Lou Stagner, a self-professed “golf nut” and “data nerd” who happens to be a great follow on Twitter (Golf Stat Pro) shared the following video of the plastic creation he and his daughter built—and the results are spectacular. See for yourself:

My daughter and I built this replica of Augusta National #12 out of Lego.

We are planning to sell it to raise money for charity.

Enjoy! pic.twitter.com/nawBF79W2d

— Lou Stagner (Golf Stat Pro) (@LouStagner) March 17, 2020

“We saw a replica of Augusta clubhouse made from Lego and she said ‘let’s build a golf hole and sell it,'” Stagner said of 9-year-old Abby. “The ‘business’ idea quickly turned into a ‘let’s sell this and donate all the money to charity idea.'”

Amazing. Even more amazing? These two built this before everyone started hunkering down in their homes. Imagine what they could accomplish with even more time on their hands?

Stagner said he and Abby began the project in December and that it took roughly 60 hours to complete. The dimensions are 30 inches wide by 50 inches long by 20 inches high and it involved more than 20,000(!) individual LEGO pieces.

Here are a few more looks at this engineering marvel. How about that Hogan Bridge over Rae’s Creek?

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And how about the view from the tee box?

Calling this a replica of the 12th hole isn’t giving it enough credit considering you can also see the 11th green and the 13th tee. And speaking of, here’s a look from behind the 12th green—a place where no one but players and caddies can venture during the year’s first major:

Absolutely beautiful. You can practically hear the sounds of a keyboard playing “Augusta.”

Stagner said the goal was to partner with a golfer, ideally one with a charitable foundation, and drum up interest during the Masters, but, “unfortunately the Coronavirus has somewhat put a damper on the original plan.” Maybe so, but we’re guessing this work of art doesn’t go unclaimed for long.

THE GRIND: How tour pros are staying busy while under quarantine

The post This LEGO replica of Augusta National’s 12th hole is one of the great engineering feats of our time appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Justin Rose’s last hole hole-out at the 1998 Open Championship was always going to be dusted off with golf’s grandest major returning to Royal Birkdale.

The baggy red sweater, the roar from the gallery, the TV commentator’s “No, you’re kidding me,” wonderment as Rose’s ball disappeared into the cup. It’s was an Open moment for the ages. “Way to go kid” the announcer swooned, almost disbelieving of what he’d just witnessed from the 17-year-old.

Heck, there’s even been an epic Lego recreation of the moment the Johannesburg-born teen sealed the silver medal for low amateur honours and became golf’s English Rose.

I had a lot of fun collaborating with the @golfchannel on this project. I can’t wait for @theopen to get under way. I will always remember this shot by @justinprose99

A post shared by Jared Jacobs (@goldyeller) on Jul 12, 2017 at 7:31am PDT

But as fun as the rewind has been, the now 36-year-old is clearly ready to move on.

“I feel a lot more at peace now, Rose told The Sunday Telegraph. “I feel I’ve done the walk down memory lane. Let’s turn up as a legitimate contender to win The Open, not talk about the kid that nearly did.”

With a US Open and Olympic gold medal in his trophy cabinet, its fair to say Rose returns to the Southport links as a heavyweight contender in one of the most wide open Open’s in recent history.

After his Masters near miss in April to Ryder Cup pal Sergio Garcia and his tie for 4th at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open a fortnight ago, he’s trending nicely for a tilt at the Claret Jug, never mind his unwanted weekend off at last month’s US Open at Erin Hills.

It’s certainly hard to fathom how he missed 21 straight cuts after turning professional following Birkdale but for all the riches that has followed, Rose isn’t content with his place in golf’s pantheon.

“I’ve always been a player more interested in finding a place in the game than making money. I’m a history books guy. And I feel like there is more to give. A career grand slam is what would blow me away,” Rose told the Telegraph’s Oliver Brown.

“With the Masters this year – a knife edge affair, which could have gone either way – I would have been halfway towards it. It made me believe it was possible.

“But the other thing that keeps me going is the fear of not living up to my potential.”

That fear goes full circle as he arrives at Birkdale, his sentimental favourite on the Open rota of courses.

“That takes me back to being a kid at Birkdale, imagining what I could one day achieve. I want to be the old man in the rocking chair, reminiscing on life, just having the piece of mind that says ‘Yeah, I gave it everything’. That’s why I work hard – to have no regrets.” — Kent Gray travelled to The Open with Etihad Airways

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Lydia Ko admits to taking up a new hobby in the run-up to the U.S. Women’s Open at Trump National Golf Club—playing with Legos.

“I build Lego houses,” Ko said. “It took my mind off of golf.”

The 20-year-old has had a complicated year, so perhaps you can’t blame her for needing a simple distraction. Yes, the 14-time LPGA Tour winner knows the box says the toys are recommended for kids age 6-12. But by gravitating to a modest activity off the course, she hopes to re-new her focus on it.

Ko’s eventful 2017 season began just prior to the start of the calendar year, when she parted ways with her swing coach, David Leadbetter, and started working will Gary Gilchrist. Not long after, she changed equipment companies, from Callaway to PXG. In March, Ko missed her first cut in 40 starts at the Kia Classic. In April, she started working with her 10th caddie since turning pro. Finally, early last month, she dropped from No. 1 spot on the Rolex Rankings after 85 weeks on top.

Winless in 13 LPGA starts this season, Ko now ranks No. 4 after her most recent event, a disappointing T-59 finish two weeks ago at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Ko was in contention early—shooting four under after two rounds—but fell down the leader board on Saturday at Olympia Fields when she made nine bogeys en route to a 76. During the final round, she bogeyed five of the last 11 holes to finish five over for the week.

Ko skipped last week’s Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic to regroup and celebrate the fourth of July with friends, before moving on to Open prep.

“I just took the first few days to relax and not think about it,” said Ko, who has played in five Women’s Opens and never missed a cut, her best finish being a T-3 last year at CordeValle. “It was good to take those couple of days off to refresh and then get energized for this stretch of events.”

Her main focus on the course leading up to this week has been putting. Ko current ranks seventh overall on tour in putting average, though her final two rounds at the KPMG certainly didn’t reflect that.

“Speed control is an aspect of my putting where I feel like I can get better at,” Ko said before a Tuesday practice round. “Even yesterday we did a lot of speed drills and [worked on] just getting confident.”

At a course like Trump National Bedminster, the greens are wide, but Ko isn’t taking that for granted.

“The greens will be the biggest part of this golf course,” Ko said. “Just because you’re on the green, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be an easy two-putt or a birdie.”

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