“…we believe the conclusions drawn in this Report undervalue the skill and athleticism of the game’s very best players and focus far too much on the top of the men’s professional game and project this on golf and golfers as a whole,” reads the statement from David Maher, Acushnet’s president and CEO.

“Furthermore, we believe that existing equipment regulations effectively govern the prospects of any significant increases in hitting distance by the game’s longest hitters.”

Maher’s 686-word position paper, titled “A Perspective on the Distance Insights Report,” is the first from a major golf company CEO to explicitly counter the ruling bodies’ conclusions from their Distance Insights research project, announced Feb. 4. In that announcement and subsequent press conference, the organizations detailed their desire to curb how far tee shots fly.

“We believe that this continuing cycle of increases is undesirable and detrimental to golf’s long-term future,” the report’s 16-page Conclusions document reads.

“We believe that golf will best thrive over the next decades and beyond if this continuing cycle of ever-increasing hitting distances and golf course lengths is brought to an end.”

The Acushnet CEO’s statement indicated the ruling bodies’ position failed to account for the benefits to the game from innovation. Rather than reducing the skill needed to play the game, Maher said equipment technology fuels the enthusiasm for the game for beginners as well as the top players in the game.

“Like all sports, golf is played differently today than it was centuries, and even decades, ago—from the people who play, the rules by which we play, and the equipment we use,” he said. “Almost all would agree this progress has been a great benefit to the game and that innovation in golf equipment has been an important contributor to this progress. Golf is bringing younger players into the game sooner and keeping older players longer than ever; professional golf is as dynamic and entertaining as it’s ever been; and the game remains a healthy challenge for all players and at all levels.”

Maher noted the ruling bodies were “acting in what they believe to be the game’s best interests” but said the current equipment standards are sufficiently keeping distance in check.

“The ability to consistently achieve distance with accuracy, and convert this into low scores, remains a special and elusive skill,” Maher said. “In fact, the Report itself shows that hitting distance on the PGA Tour decreased in six of the past 13 years, including 2019. We believe this helps to affirm the effectiveness of regulatory efforts, particularly those adopted since the early 2000s, which continue to achieve their desired intent of setting boundaries around future distance increases while also rewarding skill and encouraging innovation.”

Maher’s statement also endorsed one set of rules, taking a position his predecessor, Wally Uihlein, made almost exactly seven years ago in an essay titled “The Case for Unification.” Today, Maher was reacting negatively to the suggestion that the ruling bodies would consider extending the use of a local rule requiring equipment that produced shorter hitting distances. Though USGA CEO Mike Davis endorsed a commitment to one set of rules, he said “the concept of the local rule goes back to the 1700s and allows courses or tournament committees to have flexibility where it makes sense.” Maher said a local rule restricting equipment would not be a positive for the game.

“We believe playing by a unified set of rules coalesces our game, is an essential part of its global understanding and appeal, and eliminates the inconsistency and instability that would come from multiple sets of equipment standards,” he said.

USGA officials were unavailable for comment.

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Image courtesy of FootJoy

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By Mike Stachura, E. Michael Johnson
Wally Uihlein, president and CEO of Titleist and FootJoy parent Acushnet and an industry force for much of the last three decades, unexpectedly announced his retirement Monday.

Uihlein, 68, who will remain as an advisor to Acushnet chairman Gene Yoon and a member of the board of directors, made his retirement effective at the start of the year. His replacement is David Maher, who many had tabbed as Uihlein’s eventual successor when he was named COO in June 2016.

Still, Uihlein’s departure comes as a surprise if only because he has played such a commanding presence behind golf’s most iconic brand for more than 20 years. Uihlein has staunchly preserved, defended and enhanced Titleist’s unrivaled market share and tour presence in golf balls, reinvigorated the company’s club business and maintained the company’s leadership position in shoes and gloves under the FootJoy brand.

Uihlein enforced those leadership positions with an unyielding commitment to tour endorsement. More professional players worldwide by a wide margin use Titleist balls and wear FootJoy shoes and gloves than any other brand. Uihlein also was instrumental in fueling the Titleist club brand by signing high-end putter designer Scotty Cameron to develop the company’s putter line that would fundamentally elevate the price point for putters. He also gave a name to the company’s wedge line by elevating wedge craftsman Bob Vokey to a Scotty Cameron-like microbrand.

All the while, he’s navigated Acushnet through iterations as a part of a public company, the sale to a private international sporting goods brand and most recently helped the company go public in 2016.

Uihlein’s retirement marks a seminal moment for the company, as his leadership and loyalty to the brand are legendary right down to the white coats the company’s personnel wear at the PGA Merchandise Show. He also oversaw the company through consistent growth along with the sale of the company from Fortune Brands to Fila Korea Ltd. And Mirae Asset Private Equity in 2011.

