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MICKELSON’s Tiny Gesture Makes Big Impact

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Lefty's Tiny Gesture Makes Big Impact

It’s hard to keep track of all the ways Phil Mickelson has captured our attention over the years. Just this last spring, we watched a 50-year-old Phil compete in the 2021 PGA Championship. He surprised everyone when he managed to stay ahead of the pack, then sank an amazing recovery shot on hole 5. So Phil.

Then there was the touching moment he shared with a young fan who sat in a wheelchair. He passed the boy as he was headed to the next hole and stopped to hand the child his golf ball. So Phil.

That ball is now sitting on a dresser in Statesboro, Ga. Everybody who comes to visit Kyler Aubrey, the ball’s owner, wants to see it.

Koepka said hi to Kyler that day, too. In September, on the Wednesday of the Tour Championship at East Lake, in Atlanta, Koepka invited Kyler on to the practice range. He asked Kyler what kind of music he likes.

“Drake,” Kyler said, tapping on his iPad. He has cerebral palsy, among other profound challenges. He’s not verbal.

Kyler typed out the names of his favorite Drake songs.

“Yep, I like those songs, too,” Koepka said.

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In a supportive gesture, Koepka wore a shirt that was designed by the rapper. Later that day, he even went up to see how Kyler was doing after he sank a putt during the event. He walked over to Kyler and said, “You having fun? Anybody come over and say hi?”

Kyler wrote on his iPad, “Dustin. Rory.” He touched a button so his written words would become speech. Koepka leaned in so he could hear the response.

Kyler got into Drake, and other musicians, not through an older sibling, as many people do, but through his kid brother, Jordan. Jordan could tell you all about “Statesboro Blues,” both the Allman Brothers version of it and the Blind Willie McTell original. Jordan played football and soccer. He died after falling from a moving vehicle in the summer before his senior year at Statesboro High. That was in 2015. He was 17.

Kyler has a sister, Sloan, who played on the boys’ golf team in high school, worked summers at the Forest Heights Country Club, in Statesboro, and is now a sophomore at Mercer University, in Macon. It was one of Sloan’s golf friends, familiar with the Ocean Course, who suggested the 5th green as a good place for Kyler to watch the action.

Kyler’s parents — Josh, a sportswriter for the Statesboro Herald, and Penny, a special education teacher — have logged many miles, pushing Kyler’s wheelchair across various PGA Tour courses. But Kiawah and its sandy paths presented different challenges. “Drunk people are very helpful,” the father will tell you. “But they may not push you in the right direction.” Cold beer followed the warm sun at the PGA this year.

Kyler is 29. Starting when Kyler was 2, his father would strap him into his golf cart and they’d go around the course at Georgia Southern University. Kyler’s first tournament was at Hilton Head in 1999, the only year Tiger played the event. Kyler got Tiger’s signature and was off to the races.

Given that some of his movements are restricted, Kyler does not have a typical golf clap. He even invented his own to show his support at events by gently pat his hand with his fist. Kyler is a familiar face to PGA Tour pros and has interacted with many of the golfers in the past. He even received tickets to take his father to an event that were gifted by Rory McIlroy.

When Justin Rose won the Payne Stewart Award this year, he spoke about the enduring value of small gestures. He remembered Payne tossing him a ball at Royal St. George’s in 1993. Arnold Palmer was the king of the small gesture — flirty winks, bespoke autographs, handshakes with a shelf-life of forever. You’ll still hear people say, “Arnold was my hero.” Phil’s got some Arnold in him. With all that he had going on just then, Phil saw a kid in a wheelchair — Kyler looks like a kid — and gave him his game ball, fresh off a birdie. “Thanks for bringing me some luck,” he told Kyler. Kyler was screaming — a guttural grunt — through his joy.

But the real heroes here, of course, are the Aubreys, carrying on, despite their daily hardships and the struggle that must shroud them, even on the best of days.

That Sunday at Kiawah was right up there. Kyler was wiped out by the time he got home. Still, he got out his iPad and tapped out a message. Every word for him is work.

Golf ball.

Meet Phil.

Thank you Daddy.

This article originally appeared on Golf.com.

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Breaking 90: Real Golf Improvement Tips That Actually Work

Tired of hovering in the low 90s? You’re not alone. Here are real, proven golf improvement tips that will finally help you break 90—and do it consistently.

