USGTF Monthly Newsletter

By Scottie McAlarney, USGTF Certified, Torrance, CA

Eddie Kaufman from Throop, Pennsylvania, has been a golf student of mine at my “A Swing for Life” golf academy since the age of eight years old and has just finished his Mid Valley High School golf career this past fall in October of 2022. I have also had the privilege of serving as Eddie’s head coach on the golf team, where he earned the Scranton Times All-Regional “Player of the Year” award, recognizing the best player in the northeast part of the state.

Since his early years as a student of mine, he consistently showed progress each and every year from the junior ranks to playing high-level tournament golf. He has never been afraid to make changes to his swing when needed, including a significant one we had worked on right before a major high school championship event that had him finishing with a 5-under par 67 and earning him “athlete of the week” honors in our area.

I have had numerous junior players in my 27-year career, including my son, who still plays in professional events, but no one has done what Eddie has been able to accomplish during his 10-year time frame with me as my student. Eddie will be going on to play golf for Roanoke University in Virginia. Academically, Eddie has a 3.9 GPA, is a member of the National Honor Society, and has achieved many other academic awards.

Perhaps the most distinctive thing about Scottie Scheffler is the “Scheffler Shuffle,” where his back foot moves considerably after contact, almost like he’s dancing. In years past it would have been considered a bad flaw, but today, where ball flight consistency reigns supreme among instructors, it’s no big deal.

Scheffler notched his fifth victory of his PGA Tour career when he won the Waste Management Open, known more for its rowdy behavior on the 16th and 17th holes than the golf itself. Like the Scheffler Shuffle, this would have been considered a bad “flaw” back in the day, too, so maybe it’s fitting that Scheffler finds success at the WM as he has now won the event two years in a row.

Scheffler is one of the best ballstrikers on tour, ranking 3rd in strokes-gained off the tee and 14th in strokes-gained approach shots. He is a pedestrian putter, ranked 93rd, but analytics has shown us that ballstriking prowess is more important than putting prowess for success on the tour.

(Note: This information was provided by John Joy and is reprinted.)

John Joy is a master club fitter and instructor at Le Triomphe Golf Academy near Lafayette, Louisiana. He has over 50 years of experience in the game of golf. The academy is an indoor/outdoor teaching facility utilizing the latest teaching technology to provide students with the ultimate golf experience. Two indoor hitting bays provide the ability to launch balls into an outdoor range from the comfort of climate-controlled teaching bays. The academy features an extensive practice area which includes a putting green, chipping green and sand and grass bunkers.

He utilizes motion analysis and digital media technologies. He currently holds the title as one of Golf Digest’s Top Club Fitters in the country and has a loyal following by those who know there is no club fitter that can compare. Joy not only has knowledge and skill, but has the true desire to make sure that every golfer that crosses his path will walk away with key improvements to their golf game.

Joy started his golf career on sand greens in Texas in his pre-teen years and later started an apprenticeship with designs of staying within the golf industry. While working and living abroad for nearly 30 years, he had the privilege of playing golf all over the world, from sand greens in southern Iran to the royal courses of Asia and Great Britain. Upon retirement in the early 1990’s, he began earnestly focused on refining his golf skills. He has passion for the game and knows that there are no two golfers alike. He strives to be the best in his field and always keeps up with the latest technologies when analyzing a student’s game.

Mark Harman from Ridgeland, SC, and newly appointed director of the Southeast Region of the USGTF, shot a 76 to win the U.S. Professional Hickory Golf Championship at the 100-year-old Temple Terrace Golf & Country Club outside of Tampa, Florida, on February 20. Harman is the first USGTF professional to win the event in its 13-year history.

Asked to comment, retired Southeast director and tournament chairman Mike Stevens said, “It’s great to see a fellow member of the organization break through and win the event. As for the tournament, it would have never come to fruition if not for the support of former president of the USGTF, Geoff Bryant. Geoff always believed that it was important for golf professionals to remember the roots of the game and pass its history on to peers and students alike. The USGTF title sponsorship of the tournament for several years while he was president allowed me to build it into what it is today. For that, I will always be grateful to him. Hope to see more of our members participate in the future.”

The tournament celebrates the Florida Open, a hickory event played at this venue in 1925, and the winner has his name affixed to the John Shippen Cup, named after America’s first golf professional. The cup resides permanently in the Temple Terrace clubhouse. Next year’s event is scheduled for Monday, February 19, 2024.