Tour Talk with PROTOCONCEPT - VOL.22

This week I headed to Ogden Utah for the Utah Championship hosted by Ogden Golf and Country Club. This is the 20th event of the season and has been played on a variety of courses over the years. This is the first time Ogden Golf and Country Club has hosted this event. Originally opened as a nine-hole course and skeet and shooting venue in 1914, the second nine holes was added in 1948. This just over 7,000-yard par 70 track has lots of character, incredible mountain views, large elevation changes and very small greens with lots of undulation. The winner this week will need to drive the ball straight to avoid the long rough lining the fairways and have a hot putter as well. 

If this venue has one negative, it is the practice facility. The range is very small, only allowing around 15 players to hit balls at a time. With a field of over 150 players, guys were waiting in line for a chance to practice. Most players were just hitting a few balls to warm up and then heading right to the course to play. No long practice sessions were happening this week, and that translates to very little interest in altering or looking at the equipment.  

Dan McCarthy played well last week with his freshly re-shafted irons. I think we finally found a shaft that works well for him. He seemed very relaxed and confident after finishing T15 and shooting 19 under for the week. He is working with a new RR 46 degree wedge I built for him, he is hoping it will give him more versatility than a standard pitching wedge. I will know more about how that experiment is going next week.  

Next week - I'm off to Omaha, Nebraska for the Korn Ferry Pinnacle Bank Championship

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