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Why Breaking 90 Feels Like the Mount Everest of Golf

If you’ve ever wrapped up a round with an 89 on the card, you know the rush. For amateur golfers, breaking 90 isn’t just a number—it’s a rite of passage. It means your hard work is paying off, your decisions are sharper, and you’re starting to play golf instead of just swinging a club.

But here’s the thing: most golfers try to improve the wrong way. They tinker with their swing for months, chase YouTube tips at midnight, and buy the latest tech gear hoping it’ll shave strokes. Sound familiar?

As someone who spent years flirting with that 90 barrier, I’m here to tell you: you don’t need a perfect swing—you need a better strategy. Let’s get into the golf improvement tips that actually work.

Think Like a Golfer, Not a Swing Coach

Manage Expectations—Golf Isn’t About Perfect

You won’t stripe every drive or stick every wedge. So stop expecting to. Golf is a game of misses. The trick is making your bad shots better.

Start by dropping the obsession with perfection. Accept the occasional duff or slice. Focus instead on smart decisions and simple, repeatable swings.

“Golf is not a game of perfect. It’s a game of recovery.” — Dr. Bob Rotella, sports psychologist

Know Your “Go-To” Shot

If you’re trying to shape every shot like you’re on Tour, stop. Pick one reliable shot shape—fade, draw, straight—and stick to it. If your natural shot is a fade, play for it.

The moment I embraced my push-fade as a feature, not a flaw, my scores improved. I stopped fighting my swing and started playing smarter.

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Play the Right Tee Box—Seriously

Too many amateurs play from tees that are way too long. You don’t need to prove anything to anyone. Move up. Hit more greens. Have more fun. And yes—lower your score.

If you’re not getting to par 4s in two, or regularly hitting 3-woods into par 3s, it’s time to drop back to reality. You’ll thank yourself later.

Course Management—The Secret Weapon

Avoid the Hero Shot

Stuck in the trees? Don’t go for the 4-iron stinger through a two-foot gap. Punch out, get back in play, and take your medicine.

Par is great. Bogey is acceptable. Doubles are killers.

Know When to Lay Up

Got 210 yards into a narrow green with water short and right? Don’t be a hero. Hit it 150 and wedge it close. Most amateurs lose shots by trying to make up for a mistake with an even riskier shot. That never works.

Your scorecard rewards consistency, not courage.

The 3 Must-Have Skills to Break 90

1. A Reliable Tee Shot

You don’t need to hit bombs, but you need to keep it in play. Ditch the driver if it’s wild. I played a 5-wood for three months and dropped 7 strokes off my average.

2. A Dependable Wedge Game

From 100 yards and in, you need a club (or two) that you trust. Learn one shot—half swing, three-quarter, whatever—and own it.

3. No 3-Putts

Three-putting kills rounds. Focus on lag putting from long range and knocking in those nervy 4-footers. Spend twice as much time on putting as you do on full swings.

Practice With Purpose, Not Hope

Don’t just hit balls at the range. Practice like you play:

  • Hit different clubs in random order
  • Play imaginary holes
  • Make putting drills competitive
  • Keep score

“Deliberate practice leads to deliberate improvement.” — Mark Blackburn, PGA Tour Coach

Track Your Stats and Find the Leaks

Use an app or simple scorecard notes to track:

  • Fairways hit
  • Greens in regulation
  • Putts per hole
  • Penalty strokes

You’ll quickly spot where you’re leaking strokes. That’s where the real work starts.

Mindset Shift—Focus on Process, Not Score

I used to obsess over my score on every hole. Now, I focus on one swing at a time. Breaking 90 isn’t about shooting a 39 on the front and holding on. It’s about stacking smart decisions, one shot at a time.

Breaking 90 isn’t about hitting perfect shots. It’s about making better decisions, avoiding big numbers, and playing within your game. These golf improvement tips aren’t magic—they’re practical, proven strategies that work for real golfers.

Try them on your next round, and don’t forget to celebrate the small wins—like finally keeping your tee shot in play on Hole 1.

Want more golf improvement tips like these?
Bookmark ClickItGolf.com and check back weekly for advice, gear guides, laughs, and insights to help you play better golf—without losing your mind.

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The Spirit of the Links

From Scotland’s Shores to North America’s Coasts explore golf’s historic roots.

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Golf, a sport steeped in tradition and history, finds its roots deeply embedded in the sandy soils of Scotland’s links courses. These courses, characterized by their coastal settings, rolling dunes, and deep bunkers, offer a golfing experience that is both challenging and steeped in the game’s ancient traditions. This article explores the quintessential links courses of Scotland, including the renowned Kingsbarns, and compares them to their counterparts in North America, highlighting the differences that define and distinguish these iconic golf landscapes.

