Tiger Woods talks sports, shares memories with Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali

How did Tiger Woods decide to play a Bridgestone golf ball after Nike left the golf equipment business? GolfWRX writer John Wunder recently spoke to two key Bridgestone employees – Andrew Troutner, Test Site Operations Manager, R&D; and Adam Rehberg, Golf Ball Fitting, Events & Partnerships Supervisor – to get the scoop on Tiger and how Bridgestone built the current 2020 Tour B XS that Tiger has in his bag.

GolfWRX: Walk me through the testing process with TW to land on the 2020 Tour B XS.

ANDREW TROUTNER: In the initial test at his home club (The Medalist) in Florida, we brought eight different balls that we felt would be in the ballpark of what he prefers.Tiger is as sensitive and discerning as anyone in history, and the specificity of his equipment is a testament to that.The prototypes we brought were unmarked, and we didn’t tell him what each one did nor did he want to know. It’s pure feel.

ADAM REHBERG: Of the eight balls we brought, 99 percent of golfers wouldn’t see any difference between them, but this is TW. Some had core differences, dimple, cover etc. Only one of the balls we brought in that round of testing had our Reactiv cover. He immediately responded to the sound and how long the ball seemed to stay on the face.

The whole process took about three full sessions over the course of many months. We started with eight balls. For the second session, we brought four, and in the final, we had five that were all very close to each other. The B XS we all see now was the winner of that third session.

How well do you know the rules of golf? This video will test your knowledge with 20 questions covering everything from when a ball is out of bounds to broken golf clubs. The Golf Monthly Rules Quiz will help you get a better understanding of the rules regardless of how many questions you actually get right. Take the Golf Monthly rules quiz and let us know how many point you scored.

To our Waste Management Phoenix Open Community:

First and foremost, we hope this finds you and your family healthy and safe as we all navigate these difficult and unprecedented times. On behalf of The Thunderbirds, please accept our sincere thank you for your support of the Waste Management Phoenix Open. We truly recognize that our fans, sponsors, and volunteers make the WM Phoenix Open “The People’s Open"!

Sunday, February 2, feels like a distant memory. We just completed the 85th edition of the WM Phoenix Open and proudly crowned Webb Simpson as our 2020 Champion. During the tournament week, we announced that the WM Phoenix Open had eclipsed $160 million in legacy charitable giving, and that a record $14 million was raised from this year alone. These funds stay in Arizona to support the community that make the WM Phoenix Open what it is today.

Now more than ever, The Thunderbirds are focused on the future and our community. On March 19, the Thunderbird Council approved a $1 million Emergency Fund to support local community organizations that have been hit hard in these times. This Emergency Fund is in addition to the $14

The LPGA announced today that the 2020 Volvik Founders Cup, originally postponed on March 12 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, will not be held this year. The tournament will return to the LPGA Tour schedule in 2021 at Wildfire Golf Club at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa.

“First and foremost, the health and safety of the players and the greater Phoenix community were in our minds as we made this decision,” said Tournament Director Scott Wood. “As the entire LPGA Tour competitive schedule shifted later into the year, it became more difficult to find a suitable date. As we shift our focus to 2021, the tournament staff is already working tirelessly to ensure an incredible week of competition and fun next March.”

Refund details will be shared with purchasers via email within the next two weeks.

If you cannot sell winning or success to your fans, the next best thing you can sell them is hope. The PGA Tour is now dealing in the currency of hope, something we need in America as much as we have ever needed anything.

People are still getting sick, and people are still dying in hospitals while surrounded not by loved ones holding their hands but by heroic and masked strangers keeping a necessary distance. The families of the victims do not care about the resumption of sports, or the resumption of anything else, while they grieve over everything the coronavirus has stolen from them.