WGTF News From Nepal

WGTF News From Nepal

In comparison to previous years, the game of golf has been advanced in recent years. People of all ages are now interested in the game these days. I’ve been a golf professional at RNGC (Royal Nepal Golf Club) for a long time, and according to my study, the club has gained many new members this year compared to last. In Nepal’s history, one of the schools has also adopted golf as one of their regular sports, which means that the golf game of our students will be much more knowledgeable and improved in the future, and the interest in the game will be enhanced among the youth. Despite the fact that we are currently under lockdown, we can find golf players engaged in indoor net practice. Knowing about the indoor practice, we can conclude that the players’ commitment to golf is exceptional.

RNGC has decided to focus more on the underprivileged in the junior program and provide them with more practice sessions. The underprivileged group is made up of ten boys and ten girls. Many government officers, including members of the Armed Police Force, Nepal Police, the Nepal Army and Nepal Ministers, are now interested in golf. As interest among government personnel grows, we are expecting to receive some support from the country in the near future. Despite the fact that we lack a source of funding and government support for golf, I will continue to work hard to grow and increase interest in the sport in Nepal. Finally, I’d like to express my gratitude to all of the USGTF and WGTF members who have supported me during my journey.  

By Sachin Bhattari, WGTF Advisory Board Member, Nepal

Tour “PRO” File – Collin Morikawa

When three prominent U.S. collegiate golfers turned professional all about the same time in early 2019, Matthew Wolfe and Viktor Hovland earned much of the press. But knowing insiders pointed to Collin Morikawa as the most likely to have the greater career, and so far, just a little over two years later, that forecast has proved to be deadly accurate. Morikawa is leaving his then-more-well-known peers in the dust as he captured his second major championship, The Open, this past July. As of this writing, he leads the PGA Tour in stroke-gained tee-to-green and in greens in regulation, which currently makes him the best ballstriker in the game, and it’s not even that close to the next guy. The only thing preventing Morikawa from dominating the game is his short game (strokes-gained around the green) is ranked 70th and his putting 170th (strokes-gained putting). If he can move both of those statistics into, say, the top 50 while keeping his ballstriking prowess, it is likely he could be as dominating as Tiger Woods. But of course, that’s a big “if.” In any case, Morikawa will certainly win multiple major championships and cement a hall-of-fame career. The only question is how great his greatness will be.
Tournament Central

Tournament Central

Central – Hunter Huang from Atlanta, Georgia, successfully defended his 2019 Central Region Championship by firing a final-round 71 to overcome a 5-stroke deficit in the two-day event held at Pheasant Run GC in Canton, Michigan, August 1-2.

Regional director Brent Davies remarked, “We had a great tournament with an exciting finish, lots of laughs and great camaraderie with the guys.” Nineteen players from all around the country participated.

Southwest – The region championship will be played September 10-12, Golf Club at Twin Creeks, Allen, Texas. Entry fee $225 (includes Friday night dinner). Contact region director Bruce Sims at bsims@pga.com.

Northwest – The region championship is September 22-23, Northern California, more info to come. Contact region director Nathan Guerrrero at prtime.ng@hotmail.com.

United States Golf Teachers Cup – This event will be played Sunday and Monday, October 18-19, at the Revere Golf Club in Henderson, Nevada, just outside Las Vegas. The entry fee of $495 includes two tournament rounds, prizes, awards, and a closing banquet and awards ceremony. A concurrent pro-am will also be played (bringing an amateur partner is not required for participation.) The Luxor, one of the most sought-after properties on the Las Vegas Strip, will serve as the host hotel. Complete tournament and entry information can be found at www.USGolfTeachersCup.com.

Be sure to visit www.USGTF.com in the Stay Informed section for registration details and updates.
New USGTF Podcast Set to Begin Production

New USGTF Podcast Set to Begin Production

Longtime USGTF and WGTF professional Thomas T Wartelle will host a new podcast titled “The 10th Tee.” The podcast will feature guests from the world of teaching and playing, and will focus on current happenings and topics in golf. Wartelle plans to make the podcast fun and informative, and with his extensive background in the game and overall knowledge, it is sure to be an intelligent listen. The podcast is currently under development, and more information about it will be coming shortly.
WGTF Launches New Website

WGTF Launches New Website

Founded in the United States in 1989, USGTF (United States Golf Teachers Federation), as its name suggests, created an organization only for golf instructors, and the golf education profession is a tour pro who strives to improve their performance to win the tour game. We realized that should be a separate entity. The research and establishment of this new golf field made a leap forward, and 4 years later, in 1993, the WGTF (World Golf Teachers Federation) was established. We are firmly established and our current WGTF members are active in 85 countries around the world.

