Tour Talk with PROTOCONCEPT - VOL.19

This week I traveled to two tour events, the Korn Ferry Memorial Health Championship in Springfield, IL. and the LIV Golf event in Dallas, TX. 

The Memorial Health Championship is held at Panther Creek Country Club and has been for the past 10 years. It is the 16th event in the 26-event season, so players are starting to do the math to determine what it will take to reach the ultimate goal of earning a PGA Tour card for 2026. For many, the math is not adding up well and they are hoping to just maintain their playing status on the Korn Ferry Tour. Panther Creek's 7,258-yard par 71 layout is pretty straight forward and has given up a few sub 60 rounds in its history. Scores will be low this week, so look for the winner to be near 20 under par.

The heat this week in Springfield is brutal. Highs in the mid to high 90's with "feels like" temps well over 100 degrees due to the high humidity. Whoever wins this event will have found a way to battle the heat as well as the course. Weather like this can bring afternoon thunderstorms, and Monday was no exception. Luckily, it was late in the day so most players were done practicing by then. The downside for this type of heat for me, besides the obvious, is that players are in no mood to test or try product. They want to save their energy for practice or playing, not testing. 

Wednesday morning, I flew to Dallas and headed over to Maridoe Golf Club for the LIVE Golf Dallas event. The purpose of this trip was to show off the finished version of our RR Wedges which these players had not seen. The last time I was at a LIV event was last year in Chicago. As expected, the reception was very positive with a few requests to build clubs during their off season for further testing. One player kept a set of wedges to work with and could possibly add them to their bag before the end of this season. In addition, I did get a request for a set of irons for this off season as well. All in all, a good week! A lot of travel but positive results and that is what is important. Interest in PROTOCONCEPT is increasing every week, and players are recognizing the quality of the products. I am excited by the prospects and what the future may hold. 

Next week - After 11 straight weeks on the road, I will be taking a couple weeks off to spend with my family. My next event will be the Korn Ferry Price Cutter Charity Championship in Springfield MO. July 14th-20th.

Have a wonderful 4th of July.

Best regards,
Steve Loerzel
Director of TOUR Operations & Master Club Builder