-spot – perfect for all golfers. As far as Callaway Golf drivers go, the XR 16 will take some considerable beating.
• Callaway XR 16 Fairway Wood– Callaway utilised Boeing once again to combine its highest MOI and lowest centre of gravity in a fairway wood. The lighter crown (in fact it’s the lightest ever crown Callaway has produced) helps to aid a high launch, ultimately providing golfers with even more ball speed and distance from tee and the fairway. The larger sweet-spot helps make the Callaway XR 16 fairway wood more playable from all lies.
• Callaway XR Iron – From a technological point of view, Callaway’s XR irons are a huge step forward. They’ve taken a face first used in a fairway wood (Cup 360 technology) and worked it into an iron head to add forgiveness, increases ball speed and make them easier to hit. What more could you want?
• Callaway XR Hybrid – Long irons are a thing of the past as more and more golfers opt for a hybrid as a replacement. As such, Callaway has produced the perfect complement to their XR iron range. The Callaway XR hybrid offers extreme forgiveness, high launch and increased distance, everything a golfer wants to replace those hard-to-hit long irons.

So, did you work out the common theme running across the Callaway XR 16 range? If not, how did you miss it? It’s the three things all golfers look for:

1. Added forgiveness
2. Increased ball speed (leading to increased distance)
3. Higher launch/ball flight

It’s all well and good when it comes from the brand itself, but the proof is in the pudding. With the repeated success that Callaway Golf Drivers have had this year – including seven wins in a row across tours – you can be guaranteed their claims are 100% true. All golfers will find a club that’s perfect for them in the Callaway XR 16 range, that’s for sure.

What are you waiting for?

There was a breakthrough moment for TaylorMade golfer Daniel Berger on the PGA Tour this week, claiming a three-shot victory in the FedEx St Jude Classic. On a course that puts a premium on hitting fairways, Berger excelled with the latest additions to his bag – TaylorMade M2 driver and fairway wood. In fact he averaged almost 310 yards off the tee (T5) and hit 60% of fairways over the week (T11), a winning combination in any tournament. After dropping a shot on the first hole, Berger steadied himself with two birdies on the front nine. Three further birdies in the space of four holes on the back nine secured a maiden Tour victory for the American, who heads into this week’s US Open in fine form.

What equipment did he use?

• Driver – TaylorMade M2 (10.5 loft)
• 3-wood – TaylorMade M2 (17 loft)
• Irons – TaylorMade RocketBladez Tour (3); TaylorMade Tour Preferred MC (4-PW)
• Wedges – TaylorMade Tour Preferred EF (50, 56 & 60)
• Putter – TaylorMade Corza Ghost
• Ball – Titleist Pro V1x

Austria played host to this week’s European Tour event, as the Lyoness Open rolled into town. With many of Europe’s best choosing to familiarise themselves with surroundings for next week’s US Open, it was a less than stellar field in Austria. The Diamond Country Club – host to this week’s event – is a brute of a course, measuring near 7,500 yards and it certainly showed with no golfer carding four sub-70 rounds. But history was made nevertheless. Ashun Wu became the first Chinese golfer to record multiple European Tour victories after a one-shot triumph on Sunday. The Srixon Brand Ambassador started the final day one back from the overnight leader, but a birdie at the gentle par-5 first eased any early-round butterflies. Another four birdies before the turn meant that Wu entered the back nine with a three-shot cushion. Things started to unravel for Wu as a bogey on 11 followed a double at 10, finding himself tied for the lead for seven holes left to play. Although briefly falling one behind, two birdies in three holes regained Wu’s outright lead before pars at the final few holes secured a second European Tour victory.