Tour Talk with PROTOCONCEPT - VOL.21

Glenview, IL is a little more than an hour east of my home and is the location of this week's NV5 Invitational Korn Ferry event. The Glen Club is hosting this event for the sixth time in 7 years, but was also the host of the LaSalle Bank Open from 2002 to 2008. In addition, the Glen Club is the home of the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame. There are numerous displays and plaques commemorating important people in golf that are from or lived in Illinois. 

This Tom Fazio designed course is recognized as one of golfs Top 100 Golf Courses and brings "old school" golf to the young men on this tour. The modern equipment and high skill level of these players usually combine for low scores at this event. Weather will be a factor this week with heat advisories, high humidity and thunderstorms in the forecast. 

This event is the 19th on the 26-week schedule. Players are feeling the pressure of needing to play well these last few events before the final 4 events leading up to the Tour Championship. That pressure was evident on Monday as more players than normal were out early practicing on the range. There was a lot of practice but not much equipment tinkering this week across the board. We have reached the part of the season where players generally stop looking for the magic club since there is no new equipment being introduced, and start relying on themselves to reach their goals. Maintenance becomes my main objective now in addition to looking for players that are willing to try our product in the off season in hopes that they will use it next year. 

That being said, Dan McCarthy decided the shafts he used last week were not working well for him. Tuesday afternoon I re-shafted his entire set of irons again. I do feel that this shaft fits him much better than the last one and better than what he used for the last few weeks. I hope Dan has found something that works and he can feel confident in for the rest of the season. 

Next week - Another Korn Ferry event since the LPGA is still overseas. The Utah Championship at Ogden C.C. in Ogden, Utah. 

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