The Essence of Scottish Links

Scottish links courses are the original venues for the game of golf, with their history tracing back over several centuries. Kingsbarns, located near St. Andrews—the acknowledged ‘Home of Golf’—is a prime example. Though it was only opened in 2000, Kingsbarns has quickly become a jewel in the crown of Scottish golf. Designed by Kyle Phillips, the course captures the true spirit of links golf with its rugged coastline, natural bunkers, and undulating fairways that challenge even the most skilled golfers.

Links courses, by definition, are built on sandy land along coastlines. In Scotland, these courses are battered by the elements, with wind playing a significant role in the game, requiring golfers to exhibit not just skill but also creativity and adaptability. The courses are typically devoid of trees, using the natural landscape such as dunes and native grasses to define their boundaries.

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North American Links

While true links courses are a product of their environment, several courses in North America seek to replicate the Scottish experience. Courses like Bandon Dunes in Oregon and Cabot Links in Nova Scotia are designed to mirror the natural, rugged elegance of Scottish links. Bandon Dunes, for example, sits atop a windswept bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Its natural vegetation, dune topography, and wind conditions are reminiscent of Scotland’s storied courses.

Cabot Links, on the other hand, is Canada’s first true links course, featuring panoramic views and a layout that adheres to the natural landscape. Like its Scottish inspirations, Cabot Links utilizes fescue grasses and minimizes artificial water hazards, relying on wind and natural land forms to challenge players.

Links vs. Regular Courses

The main difference between a links course and a regular golf course lies in their interaction with the natural environment. Traditional golf courses, often referred to as “parkland courses,” are usually more manicured and contain lush, tree-lined fairways, with defined rough and strategic water hazards. They are designed to be more sheltered from the wind, offering a different type of challenge compared to the open, exposed links courses.

Links courses embrace the raw, natural state of their coastal landscapes. The ground tends to be harder and the grass shorter, which affects ball behavior, encouraging a ground game where golfers must play more along the earth, using the contours of the land to their advantage.

The allure of links golf lies in its simplicity and its challenge—the game as it was originally played, against a backdrop of breathtaking natural beauty. Whether in Scotland or North America, these courses provide a profound connection to the elements, offering a pure golf experience that is as mentally challenging as it is physically.

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TGL, Skins, and the World Series of Golf—Oh My!

Explore golf’s thrilling new formats—from TGL’s digital arenas to high-stakes Skins and poker-inspired World Series of Golf, as Ty Webb humorously guides you through the game’s exciting evolution.

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Hey there, fellow golfers, duffers, and sand-trap enthusiasts! Ty Webb here—ready to chat about a topic almost as intriguing as the mysterious forces that cause your golf balls to magnetically find water hazards. The game we love is changing faster than Judge Smails’ mood after a missed putt, and these new formats are shaking things up faster than my backswing (which, I’ll remind you, is flawless).

First up, we’ve got TGL—Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s brainchild. Imagine golf, but in a high-tech simulator arena, with live crowds and digital drama. It’s like playing a round inside a video game—minus the reset button. It’s fast, it’s futuristic, and it might just make traditionalists clutch their cardigan sweaters a little tighter. But hey, change can be good—like switching from a putter that doesn’t work to another putter that doesn’t work.

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Then we’ve got the Skins Game, golf’s original “put your money where your mouth is” contest. It’s straightforward—win a hole, win some cash. Lose a hole, watch your buddy strut around like he’s just sunk a 90-footer at Augusta. The Skins format keeps the stakes high, the tension higher, and friendships on the line. It’s golf with bravado, swagger, and a bit of friendly financial risk—exactly how I like my weekends.

And finally, we have the World Series of Golf—imagine poker and golf decided to collaborate, and neither was sober at the time. Players bet on each hole, raising, folding, and bluffing their way through a round. It’s as much about strategy and psychological warfare as it is about hitting a decent tee shot. One moment you’re all-in, the next you’re questioning every life decision you’ve ever made. Classic golf, am I right?

So there you have it, friends. Golf isn’t just changing—it’s evolving, innovating, and occasionally terrifying the purists. But rest easy, because whether you’re in a virtual arena, sweating over Skins cash, or bluffing your way through the World Series of Golf, the spirit of the game remains: hit the ball, find the ball, repeat as necessary. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with destiny—and a very forgiving 9-iron.

Fore!

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