Golf Monthly April 2026

neil.tappin@futurenet.com On a recent episode of Kick Point, our golf gear show (available on all good podcast platforms), Golf Monthly gear expert Joe Ferguson raised the question of why players are allowed to begin each hole by teeing their ball up. Referring specifically to those competing on tour, he said: “The problem is drivers have become, relatively speaking, too easy to hit.” A few days after hearing Joe speak, I was at home with my family, watching the figure skating at the Winter Olympics. Each skater started their four-minute routine knowing one small slip would put paid to their medal chances. Some stayed on their feet, many fell. It was sporting drama at its best. It is hard to argue with the idea that tour golf has lost any real…

A Rose among thorns As a fellow Hampshire Hog, Justin Rose will always be a legend to me. I have followed him since his iconic days as a youngster and as an amateur at The Open Championship. Watching him win the Farmers Insurance Open at the age of 45 was even more inspiring. He embodies everything that is good about a professional sportsman and is utterly dedicated to being the best he can be – the fittest, the healthiest and the strongest mentally. But way more than that, he embodies the spirit in life that many of us adhere to follow. He is humble, generous, genuine, likeable and as gracious in victory as he is in defeat. He is my golfing hero, but more so he is a true ambassador…

Anthony, congratulations on your remarkable win at LIV Golf Adelaide. Can you even begin to sum it up? I knew it was going to be an uphill battle, but I got the putts to go my way. I’m very overwhelmed, but my plan is to keep getting better and start winning some more trophies. The support in Australia was second to none. Do you have a sense of how inspirational your story has become? For the people who do hear about it, I want to be a good example. I would say that I wasn’t the best person, the best partner or the best son when I was younger. But who I am today is a completely different person. With God, my family and my sobriety being the key things…

MASTERS STATS SPECIAL 69 Lowest-world-ranked player to win The Masters – Angel Cabrera in 2009 865 Course yardage difference from the first Masters in 1934 to this year’s 7,565 THE 2025 MASTERS IN NUMBERS 4.32 Average score on hardest hole (par-4 5th) 4.61 Average score on easiest hole (par-5 2nd) 27 Total eagles for the week (Rory McIlroy had three) 24 Most birdies for the week (Justin Rose) 58 Most greens in regulation (Hideki Matsuyama, 80.56%) 51 Most fairways hit (Aaron Rai, 91.07%) 1.5 Fewest putts per GIR (Tom Hoge, Bryson DeChambeau) EUROPEAN VICTORIES AT THE MASTERS 25 Gary Player won the 25th Masters at the age of 25 in 1961, the first non-American champion THE ‘BIG THREE’ OF NICKLAUS, PALMER AND PLAYER AT THE MASTERS 11 Most birdies in one…

Team Europe will be led by Luke Donald for the third time in a row at next year’s Ryder Cup, it was confirmed earlier this month. The popular Englishman has already presided over wins in Rome and New York during his time at the helm, joining Tony Jacklin as the only other European captain to steer the team to consecutive Ryder Cup triumphs. The 48-year-old was the universal first choice among European players, officials and fans to lead the side again, with Rory McIlroy calling the announcement “wonderful” and a “huge advantage” for Europe. In a statement, Donald said: “The last two Ryder Cups have meant a lot to me and my family. I didn’t imagine this third time would come. Celebrating on that Sunday night in New York after…

Bad Says Fergus Bisset Member-owned and member-run clubs are the backbone of golf in the UK&I. They are the beating heart of our sport. They feed and nourish its limbs and extremities. Without our member-run clubs, the game, as we know it in this country, would die. Community is one of the keys to success. Across the country, towns and villages have golf clubs that provide a focal point for social interaction and activity. Such clubs bring people together to support the common cause of sustaining a recreational activity to mutually enjoy. Members are also joint custodians of a facility and fellowship that runs deeper than the sport. “It’s our club and we are proud of it.” For there to be equality of contribution towards maintaining these social and sporting…