The WGTF has been setting international standards for training and certification for professional golf instructors through innovative and effective swing mechanisms and training methodologies. WGTF is proud to launch a new website in an effort to support all international federations and bring a better sense of unity. Please visit www.WGTF.com to view this new website today!

Editorial – What it Takes to Win a Grand Slam

Editorial – What it Takes to Win a Grand Slam

There are only two people in the history of golf to accomplish a remarkable feat, and that is winning the Grand Slam on both the PGA and the Champions (formerly Senior) Tours. Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus both accomplished the remarkable feat. The majors on the regular men’s circuit are well known: Masters, U.S. Open, The Open (formerly called the British Open) and the PGA Championship. On the PGA Tour Champions, there are now five, but when Player and Nicklaus played, there were four, and winning all four constituted a Grand Slam. They are the U.S. Senior Open, PGA Senior Championship, the Tradition and the Senior Players’ Championship. Today the Senior Open (formerly the British Senior Open) has been added to the rotation, making five senior men’s majors altogether. But Player’s and Nicklaus’ feat are still considered a completion of the senior Grand Slam. USGTF president Brandon Lee recently had the pleasure of teeing it up with Player for a round. What does it take to win the Grand Slam? Many great legends of the game came short such as Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Phil Mickelson. So it’s not just being a great player. There may be some luck involved, but as Player once famously said, “The more I practice the luckier I get.” There’s just something special about being a career Grand Slam champion, and it can certainly be said Nicklaus and Player stand alone in that regard.
Student Spotlight – Hunter Housa

Student Spotlight – Hunter Housa

By Bo Harris, USGTF Professional Hunter Mousa is an 11-year-old who just started playing competitive golf last fall. He started out with a maximum handicap of 30. His initial goal was to be able to gauge how his game compared to other kids his age. He quickly found that in order to improve, he needed to focus on putting. After a few lessons using a SeeMore putter, he started to see a major improvement. He then started working on his swing and understanding the numbers on the TrackMan. Since he played baseball for many years, his focus was to improve his golf swing from inside to out. He has since lowered his handicap to 15 and shoots in the mid to low 80s. Some of his accomplishments this past year include making the varsity middle school golf team as a 5th grader, placing in the top three in his last seven tournaments, and getting his first win by shooting even par. He has a strong desire to continuously improve his game. He is now working on his distance and club speed. You can follow his golf journey on Instagram @ridamousa40. As a teaching professional I have come across numerous students of all ages that tell me how they want to get better but seem to only swing a golf club when we are together. Hunt could not be more different. He loves this game and he loves the grind. If he’s not doing his schoolwork, he has a golf club in his hands and is rigorously taking notes on what he’s doing to get better. Keep in mind, he’s only in 5th grade! To conclude, I have worked with hundreds of juniors from all aspects of talent and age, and this kid inspires me every time I see him on my lesson tee.
Teaching “Pro” File – Bill Rice

Teaching “Pro” File – Bill Rice

Bill Rice of Las Vegas, Nevada, is one of the USGTF’s most respected and skilled teachers. He conducts approximately six certification courses per year for the organization, including the annual Master Golf Teaching Professional class. He comes to the golf teaching industry after a career in public education, serving as a public school teacher and principal. But his start in golf is an interesting story.

Rice attended school in Michigan, and when the school system became integrated, he was invited to play golf. Thinking it was nothing more than hitting a ball and putting it into the hole, when asked what he shot for nine holes, he answered, “55.” Told he would never shoot that, the first time out he did right on the nose, and the next year he was down to a scratch. He read every book he could get his hands on in an effort to make himself a good golfer, and the efforts paid off.

Rice currently also teaches at the Legacy Golf Club in Las Vegas, and said he receives his greatest joy when his students learn and improve.

Tour “Pro” Update – Jon Rahm

The golf world at large first became aware of Jon Rahm when he played in the 2015 Waste Management Open in Phoenix as an amateur, a member of the Arizona State University golf team. He finished in fifth place, just three shots behind champion Brooks Koepka. After that, he remained an amateur for over a year, capturing the top spot in the World Amateur Golf ranking for a still-record 60 weeks. He turned professional later in 2016 after the U.S. Open to much fanfare. Rahm finished third in his professional debut at the Quicken Loans National Since then, he has achieved the stardom virtually everyone expected, winning 12 times on both the PGA and European Tours and starring in Europe’s victory in the Ryder Cup in 2018. That stardom literally took a major step when he won the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, California, in June. In the process, he regained the world #1 ranking. Given the steady nature of his game, there is no reason to believe Rahm won’t be a major superstar for the next decade and perhaps more.