It was the largest-ever purchase of a golf-equipment company at $1.225 billion. Acushnet remained a standalone operation in Fairhaven, Mass., while also expanding in Asia where golf was growing and even greater potential was possible. Uihlein helped engineer the deal that kept intact the company and brands he nurtured for 20-plus years, allowing him to remain in charge. “If I could have achieved anything when I started here, it would be to get the company in a position where it can sustain the brands, and today that is dictated by the globalization of golf,” said Uihlein at the time of the sale. “Companies that are U.S.-centric will be roadkill on tomorrow’s scorecard.”

Uihlein was at the helm for one last major move when the company went public late last year with an IPO with the common stock trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “GOLF.” The initial offering price was $17 per share with just under 20 million shares of common stock to be sold by existing shareholders of Acushnet. This morning the stock opened at $17.09.

In the midst of the business, Uihlein has been eloquently outspoken in arguing against equipment restrictions. He repeatedly has made the case that there should not be separate equipment rules for professionals and amateurs, the so-called bifurcation argument. Uihlein instead made “the case for unification.”

In his essay, he wrote, “While some lament that PGA Tour players aren’t playing the same game as amateurs, this is more a commentary on the skill of the professional golfer than amateurs’ desire to play a different game. Part of the fabric of the game is the relationship between the game’s best players and all golfers who play.”

Prior to being named COO, Maher, 49, served as senior vice president for worldwide sales at Titleist for four months in 2016 and previously was vice president, Titleist U.S. sales from 2001-2016.

“We thank Wally Uihlein for his forty plus years with Acushnet and the terrific leadership he has provided during this time,” Yoon said. “Acushnet will continue to benefit from his extensive knowledge and experience in areas such as strategic planning, acquisitions, player promotion and golf equipment regulatory matters.

“I also want to congratulate David Maher on his promotion to President and CEO. During his 26 years with the company, David has demonstrated both the leadership and strategy skills that will ensure that Acushnet will continue to be one of the leading companies in the worldwide golf industry.”

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Mike Ehrmann
Justin Thomas’ Saturday look

1. When he wears a statement polo with a unique pattern, he pairs it with simple surroundings. In his Saturday look (above), Thomas wore a loud, eye-catching navy-and-green striped performance polo. By pairing that top with a dark-navy belt that seamlessly blended with his polo, white trousers and all-white FootJoy ICON Shield Tip MyJoys ($300), Thomas rightfully made his polo the true focal point of his entire outfit.

Chris O’Meara
Thomas’ Thursday outfit.

2. His shoes are often a centerpiece. Just take a look at his FootJoy ICON Shield Tip MyJoys. They have a white base, a brown lizard saddle, brown lizard accents and brown laces. These brown hues in his paired perfectly with the delicate navy pattern on his polo, and they added just the right amount of flare to his entire look.

Icon Sportswire
Thomas’ Sunday look

3. He’s not afraid of colour. Thomas’ winning look involved a magenta polo, which most guys would shy away from. But loud colors don’t have to mean flashy. Once again, Thomas made his magenta work because he paired his polo with neutral surroundings. Whites, greys, navys and blacks all qualify as neutrals, and if you rely on a neutral base you can go as nuts as you’d like with the loud colors.

And then, of course, there’s Thomas’ fashion faux pas: He consistently pairs his beautiful wingtip and classic-style shoes with white ankle socks, which significantly detracts from the shoe’s sophistication.

Interesting to see the FJ ICON MyJoy golf shoes @justinthomas34 wore Sunday @pgachampionship are almost identical to those he’s worn since he was a junior. Timeless, classic styling, stable platform, trusted performance. #1shoeingolf #FJMyJoys

A post shared by FootJoy (@footjoy) on Aug 13, 2017 at 6:11pm PDT

By the way, as FooyJoy pointed out on Instagram, Thomas won the PGA Championship while wearing a shoe that was nearly identical to the now-iconic photo taken during a junior golf tournament in 2007. That proves that classic style simply never gets old.

The post Three style tips you can learn from Justin Thomas, plus one mistake appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The D.N.A. line, which stands for DryJoys Next Advancement, launched in 2014 and has been consistently adding performance-focused spiked shoes to its offerings. After seeking advice from its tour staff, the goal of this new construction was to make a more comfortable and stable shoe while maintaining high flexibility.

To achieve that, FootJoy made a shoe that was wider and lighter than past models. The team at FootJoy placed the cleats in the heel further apart to increase stability. They also added a foam collar that helps hold your foot in place.

The midsole is also different. It’s made out of a new foam, what the company is calling a fine-tuned foam bed, to help add comfort and cushion to the underfoot. Though a lot is different about the Helix, it’s still waterproof like other D.N.A. models.

The big trend in golf shoes right now is shoes that can double as street shoes. And while we love that trend, it’s also good to see such a sleek, athletic option like the D.N.A. The color options are simple and clean—all revolving around black, white and red, so it’ll be easy to chose a pair that’ll match most of your outfits. The laced version is $210 at retail and the Boa version is $240. —Keely Levins / @kalevins

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